Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 13743, for Jeremiah Lester, Connecticut

SERVICE
NUMBER
bonn
Lester, Jeremiah
S13743
banded
CONTENTS

6590 New York
Jeremiah Lutter
of Delaware Co. in the State of New York who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Lee — of the Regt. commanded by Col. Edwards in the March une for 2 Years,
Inscribed on the Roll of P. Nat the rate of 80 Dollars — Cents per annum commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 28 th day of Feb. 1833 — and Rev. W. H. A. East H. of R.
Arrears to the 4th of Sep. 1832 $ 120 Pemi-ant. allowance ending Jan. '33 40 $ 160
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Seob. Stiles Clerk, book D , Vol. 5 , Page 181

Seremiah Lister New York
5 Wm Successor
Page 235
Feb 15
Hono
E. Root A. A.

BRIEF in the case of Jeremiah Lester of Delaware County in the State of New York (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? open Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 70  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.     Early In 1798 8 Private Gen. Lee   April " 3 " Grosvald   November "  He was called out at various times during the War and very likely that he so served and has so sworn - fully 2 years   
 5. In what battles was he engaged? none mentioned  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Lyme Connecticut  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? The papers do not specify the amount of service 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
George L. Taylor Examining Clerk.

Jeremiah Lester
Pension
By Special decision of the Hon Secy the 18 mo of undivided services are allowed —
adm d
2 years time
80 $

State of New York
Delaware County - S t . On this 9 th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting Jeremiah Lester a resident of the town of Meredith in the county of Delaware and State of New York aged seventy 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 7. 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and service as herein stated - That in the forepart of January 1778 he volunteered his services for three months as a private in a militia company raised in the town of Lyme in the state of Connecticut under the command of Capt. Lee Low & attached to Col. Josiah Hopp's regiment - was marched to New Haven & did garrison duty there for three months when he was discharged & returned home to Lyme.
In April of that year & as soon as his time was out at New Haven, he engaged in the militia service as a private for three months & performed duty during that time under the command of Lieut. John Griswold who then commanded a company in Lyme aforesaid, to guard the coast & to protect the property & persons of its citizens against the incursions of the enemy - Served the three months - was discharged & returned home to his father's house in Lyme.
In that year & in November following, at Lyme aforesaid he enlisted into a company called "The Governor's Guard" (Matthew Griswold then Lt. Gov. of Connecticut residing in the town of Lyme) commanded by Andrew Griswold. - The company

and its officers appointed to guard the coast, the property & persons of the citizens, by land & by water, occasionally serving on board of whale boats & at other times by land. He continued in this service at times & whenever such service was required, till the close of the war. whenever in actual service he received pay & rations from the Government. He the said Jeremiah Lester does not hesitate to declare upon oath that during the four years he was so engaged, he was on duty & performing actual service in said company & receiving pay & rations from Government for more than eighteen months & he believes for quite twenty four months in the whole. - He has no documentary evidence nor does he know of any person by whose testimony he can prove his services. -
He was born in the town of Lyme, County of New London estate of Connecticut on the 15th day of April 1762. - Has no record of his birth. Resided in the town of Lyme aforesaid till December 1819 when he removed into Merthle or Forest where he has resided ever since. In regard to his present neighborhood to whom he is known and by whom he came from his friends acquaintances and their belief of his services as to his eligibility every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the army of the army of any State. Jerome Lester Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid C. B. Sheldon Clerk
We Silas Brooks & Silas Brooks Junior residing in Merthle County of Delaware State and State of New York hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jeremiah Lester who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 70 years of age that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid C. B. Sheldon Clerk. Silas Brooks  Silas Brooks Jr

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter & after putting the interrogations presented by the War Department that the above named applicants was a revolutionary soldier and served as an States the court further certify that it appears to them that James Johnson Silas Brooks & Silas Brooks Jr. are residing in the town of Mendon & County of Delaware and that they are credible persons & that their statements are entitled to credit -
And it is the opinion of this Court that a clergyman could not be produced in Court by the said applicant without too much expense & inconvenience to him -
I Crawford B Sheldon Clerk of the County Common Pleas in and for the County of Delaware Do Certify that the foregoing contains the Original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Jeremiah Lester for a Pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal of office this 9 th day of October 1832
C B Sheldon

Revman
13743 INVALID.
Oct 26, 1904. His to Miss Blanche Page Kew-aanee Ill
File No. 13. 943
Jeremiah Lester Rev Peter War
Act: June 7 th 1832
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 221
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Kewanee, Ill.
Oct. 10, 1904.
Commissioner of Pensions Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:-
I write to ask if you have among the records the date of the death of Jeremiah Lester, a soldier of the Revolutionary War. We think he was pensioned by a grant of land. If so the records in the Pension Office will show it. He died about the year 1836.
I shall be very grate-

ful for any facts you can furnish concerning this ancestor of mine.
Very Respectfully Miss Blanche Page.

Sarah Lister New York
Hon. C. Root A. B.

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Jeremiah Lester 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 No allowance can be made for any alleged aggregate of service - Each tour should be particularly set forth - VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yes & "a very full account of service" afforded as the regulations require of those who rely upon the traditional qualifications alone to sustain their claims. 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 No Certificate of clergyman - yes as to others XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? yes 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 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? yes XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? yes except 2
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, deposeh 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.