Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 18,560, for Nehemiah Ramsdill, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Ramsdill, Nehemiah
S. 18560
CONTENTS
Carded.

6842
Massachusetts
Jeremiah Ramsdell
Who served in the State of Mass who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain _____ of the reg t commanded by Col W. Pitney in the Sp a time for 6 Mo s (15 Days)
Inscribed on the Roll of Sp a at the rate of 21 Dollars 66 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 8 th day of Mar 1833, and sent Dear Dear Mother present
Arrears to 4th of Mar 1833 $43.32 Semi-ant. allowance ending 1 Sept 10.83
$54.15
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. H. D. Blair Clerk Book D - Vol. 2 nd Page 96
73 Hunter

Nehemiah Ramsdell 20.696
Private 6 mos 15 days a.m. 10.
$21.66
Samuel Dana Groton Mass.

BRIEF in the case of  Nehemiah Randall  of  Wrentham  in the State of  Massachusetts  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 71 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. As a Gen.     In 17 78 " 1 15 Private Capt Sanger Col Whitney   '78 " 7 " " Capt Smith Col Bigelow   81 " 5 " " Capt Elliott Col Thomas  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None Stated  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Horrard, Mass  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Documentary proof and traditional evidence  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Correct 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
J. H. Addison Examining Clerk.
Not on the rolls cannot be allowed

Declaration of Nehemiah Ramsdell
20596

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
County of Worcester
ss.
On this seventh day of September A. D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common Pleas  now sitting at  Worcester within and for the County of Worcester in the Commonwealth
aforesaid
Nehemiah Ramsdel of Winchendon in said County aged seventy one years
Who being 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 entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That is to say
 1 In A. D. 1778 he engaged to go to Rhode Island for six weeks. in Sullivan's Expedition, he enlisted into the Company of Capt. Nehemiah Sawyer of Haverston in the Regt of Inf try of Haverston in the same State  which I believe he joined his Company at Taunton and proceeded near Howland's Ferry to Rhode Island and there his Company continued till after Genl Sullivan's retreat, when they moved back to Taunton and proceeded to Patuxet where his term of service was dismissed.  2 In the same year he engaged to serve in the Continental service for seven months as a Substitute for Isaac Dodge who was a Soldier in Capt. Sylvanus Smith's Company in Col. Hixson's Regt. he entered the Company in the fall or the first of October to compleat Dodge's term of seven months, and he served out his term of service and was dismissed.  3 He engaged to go to Rhode Island for five months in A. D. 1780 he enlisted in the Company of Capt. Elliot of Sterling, in Col. Hoxworth  Putnam's Regt of Mass s he proceeded to Rhode Island and joined his Company at Bullock's Hill Fort and continued with his Regt. on Rhode Island till he he served out his five months and was dismissed, the said Isaac Dodge is not living, but his name he expects will be found on the rolls in the Department. 
He relinquishes every claim, whatever, to a pension or annuity, whatever except, the present, and declares that his name is not, on the pension roll, of the agency of any State, the day and year aforesaid
Sworn to and subscribed
Before me Nathl Paine Judge of Probate for County of Worcester
Nehemiah Ramsdell
We (See the annexed Deposition)
a Clergyman residing in the town of
in the county of
and
hereby certify that we are well acquainted with
who has subscribed and sworn to the above, and 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 in the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid,

And the said Court do hereby declare their Opinion, that 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 Samuel Simonds who has signed  made his deposition annexed the proceeding Certificate is a Clergyman resident in the Town of Winchendon thirty miles from the Court and Stephen Emery of the same Town see deposition annexed is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Shephard Wheeler Register of Probate for the County of Worcester Clerk of the Court of Probate for the County of Worcester in Massachusetts
do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains, the original proceedings, of the said Court, in the matter of the application of Jeremiah Ransdall for a pension, & that Samuel Lee before whom the annexed affidavit was made is a Justice of the Peace in the said County in full credit & that the signature is in his own hand writing
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this sixth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and thirty two Shephard Wheeler Reg. of said Probate Court

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Nov r 24 1832.
I hereby Certify, That, from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that
Nehemiah Ramsdell is borne on "A Pay roll of Capt. Manspeh Lawzee's company, in Col. Josiah Whitney's regiment of Militia, which served in the State of Rhode Island" for the space of 1. month and 15. days from the 30 th of July to the 15 th of September 1778
Again, Nehemiah Ramsdell is borne on "a roll of Capt. Joseph Clapp's company, in Col. William Thomas' regiment on Rhode Island. Camp at Dutton hill" for the space of 3. months from the 4 th of September. Date of discharge Nov 30. 1781
Edward D. Bangs. Secy

We Samuel Simonds a Clergyman residing in the Town of Winchendon and Stephen Emery of the same Town, in the County of Worcester. Do hereby certify and declare that we are well acquainted with Nehemiah Pease, and that we believe him to be seventy one years of age, that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Samuel Simonds,
Stephen Emery
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Worcester County ss Sept 3 rd 1832 Then personally appeared Samuel Simonds and Stephen Emery and made oath to the truth of the above declaration by them subscribed. And I do hereby certify that full faith and credit ought to be given to their testimony.
Samuel Lee. Jus. Peace.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Worcester ss , to wit,
At the Court of Probate begun and holden at Worcester within and for the County of Worcester on the sixth day of September A. D. 1832 On the application of Nehemiah Harnsdell claiming to be a Soldier of the Revolution, the following Interrogatories were propounded to him to wit: on oath
1 Where, and in what year, were you born ? Answer,
In Pembroke Ms. September 1st A.D. 1761.
2. Have you any record of your age, and where is it? Answer,
I have a record of my age, in my house.
3. Where were you living, when called into service, where have you lived since , the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live? Answer,
In Harvard. In 1763. I moved to Groton. where I lived about 20 years. Then to Harvard where I lived about 20 years. Then to Winchendon, where I 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? Answer,
I was a volunteer, except my tour to Rhode Island under Col. Brown  Belger , when I was a substitute for Isaac Dodge of then of Harvard.
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 service? Answer,
I saw Gen. Sullivan at Rhode Island. Gen Washington at Cambridge.
6. 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? Answer,
Rev. Mr. Clark. Esq. Wales. Mr. Amasa Whitney. Esq. Murdock. Mr. Morse. Mr. Levi Pollard.
Nehemiah Harnsdell
7 Did you ever receive any discharge from service? - Ans? I never received any written discharge from service -

3 18560
INVALID.
File No. 18560
Rebecca Russell
Re Rev War
Act: June 7 th 82.
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 310
[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 Rebecca H. Ransdill 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? Yes XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? 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? No he has documentary proof for two terms 1845-46 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? Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? 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
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.