Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 21463, for David Johnson, Connecticut
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Conn.  Johnson, David   W21463
                                Mary
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Connecticut 1040
Mary Johnson widow of David Johnson who died on the 10th January 1806 of Tolland Co in the State of Conn. who was a Private in the   commanded by Captain   of the commanded by Con in the Revolution line for 7 months

Inscribed on the Roll of Connecticut at the rate of 23 Dollars 33 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March 1834

Certificate of Pension issued the 21st day of June 1837 and sent to Jefse Charlton East Windsor Hiler P. O. Manstford Co. Conn.

Arrears to the 4th of March '37  140.00
Semi-and. allowance ending 6 Sep  11.66
                                                           $151.66
{Revolutionary Claim, Act July 4, 1836, Section the }
Recorded by D. Brown Clerk Gook A. Vol 1 Page 80
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State of Connecticut Tolland County SS Ellington
On this 14th day of March 1837 Personally appeared before the Court of Probate for the district of Ellington aforesaid, Widow Mary Johnson, a resident of said Ellington aged 94 years, a credible Person who being first duly sworn according to law doth on Oath declare, That she is the surviving widow of David Johnson  late of Stafford Conn Tolland County who was a Soldier in the army of the revolution in three distinct periods of the revolutionary war.
First in the army at Roxbury from the first of May to the last of December 1775. She has heard that they enlisted first for seven months but in consequence of the recruits not coming on as was expected, they staid another month. She believes it was in Capt Solomon Wells company from Tolland in Connecticut.
Again he entered the service of the United States. He was drafted to go to the army above New York  she believes in December 1776 for a period of three months & she full well remembers that he returned home the 19th day of March 1777, when he got home he informed us that as he came thru Hartford he witnessed the Execution of Moses Dunbar in that town for high treason. This was a tour of three months.
And again he entered the service of the United States as a Substitute for Abr Heath. He went to Providence & Bristol in Rhode Island while the British held Newport. She thinks it was in the year 1778 for a period of two months from July to September
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And she further declares that she was married to her said husband at Meansfield then in the County of Windham Conn. but which town is now annexed to Tolland County. She was married by Joseph Storrs Esquire of said town in the month of November 1759; She has no record of the marriage her husband might have had on entry of it but he had been so long dead that his papers are almost all destroyed. For evidence of her marriage at that early period she must rely on her character as not having a family without the covenant of marriage, and on the known ages of her children: her eldest daughter, Mary, was born in the month of June 1760, and is now herself a great grandmother: her second child, David was born in the year 1762 and was a soldier in the army of the revolution received a pension for his services in the same and died at Moreton in Vermont several years ago. Her great grandson has been to Mansfield to try to find some person who could remember her marriage, but she has so far outlived her early contemporaries that he could not find any one.
Her said husband died at Stafford aforesaid on the 10th day of January A. D. 1806 & she has never again intermarried, All which may more fully appear by reference to the proof hereunto annexed.  Mary (her X mark) Johnson
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first mentioned Before said Court.
And the said Court hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter & after putting the appropriate interrogations that the said David Johnson was a soldier of the Revolution & served as is stated in the
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foregoing declaration. And that the above named applicant Mary John was married to him at as early a period as she declared.  Neer extreme age she being the oldest person in this town, corroborates her claim as does the age of her children. The age of her daughter Mary now before the Court, for the court is held this day in the House where the aged widow dwells & also the Daughter who takes care of her, both within the District & town of Ellington. The court have no doubt that the age of her said daughter is within three months of 77 years & her grandchildren (the great grand children of the applicant) are men in business well known to the court.
In testimony whereof I Albert Penney Clerk of said Probate Court hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings in the matter of the application of Widow Mary Johnson of said Ellington for a Pension under the 3rd Section of the Act of July 4th A. D. 1836 the word Ellington was erased & the word Stafford inserted before signing & saith that in two places. And I further certify that Edmund Freeman Esq before whom the certificate of Frederick F. Hanks, was taken was at the time of taking the same for six months preceding, a lawful Justice of the Peace for said Tolland County & that the signature of said Edmond Foreman to said certificate purporting to be his is his genuine signature & that his signature to the certificate of Royal Storrs is also his genuine signature.
In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my name & the seal of said Court this 3rd day of April 1837 Attest Albert Penny Clerk
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Mary Johnson Declaration
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State of Connecticut Tolland County SS Ellington
On this 14th day of March 1837 Personally appeared before the Court of Probate for the district of Ellington aforesaid, Moses Hafter, a resident of said Ellington Aged 84 years, a credible person who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on oath declare; That he was well acquainted with David Johnson, late a resident of Stafford & said County during the revolutionary War, & down to the period of his death. That he is well knowing to the fact That the said David Johnson went into the army of the Revolution first in the year 1775 early in the spring of that year and staid untill sometime in the Winter. I lived very near his family & had the oversight & charge of his family in his absence, he was gone this time, according to my best recollection a period of seven or eight months, but I cannot positively say which. 
Again he went into the service I think by enlisting about the month of December 1776 for a period of three months he returned home the day Moses Dunbar was hung in Hartford for High Treason which was the 19th of Marcy 1777. I still continued to live near him & to oversee his family.

And again he went into the army I think he substituted for Isaac Weath he went to Rhode Island, to Providence & Bristol, this was while the enemy held Newport, I think he was in but the officers names he does not recollect, he knows that he went once as a substitute, but will not be positive whether it was in the second or 3rd town, this he believes was in the summer & fall of 1778.
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The said David Johnson died at said Stafford in the month of January 1806 and his widow Mary Johnson is still living & has never again intermarried. Their eldest daughter is my wife now in her 77th year. And the suspension was never entertained that the said David Johnson & Mary Johnson were living together without having been married. Moses Heiftler.
Sworn & subscribed before said Probate Court the day & year first named.
In testimony whereof, I Albert Penney Clerk of said Probate Court hereunto subscribe my name & affix the seal of said Probate Court, and I certify that before the signing & oath the word said Ellington in one place & Ellington in another was erased & the word Stafford was interlined, the towns joining & the family having lived a part of the time on one side of the line and a part of the time the other side of the line; The word "as a" was erased & the word "I think a" was inscribed, before signing & the word "enlisting" was interlined & the word "being drafted" was erased.
Attest Albert Pinney Clerk 
(in margin): Moses Heiftler
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State of Connecticut Tolland County SS Ellington
On this 14 day of March 1837 personally appeared before the court of probate for the District of Ellington aforesaid Mrs Mary Hafter a resident of said Ellington aged seventy five years, & nine months a credible person who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on oath declare That she believes herself to be the Daughter of David Johnson, formerly of Meureseld & late of Stafford & Ellington in Connecticut & of Meary Johnson his wife the widow now making application for a Pension & now before this court, That she fully believes her mothers age to be 94 years & 4 months. That in the Revolutionary War both her father & her brother David went into the army. She lived near & a part of the time at her fathers, and she well remembers that he went into the army at three different times: as she has no records to refresh her memory, she can not be exactly certain how long he staed each time, she remembers that the first time was the first yer of the War when she herself was about 15 years of age. That he was gone all summer & until cold weather & about Christmas.
She remembers well that when he returned from the service the second time he told his family that the day he got home, he paused there Heartford & stopped there a short time & witnessed the Execution of one Dunbar for Treason.
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And after this time she well remembers that he went away into the army again, she believes he went to Providence & Bristol in Rhode Island State. And she well remembers having heard at the time that he went in one of his tours as a substitute for Mr. Heath dont recollect which of them.
She further declares that her said Father died at Stafford near Ellington on the 10th day of January 1806 & his Widow Meary Johnson my mother still remains his widow & she has never again intermarried, and Stafford near Inserted by deponents her direction. Mary (her X mark) Hafter

Sworn & subscribed the day & year first named before said Probate Court & "Stafford" inserted in the place of her father's death the family having lived very near the line of the two towns, now living on Ellington side of the line, but at the time of David Johnson's death on Stafford side of said town line.
(side margin):J Meary Hafter (illegible)

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name & affix the seal of said Probate Court this 4th day of March 1837.
Attest Albert Pinney Clerk
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I Royal Storrs of Mansfield in Tolland Count Connecticut hereby certify that my father Joseph Storrs formerly of this town was a Justice of the Peace for Wendham County & united persons in Marriage but his records of marriages are entirely lost. Signed Royal Storrs

I Edmund Freeman Justice of the Peace for Tolland county hereby certify that Royal Storrs who subscribed the above certificate at the same time made solemn oath to the same beforehand he the said Royal Storrs is a credible person well known to me aged 71 years. In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name at said Mansfield this 3rd day of March 1837
Edmund Freeman Justice Peace
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Mr. Storrs Negative

(side margin): Before me
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I Frederich F. Hanks Clerk & Register of the town of Mansfield in Tolland County Connecticut hereby certify that I do not find an entry of the Marriage of David Johnson with Meary Cross under any date, & I further certify that previous to the year 1820, the entry of marriages in the records of said town were very few, that it creates no prejudice against the claim of any parties that they were married at a given time that it is not to be found entered in said town records.

Attest Frederich F. Hanks Town Clerk & Register
I Edmund Freeman Justice of the Peace for said Tolland County hereby certify that Frederich F. Hanks who has signed the above certificate is Toen Clerk & Register of said town of Mansfield, a credible person, aged 32 years, & that he made solemn oath to the truth of the same before me, this third day of March 1837.  Edmund Freeman Justice Peace
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Attest  Town Clerk Register

I   Justice of the Peace for the County of Windham aforesaid hereby certify that    who has signed the foregoing certificate is a lawful Justice of the peace for said Windham County.

Mary Johnson

1745
Mary Johnson widow of David 
Court

Town Clerk Mansfield
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Attest Town Clerk Register

I Justice of the Peace for the County of Windham aforesaid hereby certify that who has signed the foregoing certificate is a lawful Justice of the peace for said Windham County.

Mary Johnson

1745
Mary Johnson widow of David
Court

Town Clerk Mansfield
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State of Connecticut Tolland County SS Wellington
On this 12th day of April 1837 personally appeared before me the subscriber & one of the Justices of the Peace for said County Samuel Johnson, a resident of said county & of the town of Willington aged 86 years a credible person who being first duly sworn according to law doth on oath declare 
That he served with him in a company commanded by Capt Wells of Tolland, that in the year 1775 they marched from Willington to the towns of Ashford, & Medfield to Roxbury & there they performed a tour of duty from the forepart of May to the last of Dec a period of not less than eight months: when the time having fully expired we were honorable discharged & we returned home, the said David Johnson I believe served out his full time & returned home with us from said Roxbury. Samuel Johnson
Sworn to & subscribed the day first mentioned before me.John J. Moulton, Justice of Peace
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State of Connecticut Hartford County SS Heartford April 15th I Royal R. Heinman, Secretary of State of the State of Connecticut hereby certify that John J. Moulton Esq, before whom the certificate within written of [John J. Moulton] Samuel Johnson, was taken in at this time & has been for more than six months last past a lawful Justice of the Peace for the County of Tolland in Conn. And that the signature of the said John J. Moulton Justice of Peace purporting to be his is his genuine signature & the name of John J. Moulton carelessly written in the 5th line from the top was erased before signing. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name & affixed the seal of said state, the day & year above written, viz. April 15 A. D. 1837
Attest Royal R. Heinman Secretary of State

(in margin): J. Pearl 1745
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REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORDS SECTION  3-325
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
W21463  Washington, D. D. __, 19 __

In reply to your request of __, received __ for a statement of the military history of David Johnson a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his widow's application for pension on file in this Bureau.

Dates of Enlistment or Appointment | Length of Service | Rank | Officers under whom service was rendered | State
May 1 1775  8 mos  Pvt  Solomon Wells  Conn
Dec 1776  3 mos   __ no officer named
July 1778 2 mos

Battles engaged in __
Residence of soldier at enlistment __
Date of application for pension Mar 14, 1837  War I was al.
Residence at date of application Ellington Tolland Co Conn.
Age at date of application 94
Remarks: Sol mar at Mansfield Conn in Nov. 1759 Mary Cross. He died at Stafford Conn Jan 10, 1806. Their dau, Mary born in June 1760 mar Moses Shafter and son David born in 1762 also served in the Rev.

Respectfully, __ Commissioner
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Rev
WIDOW, & C
File No. 21463
Mary Johnson Widow of David Johnson Pri. Rev War
Act: July 14th 36
Index: -- Vol. A, Page 381
[Arrangement of 1870]

(margin): 19th Aug 10 Weist to Alfred W. Johnson cud
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David Johnson
75  Wells
76  Died No office
78 __ "  c


Boston  7 mo
N York  3 "
R J C  2 "
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East Windsor Hill Westford County Conn June 12 1837

Sir  I sent an application to you in behalf of the widow of David Johnson of Ellington in Tolland County the 11th of April last: And as the old lady is at the advanced age of 95 or more and is extremely poor and as she had both a husband & a son in the revolutionary war, I feel desirous that she should have, what may be found her due; to enjoy it a little while herself rather than that she should continue to lack the comforts of life in the small amount which would have comforted her be scattered among her decendants.  In examining the case you will find no record of the marriage but certificates from the authority shewing that there is none. The family are very poor and illiterate & have no books, papers or records of any
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kind, but I think the age of the children as proved will satisfy you as to the date of her marriage.
I do not mean sir to importune you to take up any applications out of their regular order except where the circumstances are to peculiar as fully to justify it as in this case. The extreme age of the party her suffering from poverty. And the unusual circumstance that her husband and son were both in the army of the revolution, the son was a pensioner some years before his death. I trust Sir, you will justify my asking the favor of having the case examined as soon as is consistent. Respectfully yours Jesse Charlton
J. L. Edwards Esq Commissioner of Pensions
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Letter in Meary Johnsons application
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East Windsor Hill post office Heartford County Conn
Sir  I herewith transmit the application of Widow Meary Johnson of Ellington in Tolland County Con, for a pension under the 3rd Section of the Act of Congress of July 4th A. D. 1836.
It is so long since the year 1759 that no cotemporary can be found who remembered the marriage; but I feel no apprehension that in a case so evidently an honest one, you will require impossibilities.
As the applicant is of such extreme age, & is very needy, may I ask the favor of having the case examined a little earlier than under circumstances different from the present, I should presume to ask.
With sincere respect
Sir, I am your obdt. servant
Jesse Charlton

J. L. Edwards Esq
Commissioner of Pensions
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East Windsor Hill Hartford County Con.
Sir
I wrote you yesterday respecting the application of Meary Johnson Widow of David Johnson; to day, I received a letter in that case.
It is not possible for the old lady to recollect the name of the officers her husband served under & all who served with him are either dead or removed entirely out of her knowledge, nor do the old man & his wife who lived near them & took care of the old mans business as remember the names any further. I have been twice to see them a distance of 16 miles and I connot obtain any more information that you could rely upon. I have not the least doubt that the case is an honest one & that to the extent they claim, Col. Chapman & May Walbridge  & Col. Knowlton, and several other officers were from that vicinity and served at times & places. I could describe & the comptrollers certificate could support & I dare say many a decayed memory is refreshed in this way, by questioning whether it was not such, or such an one, but it is not my business, to attempt to deceive you for any bodys benefit. I believe you would do justly to allow the claim as it stands: but if it must all be cut off by your rules except the first term she must be thankful
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even for that. It might get her a little wine & a few biscuit & a little broth which would be a great leaway in her condition which is most wretched.
I am Sir with sincere confidence & respect your humble servt. Jesse Charlton.
P. S. The names of the officers who served at New York & at Rehskill  & at New London are to be fund at the comptrollers office but no rolls of the names of the Privates except the Rolls of the 3 years men of the campaign at Roxbury in 1775 are to be found except in very few instances as the short levies in 1780 & a very few others

J. L. Edwards Esq. Commissioner of Pensions Washington D C
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(stamp) Records Division Jul 27, 1921
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H K E Revd
West Hartford Conn July 25 1921

Department of the Interior Bureau of Pensions Washington, D. D.

Sirs:
Will you kindly furnish me with the military history of David Johnson of Tolland Conn. He served in the Revolutionary War from Conn. He is supposed to have died before 1810.
Respectfully Alfred W. Johnson P. O. Box 21

(stamp): U. S.  Pension Office D Jul 26 1921