Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 36,519, Devonshire Freeman, Conn. Continental

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8-1776

SERVICE
Conn.
Continental

Freedman, Devonshire

NUMBER
S. 36,519

CONTENTS
[[blank]]

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0508
4
Connecticutt

Devonshire Freeman of Huntington in the state of Connecticutt who was a private in the regiment commanded by Colonel Well of the Connecticutt line, for the term of 1 year

[illegible]] on the Roll of Connecticutt at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on the 21st of May 1818.

Certificate of Pension issued the 29th of March 1819 and sent to Robert Farichild Esq Judge: Stratford, Connecticutt

Arrears to 4th of Mar: 1819  qmo 15/31 $75.87
Semi-anl. all'ce ending in Sep. 1819  $48.
======
$123.17

{Revolutionary claim, March, 1818.}
_____________________________________________________________________
Continued under the law of 1 May 1820 – Notification thereof sent to David [[illegible], Fairfield, County on the [[illegible]] of June 1820.
Date of death not [[illegible]]

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Devonshire Freeman

(Ex'd)

(Continue)

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District and State of Connecticut, ss.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That in the County -Court, held in and for the County of Fairfield in the District and State aforesaid, on this day of 15th day of June 1820 the same being a Court of Record, and haivng a Seal, under the Authority of said State, personally came and appeared in open Court, Devonshire Freeman. resident in the Town of Huntington. years, In the County of Fairfield in said State, and being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his Oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary Wary, as follows:

I enlisted about the 1st of June 1775 in the Capt. Peter Perrit for the term of five months service in the regiment commanded by Col. Charles Webb, and served out the said five months, was then discharged, and then immediately enlisted into the company of Capt Charles Pond  in the Regiment commanded Col. Webb for the term of one year, which term of service, I faithfully served under the command of my officers in said Regiment until the end of the said term of one year. & for further information of my services reference may be had to my original declaration now in the offices of the Secretary of War & dated the 21st day of May 1818 from which my pension was granted on.
that the original Declaration made by him, for the purpose of obtaining a Pension, under the Act of Congress of the 18th of March 1818, was dated the 21st day of May 1818 that in pursuance thereof he was entered in the List of Pensioners, and received a Pension Certificate No. 8508 And 1 do further solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States, on the 18th day of March, 1818, and that I have not since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner, disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the  provisions of an Act of Congress, entitled " An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War," passed on the 18th day of March, 1818; and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities, contracts or debts due to me; nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule herein annexed, and by me subscribed. And I do further declare that my occupation is that of a day laborer though I am unable to work more than half of the time in consequence of bodity infirmity and that I have no family residing with me.

all which is subscribed by me the day and year aforesaid Devonshire Freeman

Sworn to and declared in the Court aforeand. Whereupon sald Court is, on satisfactory proof exhibited in Court, of opinion that the total amount in value of the property contained in the aforesaid Schedule is one Dollar and doth order these proceedings to be entered in the Records of said Court.

(signed) Attest   David Burr Clerk

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State of Connecticut, ss. Fairfield County

I DAVID BURR. Clerk of the County Court for the County of Fairfield, in the said State, do hereby certify that the foregoing oath and schedule thereto annexed are truly copied from the records of the sad Court, and I do further certify that it is the opinion of the said Court that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid schedule is one Dollar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court at Fairfield, this 15 day of June -1820.

(signed) David Burr 
Clerk of the County Court for said County of Fairfield.

District and State of Connecticut, ss. Fairfield June 15-1820.

I ROBERT FAIRCHILD, Chief Judge of the County Court for the County of Fairfield, do certify that DAVID BURR, Esq. is the Clerk of said Court. duly appointed and sworn; and that the said Court is a Court of record, made so by the statute laws of said State; that it proceeds according to the course of the common law, has a jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount, with the power of fine and imprisonment, and keeps a record of its proceedings.

(signed) Robert Fairchild
Chief Judge of the County Court for the County of Fairfield.

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At a County Court, held in and for the County- Fairfield day of June on of in the District and State of Connecticut, on the 15th day of June 1820 the same being a Court of Record, and having a seal, by virtue of the laws of said State.

PERSONALLY APPEARED, in open Court, Devonshire Freeman a resident in the town of Huntington in the County of Fairfield in said State, and exhibited and subscribed the following Schedule; and made oath that the same is a true and perfect Schedule of all his inconts and property, (necessary clothing and bedding excepted) viz.

- one old violin. fiddle
Devonshire Freeman -

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Devonshire Freeman

May 21 1818

Adm

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State of Connecticut Ts. Huntington in Garfield County on the 21st day of May 1818. Personally come [[illegible] before Samuel W Johnson Judge of the County Court for Fairfield Devonshire Freedman of said Huntington a colored man and made solemn Oath that on the first day of January in the year 1776 he enlisted in a company commanded by Captain Peter Perrit in a Regiment commanded by Colonel Charles Webb in the Connecticut Line on the Continental Establishment, - that the Army was then at Boston where he remained until the Army moved to  Long Island & New York, that he continued to faithfully serve until the 1st day of January 1777, when he was honorably discharged at Morristown in the State of New Jersey by his Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Hall who dismissed by verbal notice without a written discharge: that he is a resident citizen of the United States & by reason of his [[illegible]] circumstances he is in need of assistance from his country for support, & now makes application

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to the Secretary at War for that purpose agreeably to the Act of Congress approved the 10th day of March 1818 – and further says that he is seventy one years of age & infirm in constitution.

Devonshire Freeman his X mark.

State of Connecticut Ts. Huntington in Fairfield County I Samuel W Johnson Judge of the County Court for Fairfield do Certify that on the date above-mentioned Devonshire Freeman above named made solemn Oath to the truth of the foregoing Declaration.

(signed) Sam W Johnson

State of Connecticut Ts. Strasford in Fairfield County.  On the 25th day of May 1818 Personally came [[illegible]] before one Samuel W Johnson judge of the County Court of Fairfield Henry Bull of Milford in New Haven County and being Duly sworn deposith & saith that he knows Devonshire Freeman a colored man who hath made the foregoing Declaration in that sometime in the month of January 1776 he enlisted as a soldier in a company commanded by Peter Perrit and said Milford in a Regiment commanded by Colonel Charles

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Webb in the Connecticut Line on the Continental Establishment:-that this Deponent was an orderly Sergeant in the same Company in which said Devonshire was a soldier and that said Devonshire continued faithfully in this service during the time for which he enlisted & was in the Army at Boston & proceeded from there with the Army through the sound to Long Island and New York that said Devonshire was with this Deponent in the retreat from New York & always sustained the reputation of a good soldier & was remaining in the service on the 20th day of December 1776 when this Deponent left the Army: that he was not present at the time the Company was dismissed on the 1st day of January 1777 but understood that the soldier’s were dismissed by the Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Hall without a written discharge.

(signed) Henry Bull

State of Connecticut Ts: Stratford in Fairfield County. I Samuel W. Johnson Judge of the County Court for the County of Fairfield. I do  Certify that on the date above-mentioned the above named Henry Bull appeared before me & made solemn Oath to the truth of the foregoing

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Deposition: -- and I the said Samuel W Johnson do further certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the said Devonshire Freeman did serve in the revolutionary was against the common enemy as stated in the preceding declaration reduced circumstances is in need of assistance of his Country for supportation.  I now transmit the proceedings & testimony I have before me to the Secretary for the Department of War pursuant to the aforementioned Act of Congress.  Dated at Stratford this 25th day of May 1818-

(signed) Sam W Johnson

Devonshire Freeman
Private
C. Webb’s Conn’t Reg’t

1776, 1 year
21st May, 1818

State of Connecticut Ts. February 11th 1819, I Robert Fairchild, judge of the County court for Fairfield County (and Luccessor in said office to the above named Samuel W Johnson Esq.) do certify that I am satisfied that the within named Devonshire Freeman , by reason of his reduced circumstances in life, is in need of assistance from his country for support and that Henry Bull, David Hawley and Zachariah Blakeman, the witnesses whose depositions are hereto annexed, are very respectable citizens, and in my opinion disinterested witnesses, whose testimony may be relied on, In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name and the seal of the court is hereto annexed.

(signed) Robert Fairchild

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State of Connecticut Ts. Stratford in the County of Fairfield – February 10th 1819-

I David Hawley of Huntington in Far’d County do testify that I have well known the within named Devonshire Freeman from the commencement of the war of the Revolution to the present time, that he served in the continental army a number of times for short periods besides the term of service f one year mentioned in his declaration hereto annexed, & that he was always called a faithful soldier.

He is extremely poor and for three years [illegible] past, being unable to labor so as to earn his living, he has been supported financially within the charity of his neighbor – I was not in the army with him myself but knew of his going into the service & returning at different times, and make no doubt but that he served in the continental army during the year from 1776 to 1777 as he has stated in his said declaration – Formerly he was sometimes called by the name of Devonshire Kersey.


(signed) David Hawley

State of Connecticut Ts. Stratford, Feb 10th 1819.  Personally appeared before me Robert Fairchild Judge of the county court for the County of Fairfield.  David Hawley above named & by me well known to be of good reputation and made oath to the truth of the foregoing deposition by him subscribed in my presence.

(signed) Robert Fairchild

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I Zachariah Blakeman of Stratford in the State of Connecticut do testify that I was well acquainted with the within named Devonshire Freeman in the late revolutionary was and have known him ever since. – he enlisted in to the Continental army in January 1776 in the company commanded by Capt Peter Perritt, in Col: Charles Webb’s Regiment, and joined the army aforesaid at Roxbury, near Boston in said January, and served in said Company & Regiment constantly from that time until the month of January 1777. – I served in the same Regiment during that whole year, and know that he was in actual service during the same period, and understood that he afterwards served in said army – He was considered a very active, faithful soldier, and I never heard but that he was regularly discharged, and believe that he was so discharged as stated by him in the foregoing declaration – I further testify that the said Devonshire is lame and in very poor and indigent circumstances.  Stratford Feb 11th 1819.

(signed) Zachariah Blakeman

District of Connecticut Ts. Stratford in the County of Fairfield , February 11th 1819.  Then & there personally came before me Robert Fairchild Judge of the county court for said County of Fairfield, the above named Zachariah Blakeman, by me well known to be of good reputation and made oath to the truth of the foregoing deposition by him subscribed in my presence.

(signed) Robert Fairchild

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36 519

[[illegible]]  INVALID.

File No. 36,519

Devonshire Freeman

Prv Rev War

Act: 18th March 1818

Index: - Vol. 2, Page 145

[Arrangement of 1870.

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Stratford Feb'y 11  [[illegible]]

The Hon: John C Calhoun

Secretary of War

Washington

Adm.  Old Case.

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Sir,

The Declaration of Devonshire Freeman is now enclosed with additional testimony – He requests me to state, that if the testimony entitles him to a pension, it would accommodate him very much to receive his certificate in season to draft his first payment on the 4th of March next. – 

I am, with great respect,
Sir, your Obed’t Servant,

( signed) Robert Fairchild