Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 15264, Nathaniel Cleaves, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Cleaves Nathaniel Porter, Mary Former widow
W. 15264
CONTENTS

Massachusetts 1.776 Mary Porter, formerly widow of Nathaniel Cleaves dec d
who died in the February 1780 of Essex Co. in the State of Mass a who was a Lieutenant in the Company commanded by Captain Dorr of the Regt. commanded by Col. Mansfield in the Mass a line for 2 years
Inscribed on the Roll of Mass a at the rate of 320 Dollars — Cents, per annum, to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 12 day of Feb y 1838 and sent Hon. J. C. Phillips Sec. of Rep s
Arrears to the 14th of Sept 1837 $2.080.00 Semi-annual allowance ending Mar 38- 160.00
$2.240.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act July 4, 1836, Section the 2 d Act March 3 d 37 }
Recorded by N. A. D. D. W. Clerk, Book A Vol. 2 d Page 57

3157 Mary Peter wid of Nath l Cleary Map.
Marr d 1776
Died 1777.
All e 2 y Lieut. p 320 per ann. com 4 m 1 1831
Map. Stat. Troop Capt Low (d Mansfield)
Map roll Vol 15. p 50
Hon. J. C. Phillips H.R.

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the 3 d sect. of the Act of Congress of July 4 th 1830, and of the Act of March 3 d 1837.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
County of Essex. ss.
On this fourth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven, personally appeared before the Honorable David Cummings one of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Mary Porter of Beverly in the County of Essex and Commonwealth aforesaid, aged 84 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 4 th 1830, and the Act explanatory of said Act, passed March 3 d 1837;
That she was married to Nathaniel Cleaves, late of said Beverly deceased, who was a Lieutenant in the War of the Revolution; that her said husband was at the Battle of Lexington, and that he there had a horse shot under him, and was himself wounded in the hand losing a finger by a Musket Ball; that said Nathaniel immediately after enlisted, and served as first Lieutenant in a Company of Continental Troops commanded by Captain John Low, in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Mansfield and afterwards by Colonel Hutchinson; and served in said capacity and in said Company and Regiment until January 1 st 1776; that he then enlisted again in the same Company and Regiment for the term of one year, and served as first Lieutenant until the Capture of Fort Washington near New York which took place, as she believes, in the latter part of the year 1776; that he was then and there taken prisoner, and remained a Prisoner on Parole until the next summer, and returned home to his family in the fall of 1777.
She further declares that she was married to the said Nathaniel Cleaves on the seventh day of May A.D. 1776; that her husband the aforesaid Nathaniel was supposed, and is believed, to have been lost at sea on his homeward passage from the West Indies, in a Letter of Marque, the name of which she has forgotten, in February A.D. 1780; that she was afterwards married to Nathaniel Porter of Wenham, in the County of Essex and State of Massachusetts, who died on the thirteenth day of April, A.D. 1817; and that she was a widow on the 4 th of July A.D. 1830, and still remains a widow, as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed.
Mary Porter

Sworn to, and subscribed, on the day and year above written, before me; the said Mary Porter being unable to appear in Court by reason of her advanced age and bodily infirmity.
David Cummins Jers. 6.6

I hereby certify that it appears from the records of the Second Church in Beverly, that Nathaniel Claves of Beverly, and Mary Herrick of the same town, were married May 7, 1770, by Enos Hitchcock then pastor of said Church.
Attest. Edwin Martin Stone, Minister of the Second Church in Beverly, Mass.
Beverly, Mass. Nov. 7th 1837.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Essex County ss. Beverly, Be it known that on this seventh day of November A.D. 1837, personally appeared the abovenamed Edwin Martin Stone the present minister of the second church in said Beverly, and made oath that the above certificate by him subscribed is a true copy from the records of the Books of said Second Church in Beverly.
Before me H. S. Stephens Just. Peace

AWJ AWJ
see file
March 15, 1923.
R. E. Van Syckle, 1739 Ford Bldg., Detroit, Michigan.
Sir;
In response to your letter of the 3d ultimo, you are advised that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim W. 15284, it appears that Nathaniel Cleaves, while residing in Beverly, Essex County, Mass., enlisted in 1775 and served as a 1st Lieutenant in Captain John Low's Company, in the Regiment commanded by Colonel John Mansfield after wards by Colonel Israel Hutchinson of Massachusetts troops. He had a horse shot from under him at the Battle of Bunker Hill, was wounded in the hand by a musket ball and lost a finger. At the capture of Fort Washington he was taken prisoner and remained a prisoner on parole until the summer of 1777. February 1780, on a homeward journey from the West Indies, he was lost at sea.

Soldier married in Beverly, Massachusetts, May 7, 1776, Mary Herrick, who afterwards married Nathaniel Porter, of Wenham, Mass., September 13, 1792. Nathaniel Porter died in 1817. She was allowed pension on her application executed December 4, 1837, while a resident of Beverly, Massachusetts, aged eighty four years.
This Bureau is unable to furnish the history of a soldier of the Revolution, unless a claim for pension or bounty land has been made on account of his services, and a careful search of the records fails to show such a claim on account of the services of any Joshua Cleaves under any spelling of that name.
Respectfully,
Commissioner.

House of Representatives
8th February, 1838.
Sir,
I enclose a Declaration and a number of papers in the case of Mrs Mary Porter, which I presume will be found sufficient to entitle her to a pension under the acts of July 4. 1836 & March 3. 1837. Please examine the papers, and advise me of your decision.
Most respectfully,
J. C. Phillips,
J. L. Edwards Esq Committee of Pensions.

17102. THE MICHIGAN SOCIETY SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
PRESIDENT WILLIAM P. HOLLIDAY DETROIT
VICE-PRESIDENT WILBERT H. BARRETT ADRIAN
VICE-PRESIDENT MILTON E. OSBORN ANN ARBOR
SECRETARY RAYMOND E. VAN SYCKLE DETROIT
REGISTRAR FRANKLIN S. DEWEY DETROIT
CHAPLAIN REV. CHARLES W. MERRIAM, D. D. GRAND RAPIDS
HISTORIAN WILLIAM L. JENKS PORT HURON
TREASURER FRANK G. SMITH DETROIT
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 1729 FORD BUILDING DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Feb 3 1923
Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, D.C.
Sir:-
Please advise "evolutionary service and family data contained in applications for pension (if any)
1. Josuha Cleaves (Cleves, Cleeves, Cleve, Cleeve, Cleave) or widow Merriam (?)                      Beverly, Mass.
2.
Nathaniel (ditto)      born(1754) d 1802, Hamilton, Mass. or widow Mary Cleaves      bn abt 1753 died 1837.
3.
Capt. Nathaniel Cleavew, commissioned 6/17 1775; Lt Col. John Mansfield's Regt, Mass. -----enlisted 5/11 1775 Lt Col. Israel Hutchinson-----Wounded April 19, 1775---- taken prisoner at Ft Washington
Yours respectfully
R.E. VAN SYCKLE
Secretary

1923, march 15 - Hist. to R. E. Van Syckle aug
Rev
WIDOW, &c.
File No. 15264
Mary Porter
Widow of
Nathaniel Cleaves
Pr. Rev War
Act: July 4 th 36
Index: - Vol. M , Page 134
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Testimony of Hale Hellen & Mark Moore

I Mark Morse of Beverly in the County of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a Revolutionary Pensioner, on oath testify and say, that I served in Capt John Lins Company in the Regiment first commanded by Col John Mansfield, and afterwards by Col Israel Hutchinson then being the twenty seventh Regiment of Continental Troops of the Massachusetts Line, that I served eight months in the year 1775 and all the year 1776 until I was made a prisoner at the capture of Fort Washington, Nathaniel Cleaves of said Beverly was our first Lieutenant in said Company during the whole time of my said service in said Company, and was made Prisoner at the same time with myself at the capture of Fort Washington, Lieut Cleaves was on Parole, while the Privates were in close confinement he supported himself by working at his trade, and furnished those of our Company who were Prisoners with some necessaries from time to time, we were discharged from Prison about the time of the expiration of our term of service in December 1776 we then believed that we were not regularly discharged exchanged but were discharged in consequence of the scarcity of Provisions, we left Lieut Cleaves a Prisoner on parole when we left New York as above stated,
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Mark Morse
Essex County ss. Beverly. Be it known that on this seventh day of December A.D. 1837 the abovenamed Mark Morse personally appeared before the Subscriber a Justice of the Peace within and for said County and made oath, that the facts by him abovestated and by him subscribed are just and true, according to the best of his knowledge and belief, and the said Morse to my knowledge is a credible witness. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day and year last abovenamed. Thos. Stephens Just. Peace

2 I Joseph Lovett and Eben Meacom both of Beverly in the County of Essex Commonwealth of Massachusetts, of lawful age, on oath testify and say, That we are well acquainted with Mrs Mary Porter Widow of Nathl Porter and formerly Widow of Nathl Gleason who we believe was a sold- ier of the Revolution, That the said Mary to our knowledge still remain, the Widow of the said Nat- haniel Porter and has so remained for more than twel- ve years past
Joseph Lovett Ebenezer Meacom
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Essex County ss. Beverly. Then the abovenamed Joseph Lovett and Ebenezer Meacom who are personally known to me as persons of undoubted veracity, personally appeared and made oath to the truth of the foregoing affidavit by them subscribed on this seventh day of November A.D. 1837.
Before me Thos. Stephens Just. Peace

Anna Meacom, of Beverly, in the County of Essex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, of lawful age on oath testify and say, That I am well acquainted with Mrs Mary Porter, of said Beverly, (formerly Mary Cleaves and formerly Mary Herrick,) and have been so acquainted for more than Eighty years, That she was married to Mr Nathaniel Cleaves, of said Beverly, who was a Lieutenant in the War of the Revolution, and who was supposed and is believed to have been lost at sea in the year 1780, That she the said Mary Cleaves, formerly Mary Herrick was afterwards married to Nathaniel Porter of Wenham, who died in the year 1817. That she the said Mary Porter, formerly Mary Cleaves and formerly Mary Herrick, is now a Widow and has remained a Widow since the decease of her husband the aforesaid Nathaniel Porter in the year abovenmentioned,
ANNA MEACOM
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Essex County ss. Be it known that on this ninth day of December A.D. 1837, personally appeared the abovenamed Anna Meacom, who has long been known to me as a Lady of exemplary piety, and of undoubted veracity, and made oath to the truth of the foregoing affidavit by her subscribed.
Before me Wm. Stephens, Just. Peace.

I hereby certify, that it appears from the records of the First Church in Beverly that Nathaniel Porter of Wenham & Mary Cleaves of Beverly were married Sept 13, 1792, by Joseph McKeen then Pastor of said Church.
Attest - C. T. Thayer Minister of the First Church in Beverly, Mass.
Beverly. Mass. Nov 6. 1837.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Essex County ss. Beverly. be it known that on this sixth day of November A.D. 1837 personally appeared the above named Christopher T. Thayer, the present Minister of the First Church in said Beverly, and made oath that the above certificate by him subscribed is a true copy from the records of the Books of said First Church in Beverly
Before me M c Stephen Just Paris

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Essex ss.
I John Prince Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in said County do certify that Hon. David Cunning is one of the Judges of said Court - that Thomas Stephens Esq. is a Justice of the Peace in said County and that their signatures hereon are genuine Witness my hand and the seal of said Court Dec. 9. 1837.
John Prince Clerk

I Hale Hilton of Beverly in the County of Essex Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Musician and Pensioner of the Revolutionary War, on oath testify and say, That I served in Capt John Lewis Company, in the Regiment first commanded by Col Mansfield and after commanded by Col Israel Hutchinson then being the Twenty seventh Regiment of Continental Troops of Massachusetts Line, That I served eight months in the year 1775 and all the year 1776 - I declare that Nathaniel Cleaves was our first Lieutenant in said Company, during said years 1775 & 1776
Hale Hilton
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Essex County ss. Beverly.
Be it known that on the seventh day of November 1837 before the subscriber a Justice of the peace, within and for said County personally appeared the abovenamed Hale Hilton and made oath that the facts by him above stated and to him subscribed are just and true, according to the best of his knowledge and belief, and the said Hilton to my knowledge is a credible witness. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day and year last abovenamed
Thos. Stephens Just. Peace

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
NAME Gleaves, William GRADE Private LINE Massachusetts
WARRANT NUMBER 3850 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED Aug. 1, 1789 To Thomas Cushing, assignee
*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.