Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4488, Stephen Hall, Mass. Sea Service

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass. Sea Service
Wall Stephen
R. 4488
CONTENTS

State of Maine County of Washington B.
In this twenty eighth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred thirty two, personally appeared in open Court before the Judge of the Court of Probate now sitting in Machias in said County, Stephen Hall, a resident of East Machias in said County, aged eighty one 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 7th. 1832.
That he entered the Naval Service of the State of Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War under the following named officers & served as is herein stated, to-wit: He entered the naval service of said State at Machias aforesaid in the month of March 1776 as a volunteer on board the Schooner Diligence of about 100 tons burthen carrying eight carriage guns under Capt Lambert who commanded said vessel (and William O'Brien, Lieutenant of said vessel) - that said vessel had been previously captured & taken from the British - That during his said service on board said Schooner she sailed in company with a Sloop of about 100 tons burthen, the name of which he does not now recollect - that both of said vessels were in the service of said Massachusetts, & were when together under the command of Capt

General O'Brien who sailed in the Sloop & acted as Commodore of the fleet. He, said Hall, served as a marine on board said Diligent till the month of November 1777, at which time he left the service, received a discharge therefrom given & subscribed by said Lambert, but that he did not know it would be of any use to him. He cannot now find the same or tell whether he came of it. He also on oath as aforesaid saith, that he has no documentary evidence, that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his said service. He on oath as aforesaid saith that he was born in Mansfield in the County of Windham & State of Connecticut on the thirteenth day of May A.D. 1757 - that there is a Record of his age as he believes in said Mansfield, but he does not know of any other - that when he entered the service he lived in said Machias - Since the Revolutionary war he has lived a part of the time in Columbia in said County of Washington & a part of the time in Alexander in said County of Washington in said East Machias. said Hall on oath as aforesaid saith that in his present Neighborhood he is known to Ephraim Chase, Jacob Langfellow, Murchie Chester, Nathaniel Wilson & Stephen Wilson & that they can testify to his character for veracity & their belief of his services as a Marine in the Naval Service during the Revolutionary War. He further on oath as aforesaid saith that said Schooner cruised from Cape Cod to Halifax N.S. She now recollects aforesaid Schooner's capturing one British Vessel

during said time), to wit, a Schooner of about 90 tons burthen laden with King's Stores, which they carried into Boston; but their principal object was to protect American Property on the Coast.
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.
Stephen Hall
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid - John H. Stevenson Judge -
We, Jacob Longfellow residing in said Machias and Ephraim Chase residing in said East Machias
hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Stephen Hall, who has subscribed & sworn to the above Declaration, that we believe him to be eighty one years of age; that he is respected & believed in the Neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier or Marine of the Revolution; & that we concur in that opinion; & that he is a person of good character for veracity.
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
John H. Stevenson Judge

12.467
Stephen H. Hall
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the Interrog- atories prescribed by the War Department, that the before named applicant was a Marine on board said Dili- gence & served in the Revolutionary War as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Jacob Longfellow & Ephraim Chase who has signed the preceding Certificate is a resi- dent of the town of Machias — aforesaid; and that Ephraim Chase who has also signed the same is a resident of East Machias aforesaid; that they are credible persons, & that their Statement is entitled to credit. Judge John Dickinson.
I, Aaron S. Raymond, Register of the said Court of Probate, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Stephen Hall for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of said Court this twenty eighth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two.
Aaron S. Raymond } Register of Probate —

Moaine Stephen Hall
Suspended
See let. to E. D. Bangs Esq.
25 July 1882
4488

REJECTED
1/4/88 P. O. Stephen Hall
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18__
Discharged: _____, 18__
Application filed: _____, 18__
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.

May 25.
Name City
Free
D. L. Edwards Esq.
Cour of Pensions,
Washington.
Free.

Stephen Hall

State of Maine
Washington Co. May 1. 1833.
Personally appeared before me the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace & Justiciar in & for said County, Stephen Hall of East Machias in said County, who being duly sworn deposes & says, that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, & in the following grades, to wit: For one year, eight months & twenty one days, I served as a private marine on board the Schooner Diligence , she being a public armed vessel of the State of Massachusetts, as stated in my Declaration; & for that service I claim a pension. He, said Hall, also on oath as aforesaid deposes & says that Mr Lyman the Clergyman who resided in Machias during the Revolutionary War & knew of his service in said Schooner has been dead about thirty years - that at the time he made his Declaration there was no Clergyman settled in said East Machias. That there was none at that time in either of the towns where he had generally resided - that the only Clergyman now in said East Machias is Mr Stone, who knows nothing of him, as

said Stone lives in a different part of the Town, and has not resided in it but a few months. He, therefore, there being no Clergyman in said East Machias who knew him at the time he made his Declaration, procured the testimony of two respectable & credible Citizens who knew him, & were acquainted with his character, instead of a Clergyman, who did not know him , & one citizen . He, said Hall, further says on oath as aforesaid that he enlisted under Capt O'Brien mentioned in said Declaration, and was by said O'Brien put into the Diligence under Capt Lambert, both of said vessels being commanded by said O'Brien, acting in capacity of Commodore of the Fleet.
Stephen Hall
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Before me Joshua A. Sawell, Justin Peace & Quorum.

State of Maine Washington County ss
I, Aaron L. Raymond, Clerk of the Judicial Court of Wash- ington County in said State, Certify that Joshua A. Lowell was a Justice of the Peace & Quorum on the fourth day of April A.D. 1833: and has ever since continued to be known is a magistrate as above; and that the foregoing signature, purporting to be his, is genuine. In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed the seal of the Court, and subscribed my name this Seventeenth day of May in the year 1833.
Aaron L. Raymond
Clerk of the Judicial Court of Wash- ington County.