Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 6,332, Aaron Watson, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER _____
Mass.
Watson, Aaron
S. 6332
carded.
CONTENTS

2608.
Massachusetts
Aaron Watson
of Bersehire in the State of Mass who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain [blank] of the Regt commanded by Col Brewer in the Mass line for 13 Mo
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass at the rate of 43 Dollars 33 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 3 rd day of Dec 1832 and sent to Rev Bishop Serore Mass
  Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832  $ 64.99    Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Mar 33  21.66     $86.65  
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J H S P Blair Clerk Book D. Vol. 2 nd Page 93.

N o 2411—
Aaron Watson of G e Ban- ington Ms.
The request is the 14 & 16 interrogatories as the brief not coupled with
Mar 7. 1852
Henry M. Bishop G e Bangor Lenox Mass.

BRIEF in the case of  Aaron Watson of the County of Berkshire in the State of Massachusetts  (Act 7 June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? open Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 76 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.     In 1775 May — 8 — Private Gen. Col. Brune, Capt Peter Ingersol   1776 Jan'y — 2 — Volunteer Col. Ward, Capt Wm King   1777 July — 3 — Drafted Col. In o . Ashley, Capt. Enoch Noble.  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? none  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Great Barrington  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? by depositions of living witnesses the opinion of the Court & the affidavit or certificate of a clergyman and other neighbours  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? 
Regular
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Sevin Belt Examining Clerk.

Aaron Watson - Application for Pension
Gt Barrington - Ms - Augt 15 1832
2411

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
County of Berkshire, ss.
ON this fifteenth day of August A. D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court, before the Honorable WILLIAM P. WALKER, Judge of the Court of Probate, within and for said County of Berkshire, now sitting.
Aaron Watson — a resident of the town of Great Barrington in the County of Berkshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, aged Twenty six 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 the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
In the month of May - in the
year 1775, he volunteered or enlisted in a company, raised in Great Barrington, whereof Peter Ingersol was Capt, Silas Goodrich Lieut, and Thomas  Charles Burnham Ensign, the precise day of the month when he entered this service he cannot state, - He resided in Great Barrington when he entered the service aforesaid - he marched from thence to Watertown, Mass. & there joined his Regt. under the command of Col. David Brewer - The Lt. Col. name was Putnam - from Watertown he marched to Roxbury - from thence to Brooklyn where he remained about two months, - then returned to Roxbury & remained there until the expiration of his term of enlistment which was eight months, said term expired in January 1776. about the first of the month, He recollects when Gen Washington arrived & took command of the army which he thinks was in July - Some of the troops that arrived with Washington quartered with Col Brewer, Regt him at Roxbury, At the expiration of his term he volunteered & as such volunteer he served the further term of two months in the Company commanded by Capt William King, The Lieut was John Watson The Ensign Simon Hulcutt, - He was at Roxbury when he volunteered.

and he remained at Roxbury until his term expired, which was about the first of March the precise day not being remembered - His Col.'s name was Ward, - during these two months there was one other Regt. encamped with him commanded by Col. Putnam, - There were some Connecticut troops that lay about a mile & a half from where he was, - after this service he returned to Great Barrington -
In the month of July 1777. The precise day not being recollected, he was drafted at said Great Barrington into the service & served in the company of Militia commanded by Capt. Enoch Adams  Root , in the Regt. under Col. John Ashley in Gen. Fellows Brigade, The name of his Lieut. was Michael Loomis, The Ensign's name he has forgot, - he marched from his residence in Great Barrington to Snasticoke in the state of New York, - from there to a creek about a mile above Saratoga point, where he was when Genl. Burgoyne surrendered, - while in the above service he knew a Col. Bayley (or Baylies) a Capt. Warren & Ensign Sturgeon. Sloan who he believes were regular officers - He had before known Capt. Warren at Roxbury - said Warren was a Lieut. at Roxbury in Col. Brown's Regt.
Col. Bayleys Regt. lay with the Regt. in which P. Watson was at P. Creek - P. Watson was in this service three months - was dismissed in Oct. 1777. The day of the month he has forgot - P. Great Barrington said Watson was born in
Sept. 13. 1756, - Has no record of his age, - never had any written discharge when he left the service, - has always  always lived in Great Barrington except about 20. years, during which time he

lived in Kinderhook (N.Y.) - also at Arine partner, (N.Y.) Armenia (N.Y.) and in Nassau, (N.Y.) & for short periods in other places in the state of New York - He lived in Great Barnington, each time when he entered the service - Has no document- ary evidence - Is generally known in Great Barnington - He refers to Moses Hopkins Esq. Ezra Kellogg Esq. Increase Sumner Esq. David Dyer Esq. Maj. John Kellogg. Rev. S. Burt. Maj. C. W. Hopkins & Ralph Taylor Esq all of Great Barnington,
He knows of no persons by whom he can prove his services except Ezra Kellogg Esq & Maj. John Kellogg -
I Ezra Kellogg of Great Barnington in the county of Berkshire & Commonwealth of Mass. one of the Justices of the peace in & for said county testify that in the Spring, Summer & fall of 1775 I was in the service of the United States at Roxbury & Dorchester, in Capt Wm King's Com- pany, in Col Fellows Regt. - during the time aforesaid. I often saw Aaron Watson above named & know that he served in Capt Peter Ingersoll's company at Roxbury - and I have no doubt he served there the time he states in his de- claration, then subscribed this 15 th day of August A.D. 1832, Ezra Kellogg Justice. - He was at Roxbury when he volunteered

Berkshire ss. August, 15, 1832, - Then the within named Ezra Kellogg appeared before me in open court & made solemn oaths to the truth to the within affidavit by him signed
W. P. Walker Judge of Probate
and I further certify that the said Ezra Kellogg is a person of credibility - W. P. Walker J. Probate
I, John Kellogg of Great Barrington testify that I served as a soldier in the company commanded by Capt. Peter Ingersoll, - the said Aaron Watson was a soldier in the same company & served therein eight months, - His declaration in reference to that service is to my knowledge correct Subscribed this 15. day of August 1832
John Kellogg
Berkshire ss. August 15, 1832, Then the above named John Kellogg appeared before me in open court & made solemn oaths to the above affidavit by him signed -
W. P. Walker J. Probate
and I further certify that the said John Kellogg is a person of credibility.
W. P. Walker J. Probate

He hereby relinquishes every claim which he has 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.
Sworn to, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
Aaron Watson
William P. Walker J. Probate
We Sylvester Burt a Clergyman, residing in the town of Great Barrington and Increase Sumner residing in Great Barrington hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Aaron Watson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy six 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.
Sylvester Burt Increase Sumner
Sworn and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
William P. Walker J. Probate
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 Sylvester Burt who signed the preceding certificate is a Clergyman, resident in the town of Great Barrington in the County of Berkshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts and that Increase Sumner who has also signed the same, is a resident in the town of Great Barrington in the County of Berkshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
William P. Walker J. Probate
I, HENRY W. BISHOP, Register of the Court of Probate within and for the County of Berkshire in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of Aaron Watson for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office of said Court of Probate, this fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty two
Henry W. Bishop Register of Probate

Revtrap
6332.
INVALID.
File No. 6332
Aaron Watson
Brit Rev War
Act: June 7 th 1832.
Index:—Vol. M , Page 391
[Arrangement of 1870.]

N o 2411
Aaron Watson
Pratch
13 M rs
Adm
$ 43.33.
H. W. Bishop Esq re Seneca M ap .

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Aaron Watson  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? XIV. † If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? 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.
† 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 affidavits must be properly authenticated, as above directed.
‡ 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.