Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 3,656, John Morrison Ford, Mass. Or R.I. Privateer. (Conn.)

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(3-1776)

SERVICE                                                    
Mass. or R. I.
Privateer (Conn.)

Ford, John Morrison

NUMBER
R.3.656.

CONTENTS

[handwritten on pre-printed card]

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[handwritten on left side of page]
Declaration of John M. Ford

[handwritten in center of page]
V34.359
John M. Ford
Ohio

John Morrison Ford Ohio


3656

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[handwritten on left margin of page]
John Morrison Ford of Westfield Oh age 73 

[handwritten in center of page]
The State of Ohio}
Delaware County ss}
Be it remembered that on this sixteenth day of September in the year eighteen hundred and thirty seven personally appeared in open court before the judges of the Court of Common Pleas in & for the said County of Delaware and State of Ohio, now in session John Morrison Ford a resident of Woodfield Township in the said county aged seventy three or four years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his said oath, make the following declaration in order obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed July 7. 1832 --
I the said John Morrison Ford on my said oath state that I entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and in the manner herein stated, to wit:-- According to the best information I have received I was born at Londondary in Ireland, and came to America with my Mother when a child at the breast and landed at New York, where my mother soon died. My father died before that time. at sea. I have no record of my age but according to the best information I have received I was born October 28. about the year 1763 or 4. When I was about 5 or 6 years old I left New York and went to sea with Capt. Obed Ney who was a master of a West Indian Schooner with whom I remained most of the time following the seas untill I was 12 or 13 years old, when Capt. Ney died, at Old Bedford Massachusetts, where his vessel belonged, I then went from Bedford to Tivertown in Rhode Island, where I resided about 18 months or two years, when in April (I believe in the year 1778) when I was 14 years old I volunteered or enlisted (I cannot say which) at Tivertown as a private for 18 months in a company under the command of Capt. Benjamin Weaver (and I believe Lieut. Hamilton). I believe my Regiment was commanded by a

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Col. Putnam, but cannot recollect positively, for on account of old age and the consequent loss of memory, and being illiterate, I cannot recollect the particulars. The Company into which I enlisted or volunteered under the command of Capt. Weaver, was Massachusetts state troops and not continental as I always understood & believe. After I entered the said Company I remained with the company at Tievertown for some time; I then marched with the company to Bristol in Rhode Island, where I joined the Regiment. I think while I was at Bristol the troops there were commanded by Genl. Putnam. This was at the time that Genl. Sullivan in the year 1778. attempted to take Rhode Island from the possession of the British. I crossed, at that time, with my company and other troops, over on the Island of Rhode=Island, and was in a very severe battle on the Island in August where I received three wounds, one on the calf of my leg, one in my side, (both with the bayonet,) and the other one on the lower right arm with the cutlass of a Hessian  Yanger. After that battle the American troops retreated from the Island, and I was marched with my company to and stationed at Bristol, where we remained for winter quarters the following winter. The next spring I was march with the Company through Providence to New London in Connecticut. There were a number of Companies with us but I cannot recollect the names of the officers or the No. or names of the Regiments. I cannot recollect the names of the Commandants at New London. We did not remain there long, but soon marched back again to Bristol; where in the beginning of the winter I was discharged after I had served 18 months. I think my discharge was signed by Capt. Weaver, which I left with some

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old papers in Saybrook, Connecticut about 31 years ago, which I am informed is now lost or destroyed. I the next summer (the year 1780) I went to New London in Connecticut, where in the fore part of that summer I volunteered as a private seaman or mariner, to serve on board of a privateer in the service of the United States, a vessel of 16 guns called the "Cable Brig." I was engaged this tour only for a cruise. The vessel was commanded by Capt. John Steel. I cannot recollect the names of the other officers except our Boatswain whose name was White. After about 3 weeks after my engagement we sailed out from New London, and were out only 3 or 4 days before we were taken prisoner by a British vessel called "The Revenge" a 50 gun ship. I was then taken as a prisoner of war to New York, and confined as a prisoner on board the old "Jersey" prison ship. I was kept as a prisoner confined in that ship about 3 months, where I suffered about everything but death; and there I contrived to make my escape to Long Island, and there went in disguise to the east part of Long Island to Sag harbour, where I was assisted to go over to Saybrook in Connecticut, and was not again in the service. 
I then settled & lived at Saybrook for a number of years, untill about 31 years ago I left there & settled at Painte Part: in Steuben Co. New York, where I resided untill November 1830 I removed & settled in Delaware County where I now reside. 
There is no clergyman residing in my present neighborhood, but I can refer to the following named persons who [illegible] who can testify ss to my character for veracity as as to their belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution - to wit. Shadrach Heuleball  Esqr. Louis Cook, John Forest Timothy Aldrich, Gideon Maun, Jacob Forest, David Dennis.

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I have no documentary evidence and know of no person by whom I can prove my services. I served in the manner above stated as near as I can now recollect not less than the following periods to wit. as a private soldier eighteen months as a private seaman or mariner six months in actual service as as a prisoner of war, no part of which time was part of which time was spent in any civil employment and for which I now claim a pension. 
I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
[crossed out Given & subscribed to &] I further state that the reason why this declaration has not sooner sworn to is that I have been several times at Court for that purpose but it was inconvenient for the Court to attend to it at the time I attended and so it was delayed. the above declaration has been written down two years for the purpose of presenting it to Court the first convenient opportunity. 
Sworn & subscribed to 
his
John Morrison X Ford
mark
We Jacob Forest & David  Dennis residing in the neighbourhood of the above named Ford hereby certify that we are well acquainted with the said Ford the above named applicant who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 73 years years of age that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur i that opinion. 
Subscribed & sworn to the day & year above written}
[signed] Jacob Forest
[signed] David Dennis
[signed] T. Reynolds Clerk
[illegible writing at left bottom of page]

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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinions after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories proscribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and serves as he states. And the court further certify that it appears to them that  [crossed out John Morrison Ford who has signed the preceeding certificate] Jacob Forest and David Dennis who have signed the preceding certificate are residents of Westfield Township in the neighbourhood of the said applicant John Morrison Ford in the County of Delaware that they are credible persons and that their statements are entitled to full faith & credit. It also appears to the court that there is no clergyman residing in the [cross out, illegible] neighbourhood of the said Ford. 
I Thomas Reynolds Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Morrison Ford for a Pension. 
[folded piece of paper with ribbon attached at left margin of page]
In testimony whereof I  have hereunto set my hand & seal of my office this 20th day of November A. D. 1837.
[signed] Thomas Reynolds Clerk

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Nov 29
N.Y.
Claim
4 Jno. M. Ford
Act 1832
[illegible]
Dav. Roberts

Honl. J. L. Edwards
Comm. of Pensions.
Washington City

[stamp]
FREE

[stamp]
DELAWARE OHIO
NOV 24

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Delaware Novem. 22d 1837
Sir. Enclosed I send the Declaration of John M. Ford on an application for a pension. 
Also affidavits to support the claim of David Roberts whose declaration was sent to your office in Sept. 1836.
Very respectfully
your obt. servat
[signed] J. W. Powell
Agent for said applicants

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Sir i am in posesson of some information concerning a claim laid in by Mr John Morrison Ford for a pension for serves don in the Revolution war he was from [perrybino?] thare is one heir left She is desireous to no if the clame can be collected any information she should obtain pleas adress

William P Forest
Westfield Morrow Co
Ohio

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Washington Feb. 20. 1845

Sir, will you oblige me by furnishing the papers referred to within -
I have the honor to by very respectfully yr
Albt Smith

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William P Forest
Westfield Morrow Co
Ohio

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3656.
P. O. [blank]
John M Ford
Service: [blank]
[stamped] REJECTED [end stamp]
Enlisted: [blank], 18
Discharged: [blank], 18
Application filed: [blank], 18
Alleges: [blank]
Re-enlisted: [blank]
Attorney: [blank]
P. O. [blank]
Recognized. [blank] Contract
[blank] Cert. of Dis. Searched for [blank], 18

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The State of Ohio}
Delaware County SS]
I John M. Ford of the said county, an applicant for a pension under the act of June 7, 1832, being duly sworn upon my oath say that I positively served 18 months as stated in my declaration. I may be mistaken in the supposition that the troop in which I served were Massachusetts militia. I took that idea from the fact that Capt. Weaver then lived in Sonet [Assonet] in Freetown in Massachusetts. I enlisted at Tiever in Rhode Island and it may be that my company was Rhode Island Militia or troops. But there is no mistake that there was such a person as Capt. Weaver and that I served 18 months in his company in the manner stated in my declaration. Capt. Weaver was my Capt. until after the battle on Rhode Is--. when he was promoted and made or served as a Col. After that event in consequence of my wounds I was for some time on the sick list and do not recollect who out next Capt. was but I believe it was our Lieunt. Hamilton, if I recollect right. 
I was informed that Capt. Weaver was born at Swansea near the Rhode Island line, and was a hatter by trade. [crossed out illegible] Two or three years before my service, the farm at Sonet [Assonet] on which Capt. Weaver resided at the  time of my service, [cross out, illegible] owned by a man by the name of Gilbert, who was a tory & refugee. This farm was sold & Capt. Weaver purchased it. [crossed out the farm]. At the time I enlisted I was between 14 & 15 years of age; large of my age, and well able to bear arms. 
In crossing over to R. Island before the battle the troops [illegible crossed out] on a floating bridge made of plank & boards; and after our retreat the bridge

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[written vertically on left margin of page Hugh Ridgway, illegible]

was losened from the shore of the Iland and it drifted on the shore of the mane land, and the boards & plank were drawn out. I recollect also that during the battle on the Island at a place called Brave's Ridge a high Ridge west of the a large white house called White Hall the Americans had a cannon 18 powder which was struck by a shot from the [illegible crease] struck by a shot from the [illegible] split to pieces; killing a number of our men. 
John Morrison Ford
his    X       mark

Subscribed and sworn to this 12th day of April 1838 before me Sidney Moore a justice of the peace in & for the County of Delaware. And I certify that from satisfactory information that I have received, I am certified that the above named John M. Ford is a person of veracity and entitled to full credit.
[signed] Sidney Moore, J. Peace

State of Ohio Delaware County; SS
I Thomas Reynolds Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County & State aforesaid, do hereby certify that Sidney Moore Esqr. is a Justice of the Peace in & for said Coutny, duly commissioned & qualified; that his commission was dated on the 8th day of Decr. A. D. 1835 & will expire on the 8th day of Decr. A. D. 1838 & that his signature above written I believe to be genuine --
Given under my hand & the seal of said County, this 12th day of April A. D. 1838.
Thos. Reynolds Clerk
by [signed] Wm D. Heim Dept.