Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 4078, for James Reynolds, Pennsylvania
Page 7

Columbus Ohio, Jan. 6th 1849
J.L. Edwards Esqr.
Dr Sir:
My grandfather, James Reynolds was a pensioner under the act, I think, of 1832, for services in the War of the Revolution. He resided in Reibhill Township Muntlingson County Ohio. And has been dead many years. I never saw him after the allowance of the pension and cannot find his papers. I am very desirous of knowing, as a matter of satisfaction, the name of his Captain or Colonel, the branch of the service to which he belonged and from what state. Wil you please write me to Carroll Fairfield County Ohio, where I now reside, and give me the information. I can refer you to Jn A. Bryan Esqr, formerly of this (?) and (?) in your city, with whom I am intimately acquainted if you desire to be assured of my identify and the constancy of my statements.
Very Respectfully (illegible)
James C. Reynolds
Page 8

W.2444 22.48
James Reynolds
Muskingum County
State of Ohio
Returning
some direct proof
prove service
(j)
Adm 2 years
$80
Silliman & Stettion Attorney
for James Reynolds
Zanesville Ohio
Page 9

Sir
WAR DEPARTMENT.
Pension Office,
183
The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has
been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of
your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and
the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed,
before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will shew what is
necessary to be done. Those points to which your attention is more particularly directed,
you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: }). You will, when
you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and
you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your
claim.
A statement, showing the Service of James Reynolds, Muskingum County Ohio

Period when the service was rendered
Enlist1775
Duration of the
claimant's service.
Years 3& 4
Month
Days

Rank of
the
claimant.
Private of marines

Names and Rank
of the Company
officers under
whom he served.
 Lieut. Francis
Gilbert,
Capt M
Partridge
Capt Mathews
Capt Montgomery

Names and Rank
of the General
and Field officers.
Genl Montgomery
Commodore
Doherty

Battles in which
the applicant was
engaged.
Roebuck
Liverpool ships
Mud Island
Fort Red Bank
Fort Augusta &
Maryland
ships Brittish
were blow up

Country through
which he marched.
Mun  Island
Fort in the
Tiran Ray
Philadelphia
to Briscol to
Trenton to
Lancaster Pa
to Philda (Philadelphia)

Place of abode
when he entered
the service, and age
at the present
period
80 years
Philadelphia

Evidence by
which the declaration
is supported
.
Traditionary
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. L. EDWARDS,
Commissioner of Pensions.
Page 11

will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case. The facts stated will afford one of the principal
means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted
; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected.
All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County, in which they reside, and there
subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his case.
The Court will propound the following (m) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account
of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State
troops of Virginia.
1. Where and in what year were you born?
2. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?
3. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war
, and where do you now live?
4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute?
And if a substitute, for whom?
5. State the names of some of the Regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served; such
Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services.
6. To a Soldier Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given
and what has become of it?
To an Officer Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?
7. 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.
The Court will see that he answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are
requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.
The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court,
without too much expense and inconvenience to him, two respectable persons -one of whom should be
the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from
their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that he is reputed
and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary soldier, and that they concur in that opinion.
If one of these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify, to the character
and standing of other persons, giving such certificates.
The traditionary evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct
proof, except the declaration of the party. And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the
enquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.
Applicants unable to appear in Court by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before
required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the
proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to
perform, and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.
Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record,
or by a Justice of the peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper
Clerk of the Court or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a
Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is
his genuine signature.
No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before
the taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the
declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure
, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period
of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the
opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.
[a]The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity in which the declarant will follow the rule laid down for guidance.
[b]The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides. If he should fail to do so, he must in a reason for assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule.
[c]The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
[d]The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served.
[e]Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the
claim cannot be had. Every claimant must state, 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. 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 by 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."
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 that 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 shown 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. 
[f] The law makes the relinquishment indispensable.
[g] The opinion of the Court is always required.
[h] The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
[i] The Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal, or if he 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. 

Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written o the same sheet of paper with contains the affidavit, or other papers 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 of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

Proof of Service
[j] In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the record of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth n their affidavits the time of the claimant's 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 office, under his seal of office.
[I] The notes from [a] to [i] are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers  and State Troops, The proof required by rule in note [j] applies to continental troops only.
[k] This traditionary evidence is indispensable in militia cases.
[l] If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
[m] The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with the declaration.

Direct proof of service is [illegible]
Page 18

Received
May 17, 1940
Mail Sub. Div.
Vets Adm
Reader #10
Page 27

[Following is a printed form. Where specifics are written in these will be put in {} for ease of reading]

DECLARATION.
IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE ACT OF CONGRESS PASSED JUNE 7, 1832

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
COUNTY OF {Washington-}SS}

On this {4th-} day of {September 1832} personally appeared in open court before the Judges or Justices of the Court of {Common Pleas} now sitting, {James Reynolds} a resident of {Charleston} in the county of {Washington} and State of Rhode Island Island, aged {seventy six} 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 
[Remainder is handwritten]

& that he now lives in the Town of South Kingston[sic], in the County of Washington. In the year 1776, he lived in the Town of North Kingston in said County, and belonged to a Company of Militia of which William Taylor was Captain, John Cole Lt. and Sylvester Sweet Ensign,  he was often called in the course of the summer, out in Alarms, And on the 6th day of December 1776, he was called out, with the Company, or part of the same, in which he belonged, and marched to the shores, on the West side of Narragansett Bay and stationed at various places along the shore, for the term of eight months, part of the time, for himself, and part of the time, as a substitute for others as soon as his own tour of duty was out, which was generally for a month, he took the place of some one else and also in their stead, he recollects of serving as a substitute for Oliver Gardiner and Zebulon Gardiner but cannot now state the names of any one else. He then returned home, it was in the month of August 1777, in the September following , he was again called out with the company, or part of the same, of which John Cole was the Captain, James Congdon Lieut. and Joseph Northrop Ensign, and stationed at various places along the shores, under him and others, for as much as ten months, doing duty for himself and as a substitute for others. During this time General ?Terences expedition took place, and he was in the same. In August 1778, General Sullivans Expedition took place, and he went on, to the Island of Rhode Island, with the Company to which he belonged, of which James Albro was Captain, and was in the
Page 39

BRIEF in the case of of Washuley
[added by hand "16,994 James Reynolds"] 
in the State of [added by hand "Rhode Island"]
(Act 7th June, 1832.) 
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? [added by hand "a Court" 
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? 
3. How old is he? [added by hand "76"]
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
[columns named in table]
Period. | Duration of Service. | Rank | Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served
[table filled out by hand]
Dec [December] '76 | 8 [Months] | private + [and] substitute | Capt. Taylor
Augt. [August] 77 | as much as 10 [Months] | private + [and] substitute | Capt. [illegible]  Spencer Exp
Augt [August] 78 | 1 [Month] | private | Capt Albro  Luther, L.
in the [illegible] above -- to June '79 | 8 [Months] | " [private] | --
Summer of 1780 | 3 [Months] | Lieutenant do | Capt Gardiner do - Col Potter Col Dyer
[two X marks added by hand in left margin]
5. In what battles was he engaged? [added by hand "none mentioned"] 
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? [added by hand "South Kingston"] 
7. Is his statement supported by living witness, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? [added by hand 3 living Witnesses]
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? [added by hand "The declaration wafered togeth- [together] The seals have no device. The affidavits not properly authenticated"]

Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above 
[signature "W. C. Easton"] 
Examining Clerk 
[added by hand "19 Jun. [June] 1833"]
[added by hand "Says he was more than 2 years through the war"]
Page 43

Kingston R. T. Sept 11. 1836
James L Edwards Esqr.
Sir
I enclose a certificate relating
to the suspended pension of James Reynolds and request that
it may be filed with his papers. I believe from the letters
I have received from you that if his last affidavit made
in accordance with your directions should be examined in
connexion with his old papers, the deposition of Smith which
was forwarded several months ago, that it would be
sufficient to produce the restoration of a part at
least of his pension
Mr Reynolds is very feeble and infirm and at one time
last winter was not expected to be able to live through
it. His infirmity and dependance upon his pension
for support make him anxious to hear something
favourable respecting his case.
A certificate of the kind now sent was forwarded some
time ago, but as appears from your last letter must
have been lost, or possibly mislaid among the papers
of the office
Yours very Respectfully
Elisha R. Potter