Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 19659, Ebenezer Fisher, Mass.
Page 1

(3-1776)
SERVICE
Mass.

Fisher, Ebenezer

NUMBER
S.19659
carded
===
CONTENTS
Page 2

[left side]
Let to Hon W Parmenter Nov 2 1831
[illegible] 16th Oct
at $11.17 -
---
[illegible] Oct 23rd
at $56.17. the
Correct Amount
due pensioner

[written downward]
Date of death not on AB

[right side]
32080
Massachusetts 32080
===
Ebenezer Fisher
of Norfolk in the State of Mass
who was a Sgt Capt Lt in the company comm[anded]
by Captain Fairbanks of the Regt comman[ded]
by Lieut Ellis in the Mass
line for 5 months Sgt $25.--
8 " 6 dys Corpl 30. 6
" " 10 " Pri 1.11
[total] $56.17
===
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass
at the rate of 56 Dollars 17 Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
===
Certificate of Pension issued the 23d day of Oct
1843 and sent to Hon Wm Parmenter
East Cambridge, Mass
===
Arrears to the 4th of Sept. 1843 $702.12 1/2
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 March 1844 28.08 1/2
[total] $730.21
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Tho's Lumpkin Clerk,
Book E Vol. 2. Page 26.
Page 3

State of Massachusetts
County of Norfolk ss.
On this second day of May AD. 1843, personally appeared in open Court, before Sherman Leland, Judge of the Court of Probate in and for said County, Ebenezer Fisher a resident of Dedham in said County of Norfolk aged ninety two years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth, on his Oath, make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress, passed on the seventh day of June, A.D. 1832.

viz. I Ebenezer Fisher of Dedham in the County of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts being ninety two years of age; hereby declare and say, That I rendered military services to the United States as Soldier and Sergeant in the Revolutionary war, to the amount of seven months service, or more; That according to my best recollection and belief these services were performed as follows. That during the first year of the Revolutionary war. I was called and did duty in a standing Company in said Dedham of which David Fairbanks was Captain, William Ellis, Lieutenant, and Joseph Ellis Ensign. That I marched with this said Company six or seven times to the lines, or places in the vicinity of Boston, on alarms, the first year of said war while the enemy held possession of that town. I well remember, that at the time these alarm services were rendered, the said Capt David Fairbanks was in feeble health and that said company was led and commanded by said Lieu't William Ellis and Ensign Joseph Ellis, the particular transactions and circumstances of some of these tours of service, I distinctly remember, others, not so clearly; I distinctly recollect that on the first day of the war, April 19th 1775, I marched under s'd [said] Lieu't William Ellis to the scene of action, and came in contact with the Enemy at West Cambridge on his retreat from Concord and Lexington, and there, had a skirmish. It is fresh in my mind, that I saw in a great number of instances, the dirt rise where the enemy's shot furrowed the ground very near to us; and a shot, I think a Musquet ball, struck, and lodged in in the body of a tree within two feet of myself and probably protected my life, and that on the same day; Capt. Robert Smith's Company from Needham but little distance from us, had five men killed, and two or three wounded. At another time, I believe the latter part of May the same year 1775, I marched with said Company to a place at or near, Charlestown Neck, and there remained on duty several days, that according to my best recollection this service was on the occasion When General Putman [Putnam] with a Party of men, went on to Noddles Island to bring off the Cattle and sheep from the depredations of the Enemy, and I well remember that a constant cannonading was kept up on that occasion, At other times, I turned out and marched under said Lieu't Ellis to alarms, I think twice to Boston Neck in June the same year. that one of those occasions was a party from the Enemy in the night time, came over to our Piquet line near Roxbury, set fire to, and destroyed the large establishment call'd the George Tavern. At another time afterwards, I marched with this Company to Lamb's Dam, a sort of Brestwork [breastwork], between Roxbury Street and Dorchester heights and another time, I believe the last time I marched out in said Company at alarms, I went to Dorchester Heights, that this tour of duty was, according to my belief, rendered but one or two weeks before the Enemy evacuated Boston, in the month of March A.D. 1776. Having no Rolls or particular dates of most of these several short terms of service, nor can I find any person among the living who then served with me to give testimony in my behalf, I am unable to determine with certainty, the the length of time I served in each of these terms. My confident belief is, that some of these terms were over one week's service, and some a little less than a week. The distance our Company had to march in Each of these short terms of service, could not average less than fifteen miles out and the same distance back. I therefore claim one week for each of these terms of service in said Company, between April 19th 1775, and the last of March 1776, making six weeks service. That I am sure I performed Sergeants duty, in some or all the aforesaid terms of service, but whether I acted under a Segeants [sergeant's] warrant or not, I am not certain.

And I further say, that in the month of April or May 1776, there was a call for men to reinforce the American Army then in Canada, of which I recollect, the Regiment of Col. John Graton and that of Col. Bond made a part, that, on that occasion, Capt. Timothy Stow of said Dedham, and who was a Lieutenant of Artillery the previous year, issued papers to enlist men for a northern Campaign to Canada, and one of these original Papers for Enlisting men for the north, is herewith transmitted, this Company under said Capt Timothy was in Col Ephraim Wheelocks Regiment, That I enlisted into this northern service under said Capt Timothy Stow I think in the forepart of June 1776-. and said Capt Stow, was pleased to appoint me his Orderly Sergeant and gave me an authenticated warrant [inserted: for that] office, which unfortunately, I have mislaid or lost, and which I am unable to furnish at this time-.
Page 4

That for three weeks or more previous to said Captain Stow's company marching into said service of 1776, I was engaged in service preparatory, and went to the town of Needham and other places to aid in the enlistment of men for said Company, and continued my labors as recruiting sergeant, till eighty men or more [inserted: were enlisted]. I think eighty five men signed said Enlisting papers-. For these recruiting labors, I claim three weeks service in the month of June and report of July 1776.

That according to my best recollection and belief, I marched from said Dedham with said Capt. Stow's Company about the middle of July A.D. 1776, and proceeded towards Canada, a distance of one hundred and twenty miles, to Charlestown in the State of New Hampshire; and after a few days stay at Charlestown, and receiving intelligence, that our Army in Canada was much infected with the small Pox, and retreating from Montreal to Crown Point on Lake Champlain, Capt Stow's Company then marched a westerly course through a tract of territory call'd, the Green Woods, now the state of Vermont [5 words circled] to the Post of Ticonderoga in the State of New York, and there reported to General Gates commanding that Station. That a day or two after our arrival at Ticonderoga, Col. Wheelock detached our Captain, Timothy Stow, and placed him in a train of Artillery under Maj'r Stephen Badlam with a detachment of men from several companies in Col. Wheelocks Reg't. and our two Lieutenants viz. Moses Bullard and Lemuel Richards, had charge of the Company during the remainder of this campaign of 1776 -. That there was much sickness in the Camp at Ticonderoga this season, and many died, that towards the latter part of the Campaign, I had an attack of the same fever but recovered in a considerable degree. That about the first of December 1776 our Company was dismiss'd, and I moved off with the members of our Company for Massachusetts, for a distance of about one hundred miles and was again taken ill, and was obliged to stop at the town of Worthington near twenty miles west of Connecticut River, and a hundred and fifteen miles from my home, here I remained two weeks or more, till I sent home, and my brother came up to Worthington with a horse and aided me home to Dedham, where I arrived on or about the twenty fifth of December A.D. 1776, but from this indisposition, I did not recover so as do much of any Labor, or business, till about the first of May 1777-.

That I recollect this Campaign of 1776 was called a term of five months service and believe that many were allowed for that term of time in that tour, I therefore claim for five months service as Orderly Sergeant in Capt. Timothy Stow's company and Col. Ephraim Wheelock's Regiment in a tour of duty at Ticonderoga in the year 1776. which with said six weeks service in the year 1775, and the said three weeks service recruiting in June & July 1776, makes the amount of service I claim for, seven months and and one week-.

That in the year 1779 or 1780, there was a call for men to reenfore [reinforce] the Continental Army near New York. I Engaged for that term of service, but from a hurt or some sudden indisposition, I was unable to fulfill my engagement, and I well remember, I hired a substitute who was excepted [accepted] in my stead, and to whom, I paid a considerable bounty from my own pocket, which was never since repaid to me. That our Town Book of Records, give me credit for furnishing service for a "six months term in the Continental Army" as "one turn" in 1780, this six months service, or "Turn" was performed by my substitute, and not personally by myself, The man or substitue [substitute] I hired to perform this service, I believe performed it faithfully, but is long since dead and never received any Pension. I mention this merely as a circumstance, which I think ought to be viewed in my favor-.

And I further say, that I have never received any Pension or gratuity for my Revolutionary services, from the United States, nor from any State; that my name is not bourn on the Pension Roll of the U.S. or any State. That I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a Pension or Gratuity for Revolutionary  services, except the one claimed for as aforesaid-.

That as reasons, why I have not made this application at an earlier Period, I would say, that for more than fifteen years last past, I have most of the time been afflicted with lameness and suffered much from spasmatic Rheumatism, and often confined to my bed, and sometimes deprived of the use of my hands and feet for some months at a time, and likewise have within the last five or six years been affected by Cancerous humors. But fortunately, within the last eighteen months,
I
Page 5

A. 35.508
Ebenezer Fisher
Mass
Act 7 June '32
detached roll Capt Stow
for 76-Sergt 5 mo.
Sec'y. 75- pri. - 10.
" 75 Corpl 8- 6
Page 6

[continued from image 4]
I have recovered considerably from my lameness, and that within the last six or seven months, I have had a cancerous tumor removed by surgical opperation, which has much relieved me, and hope cured that complaint, that since this opperation, I have been able, and have sundry times rode out in my carriage a distance of twelve or thirteen miles, and transacted some business, without the assistance of any other person. From these circumstances of improved health; and believing my claim for Revolutionary services strictly just, I make application at this time-.

[signed] Eben'r Fisher

sworn to and subscribed on the day and year first aforesaid.

[signed] S Leland Judge of Probate

We John Bullard & John Dean 2'd - both of Dedham in the County of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts hereby certify, that we are now, and have been for a term of forty five years last past, well acquainted with Ebenezer Fisher of said Dedham, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, That we believe him to be ninety two years of age, that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.

[signed] John Bullard
[signed] John Dean 2'd

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first aforesaid.

[signed] S. Leland Judge of Probate

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after investigating the matter and after putting the interrogatives 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 them that John Bullard & John Dean 2'nd who have severally signed the preceding certificate, are credible persons resident in the town of Dedham aforesaid, and that their statement is entitled to credit-.

[signed] S. Leland Judge of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
County of Norfolk ss.

I Jonathan H. Cobb, Register of the Court of Probate do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Ebenezer Fisher, for a pension. I further certify that Sherman Leland is Judge of said Court of probate & that his several Signatures above are genuine & true.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court of Probate this second day of May A.D. 1843.

Jonathan H. Cobb
Page 7

Revolution 19659
INVALID.
File No. 19659
Ebenezer Fisher
Sergt Rev War
Act: June 7" 32"
Index:-- Vol. 2, Page 137
[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 8

No 35.508
Ebenezer Fisher
Mass
let to Hon W Parmenter June 7, 1843
" " " " " & J A Bolles August 7, 1843
let to Hon W Parmenter Aug 23. 43
Act June 7. 1832
Page 9

Hon. John A. Bolles
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Boston
Page 10

Dedham Mass'tts June 22'd 1843 --.

Mr Bolles

Sir
Having made application for a Pension under the Act of Congress of June 7th 1832, It has become necessary for me to address this line of inquiry to you, as will be seen by Mr Edwards note to Mr Permenter enclosed, with a view to some further evidence to sustain my pending claim at the US war office.

My military services the first year of the war, were six or seven short terms of service at alarms viz once and the first, was at West Cambridge, beginning April 19th 1775, there meeting the Enemy in conflict on his retreat from Concord and and Lexington, soon after was call'd to a place at the easterly part of Cambridge towards Charlestown Neck, at another alarm, twice to Roxbury or Boston Neck in May or June, once to Lamb's Dam between Roxbury Street and Dorchester Hill 1775, and once to Dorchester Hill in the month of March 1776. believing some of these tours to be more than one week and some less than a weeks service I claimed for one week each, making six weeks service in the first eleven months of the Revolutionary war.

This service was rendered in a Company of which David Fairbanks was Captain, William Ellis Lieu't, and Joseph Ellis Ensign, But as Capt Fairbanks was in very feeble health that year, the company was led and commanded ^by Lieu't William Ellis at the aforesaid terms of service or alarms; but whether the Rolls of this service were made out in the name of s'd Capt Fairbanks, or in the name of Lieu't William Ellis, I do not recollect. At some, or all these short terms of service I am certain, I did the duty of a Sargeant.

I also have claimed for five months service as orderly Sergeant, at Ticonderoga in the State of New York, in Capt Timothy Stow's Company, L't Moses Bullard, second L't Lemuel Richards, Col. Ephraim Wheelock's Regiment, and this term of service was rendered between the the middle of July and the twentieth of December A.D. 1776.

Therefore in aid of my claim, I have to request that an examination be made of the Revolutionary Rolls and papers in your charge, for proofs of the above described services ^and if entries be found, evidential of such services, you are respectfully requested to make the requisite certificate or statement thereof, and deliver the same to William Ellis Esq. of Dedham, or William Permenter Esq. of Cambridge, whichever may call for the document.

I am Sir Respectfully
your Obt Servant --
[signed] Eben'r. Fisher
Page 11

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Aug 3 1843.
I hereby Certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Ebenezer Fisher is borne upon the muster roll of Capt Wm Ellis as Sergeant from Dedham in Col Heaths Regiment in the year 1775, and that he is credited & paid for ten days Service

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.

[signed] Jno. A. Bolles
Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Page 12

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, February 20th 1843.

I hereby Certify, That William Ellis is a Justice of the Peace for the County of Norfolk, in the said Commonwealth, duly constituted and commissioned; and that to his acts and attestations, as such, full faith and credit are and ought to be given, in and out of Court.

In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.

[signed] Jno A Bolles
Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Page 13

J L Edwards Esq
Com'r Pensions
Washington City
Page 14

East Cambridge June 1, 1843.

Sir

I enclose you the application of Ebenezer Fisher for a Pension. This is a case in which I feel some interest in its success, not so much from the pecuniary relief which would be afforded, because Mr Fisher is in comfortable circumstances but it would have a tendency to cheer up the few remaining days of the patriotic old gentleman. The most implicit reliance may be placed on the statement of Mr Fisher whom you may probably recollect as a prominent member of our Legislature while you were resident in Boston. He has held the offices of Representative from Dedham, Senator from Norfolk County & Member of the Executive Council and has always stood high in the community. He is ambitious to have his name recorded as a Revolutionary pensioner in his closing years from feelings more honorable than pecuniary emolument. I mention these points of character more particularly because many of the short terms of service depend for proof merely upon the circumstances detailed in his own statement.

Respectfully
your obed't Ser't
Wm Parmenter

James L. Edwards Esq
Com of Pensions
Page 15

East Cambridge July 15. 1843

Sir

Referring to my letter to which yrs of June 7 is an answer for my views of the case of Ebenezer Fisher, I now enclose such papers as I have been able to obtain.

Respectfully
Yr Obedt Servt
Wm Parmenter

James L. Edwards Esqr
Page 16

Eben'r Fisher 5 y [?]
Page 17

Pension Office
June 7th 1843.

Sir,

I have the honor to inform you, that the claim of Ebenezer Fisher has been examined and his papers filed under the act of 7th June 1832. It will be necessary to submit a brief of the period, length and grade of each term with the name of the officers to the Secretary of Massachusetts, to whose office the rolls of the Massachusetts service have been recently returned, and procure his certified copy of any evidence they afford of the alleged services.

I am very respectfully,
Your obt Servant
J L Edwards

Hon W. Parmenter
East Cambridge
Massachusetts
Page 18

East Cambridge August 15 1843

Sir

I have received yrs of the 7th inst [instant] in relation to the claim of Ebenezer Fisher. I now enclose an additional Certificate which has been handed to me.

Respectfully
Yr Obedt Sert
Wm Parmenter

James L Edwards Esqr
Commr of Pensions
Page 19

35508
Ebenezer Fisher
Mass'ts
Act 7th June '32
Adm'd
Serg't 5 mo. $25
Corp. 8. 6. 30:06
Priv .10. 1.11
[total] per an. $56:17

Hon'ble Wm Parmenter
E. Cambridge
Mass'ts
Page 20

East Cambridge Octr 28. 1843

Sir,

I have received the Certificate of Pension for Ebenezer Fisher in exchange for that returned by me a few days since. The residence is corrected but it still appears to me that the amount is too much according to my recollection of the claim which I think was but little over six months. I shall retain the present Certificate until I hear from the Department.

Respectfully
Yr Obedt Sevt
Wm Parmenter

James L. Edwards Esqr
Commr of Pensions
Page 21

East Cambridge Octr 21. 1843

Sir,

I have received a certificate of Pension in favor of Ebenezer Fisher of Norfolk in the State of Maine which is probably erroneous. I forwarded paper for Ebenezer Fisher of Dedham [underlined] in the County of Norfolk & State of Massachusetts whose service cannot be sufficient to entitle him to the amount in the Certificate sent to me. I return the Certificate for examination & correction.

Respectfully
Yr Obedt Sert
Wm Parmenter

James L Edwards Esqr
Commr of Pensions
Page 22

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office: Boston,
August 11, 1843

Sir,

The Ebenezer Fisher referred to in the within Certificate, was of Needham, Mass, and I can find no other.

Yours respectfully
Jno A. Bolles
by F. B. Peabody

J. L. Edwards Esq
Commissioner of Pensions.
Page 23

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, July 11 1843

I hereby Certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Ebenezer Fisher [inserted: of Needham Mass] is borne upon the Muster Rolls of Capt Hugh Maxwell as a Corporal from April 28 to Aug. 1775, and upon the Muster Roll of Capt D Fairbanks in Col McIntosh's regiment for four days in March 1776

There are no rolls of Capt Timothy Stow's Company in this Office

There are no rolls in this office showing further service of said Fisher

And I further Certify, That, before search made for evidence of said facts, the application hereto annexed was filed in this
Page 24

Office, in the form in which the same now appears; that the search was made by myself and my clerks alone: and that said application and the certificate above set forth, contain all the facts and circumstances which tend to satisfy me of the identity of the party described in the application with the individual who rendered
the service.

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.

[signed] Jno A Bolles
Secretary of the Commonwealth

William Ellis Esq
William Parmenter Esq