Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30292, Benjamin Briggs, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Briggs Benjamin
S 30292
CONTENTS

10285
10285 Massachusetts
Benjamin Briggs
of Plymouth in the State of Mass. who was a Pirate in the company commanded by Captain Bangs of the Regt commanded by Col. Whitney in the war time for 9 months.
Map State
Inscribed on the Roll of Pease at the rate of 30 Dollars — Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 21 st day of April 1833 and sent to Lord Plymouth
Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1838 $ 60 - Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sept " 15 - $ 75 -
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. H. Babin Clerk, Book 1 - Vol. 2 nd Page 4.
74 Plymouth
A "B" h. D.

This may certify, that it doth appear on the publick Records of the Town of Scituate, (Book 4. folio 7.) that "Benjamin Briggs, Son of Benjamin Briggs & Rebecca his wife, was born May 23 rd A. 1760."
Ebenezer Bailey Town Clerk Scituate, (Mass.) Aug t 13 th 1832. of Scituate

Benjamin Briggs Mass
Private of Mtns a Mtn
Massachusetts
$30-
13037
J. H. Lord Weymouth Mass

BRIEF in the case of  Benjamin Briggs  Co of Plymouth in the State of Mass  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Open Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 72  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.     August 17 76 entered 1 Private Gen. Col. Whitney   1 st Decm 3 " Col. Bangs   Decm 3 " Col. Stetson   1778 2 " Col. Heath   Col. Lord   Col. Wilder  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None mentioned  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Scituate, Mass  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? traditional and two living witnesses  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
George Taylor
Examining Clerk.

Benjamin Briggs
13.037

State of Massachusetts County of Plymouth ss.
On this twenty-seventh day of August A.D. 1832, personally appeared in Open Court, before the Hon d Wilkes Wood, Judge of the Court of Probate, for the said County of Plymouth, now sitting at Humber in said County Benjamin Briggs, a Resident of Scituate in the said County of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, 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 act of Congress passed June 7 th A.D. 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers, and served as herein stated, to wit:
1 st In the month of August A.D. 1776 he entered said service as a private and served one month in the Company, commanded by Capt. Dangs, the other Officers not recollected, was stationed at Nantasket, that is to say, he went to Nantasket and took the place of a man by the name of Curtis in the said Company who had been discharged as he then understood. He served one month as aforesaid, was then taken sick and permitted to return home, and before he recovered, the said Company was disbanded. Said Company was attached to a Regiment commanded by Col. Whitney. He knows of no one living by whom he can prove this service except Caleb Litchfield.
2 nd The first of December A.D. 1776, he entered said service as a private for three months in the Company commanded by Joseph Stetson, of Scituate, Lieutenant Steadley, the Ensign not recollected, went directly to Boston and joined said Company, Barracked in a part of the town called Ackmoody's Lane, there was one other Company there at the same time, their duty to guard Gen l Heath, the public stores and the town. The Regiment to which his Company was attached was stationed on Dorchester heights, the names of the Officers not recollected. He can prove this service by John Whittum & Charles Turner. He served his term through, was then discharged and returned home to Scituate the first of March A.D. 1777. he does not remember receiving a written discharge.
3 rd In the month of December A.D. 1777, he entered said service as a private for three months in the Company commanded by Capt. Lord of Weymouth, Stephen Stodder as he thinks was one of the other Officers, the others not recollected. He went to Cambridge and joined said Company when it was stationed to guard Gen l Burgoyne's Army then captive. said Company was made up from Scituate, Hingham, Cohasset, Weymouth and other towns, for six months, as he thinks, for said service. He and one Calvin Stodder went from Scituate, they agreeing to serve three months each. He performed his part of the service, (three months as aforesaid) was then discharged and returned home to Scituate, in March A.D. 1778. He does not remember receiving a written discharge nor does he know any person living by whom he can prove this service.
4 th In the month of April, as he thinks, A.D. 1778 he entered said service as a private for two months in the Company commanded by Capt. Wilder of Hingham, the other officers not recollected, went to Nantasket and joined said Company, where he was stationed the whole of said term to guard the forts. There was a Company of Artillery stationed there at the same time, the names of the Officers not recollected. At the end of his term

he was discharged and returned home the last of June or first of July following. He thinks he did not receive a written discharge, and knows of no person living by whom he can prove this service.
The persons whose depositions are hereto annexed are all that he knows now living whose testimony he can procure to testify to any of the service above specified, nor has he any documentary evidence of said service, other than what is hereto annexed. He was born in Scituate the 23 d day of May A.D. 1760. His birth is recorded in the town records of Scituate at Scituate. He lived in Scituate when he entered said service, after that moved to Cohasset and lived seven years, then removed to Scituate where he has lived ever since. He volunteered or enlisted into the service in the manner above stated. He was in no instance drafted. He has named above all the Officers that he now remembers under whom he served, also all the important circumstances of his service. He is known in his present neighbourhood to Samuel Deane, Samuel A Turner and others who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution. For further proof of his three months service at Boston 1776. V. 77 under Col. Jos. Nelson see a roll accompanying Charles Turner's application.
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. Benj o Briggs
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Attest Jacob H. Lord Register
We Samuel Deane a clergyman, residing in the town of Scituate in the County of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts and Samuel A Turner residing in the same town, hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Benjamin Briggs, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy two years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Samuel Deane Samuel A Turner
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Attest Jacob H. Lord Register
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories, presented by the war Department, that the above named applicant, was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that Samuel Deane who

has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the said town of Scituate and that Samuel H. Tiesmer who has also signed the same is a resident in the same town, and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
By the Court, Attest, Jacob H. Lord Register
I Jacob H. Lord Register of the Court of Probate for the said County of Plymouth do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Benjamin Briggs for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of said Court this twenty second day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two.
Jacob H. Lord

30 292 Rev INVALID. ✓
Sept. 5, 1901 William A. Blair Williamstown Station, Mass.
File No 30,293
Benjamin Briggs Rev Rev me
Act: June 7 th 82 nd
Index:—Vol. 2 , Page 53
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Plymouth Y: I Jacob H. Lord Register of the Court of Probate for the County of Plymouth being an Court of Record do hereby certify that Ebenezer S. Fogg Esq is a Justice of the Peace for said County & that I believe his name subscribed to these several annexed certificates are true & genuine signatures.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of said Court this second day of October in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two.
Jacob H. Lord
John Whitcomb Esq. Rev. Briggs

I John Whiteman of Scituate in the County of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, aged seventy four years on oath do testify and say that in the month of December A.D. 1776 Benjamin Briggs of Scituate aforesaid entered with me the service of the United States in the War of the Revolution as a private for three months in the Company commanded by Joseph Stetson and was stationed in Boston and said Briggs served the whole of said term and further saith not. John W. Whiteman
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Plymouth ss. Aug. 3. 1832 Then the above named John Whiteman made oath that the above affidavit by him subscribed is true, before me - Ebenezer T. Fogg - Just peace And I certify that said John Whiteman is a credible person attch. Ebenezer T. Fogg - Just peace

Caleb Litchfield Sept 2 B. Briggs

I Caleb Litchfield of Withersfield in the State of Vermont on oath do testify & say, that Benjamin Briggs of Scituate in the State of Massachusetts enlisted as a private in the state militia in the war of the American Revolution in the year seventeen hundred & seventy six and that he the said Briggs was stationed at Nantasket but how long he served or in what company I am not able to state as he served in a different company from myself and further saith not.
Caleb Litchfield
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Plymouth July 17. 1832 Then the above named Benjamin Litchfield made oath that the above affidavit by him sub- scribed is true according to the best of his knowledge & belief before me Ebenezer S. Fogg - Justice

I Charles Turner of Chelsea in the County of Suffolk & State of Massachusetts aged seventy two years - on oath do testify that Benjamin Briggs of Scituate in the County of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts entered with me the service of the United States in the war of the Revolution and served three months as a private in Cap Joseph Stetson's Company in Col d Dyer's Regiment, commencing the first of December 1776, stationed at Boston. See said Briggs name on an attested copy of the Roll of said Joseph Stetson's Company for that campaign accompany- ing my application -
Chas d Turner
Commonwealth of Massachusetts August 20th. 1832 Plymouth ss - Then the above named Charles Turner made oath that the above affidavit by him subscribed is true -
before me - Ebenezer T. Dagg - Justice
And I certify that said Charles Turner is a credible person - Attest Ebenezer T. Dagg - Justice

Gen Williamstown Station, Mass.
August 26, 1901.
Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir,
I am a descendant of Benjamin Briggs , a pensioner who served in the Revolutionary War . I think he enlisted from Scituate, R.I. or some town near there. After the war he resided for a short time at Berlin, N.Y. and then at Williamstown, Mass. I have no record showing at which of these places he resided when he applied for his pension. I am desirous of getting his military history as complete as possible from your records if I am entitled to it. U. S. PENSION OFFICE AUG 28 1901
Yours respectfully,
William A. Blair