Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 5927, James Brees, New Jersey
Page 1

Service: New Jersey

Brees, James / Euphemia

Number: W 5927
Page 2

[left side - page torn on left]

New Jersey 626
Euphemia Brees
widow of James Brees

who died on the 10. March 1809
Middlesex Co. in the State of N. Jersey
who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Longstreet  in the [blank] commanded by [blank] in the N. Jersey mil. 
[torn] for 9 months

Inscribed on the Roll of New Jersey
at the rate of 30 Dollars ----Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March 1834

Certificate of Pension issued the 21 day of March 1837 and sent to James F. Randolph, N. Brunswick, N.J.

Arrears to the 4th of March 1837        180.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sept "    15.00
                                                                  _______
                                                                 $195.00

{Revolutionary Claim
Act 4 June 1836
Section the 3-}

Recorded by D. Brown Clerk
Book  ---- Vol. 1 Page 144  

[right side]

Date of Death not on A.B. I.L.L.
Page 3

Declaration made to obtain the benefit of the 3rd section of the Act of Congress of the 4th July 18??

State of New Jersey
Middlesex County}.  At this twenty second day of December eighteen hundred and thirty six before the judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of said County, now sitting, personally appeared Euphemia Brees of said County, aged eighty-two, nearly eighty three years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the pension made by the act of Congress passed on the 4th day of July 1836:  the she is the widow and legal representative of James Brees, formerly of said County, deceased, that her husband, the said deceased, was engaged in the War of the Revolution, in the militia service in New Jersey, and belonged to the company commanded by Capt. Longstreet, and held the office of Corporal in said company; that he was not, as she well remembers, in frequent laborious and dangerous terms of service, but, as she was not with him, and cannot enter into the particulars which she understands is required to be stated, she refers the the testimony of others who were with him or had opportunities of knowing which no female could possess, who was not in camp.
  She further declares, that she was married to the said James Brees in the winter of seventeen hundred and seventy seven - the month she cannot now specify, but the time she has no doubt about because her husband was a soldier and then lay at Cranberry with a considerable body of troops, who had then Head
Page 4

[continued from previous page]

...Quarters there to watch the enemy then in New Brunswick.  They were married by the Rev. Thomas Smith of Cranberry, who is long since dead.  That her husband the aforesaid James Brees died on the tenth day of March one thousand eight hundred and nine, and that she has remained a widow ever since that period, as will more fully appear by reference to the proof herewith annexed.  She has no record of her marriage  and none, she understands, can be found in any shape, she therefore refers to the accompanying record of the birth of her children the issue of said marriage, which she declares to be true and the only record that she knows of now in existence.  The present record is a copy from the original in her ancient family bible, which Bible has been worn out and destroyed and the record with it.  
Euphemia Brees
Sworn and subscribed this day and year aforesaid before me.
Peter P. Runyon Judge

Whereupon the said Court express it as their opinion, that the said Euphemia Brees is the widow and legal representative of James Brees, formerly of the County of Middlesex, deceased, that they were married in the year seventeen hundred and seventy seven, that said James Brees was a soldier of the Revolution, the he died on the tenth day of March eighteen hundred and nine, and that the said Euphemia has remained a widow ever since
Page 5

I Nicolas Booraem Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County aforesaid, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said Court in the matter of the application of Euphemia Brees for a pension, in virtue of the service of her husband James Brees.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this second day of February one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven.
N. Booraem Clk.
Page 6

State of New Jersey
Midx. County

On this second day of February 1837 before me a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid, personally appeared Vincent H. Brees, known to me as a credible person whose testimony may be relied upon, also being duly sworn on his oath saith, that he is in the 41st year of his age and a son of Euphemia Brees and of the late James Brees, dec'd, who was of the County of Middlesex - that his late father the said James Brees, departed this life on the 10th day of March 1809, and that his mother, the said Euphemia Brees, now being a widow of said James, never having since intermarried.  That about [thirty - crossed out] twenty years since he copied from an ancient family Bible  the record of the names of the births of this father and mother and of their ten children that this copy is an exact transcript of said record , except that the date of the birth of James Freeman Brees is erroneously placed in 1764 which should have been 1784 - that in all other respects the copy of the record is identical - that this record is, as he has always understood and verily believes, the true and authentic record of the family - that he has always regarded it as such, and felt his trust to consider it as such - that he ascertained  his own age from said record, and from no other source.  the Bible from which the copy in question was made, having been placed under a leak in the roof of the house was then mutilated and was finally destroyed.  Deponent knows of no record in existence except the one now to be forwarded with this affidavit.

Vincent H. Brees

Subscribed  & Sworn to the year aforesaid before me  the word twenty interlined before as [?] & thirty erased.
Peter P. Runyon
Justice of the Peace
Page 7

Ages of James Brees & Euphemia Brees his wife
Their Family -

James Brees born October -- died 10 March 1809
Euphemia Brees born 24th February 1754


Children

Isaac Brees born 12th August 1777
Catherine Brees born 14th August 1779
Euphemia Brees born 223rd January 1782
James Freeman Brees born 17th September 1764*.   Died 13th August 1791
Ann Brees born 23 July 1786
Mary Brees born 23rd March 1789.  Died 2 August 1791
John Brees born 8th May 1790. Died 2 August 1791
John Shields Brees born 17th September 1793.  Died 20th January 1795
Vincent Hamilton Brees born 11th December 1796
James Brees born 18th September [year smudged]

Catharine Pullin Died September 5 - 1821

*[should be 1784, as mentioned by Vincent on another page]
Page 8

September 10, 1934.

BA-J/ILL           AW
James Brees
W. 5927

Mr. Lewis D. Cook
P. O. Box 263
Bound Brook, New Jersey

Dear Sir:

Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War records of James  Bress, or Brees, and John Pullen of New Jersey.

A search of the Revolutionary War records has been made and there is no claim for pension or bounty land on file based upon service in that war of a John Pullen of New Jersey; similar spellings of the surname have been searched. The claim for pension based upon service
of James Brees has been found; his record is furnished herein as shown in the papers on file in claim W. 5927.

James Brees was born in October the year, place of his birth and names of his parents are not shown.

While a resident of Middlesex County, New Jersey, he enlisted in 1776, served as private on various tours in each year until the summer of 
1780, amounting in all  is at least nine months, under Captains Longstreet, Addis, Peter Perrine, Debow, Lott and Williamson, and 
Colonel Neilson in the New Jersey troops; during this period, he was out at Monmouth and at Springfield.

The soldier, while stationed at Cranberry, Middlesex County, New Jersey, in December 1776 or January 1777, married Euphemea Freeman; they were married by Reverend Thomas Smith, Presbyterian Minister, at his home in Cranberry, New Jersey.  Euphemea was born February 24. 1754; the names of her parents are not shown.

James Brees died 10 March 10, 1809, in Middlesex County, New Jersey.

Euphemea Brees, the soldier's widow, was allowed pension on her
Page 9

application executed December 22, 1836, at which time she resided in Middlesex County, 
New Jersey. Her name was borne Euphemia Brees on the pension roll.

James Brees and his wife, Euphemea, had children, recorded as follows:

Isaac Brees born August 12, 1777.
Cathirine "    "    August 14, 1779.
Euphemea "   "   January 23, 1782.
James Freeman "  "  September 17, 1784, died            
              August 13, 1791
Ann               "        "  July 23, 1786.
Mary              "      "   March 23, 1789, died 
                 August 2, 1791.
John             "        "    May 8, 1791,           "   "   "
John Shields  "     "    January 20, 1795.
Vincent Hamilton "  "  December 11, 1796.
James            "       "   September 18, 1799. (?) 
                                              almost illegible.

The following death is shown, also:

Cathrine Pullin died September 5, 1832. (No relationship stated)

Soldier's son, Vincent H. Brees was in Middlesex County, New Jersey, at the time his mother made application for pension.

Very truly yours,
A.D. HILLER,
Assistant to Administrator.
Page 10

[left side]
1934 Sept 10. Hist. to Lewis D. Cook - ILL [initials]


[right side]
WIDOW, &c.
Revy.

File No. 5927
Euphemia Brees
Wid. of James Brees
Priv. N.J. Mila.[militia]

Act: July 4th '36  Sec. 3d.

Index: - Vol.  A  Page 83

[Arrangement of 1870}
Page 11

Let [crossed out -Hon S.L. Southard 24 Feb '37]
New Jersey

Euphemia Breese
widow of
James Breese
Suspd -

[crossed out -Let to Hon. S.L. Southard
Feb. 24th 1837]
Page 12

Samuel L. Southard
Feb. 24 1837
 C.C.

Recd Vol. 45. pa. 136
Page 13

War Department
Pension Office
Feb. 24 1837

Sirs
    The papers of Euphemia Brees widow of James Brees enclosed in  your letter of the 15th instant have been examined and placed on file. It is stated by one of the witnesses that [the claimant - crossed out] [illegible] served a tour of two months and Cranberry under Capt. Longstreet  and by another thus he served four months at this place [words crossed out] Both these witnesses are probably mistaken as to the duration of the tour described - at any rate that part of the claim cannot be allowed without some explanation - upon the evidence produced the applicant will be allowed a pension for nine months service.

Hon. Saml. L. Southard
Senate United States
Page 14

Jm-at. Mar 21
Mr. Luce

[postmark] MAR [?]
[stamp] FREE

J.L. Edwards
Com. Pensions
Washington
Page 15

New Brunswick, Mar 18, 1837

Sir,
   I have rec'd several of the certificates -?- but there are yet behind those for Catharine Baird, Euphemia Brees, and --- Covert, widow of Burgun Covert.
   Has the Pension Agent at Trenton been notified to put the names on the New Jersey Roll?  There has heretofore been a considerable  delay in this respect, in one instance.

Most respectfully
Your Obt. Ser't
James F. Randolph


J.L. Edwards Esq.
Com. Pensions
Page 16

State of New Jersey
Middlesex County

    Before me the subscriber one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said County personally appeared Ann Smith a credible person who being duly sworn on her oath saith that she is in the seventy fourth year of her age that she is the daughter of the Rev'd Thomas Smith deceased formerly pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Cranberry Middlesex County that in her youthful days she was well acquainted with James Brees who is now deceased and whose widow Euphemia is now applying for a pension in behalf of her said husband. That she lived at her fathers house from her infancy to his death.  That she well remembers that her father married the said James Brees to the said Euphemia then Euphemia Truman that the marriage took place at her father's house and in her presence  well remembers that it  was in the time of the Revolutionary War knows that it was several years before its termination and thinks it was in the year 1777 when the American troops lay at Cranberry knows Euphemia Brees and that she is a credible person and has no doubt but her statements may be fully relied upon as true.
Ann Smith 

Sworn and subscribed the 3rd day of February 1837 before me Peter P. Runyon
Justice of the Peace
Page 17

State of New Jersey
Middlesex County

   Before me the subscriber one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said County personally appeared Nathaniel Dean a credible person who being duly sworn upon his oath saith the he is in the eighty seventh yer of his age and a soldier of the Revolution and in the receipt of a pension issued that he was well acquainted with James Brees who was also a soldier in that momentous struggle knew to be out in the militia in the year 1777 at Cranberry in the County of Middlesex knew that he served in that year under the command of Captain Longstreet from the first of January to the first of June he being in the same company and serving with him, knows that he was a good soldier and thinks that he did his regular tours with the militia throughout the war but does not remember seeing him out at any other time but thinks if he had not done his regular tours this deponent would have heard it they living in the same neighborhood that by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory he cannot specify particularly but has no doubt but that he served throughout the war.  That he heard of the death of said James Brees that he died in the year 1809.

Nathaniel Dean his X mark

Sworn and subscribed the 5th day of January 1837 before me Peter P. Runyon  Justice of the Peace
Page 18

State of New Jersey
Middlesex County

  On this 30th day of January 1837 before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said County personally appeared Thomas [Faut?] known to me as a credible person whose testimony may be relied upon who being duly sworn in his oath saith that he is in the 79th year of his age, a soldier in the Revolution and now in the receipt of a pension as such - that he is well acquainted with James Brees formerly of the County of Middlesex, dec'd, that they served their apprenticeship as shoe maker in the same shop - that they were afterwards occasionally together in service in the war of the Revolution, that although they lived in different counties yet they were neighbor and had frequent intercourse with each other - that this deponent remembers the said James Brees on a tour of duty in 1776 at Elizabethtown under Capt. Longstreet & Col. Neilson in guarding the lines.  This tour lasted one month. In the same year the said Brees performed another tour of a month under Capt. Longstreet at Communipaw* , and in the same year another tour of a month under the same Capt. Longstreet at Newark. In the winter of 1777 this deponent knew that the said Brees was out at Cranberry stationed with large body of militia there, and did at least two months duty together. The militia were obliged to lay there all winter.  His service was under Capt. Longstreet and Col. Neilson, and was for the purpose of holding in check the British in New Brunswick.  He remembers the said Brees out again on another tour of a month under Capt. Debow in the same year at Elizabethtown guarding the lines.  And again.....
* [Communipaw is now part of Jersey City]
Page 19

...in the year 1778 the said Brees performed another tour on the lines in East Jersey which lasted one month, under Capt. Lott, he thinks, in the service of guarding.  Also one other tour of a month in the same year at the time of the Battle of Monmouth, under Capt. Longstreet.  In 1779 the said Brees was out again on one tour of a month, as the deponent recollects, at Woodbridge, under Capt. Williamson, guarding the lines.  And in 1780 he recollects him at the Battle of Springfield under Capt. Addis  he believes, at which time he performed tour of one month.  Said Brees did a great deal more service but this deponent cannot specify .  He was a faithful soldier, from the first to the last of the War.
Thomas Faut his X mark

Subscribed Sworn to the day and year aforesaid before me. Peter P.  Runyon Justice of the Peace.
Page 20

1138

New Jersey
Euphemia Brees's
Application update
law of 1836

17  Feb
Act 4 July 1836

Luce
Admitted
Private 9 Mo

James F. Randolph
Agent, N. Brnwk [Brunswick]
Page 21

State of New Jersey
Middlesex County } Ss

On this 3rd day of January 1837 before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said County, personally appeared John Gulich known to me as a credible person, whose testimony is fully to be believed upon being duly sworn on this oath saith that he was well acquainted with James Brees, formerly of the County of Middlesex, deceased, that said Brees belonged to the company of Capt. Longstreet, to which the deponent also belonged  [?]- he remained in Middlesex County - that said Brees was a stern Whig and a good soldier, and did service equal to any in that day - That the deponent recollects the said Brees distinctly in the winter of 76'7 whilst the British were in Brunswick; that during the time of the occupation of Brunswick as aforesaid, the militia of two or three counties was collected at Cranberry - that said Brees was there with other members of his company, and continued there from the first of February until the first of June, a period of at least four months, under Capt. Longstreet & Col. Nielson. That they were engaged during that time in protecting the country from the plundering and marauding parties of the enemy in New Brunswick and holding him in check.  He recollects said Brees on another occasion in the same year 1777 at Red Bank, on a tour of a month under Capt. Peter Perrine.  He also remembers said Brees in another tour of a month at Amboy in 1777 under Capt. Longstreet in guarding the lines.  And also in 1778 at the time of the Battle of Monmouth he recollects the said Brees again, in a .....
Page 22

...tour of a month under he believes Capt. Longstreet.  He recollects the said Brees at various tours afterwards during the war to the close of it but being out of his company cannot specify tours. Said deponent knows that the said Brees departed this life in 1809, that he left a widow Euphemia Brees who is now living, the widow of said Brees never having married since his death.  Knows that said Brees was married at an early period of the war to the said Euphemia whose maiden name was Freeman.  Thinks that the marriage took place in the latter part of '76 or in January 1777.

John Gulich 

Subscribed & Sworn the day and year aforesaid before me
Peter P. Runyon
Justice of the Peace.

State of New Jersey
Midlx. County
  I Nicholas Booraem Clerk of the County aforesaid, do hereby certify, that Peter P. Runyon before whom the foregoing affidavits were taken is a Justice of the Peace in the aforesaid County duly commissioned and sworn, and that his signatures  there are in his own hand writing.
In Testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal of office this tenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven.
N. Booraem Clerk
Page 23

P. O. Box 263, BOUND BROOK, N.J.
August 21st. 1934.

Custodian of Revolutionary War Applications,
U. S. Pension Office,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

Will it be possible to have a copy of the application made by EUPHEMIA BRESS ( or Brees ) for pension on account of services of her husband, JAMES BRESS (Brees ), a Private in the War of the Revolution who was probably
from Middlesex County, N.J.?  (The first certificate was issued 21 Mar. 1837)

I understand that these applications give record of military services and the names and dates of birth of children as well as other details.  If the said application is of some length, a digest of the essential facts and dates will be satisfactory for the purposes of family history.

If this matter can receive attention at this time it will oblige,

very truly yours,
Lewis D. Dook [signature]
Lewis D. Cook.

If these applications have been indexed, could you turn up one for a JOHN PULLEN ['not as of N.J.' hand writen above line] of Middlesex or of Burlington County, N.J. without difficulty?  One 
of this name died in 1804, in Mddx. Co.

LDC.

[stamp:] RECEIVED AUG 22 1984 MAIL SUB-DIV. VETS. ADM READER #28