Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 13537, for William Jennings, Connecticut

SERVICE
NUMBER
bonn.
Jennings William
S 13537
CONTENTS
carded

31,749.
Connecticut.
William Jennings
of Fairfield in the State of Connecticut who was a private in the Comp y command by Captain Lacy of the _____ command by _____ in the Connecticut _____ time for _____ for _____.
Inscribed on the Roll of Connecticut 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 May 1840 and sent to Hon. W. Osborn H. S. L.
Arrears to the 4th of March 1840 $ 118.00 Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Sept 40 10.0
$ 128.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by Wm. G. Leutzingen Clerk Book E. Vol. 2 - Page 18.

State of Connecticut } District of Fairfield } B
on this fifth day of May in the year one thousand Eight hundred and forty personally appeared in open Court before a Special Court of Probate holden at Fairfield in and of the District of Fairfield in the State of Connecticut and knew nothing of William Jennings a resident of Fairfield in the District of Fairfield & State of Connecticut the identical person who heretofore in the year 1838 made his Declaration now on file in the Pension Office in Washington, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832 and who now being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following Declaration Supplemental to, and explanatory of, said first mentioned Declaration by him made and on file as aforesaid. —
The Declarant says that he performed the following described service in the War of the Revolution in the Coast Guard of said Fairfield in the year 1782 — That early in the month of April in the year 1782, he enlisted for the term of six months under Capt Daniel Lacey in the State Guard so called, an embodied Corps, called into service by competent authority and that he faithfully served out the full term of his enlistment in said Guard on the sea coast of said Fairfield, and that he also served as aforesaid for and during the full term of two months then next following the expiration of said first mentioned six months being in the whole eight months, for which term he declares he served in said Guard as aforesaid and was discharged in the month of December of that year, and that he performed said service as a private, and the Declarant further says that said Guard to which he belonged was stationed in the old village part of said Fairfield, and the Guard House was about a half of a mile from the shore, and that the limits of the Coast, or shore, which they guarded, extended from Pine creek so called to Penfield's creek or Black Rock's creek so called, a distance of about one and a half miles, that said Capt Lacey's Guard was divided into detached guards and each detached guard under a particular

Sergeant or other officer, and were assigned different Stations on said Coast, said Sacey being the Commandant of the whole Guard, one Peter Jennings (many years since dead) had the particular charge of the Guard to which Declarant belonged he being an orderly Sergeant, - and the Declarant further says that the Guard to which he belonged was composed of about nine persons, the officer included, had their tents and blankets, mops and subsisted at the Guard house, drew their provisions or rations - The Declarant further says that their Guard house was distant about one fourth of a mile from the residence of Declarant's father, and distance of his father's residence from shore, about three fourths of a mile, that he several times during said service went home to his father by permission from his officer, but made short visits only, and was obliged to be at his post unless so permitted and was at all times subject to, and did perform all the duties required of him in guarding said Coast both by day and night as a member of said Guard regularly embodied, and enlisted, that we were all regularly mustered and drilled daily, and performed all the duties of a regular Guard for the protection of said sea coast, and that his said services were thus continuous, and that he the Declarant was precluded from attending to his ordinary business and at all times bound to the service as aforesaid, during the time aforesaid - The Declarant further says that he never received personally any pay for his said services nor does he now know to what amount he was entitled but he does say that his father received the pay for him, and that all the benefit which Declarant ever derived from it, was, that he received from his father a new suit of clothes at the urgency of his mother on account of said service, and the pay therefor, thus received by his father -
William Jennings
word Declarant between third & fourth line from top first intitled sworn & subscribed the day and year aforesaid Rufus Blackman Judge

and the said Court does hereby declare its opinion that said William Lennings the before named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states
Rufus Holleman Judge
State of Connecticut District of Fairfield) s.
I Henry Baldwin Clerk of the Court of Probate for the District of Fairfield in the State of Connecticut do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the proceedings before said Court in the matter of the application of William Lennings of Fairfield in said District for a Pension - and I further certify that Rufus Holleman Esq before whom said proceedings were had as the Judge of said Court is now and since the 20 th day of June last past has been the Judge of said Court duly commissioned sworn, and acting as such and that the foregoing signatures purporting to be his are his genuine official signatures - In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court in Fairfield this 5 th day of May A D 1840 -
Henry Baldwin Clerk of Probate

32.690
Wm Jennings of Connecticut
Suspended
let Thomas B Osborne Fairfield 22nd 1835
See Jeremiah Osborne's papers Comptn certificate -
abnd
6 mo pri
20 $
Act of June 1832
Gen. J. B. Osborne -

State of Connecticut } ss. County of Fairfield }
On this 16 th day of February A D 1835 personally appeared, in open Court, before the Court of Probate for the District of Fairfield in said County, now sitting and being a Court of Record, William Jennings, a Resident of Fairfield in Fairfield County and State of Connecticut, aged in his seventieth year, who being first 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 at about the first of April in the year 1782 he enlisted, at said Fairfield, for the term of six months as a private in the Company of Connecticut State Troops commanded by Capt. Daniel Lacy. Said Company was raised by the State for the defence of the coast & was divided into guards which were stationed at different places along the coast of the Town of Fairfield. Declarant was stationed at Fairfield, in the Town, where a part of said Company was stationed and at night we kept a guard on the Fairfield Beach. Capt Lacy had the command of the whole Company distributed

at the different stations - Peter Jennings was the Corporal of the guard in which Declarant served. Declarant joined the guard the 1st of April 1782 & served out his term of enlistment and continued to serve after his enlistment was out for some time until cold weather -
Declarant was born and bro't up in the Town of Fairfield and is known to most of the inhabitants of the Town. He was born July 2, 1765 & his age is on record in Fairfield Town Records. He has no Documentary evidence & never received any written discharge. Declarant can find no living witness by whom he can prove his service in said guard except Herekiah Burr whose Deposition is annexed.
Declarant resided in Fairfield until about the year 1793 when he removed to Sherman in Fairfield County where he resided about fifteen years - He then returned to Fairfield & lived there about one year when he removed to Rye in the State of New York and resided there about fifteen years when he returned to Fairfield & has resided there ever since.
The said William Jennings 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 & subscribed the day William Jennings and year aforesaid before David Hill Judge of Probate for the District of Fairfield
We John G Allen and George Peck residing in the Town of Fairfield Fairfield County Connecticut hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Jennings who has subscribed & sworn to the above Declaration that we believe him to be in the seventieth year of his 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. John G. Allen George Peck Sworn & subscribed the day and year aforesaid before David Hill Judge of Probate for the District of Fairfield
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 applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier & served as he states, and the Court further certifies that John G. Allen & George Peck who have signed the preceding Certificate are residents of said Town of Fairfield & are credible persons & that their statement is entitled to credit. David Hill Judge of Probate for Fairfield District
State of Connecticut } for Fairfield February 16 th A D 1835 - Fairfield County }
I David Hill Jun Clerk of the Court of Probate for the District of Fairfield do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Jennings for a Pension - Witness my hand & the Seal of said Court of Probate this 16 th day of February A D 1835. David Hill Jr Clerk

I Herekiah Burr of Fairfield in Fairfield County Connecticut aged in my seventy third year being duly sworn do depose and say that according to my best knowledge and belief about the first of April in the year 1782 I enlisted as a private in the Company of Connecticut State Troops under the command of Capt. Daniel Sacey - This Company was divided up into guards and stationed at different places along the coast of the Town of Fairfield. I was stationed at Fairfield in the Town and at night we kept a guard on Fairfield Beach. I well remember that William Jennings then and now of said Fairfield was in the same guard - Said Jennings was on duty with me in the guard on Fairfield Beach - But how long said Jennings served or at what time he joined the guard I cannot state.
I have knew said Jennings well in the time of the Revolutionary War we being born & brought up in the same neighborhood. Herekiah Burr

State of Connecticut } ss Fairfield February 13 th 1835 Fairfield County } Personally appeared before me Hereskiah Burr who being first duly sworn made solemn oath to the truth of the foregoing Deposition by him subscribed - I further certify that I am acquainted with the said Hereskiah Burr and that he is a credible witness.
Thomas B Osborne Justice of Peace
State of Connecticut } ss I Thomas B Osborne Clerk of the Fairfield County } County Court within and for the County of Fairfield in the State of Connecticut do hereby certify that Thomas B Osborne whose own proper signature is annexed to the foregoing Certificate is a Justice of the Peace in and for said County duly commissioned & duly authorized to administer oaths & take Depositions &c - In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand & affixed the Seal of said County Court in Fairfield this 13 th day of February A D 1835.
Thomas B Osborne Clerk

Rev War
13537 INVALID.
File No. 13537
William Jennings Rev War
Act: June 7 th 1832
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 192
[Arrangement of 1870.]

No information in the btf of the Compt. of borne in Jer- miah Osborne's claim that can be used in this case.
MR.
Apl 11, 1906

We the undersigned Inhabitants of Fairfield in Fairfield County, and State of Connecticut above the age of twenty one years, Do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Jennings of said Fairfield, a claimant for a Pension, that said William Jennings is a person of good character and standing in the community possesses a fair character for truth, and that his Statements are entitled to credit.
Dated at Fairfield the 19 th day of February A D 1840
Roger M. Sherman
Ebenezer D. Simon
John Glover
Barnum P. Merrill

State of Connecticut Fairfield County ss Personally appeared Roger M Sherman, Ellen Sherman, Solomon Glaser and Abraham Benson subscribers of the foregoing certificate on the other side hereof made solemn oath to the truth of the same before me, and I certify that they are all well known to me, are persons of the first respecta- bility in said Fairfield and are fully entitled to credit in their statements. Subscribed at Fairfield this 21 st day of March 1840 I. P. Allen Just Peace
1840 John G. Allen Jr. Peace

I Nehemiah B. Alva of the Town & County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut aged fifty two years being duly confirmed and sworn do depose and say that I now am and ever since my boyhood have been well acquainted with William Jennings of said Fairfield a claimant for a Pension, that said William Jennings is a person of good standing and character in the community and his statements entitled to belief - and I further depose and say that he is generally reported where he resides to have served in the Coast Guards of said Fairfield in the War of the Revolution, that I have for a long time past heard others speak of his said service but have no personal knowledge thereof - and further saith not. Dated at Fairfield this 28 th day of March A D 1840 Nehem h B Alva
State of Connecticut } ss Fairfield March 28 th 1840 Fairfield County } Personally appeared Nehemiah B Alva and made solemn oath to the truth of the above deposition before me subscribed, and I certify that I Alva is well known to me, and is a credible person the above deposition taken & the said in the Pension claim of William Jennings on file in Pension Office Subscribed & sworn before me Jeremiah Stronger Justice of Peace

State of Connecticut } ss Fairfield County }
I Thomas Robinson Clerk of the County Court within and for the County of Fairfield in said State of Connecticut and Keeper of the Seal thereof and of the Commissions of the Justices of the Peace for said County. Do hereby certify that John G. Allen Esq before whom the foregoing certificate of Roger M Sherman, Elmer D. Dyer, John Glavin and Abraham Benson were sworn to, and that Jeremiah Sturges Esq before whom the deposition on the other side hereof and the annexed deposition of Thomas Robinson were taken & sworn to. are Justices of the Peace in and for said County duly commissioned and acting as such & duly authorized to administer oaths & take acknowledgments of Deeds. That the commissions of the said John G. Allen and Jeremiah Sturges are dated the 29 th day of May 1839 and will expire within the 19 th day of June A.D. 1840 and hereby that the signatures purporting to be theirs to the respective depositions aforesaid before them respectively sworn to. are proven to me to be their genuine official signatures given under my hand and the seal of the County Court in Fairfield this 28 th day of March 1840 Thomas Robinson Clerk

I Thomas Robinson of the Town & County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut aged thirty four years do depose and say that I now am and for more than fifteen years last past have been acquainted with William Jennings of said Fairfield now an applicant for a pension, that said Jennings possesses fair character for truth that I have heard others speak of him as having served in the Coast Guard or said Fairfield in the war of the Revolution - I recollect of hearing at least fifteen years ago heard a story told of said William Jennings which was in substance as follows, to wit, that while said Jennings was serving in the Guard on the coast at a place called Pine Creek not far distant from the old village part of said Fairfield in the time of said Revolutionary war he came very near killing a person by the name of Ogden whose Christian name I do not recollect, but who was described as one of the Corduroy boys so called who were in the habit of dealing with the British, which term as I understand it was applied on account of their exchanging produce so for Corduroy &c - That said Jennings had missed the said Ogden, who runs, and that said Jennings fired and the ball struck a rail of a fence immediately above said Ogden while he was in the act of bending and crawling through said fence and I have since heard the same story alluded to, when Corduroy times have been the subject of conversation - further deponent saith not Dated at Fairfield the 28 th day of March 1840.
Thomas Robinson

State of Connecticut } Fairfield County } ss Fairfield March 28 th 1840 Personally appeared Thomas Robinson and made solemn oath to the truth of the within Deposition by him subscribed, and that I am well acquainted with said Robinson, and that he is a Creditable Person fully entitled to belief - Sworn & Subscribed before Me Jeremiah Sturges Justice of Peace
The foregoing Deposition is taken to be used in a former Claim of said William Jennings now. Said to be on file in the Pension Office at Washington Jeremiah Sturges Just. Peace
W Jennings
576
H. J. B. Osborne
Robt. B. Osborne

May 12. 1840
Hon. T. B. Osborne A. R.

Pension Office, April 6, 1840.
Sir,
I have the honor to inform you that the additional evidence in the case of William Jennings has been examined and filed. This claim was asserted in 1835 for an alleged service at Fairfield in 1782 - and upon an examination of the papers and proofs you were informed that the Declaration of Claimant and the deposition of his witness left it uncertain whether it was intended to assert that he was in actual and continuous service for the term alleged. No supplemental statement has been furnished by claimant.
He is required to state upon oath the period, length and grade of his service; names of officers present and on duty; the probable number of the corps embodied and mustered together; their discipline and duties; where stationed; distance of station from home and how quarters paid and subsisted. These particulars are necessary to determine the character of the service.
The Comptroller should certify how far his records confirm or discredit the service claimed for.
Hon. T. B. Osborne, House of Representatives.
2
I have the honor to be, very resp't. yo. ob't. serv't. J. L. Edwards

Southport (Conn) May 6. 1840
Dear Sir
I herewith send you the Declaration of Mr William Jennings of Fairfield. Supplemental to one by him made in 1835 in order to obtain a Pension under the act of Congress of June 7. 1832 and more on file in the Pension Office. Mr Jennings claims to have enlisted and served under Capt Daniel Lacey in the Coast Guard of Fairfield in 1812. That Capt Lacey was commissioned to command a Guard raised for the defence of the sea coast of Fairfield in that year. I would refer for proof to a certificate from the Comptroller of this State forwarded with the claim of Mr Jeremiah Osborne of Fairfield made under the act of June 7. 1832 — said claim was rejected, I think, in 1834. or 1835 —
In behalf of Mr Jennings I would request you to present to the Commissioners of Pensions, his supplemental statement, which with the evidence heretofore forwarded, I trust will receive a favorable consideration —
I have the honor to be
Very Respectfully
Your obed Servt
Thomas Robinson
Hon. Thomas B. Osborne House of Representatives