Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 4530, for Oliver Lewis, Connecticut

SERVICE
NUMBER
Conn.
Lewis, Oliver
S 4530.
Carded
CONTENTS

1649 Chic - Sitting Agency.
Oliver Lewis
of Lorain in the State of Ohio who was a private in the Company commanded by Captain Groves of the N. H. commanded by Col. Adams in the War of 1812 for 7 months from 1812
Conn Line. Records corrected July 7/34
Inscribed on the Roll of Pittsburgh Agency at the rate of 23 - Dollars 33 Cents per annum to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 8th day of Oct 1832 and sent to Eben. Watson, Elyria O.
  Arrears to 14th of Sept 1832  34.99    Pension allowance ending 4  11.07    March 1833  46.16  
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Nathan Rue Clerk, Book 20 Vol. 2 Page 136

Oliver Lewis
Ohio
No 2012.
from 1776 private
7 months,
23.33 100

BRIEF in the case of  Oliver Lewis of Lorain County in the State of Ohio (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? 74 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.     June In 1776 1 3 " Private Col Jonathan Littleton   1778 Enfield 7 1 5 " Lt Col Humphrey   "the year" 1779 - " 25 " Major Smith   1st July 1780 2 2 - " Capt Thomas Prance   7 " Col Elmer Woodhull   Col Adams, Regiment  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? New York Fort Washington  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? New Hartford Massachusetts  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Little Examining Clerk.

2082 Oliver Lewis Pension
PO

State of Ohio } County of Lorain } 3
Supreme Court August Term AD 1832
On this 2 d day of August AD 1832 personally appeared before the Hon. John C. Wright & Joshua Collet judges of the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, now sitting at Elyria in said County of Lorain. Oliver Lewis a resident of said the Town of Ridgville in the County of Lorain & State aforesaid aged seventy four years, was 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 that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, & served as herein states —
About the last of June AD 1776 I volunteered & entered the Connecticut line under the Command of Colonel Jonathan Pottibone, Lieut. Col. Kluniphoog, Maj. Smith, & Capt. Thos. Bidwell in this tour I was engaged in building forts & intrenchments & other services of military duty.
Our regiment marched to New York where Gen. Wash- ington was Commander in Chief — I was in New York when it was taken by the British & our army was drove out — we retreated to Fort Wash- ington, where we were attacked by the enemy & in vain drove them — & then marched to Westchester, where I was discharged the last of Sept. following after having served three months — In AD 1778 about the first of Aug. I was drafted & marched from New Hartford to Pechskill on the St. River — The company to which I belonged was stationed at Cram Pond to guard provision stores for the Army my Capt. was Ebenezer Goodwin. after a service of five weeks I was discharged some time in Sept. following — The same year Danbury was burnt, the year I do not recollect, I volunteered & went from New Hartford to Danbury — from here we pursued the enemy to Norwalk, in this tour I was on duty about twenty six days under Capt. Goodwin Gen. Wooster was killed at this time near Danbury — about the 1 st of July 1780 I was drafted for two months, & went to Housatuck & joined Col. Adams Regiment, where we kept guard, my Capt. was Hoag. I was discharged about first Sept. after serving my draft of two months — about the time New Haven was plundered by the enemy I volun- teered & went to New Haven & spent about ten days — I do not know of any person who I can prove to testify with regard to my service as a soldier of the revolution nor have I any documentary Evidence thereof

about the first of April A.D. 1781 I volunteered on board the Sloop called John Michael commanded by Capt. Church fitted out from New London, my services on board was a Sloop Carpenter, our Sloop was taken by a British Frigate at the 16 th May containing 18 guns & commanded by Capt. Henderson. without any engagement, I was detained a prisoner to fort Lee following, when I returned home on parole At the time of service 1. yr. 3 1/2 mths.
Questions put by said Court to said Lewis
1 st Where & in what year were you born
Ans. In Farmington Conn. - at 1758
2 d Have you any record of your age & if so where is it
Ans. - Only from my father's register
3 d Where were you born when called into service & where since
Ans. I was an apprentice in New Hartford since 1772 in New London & New Britain until 1775 in Connecticut & 1776 in New York
4 th How were you called into service
Ans. As stated above 5 th State the names of the regular troops where you served such continental & militia regiments as you can recollect & the general circumstances of your service
Ans. I have stated above
7 th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood & who can testify as to your character for morality & their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution?
Ans. Frederick Whittelsey Esq. & Lieut John B. Matson
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 Eben: Whiton Clerk
We the undersigned a magistrate Fred c Whittelsey residing in the Township of Elyria & J S Matson residing in Elyria hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Elias Lewis who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy forty years of age, that he is reputed & believed to in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, & that we

Concur in that opinion — year aforesaid
Sworn & subscribed the day & Fredk Whittier John S. Mattson
Ebenezer Whiton Clerk
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War department, that the above named appli- cant was a revolutionary Soldier, & served as he states — & the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that Fredk Whittier who has signed the preceding certificate is a resident in the Town of Elyria — that  Matson who has also signed the same is a resident in the town of Elyria is a credible person, & that their statement is entitled to credit —
I Ebenezer Whiton 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 Oliver Lewis for a pension —
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office —
Ebenezer Whiton Clerk "

WESTERN RESERVE CHAPTER
92 Knowles Ave., E. Cleveland
February 12, 1912.
To
Hon. Commissioner of Pensions; Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir, —
Please send me
the pension of one Levi Brown who served in the Revolutionary War as a private - enlisting from Mass. He resided for some time in N. Y. state and then removed to Ohio - his pension having been transferred; he is buried at Bedford

Cuyahoga Co., Ohio; also
Daniel O'Brien - Maryland continental transferred to Vt. and is buried in Bruns- ville Cuyahoga Co. Ohio; -
Thomas Warren private - in Mass. State troops buried at Warrensville, Cuyahoga Co. Ohio. S 45 30
Oliver Lewis - Mass State troops - com- menced pension at seventy-six and is buried in Ridgerville Lorain Co. Ohio.
Thank you.
Very truly
Hallett J. A. Cowing
92 Knapp Ave.,
E. Cleveland, Ohio.
P.S.
The above were Prov. Soldiers,

1912 Feb. 20 Hist 15 Mrs. Hattie J. A. Cowling
Rev. Mrs.
4530
INVALID.
File No. 4530.
Oliver Lewis
Print Geo Dan
Act: June 7. 1832.
Index:—Vol. A , Page 219
[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 (Oliver Lewis) 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? 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? 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? 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? 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 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 affidavits must be properly authenticated, as above directed.
‡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.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Bureau of Pensions,
Washington, D. C., _____, 190_____
In reply to your request of _____, received _____ for a statement of the military history of Oliver Lewis a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his ( or his widow's ) application for pension on file in this Bureau.
   DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. STATE.   CAPTAIN. COLONEL.     June, 1776 3 mos. Pvt. Thomas Bedwell Jonathan Portibone   Aug. 1, 1778 5 wks. Benjamin Woodworth   1777 26 days. Woodworth   1779 10 days.   July 1, 1780 2 mos. " Ray Adams   Apr. 1, 1781 Serf on ship "John Michael", Capt. Church captured with ship by British and detained until Dec. 1, 1781  
Battles engaged in,  Residence of soldier at enlistment, New Hartford  Date of application for pension, Aug. 2, 1832 - Ch. al.  Residence at date of application, Ridgeville, Lorain Co., Ohio.  Age at date of application, b. Farmington, Conn. 1755.  Remarks: No family data.
Very respectfully,
Commissioner.