Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 74, Benjamin Alden, Mass.

Page 1

(3-1776)

Service
Mass.      

Alden, Benjamin       

NUMBER.
74

CONTENTS

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Benjamin Alden
[illegible] Mr Cole or to Capt Faxon + Col Mason [illegible] may [illegible] file this

Search State Dept

[Illegible]
Springfield Armory + the service under Capt Faxon [illegible] Mason  

from 
Arad Joy

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State of Maine      
COUNTY OF Oxford  }   Benjamin Alden being duly
sworn according to law, deposes and says that he is a child of Benjamin Alden ------- deceased , to whom a pension was probably due, but who was not an applicant for a pension from the State of - from any state that this deponent is directly interested as one of the claimants in said claim. --- His said father was of the Quakers. 
                                        Benjamin Alden [hand signed]

Sworn and subscribed before me this 29th day of May 1852 and I do hereby certify that the said Benjamin Alden — is a respectable person and that I have full faith in the truth of above statement sworn to by him as being directly interested in said claim.
                                       Job Prince Justice of the Peace [hand signed]

Know all Men by these Presents, That I Benjamin Alden a child of 
Benjamin Alden — deceased to whom a pension was probably due, he was not an applicant for a pension from the State of — from any state [handwritten] do hereby constitute and appoint Arad Joy, of Ovid, N. Y., my true and lawful attorney for me and in my name as one directly and personally interested as also for and in behalf of all others interested in the claim or application for a pension as above mentioned.
Witness my hand and seal this 29 day of May
SEALED AND DELIVERED IN 
THE PRESENCE OF 
Job Prince [hand signed]      Benjamin Alden [hand signed and a seal is added]

State of Maine		
County of Oxford }  Be it known that in the 29 day of May 1852
before the subscriber, a Justice of the Peace in and for said County and State duly authorized by law to administer oaths and take acknowledgements, personally appeared Benjamin Alden above named and duly acknowledged the above Power of Attorney and affidavits to be his act and deed.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand the day and date above mentioned.
                                      Job Prince, Justice of the Peace [hand signed]


Find this case [handwritten]

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Service Number
Mass. Alden, Benjamin R 74

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And I further Certify, That, before search made for evidence of said facts, the application hereto annexed was filed in this Office, in the form in which the same now appears; that the search was made by myself and my clerks alone; and that said application, and the certificate above set forth, contain all the facts and circumstances within my knowledge, pertaining to the case. 

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seat of the Commonwealth, the date above written

WM Tuft 
Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth.

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Secretary's Office, Boston:

July 23 1849

I hereby certify, that, from an examination of the Books and Documents relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that on a muster roll of Capt. Abraham Washburns Company in Col. John Cushings reg, at Newport in Rhode Island, and dated Bridgewater Nov 28 1776 is the name of Benjamin Alden, for 59 1/2 days service due 3.19.4. 
The above is all the service that appears on the rolls; there appears to be no [illegible] of Capt Fascons lee.

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August 6, 1934

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

BA-J/MCS
BENJAMIN ALDEN, R 74

The Quartermaster General 
Memorial Branch
War Department 
Washington, D.C. 

Dear Sir:

Reference is made to your request for information in regard to Benjamin Alden, a soldier of the Revolutionary War. 

The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in the pension claim, R. 74 based upon the military service of Benjamin Alden. 

In1849, Benjamin Alden, a resident of Turner, Oxford County, Maine, aged not given, applied for pension that may have been due himself and the other children (names not given) on account of the Revolutionary War service of their father, Benjamin Alden, who died in Greene, Kennebec County, Maine. The dates of birth and death of the Revolutionary War soldier, Benjamin Alden, were not given. 

It was alleged that Benjamin Alden, while living in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, served two months in 1776 in Captain Abraham Washburn's company in Colonel John Cushing's Massachusetts regiment; that he subsequently served five or six months as artificer in Captain Faxon's company in Colonel Mason's regiment; that in the spring of 1776 he enlisted for one year in the same company and that the last two periods of service were preformed at the armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. 

The claim for pension was not allowed as the date of death of the soldier, names of the surviving children (other than Benjamin) and proof of the alleged service of the soldier were never furnished. 

In 1852 Benjamin Alden stated that his father was a Quaker.

Page 8


Your letter from Mr. Albert S. Bryant and the application for headstone (O.Q.M.G. Form #623) are returned herewith.

                        Very truly yours

                        A.  D.  HILLER
                        Assistant to Administrator

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1934 June 23 first to the, Albert S Bryant. MCS

1934 Aug 6 tombstone data to [illegible] MCS

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________ Ex'r.    INVALID. 

no [illegible]

[Crossed out] Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3 1873

Children of Benjamin Alden

Rejected

P.O. _____
Service: _____
Enlisted: ______, 18 
Discharged: ______18
[illegible] of 18J-2 give for reason for suspension "suspended for further proof - not on rolls"

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[blank page]

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I M Thayer
Dec  3/49

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31
Pension Office
Dec. 3, 1849
Sir
The affidavit and [crossed out "in"] certificate of the Secretary of State of
Massachusetts in the case of
Benjamin Alder of Maine [crossed out "Massachusetts"] under act of 7th June 1832 have been examined
 and filed. The records in this
office afford no evidence of the
alleged service as an officer under Captain Faxon and Colonel
Moses at Springfield in 1777 and
1778. That served should therefore he established by proof evidence as required in the enclosed printed sheet, and a declaration and proof of the time of decease and the children surviving be exhibited
J. M. Thayer Esq
Washington City

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Washington City D.C.
Nov 27th 1829
Col. Edwards
Sir
Benjamin Alden claims in behalf of himself and the other children, a pension alleged to have been due their father Benjamin Alden late of Maine, for his services in the Revolutionary War
I have applied to the Secretary of State of Mass. for evidence, and I herewith
enclose his certificate with the accompanying affidavit I did not think it
expedient to put the main that the claimants to the expense of executing a Declaration until the service be proved. I therefore hand you the enclosed affidavit & certificate for the purpose of ascertaining of the Military Records in your office, confirm the service set forth in said affidavit as having been performed at the Armory at Springfield Mass.
Very Respectfully
J. M. Thayer

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North Leeds, Me.
June 16, 1934
Veterans Administration, Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir's; - Can you give me the date of death of Benjamin [underlined]Alden 
a Rev. soldier who died in Greene, Me., and is buried in the Quaker Cemetery, Leeds, Me. in an unmarked grave, he was born abt. 1752 in Stafford, Ct.; are not both the following, records
of this man's services in the Revolutionary War?
From Mass. Soldiers and Sailors in Rev. War, Vol. 1, page 105,
Alden, Benjamin, Private, Capt. Abram Washburns co., Col. John Cushing's regt.; enlisted Sep. 20, 1776; service, 59½ days, on an alarm at Rhode Island; stationed at Newport, R. I.; Roll dated Bridgewater,
Also Vol. 1, page 106:
Alden, Benjamin, Private, Capt. Nathan Alden's co., under command of Lieut. John Whitman, Col. Edward Mitchell's regt.; enlisted, Dec. 8, 1776; discharged
Dec. 23, 1776; service, 15 days, on an alarm at Rhode Island,
Yours Truly,
[handwritten] signature?
Albert S. Bryant.
[circular stamp] 
[outside ring] |7|8|9|10|11|12|
[handwritten] Letter asking for
Gershom Curtis was returned 6/23/34

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WAR DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE QUARTERMASTER GENERAL
WASHINGTON
[underlined and handwritten] 7-31-34
[typed with line through] 1933
Memorandum for
The Surgeon General, Bureau of Navigation, Navy Department,
Commandant, United States Coast Guard, Treasury Department, The Commissioner of Pensions, Interior Building, General Accounting Office, F Street, between 4th & 5th, N. W.
1. The attached application has been submitted to this office for Government
headstone to be erected at the grave of the decedent named thereon. In order that the proper inscription may be placed on the stone it would be appreciated if your office would verify the name and service on the application, checking and making such
corrections in red ink as may be necessary to show the correct spelling of the name and complete designation of the organizations.
2. In addition, please advise State from which decedent came
[handwritten] Enc ok WC
[circular stamp] [outer ring faded and illegible on bottom] [upper outside ring] 
1|2|3|4|5|||

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June 23, 1934
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
BA-J/MCS
Mr. Albert S. Bryant
North Leeds
Maine
Dear Sir: Benjamin Alden, R. 74
Reference is made to your request for information in regard to
Benjamin Alden and Gorshom Curtis, Revolutionary War soldiers who died in Leeds, Maine. The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in the pension claim, R. 74, based upon the military service of Benjamin Alden.

In 1849, Benjamin Alden, a resident of Turner, Oxford County, Maine, age not given, applied for pension that [handwritten] may 
have been due himself and the other children (names not given) on account of the Revolutionary War service of their father, Benjamin Alden, who died in Greene, Kennebec County, Maine. The dates of birth and death of the Revolutionary War soldier, Benjamin Alden, were not given.

It was alleged that Benjamin Alden, while living in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, served two months in 1776 in Captain Abraham
Washburn's company in Colonel John Cushing's Massachusetts regiment; that he subsequently served five or six months as an officer in Captain Faxon's company in Colonel Mason's regiment; that in the spring of 1778 he enlisted for one year in the same company and that the last two periods of service were performed at the armory in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The claim for pension was not allowed as the date of death of the
soldier, names of the surviving children (other than Benjamin and proof of the alleged service of the soldier were never furnished.

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In 1852 Benjamin Alden stated that his father was a Quaker.
The Revolutionary War records of this office fail to afford
any information in regard to a Gershom Curtis.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER
Assistant to Administrator