Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 8536, for David Putney, New Hampshire
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(3-1776)
SERVICE                                        NUMBER 
   N.H.       Putney, David               R. 8536

CONTENTS
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David Putney 
No 9718

List 5 Nov 1832 
Do. to M. Currier 
May 18, 1835 from
Actg.Sec. of War 
H. West 
Concord N. H
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BRIEF in the case of  David Putney 
Of Dunbarton in the State of N Hampshire 
                     (Act 7th June, 1832.) 
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? 77 years 
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
Period.           Duration of service      Rank
June In 1780       6 Months              Private
Names of General and field Officers under whom he served. 
Lt Cap, Col Reed 
Capts. Stewart & Chase 
Maj Morrell acting Capt of his company 
5. In what battles was he engaged? none stated 6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Row
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Living witnesses 
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? 
I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned
                           D D Addison 
                              Examining Clerk.
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Wishes to be placed on 
same goo?? as 
Elisha Henilley by 
Marlan & 
Law Collin Deerfield
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DECLARATION. 
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832. 
State of New Hampshire,}
County of Merrimack.      } In Court of Probate now sitting 
On this 28th day of August 1832 personally appeared before the Judge of the Court of Probate for said County David Putney a resident of Dunbarton in the County of Merrimack and State of New-Hampshire, aged Seventy seven 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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States in the year 1780 in June with Robert Stewart & F. Chase and served in Col. Geo. Reed’s regiment of the New Hampshire line, under the following named officers: 
That he enlisted in the Town of Bow in the County of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire in June 1780 under Robert Stewart and Francis Chase a committee of the Town of Newtown N.H. for six months to go into the continental service 
That he marched from Bow aforesaid to Kingston N.H. and there passed muster under Lt Cass from then marched to Worcester Mass thence to Springfield Mass then to West Point and staid there a few weeks and then marched into the State of New Jersey and a few weeks after under Maj Anders was being returned to West Point, thence to Constitution Island thence to a place called Soldiers Fortune and served the remainder of the six months and discharged by Col Geo Reed. said discharge I gave to the above mentioned committee—— The company in which he served was commanded Major Morrill who acted as captain in Col. Geo Reed’s Regt. in Poor’s Brigade (so called)——-
 He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency in any State. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
                                                    his
                                       David    X   Putney
                                                  mark
Witness Wm West
 And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, served as he states. Boswell Stevens Judge of Probate 
I, H.B. Chase, Register of the Court of Probate for said County of Merrimack do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of the said David Putney for a pension. 
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of said Court, this twenty-eighth day of August, A.D. 1832.
 H.B. Chase, Regr of Probate.
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EB Gould (Hon H W Blair) that children or other heirs not entitled Privt

                         8536
David Putney
Enlisted:  REJECTED
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David Putney 
N. Hamp. Act June 7, 1832 
Rejected by Sec. of War 
See letter to M. Currier 
May 18, 1835 - Let to Hon 
F. Pierce Jan 20. 1844
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State of                                      do hereby 
NARY CLAIMS.
Iief of certain surviving Officers and Soldiers ion," approved 15th May, 1828. 
                                              for the county    
                                       personally appeared 
                                                   in the County 
 ate of                                    who exhibited to 
of the Treasury, numbered  
of.                                   18th setting forth that ioned act, as a surviving 
                                       line of the Army of the   
                                          then and there made said certificate, and, in testimony thereof, signed 
know                                                          to be  
       day                                  in the year 1835
Is at
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David Putney 
No 9718.      8536
on Roll for 5 months & 18 days—
Rejected 
5 Nov 1832 

? H. West 
Concord N. H.
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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of David Putney which require further proof or explanation. 
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? Yes
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes
III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? 
IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? Yes 
V. *Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? Yes 
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? Yes
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of very claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7,1832. Yes
VIIII. Has the Court given their opinion? Yes 
IX. Has the Clerk given his ceruncate? Yes 
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? Yes
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                               2 
XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? 
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? 
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? XIV. If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? Yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? Yes 
XVI. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? Yes 
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? EXPLANATORY NOTES. 
QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words: "Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades: For____year_____months and______ days, I served as a_________. For______ months and ______ days, I served as a_______, and for such service I claim a pension."
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                                  8
   It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. QUERE XIV. Proof of Service. 
   In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which be belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the affidavits must be properly authenticated, as above directed. 
QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers. 
    In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
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                                                       June 6, 1888 
In answer to your enquire of the 31st wch addressed to the Hon H.W. Blair, by him referred to this Bureau, in behalf of a descendant of David Putney, a Revy Soldier, whether children are entitled to pension. I have to state that while the first Act of March 18, 1818 and the more general one of Nov 7, 1832 granted pensions to those soldiers,  none was authorized to their Surviving widow until about 1838, but no one of the above or at subsequent laws contained a provision for the benefit of their children or other heirs— It is hardly probable that a complete list of the names of Revy soldiers can now be made the although the respective States might aproximate the number & your State has, or is about to publish one or more volumes, but it is not known the Mass has prepared such list 
E B Gould                The Hon H W Blair
   Nashua N H
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I John Simpson of Pembroke in the County of Merrimack and State of New Hampshire do depose and say that in the year Seventeen Hundred and Eighty that I was in the service of the United States at West Point and that their was a man from New Hampshire by the name of David Putney that went on with us and I saw him several times at that Station and according to the best recollection David Putney of Dumbarton in the County of Merrimack is this man.
                                           John Simson Merrimack on the Eleventh day of July AD 1832 Came John Simpson and made oath that the above affidavit by him subscribed is true Before me David White Justice of the peace 
The above named 
John Simpson appeared to be very candid in making the above statement and I think his oath may be relied on 
                                David White Jus peace
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Simpson for
David Putney 

Ralph Metcalf Secretary

Mr Putney
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State New Hampshire Secretary’s Office July 11, 1832. 
I hereby certify that the within named David White is a Justice of the Peace for our County of Merrimack duly constituted and sworn 
In witness thereof I have hereto set the Seal of the State  Ralph Metcalf Secretary.
Mr  Putney
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Walker for Putney 
      Mr Putney
Ralph Metcalf Secretary
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Affidavit of Wm Walker 
I William Walker of Bow in the County of Merrimack and state of New Hampshire do testify and say—that I have from a boy been acquainted with David Putney of Dumbarton in the County and State aforesaid, and that in the year one thousand seven hundred and Eighty the said Putney enlisted, at the house where I then resided in Bow, into the United States service for six months and that I saw him while marching from New Hampshire to West Point, and while at west point I frequently saw him and know that he was doing service as long as I remained here which was three months, and also testify, that Peter Manwell enlisted at the same place and for the same time as the said Putney, and that I saw the said Manwell the day he returned at the expiration of his service, and he told me the said Putney had come with him and had finished his term of service. `1I also saw Putney in a few days which confirmed the same statement that he had served his term of six months. 
                                                    Wm Walker 
to Merrimack) On this eleventh day of July A.D. 1832 came William Walker and made oath that the above affidavit by him subscribed is true.  
     Before me David White Justices of the Peace 
I am well acquainted with William Walker he is a credible witness 
                       David White Just. peace
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State of NewHampshire Secretary’s Office July 11. 1832 
I hereby certify that the within named David White is a Justice of the Peace for the County of Merrimack duly constituted and sworn.
In —- of I have hereto set the seal of said State
                 Ralph Metcalf Secretary
                          Mr Putney 
Walker for Putney
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         ——-Putney's 
                   N H case
May 1st 1835 
Pension office 

and report of Com Pens
 Enclosed May 18. 1835
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Recd 12 May 
                              Bow N.H. May 6th 1835 
Dear Sir,
Having found it necessary to leave Washington before you had decided on Mr. Putney's Pension claim, which I had the honor to lay before you, I am under the necessity of requesting that the decision may be forwarded to me at this place. I have seen Mr Putney since my return; he expressed a hope, that being the surviving member of his regiment who has not received the bounty of government, that his case may receive a favorable consideration, he participate in the reward which a grateful country has bestowed on its heroic defenders.
                                      I have the honor Sir 
 Hon Lewis Cass         to subscribe myself
 Sec of War                    yours with respect 
                                              Moody Currier