Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 15025, William Butman, Mass. Vt.

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Service Member
Mass. Butman, William S.15025
Vt. 
Contents Carded

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Vermont. 18.828
William Butman
of Windsor co in the State of Vermont
who was a private in the Company commanded
by Captain Safford of the Regt commanded
by [crossed out] in the Vermont ma and Mass.
line for 19 months
Aug. 8.08.

Inscribed on the Roll of Vermont
at the rate of 63 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, 
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.

Certificate of Pension issued the 5 day of Oct
1833 and sent to [illegible]

Barnard Vt

Arrears to the 4th of Sep. '33 $158.33
Semi-anl. allowance ending Mar. '34 31.66
$189.99
Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832
Recorded by Ele Brown [illegible] Clerk
Book E Vol. 3 Page 24

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William Butman
No. 5453

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State of Vermont
Windsor Country, SS.
On this Ninth day of August A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Judge of the [illegible] Court of Windsor and State of Vermont, aged Eighty one 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.
That he entered service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. The first of his being in the service was in taking other [illegible] at Chelsea in the state of Massachusetts. He was there in the service two months - one of the men whose place he supplied was Thomas Hazard  - another William Whitridge and another Samuel Leach. This company was raised at [illegible] and it was in the year 1775 directly after Bunker Hill battle. The same year and after the above named service he was four months guarding the shore under the authority of the Town of Gloucester. He moved from there to Hardwick, Massachusetts and from there to Barnard within county of Windsor and the State of Vermont. In the year 1778 and the year after Burgoyne was taken he was at Rutland six months in Lt John Safford company in the Vermont troops. John Whitcomb was out him at this time and went from the same town, Barnard.
In 1780 after the Indians came to Barnard and made prisoners of [illegible] and others he went to Royalton under Capt Safford and was there about one month. After the fort was built in Bethel went there and performed a tour of four months duty.
The next year 1781 he was with the fort at Barnard under Capt Beriah Green and performed a tour of three months duty. [he]was born July 20th 1751.

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He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever 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.
/s/William Butman
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. /s/L A Marsh Register
We, Preston Tayler a Clergyman residing in Barnard and Samuel Richmond residing in the same place, hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with William Butman who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 81 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. 
/s/Preston Taylor
/s/Lemuel Richmond
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. /s/L A Marsh Register

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, 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, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to then that Preston Tayler who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clergyman, resident in Barnard and that Lem'l Richmond who has also signed the same, is a resident in Barnard and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit. 
I, Lyndon A. Marsh Register of the Court of Probate of the District of Hartford do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Butman for a Pension.
[court seal affixed] In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this ninth day of August A. D. 1832 - 
LA Marsh, Register

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Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace within and for the County of Windsor and State of Vermont on this tenth day of June 1833 William Butman of Barnard in said County who being duly sworn deposeth 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 the his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below and in the following grades.
For two months he served as a soldier & For four months he served as a soldier in the year 1775 - For six months I served as a Soldier in the year 1778 at Rutland in the State of Vermont under Capt Safford - For four months I served as a soldier at Bethel and one month at Royalton in 1780 under Capt Safford in the Vermont Troops For three months I served as a soldier in the year 1781 at Barnard under Capt Beriah Green - 
I was born at Gloucester within the Massachusetts the 20th of July 1751. and there is a record of my age at Gloucester aforesaid - 
When first called into service I was living at Gloucester aforesaid - and when next called into service I was living at Barnard aforesaid where I now reside - The first two months service was as substitute for other person to wit Thomas Hazard and William Whitridge - I do not recollect the names of any general officer who was with the Troops - I never received any discharge - Preston Taylor and Lemuel Richmond of my vicinity are knowing me and my character - 
The said two months service as above I was under Capt Dodge - the services aforesaid were performed in embodied corps - I have no documentary evidence to prove my services aforesaid nor neither is there any person living by whom I can prove the same -
/s/William Butman
Geo. E. Wales Justice of Peace
Windsor 13. June 1833 - I certify that Geo E Wales is a Justice of the Peace for the County of Windsor
/s/Horace Everett

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15025
INVALID.
File No. 15.025
William Butman 
Priv. Rev war

Act: June 7th 1832
Index: - Vol. 1, Page 53

[Arrangement of 1870.]

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[addressed envelope]

Barnard Vt
Sept 9 

free

James L. Edwards Esq
Commissioner of Pensions
City of Washington D. C. 

[margin notes: Vt. Sept 14 ntd. AO admit G. E. Wales Barnard]

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5453
Wm Butman

Admit 19 mos

L. A. Marsh
Hartford

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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 which claim of William Butman which require further proof or explanation.

I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?
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 of periods of the war when he served? ['no' crossed out]
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? ['no Will grant 5 [illegible]' crossed out]
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? ['not' crossed out]
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion?
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal?

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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 service?
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? no This objection has not been removed
XIV. +If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?
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 personal knowledge of the applicant's service?' crossed out]
XVI. ↕Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct?
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily?['And' crossed out] if not, which of them is not so answered? ['no' crossed out]

EXPLANATORY 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 undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth 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 he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For ______year______months, and______days______, I served as a______; and for such service I claim a pension.

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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 be every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodies 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 is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other papers authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which 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 papers.