Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 17,266, Seth Belden, Continental. Conn

SERVICE
NUMBER
Continental (Conn.)
Belden, Seth
W 17.266
Christian
CONTENTS

Connecticut 7448
Christian Belden widow of Seth Belden decd.
who died on the 27 August 1776 of Middlesex in the State of Ct who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Russell of the Reg't commanded by Willis in the Ct line for 8 months Conn.
Inscribed on the Roll of Ct at the rate of 26 Dollars 67 Cents per annum. to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 th day of Sept 1837 and sent E. H. C. Parsons Hartford Ct
Arrears to the 4th of March 1837 $160. 02 Semi-ann. allowance ending 4 Sept " 13.33
$173.35
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act July 4, 1836, Section the 3 rd }
Recorded by N. H. Addison Clerk, Book A. Vol. 1. Page 87
Paid at the Treasury under the Act of the 6 th April 1838 from 11 Sept 1837 to 4 March 1838. A. G. T. No. 11 filed 210 th Decr 1838.

Certificate of marriage Mrs. Seth Bolden widow of Seth Bolden

Rocky Connecticut, 20th Sept. 1936.
This certifies those whom it may concern, that the records of the third church in Wethersfield affirm & make certain, that Seth Belden & Christian Dickenson, both of the said Wethersfield, were constituted, & declared to be, husband & wife by lawful marriage, on the sixteenth day of April, A.D. 1772
Attest. Calvin Chapin,
Pastor of the said 3d church,
& keeper of the church records.
The undersigned has, for 40 years, been more or less acquainted with the abovenamed Mrs. Belden - that from her & others I have heard it stated - I know not how often - but long anterior to any expectation pensionary - that her husband was killed at Flatbush, or thereabouts, in Washington's celebrated retreat - that his head was torn to atoms by a small cannon shot - & that I cannot doubt that she has, ever since, remained the widow of Seth Belden aforesaid.
C. Chapin

N o . 614. 3. Sec.
Christian Belden widow of Seth Conn.
abnd. 8 mo. pri $26.66 no deduction killed aug 1 st 96
160.02
S. H. Sanford Esq Hartford Conn.

Declaration of Mrs Christian Belden, in order to obtain the benefit of the third section of the Act of Congress of the 14 th July 1836.
State of Connecticut } ss Hartford. County of Hartford }
On this 14 th day of November 1836, personally appeared before the Probate Court for the District of Hartford Christian Belden , a resident of Middletown (Upper House,) in the County of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, aged 80 years , who being first duly sworn according to law, doth, on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress, passed July 14 1836: That she is the widow of Seth Belden, who was a private in the army of the revolution, and according to her best knowledge and belief enlisted at Wethersfield, (Rocky Hill, present ) in said County of Hartford, in November or December 1775 in a company commanded (as she thinks) by one Ozias Bissell of East Hartford; but the name of the Colonel of the regiment she does not recollect, she thinks it was Col Wyllys or Chester , or perhaps but is not confident: He marched from Rocky Hill to Roxbury in the State of Massachusetts; In the Spring he came home on furlough, and in a few days rejoined the troops at New York, and there

remained in service until the enemy landed on Long Island - And On the 27 th of August 1776 was killed in the battle at Flatbush on Long Island -
Beldad Belden (his Brother) went at the same time to Roxbury and served in the same Company - He died in about 1824 and was at that time a pensioner of the United States under the Act of March 18. 1818 on the roll of the Pann- ticut Agency. She remembers the name of no other person now alive who served in the same Company, and has no documentary evidence in support of the claim.
She further declares that she was married to the said Seth Belden on the 16 th day of April 1772, and when her husband enlisted & marched to Roxbury she had two children the youngest about two years old both of them are now living That her husband, the aforesaid Seth Belden was killed at the battle of Flatbush as above stated about the 27 th day of August A 1776; and that she has remained a widow ever since that period , as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed.
Sworn to and subscribed } Christian X Belden on this 14 th day of November 1836 } mark
over
over

Intestimony whereof I have hereto Subscribed my name and affixed the Seal of said Probate Court. and I further certify
That the deponent, in consequence of defective eyesight &c. was unable to write her name and at her request the same was written by me over her mark.
Thomas H. Seymour Judge.
State of Connecticut } ss. District of Hartford. County of Hartford }
I Thomas H. Seymour Judge of the Probate Court for said District of Hartford, hereby certify, That the Rev d Calvin Chapin whose certificate is hereto prefixed, is Pastor of the Church of Wethersfield & that the signature purporting to be his is genuine. That Charles Chapman by before whom the affidavit of Deborah Goodrich was taken & Nathan Johnson by before whom the affidavit of Seth Belden was taken are & for more than nine months past have been Justices of the Peace for the County of Hartford in said State, authorized to administer oaths &c. & that the signa- tures purporting to be theirs, are genuine.
I also declare my opinion that the statements contained in the preceding declaration, and in the affidavits, hereto prefixed are true. Witness my signature & official Seal this 5 th day of April 1837. Thos. H. Seymour Judge.

I Seth Belden of Middletown in Middlesex County and State of Connecticut aged Sixty three years , do testify and say that my mother Mrs Christian Belden has remained the widow of Seth Belden from the period of his death, which I have always understood and believed was in August 1776, when he was killed in the battle on Long Island at Flatbush about the 27 th August 1776 - From my childhood to the present time I have always understood from my mother and others that my father enlisted in December 1775 to serve one year , and that he went to Roxbury, and to New York and was killed on Long Island in August 1776, and that my Uncle Bildad Belden entered the service at the same time, who was afterwards a prisoner under the Act of 1818 and died about the year 1824 in the State of Ohio, where he went to visit his children - Ichabod Goodrich, Constant Griswold, Alexander Grimes & Thomas Holmes, all pensioners on the Connecticut Agency & now living in Wethersfield recollect hearing of my father's death soon after he was killed at Flatbush but do not recollect the names of the Captain of the Company & Colonel of the regiment in

in which my father served -
Sworn to & Subscribed } Seth Bedell this 14 th day of November } AD 1836
Before me, and I certify that the above named deponent is a credible person. Nathaniel Johnson Just. of Peace

I Schabod Goodrich of Wethersfield, in the County of Hartford and State of Connecticut, age seventy eight years, and a pensioner of the United States under the Act of March 18. 1818, do testify and say that I have always understood and believed that Seth Belden (whose widow Christian Belden is now an applicant for a pension under the Act of July 4. 1836,) was killed in the battle of Long Island August 27 1776. - We resided about \frac{1}{2} mile from each other before the war, and were well acquainted. - I recollect that he enlisted the latter part of the year 1775 at Wethersfield with his brother Baldad Belden & both marched to Roxbury. The name of the Captain of the Company I don't distinctly remember, but think it was Captain Ozias Bissel, & that the regiment was commanded by Colonel Huntington. About six months afterwards I enlisted and marched to New York in Captain Chester Wells company of Colonel John Chesters regi- ment where I met & conversed with said Seth Belden - He was encamped about one half a mile from our company, and in the month of July was ordered over to Long Island, and in the battle of

of August 27. 1776. was killed. The regiment in which he served being actively engaged nearly all. Killed near Flatbush. Col. Chester's regiment was stationed on Brooklyn Heights but a Rickett Guard (of which I was a member) was detached to a place near Flatbush, & was in the engagement.
I understand that Bildad Belden was an invalid in New York, and did not go over to Brooklyn with his regiment, but I know that said Seth Belden was on the Island during the action. His Brother Moses Belden was a member of the Company in which I served, and told me, a few hours after the battle , that said Seth Belden was killed, - I have never heard the fact doubted by any one.
He was married before the war to Christian Dickerson who now lives in Middleton having survived from the  war the  war has remained a widow ever since her husband's death Broomfield subscribed this 4 day of April 1833 I subscribed Before me Chas Chapman Justice of Peace

& 1812 Wars on.
AW Qu
May 17, 1927.
Mrs. Ethel K. Champlin, 142 Grove St. Putnam, Conn.
Madam:
I have to advise you, that from the papers in the pension claim, W. 17266 , it appears that Seth Belden married April 16, 1772 , at Wethersfield, Connecticut, Christian Dickenson, both of them, then residing in said town. He enlisted there in November, or December 1775, served as private in Captain Ozias Bissell's Company, Colonel Jedediah Huntington's Connecticut Regiment and was killed at the battle of Flatbush, Long Island, August 27, 1776.
His widow Christian was allowed pension on her application executed November 14, 1836, while living at Middletown, Connecticut, aged eighty years: they had two children both living at Middletown in 1836, but the only name stated, is that of Seth who was then sixty-three years old.
From the papers in the pension claim, S. 12804 , it appears that Stephen Dunham was born May 4, 1761 in Mansfield, Connecticut. He enlisted there April 21, 1777, served as a private in Captain John Shumway's Company, Colonels Jedediah

Rev. Secti
Huntington and Josiah Starr's Connecticut Regiment. He was in a battle on Staten Island in January 1780 and in skirmishes and lost the sight of his right eye from small-pox while in the service and was discharged April 21, 1780.
He was allowed pension on his application executed April 28, 1818, while living in Coventry, Connecticut.
In 1870, he referred to his wife, name not stated and to his daughters, Sophronia aged seventeen years and Carolina aged fifteen years. He died January 11, 1855.
Respectfully,
WINFIELD SCOTT, Commissioner.

Rev WIDOW, &c.
June 4-1902 Chas. Callard Adams Cromwell Conn
Adams Conn.
File No. 14266
Aug. 6-1903-male p. 36 Hartford
Christian Belden Widow of Seth Belden Pr. New-Hav
1927 May 17. Heir. to E.P. - Champlain Ad.
Act: July 4 th 86
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 52
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Hartford April 5. 1837
Sir,
In reply to your letter of 24 th November last. I return the papers of Mr. Christian Belden amended agreeably to your instructions -
Your early examination will much oblige the old Lady - I am Sir, very respectfully Your observant Samuel H. Parsons
J. L. Edwards Esq. Commissioner of Pensions Washington

Treasury Department,
Second Comptroller's Office,
December 10 th , 1838.
Sir:
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," Christian Belden, widow of Seth Belden, a Pensioner on the Roll of the Hartford, Connect. Agency, at the rate of Twenty six Dollars and sixty six Cents per annum, under the law of the 4 th July, 1836, — has been paid at this Department, from the 4 th of Sept. 1837 to the 4 th March, 1838.
Respectfully, yours,
Alison E. Parrish Comptroller.
To the Commissioner of Pensions, Present.

OW.W. 42 Buckingham Street Warford Ct.
Commissioner of Pensions.
Dear Sir,
Will you kindly send me a copy of the Revolutionary War Records of Sacto Belden, J.R.W. 17.226. Md. Rev. War. and Ohio.
Mrs C. F. Sedgwick
July 31 st 1903.

aw P.S. & 1812 Wars Section.
April 13, 1927.
Mrs. Ethel K. Champlin, 142 Grove St. Putnam, Conn.
Madam:
In response to your letter of the ninth instant, requesting the histories of two pensioners of the Revolution, I have to advise you, that owing to the great pressure of current work, the large number of similar inquiries not only from Putnam, Conn. but from all parts of the United States and the lack of a clerical force allowed by law for such a purpose, it is not practical to make immediate replies to these inquiries, which are answered by the courtesy of the government and free of charge.
All such letters as yours are answered as rapidly as possible in the order of their receipt and yours will be taken up for consideration within the next few weeks.
It is proper to add that it frequently requires two or three hours to read through all the manuscripts requisite to compiled the data for one such letter.
Respectfully,
WINFIELD SCOTT, Commissioner.

142 Grove Street, Putnam, Conn. April 9, 1927
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
Please send me the record of the following pensions of the Revolution.
SETH BELDEN, (widow Christiana) she was 85 in 1840. pension # W-17266
also
STEPHEN DUNHAM, Pension # S. 12804
Our Congressman sees no reason why there should not be a prompt reply to this request,
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ethel K. Champlaine

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
NAME Gelding, Abraham GRADE Private LINE Connecticut
WARRANT NUMBER 5500 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED June 26, 1789
to James Percival
*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.