Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 3,661, Stephen Ford, New Jersey Penn Sea Service.
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SERVICE ----------------- NUMBER

New Jersey -- Ford, Stephen -- R.3,661
Penn Sea Services

CONTENTS
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Declaration of Stephen Ford, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.

State of New Jersey
County of Burlington Ss:

On this fifth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, personally appeared in open Court before the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County of Burlington, now sitting, Stephen Ford, a resident of the Township of Washington formerly the Township of Little Eggharbour, and state of New Jersey aforesaid, 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 benefits 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 - This declarant was born in the Township of Little Eggharbour in the said County of Burlington, and resided there until some time in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy five when he turned out under Captain Joseph Estell of the Militia of New Jersey, and served under him as a militia man, having volunteered to serve under him, for the space of three or four months - this declarant at this distance of time has no distinct recollection of the day or month of the year when he first entered the service, nor hath he any record or memorandum from which he can ascertain it -
This declarant during this his first tour of Service was stationed for some time at the village of Slabtown in the Township of Springfield in the said County of Burlington, and was in the battle near that place sometimes after the battle of Petticoat Bridge between the Americans and the 

(signatures written vertically along left border)
Thos Swain
Jno Blackwood
Matthew McHenry
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Hessians - while stationed at the said village of SlabTown, and at a time when this declarant was standing as a sentinel, he was wounded in the knee by a Hessian - After the battle at SlabTown, + the wound in the knee, this declarant having been three or four months in service, + being disabled by his wound from active service, returned home with the permission of his said Captain - Some three or four months after this declarant had returned home, and after the wound in his knee had been so far cured as not to disable him from active service, he was solicited to enter the service again as a militia man - but being unwilling to do so, he went to Philadelphia, and enlisted as a marine or musket man under Captain John Hamilton who commanded the ship Mifflin, belonging to the State of Pennsylvania - John Farmon acted as first Lieutenant of the said Ship - This declarant has no distinct recollection, nor any means within his power of ascertaining the precise time when he so enlisted to serve on board the said ship Mifflin, nor the precise period when she sailed from Philadelphia - but distinctly recollects to have understood at the time he sailed in the said ship from Philadelphia, that the British were still in possession of the City of Boston. the Mifflin sailed towards the Island of Jamaica, and continued to cruise off that Island, and in other places on the West India Station, + off at Sea, + made many prizes - This declarant recollects that (among other vessels) the Mifflin captured a Schooner called the Locust
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and took her into Cape Francois, where she was disposed of - John Stibbins, the commander of the Locust when taken by the Mifflin, after her capture, took the oath of allegiance to the United States and became Second Lieutenant of the Mifflin. This declarant remained in service as a marine on board the said ship Mifflin from the time she sailed from Philadelphia until she returned to the United States of America, comprising a period of two years and six months. During the latter part of this period the Mifflin attacked a British letter of Marque commanded by Captain John Manly - She was carried by boarding - This declarant was the first of the crew of the Mifflin that boarded the letter of marque, and his right arm was broken in the conflict in a personal contest between this declarant and the Captain of the said vessel - Falling in with a British fleet of twelve vessels, shortly after the said capture, the letter of marque was retaken by the enemy, but the Mifflin escaped. On the return of the Mifflin to the United States, she landed her crew at Kinney's wharf in the State of South Carolina - this declarant then and there received a written discharge under the hand of the said Captain Hamilton, and a pass was signed and delivered to him by a Colonel of the Militia of the State of South Carolina, whose name this declarant hath forgotten. Upon receiving his discharge from the Captain of the Ship Mifflin this declarant returned home, and shortly

(signatures written vertically along left border)
Thos Swain
Jno Blackwood
Matthew McHenry
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after his return, he again entered the service of the United States as a militia man, under the command of the same Captain Joseph Estell of the Militia of New Jersey, under whom the declarant had served as before at the commencement of the war, and served under him in that capacity in the state of New Jersey opposite New York for the space of four months - During a part of this last tour of duty this declarant was stationed opposite to New York, and was there at the time the fort was taken by the enemy - After this the declarant was in the service a year at Batsto furnace - where he was employed in aiding to make cannon fuses and balls, chain shot, + other things for the use of the army of the United States.
And this declarant further saith that he has not nor ever had any record of his age, but is satisfied that he was twenty one years of age or thereabouts when the British took Philadelphia during the revolutionary war, from the information given to him by those with whom he was brought up - that he has always continued to reside in the Township of Little Eggharbour + the adjoining township of Washington, in the County of Burlington aforesaid, except during the period of time while he was in the service of the United States during the revolutionary war, + still resides in the said Township of Washington - that during the latter part of the revolutionary War this declarant's house was burnt, + all his papers destroyed and among the rest his discharge under the hand
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of the said John Hamilton, Captain of the said Ship Mifflin, + the pass he received from the Colonel of the Militia of the State of South Carolina - This declarant is known to Nicholas Sooy, Jesse Richards, and Jesse Evans and other in the neighborhood where he now resides who can testify to his character for veracity and their belief of his services in the revolutionary war as a soldier and marine. But this declarant cannot produce any evidence as to prove his actual service during the revolution, all those who know him in actual service being dead, or if living, having removed to places not within the knowledge of the declarant - except only those persons whose affidavits are herewith annexed - that there is no clergyman residing within the immediate vicinity of the declarant + acquainted with him, upon whom he can call to testify on his behalf.- 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 -
And in answer to the several interrogatories presented by the department of war this declarant saith - as follows - To the interrogatory "Where and in what year were you born?" This declarant saith that he can say nothing further than what is stated before in this declaration - and to the second interrogatory "Have you any record of your age, and if so where is it?" This declarant answers, "No." - and to the third interrogatory

(signatures written vertically along left border)
Thos Swain
Jno Blackwood
Matthew McHenry
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"Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live" - This declarant saith that when called into service, he resided in the Township of Little Egg Harbour aforesaid, and hath always lived since that Revolutionary War in the said Township of Little Egg Harbour, and in the Township of Washington which has been laid off since the revolutionary war from the said Township of Little Egg Harbour + from the Township of Northampton in the said County of Burlington and still lives in the said Township of Washington. And to the fourth interrogatory, "How were you called into service? Were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?" This declarant answers that in every tour of service which he performed on land during the revolutionary war, he acted as a volunteer, and that he enlisted, as is before stated, to serve as a musket man or marine on board the Ship Mifflin - And to the fifth interrogatory "State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such continental + militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service" and the sixth interrogatory "Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it." and the seventh interrogatory, "State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution?" This declarant answers that he hath in the aforewrit-
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ten declaration given all the information + stated all the facts and circumstances in answer to these several interrogatories; that his recollection + memory will enable him to furnish  + that he cannot more fully answer these several interrogatories than he has answered them in his said declaration.-
And this declarant further saith that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear more positively than is above stated as to the precise length of his service; but according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the period mentioned below and in the following grades:
for one year and seven months he served as a private in the militia - and for two years and six months he served as a marine on board the Mifflin under the command of Captain John Hamilton - and for such services he claims a pension - and this declarant further saith that during the time of such service was performed he was not employed in any civil pursuit. -
his X mark
Stephen Ford

Sworn + subscribed the day and year aforesaid before (The words "formerly the township of Little Egg Harbour" "Near" "sometimes called the battle of Petticoat Bridge" "contest" "cannon" "Except in by those persons whose affidavits are hereunto annexed" "and Militia" being first stricken out - + the undersigned judges have also written their names in the margin on the first three leaves of this declaration, written on four leaves of paper attached together -
Thos Swain
Jno Blackwood
Matthew McHenry} Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of the County of Burlington
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State of New Jersey
Burlington County Ss

On the Twenty sixth day of June in the year Eighteen hundred + thirty five I Simon Lucas a clergyman residing in the township of Galloway in the county of Gloucester and in the state of New Jersey does hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Stephen Ford, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that I believe him to be seventy seven 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 I concur in that opinion
Simon Lucas
Sworn and subscribed to the day and yaer aforesaid before me
J.H. Richardson P.P.

State of New Jersey
Burlington County Ss

On the Seventh day of June in the year Eighteen hundred + thirty five I Jesse Evans residing in the township of Washington in the county of Burlington and state of New Jersey do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Stephen Ford, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that I believe him to be seventy seven 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 I concur in that opinion
Jesse Evans

Affirmed and subscribed to the day + year aforesaid Before me
Wm H. Sooy Justice -

State of New Jersey
Burlington County Ss

On the second day of June in the year Eighteen hundred + thirty five I Thomas Ford residing in the county of Gloucester in the state of New Jersey do hereby certify that Stephen Ford, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration is my oldest brother, that I am well acquainted with him and believe him to be seventy seven years of age that he was a soldier of the revolution and is so reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides 
his X mark
Thomas Ford

Sworn and subscribed to the day and year aforesaid Before me
Geo Haywood Judge

(text written vertically along left margin)

Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Burlington
Thos Swain(?)
Geo Haywood
Benjamin Lippincott

Judges of the Inferior court of Common Pleas in and for the said county of Burlington
Thos Swain
Geo Haywood
Benjamin Lippincott
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Know all men by these presents that I Rachel Reed of Washington in the County of Burlington and State of New Jersey do hereby constitute and appoint H.C. Spalding of Washington City D.C. -- my true and lawful Attorney to prosecute the claim of Stephen Ford for any amount of Revolutionary pension that may be due and I hereby authorize him to examine all the papers or documents in relation to said claim on file in the Departments at Washington or elsewhere; to file additional evidence or arguments, and to receive the certificate which may be issued for said claim, to appoint one or more substitutes under him for the purpose herein expressed. Hereby ratifying and confirming all my said Attorney shall legally do in the premises.
Witness my hand and seal this 23rd day of September 1852
her X mark
Rachel Reed

Witness
Joh Brown

State of New Jersey
County of Burlington

On this 23rd day of September 1852 before me personally appeared Rachel Reed and acknowledged the foregoing power of attorney to be her act and deed for the purposes therein expressed. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year aforesaid
Josiah M. Browne N.P.
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State of New Jersey
County of Burlington

Be it known that on this 23rd day of September A.D. 1852 before me Josiah M. Browne a Notary Public for said State personally appeared Rachel Reed a resident of Washington in the county and state aforesaid and made oath according to law that --- is the child of Stephen Ford who was a Revolutionary Soldier and who made application for a pension that he is now dead that he died on the day of --- A.D. 18-- at Washington the county and state aforesaid that --- is directly interested in said claim as one of the children of the said Stephen Ford, and makes this affidavit to be filed with such additional evidence or arguments as my attorney may use in prosecuting said claim
Her X mark
Rachel Reed

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first above written before me
Josiah M. Browne N.P.

(written vertically along right border)
Claim of Stephen Ford

(written vertically along left border)
H.C. Spalding
Attorney
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S. Ford
N.J. Allowed
or 
Suspended
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Power of Attorney
For ascertaining whether any increase or arrears of Pension are due to the Widower or Heirs of Revolutionary Pensioners etc.

State of New Jersey
County of Burlington

Be it known that before me Samuel Weeks --- a Justice of the Peace in and for the county of Burlington --- personally appeared Jeremiah Ford, aged Sixty four years, who being duly cautioned and then sworn in due form of law, states that he is the Son of Stephen Ford who was a revolutionary Pensioner in the State of New Jersey and that he died on the fifteenth day of January A.D. 1837 and that my mother, named Hannah Ford, died on the --- day of  --- 1814 and that they were married on the --- day of --- in the year 1766 and that they were residents of the county of Burlington in the State of New Jersey and that they resided there Eighty eight years, and that He resides in the county and state aforesaid and that furthermore He BY THESE PRESENTS, constitutes, appoints, and fully empower and authorizes, irrevocably and with powers of substitution, F.E. Hassler, of Washington, D.C. as his true and lawful Attorney for him and in his name and stead, to examine into, to prosecute, to demand, and to receive from the U.S. Government and State officer his rights in all and in any manner of claim for increase or arrears of Pension or Land that may be due him as an heir of Stephen Ford who died leaving the same undrawn, as in right of law he may be entitled.
In witness whereof, He has on the Twenty third day March 1854 hereunto signed his name, and affixed his seal
Jeremiah Ford

Witness: [illegible]
Witness:
Signed, sealed, acknowledged, and sworn to before me; and I further certify that said Jeremiah Ford has always by the community been known as the son of said Stephen Ford.
Dated on the 23rd day of March A.D. 1854
Samuel Weeks N.P.

State of New Jersey
County of Burlington to wit:
I hereby certify, that Samuel Weeks Esq., before whom the foregoing affidavits and acknowledgement were made, and who has thereunto subscribed his name, was, at the time of so doing, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid, duly commissioned and sworn, and that his signature above written is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas of said County, the twenty ninth day of March one thousand eight hundred and fifty four.
Samuel Smith clerk
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Stephen Ford -
75 Capt. Estell -- 3 0r 4 mo.
Capt. Hamilton ship Mifflin
the capt of a captured schooner - became 2 Lt of the Mifflin - for 2 years + six months
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Hon. Lewis Cass
Sec. of War
Washington City D.C.
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mount Holly Burlington County N. Jersey
July 12th AD 1838

Dear Sir -

Enclosed I transmit for your consideration papers in the Case of Stephen Ford, an aged and respectable citizen of this county, who claimed to be a Revolutionary Soldier and entitled to the benefit of the the Laws of the Congress of the U.S. The papers you will observe were commenced in Nov. 1838 and he has just been able to have them completed; he is very poor. I do trust you may be able to find a sufficient detail of facts, in his declaration to afford him some relief.
You will be good enough to inform me, as early as you conveniently can upon the subject of his application.
I have the honor to be with great respect 
Your obd servant
Geo W. Cambloss

Hon: Lewis Cass
Sec. of War
Washington City
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N.J.
18 July 1835
Pension Office
original
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3661 Rev
P.O. 
Stephen Ford
Service:
Enlisted: REJECTED , 18
Discharged:  ,18
Application filed: ,18
Alleges:
Re-enlisted:
Attorney: 
P.O.
___ Recognized. ___Contract.
___ Cert of Dis. Searched for ___, 18
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Stephen Ford
Act June 7 1832
New Jersey

Susp'd - See letter to G.W. Cambloss, July 16. 1835

3661

Act 7 June '32
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Stephen Ford
N.J. Sus '32

Sep 28 - 1832

H.C. Spalding Atty
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Washington 27th Sept. 1852

Honorable Jos. E Heath
Court of Pensioners

Sir. I have the honor to submit a power of attorney from Rachel Reed of New Jersey, Burlington County, heir of Stephen Ford, for the purpose of examining the Pension papers on file. with a view to supplying whatever may be defection therein to enable the parties [illegible] interest to draw such amount of pension or [illegible] of pension as they may be entitled to.

Very respectfully
Your obt servant
H.C. Spalding
atty
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And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the 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 stated, and the court further certifies that it appears to them that Simon Lucas who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the township of Galloway in the county of Gloucester, in the said State of New Jersey, and that Jesse Evans who has also signed the above certificate is resident in the township of Washington in the said county of Burlington and state of New Jersey and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.

Done in open court this eleventh day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty five
Thos Swain
Geo Haywood
Benjamin Lippincott} Judges

Burlington County
State of New Jersey Ss:
I John R Slack, clerk of the court of CommonPleas, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains, the original proceedings of the said court, in the matter of the applicant Stephen Ford, for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this eleventh day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty five.-
John R Slack, clk


(written vertically along left margin)
Papers to -
Thos Swain
Geo Haywood
Benjamin Lippincott