Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 17253, William Barns, R.I.

Page 1

Service. 

R.I.

Barns, William

Number
S.17253

carded

Page 2

4277. 
Rhode Island
William Barns
of Providence in the State of R I
who was a Private in the company commanded
by Captain - of the Regt commanded
by Col Ralph in the R I 
line for 1 year  8mos
--------------------------------------
Inscribed on the Roll of R I
at the rate of 66 Dollars 66 cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
----------------------------------------------------
Certificate of Pension issued the 17th day of jany
1833 and (illegible) bank
Cowell Providence R I
---

Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832         
Semi=anl. allowance ending (illegible)  33 
$99.99
33.33
-------
$133.3
{ Revolutionary claim,}
{Act June 7, 1832      }

Recorded by (illegible) S Blair
Book D. Vol. 3 Page 104

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United States of America-
Rhode Island District le,
County of Providence-
On this 20th day of August A.D. 1832, personally
appeared in open court, being a Special District
Court of the United States within and for said
District, now in Session, William Burns a 
resident of Situate in the County Providence  and State of Rhode Island
Island and Providence Plantations, aged seventy-three years, who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress
passed June 7. 1832 viz
That he entered the service of the United States
under the following named officers, and served
as herein Stated
I was born

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I was born in Scituate R.I. in the month of
October 1758, do not know the day of the month And I have no record of my age
I was living in said Scituate when called in to the; service. I have always lived in said Scituate in during the revolutionary war and now live in the same tow.
At the time of the General alarm in 1776
I was called into the service in the Militia company
which I trained, the whole company went and
was commanded by Capt. Nathan Relph of Sistrate
we marched first to providence, was there a fence day, we and then marched to Warwick R.I. I was stationed
said Warwick, where I did duty a little over
month. At the end of this month a draft took placeI was cleared for the first month; but the second monthserviced at said Warwick under Capt Samuel William of said Scituate this month we were stationed at David Arnolds In March 1777 I served another month upon Drost
with Capt Nathan Relph, stationed at Warwick
The practice of going a month was changed about this time we went fifteen days at a time I served
in  Draft fifteen day in May 1777 at said Warwick
under Leut., Ansell Sweet, next was a tour of
fifteen days in June 1777 under Capt Jonathan
Knight, after this time up to Sulivan's expedition
I continued to take my turn  in the Militia upon Drost

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And was most of the time, and I believe in all this Service at said Warwick, the tours of duty were monthly and half monthly, I have forgotten some of the officers under whom I served and common say how or in
what order they commanded, they charged often and the shortness of the tours prevents me from being able to say how it was, I know I kept going on the Drafts, and as I think half of the time, -
I was drafted for Sullivans expedition in August 1778 and served twenty days at Newport, was in the engagement, the next day we threw up an entrenchment and just at night we retreated behind it passed Fowlands Ferry. I think into Tiverton and stayed therein
one or chased that night and next day were dismissed to go home; In this tour I served some under Capt Simeon Harverden and some under Capt Malicha Rhodes, Rhodes commanded the advanced guard,
After this, to the time when the British left Rhode Island in 1779 I did duty in my regular towns in the drafted Militia, which was mostly done at said Warwick, in guarding the shores, I have forgotten the order of the service, but it was done mostly under Capt Jonathan Knight, and it is my belief that I served just about half the time as above stated, from November 1776 to December 1779

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After this I enlisted into Captain Job Fiske's
Company of artillery, in which company I was called to Newport and was stationed at Butts Hill, and was called at another time in said company of artillery to Bristol, which was first I cannot say, but was in Bristol both times; he both of these tours I was gone first about one month-
I have no written discharge and never had any.
And have no documentary evidence of my
service; but hereto annex the Depositions of such living witnesses as I have been able to procure - 
Oliver Leach Caleb Fiske Nathan B. Sarte
and Isaac Field are my neighbours and can
testify as to my character for veracity and their
belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution.
He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any State
William Barns
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
B Cowell Clk

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No. 13858
Wm. Barns
[illegilble]
1 year & Mos
All
$66.66
Benjn Cowell Esqr.
Providence R. I.

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BRIEF in the case of William Barns of the County of Providence in the State of
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? 73 years
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period.
In 1776
from Novr. 76 to
to Decr 1779 alternate months & half
months
officer this
Duration of Service.
Years, Months, Days.
- 1 -
1 6 -
- 1 -
Rank.
As a
Private
Drafted
Private
Names of General and Field Officers
under whom he served.
Gen.
Capt. Relph
Capt Relph, Knight, Rhodes
& others-
Capt. Fiske - Arty
5. In what battles was he engaged? R. Island
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Scituate
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Depositions
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
Regular
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Levin Belt
Examining Clerk.

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17253
INVALID.
-
File No. 17,253
William Barns
Pri Rev War
---
Act: June 7n 32
Index:--Vol. 1 Page 433
[Arrangement of 1870.]

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No. 13858
Wm Barns
Benjn Cowell Esqr.
Providence R. I.

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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of William Barns which require further proof of explanation.

I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? Yes

II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes

III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so?

IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war where he served? Yes

V. Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? Yes

VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? Yes

VII. Has he made a (illegible) to any other pension than the one under (illegible) June 7, 1832? Yes

VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? Yes

IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? Yes

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2.

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary services? Yes

XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?

XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?

XIV. †If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? Yes
Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office?

XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? Yes

XVI. ‡Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? Yes

XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactoryily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? Yes

EXPLANTATORY NOTES.
QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the under signed, a Justice of the Peace, &C. A. B. who, being duly sworn, desposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection her served not less than the period mentioned below, and in the following grades: For ___ year____ months and ____ days, I served as ____. For ____ months and ____ days, I served as a ____; and for such service I claim a pension."

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3

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his services. The use of the phrase about three or hour months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.

QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.

QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

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We Richard Knight a Clergyman residing in Cranston and William Battey residing in Land Scituate hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Barns who has subscribed and sworn
to the above declaration; that we believe him
to be seventy three years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion Richard Knight
William Battey
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
B Cowell, Clk

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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinon after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Richard Knight who has signed the preceding certificate is a resident in Cranston Rhode Island & that sd William Battey, & Oliver Leach who have certified & testified for sd applicant are resident as they state
that all the above named are credible
persons and that their statement is entitled to
credit
I Benjamin Cowell Clerk of said District Court
do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Burns for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
and seal of office this Eighth day of October
AD 1832
Benjamin Cowell Clk

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I Oliver Leach of Scituate in the County of
Providence and State of Rhode Island being
of lawful aged and duly engaged according to
Law do testify and say - That I am well acquainted with Mr William Barns of said Scituate - 
I am knowing that he served as a soldier in
the revolutionary war on several monthly
and half monthly tours; I first saw him at
Warwick at the time of the general alarm in
the fall of 1776 he served then at that time a
month, before the draft took place,
he served in the company with me under Nathan Relph.
After this draft I was repeatedly with him in
the service, and heard of his being in the service when I was not, at several different times-
I always understood & do believe, that he took
his regular tours of duty after the British came
into Newport in the fall of 1776 to the time
they withdrew in 1779. I think that the service
of Soldier serving his regular drafts in this
space of time, would be one half of the time; sometimes going for a month and sometimes for fifteen or twenty days; I remember that some time after this he enlisted into a company of artillery commanded by one Job Fiske of Scituate, and know of his going on two short tours of duty in this company, it was said to Bristol and Newport

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(3-1776)

SERVICE
R.I.

Barns, William

NUMBER
S.17253

CONTENTS

carded

Page 18

I Wiliam Battey of Scituate in the County of 
Providence and State of Rhode Island & being 
of lawful age and duly engaged according to
Law do testify and say- That I am well
acquainted with Mr. William Barns of said
Scituate and have been from a boy. In the   revolutionary war, I did service with him
several times as a soldier in the American army
I belonged in his company. He was on duty in
Warwick, in the fall of 1776 at the time of the
general alarm. after a month or more of service at this
time, we came to a Draft. I always have supposed,
and do believe, that he took his regular
tours of Duty, in the R.I. Militia after this term,
to the time when the British left Rhode Island
These tours of Duty were sometimes a month, and
sometimes fifteen or twenty days in the winter. I Think
we went monthly, and in the summer half monthly tours
excepting when we went onto the Island in Sullivans
expedition, this was for twenty days. It is my
impression, that we were on service in this way
half the time, whilst the British were on Rhode 
Island. Mr Barns sustains a good character for
truth and veracity.
William Battey
August 20 1832 Sworn in open Court
B Cowell clk

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State of Rhode Island
Providence,  In Scituate on this 16th day of August
1832 personally appeared William Battey, signer 
of the foregoing Deposition and made solemn
oath that the facts therein stated are true to the
best of his knowledge and belief - I further certify
that he is a credible person and that his
Statement is entitled to credit. Before me
Jonah Titus Just Peace

W Barns
13858