Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 18,629, Joshua Towne, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Towne, Joshua
S18,629
carded
CONTENTS

21.169 Massachusetts
Joshua Towne
of Wrentham in the State of Mass who was a private in the Comp commanded by Captain Decker of the Reg. commanded by Col Sitts in the Mass line for 3 Years
512.4 mch
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass at the rate of 80 Dollars 50 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 21 day of Aug. 1832 and to  Mrs. D. Merrill Salem
Arrears to the 4th of Dec. '31 $ 160 Semi-ant. allowance ending 1 Sep '31 40 $ 200
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. C. Atles Clerk. Book 6 Vol. 2 Page 85
See letter to Benj. Merrill Dec 4, 1835
77 Specy

Joshua Towner
13056
Print 2 years
16 th Oct.
May 24, 1833
P. 406
Benjamin Merrill Salem

BRIEF in the case of Joshua Towne of Pensylvania in the State of Georgia (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? 78 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.     April In 1775 8 Private Gen. Col. Battle   December 1776 5 15   December 1777 4 Gen. Col. Battle   Spring 1777 4 Gen. Col. Battle   Spring 1778 4  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Pensylvania Mifflin Co.  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? By living witnesses  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.
Richard Little Examining Clerk.

Revolutionary
Power of attorney from him of
Joshua Towne
Map. admitted Mass. Act 1832 1832
admitted
Filed 30 March 1832
F. E. Hassler
Washington

POWER OF ATTORNEY
For ascertaining whether any increase or arrears of Pension are due the Widow or heirs of Revolutionary Pensioners, &c.*
STATE OF Massachusetts } ss. COUNTY OF Essex.
Be it known that before me
John G. Hood a Justice of the Peace personally appeared Ebenezer Towne aged 71 years, who being duly cautioned and then sworn in due form of law, states that he is the son of Joshua Towne who was a revolutionary† pensioner in the State of Massachusetts and that he died on the twenty first day of September 18 42. (and that mother, named died on the day of 18 and that they were married on the day of in the year 17 and that they were residents of in the State of and that they resided there years) and that he resides in Topsfield Massachusetts and that furthermore He  BY THESE PRESENTS , constitutes, appoints, and fully empowers and authorizes, irrevocably and with powers of substitution, F. E. HASSLER, of Washington city, D. C., as his true and lawful Attorney for him and in his name and stead, to examine into, to prosecute, to demand, and to receive from the U. S. Government and State officers his rights in all and in any manner of claim for increase or arrears of Pension or Land that may be due him as a son of Joshua Towne who died leaving the same undrawn, as in right of law he may be entitled.
In witness whereof, He has on this Eighteenth day of March A.D. 185 4. hereunto signed his name, and affixed his seal.
Ebenezer Towne 
Witness: Ino. G. Hood } Witness: Lydia Towne }
Signed, sealed, acknowledged, and sworn to before me; and I further certify, that said Ebenezer has always by the community been known as the son of Joshua Towne .
Dated on this Eighteenth day of March A.D. 185 4.
Ino. G. Hood J. P.
STATE of Massachusetts, } to wit: COUNTY of Essex,
I hereby certify, That John G. Hood Esq., before whom the foregoing affidavits and acknowledgment were made, and who has thereunto subscribed his name, was at the time of so doing, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid, duly commissioned and sworn, and that his signature above written is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the Supreme Judicial Court of said County Court , this twenty fifth day of March one thousand eight hundred and fifty four.
Asa H. Kent Clerk.
* If a Widow applies, state "the date of marriage, and date of death of her husband." † State under what act pensioned, or when pension commenced, if a pensioner—and amount of pension.

18076
Joshua Towne
Errors corrected
Please address reply to Brig Merrill Salem

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS: COUNTY OF ESSEX, ss.
On this fourteenth day of September A. D. 1832, personally appeared to before the Honorable David Cummins, a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas open court, before the Honorable Daniel Appleton Waite, Judge of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex aforesaid, now sitting , Joshua Towne, a resident of Topsfield, in the County of Essex and State of Massachusetts, aged 75 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 is unable by reason of extreme old age & infirmity to appear in open court: That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers, and served as herein stated:
That after the Battle of Lexington in April, 1775 at Topsfield he enlisted as a Volunteer private and served Eight months till the end of 1775 in Capt Baker's Company in Col. Little's Regi- ment in the Massachusetts line of the Continental Army at Cambridge:
That in 1776 in summer he at Topsfield again enlisted as a Volunteer private in a Company of Massachusetts Militia and marched to Ticonderoga and was discharged at Albany in Dec. 1776, and he served Five & a half months this tour:
That in 1777 in summer & fall he again at Topsfield en- listed as a Volunteer private in a Company of Massa- chusetts Militia and marched to Saratoga from Massachusetts and served there and on the campaign Four months:
He is now stricken in years and broken in mem- ory and cannot state who were his officers or any other particulars.
He cannot remember that he ever had any written discharge or record of his birth:
He was born at Topsfield in 1757 and has always resided there.
He is well known to Hon. Neh. Gleave- land a Magistrate and to Hon. Judge Cummins,

He further declares that in the spring of 1777 he enlisted as a private in Capt Robert Dodge's Company in Col. Moses Little's Regiment of Massachusetts Militia and served therein four months, and was honorably discharged.
That in the spring of 1778 he enlisted at Topsfield and served four months in Capt. John Dodge's Company in Col. Gerrish's Regiment of Massachusetts Militia and was stationed at Cambridge guarding Burgoyne's troops: —
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
Joshua Towner
David Cummings Esq. C. C. P.
Judge of Probate.
We, Rev. James F. McEwen a clergyman, residing in Topsfield aforesaid, and Nehemiah Cleveland Esquire, a magistrate, residing in Topsfield aforesaid, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Joshua Towner who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 75 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.
James F. McEwen N. Cleveland
Subscribed and sworn to before
Jacob Towner Jun. Just. Peace

I the undersigned Judge certify that I am personally acquainted with said Towne and know he is worthy of credit :-
And the said Court hereby declares its opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the abovenamed applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that James F. McEwen who has signed the preceding Certificate, is a Clergyman resident in Tisbury and that the said Nehemiah Cleveland who has also signed the same is a Magistrate resident at Tisbury and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
The said Joshua Towne by reason of his advanced age and infirmities is unable to attend in open Court.
David Cummings for C.C. Pleas
3
John Prince Junior Clerk of the Judicial Courts
I, Nauman Lord Junior, Register of the Court of Probate for the County of Essex aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Joshua Towne for a pension, and that Matthew Whipple, Benjamin Merrill, Nehemiah Cleveland and Jacob Towne Junior are Justices of the Peace duly qualified to administer oaths and their respective Signatures on the annexed affidavits are genuine
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this fourteenth day of September A. D. 1832. and said Cummings is a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and his Signatures hereon are genuine.
Att: 7
John Prince Clerk.

T
18629
INVALID.
File No. 18,629
Joshua Towne
Prison Rec War
Act: June 7 th 82
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 377
[Arrangement of 1870.]

I John Sepavour do on oath testify that I am well acquainted with Joshua Towne of Topsfield and know that he served as a soldier in a detachment of Militia in the year 1776. stationed at Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain for the term of five months and half. I know also that the said Joshua served as a soldier in a detachment of Militia in the Northern Army under the command of General Gates. for the term of four months I do not remember the names of the company or Regimental officers in which said Joshua served. The last term was in the summer and autumn of 1777 and I know that he the said Joshua did serve each of the above periods I also served in the same armies each of the above periods. John Sepavour
State of Massachusetts
Essex 33; July 30th 1832. Then the above named John Sepavour, who is a credible witness subscribed and made oath to the above written affidavit before me N Cleave land Just. Peace

We, Elijah Perkins of Salem, aged 76, and Joshua Andrews, of Bradford in New Hampshire aged 81, do hereby certify that we know that Joshua Towne, now of Topsfield, served three months in Capt W. Adams Company in Col Saml. Johnson's Regiment of Massachusetts Militia: we all then enlisted at Marblehead, marched thence to Ben- nington, Panton, Stillwater, and White Plains, where we were discharged Dec. 1. 1777; we enlisted about 1 st Sept. 1777. Elijah Perkins Joshua Andrews
State of Massachusetts Essex County ss. Aug. 17. 1832
The above named Elijah Perkins and Joshua Andrews, two credible and disinter- ested witnesses, subscribed and made oath to the above affidavit before me
Brj. Merrill Just. Peace & Quorum

I Jonathan Hobbs of Hamilton in the County of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Labourer of the age of seventy eight years do testify and say on oath that I am well acquainted with the circumstance of Joshua Towne of Topsfield of the age of seventy five years that he enlisted in the company of Col. Robert Dodge and Col. Little's regiment in the spring of 1777 in the service of the United States at Warren in the State of Rhode Island and that he served four months, and that he was then regularly discharged.
Jonathan Hobbs
Essex ss. Hamilton Sept. 24 1832
Then Jonathan Hobbs above named made oath to the truth of the above affidavit before me
Matthew Whipple Justice of the Peace
I consider the above Jonathan Hobbs as a credible witness Matthew Whipple
I the subscriber do testify and say that I was at Warren and I know that Joshua Towne was there and I believe the above testimony of m c Hobbs is correct.
John Annabel
Essex ss. Hamilton 24 1832
Then John Annabel above named made oath to the truth of the above statement
before me Matthew Whipple Justice of the Peace

The undersigned severally on oath testify that we are well acquainted with Joshua Towne of Topsheld, and know that he served as a Soldier in Capt Ba. Kerr's Company of foot in Col. Little's Regiment on the continental establishment and know he served therein Eight months at Cambridge: we also served in the Continental army at the same time about 1775.
We also always have understood and believe that he performed several other tours of military service during the Revolutionary war.
B. M. B.
John Blood
State of Massachusetts
E/see/s: July 28th 1832.
Then the above.
named Benjamin Hobbs and John Hood. who are credible witnesses severally subscribed and made oath to the above written affidavit before me
N. Cleveland Just. Peace