Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 19481, for Peter Sylvester, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Sylvester Peter
S. 19481
CONTENTS
carded

16112  Massachusetts
Peter Sylvester of Leicester in the State of Mass. who was a Midshipman in the Company commanded by Captain Pope of the Regt commanded by Col Ward in the Massachusetts line for 3 months, 10 mo 12 days as per vol. 1
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts, at the rate of 18 Dollars 65 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 26. day of July 1833 and handed to H. H. Sylvester
  Arrears to the 4th of March 1833  97. 10    Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sept  24. 27     $ 121. 37  
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by H. H. Sylvester, Clerk. Book 6 Vol. 2 Page 88
by 1838. Received from July 25 to 1838.
Dead
Paid at the Treasury under the Act of the 8. April 1838 from 11 Sept. 1837 to 21 Nov 1837 the day of his death Age Notified 13 July 1839

Peter Gilvinters Application etc.
Giles Jones Leicester Mass Attorney for applicant

DECLARATION, in order to secure the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
COUNTY OF WORCESTER, ss.
ON this sixth day of September in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open Court, before Nathaniel Paine Judge of Probate &c for the County of Worcester now sitting at Worcester Peter Sylvester a resident of Leicester in the County of Worcester 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 was born at Leicester in said County April 6 th 1755 and has resided in said Leicester ever since except when on the service of the United States.
THAT he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. First He entered the service as a private soldier in the war of the Revolution as a volunteer in the troops raised by the State of Massachusetts, about the middle of November 1775. Served in the company of infantry commanded by Capt. Pope of Lunenburg at Dorchester near Boston in said State for the term of six weeks or a little more at the end of which term he was discharged but had no written discharge. He further declares he believes the Col. of the regiment was Col. Ward and the declarant further says that in the month of June 1776 (on or about the twentieth of said month) he again enlisted into a company of militia as a volunteer under the command of Capt. Loring Lincoln then of said Leicester that he with said company marched immediately to New York & continued in service five months & ten days that he served as a private & that the regiment to which he belonged was commanded by Col. Holman of Sutton in said County of Worcester & was discharged at a place on the north river a little above White Plains on the first of December 1776 & arrived at his home in Leicester of which on the 8 th of said December. He says further that during said term he was stationed at New York City about three or four weeks thence went to Greenwich thence to Harlem Heights thence retreated from place to place up to White Plains where said company were engaged in a battle. And the said declarant further says that he again enlisted as a substitute for one Calvin Hovey as a private on the twentieth day of August 1777 & marched immediately to Bennington in Vermont where he joined the company of infantry commanded by Capt. Knapp from Bennington the company marched to Paulton thence a detachment was sent to Skeneborough under command of Col. Windbridge of whom he the declarant was one thence returned through Paulton to Bennington then he joined the company of Capt. White in Col. Bushnell's Regt. & marched thence to Stillwater where they were at the last battle with Burgoyne thence Burgoyne was followed to Saratoga & remained there till Burgoyne surrendered thence he marched to Albany & from thence to White Plains where the company was discharged Dec. 1 st 1777. He the declarant further says that on or about the 1 st of June 1778 he enlisted at said Leicester as a substitute for one Samuel Watson in a company commanded by Capt. Wm. Morgan & marched to Springfield Mass. to guard the ammunition & at said Springfield thence returned as far as Brookfield in said State of Mass. & was stationed as a guard to military stores placed in a school house & after about three months he hired a substitute. During this three months service he served as a sergeant & he says he knows of no one living who was with him in said last mentioned service as any other witness.    1 st term  1 mo  15 days  total  13 months & 5 days    2 nd term  1 mo  15 days  
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.
affirmed sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Before me NATHANIEL PAINE Judge of Probate for the County of Worcester
Peter Sylvester

We John Nelson a Clergyman residing in the Leicester and Austin Flint residing in Leicester hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Peter Sylvester who has subscribed and affirmed to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy seven 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.
Nathl. Farnes Judge for the County of Worcester
John Nelson Austin Flint
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 John Nelson who signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the Town of Leicester and that Austin Flint who has also signed the same is a resident in the Town of Leicester and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Nathl. Farnes Judge of Probate for the County of Worcester
I Theophilus Wheeler Regulator, Clerk of the Court of Probate for the County of Leicester do hereby certify the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Peter Sylvester for a pension. That Nathl. Farnes before whom the annexed affidavit was a Justice of the Peace in the said County of Worcester in full credit & that he signed the same TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the Seal of the said Probate Court this 10th day of September in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty two .
Theophilus Wheeler Reg. of the Court of Probate for the County in Massachusetts

16/1/2 Massachusetts
Peter Sylvester
of Leicester in the State of Massachusetts who was a Sergt. & Priv. in the Company commanded by Captain Pope — of the Regt. commanded by Col. Ward in the Massachusetts, due for 3 months Sergeant and 10\frac{2}{30} month, Private
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the Massachusetts at the rate of 35 Dollars — Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 7. day of Novem- ber 1832 and given to P. Sylvester
Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832 $52.50 Pensional allowance ending 4th Mar '33 17.50
$70.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Geo. C. Hiles Clerk Book D Vol. 2 Page 53

The affidavit of Jabez Paine of Westminster in the County of Windham in the State of Vermont, where  in his oath, says - that he was a soldier in the war of the Revolution - that he is now aged of seventy six years - that he first enlisted into the company of Infantry under the command of Capt. Pope in the Regiment commanded by Col. Ward, & served for the term of six weeks at Dorchester near Boston - that he enlisted in the latter part of November in the year 1775, & was discharged at Dorchester the fore part of January 1776. and he further testifies, that Peter Silvestre of Leicester in the County of Worcester & Commonwealth of Massachusetts, was a private soldier in the same company, & served during the whole of the term of six weeks above mentioned.
And the said Jabez Paine further testifies & says - that he again enlisted, on the twentieth day of August in the year 1777, & marched immediately to Bennington in Vermont, where he joined the company of Infantry commanded by Capt. Knapp: from Bennington the company marched to Pawlet - there a detachment of about 500 men was sent to Skeensborough under command of Col. Woodbridge of whom he was one - there returned back again to Pawlet: there he joined the company of Capt. Josiah White in Col. Cushing's Regiment & marched them to Stillwater, where they were at the last battle with Burgoyne - there Burgoyne was followed to Saratoga, where the company remained until his surrender - there it was marched to Albany & from there to White-Plains, where the company was discharged on the first day of December 1777. and the said

Paine for the testimony, that Peter Silvester above named enlisted at the time last above named, and did duty in the same company last above named during the whole term last above mentioned. That the whole of the last mentioned term of service was three months & ten days. And further he says not.
Jabez Paine
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Worcester County ss.
August 9th. 1832
Subscribed & sworn to
Before me Waldo Flint Justice of the Peace
I further certify, that Jabez Paine, the above named deponent, is in my opinion a man of truth & veracity, & that full credit ought to be given to his testimony.
Waldo Flint Justice of the Peace.

P. Sylvester.
15593
Admiral
Private
10 mo. 2 days 33. 55
3 m. 1 day. 15.
$ 48. 55

The Affidavit of Elijah Warren of Leicester in the County of Worcester Commonwealth of Massachusetts, who, on oath, testifies and says - that he is seventy three years of age and upwards - that he served as a private soldier in the war of the Revolution in the troops raised by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts - that he entered the service about the middle of November 1775 - & served in the Company of Infantry commanded by Capt. Dye of Hauenburg, at Dorchester, near Boston in Massachusetts, for the term of six weeks or a little more, at the expiration of which term he was discharged at said Dorchester. And he further says, that Peter Silvester of said Leicester was a private soldier in the same company, & that the said Peter served at said Dorchester during the aforesaid term of six weeks.
And the said Elijah further testifies & says - that in the month of June 1776 (on the twentieth of said month, as he thinks) he again enlisted into the company of Infantry under the command of Capt. Loring Lincoln then of said Leicester, - that the company marched immediately to New-York & there continued in service for the term of five months & ten days - that he served as a private in said Company in the Regiment commanded by Col. Holman of Sutton in said County of Worcester, was discharged at said New-York  at Hopkinton on the North River above White Plains on the first day of December 1776, & arrived at his home in Leicester on the 5th. of said month. And he further testifies & says - that the above named Peter Silvester was a private in said Company under Capt. Lincoln - that he enlisted at the same time, & served with said Elijah during the whole of said term of five months & ten days, & that they returned together to Leicester. and further says that They were stationed at New-York city somewhere

about three or four weeks, he should think, - from thence they went to Greenwich, thence to Harlem Heights - & thence retreated from place to place up to White Plains, when the said Company was engaged in the battle - Gen Fellows, he thinks, commanded the Brigade to which said Company was then attached.
And further he says -
Elijah Warren
Commonwealth
Massachusetts - Worcester County ss.
Leicester August 10. 1832. Subscribed & sworn to
Before me Waldo Flint
Justice of the Peace.
I, the Magistrate above named, do hereby certify, that Elijah Warren above named, is a man of truth & veracity, & that full faith & credit ought to be given to his testimony.
Waldo Flint Elijah Warren Justice of the Peace

I hereby certify that the following is recorded on the Town book of records in Leicester
Peter Silvester son of Peter & Deborah Silvester
born April 6 th 1755
Leicester Augt 3 1832 John Sargent Town Clerk
1832 1755 77

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
Second Comptroller's Office,
June 20 th , 1839.
Sir:
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," The children of Peter Sylvester, a Pensioner on the Roll of the Massachusetts Agency, at the rate of Forty eight Dollars and fifty five Cents per annum, under the law of the 7 th June 1832, have been paid at this Department, from the 4 th of Sept. 1837, to the 2 d November, 1837, the day of his death.
Respectfully, yours,
Widow B. Parrish Comptroller.
To the Commissioner of Pensions,
Present.

Payments to be made at Boston by Presd. U.S. Br. Bank Agent for paying Pension- ers, in the Agency of
Massachusetts
Recorded by Geo. B. Miles Clerk, in Book D Vol. 2 page 83

WAR DEPARTMENT.
Revolutionary Claim.
I certify that, in conformity with the Law of the United States of the 7th June, 1832, Peter Sylvester of the ————— State ————— of Massachusetts ————— who was a Sergeant and private in the Revolutionary Army ————— is entitled to receive Thirty Seven ————— dollars and forty five cents per annum, during his natural life, commencing on the 4th of March, 1831, and payable semi-annually on the 4th of March, and 4th of September, in every year.
Given at the War Office of the United States, this 7th day of November one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two.
John B. Babb Acting Secretary of War.
Examined and } Countersigned. }
J. L. Edwards

19.4-81 INVALID.
File No. 19.4-81
Peter Sylvester Sergt Rev War
Act: June 7 th 82
Index:—Vol. 2 , Page 411
[Arrangement of 1870.]

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
NAME Sylvester, Peter GRADE Private LINE New Jersey
WARRANT NUMBER 8758 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED June 16, 1789 to Thomas Boyle, assignee
*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.