Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30,672, for Ephraim Read, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Read Ephraim
$30,672
CONTENTS

10362
Massachusetts
Ephraim Read
of Middlesex in the State of Mass who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain H. S. of the Regt. commanded by Col. Walker in the N.H.P. time for 9 months 19 days
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 30 Dollars 11 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 5 day of Apr. 1833 and Act 46 1729. L. Davis Worcester Mass.
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $ 44.28 Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Sept. 16.00
$ 60.28
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by H. H. Atkinson Clerk, Book 2 Vol. 27 Page 71

Alan Greenberg - Ephraim Read
10.455
at the ... ...

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, September 6 th 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 the name of Ephraim Read is borne on a roll of Capt. James Hill's Company of Militia in Col. Williams' Regiment and served therein from the 20 th day of September to the thirteenth day of October A. D. 1777 at Dover. Also on a Pay Roll of the Continental Men which marched to West Point agreeable to the orders of June 3 rd A. D. 1781 for six months and did service under Continental Officers six months and nineteen days from July 7 th 1780.
Edward D. Bangs. Secy

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Middlesex ss.
On this thirtieth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Judge of the Court of Probate in and for the County of Middlesex aforesaid, now sitting Ephraim Read a resident of Hopkinton in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged seventy five 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 7th A.D. 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
That in the month of September A.D. 1775 he went as a substitute for his father Aaron Read to Roxbury near Boston and took the place of his said father in a Company commanded by Capt Samuel Bliss in Col. Timothy Walker's Regiment stationed at said Roxbury and served as a private in said Company till the last of December following which was a little more than three months when the time for which his said father entered the service expired and he was dismissed and returned home, that he was stationed the whole time in Roxbury, and that he knows of no person within this Commonwealth who can testify to the above service.
And that in the month of February 1778 he entered on board a Privateer Vessel called the Reprisal Capt James Brown Commander, and that in three days after he sailed he was taken by the British Frigate Unicorn and carried into Rhode Island and put on board a Prison Ship and left there about eight weeks, and then he was put on board a transport Ship and carried to England at the same time Burgoyne went home, and when he arrived in England he was put on board the Princess Amelia, a ninety gun Ship and left on board said Ship about two months, and he was then sent to Hasler Hospital and left there about one month, and was then taken back to the same Ship again, and that the Officers took him into the Cabin twice and

tried to persuade him to enter the British Service telling him that if he did not he would be hung if ever England should conquer America, and he then together with other prisoners petitioned to the Admiral to be sent to a prison, and that he together with the other prisoners was taken before a Court of Admiralty and condemned as rebels and sent to Forton Prison in Gosport and kept there a little over thirteen months until July 1779 when he was exchanged and set at liberty in France, having been a prisoner about seventeen months.
And that in the latter part of June, A.D. 1780 the Town of Rehoboth was ordered to furnish twelve men and twelve horses for the Army, and that he enlisted for six months and rode a horse to Springfield and passed muster there under Esquire Ely the Muster Master on the eleventh day of July following, and that on the twelfth he march under the command of Capt. Webb and arrived at West Point on the eighteenth and the next day joined a Company commanded by Capt. King in the tenth Regiment commanded by Col. Marshall, and that on the twenty third of July he was taken out of Capt. King's Company by the Inspector General and put into Capt. Soper's Company of Light Infantry in Col. Jemott's Regiment and Gen. Poor's Brigade in the Division commanded by the Marquis de la Fayette and that he served as a private in said Company commanded by Capt. Soper until he went into winter quarters which was on the twenty seventh day of November and that he was then put into Col. Tupper's Regiment at West Point and stayed there till the last of December when his term of enlistment was out and he received a written discharge signed by Major Moses Knapp, and that while he belonged to the Light Infantry he was almost all the time on the move, that he marched over a large part of the Jerseys to Hackinack, Parammas and almost to Morristown and to Cranetown and to various other places in the Jerseys and in the State of New York, and that the Officers which he recollects at Roxbury and not mentioned above were Gen. Ward, Gen. Thomas, and Gen. Heath, and that he has no documentary evidence, and that all the

writing which he has is a short journal of the last six months service which he kept at the time on some leaves in his pocket book which is herewith enclosed.
And that he was born in Rehoboth in the county of Bristol on the tenth day of April 1757. that he has no records of his age at Hopkinton but he is on the town records in Rehoboth where he was born which is more than twenty miles distant, and that he has sent to Rehoboth to get a copy of the Records there, but failed by reason of the neglect of the person he sent by.
That he lived in Rehoboth when he went into the service and lived there till April 1782 when he removed to Hopkinton and that he has lived in Hopkinton ever since.
That he went into the service once as a substitute for his father and the other times he volunteered. That the Officers where he served the last six months were Gen. Poor, Gen. Patterson, Gen. Glover, Gen. Arnold and Gen. Steuben, who was our Inspector General, and that he received only one written discharge and that he received from Major Moses Knapp and did not think it of any value and has lost it, and that he is known to the Rev Nathanael Howe, Benjamin Ponds, Col. Joseph Valentine, Dr. Thomas Bucklin, Nathan Phipps, Daniel Singletary and Matthew Metcalf in his present neighborhood, who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.
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 any state.
Ephraim Read
Mr. Nathanael Howe a clergyman, residing in the town of Hopkinton and Matthew Metcalf residing in said Hopkinton hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Ephraim Read who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy five years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood

where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Nathanael Howe Matthew Metcalf
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
J. P. P. Fay Prob
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, 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 certify, that it appears to them that Nathanael Howe who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in Hopkinton and that Matthew Metcalf - who has signed the same, is a resident in Hopkinton and is a credible person; and that their statement is entitled to credit.
J. P. P. Fay Prob
I Isaac Fiske Register of the Court of Probate in and for the county of Middlesex, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Ephraim Read for a pension. -
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office on the day and year first aforesaid. -
Isaac Fiske

I, Moses Greenwood of Hopkinton in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Blacksmith aged seventy nine years, do hereby certify that I served as a private six months in the Army of the Revolution as will appear by my declaration, and that I served from about the middle of July to the last of November 1780 in a Company of Light Infantry commanded by Capt. Bradford in Col. Jemott's Regiment and that Elhaim Read who now resides in Hopkinton served as a private in Capt. Sohier's Company in the same Regiment with me from about the middle of July to the last of November when the Army went into winter quarters and we were separated and I did not see him again that fall. When we were in Col. Jemott's Regiment we were on the move the biggest part of the time. We were in the Jerseys or in the State of New York the whole of the time.
Moses Greenwood
Commonwealth of Massachusetts County of Middlesex ss. August 30 th A.D. 1832. Then the above named Moses Greenwood personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the county of Middlesex aforesaid and made solemn oath that the above affidavit by him subscribed is true according to the best of his recollection and belief.
Matthew Metcalf Justice of the Peace
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Middletown ss. Isaac Pugh Register of the Court of Probate in and for said County, hereby certify that Matthew Metcalf whose name is subscribed to the foregoing affidavit is a Justice of the Peace in and for said County. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this 30 th day of August A.D. 1832.

18455
Ephraim Reed
Prab
9 Mar 19 th
Alm
32 11 2 64 22 16 06 80 28
Kn. J. Davis
Waverly
Mass.

BRIEF in the case of  Ephraim Reed  County of Middlesex  in the State of Connecticut  (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? 78.  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.     Sub. In 1775 Sept "more than 3 months" Private. Gen. Capt. Bliss, Col. Walker   1778 Feb. a prisoner about Sailor. Capt. J. Brown   Estate 1780 June 17 months — Private " Webb & King Col   6 months Marshall Gennott  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? one at sea  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Bethel the Masson  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional & a witness and documentary  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Correct 
X  Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
J. Waugh Examining Clerk.
Feb. 23. 1833.

30672 Ruy. INVALID.
File No. 80,679
Ephraim Read Rev Rev
Act: June 29 th
Index:—Vol. 2 , Page 887
[Arrangement of 1870.]