Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 11777, David Williams, Mass. Navy

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass. Navy
Williams, David
S. 11777
CONTENTS
carded
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3944.
Massachusetts David Williams
Suffolk in the State of Mass who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain _____ of the reg t commanded by Col Freeman in the Mass t * line for 9 Mos 7 Ds
Mass t Navy. Records completed May 20/54.
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass t at the rate of 30 Dollars 77 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 5 th day of Jan y 1833 and sent D. S. Linda Boston Mass
Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832 $46.15 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Mar 33 15.38
$61.53
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. H. S. Blair Clerk, Book D. Vol. 27 Page 93.

Parsons
11,777 INVALID.
File No. 11,777
David Williams Prin. Rev. War
Act: June 9 th 1832
Index:—Vol. a , Page 410
[Arrangement of 1870.]

No 4197
David Williams
1 Month 7 days Private & Do several Marine
Witnesses Not Called to be Credible (Nov 24 1832)
advised
$30.77
D. L. Child Boston Mass

BRIEF in the case of David Williams of the County of Suffolk in the State of Mass. (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? 73 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 1777 Sept. 15 to 25 Oct. '77 "78 — 1 — Private Col. Freeman, Capt Davis   — 8 — Marine On board the Brig Genl. Gates Commanded by Capt Skinner  
5. In what battles was he engaged? at Sea, with the Brig Montague, Capt. Nelson
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Chelsea
7. Is his statement supported by living documentary proof , by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Depositions
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Levin Bell Examining Clerk.

(B)
I John D Howard of Dorchester in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged seventy three years testify & say that I was a seaman on board the Continental Brig of war General Gates Captain John Skinner commander from about the middle of February A 1778 to about the middle of October of the same year, during the greater part of which time said Brig was cruising to the Southward of the Grand Bank, where in an engagement with the British Brig called the Montague Capt Nelson, our said commander was killed; and that David Williams then of Chelsea in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth aforesaid but now and ever since of Boston in said County, was a mariner on board the same vessel and served with me during the period aforesaid. John D Howard
District of Massachusetts ss Boston August 2. 1803 Subscribed & sworn before me in open court before me D. DILLON Dist Judge U.S. Mass. Dist

I Jacob Hiler of Boston in the County of Suffolk & Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged seventy six years testify and say that I was master at arms on board the Continental Brig of War General Gates during the period and cruise aforesaid, and that the above named David Williams was a marine and served on board said Brig as aforesaid.
Jacob Hiler
U.S. District of Massachusetts ss. Boston August 2. 1832 Subscribed & sworn to before me.
M c Alister Dist d Judge U.S. District Massachusetts Dist d
District of Mass ts ss. Boston Dec 7. 1832 I certify that the above named Jacob D. Howard & Jacob Hiler in my opinion are credible persons and their statements entitled to credit.
M c Alister Judge Dist d Court Mass. Mass ts Dist d

No 4197 David Williams
Dr. J. C. Child Esq. Munro 7 N 32
Map

United States District Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In the County of Suffolk County of
On this second day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Judge of the District Court _____ now sitting at Boston in and for said County , District David Williams a resident of Boston in said County , aged 73 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 7th A. D. 1832.
THAT he was born at said Boston
on the 24 th day of July A. D. 1759, and that there is a record of his birth in his family record : that he was in the United States service from about the fifteenth day of Sep r A. D. 1777, to the twenty fifth day of Oct r A. D. 1777 as a private in the Massachusetts Militia : that he was residing at Chelsea in the County of Suffolk and State of aforesaid
when he entered the service; that he enlisted as a volunteer with Capt Robt Davis on or about the 15 th of September and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Col Freeman in the company of said Davis and in 8 th Freeman's Regiment and General Spencer was the Commander in Chief.
River, from thence to from  to a place called Sekonit thro' Dorchester, Taunton &c : that he served at said Sekonit — with a good many militia, (which he does not recollect) but none of the regular troops; and
no regular officers were known to him: that he was in no battle
and at the end of his service received no written discharge: that since the Revolutionary war he has resided at said Boston and left the service on or about the said 25 th of October. (A)
ALSO : that he was in the United States service from about the fifteenth day of February A. D. 1778, to the fifteenth day of October A. D. 1778 as a marine in the navy of the United States : that he was residing at said Chelsea
when he entered the service ; that he enlisted on or about said 15 th of Feby and served for the period aforesaid under the command of Capt John Skimmer on board of the Continental brig of war General Gates and the other officers were Dennis, St. Lewis 2 d Lieut Berson sailing under the command of March : that he marched from Boston to Marblehead from thence to Salem from thence to the southward of the Grand Bank and after the cruise back to Boston : that he served at with of the regular troops ; and
with the British Brig Montague, commanded by Capt Nelson in which, Capt Skinner was killed. regular officers were known to him : that he was in a battle and at the end of his service received no written discharge. He left the service on or about said 15 th of October (B)
the _____ day of _____ A. D. 17 _____ to the _____ day of _____ A. D. 17 _____ in the _____ : that he was residing at _____
when he entered the service; that he and served for the period aforesaid under the command of
with , from to from to : that he marched from to : that he served at of the regular troops ; and
regular officers were known to him : that he was in battle
and at the end of his service received written discharge.

(A)
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Aug. 1 st 1832.
I hereby Certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that
David Williams served in "Capt. Robert Davis' Company, Col. Freeman's Regiment raised for a secret expedition"; & that he was engaged therein, as appears by the Muster Roll, for 37 days, in the year 1777 - but said Roll does not state the day or month of marching, or of discharge.
Edward D Bangs. Secy.

That there is no person to his knowledge who can testify as to the first of the afore mentioned services.
The general circumstances of his service were that, a draft of men for an expedition to Rhode Island was called for and he volunteered to go. The expedition  but did not stop at the Island at Howland's ferry. Capt Skinner of the sloop was killed with a cannon shot and he saw him fall dead on an arm chest.
[Handwritten flourish]
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 first aforesaid.
David Williams
We Lemuel Capen Boston
a clergyman, residing in the sd. city of
and Adam Bent Esq residing in sd Boston hereby certify that we are well acquainted with David Williams who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy three 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 as aforesaid.
Lemuel Capen,
Adam Bent
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 abovenamed applicant was a revolutionary Marine and served as he states. And the court further certify that it appears to them that Lemuel Capen, who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the City of Boston; and that Adam Bent who has also signed the same is a resident in sd Boston and is a credible person; and that their statement is entitled to credit. The opinion aforesaid expressed at
a request of the Secretary of War, in regulations of the subject Pensions under Act of June 7, 1832. J. M. Davis Dist. Judge U.S. on aff to D.
I John W. Davis Clerk of the Massachusetts District Court do hereby certify
that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of David Williams for a pension.
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal of office on the day and year first aforesaid.
John W. Davis Clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Massachusetts District