Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 10,298, for Peleg Sullivan, Rhode Island

SERVICE
NUMBER
R. J.
Sullivan, Peleg
R. 10,298
CONTENTS

Benjamin Sullivan Esq
Amos W. Muzzey.
Power of Atty -
Wilch
Revolutionary Claim of Benj. Sullivan -

State of New York County of Charlotte NY ss. Be it known That on the 1 th day of November  February 1854 before me the undersigned a Judge in and for the County and State aforesaid. Personally appeared Benjamin Sullivan, a resident of Blyner in said County - and made oath in due form of law that he is the child & legal Heir of Peleg Sullivan Deceased who was a Soldier in the War of the Revolution and who has heretofore made application for the benefit of the Pension Act of June 7-1832. That he is directly inter- ested as a claimant in said Pension and makes this affidavit to be filed with such other evidence or arguments as my Agent or Attorney may use in prosecuting said claim. Counterman- ding and revoking all Powers of Attorney heretofore given. I hereby constitute and appoint Amos W. Muzzy of Panama N.Y. my true and lawful Attorney to prosecute the claim of myself & the other Heirs of the said Peleg Sullivan for any amount of Revolutionary Pension that may be due - and I hereby author- ize the said Amos W. Muzzy to examine all papers or documents in relation to said claim on file in the Department at Washington or elsewhere - to file ad- ditional evidence or arguments and to appoint one or more substitutes under him for the purposes herein expressed - and to do all things that I might have

or could do were I personally present. Hereby ratifying and confirming all my said Attorney may law- fully do in the premises - Benjamin Sullivan
Subscribed sworn to and acknowledged before me on the day and year above written - And I hereby certify that I believe the said Ben- jamin Sullivan to be directly inter- ested in said claim as set forth and to be the identical party therein alleged -
"November" & "1853" erased
and "February" & 1854 substituted November 1 Co. Judge

Declaration of Peleg Sullivan for  a Pension under act of 7. June 1832  Rhode Island Militia
26. 274.
See  State
Hayville
Champlaine Co.
N.Y.
Hon. R. P. Mann
H. R.

XXXXXXXXXX Declaration of Peleg Sullivan in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7. 1832.
State of New York
Chautauqua County ss. On this February 12. day of October 1833, personally appeared in open court a resident of the town of Milan in said county, before the judges of the court of common pleas, now sitting, Peleg Sullivan , aged seventy, five years the sixth day of July last, 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, & served as herein stated. That declarant on or about the 1. of December 1778 then living in the town of Exeter, in the county of Washington, Rhode Island, was drafted for three months service in a company commanded by Capt. Jonathan Bates in Col. Dyer Regiment of New York Rhode Island Militia. The draft was made from three militia companies, & the officers of each, & those drafted formed a new company for the service. Capt. Bates was taken from declarants militia company, the lieut. & ensign from other companies, who were strangers & their names not remembered by declarant. Immediately after the draft, he, with the company, was marched through North Kingston to Quonquasset , & staid there about two months, & did duty as a patrol on the sea shore, every second or third night during that time. A British vessel was lying off in the cove, & was nightly expected to land troops. Declarants company, being relieved by another, was ordered to what was then called Updike Newtown, now Wickham, & continued there doing similar duty as before, until declarant, with them, were dismissed on or about the first day of March 1779 in having served three months, the period of his said draft the manner that militia companies are now usually dismissed from parade.
Some short time after, declarant served again, a period of three months , I think, that he was likewise drafted for this service. His captain was now taken from another company, his name is not recollected. Lieut. Whitman from declarants company, served as lieutenant. He was yet living in Exeter, & moved to South Kingston & remained there about six weeks, when declarant Benjamin Gardner & thirteen others were taken prisoners by a party of the enemy in the following manner. Declarant & the others taken, except Gardner, had been standing sentry through the fore part of the night, & had a short time previous been relieved & gone to bed. About four o'clock in the morning declarant was awaken'd from a sound sleep by the noise of guns & the whistling of bullets over his head. He immediately rose, & with

handkerchief tied on his head, & pantalettes on, as he had slept; seized his gun, & attempted to leave the house, but found it surrounded by the British who rushed in & took the sixteen prisoners as above. They quartered in the house of Benjamin Gardner, & the company on the first approach of the enemy abandoned their guns & fled. Declarant requested permission to dress himself, or to take his clothes with him, but this was refused, with the reply "Why you d - d rebel, do you want to be treated better, than the rebels treated Gen. Prescott." He was marched about two miles to the south ferry in South Kingston, when he was put into a row galley, & taken off & put on board a schooner, & taken to Newport & lodged in the Provost. He was soon after brought before the British General, & questioned closely about the forces & situation of the Americans, about which declarant in reality knew nothing, but made such extravagant representations of the numbers & superiority of their troops, as provoked a hearty laugh. He then enquired into the family circumstances of declarant, & after learning, as was the fact, that he was the sole reliance of a widowed mother, endeavoured to persuade him to enlist in the British service, & offered many inducements to that effect, but declarant entirely refused to listen to any of his proposals; when he was taken on board of Admiral Peter's ship & kept till he was exchanged & sent into Providence, having been out including his services, before the time he was detained a prisoner about three months & a half, as near as he recollects.
Some time about the last of August or first of September 1780, declarant was again drafted for three months, & served that period in a company commanded by officers, strangers to declarant, & who does not recollect the names of any, except Ensign Spencer Taylor. He still lived in Exeter & was marched through South Kingston to Newport, & continued on duty there, till he was dismissed about the last of November 1780. He served in all cases as a private Declarant's memory is confused & uncertain as it regards the dates of either of the above periods of service, but the facts themselves are too indelibly impressed upon his mind ever to be erased. Through every term, he thinks Col. Dyer had command of the regiment. He has no documentary evidence, & he knows of no person, whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his services. 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.
And in answer to the particular interrogatories of the court now here he says,

1. I was born on Prudence Island, Washington County, Rhode Island July 6. 1757 2. I have now no record of my age, but had a family record of it, until about ten years since my dwelling house & all my papers were burnt. 3. I was living when called into service at Exeter Rhode Island, I have lived since the Revolutionary war in Exeter & the adjoining towns, till about 1795, when I removed to Volentown, Windham County Connecticut, & lived till 1802, when I moved to Sherburne, Chenango County, New York & lived till about 1809 & then removed to De Ruyter, Madison County, lived till 1811, then lived one year in Canandaigua Ontario County, then went to Gorham in same county & lived a few months, then went to Middlesex in same county & lived till 1815, then moved to Putney, Steuben County, & lived about a year, then moved to Bergen Genesee County, & lived till 1818, when I went to Batavia in the same county & lived a year, then lived in Shelby in the same county till about 1824 when I removed to my present residence in Mina & have since resided there.
4. I am certain that on the first & third terms of service, & I think from the circumstances of my family, that I was also drafted on my second term, I served for myself & not as a substitute.
5. This interrogatory is as fully answered in my declaration, as I can do.
6. I never had a written discharge, but except when my time expired while a prisoner, was dismissed as militia companies are now dismissed from parade.
7. My son Potter Sullivan, is the nearest clergy man to me, & the only one in my neighborhood, & I am known to John Bartlett, Harry Runyan & others in my neighborhood who, I presume can testify as to my character for veracity, & their belief of my services as a soldier of the Revolution.
Sworn to & subscribed the 9 day of year aforesaid
James B. Loomis, Clerk
Peleg his X Sullivan mark
We Potter Sullivan a clergyman, late residing in the town of Mina in the county of Chautauque, and John Bartlett residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Peleg Sullivan, who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the

Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn to & subscribed the
Potter Sullivan
day & year aforesaid
John Bartlett
James B. Loomis Clerk
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 named applicant was a revolutionary soldier as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Potter Sullivan, who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the town of Milna in the county of Chautauqua, and that John Bartlett, who has also signed the same, is a resident in the same town, & is a credible person, that their statement is entitled to credit.
E. P. Foote M. A. Woodhull Philo C. Brainerd Judges
I James B. Loomis clerk of the court of common pleas, in & for the county of Chautauqua, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court, in the matter of the application of Pelek Sullivan for a pension. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand Seal of Office this 12 day of February  October 1833.
James B. Loomis Clerk

10.7.98-Rij Percy Sullivan
Feb 12, 1833 - 75-
Mina Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Dec. 1878 Estor N.Y.
Capt. John Bates Cal Dyer Dist. 3 m
79 - Lt. Whitman Cal do Dist. 3 1/2
Afternoon part in the night Roughley Lake - N Newport
Aug or Sept 80 Aft - Cal - 00 3 m
Burn Wash - G R I
Feb 6, 1757
no Run

N. York
Deleg Sullivan
Letter to Hon R. P. Mawin 28 Feb. '38
to same 1 - June '38.
10298

REJECTED
Feby. 12, 1903 Peter G. George City c/o Cyb. Ripley, parent,
10.298
P. O. Peleg Sullivan Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18 .
Discharged: _____, 18 .
Application filed: _____, 18 .
Alleges: _____ _____
Re-enlisted: _____ _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____ _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18 .

To all of Representatives Feb. 10 - 38
Sir
At the late Extra Session I trans- mitted to you a letter from Peter Sullivan of Elk Creek Erie County, Penn s calling your attention to the application of Peter Sullivan for a pension made in 1833. Your answer of 19 Oct last stated that the papers could not be found &c. A few weeks since I wrote to Judge Osborn of Chautauqua Co. N.Y. (who had forwarded the papers to you in 1833 & who was the Agent of the applicant) making Enquiries after the papers. I have just rec d his answer together with the papers all of which I now beg leave to refer again for your consideration. You will see that Judge Osborn has misled you letter to him returning the papers J. L. Edwards Esq. Counsel of Rev. Very Respectfully, &c. R. P. Morris

War Department Pension Office Feb. 28. 1838
Sir,
The papers of Polyg Sullivan endorsed in your letter of the 10 th inst. have again been examined. The claimant states that in 1778 he belonged to a company of militia in the State of Rhode Island commanded by Capt. Jonathan Bates, Col. Dyer's regiment, and that he was drafted for three months and served that time at Quonquasset; that in 1779 he was again drafted and served three months under Lieut. Whitman, was taken prisoner, and exchanged after about three and a half months from the time he was drafted, and that in 1780 he was again drafted and served about three months under Ensign Sparre Taylor, Captain's name not recollected. The Militia of R. Island were classed, and served alternately in monthly tours; If there were drafts for three months more at the several periods referred to in this case, they were authorized by the Legislature of that State, and some evidence thereof may be had by application to the Secretary of State, Henry Brown, Esq. It appears

from the enclosed letter of J. A. Osborn, Esq. that the claimant is now deranged. Application should therefore be removed in his behalf by a Guardian appointed by the Chancellor. The papers are placed on file.
I have the honor to be
Very respectfully
Yours Ob. Servt.
J S Edwards
Decm 1776. P 15- May 1778. Ex. Dyn Coly 2 Ry. Kings Co Draughts } Jonathan Batt le -Colt / Co. Exeter. ordered }
Hon. R. P. Hawins House of Representatives

Secretary's Office R Island May 17. 1838
Sir - As usual, with the pressure of official business must be my apology for not answering yours of 16 ult until now.
There were no drafts of militia in this State for three months - the period of service was one month .
Charles Dyre was Col. of the 2 d Reg of Militia Kings Co. during the time referred to -
Jonathan Bates was Capt I Co. Exeter from May 1777. to June 1779.
Stephen Whitman was Lieut of said Company from May 1777, to May 1778.
I find no appointment of Ensign Taylor.
very Respectfully Yr. Obed Serv t Henry Bowen
Hon R. P. Marvin.
Please examine this & write R P Marvin