Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30772, Richard Wastcoat, N. H.

SERVICE
NUMBER
N.H.
Wastecoat, Richard
S. 30772
CONTENTS

15. 651
Massachusetts
Richard Washcoat
of Franklin in the State of Massa who was a Pirate in the Comfy commanded by Captain Punnell of the _____ commanded by _____ in the New H.
for 12 mo: 4 days
N H State
Invented on the Roll of Massa at the rate of 40 Dollars 45 Cents per annum, to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 2 day of July 1833 and sent to E Alford
Arrears to the 1st of Mar 1833 $ 80.90 Semest. allowance ending 4 Sept 20.22 $ 101.12
{ Revolutionary Claim, acted June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Book E
D W _____ Clerk, Vol. 2 Page 92
73 Franklin

No 22354
Richard Westcoat. Franklin County Massachusetts
Plant 12 Mo 4 days
E. Alvah Greenfield Massachusetts

County of Franklin  BRIEF in the case of Richard Washcoat in the State of Massachusetts (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? 71 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. As a Gen.     Entered In 1780 ten days of service 4 private Gen. Sullivan, Col. Pennell,   Entered 1781 6 private Col. Pratt  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Richmond New Hampshire  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional & living witness  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Correct 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Richd. H. Vates
Examining Clerk.

Richard Wastcoat
Warwick
N.H. Militia
22354
Richard Wastcoat

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FRANKLIN COUNTY ss.
ON THIS nineteenth — day of September A. D. 1832, personally appeared in open Court, before the said Commonwealth  Warwick Court of Common Pleas of the Probate now sitting at Greenfield within and for the said County of Franklin, Richard Wastcoat a resident of Warwick in the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, aged Seventy 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 an 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.
About the first of July 1780, at Richmond N.H. enlisted for the term of six months (then being 19 years old) marched immediately to Providence R.I. and with other men from various parts of the country, was placed under the immediate command of Capt. Rumballs — does not recollect the name of the Col. to whose Regiment the company was attached, but was under the superior command of Gen. Sullivan — was stationed at a place called Fogland, a few miles from Providence and performed duty at that place till the British left Rhode Island — then crossed over Howland's Ferry to the Island, and performed duty there till the forepart of January, when the term of enlistment expired, and was then dismissed. —
In the month of June or July A.D. 1781, then residing in Warwick, Mass. enlisted again for six months into a Company of New Hampshire Militia commanded by Capt. Pratt and Lieut. Cole and Cook — marched to Castleton Vt. and thence to Skeneateles N.Y. and performed duty during the term of six months. — and was then dismissed — He has no documentary evidence, nor knows of any person, whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his first term of service — nor to the last, except that of Russell Ballou which is hereto annexed.
After leaving the Army he returned immediately to Warwick Massachusetts where he has resided ever since — He was born in Dighton in the County of Bristol in the
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.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
He knows of no Record evidence of his birth.
He refers to the Rev. Preserved Smith Jr. a Clergyman, residing in Warwick and Wm. Cobb Esq. of Warwick aforesaid WE, Preserved Smith Jr. a Clergyman, residing in Warwick and Wm. Cobb Esq. of Warwick aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Richard Wastcoat who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy one 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. Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
R. E. Mearns Judge of Probate Richard Wastcoat Preserved Smith Jr. Wm. Cobb
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 them that Preserved Smith Jr. who has signed the preceding certificate is a Clergyman, resident in the town of Warwick aforesaid and that William Cobb who has also signed the same is a resident in Warwick , and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I, ELIJAH ALVORD, Register R. E. Mearns Clerk of the said Court, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Richard Wastcoat , for a pension.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my Hand and affixed the Seal of the said Court, this nineteenth day of September in the year of our LORD one thousand eight hundred and thirty two
E. Alvord Clerk.

30772 Rev INVALID.
File No. 30,772
Richard Westcoat
Rev Rev War
Act: June 7 th 89 th
Index:—Vol. 9 , Page 437
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Richard Wastcoat B. Ballon aff

Case of Richard Washburn Affidavit of
Russell Walling

I Russell Ballow of Iroquois in the County of Cheshire & State of New Hamp- shire aged sixty eight years, do testify & say that sometime about the month of June or July in the year 1781 I enlisted into the Company of N. Hampshire Militia commanded by Capt Pratt of Chesterfield, Hts. Nath. Cole of Richmond & Cook of Keene we marched from Richmond N.H. to Carlisle Vermont then to Skaneateles, where we were dismissed after having served the full term of six months according to the terms of my enlistment and I further testify & say that Richard Westcoat, then of Warwick in the State of Massachusetts & who has ever since been a resident of Warwick, was a member of & did duty in the same company with me during the said term of six months Russell Ballow
State of New Hampshire
County of Cheshire ss. August 23. A.D. 1832
Subscribed & sworn to Before me
Nathan G. Babbitt Justice of the Peace.
State of New Hampshire.
Cheshire ss. Sept. 24. 1832 - I certify that the Russell Ballow who subscribed & made oath to the truth of the above affidavit is in my belief & from the best information obtained a good & credible witness — Nathan G. Babbitt, Justice of the Peace.

Cheshire p. Aug 23. 1832
I Sophia Hale Clerk of the Judicial Court in said county certify that Nathan G. Babbitt is a Justice of the Peace in and for said county and that the foregoing is his signature. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix the seal of said Superior Court of Judicature
S. Hale Clerk

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Richard Wastcoat which require further proof or 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 when 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 relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes 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? yes

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? 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? Witness
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? Yes
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? Yes
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? Yes
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 satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? Yes
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 _____ For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

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 of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the 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 claimant's 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 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.