Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 18,524, for Nathan Nelson, Massachusetts

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Nelson, Nathan
S. 18524
CONTENTS
Carded

8169 Maine
Nathan Nelson of Exford in the State of Me who was a Pri - in the Com commanded by Captain Thayer of the Reg commanded by Col in the Massa who for Militia - 8 mo
Inscribed on the Roll of Maine at the rate of 26 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 th day of March 1833 and sent to Freeman Bradford Portland Me
Arrears to the 4th of March 33: $ 53.33 Semi-annual allowance ending Sept 4. 33 - 13.33 $66.66
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by E. D. Dutton Clerk, Book 1 Vol. 1 st Page 74

Marked Declaration of Nathan Nelson
N o 3234
admit private 8 m o / 26. 66
Freeman Bradford Portland Me

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
MAINE DISTRICT SS.
At a Special District Court of the United States begun and holden at Minot Portland, within and for said District, on the fourteenth day of August A. D. eighteen hundred and thirty- two before the Honorable ASHUR WARE, Judge of said Court.
On this 14. day of August aforesaid, personally appeared in open Court before said District Judge Nathan Nelson a resident of Oxford in the county of Oxford in said Maine District, aged Seventy two 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 provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832. That he
the said Nelson enlisted sometime in the Spring of 1776 and served two months as a private in the company commanded by Capt Aldrich in the regiment that was stationed at Dorchester. the Col. of which he does not recollect and was in Dorchester upon raid for the said term of time. That he the said Nelson again enlisted sometime in the first of July or near the middle of said month in A.D. 1777 and served four months in the company commanded by Capt Pennyman of Mendon and was in the Northern Army at the taking of Burgoyne. That after the Battle in which Burgoyne was taken he was marched to White Plains in New York when he was dismissed.
That he the said Nelson again enlisted sometime in July A.D. 1778 and served six weeks in the company commanded by Capt. Baker thinks, was on Rhode Island at the time of the great Storm and during Sullivan's expedition, and was on the picket guard at the time the Battle commenced and had frequent skirmishes with the enemy during the night previous to the Battle.
That he enlisted sometime in July A.D. 1780 and served three weeks in the company commanded by Capt. Thayer and was stationed near Howlands Ferry. That he served about eight months or a little more. That he knows of no person who served with him that the proof herewith annexed is the best he can obtain.
he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on any pension roll of any agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the agency in the State of
Nathan Nelson
Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid. Before,
Ashur Ware
} U. S. Judge for the District of Maine.

That the said Nelson was born in Mendon in the State of Mass. A.D. 1760. and has a record of his age in a family Bible. and when he entered the service he was residing in Milford which was a part of Mendon Mass. That he has lived in Oxford County about 40 years since he now resides.
Nathan Nelson
Signed & sworn to before
Aug 14. 1832
Asa Warr
Justice of the Peace for the Dist. of Mendon
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatives prescribed by the War Department) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states
I, John Mufsey Clerk of the District Court of the United States for Maine District, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Nathan Nelson for a pension. and that Freeman Bradford Esquire who took the annexed deposition of David Nelson, is a Justice of the Peace duly qualified & that his official attestations are entitled to full faith & credit
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court, on this eighteenth day of August A. D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two
John Mufsey { Clerk of the U. States District Court for Maine District.
Maine District
District Clerk's Office January 5 th A.D. 1833
In testimony that Freeman Bradford Esquire whose genuine signatures are to the annexed documents is a Justice of the Peace duly qualified, and that his official attestations are entitled to full faith and credit I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office the day & year last above written.
John Mufsey Clerk U. S. Courts

I, Daniel Brown of Oxford in the State of Maine on oath certify & say that I have been personally acquainted with Nathan Nelson who has signed the above declaration since he was a boy. We both lived in the town of Milford in the County of Oxford in Massachusetts. I was knowing to his going as a soldier into the army before the capture of Gen. Burgoyne. As far as it was understood he went to New York & was present at the defeat of Burgoyne. He was also in the army at Saratoga while the British were in Boston & went to Bunker Hill after the evacuation of Boston. I cannot say how long he was engaged in these services. I was then younger or too young at that time for a soldier. I have no doubt that he served as he has set forth in his declaration. But I do not recollect any other services particularly.  Daniel Brown
Signed & sworn to before
Aug. 11. 1832 Adams Wren Judge of the United States for the Dist. of Maine
Given under my hand this 11th day of Aug.
WE John Fitch Kelso
a Clergyman residing in the town of and William Burrows of said Kelso
hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Nathan Nelson of Oxford lately a who has subscribed the foregoing declaration, that we believe him to be now twenty two 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.
Sworn to, and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Before
Adams Wren
U.S. Judge for Maine District.
And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident of the town of
and that William Burrows who has signed the same is resident of the same town and an creditable person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
John Fitch  William Burrows
Adams Wren for M.D. H.J. Ladd

Samuel Brown of Oxford in the State of Maine on oath testifies & says that I have been personally acquainted with Nathan Dyer who has signed the above declaration since he was a boy. We both lived in the town of Milford in the County of Somerset in Massachusetts. I was knowing to his going as a soldier into the army before the capture of Gen. Burgoyne. As far as it was understood he went to New York & was brought at the capture of Burgoyne. He was also in the Army at Monmouth while the British were in Boston & went to Rhode Island after the evacuation of Boston I cannot say how long he was engaged in their services. I was then young & too young at that time for a soldier. I have no doubt that he served as he has set forth in his declaration. But I do not recollect any other services particularly
Samuel Brown
Signed & sworn before me
Aug. 11. 1832
Abner Wren
Judge of the Court of Sessions for the Dist. of Maine
Cambridge 23 Jan. 10. 1833
I certify that Samuel Brown is well known to me and his statement as a witness is entitled to full faith and credit.
William Bradford

and the before mentioned Nelson further ad- States as a supplement to his declaration made before Judge Ware. That during the first campaign under Capt. Aldrich he was station- ed at Dorchester and that he was mustered at Mendon on  the  first  day  of  the  month  of  the  year  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty  eight  and  that  the  first  lieut.  was  Knapp  and  the  2d  lieut.  was  Seth  Nelson  his  father . He was stationed at Dorchester for the two months and was employed a part of the time in erecting fortifications on the heights. While the enemy discovered the American Troops on the heights they commenced cannonading from Boston and from their fleet which was in the harbor. The ground around the heights was literally torn up by the cannon balls. He recollects of seeing Gen. Washing- ton on or about the time of the Americans taking posses- sion of the Heights. He does not recollect his Colonel.
In the second campaign under Capt. Pennyman he recollects Jacob Ammidown of Mendon, who was his first Lieut and John Whitney who was the 2d Lieut. The company was raised from Mendon & Upton principally. The company marched through Worcester on to Bennington and arrived there a short time after the Battle. He was detached and marched to Skeneateles with two companies and carried them four or five days. The party went on a scout to reconnoitre the enemy and gain information of the Indians who were in that vicinity. The Brigade to which he belonged was called upon in the Battle at Stillwater but before they became engaged the British surrendered.

Identify that the error was made at the request of the applicant. It was for the purpose of the application.
He was not in the engagement at the time the British Army surrendered at Saratoga but recollects of seeing the British Army march out of this camp at the time they were permitted to lay down their arms. He recollects of seeing Gen. Burgoyne the first time he dined with Gen. Gates. From Saratoga he marched to Albany and from there to White Plains where he was dismissed. He was in Albany the 24th day of Oct after the Battle. After he left Albany he was without provision for four days. The army was encouraged by their officers to proceed on their journey by promises of provision at various stages on their journey but the army was disappointed until they arrived at Pickett's Mill and Fishkill. It was a very rainy season and the hardships of the army were very great. He enlisted near the middle of July and was dismissed about the middle of November making at least four months. In this campaign also he was not recollect his Co.
In Sullivan's expedition he served at least six weeks in the Company commanded by Capt. Baker and thinks his Lieut's name was Aldrich. He had a brother in the same company with him and  James Gibbs. Since the applicant has lately  but the does not recollect any particulars of the campaign. His brother is now out of the country and Gibbs is in service at his residence in - He recollects two

Soldier also by the name of Thayer, who an dead - He served six weeks. He was in the engagement, being on the picket ground on the lower part of the Island in the evening before the day of the Battle. The picket ground was commanded by a col. The main army of the ame- ricans retreated in the evening and the picket was not taken off until about ten in the evening. They were pursued and come up with by the enemy about day break in the vicinity of Butts Hill where you  at left out very by the Picket guard until they come up with the main body of american army. The principal engagement commenced about ten in the morning and continued through the day. In the evening the americans began to fortify and by this manoeuvre they were enabled to retire from the Island -
The campaign in Capt Thayer company was in July 1780. Nothing material happened during this cam- paign.
The applicant states that he served at least eight months as a private soldier as is mentioned in his application.
In answer to the interrogatories he says
1. That he was born in Mendon now Milford County of Worcester State of Mass. A.D 1760 2. That he has a record of his age in his family Bible 3. That he was living in Milford when called into the service and since the revolutionary war has resided in New Gloucester about two years; and in Hinton now Oxford about 40 years.

 4. That he volunteered at each time of his enlistment except at one time when he went as a substitute for his uncle Elijah Thayer  5. That he does not know of any regular officer except those whom he has mentioned in his declaration and no man who can testify for him  6. That he never received a discharge  7. That he is known by Rev John Tuft & Wm Barrows whose certificate is annexed to the declaration made in last last before Judge Ware. 
Nathan Nelson
State of Maine Cumberland ss January 4 th 1833. Then personally appeared the above named Nathan Nelson a man well known to me as a person of strict truth and veracity and in full possession of his intellectual faculties and made the above declaration and solemnly swore the same to be the truth  Before me Garrison Bradford Justice of Peace

Nathan Nelson, base - Aff of David Nelson

I David Nelson of New Gloucester in the State of Maine on oath depose and say that I am now sixty seven years of age and served one short term in the Revolutionary War. I recollect perfectly well that my brother Nathan Nelson of Hinton in the county of Ox- ford went to Boston with my father as a soldier at the time Dorchester Point was taken possession of by the American Troops A.D. 1776 I think and served two months as I suppose. My father and brother re- turned together. I recollect also that the said Nathan again went on an expedition in the summer of 1777 and my impression has always been that he was absent about four months. He the said Nathan was in the Northern Army at the time of the said four months and was at the taking of Bennington. I have heard him relate so many anecdotes of said ex- pedition that I have no doubt but he served the said four months. I further testify that he was again in the service at the time of Sullivan's expe- dition on Rhode Island. and the said Nathan together with another brother was gone six weeks and have no doubt but that he served the said time. I further say that after the British fleet came Sullivan retreated and my brother was left on the Picket guard. I further state that I have heard my other brother say that the said Nathan served three weeks on Rhode Island sometime in the year of 1780. I per- fectly recollect that he served as he stated above inasmuch as the trying events of the period of the Revolutionary War are fresh in my

recollection. I understand that my brother is about to make application for a pension and com stores that he is the identical person who served as above.
David Nelson
Cumberland ss. August 13 th 1832 Then personally appeared the above named David Nelson and made solemn oath to the truth of the affidavit by him signed. Before me. Freeman Bradford
Justice of the Peace
I hereby certify that I am well acquainted with David Nelson Esquire who has subscribed the foregoing deposition and can say that the statements in the same are entitled to full faith and credit and that he is a credible person
Freeman Bradford Justice of the Peace

P
18524
INVALID.
File No. 18,524
Nathan Nelson
Dis Rev War
Act: June 7 th 52
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 274
[Arrangement of 1870.]

10. Janf 1833.
Revolutionary claim
W M rs M ary
Free
Hon. Lewis Cass Secretary of War
Washington D.C.

Portland January 5. 1833
Sir I herewith return the papers of Nathan Nelson who has lived but a few miles from my native town for more than forty years and with whom I have been acquainted for at least 15 years and can say that he has always sustained an irreproachable character. He testified with much scrupulousness and I have not the least reason to doubt but that his statement is entitled to full faith. He has long been an exemplary member of the Baptist Church in the town of Hebron.
His pension certificate if awarded may be directed to
me.
Hon. Lewis Cass. Secy of War.
I am most respectfully your
Off. Servt.
Greenman Bradford
Portland