Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 21430, Joseph Briggs, R. I.

SERVICE
R.S.
Briggs, Joseph
NUMBER
S. 21430
CONTENTS

27968 Rhode Island
Joseph Briggs of Fink in the State of R.I. who was a pr in the commaned by Captain of the R.I.  commanded by W. Tillinghast in the R.I. mil. Line for 16mths
Inscribed on the Roll of Rhode Island at the rate of 53 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 14th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 - day of Oct 34 1834 and and  of Whiting East Greenwich. R.I.
Arrears to the 14th of Sept 34  186.66 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Mar 35  26.66 $213.32
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Stat. Vice Clerk, Book E , Vol. 2 Page 138

State of Rhode Island County of Kent ss
On this Thirtieth day of August A.D. 1834. personally appeared in open court, before the Court of Probate now holden at East Greenwich in the County of Kent and State aforesaid, Joseph Briggs, a resident of said East Greenwich, aged Seventy Six 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 1834. Viz— That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That he was born at said East Greenwich on the second day of December A.D. 1757. where he has resided ever since. That he has no record of his age, but believes it is recorded in the Town Clerk's office in said East Greenwich.
That he belonged to a Militia Company in said East Greenwich in the Revolutionary War commanded by Capt Allen Johnson, and served in said Company at said East Greenwich in the year 1775. in training and guarding not less than two Months. That he quartered at the house of Clarke Brown - Col. Thomas Tillinghast commanded the Regiment. That in the year 1776. he served in said Company,
by

by being drafted not less than four months; a part of the time, at East Greenwich and Quonsett neck in North Kingston; and one month of the time at Warwick neck under Lieutenant Michael Spencer, and quartered at the house of one Green; Col. Waterman then commanded the Regiment — That in the year 1777. he was drafted and served not less than four months, at said East Greenwich, Warwick neck and Quonsett neck under the said Allen Johnson. That in the year 1778. he was drafted and served three months at said East Greenwich and Quonsett neck under the said Capt. Allen Johnson, and one month on Rhode Island in General Sullivan's Expedition, under Capt. Hall, in Col. Tillinghast's Regiment That in the year 1779 he was drafted and served not less than two months in said Company at said East Greenwich. Making in the whole Sixteen Months of actual military service in the War, for which he claims a pension. That he has no written discharge, or other documentary evidence.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the Agency of any state.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid —
Joseph Briggs
James Miller, Clerk.

State of Rhode Island County of Kent p. 2
On this Twenty ninth day of September A. 1834. Personally ap- peared before me the Subscriber, a Justice of the Peace for the Town of East Greenwich in said County of Kent, Joseph Briggs a resident of said East Greenwich, an Applicant for a Pension, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following explanation and amendment of his Declaration made on the Thirtieth day of August A. 1834. before the Court of Probate of the said Town of East Greenwich. - That the drafts under which he served, were for the term of one month only; and that he did not mean to be understood, that he served for "the terms of three and four months duration" in any instance whatever; but only a month at a time. The periods of the service of this Applicant, being thus understood, are stated with as much accuracy as his recollection will enable him to do; and he believes, within the limits of his actual service in the war. The places where, and the officers under whom he served, are truly stated according to the best of his recollection; except for the year 1779, in which the names of the officers are casually omitted, and then he served under Capt. Allen Johnson, in Col Tillinghast's Regiment. That his services on sudden alarms are also omitted, on which occasions he was re- peatedly called out and served a day or two at a time, and which he is confident, would amount to more than a month during the war. This Applicant did not mean to claim any thing for training, when he was not in actual service, but that he used the terms "training and guarding" in his Declaration, only as descrip- -tive of the duties he performed while in actual service.
Joseph Briggs
Subscribed and sworn to at East Greenwich the day & year before written
Before me Benj Brown Just Peace

Kent Sc. The State of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations Clerks Office Court of Common Pleas I certify that Benjamin Brown is a justice of the peace for the Town of East Greenwich in our County of Kent. that the foregoing is his proper signature in his own hand writing that full faith & credit is ought to be given to all his official acts.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my name & the seal of said Court at East Greenwich this twenty ninth day of September in the year 1834
John Brown Clk
Explanatory Statement

December 20, 1939
BA-J/AWF Joseph Briggs S. 21430
Mr. Gerald J. Parsons 172 Glasgow Street Clyde, New York
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Joseph Briggs of East Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island.
The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in claim for pension, S.21430, based upon service of Joseph Briggs in the War of the Revolution.
Joseph Briggs was born December 2, 1757 in East Greenwich, Kent County, Rhode Island. The names of his parents are not given.
While residing in said East Greenwich, Joseph Briggs served as a private with the Rhode Island troops as follows:
In 1775, two months in Captain Allen Johnson's company, Colonel Thomas Tillinghast's regiment; in 1776, three months in same company and regiment, and one month under Lieutenant Michael Spencer and Colonel Waterman; in 1777, four months in Captain Allen Johnson's company; in 1778, three months in Captain Allen Johnson's company, and one month in Captain William Hall's company, Colonel Tillinghast's regiment, and was in General Sullivan's Expedition; in 1779, two months in Captain Allen Johnson's company. He was, also, out on frequent alarms of a day or two

at a time, no further details of this service given.
The soldier, Joseph Briggs, was allowed pension on his application executed August 20, 1834, at which time he was living in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where he had lived always.
The papers on file in this claim contain no discernible data in regard to family.
In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, name and address of person paid, and possibly the date of death of this pensioner, it is suggested that you apply to the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and furnish the following data:
Joseph Briggs Certificate #27968 Issued October 13, 1834 Rate $53.33 per annum Commenced March 4, 1831 Act of June 7, 1832 Rhode Island Agency.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator

Proclamation
21/430
1939 Dec. 20 - mrs to Gerald J. Parsons and
INVALID.
File No. 21/430 Briggs * Joseph Briggs Rev. Rev. War
Act: June 7 th 32 nd
Index: —Vol. 2 , Page 327
[Arrangement of 1870.]
* W.W.H. Feb 9, 07.

Application of Joseph Briggs for a Pension
Nathan Whiting agt
16mo
Adm d 16mo p
$ 53.33 5
N Whiting Esq r
E. Greenwich
R. S.

I Thomas Tillinghast (S.P.) a clergyman, residing in the Town of East Greenwich in the County of Kent, hereby certify, that I am well acquainted with Joseph Briggs of said East Greenwich, an Applicant for a pension; That I believe him to be Seventy six 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 I concur in that opinion -
State of Rhode Island                      Thomas Tillinghast County of Kent ss
Subscribed and sworn to at East Greenwich the twenty sixth day of August A.D. 1834. before me; and I certify, that the Deponent is a clergyman at said East Greenwich in regular standing as such.
Witness Nathan Whiting Just. Peace
Went Jr. The State of Rhode Island & Providence Plantations Clerks office Court of Common Pleas
I certify that Nathan Whiting is a justice of the peace for the Town of East Greenwich in our said County of Kent, that the above is his proper signature in his own hand writing & that full faith & credit is & ought to be given to all his official acts - In witness whereof I have hereunto set my name & the seal of said Court at East Greenwich this thirtieth day of August in the year of our Lord 1834 John Brown. Clk

Jeremiah Place of East Greenwich in the County of Kent and State of Rhode Island, aged Seventy six years, do hereby certify, that I was a Militia soldier in a Company of Militia in East Greenwich in the Revo- lutionary War, which Company was commanded by Allen Johnson; and that Joseph Briggs of said East Greenwich was a private soldier in the same Company during all the war; I remember serving with the said Briggs one winter at War - with Neck, Lieutenant Michael Spencer then commanded the Company; I believe the above service was for the term of one month. And in the year 1778. in General Sullivan's Expedition the said Briggs served with me one month on Rhode Island. Capt W m Hall then commanded the Company. And I have trained and done duty with him a great number of times during the War at East Greenwich under Capt. Johnson. I believe the said Briggs did as much duty in the war as the rest of the militia —
Jeremiah Place
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
James Miller, Clerk.
I Benjamin Dimon of North Kingstown in the County of Washington and State of Rhode Island, aged Seventy four years, do hereby certify, that I lived, during the revo- lutionary War, about half a mile from Joseph Briggs of East

East Greenwich, and was knowing to his being drafted & called into the service a number of times, in the Company commanded by Allen Johnson. I belonged to a Company commanded by Capt. Brown. The said Briggs, I well remember, was in the service on Rhode Island in General Sullivan's Expedition, and I saw him there; but I do not remember that I was in the service with him at any other place. He lived in East Greenwich and I lived in North Kingstown.
Sworn to & subscribed the 2 nd day of year aforesaid Benjamin his Dimon mark
James Miller, Clerk.
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the before named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that Jeremiah Place and Benjamin Dimon, who have signed the preceding certificates are residents in the towns therein stated, are credible persons, and that their statements are entitled to credit.
I James Miller, Clerk of said Court of Probate do hereby certify the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Joseph Briggs for a pension.
In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this Thirtieth day of August A.D. 1834.
James Miller
31.785 Joseph Briggs 31.785

GERALD J. PARSONS 172 GLASGOW STREET CLYDE, NEW YORK
Dec. 3, 1939
Veterans Administration Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:
The name of one of my ancestors, Joseph Briggs, appeared on the Revolutionary Pension Roll of 1840 for R.I. At that time he was 83 years of age and a residence of East Greenwich, Kent Co., Rhode Island. I would like his pension record.
Sincerely yours, Gerald J. Parsons