Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 18,257, Luther Ward, Mass.
Page 1

3-1776

Ward, Luther
Anna

Service 
Mass.
Number W. 18257

Contents
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No. 2995
Vermont

Luther Ward
of Windham Co. in the State of Vermont who was a private in the company commanded by Captain Prouty of the Regt. commanded by Col. Trask in the Massachusetts Mil. line for 6 months & 29 days

Inscribed on the Roll of Vermont at the rate of 23 Dollars 17 cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March 1831

Certificate of Pension issued the 11 day of December and sent to J. Elliot 
Marlboro, Vt.

Arrears to the 4th of September $34.75
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4th March  1833 11.58
$46.33

{Revolutionary Claim
Act June 7 1832}

Recorded by D. Brown, Clerk
Book D, Vol. 4, Page 92
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3684
Vermont
Anna Ward
Widow of Luther Ward
 Mass. who served in the Revolutionary war as a private
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of 23 Dollars 17 Cents per annum commencing the 5th day of February  1849 and sent to
Hon. W. Henry
House of Represetatives

Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under act
February 2, 1848, Page 102 Vol. 3

Let. to Chapman Swain Aug. 4 '49
Montpelier March 1850
29 March 1850
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No. 2624
Vermont
admitted
Private 6 mos. 29 days
$23.17
J. Elliot
Marlborough Vt.
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Brief in the case of Luther Ward of Dover
County of Windham in the State of Vermont
(Act 7 June, 1932)

1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge?  Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? 72
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.

Period: Sept. in 1777
Duration of Service: 1 1/2 months
Rank: Private
Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served: Capt. Prouty, Col. Trask

Period: June 1780
Duration: 6 months- Rolls 5 July 80, 19 Dec. 80
out several times serving with the minute men
Rank: Private
Officers: Col. Timothy Bigelow

5. In what battles was he engaged?? Capture of Burgoyne
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Leicester, Worcester County, Massachusetts
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditionary
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Correct

I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
James Wilson, Examining Clerk
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February fourteenth Seventeen Hundred & Eighty seven Luther Ward to Anna Tenny were married by me Isaac Beal, Clerk
I certify that the above is a true copy from the Town Book of Records of Leicester Mass with the exception of the date which is expressed in fair legible figures as follows
 February 14th 1787
Attest John Sargent Town Clerk

State of Massachusetts
Worcester County
I John Sargent above named depose and say that I hold the office of Clerk in the Town and County and State aforesaid and that the above is a true extract from the records of said town with the exception above named as certified by me.
John Sargent Town Clerk

Worcester SS Jany. 10 1849
Sworn to before me
Horatio G. Henshaw, Jus. Peace
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Worcester County SS

I Charles W. Hartshorn clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court of the County and State aforesaid do certify that Horatio G. Henshaw is a Justice of the Peace in and for said County duly commissioned and qualified and that his signature within written is genuine.
(Seal) Given under my hand an the Seal of said Court this tenth day of January AD. 1849.
Chas. W. Hartshorn, Clerk
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No.
Anna Ward
wid. of Luther
Vt.
act 2 Feby 1848
married 1787
Husb. died 10 July 1848
Adm. 23.18 per
from 10 July 1848

Hon. Wm. Henry
House of Reps.
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State of Vermont
Windham County SS
On this fifteenth day of January A. D. 1849 before me Laban Jones a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, duly authorized by the law of the State to administer oaths, personally appeared Anna Ward a resident of Dover in said County aged Eighty+ years who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed the second day of February, 1848, granting pension to widows of persons who served during the Revolutionary War; that she is the widow of Luther Ward who was a private in the Massachusetts Militia in the Revy War and was a pensioner reference being had to his application under said act for a description of his service. She further declares that she was married to the said Luther Ward on the fourteenth day of February in the year seventeen hundred & eighty seven; that her husband the aforesaid Luther Ward died on the 10th day of July in the year 1848, reference being had to her application for the arrears of his pension in September last; that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first day of January seventeen hundred and ninety four viz at the time above stated. She further declares that she is still a widow.
Anna  X  Ward
her mark
In presence of Wm. M. Woods
Sworn and subscribed on the day and year last above written, before me,
Laban Jones, Justice Peace

I certify that the declarant is personally known to me and is the same individual she represents herself to be.
Laban Jones, Justice Peace

I Marshall Miller Clerk of the County Court in and for said County, do hereby certify that Laban Jones is a Justice of the peace in and for said County duly commissioned and qualified and that his signatures above written are genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of said Court, this sixteenth day of January in the year A. D. 1849.
Attest Marshall Miller Clerk
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No. 6 Windham Co. Vermont
Luther Ward's Dec. for Pension
July 30, 1832
W2624
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State of Vermont
County of Windham ss.
Probate District of Marlborough 
At the Probate Court within and for said District  being a Court of Records expressly so declared by the Statutes of this State and as such having a Seal and Register.
On this thirtieth day of July A. D. 1832 Personally appeared in open Court at Newfane in said District before the said Probate Court, within and for the said District now sitting, Luther Ward a resident of Dover in the County of Windham and State of Vermont aged seventy two years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. that he entered into the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
that he went in September 1777 from Leicester Worcester County Mass. and entered the service in the Revolutionary war in Capt. Prouty's Company in Collo. Trask's Regiment in the Massachusetts line, was at the taking Burguone and served he thinks at that time about six weeks, lived in Leicester Worcester County Mass afterwards. Enlisted in June 1780 for six months in Lieut. Sando's Company, a Frenchman, Colo. timothy Bigelow's Regiment, was marched to and stationed at West Point, went to Verplank's point, was there about six weeks, went from there to Orangetown New Jersey, from there to Tolaway and several other places, don't recollect the names of the places where he went, returned to Orangetown from there to West Point served he thinks six months, was discharged in the latter part of Dec. or fore part of January 1781. Has no written discharge and knows of no person living who was with him in service.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
To the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, he answers upon his oath as follows:
1. that he was born in Grafton County of Worcester Mass. 10th Nov. 1761
2. That he has a record of his age, taken from his father's family Bible
3. When called into service he lived Leicester aforesaid lived there about forty years when he removed to Dover, Windham County where he now resides.
4. He enlisted voluntarily-In addition to the above terms of service he turned out several times with others, as a minute man.
5. That at the taking of Burguoine he was under militia officers-during the six months service he was under regular officers.
6. That he received one discharge & delivered it to the Town offices of the Town Leicester and has none in his possession.
7. The names the Revs. William H. Hodges of Dover and Gardner Howe of Dover both in said Windham County as witnesses under this interrogatory.
Luther Ward
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was under regular officers.
6. That he received one discharge & delivered it to the Town offices of the Town Leicester and has none in his possession.
7. The names the Revs. William H. Hodges and Gardner Howe of Dover both in Windham county as witnesses under this interrogatory.
Luther Ward
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Marshall Miller, Judge of Probate

We William H. Hodges a clergyman, residing in the town of Dover in said County and Gardner Howe of dover in said County hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Luther Ward who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy two years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Wm. H. Hodges
Gardner Howe
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Marshall Miller, Judge of Probate

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to then, that William H. Hodges who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the said town of Dover and that Gardner Howe who has also signed the same, is a resident in the town of Dover in said county, and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I James Elliot Register of the Probate Court within and for the District of Marlborough aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Luther Ward for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this 30th day of July 
A. D. 1832
James Elliot, Prob. Register
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Rev.  18257
WIDOW &c.

File No. 18257
Anna Ward
widow of
Luther Ward
Pri. Rev. War

Act: Feb 2d '48
Index: Vol. M. Page 3111

[Arrangement of 1870]
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Luther Ward, Vt. Act 7 June 1832 $23.17 per ann.
To what time was he last paid?
G. C. A.
Pension Office
Feby. 1, '49

Paid to 4th March 1848
(illegible)
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Col. J. L. Edwards
Comm. of Pensions
Washington

Aug. 27/41

W. Cole
Act Feb 48

(Prompt)
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The National Archives
Form VAN=51
12-5-41
Division of Veterans' Administration Archives
Bounty Land Warrant Record Card*

Name: Ward, Melcher
Grade: Private
Line: New Hampshire
Warrant Number 3569
Acreage: 100
Issued: July 21, 1789
to Ladd & Cass, Assignee

* The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under Congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.