Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 31201, for Leonard Lanfair, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass-
Lanfair, Leonard
S 31201
CONTENTS

62100
Massachusetts
Amos Sanfair
Deceased in the State of Mass who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain [blank] of the Regt. commanded by Colonel Vose in the Mass line for 9 months
Amos
Enscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate 20 Dollars — Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 15th day of March 1833, and sent Mrs. Amos Sanfair House of Reps
Arrears to the 4th of Sept. 1832 $30.00 Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Mar 33 10.00 $40.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by A. H. Orms Clerk, book D Vol. 2a Page 67
74 Vendome

Leonard Lanfarr Deerfield
No 19. 5-11
Alm'a O Mrs. Moan
Hon: Geo: Grennell

BRIEF in the case of Leonard Ganfair of Deerfield in the State of Massachusetts (Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? In Open Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? Seventy Two
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 June In 1780 6 As a private Gen. Glover - Col. Vose and Lieut. Col. Vose  
5. In what battles was he engaged? None Named
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Deerfield, Mass:
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? one living witness & traditional evidence
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? correctly authenticated
I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
L. H. Addison Examining Clerk.

Leonard Lansfair
1957 Deerfields
✓
Leonard Lansfair

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FRANKLIN COUNTY ss.
ON THIS fifteenth day of August A. D. 1832, personally appeared in open Court, before the said Commonwealth, now sitting at Greenfield within and for the said County of Franklin, Leonard Sanfair a resident of Deerfield in the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, aged seventy two years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of an 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.
I was a soldier of the revolution. I was drafted from the militia in the town of Deerfield in the County of Franklin in the latter part of June the day I can not tell, in the year seventeen hundred & eighty, for six months. I left the service the latter part of December following the day I can not tell, I know I served the full term of six months. I had a written discharge but it is destroyed. Our company mustered or assembled at Springfield Massachusetts. We marched from Springfield through Litchfield Ct. to West Point where we joined the Continental Army. Then we went to Robsons Farms then to Blankets Point and other places. General Glover had the command of our brigade Col. Joseph Rose of the first Regt. Lieut. Col. Rose, brother to Col. Rose, Adj. Bowl were the officers of our Regiment. Lieutenant Bushman commanded our company. I resided in Deerfield in the then County of Hampshire since the County of Franklin when I was drafted. I recollect Col. Benedict Arnold who turned traitor to his country while I was in the service, and was present when Andre was executed, as a spy, at Tappan Orange County State of New Jersey on the hill west of the church. I saw General Washington several times during the period of service. The enemy at this time were at New York City. I was at Dobsons ferry on a fortnight camped stationed in an orchard near the fort when a British vessel with two tenders returning down the river were the Americans fired upon them from the block house or fort. and several shots were exchanged. I know of no living witness by whom I can prove my actual service. I have no documentary papers by which I can prove my service. I was discharged at West Point. My discharge was signed by Col. Joseph Rose.
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.
Leonard Sanfair
WE, Ebenezer Hoyt residing Deerfield aforesaid and Moses Eddy residing in Deerfield aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Leonard Sanfair who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy two years of age; 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 and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Ebenezer Hoyt Moses Eddy
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 and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that Ebenezer Hoyt and Moses Eddy who have sworn signed the preceding certificate are credible persons both resident in said Deerfield and that their statement is entitled to credit Attest E Alvord Clerk
I, ELIJAH ALVORD, Clerk of the said Court, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Leonard Sanfair for a pension.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my Hand and affixed the Seal of the said Court, this fifteenth day of August in the year of our LORD one thousand eight hundred and thirty two
E. Alvord Clerk.

31201 Rev INVALID.
File No. 31,201
Leonard Lanfair Rev Rev Rev
Act: June 1 st 323
Index:—Vol. 2 , Page 236
[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 Leonard Lanfair 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? No XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? No 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's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? Yes If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? Yes Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? Yes 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? Yes 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?
 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 each 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. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
†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 authenticates 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 ends 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.
¶ In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.

do clerk of the Court of Common Pleas when Holden. Franklin, do certify that in the within affidavit was for said county, and as minister oaths and take affi- me subscribed to the within true and proper signature. have herunto set my hand of said court at Greenfield day of August in the year and eight hundred and E. Alvord clerk
Second Instance Th. W. Dickinson Off.

I Thomas Wells Dickinson of Deerfield in the county of Franklin and commonwealth of Massachusetts of lawful age do testify and say I am now and have been acquainted with Leonard Lempfer resident in said Deerfield and that he has been reputed to revolutionary soldier that in June 1780 he was drafted from the company belonging to said Deerfield for six months time and was absent from said Deerfield for that space of time I was a lieutenant in the company of Militia belonging to Deerfield at the time of the aforesaid draft
Thos. W. Dickinson
Franklin 16 August the 2 nd 1832 Then Thomas W. Dickinson sub- scribed to the foregoing affidavit made oath to the truth of the facts contained in the same and is entitled to be held a credible witness Before me Pliny Arms Justice of the Peace

Franklin ss. I Elijah Alvord clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the said Commonwealth when held within and for the county of Franklin, do certify that Pliny Arms esquire before whom the within affidavit was verified is a Justice of the Peace for said county, and as such duly qualified to administer oaths and take affi- davits; and I believe his name subscribed to the within certificate of caption to be his true and proper signature. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said court at Greenfield on the first second day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two. E. Alvord Clerk
Edward Mansfield Th. W. Dikinson Aff.