Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 33,571, for Abijah Richardson, Massachusetts

SERVICE
Mass
Richardson, Abijah
NUMBER
S. 33571
CONTENTS

subs. 13 Apr. 1820 - v Aug. 11. 1820.
Massachusetts Rolls.
1,601
Abijah Richardson Lieutenant
Mafs Copt Oak Massachusetts line 77 1 year In the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War.
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 20 Dollars per month, to commence on the 7 th of April 1818.
Certificate of Pension issued the 30 th of June 1818, and sent to the Hon. Sam l Dana, Boston, Mafs. —
Arrears to 4th of Sept r 1818.
Service since ending
4 months 28/30 $98.66
{ Revolutionary claim, } { Act 18th March, 1818. }
Wadsworth Middlesex Co.

Abijah Richardson
Correct

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Be it remembered, that on this seventh day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, before me Samuel Dana, Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas, for the Middle Circuit (comprehending the counties of Essex and Middlesex in the Commonwealth aforesaid), comes Abijah Richardson of Westford in said county of Middlesex and on oath declares, that he served in the War of the Revolution for the nearly fifteen months that he was in Concord fight & camped with the American forces nearly a month - In the forefront of the year 1777 he served at Cambridge, two months - In the fall of the year Spring one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven, he was entered upon Continental establishment, and received a Commission, by which he was appointed a Lieutenant in Seth Oakes Company, and was subject to the orders of Col. Nathaniel Russell Master General. He joined the Army at Peekskill and was ordered to a place called the cross, about seven miles from Philadelphia, on the 9th Dec 1777 he received an order from Genl. Washington D. M. to return to Valley Forge, and receive orders from Genl. Washington - Having done out years service in the Continental Army, he was regularly discharged at Camphead Quarters March 11. 1778 and returned home. He well remembers that he had his Commission after he left the Army, but lost it out of his possession more than twenty years since, he has often searched for it, but has not been able to regain it - He is now Sixtyseven years of age, has never possessed much property, by his labor he has bro't up a large Family, but among all his circumstances are now so reduced, that he stands in need of assistance from his Country for support. -
Abijah Richardson
Thes made, taken, subscribed, and sworn to at Chelmsford in said County of Middlesex, the day and year aforesaid. -
Sam. Dana

To the Honorable JOHN C. CALHOUN, Secretary of the Department of War of the United States.
I, the undersigned Samuel Dana , Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of Common Pleas, for the Middle Circuit, (comprehending the Counties of Essex and Middlesex) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, being a Court of Record, duly established by Law, Do hereby certify, That on the Seventh - - day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen . Personally appeared
Alejah Richardson and made and subscribed the declaration which is hereunto annexed. and at the same time he exhibited to me his discharge signed by Col. Lutterlaw and an order from the Quarter Master Genl dated Dec 9 1777 and a memorandum signed by order of Genl Mifflin -
from which it appears to me, that the said Alejah Richardson did serve in the War of the REVOLUTION, against the common Enemy, upwards of nine months. upon the Continental establishment
Wherefore, in pursuance of the directions of an Act of Congress, made and passed the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, entitled, "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States, in the Revolutionary War," I have transmitted the said Declaration & the Documents aforesaid to you the said Secretary, that such further proceedings may be had in the premises, as the said Act may require.
In testimony of all which, I have caused the Seal of said Court to be hereunto affixed.
Given under my hand within the said Circuit, the Seventh day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Eighteen . -
Sam Dana

78
Abijah Richardson
1601
do not use of life

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
MIDDLESEX, ss.
At the Circuit Court of Common Pleas for the Middle Circuit, begun and holden at Concord, within and for the County of Middlesex, on the second Monday of June A. D. 1820.
Before the Hon. SAMUEL DANA, Esquire, Chief Justice , and
WILLIAM WETMORE, and } Associate Justices STEPHEN MINOT, Esquires, } of said Court.
In open Court here, being a Court of Record for said Circuit, proceeding according to the course of the common law, with a jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount, keeping a record of its proceedings, and having the power of fine and imprisonment, Abijah Richardson resident in Westford - in said Circuit, who is named in Pension Certificate No. 16015 now in his possession, of which the following is a true copy, to wit,
“WAR DEPARTMENT.....REVOLUTIONARY CLAIM.”
“I certify that, in conformity with the Law of the United States, of the 18th March, 1818, Abijah Richardson late a Lieutenant in the army of the Revolution, is inscribed on the Pension List, Roll of the Massachusetts Agency, at the rate of locally dollars per month, to commence on the seventh day of April one thousand eight hundred and eighteen .”  Given at the War Office of the United States, this thirtieth day of June one thousand eight hundred and eighteen .
J. C. CALHOUN, Secretary of War,”
appears, and exhibits to the Court here a Schedule, subscribed by him, as follows, to wit,
SCHEDULE,
containing his whole estate and income, his necessary clothing and bedding excepted, to wit,
  4 One two years old heifer, $ 10 00   One swine 9 00   Four sheep and three lambs 9 00   One broad axe & 1 narrow axe 7 00   One adz 0 50   One shovel 0 50   Two forks 0 75   One loom 5 00   Two hand saws 1 00   Various tools 1 75   One pine desk 2 00   Two old chests 2 00   Six old chairs 2 00   Five stools 0 50   One iron pot and one kettle 1 25 

  Five cedar barrels, . . . . . 1 75   Two tables . . . . . 0 75   One quilt wheat and blankets, . . . . . 1 00   Two augers . . . . . 0 75   Two tubs . . . . . 0 50   One meat chest, . . . . . 0 50   Three pails, . . . . . 0 30   Two lines . . . . . 0 75   One iron shovel and tongs . . . . . 1 00   One pair of handirons, . . . . . 0 50   One tea kettle . . . . . 0 50   Two pewter platters . . . . . 1 00   $ 56.00. 
Abijah Richardson.
And the said Abijah Richardson having been first duly sworn, states and declares upon oath that his family consists of his wife aged seventy three, a son William who is an idiot aged thirty eight and a daughter Hannah aged thirty four and a grand child Eliza beth being an Orphan aged eight years who are dependent on him for support, that his own age is seventy three nearly and he is unable to do but little labour having a very bad break, that his occupation is that of a farmer, heretofore he worked as a carpenter that he served in the Revolutionary war in the Continental establishment commencing in 1777 and ending in 1778 being one full year, that his commission was signed by General Washington as he believes, and delivered to him by General Mifflin then quartermaster General who directed him to enlist men as artificers and he did enlist twenty five men who were sworn and served

was honourably discharged, that his said service was with the army and that he was at the battle of Brandywine & at Germantown being with the Artillery at Germantown and with the baggage at Brandywine having been so at that time ordered, and other circumstances of his service will more particularly appear by his original declaration on file in War office Abijah Richardson
and at the same time he produces to the Court here the following Oath, taken and subscribed by him, before the Hon. Samuel Dana Esq. a Judge of said Court as aforesaid, to wit,
I, Abijah Richardson do solemnly swear, that I was a resident citizen of the United States, on the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, and that I have not, since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner whatever, disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress, entitled "an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war," passed on the eighteenth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property, or securities, contracts, or debts, due to me; nor have I any income, other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed. So help me GOD.
Abijah Richardson
Middlesex ss. C. C. C. P. June Term, A. D. 1820
Then the abovenamed Abijah Richardson took and subscribed the aforesaid Oath before me,
Sam d Dana Judge of said Court.
I, ABRAHAM BIGLOW , Clerk of the Court aforesaid, do hereby certify, that the foregoing Oath, and Schedule thereto annexed, are truly copied from the record of the said Court; and I do further certify, that it is the opinion of the said Court, that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid Schedule is
fifty six dollars 87 1/2 cents
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and the seal of the said Court, at Cambridge, in said Court Middlesex, on this 20 th day of July 182
Attr.
Abijah Richardson

33 571 Rev INVALID.
File No. 33,571
Abijah Richardson
Lient Rev 1860
Act: 18 th March 1867
Index: — Vol. 2 , Page 342
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Suspended for further consideration —
Lieut. Abijah Richardson Massachusetts
Aug. 11. 1820

Department of the Interior.
BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Important
PRINTED MATTER

Camp head Quarters March 11 1776
This May Certify that Lieut. Abijah Richards has Done one years Service in the Continental Army as an Artillerer under the Command of Capt. Seth Dake and is now Regularly Discharged by order of Col. Luther Lee Q.M. Genl
In Shute Army

And I do hereby certify that this is a true copy of the original whereby it appears that this day Eliphalet Richardson did before me the following persons whom he had inlisted into the continental service to serve in the army under his Excellency George Washington Esqr General of the army & as follows in Capt. Dyer's Regt. Company for and during the term of one year from the time of signing namely Joseph Tutton, Solomon Spalding, James Tutton, John Frye.
Also of the subscribers have given the above named person to be faithful to the united states and to be subject to the articles of war made or to be made by the continental congress. Sworn by me Jonas Dyer Col. Just. of peace.

Lieut. Richardson of Cap t Baker's Compy y with six Carpenters are to march to the Valley Forge & there to take their Direc- tions from Mr. Shute. A D M J —
Dec r 9. 1777
Jona n  to Mifflin D M J

John Lindsey of Meadville April 1 Day William messer 1 Day
John C. Good off Bracutt Street 3 Day
Samuel Comica April 4 100 Dozen
Matthias Griff April 7 Days of Grace
Simon Coburn April 7 Day of Grace
David Lindsey Mitchell Davis April the 7 Day of Grace
Samuel Emery April 7 Day of Grace of Salem
100 2010815 2.0 100 2010815 2.0 100 2010815 2.0
50

These may certify That this Day At Abijah's house Brought before the following persons whom he had enlisted into the Continental Service to serve in the Army Under His Excellency George Washington Esqr General of the Army as Artillery In Capt. Eleazer Foss's Company for the term of one year. His discharge (namely) Simon Coburn of Braintree In the County of Mid. Aged forty five years five feet & eleven inches High. Light com- plexion. Samuel Currier of Falmouth In the County of Hampshire In the State of New Hampshire aged forty two years Jonathan Abbott of Methuen In the County of Essex In the State of the Massachussetts Bay. Light com- plexion. Dark Hair five feet & eleven inches High. Wm. Mcyear of Methuen aforesaid aged thirty two years Light complexion. James Hill Woodbury off. Methuen aged about nineteen years Light complexion. John Linsley off. Methuen aged twenty two years Dark Hair & complexion. Mitchell Davis of Braintree aforesaid aged twenty four years Light complexion. five feet ten inches high which said persons he desired might be sworn to their being faithful to the continent & that they would carefully & faith- fully obey their officers as soldiers & artillery for the time they enlisted. Namely one year from the day of their enlistment: & they and each of them was sworn accordingly before me. Jno. Gardner Justice of Peace.

Affidavit of Lease Aliyah Richardson

I Abijah Richardson now a pensioner of the United States for Revolutionary  the Revolutionary services in were , in addition to what I have heretofore testified to under oath before the Hon. Judge Samuel Dana Esq. do depose and say that in the year 1777 in February Major Benjamin Pollard, then as he stated from the army of United States, called on me, I being ac- quainted with said Pollard, and asked me if I would en- deavor to enlist fifteen men as artificers to serve in the ar- my of the United States, and produced a paper from General Mifflin, then quartermaster General of the Continental army, promising me if I did enlist said number of men I should be entitled to and receive on joining said continental army the commission of a Lieutenant; and on my agreeing to serve myself & to attempt to enlist said number of men, he left said paper with me, and instead of enlisting fifteen I enlisted twenty five men, and having sent notice thereof an officer, the name of whom I have now forgotten, called on me with an order from said Mifflin to cause said men to be sworn before justices of the peace; (and part of the certifi- cates of the oaths are sent herewith, the residue I cannot find of were  then expected to said men to join a company then expected to be raised by Elizer Fogg, who however did not procure any men and consequently did not, as I recollect join the army; said officer also advanced to me for each of said men one month's pay, and I gave him a receipt therefor, which receipt I afterwards received of said Mifflin on a settlement for said money left with me. But the receipt is lost as I believe. The order from said Mifflin also directed me to march said men as soon as possible to the army; we according- ly, according to my recollection march for the army in May 1777, and having been stoped on the North river in New York a few days, we joined the army commanded by General Washington at a place called the crossroads in Pennsylvania, and were ordered to join a company command- ed by Capt. Seth Dake. The Army continued there some short time, and understanding the time it was to march not having received said commission, I applied to said Mifflin, who promised me it should be given to me within three days, and accordingly within that time he sent for me and delivered me the said commission. Said commission I carried with me

during the time I was in service which was one year as stated in my discharge, here tofore sent to the war office, and what has become of said commission I cannot say, I have no doubt that I brought it home, but I cannot after diligent search find it, many nor but few of the orders and papers I received while in the army. The term of said commission I cannot now recollect with certainty, But I think it was from the Continental Congress, as it now appears to me was signed by General Washington, but I may be possibly from length of time mistaken as to the signature of Washington. I received pay and ranked as a Lieutenant while in the army. As I have before stated, I was stationed at the battle of Germantown with the artillery, and at the battle of Brandywine with the baggage.
Elijah Richardson
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
On the 29 th day of July AD 1820. Personally appeared the above named Elijah Richardson, before me the Subscriber a Justice of the Peace in all the Counties in said Commonwealth, and made solemn Oath, the foregoing deposition by him is just and true in all particulars. —
Sam l Dana

To the Hon J.C. Calhoun, Secretary of War. — 5
The undersigned inhabitants of the Towns of Westford and Syngsborough, in the State of Massachusetts respectfully represent, that Abijah Richardson, of said Westford whose name is inscribed on the pension list, roll of the Massachusetts agency is in the opinion of the undersigned wrongfully thereon placed and is not intitled by the act of Congress to a pension from the United States - inasmuch as the service rendered by him was not of that kind contemplated by the act. The whole time of service he rendered did not, we believe exceed nine months - and that service he did as an Artificer and he never did duty in the regular line of the army. and as we have heard and believe that a number of men who belonged to the same company that he did have made application for pensions and their claims have been rejected on account of the kind of service they rendered, we cannot believe that the said Abijah Richardson ought to have the benefit of an act, which does not embrace his case. We therefore pray that an enquiry may be instituted into the merits of his claim and that he may be his name may struck from the pension roll.
We are very respectfully your Obedient Servants
George Frederic J.
Henry Spaulding
Brent Hall
Timothy Smith
Oliver Woodworth
Thaddeus Blodget Jr
David Dunnington
Joseph Pierce
Matthew Davis Jr
Thomas Spaulding
Theodore Woodward
Daniel Jaynes Jr
Nath: Scriven
Isaac Spaulding
Abijah Wright
Joel Wright
Cyprian Bannister
Thaddeus Blodget
Thaddeus Davis
Joseph Ingols
Isaac Spaulding
Joseph Burrage
Lisnard Kendall

Draft from the roll, Dec. 7. 1821.
In letter to agent of the State & to J. Watson, Dec. 6. 1821.

War Department, Pension Office, April 13. 1820.
Sir, As some doubt has arisen whether the service in which you were engaged, during the revolution will entitle you to a pension under the act of the 18. of March, 1818, you will on the receipt hereof, please to state under oath more particularly the service you were employed in, in order that it may be ascertained whether you were ever recognized as a commissioned Officer of the Continental Army. You will please to state by what authority you were commissioned. If you have the Commission in your possession, it should be transmitted to this Department. By order of the Secretary of War. —
I am, respectfully, Your obedt Servt
J. L. Edwards
M c . Abijah Richardson, of Westford, Mass s
turn over

M c Richardson
I have read the under foregoing letter, by which you will perceive, that you must come before me and make an Affidavit of the kind, described therein - I shall generally be at home, the forepart of next week, I may be absent at Boston in yr. Friend - Sam l Dana
April 20. 1820
J. L. Edwards Letter April 1820

Westford Ms May 2.
True John Abbott P.M.
R. B. May 1861
C. L. Edwards Esq. in the war office.
Washington City

Westford May 25 1821
13 On applying to the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Middlesex I found he had received a letter from you in which was the following. "A decision in the case of Abijah Richardson has not as yet been made, it will be taken up in its turn, and you duly advised of the issue." This letter was dated Department of war, pension office 16 th October 1820. Will you be obliging enough to just inform me whether Richardson's case has been passed upon, and if not, to have it taken up & passed upon as soon as convenient. Richardson has never learned the ground of objection made to his being continued on the pension roll. I expect the representation made to the war office was untrue & originated from motives of revenge. Richardson was summoned as a witness in an action of which I had the case, & a person who took an interest in the suit, mentioned this to me that they would make him lose or suffer for being a witness which he

could not avoid, the suits being determined against the interest of the party also persons for whom the man making the observation was employed. I probably shall wish hereafter to ascertain from the war office copy of the war representation, & the persons names who signed it. At present it is not of consequence. If you will have this case taken up & notice forwarded to the office of the clerk of the Court for the County of Middlesex, Massachusetts, you will con- fer a favor on me in much respectfully
Your obedt Servt
John Abbott
J. L. Edwards Esq

Certificate of John Abbott Esq.

I John Abbot of Westford in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby certify that last Winter, an application was made to me from Lemuel Thomas Read of said Westford a respectable man aged about 87 years, to procure the parents of a number of boys, all but one of them belonging to Lyngsborough, to settle with him for a wanton trespass committed by them on his property; and in the event of their refusing to settle satisfactorily to said Read to then commence a suit against said boys. Lieut. Abijah Richardson of said Westford a pensioner of the United States, was procured by said Read to attend carry letters to the parents and otherwise to assist said Read. The trespass was not settled for; & the boys were sued, and judgment obtained against them, which was paid at the time of the trial by a parent of one of them, who also with other parents of the boys assisted them at the trial. Lieut. Richardson was called as a witness, and was then accused as having aided said prosecution, which so far as I knew was false, he having done nothing more  within my knowledge  than to urge on the prosecution, but endeavored to procure the trespass to be settled for without one. The friends of the boys at the time of trial, and as I heard one of them before say, intimated or said they would pay pay Mr. Richardson for the agency they said  awarded he had in the affair; Soon after the trial which was in February 1820, it was said a paper of some kind had been forwarded to the war office relative to Mr. Richardson's pension. The contents of said paper are not known here, but whether true or false, they originated, as I verily believe in matter of fact, to the Mr. Richardson, for because a man too old to stand about himself but little, had procured Mr. Richardson to assert him. John Abbot

Private
M. Lee Balkauin Washington

The Hon Secy of War
Sir In compliance with the very earnest request of L t Abijah Richardson, I have told him that I w d address you on his behalf, this old Genl l has been greatly distressed by the suspension of his Pension — He had anticipated his March pay, having attended at the Bank & not finding his money ready, he procured a Broker to advance the amo t in bank notes (called foreign at Boston) & gave a power to him have his pay d as soon as the order should arrive, at this period I rec d the letter which accompanied this, I forwarded it, to him the Broker, not realising his money, has profited him, & his friends had, for this money, which had been used before he rec d notice of the suspension of his Pension — You will find he has made an additional declaration, disclosing all the knowledge he has, & all the information he has been able to collect, relative to the nature of the service he performed, that the man was in service, more a Lieut l Thompson, in the pay & emoluments of such an Officer are facts unquestionable, as will appear by the documents which accompany his claim, now on file in the Pension Office — There is not a set of the Journals of the old Congress in this section of Country to which resort can be had, to ascertain, how this Corp s came to be raised.

I presume that records & files exist at Washington by which it may appear, how Lt. Richardson with the men he enlisted, went into service, & how Genl. Mifflin came to re- cognize him as a Lieut. — You will observe the address to you on behalf of a particular Individual, but his case is marked with such peculiarity, that I thought it ought to pass under your immediate observation — There are some Individuals who belonged to the same Company, who reside at, or about Andovers Ms. who receive pensions, under the Act of Congress of March 18. 1818. —
I am with great respect & high esteem Yr. Obed Servt.
Saml. Dana
July 31. 1820

War Department,
N o 1601
PENSION OFFICE,
11 Oct d 1820.
SIR,
You are hereby informed that the schedule of your property has been examined; and the Secretary of War has directed your name to be continued on the Pension Roll.
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. L. Edwards
To Mr.
Nbajah Richardson Westford Mass s
J. L. E.