Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 13589, for Elijah Johnson, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Johnson, Elijah
S. 13589
CONTENTS
carded

14868 New York
Elijah Johnson
Bloomfield in the State of New York was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain [blank] of the Regt. commanded by Col (Ward) in the Massachusetts line for 7 months.
Pensioned on the Roll of New York at the rate of 23 Dollars 35 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 23 day of July 1833 and sent to Beals Canandaigua NY
Amount to the 1st of Mar 33 $46.66 Pension allowance ending Sept 33 11.66
$58.32
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Not June 7, 1832. }
by Ino Brownwell Clerk,
Vol. 4 Page 22

N o 9188. Elijah Johnson
adm d
11/2/17
Thos Beals Canandaigua N.Y.

BRIEF in the case of  Elijah Johnson  of Bloomfield in the State of N. York  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? in open Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? Eighty One 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, As a Gen.     In 1775 2 Private Colo. Ward Chap 10   1776 3 " Col. Smith "  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? White Plains  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Worcester County Chap 10  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional evidence alone  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? The papers are correct in form and authentication 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
W. Gordon Examining Clerk.

State of New York Ontario County } ss:
On this twenty eighth day of August 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Judges of the County Court now sitting Elijah Johnson of the town of Bloomfield in the County and State aforesaid aged eighty 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 7. 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated.
1 st At Southborough in the County of Worcester State of Massachusetts, on the 19 th April 1775. he volunteered in Captain Josiah Fays Company and marched immediately to Concord Lexington and Cambridge and joined to Colonel Wards Regiment, and there done duty for two months and was honorably discharged.
2 nd . In June 1776 at Southborough as aforesaid, he enlisted in Captain Seth Newtons Company in Colonel Smiths Regiment, and was marched through Worcester to New Haven and from there in a Vessel to New York, and was stationed at Greenwich Camp, and there done duty until the Army retreated from New York to Harlem, and then to White Plains, saw General Washington in New York and at White Plains, and also General Putnam. Was in the Battle at White Plains and sometime after was marched to Croton Bridge, and when his time expired was discharged at that place. He served five months.
He has no documentary evidence and knows no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. Was born in Southborough 25 March (O. S) 1751 and lived there more than fifty years. He has lived

in the State of New York for about thirty years, and for six years past has lived in Bloomfield where he now lives. The record of his age is attached - had a written discharge at Croton, but has not preserved it and cannot tell where it is.
He knows Elisha Fitch and John M c Adams of the town of Bloomfield.
He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of any state.
Sworn and Subscribed,
the day and year aforesaid.
Elijah Johnson
in open Court
We Elisha Fitch and John M c Adams of the town of Bloomfield in the County of Ontario State of New York hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Elijah Johnson of the town of Bloomfield who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be eighty one years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood in which he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid
in open court,
Elisha Fitch
John M c Adams
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 Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the court further certifies, that it appears to them that Elisha Fitch and John M c Adams, who have signed the preceding certificate, are residents of the town of Bloomfield, are both credible persons, and that

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
Washington, D. C., _____, 19____
In reply to your request of _____, received _____ for a statement of the military history of Elmer Johnson a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pen- sion on file in this Bureau.
   DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. STATE.   CAPTAIN. COLONEL.     Nov 12, 1775 1 mo. Rev. Joseph Gray Hardy N.H.   Jan 1, 1776 2 mos. John D. Dyer Putnam        
Battles engaged in, White Plains
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Waltham, Mass.
Date of application for pension, Jan 1, 1903
Residence at date of application, Waltham, Mass.
Age at date of application, 60
Remarks: No other information
Respectfully,
Commissioner.

1916-Rec of 4 Hist. Soc. F. H. Clifford Letter in 1899 to Stephen Johnson & D. E. E.
Rev War
✓ 13.589 INVALID.
File No. 13.589
Elijah Johnson Rev Boer War
Act: June 7 th 1832
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 197
[Arrangement of 1870.]

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Elijah Johnson 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? Has not adduced the evidence of a clergyman but has that of two credible persons
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? None
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 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?
And is the official character and signature of the magistrate certified by the proper officer under his seal of office?
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? The Court certify that the interrogatories were put to the applicant - not all and order
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.

9158 Elijah Johnson
Thomas Beall Agent Cunandaigu a/c
admd Ymapi $23.33

their statement is entitled to credit.
I, Charles Crane, Clerk of said Court, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Elijah Johnson for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this first day of September A.D. 1832.
Charles Crane.

State of New York, Ontario County
In the matter of Elijah Johnson's application for pension.
Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Notary Public in and for said county, Elijah Johnson who being duly sworn according to law, deposes and saith that when he applied for a pension before the County Court on the 28 th August 1832 under the act of June 1832 he supposed he had complied with the rule of the War Department in his declaration then made. He now amends his declaration and says that the reason he had no clergyman was, that he had no acquaintance with the clergyman in West Hoopfield, who is a young man, and had been there but a short time. He is required to answer the seven inter- rogatories prescribed by the War Department. He has answered all but the 3 rd in his original declaration, and he now says in answer to that, that when he served as under his first head there were a great many troops. He saw General Putnam at Cambridge, and there were many troops there, but he does not remember the names of any of the Regiments. When he served as under his 2 nd head, he now says that there were many troops. He saw Lord Stirling, besides the General Officers he has before named. He does not remember the names of the other Regiments. He served as under his 1 st head two months, under his 2 nd head five months, in all seven months, and no longer as a private soldier for which he claims a pension.
Sworn to, and subscribed this 27 th day of March 1833 before me.
Elijah Johnson
Notary Public.

State of New-York, Ontario County ss. }
I, Charles Crane, Clerk of said County, do hereby certify, that Thomas Reals, whose name is subscribed to the within certificate, was, at the date thereof, a Notary Public in and for said County; and that I am well acquainted with his hand writing and verily believe the said signature to be his proper act and deed.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this twenty ninth day of March A. D. 1833.
Charles Crane.