Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 18497, for Elisha Matthews, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Matthews, Elisha
S. 18497
Carded
CONTENTS

21. 1833
Massachusetts
Elisha Matthews
of Worrath in the State of Mass, who was a private in the Comp commanded by Captain Whipple of the Reg commanded by Col. — in the Mass line for 6 Mos
Mif
73 Vincennes
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass at the rate of 20 Dollars Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 21 day of Aug, 1833 and Rev. S. Minter New Braintree.
Arrears to the 4th of Mar. 1833 $ 40 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sep. '33 10 $50
{ Revolutionary Claim, } Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. C. Little Clerk Book 6 Vol. 2. Page 54

DECLARATION, in order to secure the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
COUNTY OF WORCESTER, ss.
ON this fourteenth day of August in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and thirty- two personally appeared in open Court, before the Court of Probate within & for the Court of Sessions now sitting Oliver H. Stevens a resident of New Braintree in the County of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, aged seventy-one 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. To wit, in the month of March 1778 he enlisted as a volunteer in the service of the United States at said New Braintree in a Company commanded by Captain Thomas Whipple of said New Braintree, the men of the Lieutenant and — Ballard, of Brookfield in said County. All of the Company I do not recollect. The enlistments were for the term of three months. we were 3 rd marched through Lancaster, Shrewsbury, Marlborough & other towns to Roxbury where we remained from the 14 th to the 20 th of June in company with the British commanded at that station. we were not formed into Regiments the Companies being detached when they were needed, some of them being on the island in the harbor. After remaining a short time at Roxbury my I was removed in a Detachment commanded by Major Peabody Red to Rutland in the County of Worcester for the purpose of guarding the prisoners taken with General Burgoyne. At the close of the term for which I enlisted I was discharged at said Rutland. I did not receive a written Discharge. I also declare that in the month of September, 1779 I again entered into the service of the United States in one of the regiments to be furnished by the town of New Braintree for the term of three months. The Company commanded by Joseph Richardson of which Company Matthew Brown was Lieutenant. Upon the March of the Regiment through Springfield, Great Barrington & other towns on the route to Albany, & there up the North River to Albany where it is that vicinity we were stationed until we were discharged about three months from the time of our enlistment. I received my pay through the Captain of the Company for three months the time for which I entered the service. The Company to which I belonged was not paraded with any Regiments until the day we were dismis- sed, the troops being quartered some in barracks & some in private dwellings. Too much scattered to be easily brought together for parade. I do not recollect the names of the Regimental officers. I was a Corporal of service as mentioned. I served in the Militia the town of New Braintree being required to furnish a certain quota of men. I was one of the men then in the first instance, as I believe by voluntary enlistment. In the Second I was drafted. I further state that I have never received any documentary evidence of my service or discharge. But I am sure in said New Braintree I have a record of my age it is in my father's book in my handwriting. Also I believe in the town record. I lived in said New Braintree when I was called into service. When we lived there. I am well known in the vicinity of the place where I reside. to the Judge of Probate before whom this declaration is made to the Governor of the State & the respectable inhabitants of the County. 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.
Before N. A. H. G. W. M. Probate for the County of Worcester
E. L. B. Attest

Wareham
We John Liske a Clergyman residing in the town of New Braintree and Joseph Bowman - residing in said New Braintree hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Elisha Matthews of New Braintree who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy one 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 14 day August 1832 day and year aforesaid.
Before me Samuel Knight
John Liske
Justice of the Peace
Joseph Bowman
And I hereby certify that the above named John Liske is a Clergyman in New Braintree and the above named Joseph Bowman is a resident there and are both known to me to be men of truth and credibility. Samuel Knight 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 who signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the and that who has also signed the same is a resident in the and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Wareham
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
I Theophilus Wheeler Rogers , 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 Elisha Matthews for a pension.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this twenty ninth day of May in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty three
Theophilus Wheeler Rogers Clerk of said Court

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
D. W. ? N. CIV. P.S.
BUREAU OF PENSIONS,
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
March 10, 1902.
Sir:-
Receiving to your communication of the 9th. instant, requesting a statement of the military history of ELISHA MATTHEWS, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, you are informed that he enlisted at New Braintree, Mass., in the month of March, 1778, and served 8 months in a Company commanded by Captain Thomas Chaplin. September, 1779, he again enlisted at the same place and served 8 months in a Company commanded by Captain Joseph Richardson. No mention is made of any engagements in which he participated.
This information is taken from his declaration for pension on file in this office. He made application August 14, 1822. At this time he was a resident of New Braintree, Mass., and 71 years of age.
Very respectfully,
Charles Matthews, Esq.,
Commissioner.
7712 Va. Ave., N.W.,
Washington, D.C.

18 497 INVALID.
File No. 18 497
Eliza Matthews
Bi Rev War
Act: June 7 th 82
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 124
[Arrangement of 1870.]

1892 Mar 10 Hit 6 Chas Matthews City.

18497
Washington D C
March 8 1892
Hon Commissioner of Pensions Washington D C
Sir: I have the honor to request the military service of Elisha Matthews who served in the Revolutionary War from Worcester County Mass, and died in same County.
Very respectfully, Charles Matthews #1112 Va Ave S W Washington D C

2615-3
Eliz. Matthews Map
Part 6 Months Capt-Whipple Major Recd. Map
Rev. John D. Sleeper's Collection
Samuel Mester Esq. New Braintree Map

State of Massachusetts Hampshire County. ss.
I Joshua Crosby of Enfield in said County of Hampshire, being duly sworn, make oath and say, that prior to the year 1778 I was personally acquainted with Elisha Matthews, who then and and ever since has resided in New Braintree in the S d State of Massa- -chusetts. That in the month of March 1778 said Matthews enlisted a volunteer in the U.S. Service in a Company commanded by Capt. Thomas Whipple and in a Detachment commanded by Major Reuben Root in which Company he served three months; commencing the Service at Roxbury in D o Massachusetts whence he removed with the troops which guarded the prisoners taken with Genl. Burgoyne, to Rutland in D o Massachusetts, at which last mentioned place D o Service was completed. Joshua Crosby
Sworn and subscribed this tenth day of August 1832.
before me, Elisha D. Dinsmore Justice of the Peace.
I Andrew Bannister of Brookfield is the bearer of these lines - no proof of Massachusetts, you or none do to life, & say that early in the autumn of 1779, I enlisted at Brookfield aforesaid in the com- pany of Joseph Root captain of said Brookfield captain, Matthew Brown, Lieutenant Joseph Thurston, Ensign, for the term of three months, in the service of the United States, that we were marched through Spring- field, Great Barrington & other towns on the route to Claverick, then at the North River, to Albany, where I was at the vicinity, & part of the time in barracks, & the residue of the time quartered in the village. In here, we remained until we were discharged early in winter about the time of three months from our enlistment. I was one of the guarantees required to be furnished by the town of Brookfield, & enlisted for the compensation agreed to be given by the town. Elisha Matthews then & ever since an inhabitant of the adjoining town of New Braintree was a soldier in the same company during all said time.
Andrew Bannister

Worcester, August 14. 1832. I hereby certify that the within named Andrew Bannister personally appeared before me & made solemn oath to the truth of the foregoing statement by him sub- scribed. I also certify that the said Bannister is a credible witness & also that the before named Joshua Brooks, whose testimony is on the preceding page has long been a Minister of the Gospel, & a member of the Legislature of Massachusetts, & is entitled to full credit.
Charles Allen, Jus. Peace.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts — Worcester ss. I Abijah Bigelow, Clerk of the Judicial Courts, holden within and for the County of Worcester, do hereby certify, that Charles Allen Esquire, before whom the within affidavit of Andrew Bannister was made and sworn to, is a Justice of the Peace, within and for the County of Worcester, and that his signature to the above certificate appears to me to be in his own proper hand writing — and that he was such Justice on the fourteenth day of August last. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the County Seal, this twenty ninth day of May one thousand, eight hundred and thirty three. Abijah Bigelow, Clk.