Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2099, Daniel Coffin, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Coffin, Daniel
R 2099
CONTENTS

State of Maine
County of Oxford
on this fifteenth day of September A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Court of Probate now sitting Daniels broken of Gilead in the County of Oxford and State of Maine aged 70 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, 1832. That in the year 1782 he lived in the town of Waterborough in the County of York in then District now State of Maine, that in the month of May in that year he was drafted in a company commanded by Captain John Evans, that he was ordered to repair to Fryeburg in the State of Maine - from thence he was marched to the town of Bethel in the County of Oxford State of Maine to defend the inhabitants against the invasion of the Indians, that he continued in the service for which he was drafted for the term of six months, and was then dismissed - he received no written discharge - The town of Bethel was then called Sudbury Canada - he was born in the town of Alfred in the County of York State of Maine in the year 1762. April 9. after the close of the war he resided in said Waterborough and from thence he removed to said Bethel where he has resided for the last twenty years.
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.
attest Joseph G. Laine
Daniel X Laffin
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Stephen Emery, Judge

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 applicant served as he states, he being adduced the deposing of Benjamin Russell & Peter Coffin in corroboration of his own deposition - but the Court do not decide whether said service is to be deemed "Revolutionary" or not.
Stephen Emery, Judge
I Joseph G. Gole Register of the Court of Probate hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Daniel Coffin for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this fifteenth day of September A.D. 1832
Joseph G. Gole Register
Daniel Coffin
Daniel Coffin
16865

State of Maine
Penobscot County ss
Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace within and the said County of Penobscot Patrick Laffin who being duly sworn deposes and saith that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of service, but according to the best of his recall he served not less than the period mentioned below in the following grade; For six months I served as a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Stephen Harrington at a place called Sulphur Lumber near Bethel in the County of Penobscot and State of Maine which Company was set to guard the frontier settlement from the hostile Indians; and for such service I claim a Pension.
Peter G. Dyer Justice of the Peace

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
REJECTED
2099
P. O. _____
Daniel Coffin
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____
Contrat
_____ Cert. of Dis. _____
Searched for _____
, 18

Daniel Coffin
J. G. Cole Esq Paris Maine

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Daniel Coffin  which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yes 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? yes 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 As See Decree 5 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? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes 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? no device

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? XIV. † If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? 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 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 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 shewn 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.
†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. resides,
†QUERE XVI. 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 paper 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.
In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, 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.

Superior Maine Daniel Coffin
William Hyde 7 July 1832 Hon T J D Fuller attch 18/54
2099
1832

STATE OF MAINE.
OXFORD COUNTY, ss.
I, RUFUS KING GOODENOW, Clerk of the Judicial Courts in and for said County of Oxford, hereby certify, that
William Frye Esq
whose genuine signature is annexed to the foregoing Deposition of
Benjamin Russell is a
Justice of the Peace in and for said County of Oxford.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office, this 18 th day of October in the year A. D. 1832
RK Goodenow
{ Clerk of Oxford County Courts.

I Benjamin Russell of lawful age, do testify and say, that Daniel Loring, of Gilead in the County of Oxford and State of Maine, performed duty as a private soldier in the Company, com- manded by Captain Dinsmore, stationed at a place or township of land, then called Suckaway Comada, and now Bethel in the State of Maine, for the term of six months, in the summer & Autumn of the year 1782. Benj a Russell
Oxford ss September 15. 1832. Personally appeared Benja- min Russell and made oath that the above affidavit by him subscribed, is true, before me.
William Frye, Justice of the Peace
I hereby certify that Benjamin Russell, the above- named deponent, sustained a fair character for truth.
Wm Frye, Justice Peace

I James Swan of Bethel in the County of Oxford and State of Maine aged seventy years do testify and say that I am personally acquainted with Daniel Buffin of Gilead in said County of Oxford as applicant for a pension and that in the year 1782 according to the best of my recollection the said Daniel Buffin was a soldier in the company with me under the command of Captain Stephen Harrington of the militia of Massachusetts which company was stationed at a place now called Bethel to protect the inhabitants from the Indians and that said Buffin served in said company with me for the term of six months and was then honorably discharged.
James Swan
State of Maine
County of Oxford ss
Be it known that on the twenty third day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three personally appeared the above named James Swan, who being first sworn, gave testimony for truth and made oath that the above affidavit by him subscribed was true.
John C. Durgin Justice of the Peace