Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 18318, Samuel Webster, Conn.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Conn.
Webster, Samuel
N. 18318
Margaret
CONTENTS

2652. New York
Samuel Webster of Fabius — in the State of New York who was a Priv. & Sergt. in the Company commanded by Captain Chaney — of the Regt. commanded by Col. Wyllis — in the Connecticut line for 7 months a private and 2 months Sergeant
Inscribed on the Roll of New York at the rate of 33 Dollars 33 Cents per annum to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 26 th day of Novem- ber 1832 and sent to Geo. Petit. Fabius
Arrear to 14th of Sep 1832 — 49.99 Sergeant. allowance ending 4 Mar 33 16 66 $ 66.64
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Geo. C. Miles Clerk Book D Vol. 5 Page 205

Albany 1528
Margaret Webster
widow of Samuel Webster
who died on the 11. December 1834
of Onondaga Co. in the State of N. York
who was a Pr. & Sergt. in the company commanded by Captain Coon of the Coon commanded
by Coon in the Revolution
time for 7 months Pr.
23.33
2 " Sergt.
10.00
$33.33
Inscribed on the Roll of Albany
at the rate of 33 Dollars 33 Cents, per annum,
to commence on the 1st day of March, 1834.
11. December
Certificate of Pension issued the 4 th day of Nov.
1837 and sent to George Pettit Esq. Fabius, N. Y.
Arrears to the 1 st of Sept. '37
90.79
Semi-annual allowance ending 4. Mar '38. 16.66
$107.45
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act July 4, 1836, Section the 3 — }
Recorded by D. Brown
Clerk
Ms. A.
Vol. 2-
Page 121

8623
Samuel Webster
admitted
9 mo
30 $
25.51 10
George Pottit
Tabias
(NY)

BRIEF in the case of  Samuel Webster  of  Habits  in the State of  New York  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? a Judge  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? yes  3. How old is he? Seventy eight years.  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days.     Volunteer In 1776 2 Gen. H. Pitkin, Col. H. G. L.   do do July - Aug 2 Capt. Sam. Chase   do do 1777 Aug 3 Capt. L. Bidwell   drafted 1778 July 2 (Sergt.) Capt. R. Pitkin  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? Saratoga.  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? East Hartford.  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? M c Neary living witness part of the service. Ellen Webster living witness, James Sanborn & John Codwell living witnesses. Many others. I & clergyman certify to traditional evidence. David Lark living witness.  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? 
X Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Examining Clerk.

Declaration, in Order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832
State of New York } County of Onondaga } ss On this 31 st day of July 1832 personally appeared at his own house, before George Pettit a Judge of the County Courts in & for said County, Samuel Webster, a resident in the Town of Fulton in said County, & unable from bodily infirmity to appear in open Court, aged Twenty Eight years, who being first duly sworn, before the said Judge 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 the service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated - That he first entered the service in February 1776 & went as a Volunteer under Lieutenant Richard Pitkin of East-Hartford, where also the detachment then residing, was mustered there, and marched to Boston, where the Company joined Col. Wyllys's Regiment & was stationed in Roxbury Massachusetts, & after serving two months was there discharged in April 1776 - That in July or August next thereafter, he volunteered in a Company under Captain Timothy Cheney & Lieutenant Richard Pitkin, which marched to New York where it remained till our People evacuated the city, Capt Cheney having left there before, & after passing near Kingsbridge, & remaining a short time nearby, was discharged in October 1776, having served two months - That in August or the fore part of September 1777, he went as a volunteer under Capt. Deuelon Bidwell of East Hartford and was with him in the battle of Saratoga where Capt Bidwell was wounded, & died, soon after his leg was taken off, and after the battle, he was detached with a party to guard prisoners to Albany, & returned from there to his home having served this term nearly or quite three months - arrived at home about the first days in November - That in July or August 1778 he was drafted & marched under Capt Richard Pitkin & Lieutenant David Little from Hartford Conn. to Fairfield, remained there a few weeks, & then marched to Rhode Island & remained there not far from a month, was in Sullivan's retreat, & was in the rear of the army which was conducted from the Island by Lafayette, and was discharged at a place below Providence

after more than two months as a Sergeant, service, in October of the same year, that he was put under Capt Ezekiel Olcutt's command, while at Rhinecliff, Col. Chapman's Regiment, that he has no documentary evidence excepting the depositions of Daniel Peck, Thomas Kiney, John Cadwell & Allen Webster hereto annexed, & that he knows of no other person whose testi- mony he can procure, who can testify to his service, & that the regular Clergyman who has resided in this Town for several years past, having removed more than one hundred miles distant, there is no person of that description in said Town, with whom he is acquainted, who can testify as to his age & reputation as a soldier in the revolution. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State -
Samuel his + Webster mark
Sworn to & Subscribed the day & year aforesaid before George Pettit Judge of Onondaga County Courts

State of New York } County of Onondaga } ss
On this 31 st day of July 1832 personally appears before George Pettit, a Judge of the County Courts in and for said County, Thomas Kearny, a resident of the Town of Fabius in said County, who being duly sworn before him the said Judge, doth, on his oath, depose and says, that he was a Soldier in the revolu- tionary War, and served under Lieut Richard Pitkin of East Had- ford, Connecticut, in a Regiment commanded by Col. Wyllys for the term of two months, & was stationed during that time, at a house in Roxbury Massachussetts, & was there discharged in April 1776 - & further, that in July or August thereafter, there was a general call for Men to go to New York, that he volunteered un- der Capt Timothy Churney, Lieut tenant Richard Pitkin, and served in New York till our men left that City, & then marched near Kingsbridge, & was stationed a short time in that vicinity, where he was discharged after serving two months in October 1776 - That he is now, & has been, acquain- ted with Samuel Webster of Fabius aforesaid, from early life, in the state of Connecticut, & more than thirty years in this County & State, that he also was a Soldier in the revolu- tion, that he volunteered under the same Officers, at the same place, & served in the same Company, with this deponent at the same places, & was discharged with him at the time and place above stated by the deponent - That he knows the said Samuel to have been reputed to have served at various other times & places in the revolutionary War, particularly at the Battle of Saratoga, and that he has always borne the character of truth and veracity & that his declarations are enti- tled to full credit --
his Thomas + Kearny mark
Sworn to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid before
George Pettit Judge of Onondaga County Courts

State of New York } County of Onondaga } p
On this 31 st day of July 1832 personally appeared before George Pettit, a Judge of the County Courts in and for said County, Allen Webster, of Truxton in the County of Cortland, & State aforesaid, who, being duly sworn before the said Judge, according to law, deponeth doth, on his Oath, de- pose & say, that he is brother to Samuel Webster of Fabius in said County of Onondaga, that they both were Soldiers in the revolutionary War, that they both resided in East Hartford Conn, that the deponent, being some ten or twelve years younger recollects that his said Brother was called & went a number of times as a Soldier in the early part of the war, but par- ticularly recollects his going at the time Burgayne came down under Capt. Sheldon Bidwell, & that he was absent between two & three months before he returned, & that Capt. Bidwell died imme- diately after the battle & the amputation of a fractured leg - and that he has always been reported to have been in the battle of Sar- atoga - and to have been in the service at various times du- ring the War - & further says not -
Allen Webster
Sworn & Subscribed the day and year aforesaid, before me
George Pettit Judge of Onondaga Co. Pleas
State of New York } County of Onondaga } p
On this 31 st day of July 1832 personally ap- peared before George Pettit, a Judge of the County Courts in and for said County, John Calkins, aged Seventy- four years, of Fabius in said County, who, being duly sworn before the said Judge, according to law, doth, on his Oath de- pose & say, that he was a Soldier in the Revolutionary war, & was acquainted with Samuel Webster of said Fabius, when they both lived in East Hartford Connecticut, & for more than thirty years in this Town, has been well acquainted with him , but more particularly in the revolutionary service - that the deponent & said Samuel were drafted in July or August, 1779 and attached to Capt. Richard Pit- kin's Company, Lieutenant Daniel Little, which was mustered in Hartford, & marched under orders to go to Westpoint, as far as Fairfield & were stopped there, for about a month, & were marched from Fairfield to Rhode Island, & joined General Sullivan where he remained about a month, & were there when Sulli- van retreated retreated from that place, & among the last of the men who were evacuated from the Island under Lafayette,

were drafted into service, Lieut. David Little, which was mustered in his company, Lieut. David Little, which was mustered in Hartford, & marched under orders to go to Westpoint, as far as Fairfield & were stopped there, for about a month, & were marched from Fairfield to Rhode Island, & found General Sullivan where he remained about a month, & were there when Sulli- van retreated retreated from that place, & among the last of the men who were conducted from the Island under Lafayette, and were discharged near Providence, in the last of Septem- ber or first of October having served two months - that said Samuel was a Col. by Serjeant, & did that duty during the term. That he was reputed in Connecticut, & has also been, here, in this state, to have been in the revolutionary service at various other times & places, that his character has always been good for truth & veracity & that his declarations are entitled to full credit - John Cadwell
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before George Pettit Judge of Onondaga County Courts

Monroe County p 32 J. Horace Griswold a Clergyman residing in the Town of Wheatland in said County do hereby certify that I removed from the Town of Fabius County of Onondaga State aforesaid, in Janu- ary last, after a residence in that Town of more than seven years, that during that time, I was well acquainted with Samuel Webster, a resident in that Town, who is an applicant for a per- sion & has requested this certificate, and that I believe him to be eighty years old, that he is reputed & believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a revolutionary Soldier, & that I concur in that opinion - - - - - Sworn to & subscribed this 4 th day of August 1832 before Josiah Blackmer Justice of peace
Horace Griswold

State of New York } County of Onondaga } ss
On this 6 th day of August 1832 personally ap- pears before George Pettit, a Judge of the County Courts in & for said County, Daniel Peck, of the Town of Onondaga in said County, who being duly sworn before him the said Peck, doth, on his Oath, depose & say, that he was a Soldier in the revolutionary War, that he was then, & has been ever since, well acquainted with Samuel Webster of Tully in said County, that the deponent & said Samuel volunteered in a company of Militia commanded by Captain Timothy Cheney and Lieutenant Richard Pitkin of East Hartford in the State of Connecticut, where the deponent & said Samuel then resided, that they volunteered as aforesaid, in July or August 1776, and were marched to New York where the said Company remained till an hour before Evacuated the City, and then were marched over Kingsbridge & remained in that vicinity a short time, where they were discharged in October 1776, having served two months. That in July or August 1778 the deponent & the said Samuel were both drafted and served under Capt. Ezekiel Olcott of North Bolton in Conn. being in a detachment from Capt. Richard Pitkin's Company, and were marched to Rhode Island, & attached to Col. Chapman's Regi- ment of Talland in Conn, and were there when General Sullivan retreated from that place & among the last of the men who were con- ducted from the Island under Safayette, & were discharged near Providence in the last of September or first of October 1778 having served about three months - during which time said Samuel served & did Ordinary Sergeant's duty, & that he was reported to have been in the service at other times besides the times above mentioned, particularly at the Battle of Saratoga - & further saith not - Sworn & Subscribed the day } & year aforesaid before } George Pettit Judge of Onondaga } County Courts }
Daniel Peck

And I the said Judge do hereby declare my Opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after printing the interrogatories presented by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states, and I do further certify that it appears to me, that Thomas Keeney and John Cadwell, who have subscribed and sworn to the preceding depositions, are residents of the said Town of Fabius, are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit, that I have been personally acquainted with them, and with the applicant, in said Town, more than Twentysix years, & that they are all men of unsuspected truth & veracity and have all been reputed in said Town, & believed, to have been soldiers of the revolution - That for more than seven years past, I have been acquainted with Horace Griswold who has subscribed and sworn to another of the preceding certificates, obtained since the date of the foregoing declaration, that he is a clergyman resident in the Town of Wheatland, County of Monroe, and is a credible person, & that his statement is entitled to credit - And I do further certify, that the said Applicant being blind in one eye, and otherwise much debilitated, cannot from bodily infirmity, attend the Court - Given under my hand and Seal at Fabius aforesaid this 21 st day of August 1932
George Pettit Judge of Onondaga County Courts.
State of New York } County of Onondaga }
vs. I. Reuben S. Hest Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the said County do hereby certify that the above named George Pettit was at the date of the foregoing Statement and still is a judge of the said Court of Common Pleas in & for the said County of Onondaga which is a court of record & that the signature annexed to said Statement is his genuine signature.
In testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand & Seal of Office this 27 th day of August eighteen hundred & thirty two
R. S. Hest Clerk
8623 Samuel Webster

V o 76 A Margaret Webster Affidavit under the Act of Congress of July 4 th 1836
George Pettit of Faubus Onondaga County N. Y. her
Agent -
of record
Admitted
Private 7 mo
Sag s 2 "
Admitted to commission 11 th
Dec 1834 - d ied at Syracuse
In Pettit Esq s
Faubus
N.Y.

Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the third section of the act of Congress of the 4th of July 1836
State of New York } County of Onondaga }
On this 19th day of August 1836 personally appeared before George Pottit a Judge of the County Courts in and for the said County, Margaret Webster a resident of the Town of Fabius in said County of Onondaga & State of New York aged Eighty years the 16th day of May last, who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 4th 1836. That She is the widow of Samuel Webster, a pensioner of the United States, under the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832, late of the said Town of Fabius, deceased, that said Samuel Webster was a private soldier and a Sergeant in the militia or army of the United States, in the revolutionary War, and served as set forth in his declaration & in the proof thereto annexed, under said last mentioned Act, which said declaration & proof were made in said Town of Fabius before the said Judge, in the year 1832, & is now on file in the War Department, & is all, & the only proof of said service in the power of the declarant to produce -- She further declares that She was married to the said Samuel Webster on the 24th day of January 1775, that her husband, the aforesaid Samuel Webster died on the Eleventh day of December in the year 1834, & that she has remained a widow ever since that period as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed. She further declares, that She has no documentary evidence of the service of her said husband, except as aforesaid to support her claim nor has she any record of her said marriage - that She had a record of it in an old Bible, but gave it to one of her Sons & removed the leaf containing said record, but put it away so carefully or so carelessly that She has not been able to find it since although she has searched for it much - that She had no children under the age of Sixteen years at the time of their Father's decease as aforesaid.
I certify that Margaret Webster subscribed her and sworn to the above declaration before Margaret Webster me

me, on the day and year first therein mentioned, that I have known her for thirty years to be a reputable person & her statement is entitled to full credit & belief. that she signed the same with her mark, because she never could write, that till his decease she lived with Samuel Weston therein named, as her husband, & that she cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court - George Pettit Judge of State of New York
Onondaga County Courts
Onondaga County } On this 19 th day of August 1836 personally appeared Abigail Ganch a resident of the Town of Galina  the  of  East Hartford in said County, aged Seventyseven years next October, before George Pettit a Judge of County Courts in & for said County, & the said Abigail, being duly sworn according to law, laid before the said Judge, did depose & say that she has been well acquainted with Margaret Weston who has subscribed & sworn to the foregoing declaration from her earliest recollection, that deponent & said Margaret were both born in East Hartford Connecticut & were children together, & lived within half a mile of each other till both removed into the State of New York & County of Onondaga, & Township of Galina, about thirty eight years ago, & have resided ever since within half a mile of each other, that although deponent was not present when said Margaret, whose maiden name was Hemen, was married to Samuel Weston now deceased, she well recollects when said Margaret was a girl, & that it was generally said in the neighborhood she was married to said Samuel before the first of the revolutionary War, that said Samuel & Margaret ever afterwards lived together as Man & Wife & raised a large family of children, as deponent well remembers, until said Samuel Died in December 1834 in said Town of Galina, at his residence where deponent & said Margaret had lived together as aforesaid within half a mile of the residence of this deponent, & that said Margaret has not been married since the death of her said husband as aforesaid - & deponent further says that said Samuel was a prisoner of the United States at the time of his death -
Abigail Ganch, well & long known to me as a credible Witness, subscribed & sworn to the above her Abigail Ganch on the 19 th of August 1836 before me George Pettit Judge of Onondaga County Courts

State of New York Onondaga County
On this 19 th day of August 1836 before George Pettit a Judge of County Courts in & for said County, person- ally appeared Mary Keeny a resident of Fulius in said Coun- ty, aged Eighty Eight years, who being duly sworn by & before the said Judge, according to Law did depose & say that she was born in Glastonbury in Connecticut and at the age of about nineteen years deponent married into East Hartford, State last above said, & then & there became ac- quainted with Margaret Keeny then about twelve years old, that afterwards deponent & said Margaret resided in the same neighborhood till she was married as was every where reported & believed, to Samuel Wheeler, & part of said time deponent worked for said Margaret. Further, that after her reported & reported marriage as above said which took place before the revolutionary war broke out, the deponent and Thomas Keeny her husband, & said Samuel Wheeler & said Margaret Wheeler, who is the same person who has subscribed & sworn to the foregoing declaration, all continued to reside in the same neighborhood in said Town of East Hartford about twelve years, during which time said Samuel & Thomas Keeny deponent's husband served in the revolutionary army, that during the last thirty three five years said Margaret has lived in said Town of Fulius with said Samuel as her husband, or at least until he di- ed a year ago last December, that said Sam- uel Wheeler & Margaret Wheeler have always lived together as Man & Wife since their marriage as aforesaid, & have raised a large family of children as the deponent well knows, & that said Margaret has not been married since the death of her husband as aforesaid & that he was reported to be a prisoner of the United States when he died
I certify that Mary Keeny subscribed & sworn to this declaration before me, on the 19 th day of August 1836 - that she is a credible Witness George Pettit Judge of Onondaga County Courts
her Mary Keeny mark

State of New York Onondaga County Esq: I Alanson Edwards Clerk of the court of Common Pleas of said County do hereby certify that George Pettet Esquire before whom the preceding and within affidavits purport to have been sworn was at the same time a judge of Onondaga County Courts duly appointed and qualified and that I am acquainted with his hand writing and verily believe his name subscribed to the jurats of of said affidavits to be his genuine signatures Witness my hand and seal of office this 23. day of August 1836. A. Edwards Clerk

Jan. 16 th
1776. — Margaret, Daughter of Samuel & Margaret Webster was baptized.
June 29 th
1783. Lovice, — Daughter of Samuel Webster and wife, was baptized.
The above is a true copy of the record of the church of Christ in Eastbury, kept at that time by the Rev. James Pells Pastor of said church. Leonard E. Hale, Clerk
Hartford County ss Glastonbury Oct. 11 th 1837 — Personally appeared the above named Leonard E. Hale & made oath to the truth of the above Certificate by him subscribed — before me —
(Daniel E. Hubbard Justice Peace)
I also certify that Leonard E. Hale is Clerk of the Church in Eastbury and that the above is his signature by him Officially —
(Daniel E. Hubbard Justice Peace)
for - 75

State of Connecticut } Court of Hartford }
I Philo A Goodwin clk of the County Court for the County of Hartford do hereby certify that David E Hubbard Esq whose name is subscribed to the foregoing certificate is an acting Justice of the Peace within & for said County of Hartford, regularly commissioned & qualified as appears to me of Record in my office, that I am acquainted with his handwriting & that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine, that full faith & credit are due to his official acts —
Given under my hand & the seal of said County Court this thirteenth day of October in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven
Philo A. Goodwin clk

Rev. and 1812 Wars Section.
aws
January 29, 1927.
Snider Mrs. W. E. Snidhr Osceola Nebr
Madam:
I have to advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim W. 18318, it appears that Samuel Webster, while residing at East Hartford, Connecticut, enlisted in February 1778 and served two months under Lieutenant Richard Pitkin and Colonel Wylllys in the Connecticut Troops
He enlisted in July or August 1776 and served two months in Captain Timothy Cheney's Connecticut Company.
He enlisted in August or September 1777 and served three months in Captain Zebulon Bidwell's Connecticut Company, and was in the battle of Saratoga.
He enlisted in July or August 1778 and served two months as sergeant under Captains Richard Pitkin

and Ezekiel Olcott, Colonel Chapman's Connecticut Regiment.
He was allowed pension on his application executed July 31, 1832, while a resident of Fabius, Onondaga County, New York, aged seventy-eight years. He died at said Fabius, December 11, 1834.
Soldier married January 24, 1775 in the Parish of Oxford, Hartford, Connecticut, Margaret Keeney, who was born May 16, 1756 at East Hartford, Connecticut. She was allowed pension on her application executed August 19, 1836, while living in Fabius, New York.
It is stated that they raised a large family of children, only names mentioned are- Margaret, baptized January 16, 1776; and Lovice, baptized June 29, 1783.
Respectfully,
WINFIELD SCOTT Commissioner.

Hon J. L. Bulwer
Commissaire &c -

Trubius Onondaga County N.Y. August 1 st 1837
Sir Herewith I forward further proof to sustain the claim of Margaret Webster, for the continuation to her, of the pension of Samuel Webster her deceased husband, under the 3 d section of the act of Congress, of July 8 th 1836. This evidence consists of the affidavit of William Whitman Clerk of the Town of Hartford, County of Hartford State of Connecticut, duly authenticated, and the Letter of Col Francis Brown, under cover of which the affidavit was forwarded to me. Believing that the facts & circumstances proved by the depositions of Mary Kearney & Mrs Cook, which accompanied the declaration of the Claimant, form an amount of evidence which must be entirely satisfactory to the department, as soon as the preliminary proof, required by the regulations in order for its admission, could be furnished. There has been at great pains & expense to ascertain proof of the marriage, or evidence of its absence, according to the directions contained in G. W. Crampton's Letter to me of Sept. 9 th 1836. & a copy of Decr 20 th 1836 to the Hon W. Taylor now before me. After failing in successive attempts by letters, containing full and specific instructions, addressed to the relatives of the applicant, the Post Master, Town Clerk, Church Clerk, &

Notwithstanding the place where the marriage was solemnized, I have at length succeeded through the kindness of Col Brown, in obtaining such proof as, I trust, will satisfy the regulations, & prepare the way for the admission of the strong & conclusive evidence found in the affidavits of Mrs Keeney & Mrs Gove. The certificate of Mr Whitman, present Clerk of the Town of Hartford, which, in revolutionary times, embraced what was then & since known by the towns and parishes of Oxford, East Hartford, Hartford five miles & Manchester, shows that records of marriages, were not kept, or required by law to be kept, within that territory, antecedent to the year 1820. So far as the unauthenticated letter of Col Brown goes, (& here, among a number of his contemporaries who have known him over 40 years, it would go as far as his oath) it proves also that no ecclesiastical record of marriages was kept at that place & period. - If the facts stated in Col Brown's Letter, must be confirmed, & proof of his character and credibility should be deemed sufficient, much trouble & delay may be saved, by collecting that proof in this place - But if his affidavit with the usual authentications is insisted on, further efforts will be made to obtain it. If however, the affiant, who is very old & deaf, should die in the mean time, great inconvenience would follow, in prosecuting the claim, in behalf of her heirs, who are very numerous.

and scattered over different States of this Union.
I am very respectfully &c
George Pitts Agent for Maryland Whisky
Hon. J. L. Edmuns
...James, Town Clerk, etc.

A Free
George Pittib Esq (P.M.) Tubbs, Onondaga County
N.Y.

George Pitts Esq
Manchester July 24 1827
Dear Sir
I must apologise for my delay in complying with your request I received your communication by Mr Thury and shall should have attended to it sooner had my missing documents permitted I found therein that it was something like looking up an old story - difficult to get the right of it I applied to the Clerk of the Ecclesiastical Society and found there are no records of marriages kept there I then applied to the Clerk of the Town of E. Hartford and found what I knew before but had forgotten that E. Hartford was set off from Hartford within a ten years since the marriage of Mr Webster - I then went to Hartford and found no records there as the Laws informing the recording of marriages was passed in 1820 I however have at last succeeded in procuring the necessary documents which I herewith forward. The Town & County Clerks, the Justice who is likewise Clerk of Probate together with a gentleman from Windsor who is employed in procuring permissions all pronounced them to be correct - it has cost me considerable time & trouble. I sat down yesterday to write this letter and put it into the Post Office when on reading the certificate I found the word Windsor instead of Hartford in it which was a blunder of the father of James who copied the certificate. I had to go directly to Hartford to get it settled. The money I paid for the several fees was $1.12. Should the Widow obtain her pension you may if convenient remit to me two Dollars - if she should not obtain it she is welcome to it all
In great haste Sir I must subscribe myself yours
Frederick Brown

Oct 31 1851 My
W. Rice adept Margaret Weston
J. L. [unclear]
Comm ee of Business Washington D. C.

Italians, Onondaga County N.Y. Oct 25 th 1837
Sir
I take the liberty, once more, to call your attention to the application of Mrs Margaret Webster for a pension under the act of Congress of July 4 th 1837 - By recurring to the affidavits of Mary Kenny & Mrs Cook, accompanying her declaration, proof of her marriage to Samuel Webster will be found, which is equivalent in all respects, to positive evidence, although it be circumstantial in its character. -
Your earliest notice of this claim is dated Sept 9 th 1836, in which I am instructed that "the marriage should be established by some contemporaneous record of the Town or Church, if any such record can, by diligent search, be found. It should appear by that such evidence cannot be procured, before parol testimony alone , can be deemed satisfactory." Again - Your favor of the 20 th Dec 1836, addressed to the Hon. W. Taylor informs me, after disposing of my own affidavit, then recently received & examined, that "if, on examination it should appear that no record of that fact exists in the Town where the marriage was solemnized, secondary evidence will be received ." - With great expense & delay,
"Diligent search" was accordingly made, through the Post-Master, Town Clerk, Church Clerk, & select Men of the Town where the marriage was solemnized, & last of all, by the favor of Col Francis Brown, it was ascertained that "no record of that fact exists" and the evidence procured by him, accompanied by his own Letter, was forwarded to the department the forepart of July last. This communication was answered by your favor of the 30 th of August last, from which I make the following extract. "It seems there is no record evidence of her marriage in the town where it took place, the testimony of a credible is therefore required. Parol evidence of the baptism of children born near the period in which the marriage was alleged to have taken place has in some instances been deemed satisfactory evidence."
If it had been understood that "the testimony of a credible witness would be required," after receiving encouragement that

"paral testimony might be deemed satisfactory" after "diligent search" had been made, to "procure record evidence", and after we assume that "secondary evidence could be received" when such search should have been made, the application would have been considered hopeless, inasmuch as but three persons who were present at the marriage, were alive when the Law of July 28 th 1836, was passed. That two of these sickened & died in September following, pending an application directly to them for their testimony - & that the third, has long been paralytic & insane, as a seroff western Postmaster informs me, in reply to my Letter, enclosing an affidavit of the marriage, & requesting him to procure its execution by the Witness then lingering & languishing in his neighborhood. —
Considering, however, from the whole tenor of your true communications herein quoted, especially from the reference closing in the last, to the record of children's Baptism, that "the testimony of a living witness" will not be held indispensable, another, and a successful effort has been made, to procure such record, though at a hazardous delay, as respects the health, necessities, & probable continuance of the claimant, & with considerable additional expense.
The record of the Baptism of two of the children of Samuel & Margaret Webster is enclosed, the eldest within about one year after the time of the marriage as alleged by the Claimant in her declaration; and it is hoped this piece of evidence, well authenticated as it is, will remove the last remaining doubt as to their marriage, & that a certificate will be forwarded in time for the applicant to enjoy the benefit a few days before she go hence to be here no more.
I remain very respectfully your obed Servt
George Pittit
Han. J L Edwards.

George Pittit Agent, Fitchburg Onondaga County N.Y.

Town Clerks office Con. July 19 th A.D. 1837.
William Whitman Town Clerk of the Town of ex  Hartford hereby certify, that having been applied to, to examine the records relative to the marriage of Samuel Webster & Margaret Keeney, supposed to have been married at the Parish of Oxford, then a part of the town of Hartford, now included in the town of Manchester, in the year 1775. I certify that having examined the Records for that year & for the several years previous & since, I do not find any record of the marriage of said Samuel Webster & Margaret Keeney. I would further certify that the Statute law of Connecticut requiring marriages to be recorded in the town Clerks Office was not passed until May 1820. The word Hartford on the third line was inserted by me } W. Whitman, Town Clk & } State of Connecticut } W. Whitman } Regist.
County of Hartford } ss Hartford July 19 th 1837.
Personally appeared before the subscriber a justice of the peace within & for the County of Hartford the above named William Whitman and made oath to the truth of the above certificate by him subscribed before. I further certify that I am well acquainted with the deponent and know that he is Clerk of the town of Hartford aforesaid, regularly chosen, and that the above is his genuine signature.
Before me Thos H Seymour justice of the peace

State of Connecticut County of Hartford
I Philo A. Goodwin Clerk of the County Court within & for said County of Hartford do hereby certify that Thomas H. Seymour Esq. whose name is subscribed to the forgoing certificate is an acting Justice of the Peace within & for said County of Hartford, regularly commissioned & qualified as appears to me of Record in my office - that I am acquainted with his hand writing & that the forgoing signature signature purporting to be his is genuine & that full faith & credit are due to his official acts -
In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed the seal of said County Court & subscribed my name this 19th day of July A.D. 1837 Philo A. Goodwin Clerk

G. Pettit's affidavit in support of Margaret Weston's claim for a Pension.
Am W Taylor AK

State of New York ss
Onondaga County
In this 3 rd day of December 1836 before me John Watson First Judge of the County Courts in and for said County, comes George Pettit one of the Judges of said County, who being duly sworn according to law, by & before the said First Judge, doth, on his oath, depose & say, that he is agent for Margaret Webster of Salina in said County, Widow of Samuel Webster late a pensioner of the United States, deceased, to obtain the continuance of his pension to the said Margaret, under the 3 rd Section of the Act of Congress passed July 27 th 1835, that since the said Mar- garet made her declaration under said Act, & since deponent received a Letter in answer to it, from the honorable Commis- sioner of Pensions dated September 9 th 1835, requiring her "mar- riage to be established by some contemporaneous of the Tavern or Church" she informed this deponent that Asahel Webster, brother to her said husband, and Anne Keeney her own Sister, are the only two persons living, to her knowledge, who were present at her marriage to said Samuel Webster, that thereupon depo- nent prepared an affidavit to be sworn to by said Asahel Webster, & enclosed the same in a Letter to the Postmaster in the Town of Caledon Allegany County & State of New York where said Asahel Webster resides, requesting said Postmas- ter to procure said affidavit to be executed by said Asahel Webster & return the same to deponent, duly authenticated. That said Postmaster has written a Letter to deponent and it has been received by him, stating that he had received deponent's said Letter enclosing said affidavit, & had been to see said Asahel Webster, & found him labouring un- der the effects of a late paralytic shock which had rendered him senseless & destroyed his memory & intellect entirely, & that the Wife of said Asahel assured said Postmaster that said Margaret was mistaken in the fact that her hus- band was present at said marriage, & thereupon said Post- master returned said affidavit in blank to deponent. That deponent immediately prepared another affidavit to be sworn to by said Anne Keeney, & enclosed the same

in a letter addressed to Hosea Keeny her husband in East Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, & where the said marriage was solemnized, requesting him to procure said affidavit to be sworn to by said Anne Keeny, & return the same to deponent duly authenticated, that deponent has since been informed by a Son-in-law of said Hosea & Anne Keeny now residing a neighbour to deponent in Hales in said County that he had lately heard that said Hosea and Anne Keeny were both dangerously sick & not expected to recover, which information deponent some three or four weeks ago, curiously believes to be true - that thereupon deponent wrote a letter to the Second Church of said Town of East Hartford requesting him in the first place, to call on said Anne Keeny, if living, & procure her to swear to said affidavit if she remembered being present at the marriage of said Samuel Wetster to said Margaret, & return the same duly authenticated to deponent & secondly if said Anne should be dead, or unable to subscribe & swear to said affidavit, or should not remember the fact of said marriage so as to swear to it, to search the records of his office, and the records of the Church in said Town of East Hartford, where said marriage is declared by said Margaret to have been celebrated, & if said marriage should be found recorded to send deponent a transcript of the same duly authenticated - & in case he could find no such record, to send him his own affidavit duly authenticated, that he had made such search but found no record of said marriage - Deponent further says that he has received no information at all from said Hosea Keeny, Anne Keeny nor from said Deacon Clark in this matter - & further, that said Margaret has more than once told deponent that she has no idea that her marriage was ever recorded otherwise than as mentioned in her said declaration.
and further deponent says that Sworn & subscribed before me this day & year aforesaid, & I do certify that I am well ac- } George Pettit quainted with said George Pettit & }

know him to be a credible Witness
J. H. ATTER
First Judge of Onondaga County Court
State of New York Onondaga County
ss: I, Henson Edwards clerk of the court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Onondaga and clerk of said County do hereby certify that John Wabon Esquire before whom the preceding affidavit purports to have been sworn was at the date of the same First Judge of the the Onondaga County Courts duly appointed and qualified and that I am acquainted with his hand writing and verily believe his name subscribed to the jurat of said affidavit to be his genuine signature. Witness my hand and seal of Office this 3 rd day of December in the year 1836 H. Edwards Clerk

Margaret Webster N.Y.
Susp d Su let to George Pettit Sept 9 '36 Han Wm Taylor Dec 20. '36 do to Geo. Pettit Aug. 30. 1837
Act 4 July 1836

Rev
WIDOW, &c.
1927-Jan. 29- H. St. to Mrs. W. E. Snider awf.
File No. 18318
Margaret Webster
Wid. of
Samuel Webster
Sergt- Rev. War
Act: July 4, 1836.
Index:—Vol. M Page 322
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Osceola Nebr. 11-29-26.
Dear Sir:- Will you please send me the record of any Revolutionary War pension of Samuel Webster who enlisted at Hartford Ct - 2 Feb 1776 under Lieut Richard Pitkin
23 July or Aug 1776 in Capt. Sebulon Diddwell
4 July or Aug 1778 drafted under Capt Richard Pitkin (Lieut. David Little) - under Ezebeil Olcutt in Col. Chapman's Regt - Mrs W. F. Snider

Rev

New York, Albany Agency
Samuel Webster. a prisoner under the act of June 7 th 1832 at the rate of $33.33 to what time paid?
John Harry Esq,
Yours & V Luce
Due 11 th Dec. 1834 paid to that period JH

Aug 7.
Adm. G.
Casa Haught
Adm. G.
Albester N.Y.
J. P. Edwards
Phila
Commission of Enslaving
Washington D.C.
John H. ... Aug 7 ... New York

Washington H.R. Dec 13 th 1836
Dear Sir
With this I send you the affidavit of Judge Pettit in the case of Margaret Webster widow of Samuel Webster, by which it will appear that all reasonable efforts to obtain further proof in the case have been made both from living witnesses and record proof It appears to me the proof already made should be sufficient to establish the claim, and I cannot but hope you will again ex- amine the claim as soon as convenient, and give it a favourable decision
Respectfully Yours W. Taylor
Hon J. L. Edwards