Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 18361, George Colley, Conn.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Conn.
Colley, George
S. 18361
Carded
CONTENTS

9070 Connecticut
George Colley
of New Haven in the State of Connecticut who was a Priv — in the Conn commandea by Captain Hanger of the Reg commandea by Col. Canfield in the Conn under Genl. Trumbull —
12 Mtd
Inscribed on the Roll of Connecticut at the rate of 40 Dollars 00 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 15 - day of March 1833 and Lieut. Henry White New Haven. Ct
Arrears to the 4th March 33. $ 80.00 Semi-ant. allowance ending Sept 33. 20.00 $100.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by C. D. Bullock Clerk, Book 6 Vol. 3 — Page 7

State of Connecticut County of New-Haven } ss
On this 5 th day of December AD 1832 personally appeared in open court, before the Court of Probate for the District of New-Haven, within the County of New-Haven and State of Connecticut, being a court of record, now sitting, George Colley a resident of New-Haven in the County of New-Haven & State of Connecticut aged eighty three years who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in addition to and explanation of the declaration heretofore made by him & sworn to by him before sd Court on the 8 th day of August 1832, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th . 1832. sd declaration having been returned by the War Department as defective — That by reason of old age & the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service in the war of the revolution as mentioned in sd declaration, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less that one year in the company of Connecticut militia or State troops, commanded by Captain Granger, that his sd service was immediately previous to the close of the war of the revolution & terminated with the close of the war; That during the whole of sd period he served as a private soldier in sd company, though occasionally acting temporarily as a sergeant of scouting parties, & for such service of one year as a private soldier he claims a pension; That for the reasons mentioned above, viz. his

extreme old age & his loss of memory, he cannot remember nor state more particularly the time, at which he was drafted into 1 st company of Captain Grangee, nor the precise time at which his 1 st service commenced - that for the same reasons, he cannot now remember the first or Christian name of the 1 st Captain Grangee or of the 1 st Colonel Canfield, to whose regiment 1 st company belonged, nor can he remember the names of any officers belonging to 1 st company, except the name of Captain Grangee, nor the names of any other officers belonging to 1 st regiment, except that of 1 st Colonel Canfield, nor the names of any other officers present with his 1 st regiment except that of one Colonel Waterbury - that for these reasons he is wholly unable to state more particularly the names of the officers with whom he served - that he knows of no person living who was present with him at any time, during his 1 st term of service, or who knows or can testify to his 1 st service or to any part of it - that he believes there is no person living, & is wholly unable to find or procure any person who can testify to his service during any part of the time mentioned in 1 st declaration - but that he is certain that he served not less than one year as a private as above mentioned.
Subscribed & sworn to on the day & year aforesaid.
George his X Colley mark
Attest Anthony Thompson Clerk

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier & served as he states. And the sd court further certifies that the sd Colley is well known to them, that he is a credible person & that his statements made in this declaration & the declaration to which this is an addition & explanation are entitled to credit.
Chas. A. Ingersoll
Pres. of Court.
I Anthony P Sanford clerk of the Court of Probate for the District of New-Haven in the State of Connecticut, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the sd court in the matter of the application of George Colley for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this 5 th day of December A.D. 1832.
Anthony P Sanford Clerk

admit
1 year
$60
Henry White New Haven

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7 th . 1832.
State of Connecticut County of New-Haven } ss.
on this 8 th day of August personally appeared in open court before the Court of Probate for the District of New-Haven in the State of Connecticut now sitting, George Cobley a resident of New-Haven in the County of New-Haven and State of Connecticut aged eighty three years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth in 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 under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he was drafted into the company of Connecticut Militia or State troops commanded by a Captain Granger, in Colonel Canfield regiment - that he cannot now recollect the names of the other officers of the company or regiment to which he belonged - that the sons of Colonel Canfield were occasionally attached to the regiment, but in what capacity he does not now remember. - that he cannot now recollect the day or year in which he was drafted, but he remembers that he was not discharged, and did not leave the service until the close of the revolutionary war, and that he was in the service for more than a year, but whether he was in the service as long as two years, he cannot now remember so as to state with confidence - that he does not remember for how long a time he was drafted, nor whether the time for which he was drafted expired, & he enlisted anew; but he recollects that for more than a year he did not return to his home but once, & that was on a furlough of twenty days, which circumstance he remembers from the fact, that when he returned he was blamed for having staid a few days longer than his furlough - that at the time of his entering the service he

resided in the town of Wallingford, in the county of New-Haven and State of Connecticut - That immediately after entering the service, he was marched in Captain Grangers company to Horse-neck, near the boundary line between the States of New-York and Connecticut, thence to Byram Bridge on sd boundary line, thence to White Plains in the State of New-York, thence to Paje, & thence backwards & forwards with but little intermission through all the neighboring country. - That the regiment to which he belonged was stationed there as he supposes to repel the incursions of the British and refugees, & to protect the property of the inhabitants in that vicinity - That he was engaged in several skirmishes with detached parties of the enemy, & particularly near Kings bridge, and at Quakers ridge near the British lines - That he was frequently sent out on scouting parties, & sometimes acted as sergeant & commander of a scout - That he does not recollect any other regiment, being with him - That he remembers one Colonel Waterbury who was occasionally there, who, he thinks, was an officer in the line - That he has no documentary evidence of any kind - That at the close of the war he received a written discharge, given him as he thinks by Colonel Campfield; but that he lost it very soon afterwards, as he did not suppose that it would ever be of any value to him - That he received his pay in continental bills, & lost the greater part of it, by reason of the depreciation of this currency, having sold bills to the nominal amount of one hundred dollars for five dollars in silver - That he knows of no person living who can testify to his services - That several persons from Wallingford were in the same company & regiment with him - That he remembers that Isaac Hall, & Sam Hall & Eliakim Hall, all of sd Wallingford served with him, & that Isaac Bull of Wallingford

father of Isaac Bull who afterward lived in the city of Hartford in Connecticut, enrolled his the declarant's name, but what rank he held he cannot now remember - that soon after the close of the war of the revolution, the declarant removed from Wallingford to New-Haven in the same county, a considerable distance, & has never since revisited Wallingford - that in consequence of this he has forgotten the names of those who served with him, who were his old neighbors & has been forgotten by them - that he is informed that all these persons whose names he has mentioned are now dead -
that he was born in East Grains in the Shire of Murray in the northern part of Scotland in the island of Great Britain in the month of December AD 1748, that he cannot recollect the day of the month on which he was born, & there is no record of his age in existence to his knowledge. that he came to America some time before he was 30 years of age, but he cannot now remember the year in which he came over - that he has resided in New-Haven in the State of Connecticut ever since the revolutionary war, - that owing to the fact that he has for so long a time lived at a distance from those who served with him in the war, & has had no opportunities for conversing on the subject with them during the course of his life, the names of persons & officers who were with him, & the dates of events have very much escaped from his recollection - but the leading features of his service as above stated he well remembers - that he is well known to the Rev d Leonard Bacon, the pastor of the church to which he belongs, & to William H Ellis Esq r the Collector of the Port of New-Haven, who can

testify as to his character for veracity, & to their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution.
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.
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
Attest - Anthony D. Sanford Clerk -
George Colley
We Leonard Bacon a clergyman residing in the town of New-Haven & State of Connecticut and William H. Ellis Esq. Collector of the Port of New-Haven residing in said town, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with George Colley who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration - that he is a communicant in the congregational church of which the said Leonard Bacon is pastor - that we believe him to be eighty three years of age - that he is a person of undoubted integrity and veracity - that he is reputed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid -
Attest - Anthony D. Sanford Clerk -
Leonard Bacon Wm H. Ellis
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 a revolutionary soldier & served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Leonard Bacon who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman

resident in the town of New-Haven & that William H. Ellis Esq who has also signed the same is a resident in the sd town of New-Haven & is a credible person, & that their statement is entitled to credit -
Chas A. Ingersoll
Judge of said Court
I Anthony P. Sanford clerk of the Court of Probate for the District of New-Haven in the State of Connecticut, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the sd Court in the matter of the application of George Colley for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this 8 th day of August A.D. 1832.
Anthony P. Sanford Clerk

George Colley
5.6.13
E A Ingersoll
P108.

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of George Colley which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? 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? 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? no VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? 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?

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?
He must state explicitly whether there are survivors of each term living
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?
Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office?
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?
XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct?
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so 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.

P 18361 INVALID.
File No. 18,361
George Colley
Dis Rev War
Act: June 7 th 39
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 440
[Arrangement of 1870.]

J. L. Edward Esq. Sec: Pennin Offic Washington

New. Haven. Dec r . 5. 1832.
J. L. Edward Esq. Sec y of Pension Office {
Sir,
Accompanying this is the application of George Colley for a pen= sion, which was returned for further expla= nation, with the supplemental declaration made, in order to obviate as far as could be the objections stated. Please direct any further communications respecting it to me at New. Haven Connecticut.
Very Respectfully
Your obed t Serv t
Henry White