Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30305, Philip Butterfield, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Butterfield Philip
S. 30305
CONTENTS

77 Hampden
10484 Massachusetts
Philip Butterfield of Simsbury in the State of Mass who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Scott of the Regt , commanded by Col. Read in the Mass army for 11 months 13 days .
State & Mil.
Inscribed on the Roll of Massachusetts at the rate of 38 Dollars  Cents per annum, to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 11 th day of April 1833 and dated Springfield Massachusetts
Arrears to the 14th of March 1833 $ 76.00 Semi-ant. allowance ending 11 Sept., 1833  19.00
$95.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by W.H.C. Adonai Clerk, Book 2 Vol. 2 a Page 3

Commonwealth of Massachusetts County of Hampden § 88.
On this twenty seventh day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Court of Probate now held at Springfield within & for said County of Hampden, Phillips Butterfield now residing in Longmeadow in said County aged seventy five years next October & 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 th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States in defence of his country in the revolutionary war under the following circumstances Viz: In November 1774 being the fall before the war commenced, he with others at the town of Dunstable in the County of Middlesex, (when he then resided) volunteered to serve as a minute man, they by virtue of a resolve of the Provincial Congress for raising 12000 minute men according to his best recollection, they by them organized a company & chose their Officers Viz: Leonard Butterfield Capt. - Nathaniel Holden 1 st Lieut. & Samuel Perram 2 nd Lieut. on the 19 th he thus stood as a minute man until the 19 th of April following Viz: 1775 - when he & his company marched to Concord near Boston then to Lexington & on the 20 th of April to Cambridge & then & there paraded with the Regiment to which he was attached & which was commanded by Col. Ebenezer Bridge - Lieut Col Moses Pabbin - & John Brooks (since Gov. of Mass s ) Maj s - There were then there several other Regiments Viz Col Prescotts Col. Frys & all under the command as this Applicant understood, of General - Ward - he & they remained at said Cambridge about twelve days according to his best recollection, & then he & his company returned to Dunstable having been dismissed & remained as a minute man until the last of June 1775 when he enlisted out of said company of minute men into a company commanded by Capt John Ford & being a part of the Mass s Line of men returned to be in service - the other Officers of this company were Micah Hildreth 1 st Lieut John Cheney 2 nd Lieut. & John Lane Ensign - Company was raised in Dunstable, Shelburne, Dracut & Bedford in said County of Middlesex. he with
1 year & 8 months as minute man

5 months
said Company last mentioned mustered at Westford in said county about the last of June or first of July 1778 - This enlistment was for five months, - from S t Westford he & they marched thro Pepperell, Nashua, Keene N.H. & Charlestown N.H., where they cross d Connecticut river into Springfield Vt. thence thro. Rutland to Castleton, & Shelburne (now called White Hall) where they took boats & went down South Bay on an arm of Lake Champlain to the shore opposite Ticonderoga where they remained 3 or 4 days & then pass d over to Ticonderoga & encamped & this applicant there remained on guard & fatigue duty until a few days before the expiration of said five months, when being sick he was regularly discharged in time to reach home about the first of December, he this time rec d a written discharge signed by General Gates, certified by the surgeon named Potts as he seem believes. he has long since lost this discharge & can not now find it altho he has made diligent search therefor. The Regiment which he joined & was attached to at Ticonderoga was commanded by Col. Reed - (Jonathan, he thinks) Lieut Col. Brown - Maj Fletcher & Adj t Porter there were there a Reg t from Pennsylvania & another from New Jersey called the Jersey Blues. all under General Gates, commanding - Brigadier commanded the Brigade to which this Applicant belonged - Col. Wayne, he thinks commanded the Pennsylvania Reg t - As to this period of service he refers for evidence to the annexed dispositions of Genl: Woodward. (Produce since this declaration was drawn out)
6 months
Again in the summer of seventeen hundred & seventy seven (he thinks in July) he volunteered at said Bristol under Capt Nathaniel Lakin of Pepperell Mass ts & joined the Company at North Kingston Rhode Island, commanded by said Capt Lakin - Lieut John Sherry 1 st & Samuel Ferriss 2 d - & Ensign Ephraim Brown in there joined the Regiment commanded by Col. Robinson - (thinks his name was John) Lieut Col Jacob & Maj t Pope. This enlistment was for six months, he remained some most of the time at S t North Kingston, but some times at other places in that vicinity guarding the shores. The enemy were stationed at New Port R.I.

and late in the Autumn - he thinks in Nov. the Reg t to which he was attached were alarmed by news that certain British men of war had gone out from New Port & had run ashore at Point Judith & had set the town there on fire - the first several guns, was set on fire by the British - 3 d Regiment went down extinguished the fire - the applicant & his company & Regiment were there - & took out of 3 d Men of war 180 prisoners, which were carried (according to the applicant's recollection) to Providence & put on board an American Guard Ship - he remained in said service until a few days (say 5 or 6,) before the expiration of his time when he was dismissed, he having hired a man to guard for him until the expiration of his time - he was discharged by order of his officers, received no written discharge - the Regiment were scattered for a distance of two miles on the shore & were not called together - in this tour he marched with them from S d Brattleboro' thro' Westford, Seton - Concord - Atleborough, &c to Providence, Greenwich & to S d North Kingston (he offers the annexed deposition of James Cummings) He has no written evidence of any of the aforesaid service - & he knows of no living evidence whatever which he can procure, if any exists it must be between eighty & ninety miles & he has written to Brattleboro' to enquire for witnesses for in June last but has had no answer - (Since this declaration was drawn out he has rec d the annexed deposition of John Woodward and James Cummings) He was born in said Brattleboro' on the eighth day of October 1757, when his birth is recorded as after the annexed copy his home was there until 1810 when he removed to the State of Maine (then District) & remained there until 1828 when he came to S d Springfield, & Nov. 18 th 1829 he removed to S d Longmeadow where he now resides - his acquaintance with people in this region being recent he can only offer his son in Law J H Hemenway & Aaron Hemenway with whom he has lived several years, to testify as to his reputation
He hereby relinquishes all claim to any other pension or annuity from the Gov t & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any other State Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Philip Boottlefield

We Friends M Hamblet of Longmeadow & Aaron Jepson rendering our Shrewsbury above named hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Phillip Butterfield who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration - that we believe him to be seventy five years of age. that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Simon M Hamblet Aaron Jepson
And the said Court, Present the Hon. Oliver Peabody Morris Judge, after investigating the matter and after putting the questions prescribed by the war Dept t do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier & served as he states. And the said Court further certifies that Friends M Hamblet & Aaron Jepson are known to them as who have signed the preceding certificate, are known to them as residents of the said towns of Longmeadow & Shrewsbury respectively and that they are both credible persons & that their statement is entitled to credit.
I Justin Willard Register of said Court do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said Court in the matter of the application of Phillip Butterfield for a Pension & I further certify that the interrogatories in the declaration were made before the same was sworn to & sworn occasioned by the receipt of depositions after the same was disallowed In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of said Court This twenty seventh day of August in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & thirty two Justin Willard Register

Additional Declaration of Phillip Butterfield
I Phillip Butterfield who have signed & made oaths to the annexed declaration made to the War Department in order to obtain a Pension, being duly sworn, do for the same purpose now make the following additional or supplemental declaration viz:
12 days That I served, in actual service as a private man at least the period of twelve days as stated in my original declaration.
5 months He further states that the second term of his service in Capt John Ford's company & Col Reed's Regiment was five months  actual service as he has endeavoured to state in his original declaration -
6 months And that his third term mentioned in his original declaration was six months  actual service , as he has also heretofore endeavoured to state -
Amounting in all to a period of eleven months & twelve days for which period he claims a Pension due to the rank of a Private Phillip Butterfield
Commonwealth of Massachusetts ss: On this eighteenth day of December A.D. 1832 personally appeared the above named Phillip Butterfield & subscribed and made oaths to the truth of the above statement by him subscribed before me.
Oliver Morris Judge of the Court of Probate for said County of Hampden
Commonwealth of Massachusetts County of Hampden ss:
I Justin Willard Register of the Court of Probate within & for said County the same being a court of record, do hereby certify that The Hon Oliver D Morris

is the Judge of said Court & that the name Oliver B. Morris subscribed to the preceding certificate of the execution of the disposition of Phillips Bullinfield, is the proper hand writing of said Judge
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of said Court this eighteenth day of Decem in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two
Justin Willard Register

N o 8943
Phillip Butterfield
Pat 11 Months - 12 days
5. & 16 interrogatory in the Chief Not Complied with Nov 29 1832
P 114.
J. Willard Springfield Mas

BRIEF in the case of  Phillip Butterfield  of  Longmeadow  in the State of  Massachusetts  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? In Open Court  If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  How old is he? 75 years  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.     In 1774 12 As a Gen.   Nov? volunteered as a minute man Lieut Butterfield Col Ebenezer Bridge   received as a minute man till St Col Mons Parker John Brooks Maj?   the 19th June 1776 - Served 5   1776 Enlisted for 5 mo - Served 5 Col John Lord, Col Reed Lt Col Brown   1777 Volunteered for 6 mo - Served 6 Maj? Fletcher Capt. Porter   Gen Gates   Col Lakin Col Robinson   St Col Jacobs & Maj? Pope  
 In what battles was he engaged? None stated  Where did he reside when he entered the service? Dunstable Mass  Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls?  Living Witnesses - John Woodward & James Cummings  Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?  Not authenticated 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Wintzel Examining Clerk.

30 305 Rev INVALID.
File No. 30 305
Philip Butterfield Rev Rev War
Act: June 1 st 89"
Index:—Vol. 2, Page 98
[Arrangement of 1870.]

8943
Philip Butterfield
He must stand definitely the time he was in actual service — as the act does not provide for the time he was engaged as a minute man, unless actually engaged in service — & the time must be authenticated as directed by the regulations
J. Melick Esq Springfield Mass

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Philip Butterfield of Longmeadow 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? no  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? 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? XIV. † If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? yes Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office? 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? no XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? answered
 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 the 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.
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 authenticated 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 end 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.

I Jonathan Woodward of Tyngsborough in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged Ninety two years do testify and say that I served in the Revolutionary war and received a Sergeants warrant dated November 20 th 1776 in the Company under the command of Capt John Ford in Col Jonathan Rues Regiment being the 23 d Regiment of Foot and I served therein certainly I think not less than five months. I will knew Philip Butterfield formerly of Dunstable Ms and I testify and say he served in the same Company with me as a soldier and I think but cannot be certain that he served in said company as long as I did Jonathan Woodward
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Middlesex County ss
} Be it remembered
That on the eleventh day of August A.D. 1832 the above named Jonathan Woodward personally appeared before me Daniel Richardson one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said County of Middlesex and made oath that the foregoing Deposition by him subscribed contains the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth & I do hereby certify that said Woodward is well known to me and is a credible witness
Daniel Richardson Justice of the Peace
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Middlesex ss. I Elias Phinney Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for the said County of Middlesex do hereby certify that Daniel Richardson is a justice of the Peace within and for the said County, and his name set to the above and annexed certificates are his own proper signatures.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this seventeenth day of August A.D. 1832
E. Phinney.

I do hereby certify that Capt Phillip Butterfield Son of Ebenezer Butterfield and Sarah his Wife was Born at Dunstable Mass Febr 8th 1757
Attest copy of record August 18th 1832
Colt Francis Fletcher Town Clerk of Dunstable

I James Cummings of Dunstable in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged thirty three years do testify and say that in the year 1776 I enlisted into the service of the United States for five months went to Scituate and served the full term of five months in the Company under the command of Capt John Ford in Col Jonathan Reed's Regiment being the 23 d Regiment of Foot. I well knew Philip Butterfield then of Dunstable aforesaid, who enlisted into said Company about or at the time I did, and that we marched to Scituate together, and the said Philip continued to serve in said company during said term I believe, although he came home I think a few days before I did.
I do further testify and say that I enlisted on the eighth day of July A.D. 1777 in the company corresponded commanded by Capt Nathaniel Lakin in Col Robinson Regiment and served in said company as a corporal for the full term of six months - and I do further testify and say that the said Philip Butterfield served for the said six months with me in said company as near as I can recollect.
James Cummings.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Middlesex County ss
3 Bct
remembered that on the eleventh day of August A.D. 1832, the above named James Cummings personally appeared before me Daniel Richardson Esq. a Justice of the Peace within and for said County of Middlesex and made oath that the foregoing deposition by him subscribed contains the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth & I do hereby certify that the said James Cummings is a credible witness -
Daniel Richardson Justice of the Peace.