Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 41343, John Williams, Continental (New York.)

SERVICE
Williams, John
NUMBER
S. 41343
Continental (New York)
CONTENTS
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.

(4,746)
Roll of Vermont
John Williams 2d Chaplain Private Knox's Reg't Artillery In the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War.
inscribed on the Roll of Vermont at the rate of Eight Dollars per month, to commence on the 17 th of April 1818 -
Certificate of Pension issued the 30 th of Novem r 1818. and sent to B. M. Atkinson Agent Brattleborough -
Arrears to 4th of Sept r 1818. Am t $36:80 Semi-ann. all ce ending 4 th March 1819 48:
$84:80
{ Revolutionary claim, } { Act 18th March, 1818. }
7 years
Vermont.

41343
INVALID.
Ray
File No.
W. 348
John Williams Rev. Rev. Rev.
Act:
18 th March 18 th
Index:—Vol.
8
, Page
568
[Arrangement of 1870.]

In Williams affidavit
B. m. atherton agent
Admitted if a Judge certifies as to circum- stances
Admitted

Windham, ss
State of Vermont
On this seventeenth day of April 1818 before me the subscriber, assistant or side judge of the Hon. County Court for said County personally appears John Williams aged sixty-eight, resident in Vernon in said County, who being by me first duly sworn, according to Law, doth on his Oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provision made by the late act of Congress entitled "an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land and Naval Service of the United States in the revolutionary war" that he the said John Williams enlisted at the city of New York in the month of March 1776 as a soldier, to serve during the war in the company of Captain Bowman and in Col: Knox's Regiment of Artillery, that he served in said Corps until the evacuation of New York, when he was taken a prisoner by the British, and confined first in the city hall, and afterwards in a place called "the college" till the city took fire, when he was removed to the city Hall, where he remained a few days, and was returned to "the college" that he remained prisoner confined as aforesaid until July 1777, when, taking advantage of permission given to the prisoners of cooking their own provisions, and burying their dead comrades, he contrived to make his escape with one George Daniels, that he immediately repaired with said Daniels to headquarters at Cherry Valley in Pennsylvania and reported himself to an officer known by the title and name of Adjutant General John Dexter, where after answering interrogatories respecting his escape and the situation of the enemy, he received a pass to Boston back with orders to be in readiness, and to join said regiment whenever called for, That this order was given verbally by Gen: Washington, to said Williams and to said Daniels, General Washington at the same time giving each of them thirteen Dollars to defray their expenses

That the said Williams went immediately to Thompson in Connecticut where he remained until the close of the war, that he never was called to join said Regiment which he has reason to believe was occasioned by a report that he had died at the college, and his reason for so believing is, that a sergeant in the same company has since the war told said Williams that he (the sergeant) had heard so. That he was in the engagements when the British shipping attacked New York, and that he recollects firing upon the British ships Phoenix and Rose when they sailed up North River, and when they returned which was before the enemy landed on Long Island. That, while at Thompson aforesaid he volunteered in all cases of alarm, and was in the Battle when Genl. Wooster was killed and when Danbury was burnt. That he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of assistance from his country for support and that he has no other evidence now in his power of his said services his said pass having been long since destroyed.
Sworn to and declared before me this day and Year aforesaid John Williams Gilbert Denison Clerk of the County Court
I Judge of the Windham County Court as aforesaid do certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the said John Williams did serve in the revolutionary war as stated in the preceding declaration, against the common enemy, and I now transmit the proceedings taken and had before me to the secretary of the Department of War pursuant to the directions of the aforesaid act of Congress.
Brattleborough Windham County 17 Ap. 1818
Gilbert Denison Clerk of the County Court

Vernon Nov 17 th 1818. —
Mr John Williams is, in our opinion, an honest, poor, old man, with a feeble wife, and a blind son; and a suitable person for the exercise of public or private charity; and well deserving to have his name enrolled on the pension-list , of needy-revolutionary-heroes.
Cyrus Washburn.
Benjamin Lee
{ Select -Men of Vernon.
Samuel Sikes Just. Peace.
85

I hereby certify that the foregoing is the true and official Signature of the Hon. Gilbert Denison assistant or side Judge of the Windham County Court.
Witness my hand, and the Seal of the said Court, at the Clerk's Office, Brattleborough, Windham County, Vermont, this 25 th day of April, A. D. 1818.
Attest
James Elliot, Clerk.
I Gilbert Denison Judge as aforesaid do further cer- tify that I am personally acquainted with Cyrus Wash- burn, Benjamin Lee and Samuel Dikes of Vernon and of the civil authority of said Vernon, signers of the annexed certificate and that they are men of reputable and respectable characters, and that I believe their up- =resentation of the circumstances of John Williams to be just and true. And I do further certify that the said John Williams is, in my Opinion, by reason of his, reduced circumstances in Life in need of assistance from his country for support
Given under my hand at Brattleborough in the County of Windham State of Vermont this twentieth day of Nov r 1818
Gilbert Denison, Asst d Judge of the County Court