Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 14136, for Asa Phinney, Connecticut

born. 1 Phiney Asa.
S. 14 136

Asa Phinney Canterbury
Jan 1. 78 (1) 3 mo l Mar 81
4 Cap Branch Co (Mo 57)
le 06 Phinney -
Jan 79 (2) 3 mo ly Ransford.
(3) 80 1
Mit.
(1) El. Park 3 mo
(2) Nathan Miller. not a pen. 3 mo sad 2 mo f Ransford
(3) Dean + Ransford. 3 mo. clan of himself only 2 mo.
Paul Darrapet. and the Dean with him.

h o 836 Canterbury July. Eben Park, dec. 1832. Em. Island. Coy Rameford 1779 1 R 1 Woodward curv 1780
* Mt. hi- Mannin. Canterbury I. a. Mass. or
Daniel Faxon in dec. 1832. — h o 9642 Nov 1778. 2 mo. mo. Brant. R 5 March 790 2 * Rameford Island.
Mt. Nathan (Nitter Brookline) 2 mo. a Island
① Roselle Faxon. mo. Brant about 2 mo ② I. spaldy, c. 2 mo. 1779
Isabel Halcott Feb March 78 see Septm all R 5 Moos Branch Siloam Shat. 2 mo a Island. (Spaldy Emery, Cykham in w p .)
Isaac Rude Sp g 1779. Em Spaldy
Isaac Rude 2 mo June 79 Rameford B c to Land
Mrs. Grant com e also in the St. John's Rev. The men com e from abou 8 Jan to 7 March. see Rute del on file. Sister a R h — Mabel Rute to @ pen Camp date
March 7 1778. Phoebe Halcott for Skag date March 11. 78

Nathan Witten
Dep:

I Nathan Witter of Brooklyn in the County of Windham and State of Connecticut - and Eighty one Years of age do hereby that I knew Asa Phinney now of Canterbury in said County, in the Revolutionary War - and knew that he served in the Army of the Revolution as a drafted soldier from the Connecticut Militia - I served with him at the same time in the Company commanded by Capt. Jos. Rainford - Lieut. Asa Root & Ensign Abner Root were officers of the same Company & there were two sergeants by the name of Clark in said Company - This Term of duty was at New London in said State & I believe commenced about the first of August 1779 or 1780 and ended about the first of November the same year - I believe the service performed was three months - The Regiment in which we served I do not recollect nor the officers who commanded it -
I was not with said Phinney in any other term of service nor do I know anything of his service at Providence or Fort Hill in the State of Rhode Island I knew Asa Phinney above named to be the same man who served with me as above stated Nathan Witter

Windsor County. S. Brooklyn March 9 th 1842 Personally appeared Nastum Witter signor of the within deposition and made solemn oath in due form of law to the facts therein stated. & I further certify that the deponent is a credible Witness - Adams White Justice of Peace

Three original papers, belonging to John Johnson Esq. of Jewitt City.
To be returned to L. T. Judson

Canterbury Ct. Nov. r 10. 1841.
Sir
I send the enclosed three papers, numbered 1. 2. 3. in support of Alice Shimney's Application for a pension. I could not obtain them from Mr. Johnson, who is the son of old Col. Johnson upon any other condition except I would promise to return them to him, after you had examined them. He was willing to give copies, but I prefered you to see the Originals . So I have sent them, and ask you to return these Originals to me so that I may give them back to Mr. Johnson. I urged him hard to let them remain on file, but he says he cannot.

part with them. If you desire a copy you can keep a copy, for any purpose you choose. I thought Mr. Johnson was too tenuous about having these papers returned but he could not be persuaded.
Under these circumstances I hope you will see that I have done all in my power to have these original papers attached to the applications.
Yours ob ly &c. Andrew J. Johnson

Hon. J. L. Edwards
Govt. Press Washington
Shinn

Canterbury 6 th March 22 nd 1842
Sir:
Since I received your letter, requiring further proof in the case of Mr. Phinney, circumstances have intervened which have prevented my attending to the matter as I should have been glad to have done.
A confinement of six weeks, with a fever, and also my constant employment in the public business under the Bankrupt laws, have been the causes of this delay.
I now forward you three affidavits in confirmation of the former evidence sent you.
I send also the certificate of the authorities of the town, in support of Mr. Phinney's character for truth.
I know Mr. Phinney very well, personally, and assure you he is perfectly honest. It was in fact owing to his honest scruples, and integrity of purpose, that he did not make his application to you sooner. In my certificate, appended to his application, I endeavoured to state the true reason of the delay, but I fear, on reading your letter, that I did not succeed in making myself understood. I will then, with your permission, re-state that reason.

Mr. Pomeroy did in fact come to me several times, while the others were getting their pensions, and urged his claim. I found in these various conversations, that he had forgotten the year and the length of time he served at Providence, and I know that I always told him he must be able to swear as to the length of the service and the year in which it was performed. This, he always said he could not do. He could not remember it himself - and therefore he could not conscientiously do. My answer always was to him, that unless he could swear to his own service, he could not obtain the pension. Upon this state of the case he had given it up, and I know he would never have made his application, had not the Furloughs been found . This being found his own recollections were refreshed - he could swear with safety as to the year and the length of the service, being ascertained by the other papers I sent you, all doubts were removed from his mind, and he made his application. There cannot be a doubt in his case. The period of service, about which his own mind was in doubt, if struck out, he could not succeed, because it would leave less than six months.

Now My Dear Sir I desire to say that I hope you may re-consider this claim and allow it.
If there has been any fault or delay, it has not been attributable to Old Mr. Pliny. He delayed because he was too honest to swear to what he did not positively recollect. He delayed because I told him he must so swear or fail, and he placed his confidence in what I told him. Now if he should lose his claim, I should feel that I had been the occasion of the loss, when my suggestions to him were sincerely upright, and I have no doubt, he was then, and is now perfectly honest.
I have also found another witness, Nathan Williams who served with Pliny, but lives in Brooklyn, and is now dangerously ill.
The Hon. J. H. Brodhead of the House will prove or certify that Nathan Wood is a Justice of the Peace for Windham County.
With great respect
Your ob st S r
Andrew T. Jackson
Hon. J. L. Edwards, Com. Pen.

Certificate of good character

To the Hon. J. S. Edwards, Commissioner of Pensions. Sir:
The subscribers take the liberty to say to you that Asa Phinney is our fellow townsmen, with whom we are well acquainted, and know him to be a man of strict integrity and truth. No man in this community has a higher character for honesty than Mr. Phinney. We have no doubt he served in the Army as he states.
Johnson Dyer
Christian Sypn
Isaac Spencer
Saint L. Hosn
} Justices of the Peace of Canterbury
Mansur Manning
Abijah Dearing
Schemiah Ensworth
} Select Men.
Richard Fenner
} Post Masters
Elijah Baldwin
N Adams
} Physicians & Surgeons.
Johnson Dyer
Nufus Wells
} Judges & Clerk of Probate -
Johnson

Neighbors of Mr. Shimey. Jerome Payne Mansur Manning William F. Willoughby Rufus Waldo John Francis Festus Badger William Lint Albert H. Wood James Gary Thomas B. Busworth James Aspinwall Charles H. Adams William A. Gery David Wood

Daniel Freeman
Dep.
Please send this to the Hon. J. H. Brockway, to certify that Nathaniel Wood is a Justice of the Peace, if needed.

I Daniel Fairman of Killingly in the County of Windham and State of Connecticut Aged Eighty Two years do depose and say that I knew Lisa Phinny now of Canterbury in said County in the Revolutionary War - and know that he served in the Army of the Revolution as a drafted soldier from the Connecticut Militia - I served with him at the same time in the Regiment commanded by Col. Cady - and in the company commanded by Capt. Jos. Hainsford - Lieut. Ensworth and Ensign Wheeler - There was one Sergeant of the same company whose name was Baldwin - this term of duty was at New London in said State and I believe commenced about the first of August 1779 and ended about the first of November the same year - I think the service performed was three months - I was also with said Phinny at East Greenwich and Townshill in Rhode Island in the year 1780 we both being drafted from the Connecticut Militia and served from about the first of July to the first of August in the Regiment commanded by Col. Ceysser and company commanded by Capt. Adams Lieut. Deviron name of Ensign do not recollect
Daniel his Fairman mark
Windham County ss Killingly March 19 th A.D. 1842 Personally appeared Daniel Fairman subscribed to the above Deposition and made solemn oath in due form of law to the facts therein contained and I further certify that the Deponent is a creditable Witness - Nathan Wood Justice of the Peace

Psalm Davenport
Sept.

I Paul Davenport of the town of Canterbury in the County of Windham and State of Connecticut, testify and say that on the 27th day of this month, if I should live so long I shall be Eighty Years old; and that I am well acquainted with Asa Phinney of the same town of Canterbury who will be 81 years of age next May. He was born in May 1761, and I was born in February 1762. And we have always lived in the same town. I am not a pensioner.
I do further say, that in the latter part of June 1779 E. S. Butts came down to the part of the town where I then lived, to draft from the Company to which I belonged a man to serve a three months tour at the Groton Fort on the east side of the river Thames, and said Asa Phinney was the man drafted, but he was then sick and unable to march; and in consequence of his sickness, E. S. Butts drafted me, and on one of the last days of June 1779 I left home and marched to Groton and took my place in the Company, which was composed of drafted men from a good many companies. Capt. John Dixon was my Captain, and Lieut. Williams was the Lieut. My station was in the Fort and Col. Secyad commanded the Fort. My Company was required to man the Cannon of Field Pieces.

In a few weeks after I arrived at Groton, there was another call, and most of the Company to which I belonged, when at home were ordered out, and came down to the mouth of the River and were stationed on the west side at the New London Fort about four miles from us. Several of my fellow Soldiers from Canterbury came over to visit me on the Groton side, among those I remember the following William Baldwin Sergt and Solomon None. They both told me that Asa Phinney was with them on the New London side, but I did not see him there; he did not come over on our side. I have no doubt he was there; it was then and has ever since been so understood and is believed by me as well as any fact that I did not see with my own eyes. After my time was over I returned home. And when Mr Phinney's time was out he came home. I saw him and conversed with him about what took place on either side of the river while we were there. But for years since I have not conversed with him, and it is but lately that I have heard that Mr Phinney had made application for a pension. I have no hesitation in saying that Mr Phinney served at New London as he states.
Paul Davenport

District of Connecticut ss. Canterbury
Be it remembered that on this 19th. day of Feby 1842. Personally appeared Paul Dampk the subscribing of the foregoing affidavit and made solemn oath to the facts therein stated. And I further certify that said Deponent is a credible witness. Attest,
Andrew T. Judson Judge of Probate M. S. District of Connecticut

M. M.
Notre May 3 1897
Head of Pension Department Washington D.C.
I am anxious to learn if there is any record of Naa Phinny , native of Canterbury, Connecticut, having been a soldier, and pensioner, in the Revolutionary War, - he enlisted when sixteen years of age, from the State of Rhode Island in about the year 1777 - Would also like to know if you find the names of his brothers Joshua and Samuel Phinny . If you will kindly

reply to the above inquires you will confer a great favor upon the writer
Very Resp y
Kittie E. Phinney 15 Court Hill- Utica
Oneida Co New York
P.S. on the name of Silas Loburn who also, insisted from Rhode Island at Salem -
H. E. P.