Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 6,266, for Miles Leet, Connecticut

SERVICE
Lut, Miles
NUMBER
R. 6266
CONTENTS

Miles List
Service under Commission of Safety & no commf. Officers disallowed
5. 11. 12 1617
Specific reg d
P-225

BRIEF in the case of Miles Leet of Chautauqua in the State of N. York (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? 70 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.     May In 1776 (Volunt.) about 1 Gen. Cap t Fowler  1/2  Connecticut Col t Worthington  3   " 1777. (do) about 6 Same as above  do   March 1778. (enlisted) for one year by the Committee of Safety of the Town of Guilford, to guard Leete's Island and Saabine's Head, discharged in March 1779 - No Comm te of Offic rs   May 1779. (Volunteer) about 3 Mo s Corporal Gen t A t Ward - Neither Cap t or Colo n named  3   May 1780. (Volunteer) 3 or 4 mo s Cap t In s Spafford  1/2  Connecticut  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None named  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Guilford - Connecticut  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional evidence alone  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? they are not attached according to the Regulations 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
W. Gordon Examining Clerk.

Miles Leeb
C. Indus

State of New York } May 23 1833 Franklin County } Personally appeared before me the Undersigned a Justice of the peace in and for the said County of Franklin Mills Sect who being first duly sworn deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and the conse- -quent loss of memory he cannot swear pos- -itively as to the precise length of his service but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods men- -tioned below and in the following grades  1 For one month in the year 1776 I served as a private under Capt. Fowler  5½ For Five months and fifteen days I served as a private under the same officers in the year 1777  For one year I served at Guilford as a private under the Committee of Safety from March 1778 to March 1779  5 For five months I served as a Corporal under Genl. Ward in the year 1779  3½ For Three months & fifteen days I served as a private in Capt. Safford's Company under Major Estlin in the year 1780 in Vermont and for such services I claim a pension And this Deponent further saith that he does not know any clergyman who is acquainted in the neighborhood of his residence or who can testify as to his services which fact he offers as the reason why he has not obtained the evidence of a clergyman relative to his revolutionary services  Subscribed and sworn to } this 23 d day of May 1833 } Wiley Leth  Before me Asa Hascall Justice of the peace
And the aforesaid Justice do certify that I have been acquainted with the above named Miles Sect for six months and have examined Benjamin Clark Esq. & others who have long known him from all of whom & from my own observation I have obtained

him to be a credible person and a man of good moral character Dated this 23 d May 1833 at Hascall Just peace
State of New York } I John H. Russell Deputy Clerk of the Franklin County } County of Franklin, Do hereby certify that the Hascall before whom the within affidavit of Miles Lect purports to have been taken, and whose name is subscribed to the above certificate, was on the day of the date thereof, a justice of the Peace in and for the County of Franklin aforesaid duly appointed and sworn. And further, that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of the said justice and verily believe, that the signature to the said affidavit and the said certificate, is the proper hand writing of the said justice and genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said County the 23 d day of May 1833.
John H. Russell Dep. Clerk

Franklin County Court
State of New York } Franklin County } On this tenth Day of October A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court 115 Rep before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting at the Court House in the Town of Malone in and for the said County Miles Lett a resident of Chateaugay in the County of Franklin and State of New York aged sixtytwo years who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7. 1832 that he entered the Service of United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated
That in the Month of May 1776 he resided at Guilford Windham County in the State of Connecticut when a call for volunteers having been made he turned out as a volunteer in the Service of the United States now as a private in a Company Commanded by Capt Fowler in the Regiment Commanded by Col Worthington of Saybrook C.T. and marched in the same Company & Regiment to New Haven and from thence to New York a little subsequent to the burning of the latter place by the enemy after remaining in the Service about one month the Regiment was discharged & he returned home to Guilford but got no written discharge That about the time of the burning of Danbury & Fairfield in the Month of May 1777 as he now believes the another requisition was made for militia Service when he again volunteered under the same officers and marched to Fairfield where the Town was burning which he remained here a demand was made by Col Worthington for a few active young men to go on a Secret expedition when he with

2nd D o with about nineteen others volunteered & pro- ceeded to Litchfield about 23 Miles under the Com- mand of an ensign whose name he does not now recollect when they seized an American boy named Daniel Griswold having with him a commission from the British Commander at New York & conducted him him to New Haven in Connecticut where he was tried and executed they also captured on the same expedition a number of terms whom Griswold had enlisted into the British Service The Regiment of Col Worthington were ordered in a few days to march for Sara- toga and he marched with the said Company Regiment from New Haven to Red Hook near Albany where intelligence of the Capture of Genl Burgoyne was received and the said Regiment was ordered to return to Connecticut and did return to New Haven where he was discharged about the first of November 1777 having been engaged during this term of Service about six months That in the month of March 1778 he this Declarant with about twenty four others were enlisted at Guilford by the Committee of Safety of that Town to serve as a Guard at Sots Island and Sachems Neck about 15 Miles east of New Haven for the term of one year and served out the year under the direction of the Committee of Safety had no commissioned officer in Command and were employed during this period in watching the motions of the enemy who threatened a descent on this part of Long Island & being he was discharged in March 1779 at Guilford but served no written discharge In May 1779 New Haven was burnt that immediately afterwards volunteers were required by Genl Andrew Ward of the Connecticut

Militia with whom he enlisted and served as a corporal under him about five months was chiefly engaged as one of a party of mounted men employed as carriers and in scouring the country in search of Spies and Loyalists and was discharged at Red Haven in the month of October and obtained a written discharge from the said Genl. Ward which discharge he lost more than thirty years ago during which term of service he took one noted Long about 3 miles from the City of New Haven for whose apprehension a reward of twenty five dollars had been offered but for which service he received nothing. In the month of March 1780 he removed to Rutland County in the State of Vermont Town of Inverness where he resided twelve or thirteen years that in the month of May 1780 upon an alarm that the Garrison at Pittsford in the same County was in danger he volunteered under the command of Col then Major Ebenezer Allen then in command of the Garrison served in the company of Capt John C. Cufford at the said Fort in scouting there the surrounding forests for three or four months and was discharged at Pittsford about the first of September 1780 as he believes but gave no written discharge. That he was born at Guilford prior to the 20 th of April 1760 as he believes that he has no record of his birth that he resided at the close of the revolution at In- verness aforesaid remained there till about the year 1793 when he removed to Milton in County of Chittenden State of Vermont where he resided till the year 1821 February when he removed to Fort Covington in the County of Franklin State of New York resided there eight years. Then went to Chahany in the same County and resided there about 16 months with his son and has since spent a part of the time

in the County of Rutland State of Vermont with his Children some time at Plattsburgh Clinton County in the State of New York and now resides at Chautauqua in the County of Franklin State of New York he does not recollect the name of any other regular officer non continental Regt 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 that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony can procure who can testify to his service sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid John H Russell Dep. Clerk
in the above entitled
W. B. L. T. [Signature]
Miles Lott
We Samuel Hoard one of the Judges of the County Courts in and for the County of Franklin aforesaid and Enos Wood a resident of the Town of Malone - in the same County hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Miles Lott who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy two years of age that he is residing and believed in the neighborhood where he has resided to have been a soldier of the revolu- tion and that we concur in that declaration sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
We John Lott of the Town of Chautauqua in the County of Franklin State of New York and Enos Wood of the Town of Malone in the same County State and reside respectively in the said Towns do hereby certify that we are well acquainted

with Miles Leet who has subscribed and said on to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy two years of age that he is and has been respected and beloved in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion known to & subscribed in open court Oct. 10th 1832
John G. Leet Enos Wood
John H. Russell Dep. Clerk
N. B. On the 1st. page the words "Newhaven County" interlined and the word "there" erased & the word "another" written on an erasure - on the second page the words "him" and "were" interlined and the words "about" and "he" written on an erasure - on the 3rd page the word "Newhaven" partly written on an erasure - on the last page the words "name of any of the regular officers nor continental Reg. with whom he served" written between two lines and on the margin - all done before signing -
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrog- atories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary Soldier and served as he states - And the Court further certify that it appears to them that John G. Leet is a resident in the Town of Chalcenbury in said County of Franklin and that Enos Wood is a resident of the Town of Marlinton in the same County both of whom have signed the preceding certificate, and that they are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit -
I, John H. Russell Deputy Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Franklin, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of Miles Leet for a pension -
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court this 17th day of October A.D. 1832 -
John H. Russell Dep. Clerk

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
2566
P. O.
Miss Lee
Service:
REJECTED
Enlisted: _____, 18 .
Discharged: _____, 18 .
Application filed: _____, 18 .
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18 .

E. Williams Esq Post Master Clintonville Clinton County New York —

It appears by the records of the State that the General Assembly of Connecticut in June 1776 ordered two battalions to be raised, & to serve until the first of December 1776, appointed John Douglass Col. William Worthington Lt. Col. & John Sumner Major of one of them. Dec 10 th 1833.
Comptroller's Office Dec r 10 1833
I Elisha Phelps, Comptroller of the public accounts of the State of Connecticut, do certify, that it appears by the journal of the Council of Safety, under date July 2 nd 1776, that Col. Douglass resigned the command of the above mentioned regiment, & Lt. Col. Samuel Mott was appointed Col. of the same.
No roll of this regiment has been found, or any other evidence of the duration of its service. The expense of it, was charged on

the books of the Pay Table to the United States at £6982, 7. 8½.
Under date of April 4 th 1778 there is charged on the books of the Pay Table to the United States vir, "To order on Treasurer Col. W m Worthington for his militia regiment to Peekskill in October 1777 £1172, 11. 9.
No roll of this regiment has been found, or evidence of the duration of its service.
Under date 27 th October 1779 there is charged to the United States vir, "To order on Treasurer Gen l Andrew Ward abstract himself de. New Haven de. £1430, 9. 6.
No roll of his corps has been found, or any evidence how long they were in service.
E. Phelps

Sir
I send all the confirmatory evidence I can find of Capt Dutton's services. I find no rolls of those with whom he claims to have served. Had he stated the names of his Captains, I might have found stronger corroborative proof of his claim.
I am very respectfully
Yours &c O. Phelps
No 82-

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Miles Scott 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? No Service of one year at Guilford not embraced by the act each term to be specially set forth. VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? No 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? 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? Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been 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? No XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? No
 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.

Malone N.Y. 3 May 25
Ret d Cases June 10. 1833. N.Y.
Dear
J. L. Edwards Esquire Commissioner of Pensions Washington City D.C.

Malone Franklin Co NY May 24. 1832
J. S. Edwards Esq.
Sir. Herewith I return the papers of Miles Leet with all the explanations he is able to give and hope they will now be deemed sufficient
I remain Respectfully Your Obedient Servt. J. S. Hascall

New York
Revol.
6266
Miles Lect
Suspended
see letter to
Asa Hascall
28 August 33-
see let. to Hon R. H.
Gilmer Ap. 14' 34
let. to same May 20. 1834
Act 7. June 1832

State of New York } I, John H. Russell Deputy Clerk of the Franklin County ss } County of Franklin Do hereby certify that Henry Norton before whom the within affidavit of Oliver Bell purports to have been taken and whose name is subscribed to the within certificate of the taking of the same, was on the day of the date of the said certificate a justice of the Peace in and for the County of Franklin duly commissioned and sworn - And further that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of the said justice and only believe that the signature to the said within certificate is the proper hand writing of the said justice and genuine -
Miles Deet.
In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the said County the 18th day of March 1834 -
John H. Russell Dep. Clerk

Franklin County town of Constable. I Oliver Bell of the town of Constable in the county of Franklin being duly sworn before Harry Horton one of the justices of the peace of said county do depose and say that I was personally acquainted with Miles Root a soldier in the revolu- tionary war under the command of Major Ebenezer Allen of the Vermont militia and was with him quartered at the garrison in the town of Pittsford in the state of Vermont according to the best of my recollection in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty from sometime in the month of September to the first of October of that year - I further testify that the said Miles Root was at that time a resident of the same town in which I then lived in the said state of Vermont and I knew that he was in the said service from the spring of the year 1780 to late in the fall of the same and further this deponent saith not
Subscribed and sworn to the 15 th day of March 1834 before me
Oliver Bell
Harry Horton Justice Peace
Franklin County Town of Constable I certify that I am well acquainted with Oliver Bell above named and that he is credible as a witness for a good character May 8. 1832 Harry Horton Jr.