Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4345, John Griswold, Conn.
Page 1

(8-1776)

SERVICE

[handwritten in ink]

Conn.               

Griswold, John

NUMBER

[handwritten in ink]

R. 4345

____________________

CONTENTS
Page 2

[handwritten in ink]

Declaration

In order to obtain the benefit of the act 
of Congress of the 7th of June AD1832

State of Connecticut }
County of Litchfield } ss- [abbreviation for Latin “scilicet” i.e. namely]

On this 11th day of June AD1836 personally 
appeared before me Frederick J. Fenn Judge 
of the Court of Probate in their & for the district 
of Washington in said county, John 
Griswold a resident of Litchfield in said 
county & state aged Seventy Eight Years 
Who being first duly sworn according to 
Law doth on his oath make the follwing 
declaration in order to obtain the benfit 
of the provision made by the act of Congress 
passed June 7th AD1832 -

That soon after the battle of Lexington there was 
a company of minute men (so called) raised 
in the Town of Litchfield aforesaid (where I then 
resided, where I was born, and where I have 
always resided and had my home since) by  
voluntary Enlistment, into which I enlisted as 
a private soldier and did duty therein for 
the period of two months or more Two days 
in each week by muster and drill, being the 
service required by the government under
Page 3

which said Company was raised and each 
private was to receive Two Shillings & sixpence for 
each days services, but I never received any 
thing for the same - my memory is so poor 
that I cannot recollect precisely the number 
of days I served nor the period thro which the 
muster and drill continued but I am 
positive that I served as aforesaid Two months 
at least - The company as aforesaid was 
commanded in the first instance by Capt 
David Welch & on his being appointed Major 
to go to Ticonderoga Jonathan Wright whose 
deposition is hereto attached took the 
command. That said company of minute 
men were never during the period of its continuum 
marched from Litchfield but were always 
ready & willing to go when called for - 
That in the fore part of the month of August 
AD1776 I volunteered to go to New York for 
four months in a company commanded 
by Capt Amos Barnes and was marched from 
Litchfield to New York & joined there a 
regiment Commanded by Col. Sheldon - 
his given name I cannot recollect. My Lieutenants 
name was Theadore [Theodore] Catlin & Ensigns name
was Roger Catlin - That I did duty there 
in said company Two months at least 
when I was taken sick with the dysantery 
and was obliged to return home where 
I continued sick with the same disorder 
for the period of Two months more & perhaps 
longer I cannot now recollect precisely -
Page 4

That while I was at New York I was on guard 
during the battle on Long Island altho not in 
the battle - Having again recovered my health 
I was again, in the latter part of the month 
of August of AD1777, I was drafted for the period 
of three months to go to the Northward and was 
marched from Litchfield aforesaid to 
Albany in a Company from Middletown in 
this state, and at [crossed out] the latter place [said Albany I joined Capt Tarbal [Tarbel] Whitneys Company & Colonel 
Thaddeus Cooks regiment - We went from 
Albany by Half Moon point to Bemis heights 
Where we had an Engagement with the 
Enemy - From thence we followed on and I 
was in the battle in which General 
Burgoyne surrendered and was slightly 
wounded in the Knee by a musket 
ball in that action - after the battle 
we were removed to Albany where we 
staid about three weeks - The regiment 
then marched to Red Hook where they 
were discharged - That during the whole 
of the times of service mentioned he 
was not engaged in any civil pursuit, that 
he never received any written discharge - 
That he was born in Litchfield aforesaid as 
he verily believes on this 19th day of June 
AD1758 - 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 any agency
Page 5

in any state - Sworn and subscribed 
on the day and year last aforesaid as 
on the 11th day of June AD1836 - 
[signature in ink] John Griswold


And the said Court do hereby declare their 
opinion that the above named applicant was 
a revolutionary solider and served as he states.


Rev Truman March a clergyman 
residing in the Town & county of Litchfield 
and Seymour Stephens residing in the 
same town & county do hereby certify that 
we are well acquainted with John Griswold 
who has sworn and subscribed to the above 
declarations, that we believe him to be Seventy 
Eight Years of age, that he is reputed and 
believed in the neighborhood in which he resides 
to have been a soldier of the revolution & 
that we concur on that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed this }
day and year aforesaid }
[signatures in ink]
Seymour Stevens
Truman Marsh [last name underlined]

And the same court do herby declare their opinion 
the investigation of the matter and after putting the 
interrogation 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 Truman Marsh who has
Signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman
resident in the County of Litchfield and that Seymour 
Stevens who has also signed the same is a resident in 
said town and county of Litchfield and is a credible person
and that their statement is Entitled to credit -
Page 6

[handwritten signature, initials and note in upper right corner margin]
Chas R Hall
Aug 29/30
E E L


    It appears from the papers in the Revolutionary War
pension claim, R. 4345, that John Griswold was born June
29, 1758, in Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut.

    He applied for pension June 11, 1836, while residing
in Litchfield, Connectict, and stated that he enlisted
in said Litchfield, where he always lived, in 1775, exact
date not given, and served two days in each week for a
period of at least two months in Captains David Welch and
Jonathan Wright's Company of Minute Men.

    He enlisted early in Augut, 1776, and served two
months as a private in Captain Amon Barnes' Company, Col-
onel Sheldon's Connecticut Regiment.

   He enlisted the latter part of august, 1777, served
three months in Captain Tarball [Tarbel] Whitney's Company,Colonel
Thaddeus Cook's Connecticut Regiment, was in both battles
of Stillwater and was slightly wounded by a musket ball
in the knee in the second battle.

    His claim was not allowed as he did not render six
months service in an embodied military corps as was re-
quired by the pension laws under which he applied.

* * * * * * 

      -2-
Page 7

In reply to your request of ....................,  received ................
[f]or a statement of the military history of [handwritten pencil script] John Griswald
a soldier in the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired
information as contained in his [crossed out] (or his widow's) [end] application for pen-sion on file in this Bureau.

[handwritten in pencil] R.F. 4345

[MULTI-CATEGORY FORM FILLED OUT IN HANDWRITTEN PENCIL SCRIPT]
LINE 1: DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT: 1775.
            LENTH OF SERVICE: checkmark
            RANK: Minuteman
            OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED:
            CAPTAIN: David Welch
            COLONEL: checkmark
            STATE: Conn.

LINE 2: LEFT BLANK

LINE 3:
            DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT: Aug. 1776.
            LENTH OF SERVICE: 2 "
            RANK: Pri
            OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED:
            CAPTAIN: Amos Barnes
            COLONEL: Sheldon
            STATE:

Line 4:
            DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT: Aug. 1777.
            LENTH OF SERVICE: 3 "
            RANK: " [Pri]
            OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED:
            CAPTAIN: Tarball [Tarbel] Whitney
            COLONEL: Thaddeus Cook
            STATE:

[FILLED IN WITH HANDWRITTEN PENCIL SCRIPT]
Battles engaged in,...Both battles of Saratoga, in 2nd was slightly wounded in the knee.
Residence of solder at enlistment,...Litchfield, Conn.
Date of application for pension,...June 11, 1836
Residence at date of application,...Litchfield, Litchfield Co., Conn.
Age at date of application,...He was born June 29, 1758 at Litchfield. Conn.
Remarks: There is no data relative to family

His claim was rejected on the ground that he did
not render 6 mos ^actual service, as required by the Act of
June 7, 1832, under which he applied.
 
Respectfully,

Commissioner.

6-2856
Page 8

LEFT SIDE HANDWRITTEN COLUMN IN INK
[clipped].1897 - History
[clipped] .S. Hafford-
-Arizona-
w. 13-162)
_________________________
1917. July 30. History to
George S. Stewart.
Letter with claim of
Gilbert Gearey, R.F. 3961. FW [initials]
__________________________
1930-Aug-29/Hist
to Chas R. Hale
Letter in case
John Bissell &
Ctf #7762 - EEL [initials]


[RIGHT SIDE PRINTED FORM, FILLED IN WITH HANDWRITTEN SCRIPT IN INK]

_______4345___________

P.O. _________________

____John Griswold_____

[STAMPED IN INK]
REJECTED

Service: _____________, 

Enlisted: ____________, 18

Discharged: __________, 18

Application filed: ____,18

Alleges: ______________

Re-enisted: ____________

Attorney: ______________

P.O. ___________________


________Recognized  __________ Contract

________Cert. of Dis. Seached for __________, 18
Page 9

Conn. client
__________

John Griswold

_______

Rejected

________
Am. Fredk. [Frederick J. Fenn
[crossed out] July 9th 1836

4345
Page 10

I Ambrose Collins of Goshen in the county
of Litchfield & state of Connecticut being
Eighty Years of Age do testify & say, that in the 
latter part of the month of September on the
fore part of October AD1777 according to my
best recollection, at any rate in the fall
of the Year in which Genl Burgoyne was
taken I belonged to a company of drafted 
men raised in this county under the
Command of Capt. Tarbal Whitney and
belonging to a regiment commanded 
by Col. Thaddeus Cook, and that
John Griswold of Litchfield in this
county belonged to said company at
the same time I did and was with 
me in the action in which Burgoyne
was taken, I served as a private misc.
Company at that time - The period
for which the company served at this time
was two months - I further state that I
now draw a pension from the United
States for my services during the revolution
& that I have long been and still am
well acquainted with the said Griswold
and that he now lives in Litchfield &
a pension and further says not.

[SIGNATURE] Ambros Collens
Page 11

State of Connecticut}
district of Washington} ss. [abbreviation for “scilicet” i.e. namely]

              at a court of probate
holder within and for the district aforesaid
on the 16th day of June A1836 Personally
appeared Ambrose Collins the signer of the written
deposition, Known to the Court as a credible witness,
and being duly Cautioned and sworn made
Solemn oath to the truth after facts therein
stated- Done in open Court
Attest. Fred: J Fenn, Judge
Page 12

I Jonathan Wright of Litchfield Town
and County State of Connecticut of lawful
age on oath depose and say that in the
year 1776 John Griswold belonged to the
mineute men (so called) there from, and
exercised two days in each week and was
promised by government 2/6 S.[shillings] pay for each
days drilling but received nothing - deposant
does not recollect the exact time of the
continuance of their drillings but thinks
that they continued one month or more -
In August 1776 the s[same] John Griswold
was draughted to go to New York, went there
and served two months, at the expiration
of which time he was taken sick with
the Dysentary and released.

In August 1777 the s[same] John Griswold [word crossed out]
was again draughted to go to the North
served at Saratoga three months, was
there at the taking of Burgoyne and was
wounded in the knee, at that time.

[SIGNATURE] Jonathan Wright

Litchfield County fr. Litchfield August 14.1834
Personally appeared before me Jonathan Wright
to me well known to be a man of truth
and veracity and made solemn oath to
the truth of the above deposition by him
subscribed.
              Hugh P. Welch Justice of the Peace
Page 13

I Frederick Wolcott Clerk of the County
Court for the County of Litchfield in the
State of COnnecticut testify that Hugh P. Welch
Esq. was on the 14th day of August A.D.1834
& that he now is a Justice of the Peace for said
County, duly commissioned & qualified & that
the signature to the preceding County at which
he imprints to be his in general.

Writ by my hand & the [illegible]
of said Court at Litchfield
in sd. [said] County this 16th day of
June AD.1836

Frederick Wolcott, Clerk

Conn.\33, 7 b.a.
Page 14

[FOLDED AND ADDRESSED FOR DELIVERY]


                                                                 free [UNDERLINED]


War Department
Pension Office
Washington City


[WRITTEN VERTICALLY ALONG EDGE AT LEFT]
Page 15

Hon. J. L Edwards,
Sir,
Enclosed is the application of John Griswold for a pension with all the evidences in his pofsefsion [possession] - Whenever the advice shall have been acted whom you will please communicate the result to me at this place -
Washington Connct.
Litchfield, County }
Fred: J. Fenn
Page 16

I. John Bafsett [Bassett] Clerk of the Court of probate written and for the district of Washington do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of John Griswold for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this 20th day of June AD 1836.
John Bafsett [Bassett, signature]
[stamped seal that is very light and illegible]
Page 17

Fred.k [Frederick] J. Fenn

July 9th 1836
Page 18

War Dept
Pension Off
July 36

Sir

The papers in support of the claim
of John Griswold have been examined & placed
on [in our files -

His alleged service in a minute company
consisted of frequent musters & drills, is not a
military ^ service in the contemplation of the act of
7 June 1832, nor can his service under Capt
Barnes be computed for a longer term than
a month - This with the other term if [[of] duty
established would be insufficient to bring
his case within the minimum provision
of the Act - His claim is disallowed


Fred.k J Fenn Esq
Washington
Litchfield Co.
Court

[WRITTEN IN PENCIL AT LOWER LEFT] 205