Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 18, 304, Eli Baker, Mass.

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(3 - 1776)

SERVICE
Mass.

Baker, Eli

NUMBER
S. 18,304

CONTENTS                      carded

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1.3.42.8
Ohio Pittsburgh

Eli Baker
County of Geauga in the State of Ohio.
who was a Private in the Co commanded
by Captain Meadley of the Reg commanded
by ________ in the Mass
line for fourteen months.

Inscribed on the Roll of Ohio Pittsbg
atvthe rate of 46 Dollars 66 Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 20th day of July
1833 and sent to William
Holbrook. Painesville, [G. Co.?] Ohio.

Arrears to the 4th of March 1833        93.32
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sept '33   23.33
                                                              $116.65

[in brackets]
Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832

Recorded by Wm R. Palmer Clerk
Book E Vol. 8. Page 106.

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The State of Ohio
Ashtabula County

On this 2d day of October AD 1832
Personally appeared before me [Jonathan Gregary?] One of the [appelate?]
Judges of the court of Common Pleas in & for the County of Ashtabula and State of Ohio Eli Baker who is now a resident of the township of Orwell in the County & State aforesaid aged eighty one years who being put 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 7th 1832- That he
was born in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & fifty in the town of
Woodbury in the County of Litchfield in the State of Connecticut, that he has long
had a record of his age writen in his bible-- that at the commencement of the
Revolutionary war he resided in the town of Williamstown in the County of
Berkshire & State of Massachusetts- that in September of the year 1776
he entered the main army as a volunteer under the command of Captain Nehemiah
Smedley who was then captain of Militia in said Williamstown, the country being
near our Military stores & provisions were mostly in that quarter transported or
conveyed by horses, that his Duties were to transport provisions & Military Stores
to the northern army, as the British troops were daily expected from canada by the way of
Lake Champlain - that our Military stores & provisions for that section of country
were deposited at Pawlitt [Pawlet?] in Vermont, that he was in that employ untill the
latter part of November [inserted: or December] the same year when it was acertained that the British
had returned to canada for winter quarters 

he was discharged & returned home
to Williamstown having served at this time almost three months- 

That in March following (1777) an allarm was made calling for volunteers at which
time he again volunteered in the same capacity as before carrying provisions
& military stores from Williamstown in Massachusetts to Pawlet & from that to Castleton Hubbarton & Mount Independence in Vermont - That he was
actively engaged in the above employ when on the 7th July 1777 the battle at
Castleton was fought by the British General (Frazer) & Colonel Warner  - that
he remained at Castleton & Hubbarton & in that vicinity untill about the
first of August as the Brittish still had command of Lake Champlain a Military
Post was kept up at Castleton - That he was then ordered to Bennington in
Vermont about fifty miles south of Castleton where he went with the Berkshire Militia
under the command of Colonel Symonds 

That Military Stores were kept
at Bennington at this time & guarded by Colonel Symonds Regiment of Militia
at this time a certain proportion of Powder and lead was kept by the goverment
in each town to be kept in readiness whenever it should be called for

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it being considered safer from the grasp of the enemy in that situation then it would be if it were kept in large quantities in any one place

that he [inserted: was] ordered by Colonel Symonds & others to collect & transport [inserted: said military stores] to Bennington as fast as possible he being acquainted in that part of the country-- that at
the time of the battle at Bennington he was constantly collecting Powder & lead
in the different towns & running bullets [inserted: which as fast as asked were transported to the army] -- that he arived in Bennington the next day after the battle which was on the 16th August 1777 - that Colonel Borum Commanded the British troops & General Stark Commanded on the part of the Americans. [inserted text: Colonel Warner Commanded a regiment of continental & Col. Symonds a regiment of Militia]
that soon after the battle at Bennington he was again Ordered back to Castleton where he arrived the last of August or first of
September from this place he went to Mount Independence a Military post
then held by the [struck out: Americans] British on Lake Champlain-- that the roads were
so bad in that section of County at that time as almost to exclude the transporting of Provisions & Military Stores except on the back of horses-

In which duty he was ingaged between [illegible] the last mentioned places
untill the last part November 1777 - that
Burgoyne with his army had at this time [illegible] to the south near Saratoga &
the pass from the enemy from the North had began to subside he was discharged at
Castleton & returned to Williamstown his place of residence, being in the service
in this season betwen Seven & eight months- 

That he stayed at home the quatest [quietest?]
part of the time through the winter [inserted: & spring] 1778 altho there were frequent Alarms
during the winter [inserted: & spring] & that he as often turned out in the defence of his County

altho the period [inserted: of Service] were not so long as before stated that the whole time he was in the Revolutionary service was something more then one year say [inserted: more than fourteen months] that he has no
documentary evidence of his services in the revolutionary war as he received no
writen discharge-- that his name is not on the pension roll of any state-
That he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity
except the present. That more than fifty years have elapsed since his
Services were rendered & at this time living six hundred miles from the place
where his services were rendered he can get no person who can testify positively
to the services rendered. 

That he has been acquainted with [illegible]
who lives in my present neighborhood, that he has also been acquainted with
Billy Ames about twenty years who also lives in his present neighborhood that by reason of bodily infirmity he is unable to

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No. 17945
Eli Bakers
13.425.
Adm 1 year & 2 Months.___

Painesville, Geauga County, Ohio
William Holbrook
22nd Feb. 1835. Ohio.

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There are no data on file as to his family.
The above history is that of the only soldier named Eli Baker that is found on the Revolutionary War records of the bureau.
This bureau has no record of service rendered in the Colonies prior to the Revolution, hence no record of John and Henry Bowen, or other Bowens who served prior to 1775.
Respectfully ,

E. W. Morgan
Acting Commissioner.

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3
It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each 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 service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
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 authenticates the papers in 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 ends 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.
-In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.

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No 17943

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Ohio May (?)

J L Edwards Esq
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington
D.C.

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Painesville Township, Geauga County, Ohio May 22nd - 1835

Enclosed is the declaration of Eli Baker for a pension which has been returned and Received by me and as I believe the deficiencies are Supplied Should there yet be any thing wanting which needs explanation you will confer to (?) by addressing me at the place as also the necessary papers in (?) of a favorable result.
Respectfully H William Holbrook

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[Advised only 2 reports sent each inquirer]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Bureau of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.
Commissioner of Pensions:__
Sir:
I am informed that your department will give (for use in applying for membership in Patriotic Societies, as Daughters Of The American Revolution) information regarding a Revolutionary Ancestor, if one has a reasonable claim to the particular ancestor whose record is sought.
I will give briefly my line back to the Rev. Sold's., of whom I would like to get authentic data.
The names of the Rev. Soldiers are, namely: (all three my ancestors)
ZENAS NORTHWAY, (1st. wife Rhoda Phinney) he was a pensioner.
He died at Lafayette, N.Y. Dec. 29, 1843.
JOSEPH CHANDLER, was a pensioner in Conn. Pensions, (act of 1818)
He resided in Ashtabula Co., Ohio, (prob. died there
ELI BAKER, He was a pensioner, residing in Ashtabula Co., Ohio, and probably died there.
My name before my marriage was MARION MUDGETT, b. May 4th, 1869, at Princeton, Mille Lacs Co., Minnesota, married James Abernathy Williams, at Pinehurst, Dooly Co, Georgia, Sept. 22, 1897. (no children)

My Mother was MIRETTA MARIA NORTHWAY, b. Dec. 12, 1842, at Orwell, Ashtabula Co., Ohio. married at Princeton, Minn. 1867, Isaiah Sullivan Mudgett, She died Apr. 29, 1911, at Princeton, Minn.

My Mothers Father was LUCIAL PHINNEY NORTHWAY, b. June 14, 1811, N.Y. State. married, before 1838, ESTHER DUNNING CHANDLER, they lived in Ashtabula Co., Ohio, and Milo Township, Mille Lacs Co., Minn., both died at last named place before 1897.

My mothers fathers father was ZENAS NORTHWAY, b. 1790, Married, Aug. 2, 1806, to Sally Northway,

My Mothers fathers fathers father was ZENAS NORTHWAY, REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER, b. Apr. 1765; d. ---, 1843, in N.Y. State, he married, (1st) at West Stockbridge, Mass., (intentions pub. Apr., 1788), Rhoda Phinney. He was the son of Lieut. Samuel Northway and his wife Anna Garrett.

My mothers mother, ESTHER DUNNING CHANDLER, was daughter of JOSEPH CHANDLER and his wife ABIGAIL BAKER

I am told that the above Joseph Chandler was son of Joseph Chandler the Rev. Sold. who resided in Ashtabula Co., Ohio.

ABIGIAL BAKER was daughter of ELI BAKER the REV. SOLD., Pensioner who resided in Ashtabula CO., Ohio. (I do not know his wifes name)

I would like to have the records of These three, Zena Northway, Joseph Chandler, and Eli Baker, as I wish to place them on the Roll of Honor, in the D.A.R. Society if there is a charge for this please let me know the amount, Very Truly - 

Mrs, James A. Williams,
912 So. Carondelet St.,
Los Angeles Calif.

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To_
Dept. of the Interior,
Bureau of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.

Los Angeles, Calif. , Dec. 12 1926.
To the Honorable Commissioner,
Dear Sir:___
I wish to obtain a copy of the Revolutionary service of my ancestor, ELISHA BAKER, to be used in enrolling in patriotic societies and family histories.
my line from the Rev. ancestor down to present is as follows.
[AW none as described] Elisha Baker, b. 1724, Woodbury, Conn. , (wife Phoebe Nichols)
their son
[S18304] Eli Baker, b. 1750, Woodbury, Conn. , (Wife Esther Dunning)
their daughter
Abigail Baker, b._____ d. Ohio. (her husband Joseph Chandler)
their daughter,
Esther Dunning Chandler, b.____ d. Minn. (husb Lucial Phinney Northway)
their daughter,
Marietta Maria Northway, b. Dec. 12, 1842, (h. Isaiah Sullivan Mudgett)
their son,
Frank Mudgett, b. Apr. 21, 1873, Minn. , (wife Johanna Katrina Hanson)
their daughter,
Bernice Mudgett, b. 1900, Minn. , (husb. Edgar Allen Stewart.)

I am the above daughter of Mr. Frank Mudgett, and so believe I am a descendant of the ELISHA BAKER  and of ELI BAKER, his son, above listed, both of whom, I believe, are Revolutionary Soldiers.

I will appreciate a full listing of Elisha Baker's Rev. Record. I find both Elisha and Eli, his son, in first census of Mass. , in lists within my reach, I am asking for the record.
Respectfully Yours,
Mrs. Brenice Mudgett Stewart,
912 South Carondelet St.,
Los Angeles,
California.

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McMinnville Oregon. October 1-1928
War Department of Pensioners will you please tell me if you have any data on John Bowen and Henry Bowen. Any where between 1654-1700. And who the early families(?) of Bowen who came to America and settled in Penn. Del. & Maryland & Virginia, I am very anxious to get any data you may be able to furnish in any Bowen name John Bowen married Jane Oliver and also do you have any data on Eli Baker who was in the Rev. service I think In Mass. will be very grateful for all the date you have.
Yours very sincerely
Mrs. J.L. Shumalu(?) 103 Cowls St
McMinnville Oregon.

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Rev. & 1812 War Section
February 3, 1927

Mrs. Bernice M. Stewart
912 S. Carondelet St.
Los Angeles, Calif.

Madam:

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Rev. A 1812 Wars Section
November 19, 1924

Mrs. James A. Williams
912 S. Carondelet St.
Los Angeles, Calif.

Madam:
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S.18304, it appears that Eli Baker was born  in 1750 in Woodbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut.
While a resident of Williamstown, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, he enlisted in September, 1776, and served until November or December, 1776, as private in Captain Nehemiah Smadley's Massachusetts Company.
He enlisted in March, 1777, and served yuntil late in November, 1777, in Colonel Symonds' Massachusetts Regiment.
In the winter and spring of 1778 he served on several short tours, officers not stated.
He was allowed pension on his application executed October 2, 1832, at which time he was a resident of Orwell Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio.
There is no data on file as to his family.
Owing to lack of clerical force available for the purpose, only two reports are furnished each inquirer.
Respectfully,
Commissioner