Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 37309, for Moses Porter, Massachusetts
Page 4

I, Moses Porter of the age of sixty eight years declare and say that I am a resident Citizen of the United States that I reside in, and belong to Boxford in the County of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
I also say that I was Commissioned as Ensign in the army of the Revolutionary War, and served in that capacity from the first day of AD. 1777 untill 1779 when I left the service by consequence of the new arrangement of the army. I being arranged out. -
I further say that I belonged to the Company commanded by Capt. Jabez Lane - in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment Commanded by Col. Thomas Nixon -
I further say that by reason of my reduced circumstances in life I am in need of assistance from my Country for support & that I never had any pension Money me by the laws of the United States.
[signed] Moses Porter

Massachusetts District Ss.
Boston 3 April AD. 1818}
Sworn to before me
[signed] M Davis
Dis Judge Mass Dis

"I do hereby certify that Ensign Moses Porter of Capt Jabez Lane's Company in Col. Thomas Nixons Regiment in the service of the United States raised in the state of Massachusetts Bay did take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America as prescribed by a resolve of Congress, bearing date the 3d of February, 1778.
In witness whereof, I have signed and delivered the present Certificate.
[signed] Fish Hill May 8th 1778.
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934 (circled)
Moses Porter
Ensign
6th Regt Mass. line

Warrant issd Dec. 11th 1820

Hon. J. Nelson
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I hereby certify that Jona Foster whose name is within written, as the Justice of Peace before whom Moses Porter and Enos Runnels made oath to the truth of the declarations by them respectively subscribed, was a Justice of the Peace in & for the County of Essex State of Massachusetts on the 29 Sept 1820
House of Representatives
5 Decr 1820
[signed] Jeremiah Nelson MC
Page 15

To the Hon. J.C. Calhoun,
Secretary of War
Sir,
Please to deliver to the Hon. Jeremiah Nelson a Land Warrant, when issued, for Military services rendered during the Revolutionary war in Col. Thomas Nixons Regiment No. 6 in the Massachusetts line; and oblige your obedient servant
[signed] Moses Porter
Boxford November 7, 1820
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Application for a Transfer.
County of Kennebec ss.
On this 12th. day of January 1826. before me, the subscriber, a Justice of the Peace for said county of Kennebec, personally appeared Moses Porter, who, on his oath, declares that he is the same person who formerly belonged to the company commanded by Captain Jabez Lane in the regiment commanded by Col. Thos. Nixon in the service of the United States during the revolutionary war; that his name was placed on the pension roll of the state of Massachusetts from whence he has lately removed; that he now resides in the State of Maine, where he intends to remain, and wishes his pension to be there payable, in future.
[signed] Moses Porter
Subscribed and sworn to, 
before me, the day & year aforesaid}
[signed] James Parker Justice of the Peace

State of Maine
Kennebec County Ss.
I the subscriber Clerk of all the Judicial Courts held within & for the county of Kennebec, do hereby certify that the above named James Parker Esquire, was on the day the above proceedings were had & now is a Justice of the Peace, within and for our said county of Kennebec and duly qualified as such & that the above is his proper signature In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the county seal of the said county of Kennebec, this fourteenth day of January Anno Domini 1826
[signed] R.C. Vose, Clerk.
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In reply to your request of ___. received____ for a statement of the military history of Moses Porter a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his [crossed out: (or his widow's)] application for pension on file in this Bureau
Sur. File 37309 

[table headings]DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. | LENGTH OF SERVICE. | RANK | OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. CAPTAIN. | COLONEL. | STATE
[row 1]76 | 1 year | Non-com. | Moses McFarland | Thomas Nixon | Mass
[row 2]Jan. 1, 77|  to  Feby 79 when he deranged by new arrangement of the army | Ensign | Jabez Lane | Thomas Nixon | Mass

Battles engaged in,  [checkmark]
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Boxford, Mass. 
Date of application for pension, Apl 11 1818 - allowed
Residence at date of application, Boxford Mass: 1820 Gloucester, Mass. 1826 Kennebec Co Maine. 
Age at date of application: 68 years. 
Remarks: 1820 wife Anna 56. sol died in Dixmont Penobscot Co Me. Apl. 10. 1832 leaving no widow but following ch. Mary C. Dennison, Betsey H. Upton, Lucia F. Crocker, Sarah M. Manton living in 1855
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Important
Page 23

I do hereby certify that Ensign Moss Porter of Captain Jabez Lane's Company in Colonel Thomas Nixons Regiment in the of the United States, raised in the State of Massachusetts Bay did take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America , as prescribed by a Resolve of Co[n]gress, bearing date the 3d of February, 1778. 
In Witness whereof, I have signed and delived the present Certificate. 

Fish hill May 8th 77 
Alex McDougall
Myinac
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Moses Porter's 
Application for Transfer

R. C. Vose, Esq
recd Feb. 7 1826
Page 30

The Hon'nle John C. Calhoun Dc Dc Do
War Department. Section of Bounty Lands Jany 20th 1818. 

Sir,
the order of the honorable the House of Representatives ^of the 29th ult. sent you the Memorial Petition of Genl Moses Porter respecting the loss of a Military Land A which he had received for Revolutionary services, was communicated to me a fortnight since. I hope you will allow the extraordinary pressure of various matters of Public concern which claim my personal attention, to apologize for my not earlier furnishing you such information relative to the subject as the experience I have had in this office may suggest. 

a Law of the U.S. of the 20th April 1802, notices subject of lost Land Warrants, and authorizes the Secretary of War to receive applications for their renewal until the 1st of January then next ensuing; but he was not empowered to renew them: he was to Report them to Congress. Nothing else appears in the Laws of the United States or in the practice of the War Dept. in relation to this subject, or that can be supposed to have any bearing upon it, until an Act of the 18th of March 1804, revives that of 20th April 1802, by its title and continues its provisions in force until the 1st of April 1805.-- But whether, or not, it was intended still to recognize claims for lost Warrants, as was enacted in the Law first cited, does not clearly appear. I have been given to understand however, that although the recognition of such claims was, by the enacting clause of the Law first cited limited to a period shorter
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Concord N.H. March 8th 1855. 

Sir,
I herewith forward you the application of Mary C. Dennison one of the surviving children of Moses Porter deceased, for an increase of her said father's pension under the Act of May 15 1828. 

For proof of his service as stated in the enclosed declaration I by leave of refer you to the Rolls in the State Department in Washington 

For proof of the death of said Porter & of the number & names of his surviving children I would refer you to the evidence of the 3d Auditor of the U.S. Treasury - -  
I am Respectfully Your Obt Serv 
L D Stevens

P.S. Moses Porter service as 1st Lieut was in a Ref of Artillery
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I Mary C Dennison of Bangor in the County of Penobscot and State of Maine testify and say that I am the daughter of Moses Porter late of Dixmont in said State, deceased; that according to the best of my remembrance information and belief my said father resided in the town Boxford in the County of Essex & State of Mass during the Revolutionary War , that my said father served as Ensign in the Regt of Col Nixon from the year 1777 to the year 1779 that he was afterwards in 1779 appointed 2 Lieutenant in Col Crane's Regt of Artillery and that he served in that capacity and also in the capacity of 1st Lieut in same Regt till the close of the war. 
And I hereby request the Secretary of the State of  Mass to furnish evidence of said service from the Rolls & Documents in his office relating to Revolutionary Service - 
Mary C. Dennison 

subscribed and sworn to on this fourteenth day of April 1855 Before me A H Dillingham Justice of the Peace 
L D Stevens Concord NH
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To whom it may concern the undersigned testifies and declares under the solemnity of an Oath that as a Lieutenant he did serve in the regiment of the United States No 6 commanded by Col. Thomas Nixon from the year AD. 1776 to the year 1780 and that I was personally knowing that Moses Porter of the Town of Boxford County of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts did enlist to serve during the war and did serve as Ensign in the same regiment No. 6. Commanded by the said Col. Nixon in the Massachusetts line at and from the year AD 1777 until the said Moses Porter by a special Act of Congress was deranged and borne on the roll of supernumerary officers until the close of the war, which derangement according to my best recollection took place about October in AD 1778. I further testify that Moses Porter, the person now present, is the identical person who enlisted and served as aforesaid 
[illegible signature, probably Dudley Tyler]

Essex ss. June 19th 1820 then the above named Dudley Tyler made oath to the truth of the above declaration by him subscribed, before me; and I further certify that he is well known to me as a credible and disinterested witness 
Parker Cleaveland Justice of the Peace 

I hereby certify that Parker Cleaveland whose name is above written was a Justice of the Peace in & for the County of Essex, State of Massachusetts, on the 19 June 1820 
Washington 22 Decr 1820 
Jeremiah Nelson M.C.