Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 6218, for Samuel Thomson, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Thomson, Samuel
S. 6218
Navy.
carded
CONTENTS

24/5
Massachusetts
Daniel Thomson of Stamphill in the State of Mass who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain of the Regt commanded by Col Willard in the Mass line for 6 mos Private 10 " Marine
Inscribed on the Roll of Mrs at the rate of 53 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March , 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 28 th day of Oct 1832 and sent to Chas P. Huntingdon  Hampton  Mass
Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832 $ 79.99 Pension allowance ending 4 Mar 33 26.66 $106.65
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J H Clerk, Book D - Vol. 25 Page 86 .
See letter to Col 1833 to C P Huntington & Pension Agent
Recd 3 m 55 7/4/35

Saml. Thomson N o 4368
Paid 6 Mts Marin 10 16
Adm l
$ 5333
L. P. Huntington Northampton Mass

BRIEF in the case of Samuel Thomson of the County of Hampshire in the State of Mass. (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? 76 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.     In 1776 Augt. — 3 — As a Private Gen. Col. Willard, Capt. Goven   "77 Augt. Substitute 3 for Saml Heath — Heath Col. Stoughton Capt. Smith   "79 Sept. — 10 — Marine on board the Queen of France Capt. Rathburn  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? between Prisoners at Charleston  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Sharon Roxbury  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? nothing  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.
Levin Belt Examining Clerk.

DECLARATION, in order to secure the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
COUNTY OF Hampshire  Worcester , ss.
ON this 20 day of August in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open Court, before Samuel Hinsely Judge of Probate now sitting Samuel Thompson a resident of Cummington in the County of Hampshire and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, aged Seventy 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 7th 1832.
THAT he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
I was born in Stoughton in the County of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts on on the 8 of March 1755 and was twenty seven years old last March I have no record of my age but I suppose it may be found in the records of the town of Stoughton at the age of about fifteen I went to live with Richard Hixon of Sharon to learn the tanners trade and lived with said Hixon until I was twenty one years old I then let myself to the said Hixon for one year in the course of the year the inhab- itants of Sharon were clapped and each clap was to furnish a man for the army when called for in the Month of August 1776 I agreed to go for one of the claps to Ticonderoga for the term of three months under the command of Capt Powell of Wrentham we marched a few days after to Methuen  Wrentham from thence we marched through Worcester Northampton Williamstown Bennington in Vermont to Skeneborough where we took boats to Ticonderoga where we were attached to Col Mellaids Regiment we were stationed at a place called Mount Hope until a few days before the expiration of our time when we marched to Albany before we reached Albany our term of service expired and we were discharged - In the year 1777 I lived in the family of Gen Heath of Roxbury as near as I now recollect in the Month of August I went as a Substitute for Samuel Heath of Roxbury on a Campaign of three months to Saratoga in the State of New York in a Company Commanded by Capt Smith of Needham and the Regiment of Colgill  Stoughton we found our Regiment at Needham and Marched via Worcester Northampton to Ben- nington arrived at Bennington a few days after the Battle Saw the Prisoners in the military prison from thence to Saratoga Staid at Saratoga and vicinity until after the Surrender of Burgoyne then marched to Albany staid there several days then marched to Kattskill where I was taken sick and did not reach home until December - I very well recollect Gen Morgan and Col Green being at Saratoga In September 1779 I enlisted at Boston under a Mr Pike a Midshipman on board the Queen of France a Continental Ship Commanded by Capt Rathbun the Midshipman was Commanded by Capt Smith we lay Blocked up in Boston harbour I should think two months when we sailed in Company with the Providence Boston and Ranger all under the command of Comodore Whipple and after a circuitous voyage reached Charlestown South Carolina I should think in the Month of January we lay there until the British fleet arrived our Ship was caught and sunk in the channel with others and we were all taken Prisoners at the time Gen Lincoln surrendered we were carried to Philadelphia and exchanged and did not reach home until July 1780 after my enlistment until I returned was about ten Months I have no documentary evidence of my service and know of no person living who can testify to the same
He 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 and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Isaac Thompson
Before Samuel Hinsely Judge of Probate

We Roswell Hawkes a Clergyman residing in the Town of Cammington and Eliphalet Packard residing in Cammington hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Samuel Thompson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be SeventySeven years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Roswell Hawkes Eliphalet Packard Before me Samuel H. Buckley Judge of Probate
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 mentioned applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And the court further certifies, that it appears to them that The Rev. Roswell Hawkes who signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the Cammington and that Eliphalet Packard Esq. who has also signed the same is a resident in the Cammington and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Samuel H. Buckley Judge of Probate
I Sam d F. Lyman Register of the Court of Probate do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Samuel Thompson for a pension.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of said Court this twentieth day of August in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty two .
Sam d F. Lyman Register
Samuel Thompsons 104368 Declaration

Feby, 24-1902. Miss Ella C. Elden Buffalo ny
Rev War
6218
INVALID.
File No.
6218
Samuel Thomson
Rev War
Act: June 7 th 1832.
Index:—Vol. m , Page 372
[Arrangement of 1870.]

To the Bureau of Pensions Department of the Interior Washington, D.C.
I am desirous of obtaining such information as you can give me regarding my great grandfather, Sam- uel Thompson, a pensioner of the War of the Revolution . He was born in Canton Mass. and spent his last years in Cummington, Mass., where

he died in 1837.
If any expense is involved in the search kindly let me know. In any case I shall be very grateful for your as- sistance.
Very Respectfully Yours (Miss) Ella C. Elder
412 Sinclair Avenue Buffalo N.Y.
January 29 th 1902

January 28 1902 1902 1902 1902

N o 4.358 Samuel Thompson
L. P. Huntington

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Samuel Thomson 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? yes
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? 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? yes.
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.