Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 1,972, Elisha Clark, Sea Service (Mass.)

SERVICE
(Faint handwritten text: Service Mass)
Clark, Elisha
NUMBER
R. 1972
CONTENTS
[Faint handwritten text on the left side of the CONTENTS section, mostly illegible]
[Faint handwritten text on the right side of the CONTENTS section, mostly illegible]
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State of Maine County of Hancock 3p
On this eighth day of May A D 1853 personally appeared in open court before the Court of Probate now sitting at Ellsworth in the County of Hancock Elisha Clark resident of Gouldsboro in the County of Hancock & State of Maine aged sixty six years who 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 A D 1832.
That he entered the naval service of the United States under the following named officer & served as herein stated. viz -
He entered, either in the month of June or July (he cannot now recollect which), in the year 1782 as a seaman on board the United States Frigate America carrying twenty two Double fortified nine pounders as they were called on the lower deck & eight six pounders on the quarter deck. Said vessel was lying at Boston when he entered. Robert Colway was Captain - one Louis Low was first lieutenant don't recollect his christian name - Ichabod Sturgis was second lieutenant - he belonged to Cape Cod - John Rolland was third lieutenant - the Boatswain he thinks was an Irishman - his name was Brown. Had only eighty seamen when the vessel left Boston which was nearly six weeks after the applicant shipped - He went to L'Orient in France in said vessel where they arrived in December or January as near as he can recollect - they went to Shipping more seamen there & shipped fifty - they had been there about six weeks fitting for a cruise in the British channel when the news came on that Hostilities had ceased between England & America - They were which had been shipped there were then discharged & the vessel then took in a large amount of Continental stores - over five hundred chests of small arms & Bales of Soldiers clothing which he supposes had been purchased for the States before the Peace - & returned to the United States & arrived at Philadelphia the last of

May or the first of June 1783 - he was discharged the day after he arrived in Philadelphia - He can not recollect the precise day he entered, or on which he was discharged but knows that he was in the service a little over eleven months from the following circumstances - He was to have twelve dollars per month - He recd twelve dollars when he shipped in Boston - In the voyage out they touched at Cape Francois where there recd twelve dollars more - When he arrived in France he recd twelve dollars more making thirty six he had recd - And he recollects that when he was paid off in Philadelphia there was just one hundred dollars due him, which taken with the thirty six dollars would be the wages of eleven months & a third of a month - He has no documentary evidence of his service & knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service, it being thirty years or more since he left the part of the country where he then resided - He was born in Rochester Mass about the year 1766 on the 9th of May. Has no record of his age but presume it is borne on the town records of Rochester - Was living in Rochester when he entered the service & resided there for about fourteen years after the Revolutionary war & then moved down to Gouldsboro (Maine) where he now resides - He never recd any written discharge & believes it is not usual to give any in the naval service - There is no clergyman residing in Gouldsboro or in the neighbouring town of Sullivan, but Mr Joseph Bickford & Col Samuel Shaw of Gouldsboro are acquainted with the applicant & can testify as to his character for veracity & their belief of his services as a seaman in the Revolution - He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State or (if any) only on that of Agency of the

State of Maine
Elisha Clark
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid Before me
J Wilson Judge of the Court of Probate
We Joseph Bickford & Samuel Shaw both residing in Gouldsboro in the County of Hancock hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Elisha Clark who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be sixty six years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been in the Naval Service in the Rev- olution & that we concur in that opinion. We further state that there is no Clergyman residing in Gouldsboro or Sullivan
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Joseph Bickford
Samuel Shaw
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid Before me
J Wilson Judge of the Court of Probate
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was the naval service in the a revolutionary soldier served as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Joseph Bickford & Samuel Shaw who have signed the preceding certificate are residents in Gouldsborough & are credible persons & that their statement is entitled to credit & that it appears to them that there is no clergyman residing in the town of Gouldsborough or Sullivan
J Wilson
Judge of the Court of Probate

I H. Williams Registrator of the Court of Probate for the County of Hancock aforesaid do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Elisha Clark for a pension. And that Job Nelson is Judge of the Court of Probate for the County of Hancock aforesaid. & that the signatures annexed purporting to be his are genuine -
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this eighth day of May A.D. 1833 —
H. Williams Registrator of the Court of Probate
Elisha Clark 27059

27088
Elisha Clark
1972
Letter 28 Oct 1833
Dear
Jos. A Wood Esq Billsworth Maine

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension Office,
Oct 26 1833
Sir:
The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will shew what is necessary to be done. Those points to which your attention is more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: { ). You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.
A Statement, shewing the Service of Eliza Clark
   Period when the service was rendered. Duration of the claimant's service. Rank of the claimant. Names and rank of the Field officers under whom he served. Age at present, and place of abode when he entered the service. Proof by which the declaration is supported.   Years. Months. Days.     1782 11/12 Seaman Frigate America Capt Godfrey 66 Hatchman  
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. L. EDWARDS,
Commissioner of Pensions.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.
The following regulations have been adopted:
This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia," and "volunteers," all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c., Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of private armed vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.
Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
 1. The Regular Troops.  2. The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers.  3. Persons employed in the Naval Service.  4. Indian Spies. 
As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will, in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.
DECLARATION,
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.
State, Territory, or District of } ss. County of } On this _____ day of _____ personally appeared (a) before A. B. a resident (b) of _____ in the county of _____ and State, Territory or District of _____ aged (c) _____ 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 enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d) _____, with _____ and served in the _____ (e) regiment of the _____ line, under the following named officers:
[Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers;) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched. This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.]
He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of _____
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
A. B.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
I _____ of the Court of _____ do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of _____ for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this _____ day of _____ &c.
If, on examination of the proper record, the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out.
Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz:
(k) We, A. B., a Clergyman, residing in the _____ and C. D. residing in (the same) _____, who has hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with _____, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be _____ 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 and subscribed the days and year aforesaid.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
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 above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that A. B. who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the _____ and that C. D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the _____ and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I, _____ Clerk of the Court of _____ do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of _____ for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this _____ day of _____ &c.
Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction.
If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration, (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his

alleged service, as they are known at the Department. A very full account of the services of each person will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case. The facts stated will afford one of the principal means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected. All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County in which they reside, and there subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his case.
The Court will propound the following ( m ) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State troops of Virginia.
 1. Where and in what year were you born?  2. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?  3. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, and where do you now live?  4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?  5. State the names of some of the Regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services. 
G. { To a Soldier. { Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it? { To an Officer. { Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?
 7. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution. 
The Court will see that the answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.
The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court, without too much expense and inconvenience to him, two respectable persons—one of whom should be the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary soldier, and that they concur in that opinion. If one of these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify to the character and standing of other persons giving such certificates.
The traditional evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct proof, except the declaration of the party. And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the inquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.
Applicants unable to appear in Court, by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to perform, and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.
Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or by a Justice of the Peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper Clerk of the Court or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is his genuine signature.
No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before the taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.
[a] The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity; in which case the declarant will follow the rule laid down for his guidance.
[b] The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides. If he should fail to do so, he must assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule.
[c] The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
[d] The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served.
[e] Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the claim cannot be had. Every claimant must state, 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. 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 each 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. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state that they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours, the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must, in every case, be clearly shown under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
[f] The law makes the relinquishment indispensable.
[g] The opinion of the Court is always required.
[h] The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
[i] The Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal, or if he has no public seal of office, the certificate of a Member of Congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.
Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other papers authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends 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.
Proof of Service.
[j] 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 claimant's 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.
[k] The notes from [a] to [j] are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers and State Troops. The proof required by rule in note [j] applies to continental troops only.
[l] This traditional evidence is indispensable in militia cases.
[m] If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
[n] The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with the declaration.

June 14
To
FREE
Officer Mance 27 057 6
Edwards Commissioner of Pensions
Washington D.C.

To J L Edwards Commissioner of Pensions Ellsworth June 8 1833
Sir Enclosed are the papers of Messrs Kent, Clark & Thompson relating to their Claims for pensions under the late pension act, to which your attention is Respectfully directed. Whenever they have received due notice please send the papers relating to them to me & oblige you Humble Servt
Jos Alwood By Jos Rice

Maine Elisha Clark
Resubmitted
Ans d . J. A. Wood Ellsworth Maine Oct. 28 th 1838

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
REJECTED
1972
P. O. _____
Elisha Clark
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18