Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4,130, Nathaniel Goodwin, Conn.
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SERVICE                           NUMBER
Conn.      Goodwin, Nathaniel  R. 4.130
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31,486
Nathaniel Goodwin
CT

Declaration
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Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832

State of Connecticut 
County of Litchfield} Ss Court of Probate within & for the District of Litchfield

On this 4th day of February 1834 personally appeared in open court before the Hon. Court of Probate aforesaid now sitting Nathaniel Goodwin a resident of Litchfield in said District, County & State aged 74 years who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath made the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.  

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated; viz:  That he was born in Litchfield on the 4th day of February 1760; that there is a record of his age in his father's family bible which he now owns.
That in August 1776, he resided in said Litchfield on the 15th day of said August 1776, the militia were ordered by their officers to march to New York to defend that city against an apprehended attack of the British; that he then belonged to a militia company in said Litchfield which was commanded by Capt Nathaniel Goodwin, Lieut. Ephraim Harrison x Ensign Jonas Sanford. That the company was ordered to New York as aforesaid & he marched to that city under said officers with said company as a private soldier on said 15th of August from Litchfield through New Milford, Danbury, Norwalk to and to said New York. That said Company belonged to Col Sheridan's Regiment & that he has forgotten the names of the other Regimental officers and does not know what Genl officers said Company was particularly and immediately under but knows that Genls Washington, Putnam & Wadsworth commanded in New York at that time.  That he remained with said  Company in New York a short time keeping guard & until the Battle of Flatbush on Long Island, which took place about a fortnight after he reached the city. That said Company was not in that battle but remained in the city.  That a day or two after that battle said  company & regiment were ordered to march up to Harlem which they did & then he with said Company remained stationed in the entrenchments for a few weeks.
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till the British landed on the Island of New York & took possession of the city.  That from Harlem said Company marched to Kings Bridge & remained there a short time when said Regiment being reduced by sickness & other causes, was to 37 only including officers & men, was dismissed by the officers without written discharges and he the said applicant immediately returned to Litchfield.  That he was in actual military service of the United States at the term the full period of two months & four days & served as a private soldier the whole time.

That he has no documentary or other evidence of his service aforesaid that the accompanying deposition of Andrew Woodruff who served with him a part of said term of service & left the applicant still serving as above stated near New York.

That on the first of Jan 1777 he enlisted into a company of Continental Troops commanded by his father, Captain Nathaniel Goodwin, 1 Lieut Davenport, 2 Lieut Stephen Betts & Ensign James Morris within Regiment commanded by Col. Bradley, Lt. Col. Mead, Lt. Major Johnson in Gen Washington's Brigade; that he enlisted to service as he believes during the war; that the officers of the Company were enlisting soldiers & those who chose so to be were inoculated for the small pox at the public expense previous to joining the army; that he the applicant was waiter to the Captain of said Company & during the winter was making preparations to join the army; that immediately after his enlistment, he entered upon his duty as a soldier in said company as a waiter as aforesaid.  I was dispatched on the business of aforesaid Company by the Captain to different parts of the neighboring country, as directed by him from time to time and was also employed by him
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at other times to perform services connected with the organization & business of said Company.  That said Capt continued during the winter to be engaged in raising & organizing said Company in which said applicant was employed in the service of the United States & in the business of said Company as waiter to said Captain, until April 1777 when said Captain was inoculated for the small box & was subsequently sick with it.  That about the 25th of said April said Company was called out to march to Danbury, Conn in which place stores for the American Army were deposited & which at was feared would be attacked by the British who had landed on the coast, said company with which was the applicant immediately marched to Danbury when it was found that the British had retreated, that they immediately pursued them & at a place called Compo met a reinforcement of the enemy with whom they had a skirmish & repelled them, that he remained at Compo till the enemy had reembarked aboard their vessels when he returned to Litchfield.  That after his return to said Capt continued sick with the small pox & finally on the 18th of May 1777 died.  

That soon after this, viz, in the forepart of May following the 1st Lieut having been killed at Ridgefield in said expedition to Danbury & Compo said Lieut Bettts, who belonged in Norwalk came to Litchfield & took the roles  enlisting orders he belonging to said Company, that he had a  commission as a Capt of said Company dated back to the 1st of Jan 1777 as the applicant believes, that Capt Goodwins commission was also dated Jan 7th 1777 as may appear by reference to it in the war office at Washington, or in the hands of Samuel Burch Esq of Washington, late a Clerk of the House of Representatives. That one inducement to the applicant to enlist was that his Father was
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commander of said Company, but that after his death his friends & particularly his mother interceded with Capt Betts to release him from the company & that by his means the applicant was released without receiving a written discharge; that whether his name was returned to the War Department or not he does not know, but that Capt Betts said he would so return it for the purpose of enabling the applicant to draw his arrears of pay.

That he served as a private soldier during this engagement as aforesaid in the military service for the United States for the full period of at least five months.

That he knows of no documentary or other evidence to prove his own declaration as to the term that the accompanying deposition of Samuel Waugh who was a member of the same company.

That in the fall of the year 1777 the applicant belonged to a militia company in said Litchfield & among other was drafted out of said company to go to the North River to guard that part of the country from the incursions of the British who lay in the River & to prevent their joining Gen Burgoyne at Albany; that he marched from Litchfield about there on Sept 1777 under the command of Capt Archelus Buel, Lieut Lemuel Gibbs, & Ensign Miles Norton, to Peekskill thence to Fishkill where he was put into a regiment commanded by Col. Hooker. That he cannot now recollect the other regimental officers.

That the company in which he was, was under the command of Gen. Putnam. That he marched up the said River on the East side through as the British sailed up - that he saw the burning of Kingston then called Esofries - that they marched as far up out Red Nook or Rhinebeck when the British stopped having heard of the
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surrender of Gen. Burgoyne - that they remained at Rhinebeck aforsaid till the British sailed  down the river when they marched down as four as Fishkill, where they remained a short time & then were paraded & dismissed without a written discharge & said applicant returned to Litchfield after having served at this time as a private soldier in the service of the United States this full period of two months at least, to prove which he relies on the accompanying deposition of Solomon Gibbs who was a member of the same company.

That he has always since his infancy resided in said Litchfield & that he is known to Simeon Harrison, Daniel Larson, Roger N. Whittlesey, Amos Smith, Joseph Farnham & James Pierpont who reside in his present neighborhood & who can testify as to his character for veracity & their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution. And for the same purpose he refers to the Hon Jabez W. Huntington of said Litchfield now a member of Congress at Washington D. C.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Nathl Goodwin

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid before me.
Frederick Wolcott, Judge of the Court of Probate for the District of Litchfield Connt
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We Truman Marsh a Clergyman residing in the town & County of Litchfield Conn & Morris Woodruff residing in the same town hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Nathaniel Goodwin who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 74 years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution & that we concur in that opinion.

And we further certify that he is a man who retains an unquestionably good character for truth.
Truman Marsh
Morris Woodruff

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid before me.
Frederick Wolcott Judge of Probate District of Litchfield Connt.

And the said Court doth hereby declare its opinion, after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier & served as he states. 
And the Court further certifies that it appears to it that Truman Marsh who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman resident in the said town of Litchfield & that Hon. Morris Woodruff who has also signed the same is a resident in the same town, & is a credible person & that their statement is entitled to credit.
Frederick Wolcott Judge of Probate District of Litchfield County

I Phinehas Miner, Clerk of the Court of Probate within & for the District of Litchfield Conn, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Nathaniel Goodwin for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand & the seal of said office this 4th day of Feb AD 1834.
Phinehas Miner Clerk
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4130

P. O. 
Nathaniel Goodwin

Service: __________
Enlisted : REJECTED
Discharged: ____________
Application filed: __________
Alleges: _________
Re-enlisted: _____________
Attorney: ___________
P. O. _______________

______Recognized. __________Contract.
________Cert of Dis. Searched for ____________
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Suspended

Connecticut

Nathaniel Goodwin

G. C. Woodruff
11 July 18[illegible]
same 19th July 1833

4130
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FREE

Hon. J. L. Edwards
Comm of Pensions
Washington D. C.

Revolutionary Claim

[stamped]
LITCHFIELD 
CON.
FEB 6

[sideways]
Connecticut
8 Feb 1834

Nathl Goodwin
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Litchfield Conn Feby 5th 1834

Hon. J. L. Edwards

Sir:
I enclose to you Nathaniel Goodwins application for a pension. He wishes your answer to be sent to me.

Respectfully Yours
Geo C. Woodruff
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Litchfield Conn July 15th 1836

Hon J. L. Edwards

Sir
I received last ins a letter from your Department stating that the name of Nathaniel Goodwin (on application for a pension) does not appear on the rolls of Col. Bradleys Regt of the Connt Line & that therefore his application is refused & & his papers placed on file. It will be seen that he forwarded one deposition to support that part of his declaration.

My inquiry is whether his Pension will be granted on his forwarding further proof (satisfactory of course) in support of the facts stated in said Declaration? That is do the facts stated if true entitle him to a pension?

Respectfully
Your Obt Servt
Geo C. Woodruff
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Browne County Ss. [illegible city]
Appeared before me the under named Justice of the Peace of said County Andrew Woodruff and was sworn and testified that Nathaniel Goodwin Jr was in the service with him. At the time that New York was given up to the British in the year seventeen hundred seventy six under the Command of Capt Nathaniel Goodwin and he was with him then six weeks and left him there in the service; and he was with him at Fishkill the next season one month under the command of Capt Alexander Waugh.
Andrew Woodruff

Sworn before me this 3d day of June 1833
Samuel Francis Justice of the Peace

And I do certify that Andrew Woodruff is a man of good moral character and is a [illegible] religious and is to be believed under oath.
Samuel Francis Justice
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State of New York
Brown County Ss} I b. Marvin Clerk of said county do certify that Samuel Francis Esq before whom the within affidavit purports to have been sworn was on the date thereof a Justice of the Peace in and for said county. Also I am well acquainted with his hand writing & verily believe the signature of Samuel Francis is genuine.
In witness whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal of office this 17 day of June 1833.
B. Marvin Clerk
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1

I Solomon Gibbs of the town & County of Litchfield Conn being duly sworn do depose & say that about the first of Sept 1777 I was drafted out of a militia company in said Litchfield to go to the North River as a soldier in the service of the United States to watch the British who were sailing up that river. I accordingly marched there in the company commanded by Capt Archelaus Buel, Lieut Lemuel Gibbs & Ensign Miles Norton. Said company first went to said river & joined the regiment commanded by Col Hooker & Lt. Col. Hills near Fishkill or Peekskill, then as the fleet sailed up we marched up the River to guard the country in that vicinity. Said company marched up as far as Red Hook or Rhinebeck where the fleet stopped a few days.
On their passage up they burnt Esepus, At Rhinebeck or Red Hook news was received of the surrender of Gen Burgoyne & soon after the fleet returned to New York & said company marched down the river as far as Fishkill lower barracks where the company was paraded & dismissed after serving at least two months.

I was then & ever have been well acquainted with Nathaniel Goodwin of said Litchfield do depose & say that he was at that time a member of said company & regiment & served in and with said company with me as above stated the full period of two months. And further saith not.
Dated at Litchfield this 9th day of December AD 1833.
Solomon Gibbs

vide Justices certificate Port page 3
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2

I Samuel Waugh of Litchfield in the County of Litchfield Conn. being duly sworn do depose & say that about the 1st day of Jany 1777 I enlisted as a Corporal in a company in the Continental army commanded at that time by Capt Nathl Goodwin, Lieut Davenport & Betts, & Ensign Morris, in Col Bradleys Regiment, in Gen J. Huntington's Brigade.

I then knew & have ever since well known of said Capt. He enlisted as I then understood about the 1st of Jany 1777 into the same company as a waiter to his father & engaged as such waiter in the business of the company forthwith & continued to be so employed through the winter & till the spring of the same year when his father, the said Captain, died at said Litchfield.

Soon after his death, said Lieut Betts recd a commission as Capt of said company & in the forepart of June 1777 he came to Litchfield (where I then lived) & took the rolls & other papers he belonging to the company & assumed the command thereof.

Said Nathaniel Goodwin, the present applicant, continued to serve & perform various duties as a soldier in said company by the command of the Capt or other officers, until the time when Capt Betts assumed the command when said applicant was as I have always understood, released by Capt Betts from further service in said company. Said company or a greater part of them joined the army in May or June of the same year. And further saith not.

Dated at Litchfield this 31st day of Jany 1834.
Samuel Waugh

Litchfield County Conn Ss Litchfield Jan 31st 1834
Personally appeared Samuel Waugh who signed the above deposition in my presence & who is a person well known to me & is entitled to full credit, & made solemn oath to the truth of this service.
Before me,
Geo C. Woodruff, Justice of the Peace
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3

Litchfield County Conn Ss Litchfield Dec 9th 1833
Personally appeared Solomon Gibbs a person to me well known & who is a witness entitled to full credit & who subscribed the foregoing deposition, which purports to be signed by him, in my presence & made solemn oath to the truth of the same.
Before me
Geo C. Woodruff, Justice of the Peace

I Frederick Wolcott, Clerk of the County Court for the county of Litchfield in the State of Connecticut, certify that George C. Woodruff now is & for more than one year last past hath been, a Justice of the Peace for said county, duly commissioned & qualified & that the two preceding signatures to certificates in this paper which purport to be his are genuine, & his proper hand writing.
Witness my hand & the seal of said court at Litchfield in said county this 4th day of February AD 1834.
Frederick Wolcott, Clerk