Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 8700, for Josiah Remington, New York

SERVICE
NUMBER _____
Conners New York
Remington, Josiah
R. 8700
CONTENTS

32.388
copy
Josiah, Birmingham

State of New York Westchester County } ss
On this second second day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty four personally appeared in open court before the Court of common pleas in and for the said county of Westchester Josiah Remington a resident of the town of Poundridge in said county of Westchester aged seventy one or seventy two years the 30 th day of last may, Who being first 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 th 1832. That he the Deponent first entered the service as a waiter or as a servant to Lieut. Barber and served as such for about eleven months, this was in the first of the War of the Revolution. That this Declar- ant entered the service of the United States in the Revolutionary war as a private soldier under the follow- ing named Officers and served

as herein stated. That is to say on or about the first of June one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight this declarant volunteered his services as a private and joined Captain David Olustice who resided in Ridgefield as also this declarant Fairfield County and State of Connecticut and marched to Kingston White Plains and from thence to Horse Neck Fairfield County and State of Connecticut and served faithfully three months under said Capt David Olustice and was attached to Colonel Walenburys Regiment. This declarant then immediately volunteered his services and joined Capt Meads company at Horse Neck aforesaid and joined Colonel Meads Regiment. This was about the first of September 1778 and served faithfully as a private soldier in actual service under arms for nine months in the aforesaid Captain Meads company of Militia. This declarant soon after and some time in the

month of June one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine volunteered vol un teered vol un teered service and joined Capt Waterbury's company and was attached to Colonel Waterbury's Reg t and served six months in active service faithfully as a private soldier and then this declarant returned home to Ridgefield, Fairfield County and state of Connecticut. This declarant did not go home from the time he joined Captain Olmstead's company of said unit the last mentioned service was done. This declarant soon after volunteered his services and joined Capt Richard Sackett's company and was attached to Colonel Thomas Thomas Regiment. The time that this declarant joined that Regiment was about the last of December one thousand seven hundred and seventy nine, or the January following and served six months in actual service under arms as a private soldier in said last mentioned company and then returned home to Ridgefield

That this declarant served two months in Capt. Northrop's company was attached to the White plains. That this Declarant was out various times besides sometimes for one month and more and continued to volunteer for short periods til peace took place. That the Declarant was always a faithful soldier and a true friend to the Independence. That this declarant was born in the town of Ridgefield Fairfield County and State of Connecticut on the 30 th day of May one thousand seven hundred and sixty two or three but has no record of his age that this declarant resided in said Ridgefield til peace took and soon after removed into the County of Westchester aforesaid where he remained for several years and removed to Saunderberg , County of Rensselaer in the State of New York resided there about four years and then removed.

back to the County of Westchester where he has ever since resided and now resides That this Declarant resided in the town of Ridgefield aforesaid when he first entered the service aforesaid and always volunteered never was drafted nor served as a substitute and always served for himself The services of this Declarant was rendered in Westchester County New York and in Fairfield County State of Connecticut. This Declarant was wounded with Housatonic Staughton Greenwich Fairfield County and State of Connecticut had several engagements or skirmishes with the enemy one at Horsneck where he received a musket ball in the leg was wounded in Westchester County aforesaid at White Plains Peekskill New Rochelle Mamaroneck Sing Sing Dobbs Ferry Rye, had a number of skirmishes with the enemy under the command of one Kip and

Barnum (British Officer). This declarant recollects the follow- ing named officers General Washington, General Wooster, Genl Putnam, Colonel Bradley Col Thomas Col Mead and Colonel Waterbury, Capt Mead Captain Waterbury Captain Husted Capt White Capt Ward and Captain Sackett. Lieutenants Mosher and many other Officers whose names this declarant does not now recollect. That this declarant never received any written discharge from the Service was always Honorably disch- arged verbally by his com- mander as a volunteer. That this declarants officers under whom he served are all dead from enlisting he has made and has not been able to find any one who is known to his Service except the one hereby arrayed. That this declarant is known in his present neighborhood to Benjamin Hanson and Horatio Lockwood

7 both residing in the town of Poundridge in the county of Westchester aforesaid who can testify to this Declarants character for veracity their belief of his age and service as a Soldier of the revolution and 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
(Signed) Josiah Remington
Sworn & subscribed in open Court This 2 nd day of Dec r 1834 before me J. Byles
State of New York Westchester county We Benjamin Hanson and Horatio Lockwood residing in the town of Pound- ridge in the county of Westchester aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquainted with

Josiah Remington of Pombridge aforesaid who has subscribed and sworn to the preceding declaration that we believe him to be seventy one years of age that he is believed to be and reported in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Sol- dier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion and we do further certify that we have known and lived near neighbors to the said Josiah Remington for a number of years last past and know him to be man of good character and consider his preceding declaration entitled to full credit
(Signed) Benjamin Hudson Horatio Lockwood
Sworn & Subscribed in open court this 2 d day of December 1834
J. P. Bayles Clerk

9 And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the inter- rogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states and the court further cer- tifies that it appears to them that Benjamin Slousve and Nathaniel Lockwood who have signed and sworn to the preceding certificate are residents of the Town of Poundridge aforesaid and that they are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit
Is. Nathaniel Gayles Clerk of the Court of Com- mon pleas in and for the County of Westchester in the State of New York do hereby certify that the fore- going contains the original proceedings of the said

Grant in the matter of the application of Joseph Remington for a succession in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this second day of December 1834 J. Bayles Clerk
State of New York Westchester County ss On this thirteenth of October one thousand eight hundred and thirty four personally came before me William Lockwood Justice of the Peace in and for said County of Westchester Peter Miville of the Town of Stamford County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut who being duly sworn according to law dith on his oath State that he is well acquainted with Joseph Remington of the Town of Poundridge County of Westchester and

State of New York and knew the said Josiah Remington in the Revolutionary War as a soldier in the Army of the United States and was in the same company for four campaigns and this depon- -ent verily believes more that this deponent was a Sergeant in the Serge Company for which he draws pay said company that this deponent well recollects that the said Josi- ah Remington was in the Battle at Ridgefield & followed the enemy to Danbury where we had an engagement with the enemy that said Remington was at- tacked in fairfield being exposed in a skirmish with the enemy where the said Rem- ington received a musket ball in his leg as this Deponent understood that said Remington was at Kingstreet White Plains, Singing Rock and various other places on the trip We saw Westchester County

During the Revolutionary war, that some part of the time the said Remington was Michael Mott's Government and a more brave soldier did not belong to said company. This Deponent further saith that the said Remington was attached to Colonel David Waterbury Regiment at Heads Regiment. This deponent further saith that from his knowledge of the service of the said Josiah Remington as a soldier in the Revolutionary war he must have served three years that the said Remington was a well and hearty soldier and always ready for Battle and a true friend to our Independence.
Peter his + Mark Prindle
Sworn & Subscribed before me the 13 th day of October 1834
William Lockwood Justice

We certify that the above named deponent is a man of good character and entitled to full credit
William Lockwood Justice
W. Nathaniel Bayles Clerk of the County of Westchester State of New York do certify that William Lockwood before whom the foregoing affidavit was sworn to and whose name is subscribed to the same and certificate above is a justice of the Peace in and for said county and was such Justice on the 13 th day of October 1834 duly elected and sworn and that I am well acquain- ted with the hand writ- ing of said Justice and believe the signatures sub- scribed aforesaid as his are genuine
In testimony where of I have hereunto affixed the seal of said County

Seal
and subscribed my name this 3 rd day of December 1834 J s Bayle Clerk
Josiah Remington y s son of Stephen and Jane Remington was born May 30 th 1768 as appears by the public records of the Town of Ridgefield, cer- tified by Samuel Stebbins Town Clerk Ridgefield 12 Jan y 1835
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the original papers of Josiah Remington in the matter of his application for a pension under the act of 7 th June 1832.
Dan d Boyd 24 th April 1835

P. O.
Service:
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: REJECTED _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____ _____
Re-enlisted: _____ _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____ _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

32388 New York
Josiah  Remington
Rejected
Letter 2 Feb'y 35 to Hon. A. Ward
8700
Act. 7 June '32

Josiah Remington
8700
answ d
30 May 1835.

U. S. District Attorneys Office New York May 27 th 1835
Sir
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27 th Ult o enclosing the Declaration of Joseph Remington made before the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Winchester to obtain a pension for services rendered as a Soldier of the American Revolution, transmitted to me that Remington might be prosecuted for perjury committed in the oath administered to him on making his Declaration.
As instructed by your letter I have to report that on the 21 st Inst. a warrant was issued by Judge Bith on which Remington was arrested and was yesterday examined and fully committed for trial at the next Term of the Circuit Court to be held on the last Monday of July.
The delay in making the arrest proceeded from the necessity of procuring the attendance of Witnesses from Ridgefield Connecticut on whose affidavits the warrant was granted. The witnesses to whom I refer are Mr Stebbins the Clerk of the County of Fairfield who gave the Certificate (appended to the declaration) of Remington's birth from the Town Records, and a Mr Joseph Bennet for many years his neighbour, and acquaintance from Childhood, who states positively that Reming-

son was not in the army but was a child until the close of the war.
You state in your letter that the testimony of Judge Ezra Lockwood is important to prove declarations made by Remington respecting his own age anterior to the passing of the act of June 1832. I regret to say that Judge Lockwood has only a general impression that such decla- rations were made but cannot name any person who heard them - If you have received any letters from the Judge on the subject of this application by referring to them you may perhaps find some facts therein stated which may serve to refresh his recollection.
I shall be happy to receive any sugges- tions from you in relation to this matter.
With great respect
Yours obediently
William M Price
US Dist Atty
To J L Edmonds Esq Commissioner of Pleasants Washington

50. (Pension Office) Jan 31 NY. Poundridge NY Jan. 27 th
Hon. - Lewis Cap - Secy of War - Washington D.C. (or - Com te of Pensions)
Carroll Jeriah Remington Isaac Smith and -

Poundridge (Westchester Co., Jan 17 -
To The Hon. The Secretary of War —
At a late Court of Common Pleas, held in this County Isaiah Remington of Poundridge in the County of Westchester & State of New York, made a declaration in order to obtain a Pension under the Act of June 1832 And among other things set forth that he was aged seventy one or seventy two years in May last - That he first entered the service of the United States under Capt. David Shurtleff of Ridgefield in Connecticut in the year 1778 - Also that he knew Genl. Wooster, among others, who was with the troops where he served - Annexed to the said Declaration was an Affidavit of one Peter Prindle, who has been known to me upwards of twenty years, who testifies to several years service in the Revolutionary War by said Remington -
Living in the neighbourhood of said Remington and having been acquainted with him for many years, and hearing his repeated declarations, within five or six years past, in regard to his age I departed from a majority of said Court in their decision on said Application for the reasons herein stated - to wit -
Remington has repeatedly declared in my presence and in the presence of others that he was sixty six years of age in May last - That Prindle whose Affidavit is annexed to his Application is unworthy of credit, as can be readily shown by many in the neighbourhood where he resides - That Genl. Wooster was killed in April 1777 - one year before Remington claims to have entered the service -
For the foregoing, among other reasons, I did not believe the statement of Remington to be correct, and since the adjournment of the court I have made further inquiry in regard to his age &c

and have rec d . The inclosed certificate from the Town Clerk of Ridgefield, with whom I am acquainted, & from which it appears that Remington was under nine years of age at the time of the death of Genl. Worcester. I have also inquired of a Revolutionary soldier who was an oldier belonged to Capt. Mead's company at the time of the Nine Months service referred to in the said declaration, who says that he never knew Remington as a soldier of that company. And from communication with the people of the neighbourhood, generally, where Remington resides, public sentiment is strongly adverse to his claim for a Pension -
I would also respectfully beg leave to refer to the case of Isaac Simkins, who some time ago made application for a Pension as an enlisted soldier in the Continental line, and, afterwards as a soldier in the Militia - & a drummer -
Simkins resides in the Northern part of this town (Poundridge) and having been acquainted with him for many years, and the opinions of his neighbours generally in regard to the merits of his application - I would briefly notice, that the persons who testified to their belief of his age &c were Abijah Holmes of Bedford and James Brown 3 d of Poundridge. Brown resides in the South easterly part of Poundridge eight or nine miles from Simkins and it is presumed knows but little of the public sentiment in regard to his services - Besides, Brown's son married the grand daughter of Simkins & is not so disinterested, as many respectable persons who reside in the neighbourhood of Simkins, in regard to his opinions of his age, services &c - I have been informed by a person who has always from infancy resided in the vicinity of Simkins, and whose veracity is unquestionable - that Jeremiah Simkins (the father of Isaac the present applicant), who was partly of Indian parentage, was

a Soldier of the Revolution - That the mother of Isaac followed her husband (Jeremiah) to the Army, taking with her her little son Isaac, the present applicant, and that on their return from the Army at the close of the War, s d Isaac was quite a small boy & not of sufficient age to perform military duty.
While I should extremely regret to place any obstacle in the way of the success of a meritorious applicant for a Pension - I cannot reconcile a silent acquiescence in fraud, with the paramount duty I owe to public Justice.
I have lately been referred to the Rev d Mr. Hobbs, Deacon Reynolds, Wm Avery & some others residing in the vicinity of Sinkine, and who have known him from his infancy and who will testify to the truth of the above statements -
Respectfully, Your Ob t Serv t Ezra S. Rootwood