Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30586, for Jesse Meriam, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Meriam, Jesse
S.30586
CONTENTS
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.

15552 Massachusetts
Jesse Merriam of Franklin in the State of Mass who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Ellis of the 1st Regt commanded by Colonel Sumner in the Mass line for 8 months Vols Regt
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 27 Dollars - 79 Cents per annum to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 22 nd day of June 1835 and suit Elijah Worth Greenfield Mass
Arrears to the 14th of March 33 $ 55.58 Pension allowance ending 11th " 13.89 $ 69.47
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by H. C. Anderson Clerk Book 2 Vol. 2 Page 53
78 Franklin

24467
Lisa Merriam Mass
Photo 8 Mar 10 days
26.67 1.12 27.79
Elijah Alvord Grenfield Mass

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension Office,
Sir:
The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjuncted notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will shew what is necessary to be done. Those points to which your attention is more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: { ). You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.
A Statement, showing the Service of Jesse Merriam New Salem in the County of Franklin State of Mass
   Period when the service was rendered. Duration of the claimant's service. Rank of the claimant. Names and rank of the Field officers under whom he served. Age at present, and place of abode when he entered the service. Proof by which the declaration is supported.   Years. Months. Days.     Enlisted 1775 2 privt Capt Ellis Col Sarnard 22 years Roxbury Traditionary   Enlisted 1776 2 10 Capt Lamb Col Converse Mass Evidence   " " 2 Capt Kingsbury   " 1777 2 " Capt Nichols Genl Gates  
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. L. EDWARDS,
Commissioner of Pensions.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.
The following regulations have been adopted:
This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia," and "volunteers," all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c., Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of private armed vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.
Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
 1. The Regular Troops.  2. The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers.  3. Persons employed in the Naval Service.  4. Indian Spies. 
As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will, in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.
DECLARATION,
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.
State, Territory, or District of } ss. County of }
On this _____ day of _____ personally appeared (a) before A. B. a resident (b) of _____ in the county of _____ and State, Territory or District of _____ aged (c) _____ 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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d) _____, with _____ and served in the _____ (e) regiment of the _____ line, under the following named officers:
[Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers;) the town or county or State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched. [This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.]
He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of _____
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
A. B.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
I _____ of the Court of _____ do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of _____ for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this _____ day of _____ &c.
If, on examination of the proper record, the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out.
Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz:
(k) We, A. B., a Clergyman, residing in the _____ and C. D. residing in (the same) _____ hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with _____, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be _____ 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 days and year aforesaid.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
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 A. B. who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the _____ and that C. D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the _____ and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I, _____ Clerk of the Court of _____ do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of _____ for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this _____ day of _____ &c.
Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction.
If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration, (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his alleged service, as they are known at the Department. A very full account of the services of each person

will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case. The facts stated will afford one of the principal means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected. All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County in which they reside, and there subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his case.
The Court will propound the following ( m ) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State troops of Virginia.
 1. Where and in what year were you born?  2. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?  3. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, and where do you now live?  4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?  5. State the names of some of the Regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services.  6. { To a Soldier. { Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it? To an Officer. { Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?  7. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.  The Court will see that the answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.
The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court, without too much expense and inconvenience to him, two respectable persons—one of whom should be the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary soldier, and that they concur in that opinion. If one of these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify to the character and standing of other persons giving such certificates.
The traditional evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct proof, except the declaration of the party. And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the enquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.
Applicants unable to appear in Court, by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to perform, and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.
Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or by a Justice of the Peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper Clerk of the Court or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is his genuine signature.
No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before the taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.
[a] The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity; in which case the declarant will follow the rule laid down for his guidance.
[b] The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides. If he should fail to do so, he must assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule.
[c] The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
[d] The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served.
[e] Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the claim cannot be had. Every claimant must state, 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. 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 that 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 shown 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.
[f] The law makes the relinquishment indispensable.
[g] The opinion of the Court is always required.
[h] The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
[i] The Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal, or if he 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.
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 papers 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.
Proof of Service.
[j] 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 claimant's 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.
[k] The notes from [a] to [j] are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers and State Troops. The proof required by rule in note [j] applies to continental troops only.
[l] This traditional evidence is indispensable in militia cases.
[m] If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
[n] The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with the declaration.

24467 Jesse Meriam New Salem
Elijah Alvord Greenfield Mass

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
FRANKLIN COUNTY SS.
ON THIS fifth day of February A. D. 1833, personally appeared in open Court, before the Court of Common Pleas of the Probate for the said Commonwealth, now sitting at Greenfield within and for the said County of Franklin, Jesse Merriam a resident of New Salem in the County and Commonwealth aforesaid, 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 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.
That he voluntarily enlisted, at Osford, in the county of Worcester, sometime in the month of December 1775, for two months, marched to Rosebury, near Boston, to supply the place of the eight months men whose time of service had expired, in the company commanded by Capt. Ellis, in Col. Ebenezer Larned's Regiment, of which Regt. Shepard, (after Gen. Shepard) was Lieut. Colonel & Sprout was major, and remained at, and about Rosebury, for the said term of two months, and was discharged in the month of February following; but the particular day of enlistment or discharge he cannot now recollect; that there was no continental or regular troops stationed at Rosebury during said period of which he had any knowledge. That he again enlisted voluntarily, at Osford in the latter part of September 1776, under Capt. Abijah Lamb, in Regt. commanded by Col. Converse, & Lieut. Col. Tyler, marched to Horse Neck, where the troops stoped about one week, from thence marched to Dobbs Ferry, State of New York, where he served, in the whole, ten weeks, not with the main army, and was there discharged, knew, during this period, no officers of the regular troops, there being none of that description of troops stationed there, according to his knowledge.
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.
R. E. PEARSON Judge of Probate Jesse Merriam
WE, Alphus Harding, clergyman, & William Whitaker
residing in New Salem hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jesse Merriam who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy 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.
R. E. PEARSON Judge of Probate Alphus Harding William Whitaker
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 Alphus Harding who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in said New Salem, and William Whitaker who has also signed the same is a Justice of the Peace for said county, resident in said New Salem and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Register R. E. PEARSON Judge of Probate
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 Jesse Merriam for a pension.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my Hand and affixed the Seal of the said Court, this fifth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three
E. Alvord, Reg Clerk.

his present recollection, he was in no considerable battle, but the battle of White Plains occurred towards the latter part of his said service.
Immediately after his return from Dobbs Ferry, he again, at said Osford, voluntarily enlisted for two months, under Capt. Abijah Hlingsburg & Lieut. Jason Collar, Ensign Zach. Ballard and marched to Providence (R. I.) where he served under the direction of an engineer (his name he does not recollect) in fortifying the town of Providence, and at the expiration of said two months, was there discharged. No regular troops, according to his recollection, were stationed at Providence during said period of service.
That he again voluntarily enlisted, immediately after receiving the news of the battle of Bennington, at said Osford, under Capt. John Nichols, some of the last days of August 1777, marched to Bennington, where he stopped a short time, marched thence to Stillwater, and from thence by order of Gen. Gates marched and took possession of Fort Edward, to prevent its occupation by the enemy, and to cut off their retreat in that quarter. During this period of enlistment, the part of the militia with which he was, was not regularly organized into Regiments or Battalions, but served occasionally as ordered, under different field officers: he recollects distinctly of being frequently under the command of Gen. Stark - saw and knew Gen. Gates. That he served at this time as much as two months, and perhaps longer, the precise time of service, and day of his discharge he does not recollect,

but he well remembers that he served until after the capitulation of Gen. Burgoyne, and arrangements had been made, and the captured troops had marched to Boston.
He has never had a written discharge, has no documentary evidence, and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service.
Was born in Oxford, Worcester County, Mass. on the 11 th day of June 1755, has no record of his age; lived in Oxford until the Autumn of the year 1779, when he removed to New Salem, Franklin County, Mass. where he has ever since, and now resides. Samuel Pearce, Elihu Pearce, Jacob Tyrrell & Samuel Ellis reside in my present neighbourhood, and to whom I am known, and who can testify to my character for veracity, and their belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution.
Jesse Meriam
24457 Jesse Meriam New Salem

30 586 Rev INVALID.
File No. 30,586
Jesse Meriam Rev Rev War
Act: June 1 st 39 th
index:—Vol. 2 , Page 268
[Arrangement of 1870.]