Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 2,9939, for Stephen Keep, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass,
Keep, Stephen
S. 2.9939
CONTENTS

10.582
Massachusetts
Stephen Keap
of Longmeadow in the State of Mass who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Hancock of the reg t commanded by Col Deacy in the Spas line for Chicopee .
Inscribed on the Roll of Spas at the rate of 20 Dollars — Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 th day of Apr 1833 and sent to Will and Springfield  Spas
Arrears to the 4th of Mar 1833 $40 — Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Feb " 10 —
$50 —
{ Revolutionary Elam, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. H. S. Blair Clerk Book 10 , Vol. 2 Page 45.

8937 Stephen Keep
7 p weeks 6 Months
5. 14 & 16 interrogatories in the cause not completed with Nov 29 1832
$20
O 114.
J. Willard Springfield Mass.

8937
BRIEF in the case of  Stephen Keep  of  Longmeadow  in the State of  Massachusetts  (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? 67 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 1781 Volunteered as a substitute for his father 6 or 7 mo private Col. Gideon Dyer Col. Sears  
5. In what battles was he engaged? none stated
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Longmeadow Mas
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Living Witnesses And Traditional evidence
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Not authenticated
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
A Reintze
Examining Clerk.

Stephen Kepp
6 months at least

Commonwealth of Massachusetts ss. County of Hampshire ss. On this twenty seventh day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Court of Probate now held within & for said County of Hampshire, Stephen Keep now resident in Longmeadow in said County aged sixty 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 7 th 1832. Viz. That he was born in said Longmeadow on the twenty first day of January A D 1765 & has resided there seven years excepting temporary absences from home.
1781
That he entered the service of the United States & served in the revolutionary war as a private under the following circumstances Viz. In the month of May seventeen hundred & eighty one his Father Stephen Keep then living in said Longmeadow was drafted for a period of seven, eight months service under a requisition upon the State of Mass ts for her quota of men. he being then the Apparent volunteer volunteered as his substitute & enlisted under Capt. Gideon Root of said Longmeadow & in the same month of May he was mustered at Springfield in said Colony that he with eight others from said Longmeadow marched under command of Sergt Sargent Evans Gilman to Albany where as they he & they joined Capt. the Company commanded by Capt. Hecox of Hampden Mass ts . — Tracy of Springfield was first Lieut. — P th Company belonged to the Regiment commanded by Col. Sears from Greenwich in the County of Hampshire Mass ts — May. — Rowley from West Springfield — The names of some other Company Officers in said Regiment were Capt. Abel King from Wilbraham Capt. Strong from Northampton Capt. Shattuck from Deerfield. Capt. Coney from Greenwich — Capt. Foss of Granville. That he remained at Albany about seven weeks in service as a guard when he

marched with said Company to Saratoga where he remained as at least quarters until the last of November, with two Regiments of Continental Troops, under command of Col. Wrenfield & Col. of New York & Col. Scilla of New Hampshire & in the latter part of said Nov. the 9 th - 10 th Reg't of Mass s Regulars came there. Brigadier General Stark from New Hampshire had the General command, he with the rest of his company & Regiment were discharged by a general written order under the hand of said General Stark read it to them by Adjutant Tracy, who had been previously Lieut. as foresaid. - he was thus discharged either at the close of November or the beginning of Dec r - 1781, which was a week or ten days before the expiration of the his period of enlistment having expired this time in the cutting hewing & drawing timber for a block house. - He came immediately back to said Longmeadow & arrived there on the 12 th day of December 1781, making as the Applicant very likely believes a period of seven months service, tho' he cannot now remember precisely but is certain it was more than six months. Also as a memorable circumstance he states that about a fortnight before his discharge one Thomas Lovelace an English American, who had rec d a commission in Canada was arrested near Saratoga & executed as a spy. Several others arrested with him were sentenced to the Prison Ship during the war. Cornwallis was taken this year & New London was burnt, which events the Applicant well remembers.
He further states that he has no documentary evidence of said service, & knows of no one living whom testimony he can prove except Deacon Wright of Springfield foresaid whom deposition accompanied & John Olin of Longmeadow whom deposition is also annexed.
That Doct Oliver Olin & others of said Longmeadow are acquainted with the Applicant & knows as to the reputation of his having been served in the Revolutionary war as foresaid.
7 months

but that there is not now living in his vicinity any clergyman who could have ever known as to such reputation - This Applicant being an obscure & humble individual is not known to Clergymen in the neighborhood but is known to Levi Crandall & Oliver Bliss Esq. who can testify as to his reputation - The eight persons who went with him from Longmeadow are all deceased.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State
sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Stephen Kepp
We Oliver Bliss & Levi Crandall residing in Longmeadow above mentioned hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Stephen Kepp who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration - that we believe him to be sixty seven years of age - that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion
sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Oliver Bliss
Levi Crandall
And the said Court, Present the Hon. Oliver B. Morris Judge, after the investigation of the matter & after hearing the interrogatories presented by the War Department, do hereby declare their opinion that the above named Applicant was a soldier of the revolution and served as he states. And the said Court further certifies that Oliver Bliss Esq. and Levi Crandall who have signed the proceedings, certificate are resident in said Longmeadow & are creditable persons & that their statement is entitled to credit.
I Justin Willard Register of said Court do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said Court in the matter of the application of Stephen Kepp for a Pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of said Court this twenty seventh day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two
Justin Willard Register

I John Bliss of Longmeadow in the county of Hamp- den & Commonwealth of Massachusetts 65 years of age Depose & Say that Stephen Bliss of Longmeadow aforesaid enlisted into the company of Captain Abel King of Wilbraham in said County Colonel Sears's Regiment in the 3 d State & Served in the war of the Revolution of the United States of America in the year 1781 commencing the latter part of April or 1 st of May in s d year & served as a soldier seven months & marched to Albany where they staid about six weeks & from thence to Saratoga & there served out the term aforesaid & returned to Longmea- dow aforesaid in December following John Bliss
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Hampden ss. August 27. 1832 then John Bliss per- sonally appearing made solemn oath to the truth of the foregoing Deposition by him subscribed.
before me Ethan Ely Justice of Peace

Hethen Keep 7 months 8937

I Darius Wright of Springfield in the County of Hampden & Commonwealth of Massachusetts of lawful age on oath do certify upon & say that in August A D 1781 being in service as a soldier in the Revolutionary War at Saratoga I then found & well knew Stephen Keep of Longmeadow in the said County, that said Keep was there in service when I went there & continued there. I did not know that he was not in my company, but I well knew him then as belonging to some company in Col Sears Regiment of Mass s Troops, he had been there in service as far as I know before I arrived there but I know not how long. He was discharged at the same time I was, (belonging to the same Regiment) quite the latter part of November 1781 by general order from Brigadier Gen. Stark read to us by Adjutant Tracy. I have been acquainted with said Keep ever since, & further this deponent saith not Darius Wright
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
County of Hampden } ss. On this eighteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two personally appeared Darius Wright above named and made oath to the truth of the foregoing deposition by him subscribed before me Hampden ss. Jan y 2 d A D 1833 - And I do now further certify that the above named Darius Wright is a credible witness Justin Willard Justin of the Peace
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Hampden ss. I John Ingersoll a Clerk of the Common Pleas Court being a Court of Record in the County of Hampden do hereby certify that Justice Willard Esq. before whom the above deposition was verified & Ethan Ely before whom the annexed deposition was verified are Justices of the Peace for the County of Hampden & that their names thereto subscribed are their true & genuine signatures
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of the said Common Pleas Court at Springfield on this first day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two John Ingersoll Clerk

I Stephen Peep of Longmeadow in the County of Hampden being the same person who made the annexed declaration to in order to procure my pension as a revolutionary soldier do on oath further declare that in said service my rank was that of a private, as I have before stated - that as to the length of said service he can only say as he has heretofore said that "he only believes he served in the revolutionary war a period of six months and it is certain it was more than six months "
He claims a pension for having served six months as a private.
Having long since relinquished the idea of ever obtaining any compensation for said service he has not treasured up in his memory the particular dates - that he still retains the faculty of memory as perfectly as most people of his age, but from the lapse of time, it is impossible for him to state the day on which he entered, or left the said service, but has no doubt that his term of service was at least six months, as before stated. He further states that his birth is recorded on the town books of the town of Springfield in said county. Vis: Jan y 21 st 1765
- He further states as he distinctly stated in his original declaration, that he was discharged by a general order read by the adjutant
- He received no written discharge at any time.
Stephen Peep
Commonwealth of Massachusetts } ss. County of Hampden } ss.
I Oliver B. Morris Judge of the Court of Probate within & for said County do hereby certify that the above named Stephen Peep, on this 26 th day of Dec r A D 1832 personally appeared & subscribed and made oath to the foregoing additional declaration before me
Oliver B. Morris

Commonwealth of Massachusetts County of Hampden } ss.
I Justin Willard Register & Clerk of the court of Probate within & for said county do hereby certify that the Honorable Oliver B. Morris is the Judge of said court & that the name Oliver B Morris subscribed to the within certificate of the execution of Stephen Kepp's additional declaration is the proper hand writing of said Judge of Probate
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said court this twenty sixth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two
Justin Willard Clerk

I, Jonathan B. Condit a Clergyman of the town of Longmeadow in the County of Hampden & Commonwealth of Massachusetts being duly sworn do testify & say that I am acquainted with Stephen Keep of said Longmeadow who has made application to the War Department for a Pension as a Revolutionary soldier - Having been settled in the ministry in this place but a short time my acquaintance with said Keep is not very particular but I am satisfied that his age can not be far from seventy  sixty seven years, also that he is reputed in the neighborhood where he lives, to have been a Revolutionary soldier, & I concur in that opinion
Jonathan B Condit
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Hampden ss - December 29 th 1832 Then personally appeared the Revd Jonathan B. Condit & made solemn oath to the truth of the foregoing Deposition by him subscribed Before me Ethan Ely Justice of the Peace
Commonwealth of Massachusetts ss: I Justin Willard Clerk of the Court of Probate within & for said County of Hampden, the same being a Court of Record do hereby certify that Ethan Ely Esq. who has subscribed the taking of the above deposition of the Rev. Jonathan B. Condit is a justice of the Peace within & for said County & that the name 'Ethan Ely' subscribed to the above certificate is his own proper hand writing. I do further certify that the above named Jonathan B. Condit is an ordained & Fracticing Clergyman in said town of Longmeadow. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at the seat of said Court this thirty first day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two Justin Willard Clerk &c

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Hampden ss. This is to certify that John Bliss & Oliver Bliss of Longmeadow in said County of Hampden who gave their deposition in favour of Stephen Keen an Applicant for a Pension who served in the Revolutionary War of the United States are men who I have long been acquainted with & know them to possess a good character for truth & veracity Dec 26. 1832 - Ethan Ely Justice of Peace
Commonwealth of Massachusetts County of Hampshire ss. Justin Willard Clarke of the Court of Probate within & for said County the same being a Court of Record do hereby certify that Ethan Ely who has subscribed the foregoing certificate, is a justice of the Peace within and for said County & that the name I believe the name Ethan Ely thus subscribed is his brother's hand writing - In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this twenty sixth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two Justin Willard Clarke

29939 Rey INVALID.
File No. 29,939
Stephen Keep Pii Rev War
Act: June 7 n 827
Index:—Vol. 9, Page 219
[Arrangement of 1870.]

8937 Stephen Keap
1832 69 1765 11
J. Williams Esq Springfield Mass

8937
BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Stephen Keep of Long Meadow Mass.  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? no 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? no XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? yes 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 was done 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? No done XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? 2d & 6th 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 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.