Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30722, for Laban Stetson, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Stetson, Leaban
S. 30722
CONTENTS

15613 Massachusetts
Sabaw Nelson
of Franklin in the State of Mass who was a Pvt Hgt in the Company commanded by Captain Nason of the Regt commanded by Col. Bailey in the War time for 9 months, Private " " Sergeant
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of $5 Dollars — Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 1st day of July 1833 and that Eliza Wood Greenfield Mass
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $90.00 Semi-annual allowance ending Sept " 92.50 $182.50
{ Revolutionary Claim, { As June 7, 1832. }
Recorded, by M c Adison Clerk, Book E Vol. 2a Page 48
79 Dunbar

110 22350
Laban Nelson Franklin County Massachusetts
Sept 3 Mo
Part 9
12
E Alvord Greenfield Mass.

BRIEF in the case of  Leban Stetson  Coventry of Franklin  in the State of Massachusetts  (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? 77 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.     Vol - In 1775 - - 8 - private Gen. Gage, Col. Bailey,   Vol - 1776 - - 3 - Sergt Col. Nelson, Col. Willard,   Vol - 1777 - - 1 - private Col. Snow Col. Lowell  
 5. In what battles was he engaged?  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Plymouth County Massachusetts  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Living Witnesses, & 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.
Richd H. Watts Examining Clerk.

Laban Stetson Ashfield
22350
Laban Stetson Leicester

DECLARATION, in order to secure the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
COUNTY OF Franklin ss.
ON this sixteenth day of October in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and thirty two - personally appeared in open Court, before The Court of Probate for said County now sitting Isaac Stetson a resident of Asfield in the County of Franklin and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, aged seventy seven 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 1832.
THAT he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. A few days after the battle of Lexington in the Spring of 1775 I volunteered as a Private in a Company commanded by Capt Hamlin and Regiment commanded by Col Bailey for the term of eight months marched to Roxbury in the vicinity of Boston and remained there in the service of the State of Massachusetts until about the first of January 1776 when my term of service expired and I was discharged In the month of September 1776 I again volunteered as a Sergeant to go to Ticonderoga for the term of three months in a Company commanded by Capt Nelson & Plymouth and Regiment commanded by Col Willard we marched from the County of Plymouth I think through Worcester to Pownalton in the State of Vermont from there to Skeneborough where we took boats and crossed over to Ticonderoga we were stationed at a place called Mount Hope and remained there until some time in the month of December when our term of service expired and we were discharged Presently after at Mount Hope there was a skirmish on Lake Champlain in which the enemy were successful and drove our craft on shore In the fall of 1777 I again volunteered as a private in a Company commanded by Nathan Snow for the term of one month to go on what was then called a short expedition to the State of Rhode Island I think in a Regiment commanded by Col Soull we marched by way of Tranton to a place called Sattle Hampton in the State of Rhode Island and served the term for which we engaged and was discharged I was born in the town of Abington in the County of Plymouth on the Sixth day of July 1754 I have no record of my age I lived in Abington until after the revolutionary war closed and when I was about forty three years old I removed to Leicester in the County of Worcester lived there seven or eight years and then removed to Asfield where I have since resided I never received a discharge and have no documentary evidence of my service and know of no person whose testimony I can procure as to my service at Ticonderoga.
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. R E Kennebec Judge of Probate
Isaac Stetson

W th Moses Wallock a Clergyman residing in the town of Plainfield county of Hampshire in the State of Massachusetts and Isaiah Jenkins residing in Ashfield county of Franklin hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Saban Stetson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventyseven years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Franklin ss. August the 29 th 1832. Then Moses Wallock and Isaiah Jenkins Isaiah Jenkins above named personally appeared and made solemn oath that the above certificate by them subscribed is true before me Henry Bassett, Justice of the peace.
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 mentioned applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And the court further certifies, that it appears to them that Moses Wallock who signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the Plainfield adjoining Ashfield and that Isaiah Jenkins who has also signed the same is a resident in the town of Ashfield and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit. And the court also certifies that on account of the inconvenience of their attending in court their certificate was sworn to before Henry Bassett Esq a Justice of the Peace for said county who has above certified the same under his proper signature.
N. E. Spaulding Judge of Probate
I Elijah Alvord, Register, Clerk 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 Saban Stetson for a pension.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of said court this 16 th day of October in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty two
E. Alvord. Reg. Prob.

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Leban Stetson 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? No/Not/No 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? Yes 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? Yes Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? 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?
 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.

30 722 Ref INVALID.
File No. 30 722
Laban Stetson
Left Res. War
Act: June 1 st 39 th
Index:—Vol. 2 , Page 396
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Labon Stetson Jos. Gurney Aff

Joseph Gann Affidavit for Saban's Station

I Joseph Gurney of Ashfield in the County of Franklin and State of Massachusetts having arrived at the age of Twenty three years testify and declare that I was person- ally knowing to Leban Stetson of said Ashfield entering the service of the State of Massachusetts in the fall of 1777 on what was called a secret expedition that I belonged to the same company which was commanded by Nathan Snow that we marched to the State of Rhode Island and were in the vicinity of New Port but did not go over to the island and that the said Stetson served one month and was then discharged
Joseph Gurney
Hampshire ss August 14 1832 Personally appeared Joseph Gurney and made solemn oath to the truth of the above statement by him subscribed
before me Eliphalel Parkhurst Justice of the Peace I further certify that the above statement is true and recitancy Eliphalel Parkhurst Justice of the Peace Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Hampshire ss.
I Solomon Stoddard, Clerk of the Judicial Court of the Commonwealth for the County of Hampshire do certify that Eliphalel Parkhurst Esquire whose signature is affixed to the above certificate was at the date thereof one of the Justices of the Peace, within and for said County duly Commissioned and acting under the authority of this Commonwealth and that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to his acts and assertations done in that capacity - and that the signature to said certificate is known to me to be the true writing of the said Eliphalel Parkhurst
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Court of Common Pleas for said Common- wealth, this fifteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two
S. Stoddard (Clerk)

Laban Stelson Nathan Snow Aff.
Nathan Snow Opponent for Laban Stelson

I Nathan Snow of Cummington in the County of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts having arrived to the age of eighty one years testify and declare that I was personally knowing to Saban Stetson entering the Service of the State of Massachusetts in the month of April or May 1775 and serving at Roxbury in the State of Massachusetts the first campaign for the term of eight months as a Company commanded by Capt Hamlin and Regiment Commanded by Col Bailey
Nathan Snow
Cummington August 10 1832
Witness my hand August 10 1832 Personally appeared Nathan Snow and made solemn oath to the truth of the above Statement by him subscribed before me Eliphalet Packard Justice of the Peace I further certify that the above report is a person of truth & veracity Eliphalet Packard Justice of the Peace Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Hampshire ss.
I Solomon Stoddard, Clerk of the Judicial Courts of the Commonwealth / the County of Hampshire do hereby certify that Eliphalet Packard Esquire whose signature is offered to the above certificate was, at the date thereof, one of the Justices of the Peace, within and for said County duly commissioned, and acting under the authority of this Commonwealth, and that full faith and credit is and ought to be given, to his acts and attestations done in that capacity, and that the signature to said certificate is known by me to be the hand writing of the said Eliphalet Packard
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and offered the seal of the Court of Common Pleas for said Commonwealth this fifteenth day of August in the Year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred & thirty two
S. Stoddard Clerk