Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 6022, for Charles Knight, Connecticut

SERVICE
NUMBER
Conn.
Knight Charles
R 6022
CONTENTS

Charles Knight
Rev. Pension Claim
NY
all 7 Mar 32
G. C. Jones Pursu

State of New York } County of Genesee } ss.
On this thirtieth day of Septem- ber in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty two personally appeared before me, J. S. Sleeper, a justice of the peace in and for the County and State aforesaid Charles Knight a Resident of the Town of Elba in the County of Genesee and State of New York aged Eighty Eight 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
That in the Month of May but on what day of the month he does not remember in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Seven hundred and Eighty in the Town of Colchester in the County of New London and State of Connecticut he entered as a Teamster for the term of six months under Nathaniel Rankin a conductor of Teams -
That he was placed over a team of a boat and four oxen which belonged to Government at Colchester and drove the said Team to White Plains in the State of New York through the Towns of Hartford - Middlesex - Litchfield

and took the direct road to White Plains and he drove such Team at White Plains and near the North River and vicinity and drove ammunition, provisions, military stores and munitions of war for General Washington's Army and he was at West Point but was not there when Major Andre was executed but he was executed the same season that I first heard of such Teamster; but he did not take his team to West Point nor onto the West side of the North River that season - He was discharged in the month of November in the year 1780 and be- lieving he was discharged at or near Fishkill in the State of New York, but he received no written discharge and he served six months before he was discharged but whether his time in returning home was included in his six months service he does not know - He drove the Team back to Cobleskill and then left it with the other Government Teams but what conductor of Teams took charge of the Team he does not now remember The Team was furnished by Russell Newton Generally, but declarant received no clothing as he had a sufficient supply with him His rations were one pound of beef per day but he has much bread or flour precisely he does not remember but it was nearly a pound per day and some days he was allowed \frac{1}{2} pint of rum per day but he did not drink much He returned by Old Hartford and received pay for his six months service which was ninety Dollars in Continental money and he received his pay at the Treasury Office in Hartford by some Government paymaster but who he was he does not remember and he thinks he did not then know him - It was not said Newton -
He further declares that in the month of May in the year 1781 at Cobleskill aforesaid he again enlisted as a Teamster for six months

and he believes he enlisted under Langford etc. bounty but it might have been under the said Nathaniel Rankin for Colk etc. & bounty Langford etc. bounty and Nathaniel Rankin such all Wagon commanders and enlisted at Cobleskill and all of them were enlisted Teamsters at that time at Cobleskill elsewhere and he missed 4 men and a cart to drive and he drove it to Hartford Connecticut and there his cart was loaded with cannon which he carried to White Plains and he drew cannon from Hartford to White Plains in May the year before 1780 and in 1781 he drew the said 2 yoke of oxen & cart carrying the same material that he did the year before till the army marched to the South for York Town and he was ordered to go with said Team to York Town and he did go with said Team but what time he started he does not know but he believes it was in August, and till he started he drew said Team at White Plains and vicinity and his leading to York Town was cannon and he marched through New Jersey & Pennsylvania and after he arrived at York Town he drew cannon military stores, provisions and munitions of war for General Washington's Army till into November 1781 and till after Lord Cornwallis and his army surrendered and he was discharged at York Town aforesaid in November 1781 after he had served six months but received no written discharge and on his return to Cobleskill he stopped at Hartford and received Ninety Dollars pay for his services from the Treasurer or paymaster at the Treasurers Office but who he was he does not know and he thinks he never knew - He received no clothing but he received the same rations that he did the year before and the Team was provided for by some of the com- manders but who he was he does not know The Team fired at York Town - The pay and Terms for pay were 15 Dollars per month for each year - The declarant did not know all the year 1781 that Teamsters were enlisted

to a pension and then be employed at L. Lynch to obtain a pension and he wrote to my son George B. Knight for the amount of pay and rations and some other things which I have forgotten and I told my son to write to him that my pay was the same as others received for like services and that the Trams were provided by Howells Sons and he did provide the first year and I do not know but Howells provided in 1781 for the Trams, but I think he did not for I think that neither Howells nor other early went to Yorktown in 1781. Still I might be mistaken.
I heard nothing further from Lynch and supposed Trams were not entitled to a pension. Two years ago last winter I employed one Guy Atkins to obtain a pension as he told me I was entitled to one if I could prove my service and I made a declaration and some time afterwards my son received a letter from some one in Washington that I was entitled to a pension if I could prove the service, and that is the last that I have heard from that application and whether he filed my declaration I do not know - but I therefore make this declaration to obtain a pension for said service -
I have no documentary Evidence to prove said service, but I have been informed recently that I can prove my service by one or more persons who served with me.
The Declarant resided in Colchester aforesaid during said service and may have there and resided there some time after said War -
The said Ransom and other early were keep- ing on boundary of Trams in the employment of Government and not contrary as I supposed and I supposed and now believe that I was in the service of Government & not any individual
Subscribed and sworn to } this 30th day of September } 1852 before me
Charles Knight
A. S. Stewart Justice
Charles Knight

State of New York
Genesee County ss - I, George B. Knight of the Town of Elba in the County and State aforesaid being duly sworn do depose and say that I am the son of Charles Knight whose declaration for a pension is hereto annexed and some time in the year 1846 one A. L. Lynde came to my house where I now live and the said Charles Knight then lived in the house with me and the said Lynde proposed to obtain a pension for the said Charles Knight and he said he believed he was entitled to a pension if he could prove his services and agreed to undertake the business and took a statement of his services and some time after that I received a letter from the said Lynde requesting me to send to him the kind of term - and who provided for it and how much pay and rations my father received and some other questions were put and I inquired of the said Charles Knight how much pay he received for his term service in the Revolutionary War and he answered me that he received the same pay that others received at that time for like service and I supposed as a matter of course that he received Eight Dollars per month and I did not ask him the amount and he did not state the amount and I wrote to Mr. Lynde that he received Eight Dollars per month; but the said Charles Knight has since told me that he received 18 Dollars per month and I also wrote to the said Lynde that his rations were 1 pound beef & 8 ounces flour per day and he told me that some times he drew only 8 ounces per day & at other times he received more and some times he received bread and as I supposed that my father would not be able to prove his services he could

not obtain a pension and I was not at all particular and then the business dropped and I heard no more from Lynde on the subject - My father also stated to me that he enlisted in 1870 under Russell Rankin and he provided for the time, and he further stated that in 1881 he enlisted under Rankin or Langford etc. early, but said he believed that he enlisted under Mr. early but he was not certain and I wrote to Lynde that he went under Rankin -
My father Charles Knight made application for a pension 2 years ago last winter as he has stated in his said declaration and since that I received a letter from some one at Washington stating that the said Charles Knight was entitled to a pension if he could prove his service and that was all that was wanting and I supposed his declaration was filed in the pension office at Washington and it may or may not be so, but I do not know I do not know who wrote the letter nor its contents as I can not find the letter on diligent search and I have not heard any thing in some time from his application and his present attorney advises that the said Charles Knight make out another declaration which he has done and the present attorney thinks his declaration is not filed for the reason that no proof has been obtained to prove the declaration - ever since I can remember I have heard the said Charles Knight state that he served a year as a Teamster in the Revolutionary War
Subscribed and sworn to this 30th day of September 1882 before me A. S. Stewart justice
Geo B. Knight

I do hereby certify that I am well ac- quainted with the above named George B. Knight and that he is a man of good character, known respectability and reputable for truth and veracity and of pluckfull confidence in his statement
A. S. Stewart Justice

Charles Knight

State of New York
Genesee County Ss - I, Solomon Hill of the Town of Elba in the County and State aforesaid being duly sworn do depose and say that I am years of age and have resided in the said Town of Elba 18 years last past and I resided in Fredericktown in the County of Dutchess and State of New York during the Revolutionary War and afterwards and previous thereto - I served in said War as follows I served nine months in Colonel Van Courtlandt's Regiment in the year 1776 and was in the Battle of Long Island -
I further depose and say that I enlisted the next winter for during the said War in Captain Bell's Company in the said Colonel Van Courtlandt's Regiment and served therein as a private in the State of New York, at White Plains on the Mohawk River - on the North River and in this vicinity - West Point Connecticut - Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and was in the Battle

of Long Island in 1776. White Plains - Choumuth and Fort Montgomery and was at the taking of Lord Howe's Mills and his Army at Yorktown in the fall of 1781 and I was in various Skirmishes -
I am now in the midst of a Recre- tionary Pension for said services at the rate of Eighty Dollars per annum -
I have been acquainted with Charles Knight whose Affidavit is hereto annexed ever since I have resided in Elba and he is about two years younger than I am and now lives and has lived ever since I have resided in Elba not over a mile from me -
I well remember the said Charles Knight in the Revolutionary War and I saw him in said War a great many times in the years 1780 and 1781 and he drove an ox team for Government all the time for the American Army -
I saw the said Charles Knight in the forepart of the summer in 1780 at White Plains driving a Government ox team and I saw him a number of times after that during the summer of 1780

and saw him often; but I did not know his name or where he was from till the fall of 1780 and the reason and manner that I became acquainted with him was as follows - The said Charles Knight and a few other teams were sent out after loading at some distance from White Plains for the Army and I was one of the guard that went with the teams and they could not return to the camp the same day but were obliged to stay out one night and the guard were in the rear that I belonged to and the teams were ordered to put up at the house of a man by the name of O'Brien who was a Tory and O'Brien ordered the teams away and refused to let them stay at his house and word was sent back to the guard and we quickly advanced to O'Brien's house and O'Brien was in a great rage from his appearance at the said Charles Knight who was not more than 16 or 17 years of age and threatened him for something that he said Knight had done and soon after Inglis came up who then had charge of the teams and ordered

After to be still and told the travellers, and after that they would stay there, and the Transfers, and we, the guard all put up there and stayed there all night and from that circumstance I became well acquainted with the said Charles Knight and that he lived in Colchester in the state of Connecticut and he served as such transfer till late in the fall of 1780 and was discharged and left the army at or near Fishkill New York, and he must have served as such Transfer as much as six months, and I saw him in such service as much as five months or more and I had no doubt that he served six months and Knight has told me so since and told me so the next year -
I further say on oath that in May or June and I believe in the latter part of May in the year 1781, the said Charles Knight drove a government ox team to White Plains or near there and he continued to drive such team for government till General Washington's army marched south to York Town in Virginia to capture Lord Cornwallis and his army, and the said Charles Knight was,

ordered to go with his Team with said Army and he did go and drove a Government ox team for the Army & I saw him very often and frequently saw him at Yorktown; and he served as such Teamster at Yorktown till into the month of November in the year 1781 and until Lord Cornwallis and his Army were captured and surrendered and after that he was discharged and left the Army - I served with him that year (1781) as much as six months, and I saw him and am knowing to such service - Since I have lived in Elba the said Charles Knight has said that he served a year or more in said War as a Teamster for the United States And in my opinion he must have served more than six months in 1781 including the time in returning home from Yorktown -
I know that the said Charles Knight who now lives in Elba is the same Charles Knight that I saw as such Teamster in the Revolutionary War as aforesaid - The said Charles Knight

drove and carried with his team all the time while he was in the service as afore said government stores, provisions and munitions of War -
8 I have no interest in the said Charles Knight's application for a pension nor in the pension if obtained -
Subscribed and sworn to this 6th day of April 1853 before me J. L. Stewart Justice
Solomon Hill
I do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with the above named Solomon Hill and have been so acquainted with him for a number of years last past and that he is a man of good character, known respectability and reputable for truth and veracity and of sound mind and memory and has retained all his mental faculties and powers to the present time and enjoys good health as far as old age will permit and I place full confidence in his statement - and I further certify that I have no interest whatever in the said Charles Knight's application for a pension.

Knights application for a pension dated April 6, 1853 -
J. S. Stewart justice
State of New York } Genesee County } ss - Charles Coffin }
I, M. J. Soper Clerk of said County and of the County Courts thereof do hereby certify that J. S. Stewart Esquire before whom the annexed Affidavits of Charles Knight George B. Knight and Solomon Hill were made and taken and who has thereunto officially subscribed his name was at the time of so doing a justice of the peace of said County duly commissioned and sworn and authorized by Law to administer oaths and take Affidavits and that his several signatures thereto subscribed are genuine -
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal which is the seal of said Court at Batavia in said County this 7 th day of May A.D. 1853 -
M. J. Soper CLK George Holden Dep CLK

I am well acquainted with George B. Wright whose name is subscribed to a pending affidavit and also with J. S. Stewart the Justice of the Peace before whom said affidavit was taken and they are both respectable & reliable men. I have seen Charles Knight, whose name is subscribed to a pending affidavit some years since and he was considered an honest, worthy man in the neighborhood of his residence but do not recollect to have had any personal acquaintance with him. June June 3. 1857
R. Ringle M.C. 30 Cong Dist N.Y.

Pension Office
August 23. 1853
Sir
The supplemental declaration of Charles Knight, of New York, for a pension under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined.
The declaration is made before a justice of the peace. It should have been made before a court of record, and conformity to the enclosed printed rules is now required. The original declaration was informal and is not among the papers in the case. It appears from Genl Hubbard's correspondence book and the papers of Bissell Phelps, of Vermont, that Roswell Ransom was a conductor in 1779. It is possible that the papers in the collection of the St Historical Society will show the service of conductor Ransom and the McCartys in 1780 and 1781. There is no roll of their men in this office.
Geo. C. Annes Esq.
Present.

Aug 23/53

Loose as Index Feb 8 '47
Recd of Charles Knight
Team line
Comms of Pendleton Pistol
John G. Edwards
Atkins H 2
A. Smith m/s

Hon J P Macag Sir
Washington June 7. 1853
Enclosed you have the Declaration of Charles Knight, an Applicant for a Pension under the act of 7 June 1832.
Some Correspondence has been had with the Pension Office heretofore in this Case. At that time the Class of Team Service in which service he was engaged was not recognized as Military Service within the meaning of the act of 7 June 1832; Since then Pensions have been allowed to Teamsters, and Declarant now asks to be placed on the Pension roll, with those who were similarly engaged during the war of the Revolution.
This Claim is made for service rendered under Capt Roswell Ransom, the evidence of Ransom's service and thereunder him I understand is filed in your Office, in the Case Bessie Phelps, Widow of Lt. B. which I beg leave respectfully to refer for proof to sustain the allegation of Knight.
Very Respectfully Yours obediently Geo. C. Ames

Leon & Smith Mds. Washington D.C.

Warsaw N.Y.
25 Feb 1847
Dear A. Smith
Or Sir
Your letter enclosing the Edwards of the 16 th inst was received this day.
Mr Edwards previous letter was dated January 9 th 1847. which please communicate to him.
Respectfully
A. L. Lynde
P.S. The above letter relates to the claim of Charles Knight to a Pension for services.

Dear U. Smith
Feb 16 '97
[Faint, mirrored handwritten text, likely bleed-through from the reverse side of the page]
[Faint, mirrored handwritten text, likely bleed-through from the reverse side of the page]

Sir
287 Yours off July 16th, 47
In reply to the enquiry of Mr. Lynde respecting Charles Knight's claim as a Teamster under Capt. Roswell Ransom I would inform you that the facts furnished would go to shew that Ransom was a Con- tractor & the Teamsters hired men in his employ - Mr. Lynde acknowledges a letter from this office which does not appear upon the Index & I should be much obliged to him if he will supply me with the date of it.
Yon A Smith H.R.

37445
Charles Knight New York H. C.
Act. 7. June '32
Hon. A. Smith M.L.

Warrens New York
30th January 1847
Leon A. Smith M.C.
I duly received Mr. Edmonds in the case of Charles Knight who claimed for team service under Russell Ransom conductor of teams & sent to him for information as to his monthly pay, rations, clothing & team. Here where & of whom obtained & how disposed of &c. I received from him the following information
1. Pay was $8 per month Continental money 2. Rations 1 lb of Beef 3 or 4 (I cannot tell which) lb. of flour & half pint of rum per day 3. Clothing. Did not receive any 4. Team consisted of 20 Yokes of oxen 5 th The teams were furnished by Russell Ransom 6 th Drove his team to Yorktown & it died
I do not suppose it necessary to be at the trouble & expense of getting an affidavit from Mr. Knight & if Mr. Edmonds should decide on the above facts that Mr. Knight did not serve in that capacity as would entitle him to a pension I shall discontinue further efforts. Please communicate to me Mr. Edmonds decision at your early convenience
Respectfully Yours A. L. Lynde

Wm. A. Smith Jan 9 '47

Con
147 Jan 9th 47
I have the honor to inform you that the informal & unsupported statement of Chas. Knight enclosed in Mr. Lynde's letter herewith returned has been examined and filed - As far as he has detailed the employment of driving a Cart in the transportation of the Army supplies collected in Con. in 80 and again in 1781 in the transport teams to Yorktown, it is deemed not to have been military service in the contemplation of the pension laws - In all claims for service as Teamster it is necessary to state the terms & circumstances under which he was engaged - of what consisted his team and how the team was procured & what disposition was made of it after his employment ceased. For Albert Smith H.R.

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
REJECTED
6022.
P. O.
Charles Knight
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

NY
for A. Smith of Jan '47
16 Feb
Geo. Amos Aug 23 1863
6022
Oct 5-17 June 30

June 10. 1853
Appt of Charles Knight
New York
Act y th June 1852
Geo. C. Ames
Present
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, PENSION OFFICE, OFFICIAL BUSI
Com. 1111