Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30166, Silas Townsend, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Townsend, Silas
S. 30166
CONTENTS

4498-
Silas Townsend
Recd 15 Mar & 15 Aug
14 06
Mar 20 1832
$51.66
Jacob H Lord Plymouth Mass J. H. G.

BRIEF in the case of Silas Townsend of Plymouth City in the State of Mass - (Act 7th 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? 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.     In 1776 Feby 22. — 1 15 private Gen. Capt. Nathaniel Wood   76 — — 3 — " " John Burrows   " Decr. — 3 — " " Allen   77 — — 3 — " " Tupper   78 — — 3 — " " Dodge Wood   3 — " Lieut. Elisha Fisk, Col. White  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? Rhode Island  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Saddleborough  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditionary Evidence - 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.
Examining Clerk.

10588 Massachusetts
Silas Townsend
of Plymouth in the State of Mass who was a Pirate in the company commanded by Captain Ward of the rig commanded by Col White in the Mass line for 15 (Mys) 15 Days
Mys
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass at the rate of 51 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 th day of April 1833 and sent to Gov. Brown St. Louis Plymouth Mass
Arrears to the 14th of March 1833 $103.32 Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Sept. " 25.83 $129.15
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. H. S. Blair Clerk, Book 8, Vol. 2, Page 83.
St. Louis Plymouth

Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress, passed June 7 th 1832.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, County of Plymouth, ss.
On this eighth day of August 1832, personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Probate now sitting within said County of Plymouth Hon Wilkes Wood Judge, Silas Townsend a resident of Middleborough in the County & State aforesaid, age a seventy eight 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 th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers, & served as herein after stated.
That on the 20 th day of February 1776 he marched to Roxbury in the State of Massachusetts as a volunteer in the Company commanded by Capt. Nathaniel Wood and was stationed at place that near mouth of Bralf, to wit until about the first of April in the same year, when he returned home. That afterwards in the course of the same season to wit in the year 1776 he enlisted as a volunteer in the Company under Capt John Barron & marched to Roxbury aforesaid and was there stationed & served for the term of three months and was discharged.
That afterwards to wit in the month of December 1776 he entered the Company under the command of

Capt. Allen by voluntary enlistment for the term of three months, marched to & was stationed at a place called Howland's Ferry in the State Rhode Island for about six weeks & then marched to & was stationed at Bristol in the State last mentioned, for the remainder of said term of three months when he was discharged.
That afterwards to wit in the Spring of the year 1777, he enlisted into the Company commanded by Capt. Dupper, as a volunteer for the term of three months and marched to & was stationed at Howland's Ferry aforesaid during the term of three months & was then discharged.
That after the expiration of said last mentioned three months, he in the same year to wit in the year 1777 entered the Company of Capt Isaac Wood as a volunteer for the term of three months and was in that year stationed at said Howland's Ferry and at North Kingston in the said State of Rhode Island during the said three months, the period for which he enlisted & was discharged.
That afterwards in the Summer of 1778 he enlisted in the Company by Lieut commanded by Elisha Haskell as a volunteer, marched to Rhode Island was in the battle on said Island in the month of August of that year, in which the American Troops were under the Command of General Sullivan, and in said battle Capt. Haskell's Company was in the 1 st Regiment of which Col. White was either first or second Colonel. That soon after the American Troops retreated from the said Island, he marched to Providence & afterwards to Warwick in the State of Rhode Island where he was

stationed until the term of his enlistment expired which was three months when he was discharged
That during the several periods which he was in the service as aforesaid, the corps to which he belonged were stationed at the various places aforesaid in small detachments. & there was not usually any field or general officers at these posts, and he has now no recollection of the names of the field officers under whose command the several companies to which he belonged at the times aforesaid were, except what he has stated as to the battle on Rhode Island.
That he was born in the Town of Middleborough, aforesaid, on the fifth day of April 1754 - resided in said Town at the times when he entered the service, as since has & still does reside in the same Town, that he has no record of his age. That the services rendered by him as aforesaid were in the Militia, that he never had any any written discharge, and has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service - except the three months which he served under Capt. Haskell & as to that period he knew the testimony of Mashamell Cole who was with him in the same company.
Und he doth further state that he now does & ever has lived in the neighbourhood with the Rev. Ebenezer Diggins and Mr. Andrew Cole who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declared

that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any state - Silas Townsend
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid. Attest Jacob H. Lord Register of the Court of Probate
We Ebenezer Briggs & Andrew Cole both resident of Milfordborough in the County of Plymouth hereby certify aforesaid, that we are well acquainted with Silas Townsend who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy eight years of age, that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood to have been a soldier of the Revolution - And we further certify that we are severally of the respective ages following viz, the said Briggs sixty four years of age and the said Cole seventy seven years of age & that in the time of the Revolutionary war we lived in the neighbourhood with said Silas Townsend & we each of us well recollect of his being several times engaged as a soldier in the war of the Revolution -
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid Ebenezer Briggs Andrew Cole
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid Attest Jacob H. Lord Register of the Court of Probate

And the said Court of Probate do hereby declare their Opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the before named Silas Townsend was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that the Rev. Ebenezer Briggs who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clergyman resident in the town of Middleborough and that Mr. Andrew Cole who has also signed the same, is a resident in the same town and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Attest
Jacob H. Lord
Reg r of the Court of Probate
I Jacob H. Lord, Register of the Court of Probate, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Silas Townsend for a Pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of said Court this eighth day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two.
Jacob H. Lord

I Nathaniel Cole of Middleborough in the County of Plymouth & Commonwealth of Massachusetts on oath declare & say that I am in seventy third year of my age that I was well acquainted with Silas Townsend of said Middleborough in the time of the Revolutionary war, that said Townsend enlisted in to the Company commanded by Lieut. Elisha Haskell in the summer of the year 1778 for the term of three months & marched to Rhode Island & was in the engagement on the Island of Rhode Island under Genl. Sullivan said Company was in the regiment of which Col White of New Bedford Col. & after the engagement on said Island said Townsend was was stationed in the state at Wickford in the state of Rhode Island until the expiration of three months when he was discharged. That I served with him in said Company during the said term of three months Nathaniel Cole
Plymouth Jp. August 8. 1832. Personally appeared in open Probate Court this day the above named Nathaniel Cole & made oath to the truth of the foregoing deposition by him subscribed.
Attest Jacob H. Lord
Register of the Court of Probate
I certify that it was made to appear to the satisfaction of said Court that said Nathaniel Cole is a respectable man & a disinterested & credible witness & entitled to belief
Attest Jacob H. Lord Register
sworn J.H.L.

30 166 Rev INVALID.
File No. 30 166
Silas Townsends
Rev War
Act: June 7 th 1824
Index:—Vol. 2 , Page 421
[Arrangement of 1870.]

4495
John Townsend.
Jacob H. Lander Plymouth Mass.

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Isaac Townsend Plymouth 64 yea - 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? no 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? no
Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office? 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 the 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 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 authenticated 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 end 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.