Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 22,303, Levi Hill, R.I.
Page 1

(3-1776)
SERVICE R. I.
Hill, Levi
NUMBER S. 22,303
CONTENTS
Page 2

Vermont 9543
Levi Hill
of Bennington in the State of Vermont who was a pri inf & art in the company commanded by Captain Wood of the ___ commanded by ___ in the R. Island  line for 16 months
Inscribed on the Roll of Vermont at the rate of 56 Dollars 66 cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 25 day of May [illegible] and sent same day forth, Bennington, VT
Arrears to the 4th of March '33
113.32
Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sept '33
28.33
$141.65
Revolutionary Claim
Act June 7, 1832
Recorded by Wm. Miller Clerk
Book E. Vol 3 Page 68
Page 3

no rolls
R I Artillery
Admits
4 mo pen Act - 16.66
12 - " [illegible] 40
$56.66
Saml Danforth
Bennington Vt
Page 4

11.030
BRIEF in the case of Levi Hill of Pownal in the State of Vermont
(Act 7th June, 1832)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Open Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? 74 years
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 

Period. 
From Jan in 1776
to Spring of 1779
12 terms of service & not designating the period that he entered service - enlist?
Duration of Service.
Years, Months, Days.
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
1
1
1
1
2
16
Rank.
As a
Pri
Artil
Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.
Gen.
names of the officers under whom he servd only & taken in some instances - Cap Wood R.I. - RIsland Troops - Volunt enlistd & substitued

5. In what battles was he engaged? battle or skirmish at Block Island
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Glocester [sic], R. Island
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? by one witness (Isaac Hill) who swears to every  thing & traditionary evidence 
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
not attached according to the regulations
Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
E. Stephens
Examining Clerk.
Note. This claim appears to me to be very doubtful.
Page 5

Levi Hill's
Declaration
Page 6

I Isaac Hill of Stamford in the county of Bennington & State of Vermont of lawful age depose and say that at Gloucester in the State of Rhode Island in the fore part of January AD 1776 Levi Hill volunteered or was hired for one 1 month in a company under the command of Ensign Isaac Ross & marched immediately to Providence and paid his time out and then the said Levi was hired to stay another 2 month which time he served faithfully and then he engaged for 3 another month but under other officers and served that time out. And I further say that in the summer following the said Levi Hill was drafted for one 4 month in a militia company commanded by Capt Abraham Windsor and marched to Warwick Neck & staid & served his time out faithfully & then the said Hill was hired as a 5 substitute for one month in the same company but under other officers and he served that month out faithfully and I further say that some time in the summer 6 of 1777 according to my best recollection the said Levi Hill enlisted for 4 months a private in an Artillery company commanded by Capt Thomas Wood of the town of Situate Rhode Island and marched on to Butt's Hill where he staid awhile and then went to Bristol and then staid until his time was out. and I further say that the said Levi engaged for one 7 month in the said Capt Abraham Winsors company and after that he served one 8 month in a militia company commanded by Capt Amaziah Weatherhead after which the said Levi served as a substitute 8 one month more
and then he was hired to take the place of a Quaker who had been drafted in the militia and served as a substitute one 9 month after that the said Levi served one 10 month under the said Capt Weatherhead and I further say that after the
Page 7

British left Rhode Island the said Levi Hill served 11 2 months partly on the water and partly on the land for the purpose of preventing the tories or refugees and sometimes called cow boys from plundering on the shores. Th reason why I know the above is because I served during the same time and in the same company with said Levi Hill except the 4th months before mentioned when I served in the same corps as a waiter & I further say that the same Levi Hill now resides in Pownal in the county of Bennington & State of Vermont and further say not
Isaac Hill
State of Vermont
Bennington County
Pownal 16th day of July 1832 Then Isaac Hill personally appeared before [illegible] Gardner Bennett a Justice of Peace within and for the county of Bennington and made solemn that the above deposition by him subscribed is true according to his best recollection.
Gardner Bennett Justice of Peace
I certify that Isaac Hill a person to me well known is a credible witness
Gardner Bennett Justice of Peace
I, HENRY ROBINSON, Clerk of the Court of Bennington County, certify that Gardner Bennett is a Magistrate, and that the within signature purporting to be his, I believe to be genuine. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my seal of office, and subscribed my name this 13th day of September, A.D. 1832.
Henry Robinson Clerk
11.030
Vermont
Page 8

Declaration
STATE OF VERMONT,
County of Bennington.35.
In order to obtain the benefits of the act of Congress pass June 7th 1832
On this 27 day of August A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court, before the Hon. the Court of Probate for the District of Bennington, now sitting, Levi Hill a resident of Pownal in the County of Bennington and State of Vermont aged 74 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 act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
1st That he entered service as a substitute for Micajah Moffitt who had been drafted for one month in the Militia at Gloucester Rhode Island under the commands of Ensign Isaac Ross and marched to Providence R.I. & served his time out which ended in February AD 1776 he thinks the fore part of the month. That 2nd he was then hired as a substitute for Joseph Brown of Gloucester for one month & served his time out. That he was then drafted for 3rd one month & served in the same company under Lieut Pitts Smith. The officers he recollects are Col Chad Brown, Major Asa Kimball & Adjutant David Richmond. That from the summer 4th following he was drafted for one month under Capt Abraham Windsor and marched to Warwick Neck and served his time out. That he was then hired as a substitute for one month 5th for Darius Windsor but does not recollect the name of the commanding officer, and served his time out faithfully. 6th That he thinks in the summer of 1777 he enlisted for four months as a private in an artillery company commanded by Capt Thomas Wood of Scituate R.I. and marched on to Butts Hill and remained there nearly the whole term of his engagement and then went to Bristol and stayed until his time was out. That he soon after 7th engaged for one month under Capt Abraham Windsor and served his time out. That in the summer of 1778 he was 8th drafted under Ensign Seth Ross and went from Gloucester to Newport and was transferred to the company commanded by Capt. Amaziah Weatherhead and served one month. That he then served as a substitute in the same.
9th
Page 9

company for one month but cannot recollect the name of the man for whom he served. That after this he believes in September or 10th October he served one month as a substitute for a Quaker who had been drafted. That he shortly 11th afterwards was drafted for one month and served under Capt. Weatherhead at Newport. That in the spring 12th of 1779 he volunteered under Capt Curtis for two months and served partly on land and partly on the water for the purpose of preventing the torees or refugees who were sometimes called Cow boys from plundering on our shores. That a part of his service was under Col. Chad Brown part under Col Ezekiel Cornell and part under Col Stephen Kimball of the Rhode Island Militia as he thinks. That he was in the Battle of skirmish at Block Island. That he cannot distinctly recollect dates and has no documentary evidence. That he was unable to read or write while in the service and can do little of either at this time.
Page 10

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.
In answer to the interrogatories propounded by the Court the applicant declares
1st. That he was born at Cumberland Rhode Island Nov 23 1758
2d. That he has no record of his age
3d. That he lived in Gloucester R.I. when called into service, and resided there until about the year 1800 That he then removed to Adams Mass & resided there for 12 or 13 years that he then removed to Vermont & thinks he has resided in Pownal nearly 20 years.
4th. That he was a volunteer that he was drafted & that he was a substitute as above stated
5th. That among the regular officers who were with the troops where he served, he recollects none except those above stated
6th. That he never received a written discharge
7th. That he is known to Rev Edward Green residing in Pownal and Benjamin Gardner Esq residing in Pownal who can testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution.
Sworn to, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
[signature] Levi Hill
We, Edward Green a clergyman residing in the town of Pownal and Benjamin Gardner Esq residing in Pownal hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Levi Hill who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 74 years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resided, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
Edward Green
Benj Gardner
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 them, that Edward Green who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clergyman resident in the town of Pownal and that Benjamin Gardner Esq who has also signed the same, is a resident in the town of Pownal and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
S. Danforth Judge
I, William Haswell, Register of the Court of Probate for the District of Bennington, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Levi Hill for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this 27th day of August A.D. 1832
Wm Haswell
Page 11

22303
INVALID.
Revolution
File No. 22303
Levi Hill
Pri Rev War
Act: June 7 32
Index: -- Vol. 2, Page 185
[Arrangement of 1870]
Page 12

11.030
BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Levi Hill which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?
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? no
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? no
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?
no
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion?
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?
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?
Page 13

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's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? only one witness
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?
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? so stated by the witnesses
XVI. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? no
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 my 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.
Page 14

3
It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each 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. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
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 he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates 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 ends of which must pass under the seal of office or the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
In every case where the clerk of court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.