Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 29,402, for Ebenezer Ray, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Ray, Ebenezer
S 29,402
CONTENTS

10832 Massachusetts
Ebenezer Ray of Dedee in the State of Mass who was a Captain in the company commanded by Captain Ray of the Regt commanded by Col French in the Mass line for 17 days
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass at the rate of 56 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 28 th day of Oct r 1831 and due March 1 st 1832
Arrears to the 14th of March 1833 $113.33 Semi-annual allowance ending 1 st Sept " 28.33 $141.66
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J H Blair Clerk, Book 2 Vol. 2 Page 71.

Ebenezer Ray Massachusetts No 6386.
Photo 17 Mm
$56.66.
Nath Lrajin Salem Mass

BRIEF in the case of  Ebenezer Ray  of Essex County  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? 72 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.     Spring In 1776 Enlisted " — 6 — " Private Gen. Sullivan Capt Joseph Dyer Company   Nov 1777 " " — 5 — " " Col. French Regiment Capt. Proctor's Company   Summer 1778 " " — 6 — " " Col. Warner's Regiment Capt. Putnam's Company  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? ✓  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Beverly Massachusetts,  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? one Living in Part & Traditional  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.
Charles Lillie Examining Clerk.

Ebenezer Ray
No 6286.
Please reply to Bry Merrill Salem

State of Massachusetts Essex County ss:
On this fourteenth day of August A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Daniel A. White Judge of the Court of Probate now sitting at Salem, within and for the county aforesaid Ebenezer Ray , resident at Beverly in the County and State aforesaid, aged 72 years, who first 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 7. 1832 That he entered the service of the United States under the following Officers and served as herein stated viz: -
That in the latter part of 1775 or early in Jan'y 1776 a Regiment was enlisted under Col Glover understood to have been intended as Sea-Fencibles to guard the coast and port of Beverly into which the Prizes captured from the British were then sent: That in the spring of 1776 when New York was supposed to be in danger from the enemy; Col Glover's Regiment was ordered to New York - That to supply its place a Company of Militia was raised under Capt Joseph Ray in the spring of 1776 and the said Ebenezer Ray enlisted therein and served to guard the Coast in that neighborhood six months: - he knows no one living that can testify to the same:
That on the Nov 27. 77 he again enlisted as a private in Capt Proctor's Company in Col. Garrison's Regiment of Massachusetts militia

Militia and served therein Five months till April 1778 guarding the Convention Troops of Brereton at Winter Hill in Cambridge:
And that early in the summer of 1778 he again enlisted as a private in Capt Jerk Putnam's Company in Col Nath. Wade's Regiment of Massachusetts Militia and served Six months till the end of that year: that he marched to Rhode Island to reinforce Gen Sullivan:
He was born at Beverly in 1760 and has always lived there: he had no written discharge or record of birth: he enlisted at Beverly: he is known to Rev D. Oliphant and Thomas Davis Esq. who can testify to his character
That 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.
Ebenezer Ray
Subscribed & sworn to the day and year aforesaid before
John N. Pierce Judge of Probate
I, Isaac Smith, of Beverly, on oath say that I know that said Ebenezer Ray served Six months in Capt Putnam's Company in Col. Wade's Regiment in 1778 at Rhode Island. I was in the same Company. The said Ray has been a Selectman of the town about Ten years.
Isaac Smith
Subscribed & sworn to before
Benjamin Just. Pierce
"Ray" was first written by me over "Rea" as first erroneously written. B. Just. Pierce

We David Oliphant, clergyman, residing in Beverly in Massachusetts, and Thomas Davis, a magistrate in the same town, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Ebenezer Ray who has subscribed and sworn to the annexed Declaration and we have no doubt he is 72 years old and he is reputed to be a soldier of the Revolution & we concur therein
7
David Oliphant Thomas Davis
Epsf: Aug. 3 rd 1832
Subscribed & sworn to before
Robt Rantoul Just H. Pease

And the Court hereby declares its 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 certifies that the Rev. David Oliphant is a Clergyman and Thomas Davis Esq. is a Magistrate, both resident in Berwick that they signed the annexed affidavit, and are credible persons and their statement is entitled to credit.
D. H. Miller Judge of Probate
I Nathaniel Lord Jr Register of the Court of Probate do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Ebenezer Rea for a pension and further that Robert Rantoul and Benjamin Merrill are Justices of the Peace in and for said County and their Signatures on the affidavits annexed are genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at office this fourteenth day of August A. D. 1832.
C. Nath. Lord Jr.

29 402 Rev INVALID.
File No. 29,402
Plengeter Wap St. Peter, Me.
Act: June 7 th 1897
Index:—Vol. 9 , Page 588
[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 Ebenezer Ray 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 ? Declining witness  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? Yes  Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? Yes    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 ? Yes  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.