Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 5121, Benjamin Holden, Mass.

SERVICE
Mass.
Holden, Benjamin
P. 5121
{ B.L. Wt. 979-H50-St. lob. Issued Feb. 9, 1798 to Addison Richardson assignee Also recorded as above under B.L. Wt. 2695. No papers.
CONTENTS

Pension Office March 26 1856
Sir:
In reply to your note of the 18 th Inst. I have to state that no part of the £8497-2-0 which was due S t Col Holden in 1785, can now be paid under any Act of Congress in force existence.
His Grand Children are not entitled to any annuity of pension that might have been due at his death, tho' none appears to have been due as he died before the passage of any act under which his children could assert a claim.
I am Very Resp d Your Obed t Serv t
J. Cole Charles M. Miller Esq } for commissioners Worcester } Mass }

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston.
February 28. 1856.
I Hereby Certify , That from an examination of the Books and Documents relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Benjamin Holden is borne on return of Field and Staff Officers in Col. Ephraim Doolittle's Regt. of 8 mos. Men in 1775. as Lieut. Col. from Princeton. Also in Col. Israel Hutchinson's Regt. and was taken prisoner Nov. 16. 1776 at Fort Washington, and held till May. 28. 1778. as Lt. Col. Wages and disbursement made up by Special Act of Gen. Court. Feby. 6. 1783 in 4 notes, bearing date Feby. 8. 1783 £8497. 2. 0.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed the Seal of the Commonwealth, the date above written.
Francis De Witt Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Secretary's Office, Boston,
18
Be pleased to file a declaration in this office, agreeably to the accompanying regulations, and search will be made for the revolutionary service of Col. Bray Holden and the result forwarded to your address. Particular attention is called to the second regulation.
I have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,

The following REGULATIONS, to be observed in the examination of the Revolutionary Rolls in this office, have been rendered necessary under the rules which are established in the Pension Department at Washington, viz:—
1. Every application requiring search or certificate must be made to the Secretary, in writing, by the claimant, or by some person duly authorized by the claimant; and the signature to the application must be attested by some magistrate.
2. In all cases where the application is made by any person other than the claimant, a power of attorney, attested by a magistrate , authorizing such person to act in the claimant's behalf, must accompany the application.
3. The application must set forth, as fully as the circumstances of the case will allow, the residence and service of the soldier, and the names of the officers under whom he served; and no search will be made until after the filing of such written application.
“Regulations to be observed in the examination of the Massachusetts Revolutionary Papers in the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.”
“The application must be made to the Secretary, in writing, by the claimant, or by some person duly authorized by the claimant, by a written power of attorney, attested by a magistrate. The signature of the claimant must in all cases be attested in like manner.
“The application must set forth, as fully as the circumstances of the case will allow, the residence of the soldier, &c., at the time of the service, and the names of the various officers under whom he served, as well as the nature of such service.
“The certificate of the Secretary must show that the search was made, after the filing of such application, by himself, or by one of his Clerks, alone, and must be accompanied by the original application of the claimant or of his attorney, and by a detailed statement, under the signature of the Secretary and the Seal of the State, of the circumstances which satisfied that officer of the identity of the party described in the application with the individual who rendered the service.
J. L. EDWARDS, Commissioner of Pensions.”
The following is an extract from a letter received by the Secretary from J. E. Heath, Esq., Commissioner of Pensions, dated March 19, 1852:—
“I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3d inst., accompanied by a copy of the Regulations now in force in your office in the examination of your Revolutionary Rolls; and, in reply to your questions, have to state that, in my opinion, the said Regulations could not be relaxed in any particular without serious injury to the Government and the rights of individuals justly entitled to the benefits of the Revolutionary Pension Laws. Indeed, even with those guards around your rolls, I am satisfied they are frequently used by unscrupulous individuals to sustain applications not embraced by the laws, and as a means of obtaining exorbitant fees.”

APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF REVOLUTIONARY SERVICES,
Made by the only child of the party who rendered the service.
Joel Holden State of Mass County of Worcester Town of Rutland
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is hereby requested to furnish evidence from the Rolls in his office, of the service of Col Benjamin Holden in the war of the Revolution.
He was a native of the Town of Dedham in the County of Mass and State of Mass
He enlisted from the Town of Princeton in the County of Worcester and State of Mass in the year 1775 as a Col in the Company commanded by Captain Addison Richardson in the ninth Regiment and he served as follows,* viz:—
Three or four years
* Here describe, as fully as may be, the length of service, the rank, &c., of the claimant, or the capacity in which he served, and all other particulars known.

I am now Eighty four years old, and my memory does not enable me to state the services more fully than above stated.
Witness my hand, this Twenty fourth day of February — A. D. 18 56 —
Signed by said Joel Holden in my presence, } Charles M. Miles JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.
Joel Holden

August 5, 1939
Holden, Lt. Col. C-17965
Mr. C. H. Rohrer Rooms 323-325-327, City Hall Annex 34 Court Street Rochester, New York
BENJAMIN HOLDEN R. 5121 BA-J/MHF:MLB
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request to know the burial place of Lieutenant Holden, of Massachusetts.
The Revolutionary War records of this office show that claims for pension and bounty land were made to the United States based upon service of a Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Holden of Massachusetts, which may be the record of the officer in whom you are interested.
All papers in those claims have been examined and the place of burial of that officer is not shown therein.
He was a native of Dedham, Massachusetts, entered service from Princeton, Massachusetts. His son, Joel, was living in Rutland, Worcester County, Massachusetts, in 1856, aged eighty-four years.
I should have said —————→ Cl. for pen. & b.l. based upon service. No other (record) of a Lieutenant Colonel Holden is on file in this office.
Very truly yours
G. H. SWEET Acting Executive Assistant to the Administrator

no 39.133
Benjamin Holden, decd. Massachusetts
Lt. Hon. Eli Hagar, Jan. 28. 1858
5121
Ad. June 7. 1832

PENSION OFFICE,
Official Business.
Benjamin Holden Miss. Solgenale
Heald
See letter inside No papers
Wm E Thayer N. of K

1939 - Aug. 5 - C.H. Rohrer inf. place of burial not known
REJECTED
5191
P. O.
Benjamin Holden
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
Boston, Feby 21 st . 1856
Sir:
Any arrears due to Benj n Holden if alive, would be due to the heirs of Benj n Holden
Ch s M. Miles Esqr
Most respectfully Your obt. Servt. N. Lyman Strong Clerk of Pensions.

MONROE COUNTY VETERANS' SERVICE BUREAU
THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL ANNEX, ROOMS 323 - 325 - 327
34 COURT STREET :: ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
TELEPHONE, MAIN 3105
HISTORICAL DIVISION
March 14, 1939.
E. L. Bailey, Director, Dependents Claims Service, Veterans Administration, Washington, D. C.
Re: HOLDEN, Lt. Col. C-17965.
Dear Sir:
Please advise the burial place of the above captioned who was in the same company as Captain Israel Newell and Lieutenant Eliphalan Bride in the Revolutionary War.
He enlisted at Lynn, Massachusetts for eight months, which time was served at Boston, and again served in 1776 with the same officers at Fort Washington and Fort Island.
Your usual prompt courtesies will be sincerely appreciated.
Yours very truly,
A handwritten signature in cursive, reading "C. H. Rohrer".
C. H. Rohrer, Historical and Grave Registrar.
CHR:WJ