Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 5,634, for Ebenezer Jones, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Jones, Ebenezer
S.5634
carded.
CONTENTS
B. 1763 at Sandwich Mass - res. there at end. In 1802 res. Cincinnati, New York Co. N.Y.

New York 4791
Ebenezer Jones.
of Cortland in the State of N.Y. who was a private in the Com. of by Captain Goffing of the Reg t commanded by Col Parrott. in the Mass line for 13 Months
Inscribed on the Roll of N.Y. at the rate of 43 - Dollars 33 Cents per annum. to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 11 th day of May, 1833 and sent to Sarah Viles. Cincinnati N.Y.
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $86.66 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 th P th 1833 . . 21.66 $108.32
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Not June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by George Taylor Clerk Book E Vol. 4 Page 22.

15915
Ebenezer Jones Cortland county New York
He was his servant as instructed in the form annexed.
   Person Description of Person Date Place Name of General and Field Officers   Name Rank Reg't      
Barak Niles Cincinnatus N.Y.

BRIEF in the case of  Ebenezer Jones  of  Cortland county in the State of New York  (Act 7th June, 1889.)
 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? 69  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.     Enlisted In 1777 4 As a waiter Lieut Fish   1778 9 private Capt. Griffings, Col. Garots  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? Rhode Island  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Sandwich, Massachusetts  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? traditional  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.
J. G. Bradford
Examining Clerk.

P. Ebenezer Jones -
Declaration for
Person -
15915
[Faint, mirrored bleed-through text from the reverse side of the page]
P. Ebenezer Jones

Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7 th 1832 -
State of New York County of Cortland ss. On this twenty fifth day of September, in the year, 1832, personally appeared in open court before William Mallery, Joseph Reynolds, Andrew Dickson, Aaron Brown, and Oliver H. Chapman Esqrs. Judges of the court of common pleas, now sitting, at the court house in Cortlandville, in and for the county of Cortland aforesaid, being at the September Term of the said court, — Ebenezer Forres , a resident of the town of Cincinnati in the said county of Cortland and State of New York, aged sixty nine years , who being first duly sworn according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declara- tion, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7 th 1832 -
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated -
That he was born Sandwich in the State of Mass- achusetts in the year, 1763; that there is a record of it there in his fathers bible, and he thinks there is in the town records -
That he lived at, and enlisted, at said Sandwich in the early part of the winter in the year, 1777, he believes, under Lieut. Stephen Fish - there were sixteen in his company - and to Holmes' Hole, in the State of Massachusetts, where we stayed four months as he believes, in order to prevent the refugees from taking stock, and guarding the country against them - The company had one cannon for its use - He went himself as water to Lieut. Fish and served as his water during said term - At the end of which he was discharged at Holmes' Hole -
That he again enlisted at his then residence, said Sand- wich in the month of May in the year, 1778, he thinks, it was the year that Gen. Sullivan left Rhode Island - That he enlisted under Capt. Griffing, and the company soon

marched to Providence in Rhode Island - He there enlisted for Nine months - His company officers, besides Capt. Griffing, were Lieut. Brown - The ensign was taken sick and never joined the company - Sergeant Joseph Thatcher - and the others he cannot remember - Was a part of the time in Col. Lucas' Regiment - and a part in Col. Peabody's Regiment -
On getting to Providence, the troops stayed there perhaps two or three months, doing common duty and then marched to Rhode Island, under the command of Gen. Sullivan.
That he was taken sick on the march at Howland's Ferry, with the Camp Distemper; was carried to the Hospital at Poppy Squash, and remained there sick about four weeks - Many died at both of said places last mentioned - On his getting better, he was taken as a waiter to a physician, but he cannot recollect his name - After a while, preferring to join my company, I got dismissed from serving as such waiter, and went and joined my company on Rhode Island.
In about a week after thus joining my company, there was a battle fought between Gen. Sul- livan's Army and the enemy - After the battle, seeing the British sent in a Flag of Truce, wishing to bury their dead - Gen. Sullivan, then ordered the tents to be placed a foot up, and it was done - In the evening of the same day, Gen. Sullivan ordered the tents struck, and the army marched to Howland's Ferry and crossed from the Island - After this crossing, he went with his regiment to Free- town or Tiverton, and the regiment was stationed there to guard the river and country, until his Nine months expired, and he was then dismissed at that place - He received no written discharge - It was done verbally by the Colonel -
That he recollects there was a regiment of Blacks in the Army on Rhode Island - He knew Lieut. Bliss

Planchard who commanded a company of them, in the battle there, as said Lieut. Planchard told him, the Capt. of the company being sick -
That after the revolutionary war he resided at his father's in said Sandwich a short time - then he went to Binghamton in New York and stayed two years, then to Oxford & lived two years - and from thence came to Cincinnati his present residence and has ever since resided, being above thirty six years of age -
That he has no documentary proof of his services - that he now knows of no person who was with him in said service by whom he can prove the same - He has a father who was living at Sandwich about two or three years ago, and a sister also - He supposes they may remember his going, his absence and return, but knows nothing personally of his service, as they did not see him in it, as he believes - His father is above Ninety two years of age -
That he is known to Oliver Kingman & Barak Niles in his present neighborhood, who can testify in regard to his character for veracity, and as to their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution -
That 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.
Samuel Hotchkiss B. Clerk
Ebenezer Jones
We Oliver Kingman - residing in the town of Cincinnati in the county of Hamilton aforesaid, and Barak Niles - residing in the same place, hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Ebenezer Jones, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be sixty nine years of age; that he is in fact and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion -
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Samuel Hotchkiss B. Clerk
Oliver Kingman
Barak Niles

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 soldier of the revolution, and served as he states -
And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Oliver Ringman — who has signed the preceding certificate is a ————— resident in the town of Cincinnati aforesaid, and that Sarah Niles — who has also signed the same is a resident in the same place and are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit -
William Mallery J. Deyrold Andrew Dickson Aaron Brown
Judges of Cortland County Court
State of New York County of Cortland Ss. I, Samuel Hotchkiss Jr., Clerk of the court of common pleas in and for the said county of Cortland, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Ebenezer Jones for a pension - In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the said Clerk's office this twenty fifth day of September in the year, 1832 - Samuel Hotchkiss Jr. Clerk
Ebenezer Jones Declaration for Pension 15-915

Rev War
5634.
✓ INVALID.
File No. 5634
Ebenezer Jones Brir Rev War
Act: June 7 th /32
Index: —Vol. M , Page 195
[Arrangement of 1870.]

B R I E F objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Ebenezer Jones of Portland county Me. 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? two citizens
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? yes
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?
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?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?
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?
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? all answered.
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 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 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.