Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30488, Reuben Hitchcock, Mass.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass.
Witchcock, Reuben
S. 30488
CONTENTS

10.505.
Massachusetts Reuben Hitchcock
of Hampden in the State of Mass who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Burt of the Regt commanded by _____ in the _____ line for _____.
82 Hampden
Inscribed on the Roll of _____ at the rate of 20 Dollars _____ Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 10 th day of Sept 1830 and since _____ Willard Sprague Arrears to the 4th of _____ 1830 $20 Semi-ant. allowance ending _____ 10 $30
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Not June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J H & P Blair Clerk, Book _____ Vol. 24 Page 31.

Heuben Hitchcock forwarded by Justin Willard Springfield Nov 18 65 Map
The object Nov 1. 1852 Pamph 6 Mo
124.
Justin Willard Springfield Map

BRIEF in the case of  Ruben Hitchcock  of Hampden in the State of  Massachusetts  (Act 7 June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? Eighty one  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years. Months. Days.     In 17 97 6 Private Gen. Capt. Gideon Hart  
 5. In what battles was he engaged?  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Hampden  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Living Witness & traditionary evidence  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Not stated as credible 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
A. L. Hudson Examining Clerk.

1865 Renebry, Hilti cork Application for Pension 6 mos
1865

Commonwealth of Massachusetts County of Hampden § 88.
On this eighth day of August in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Probate Court now sitting at Springfield within & for said County of Hampden Reuben Hitchcock was present in Wilbraham 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 7 th 1832 - that he entered the service of the United States under the following circumstances viz.
In the month of June in seventeen hundred and seventy seven, he enlisted as a volunteer in the Company of Mass ts Militia raised & commanded by Capt Gideon Root for a term of six months to at said Springfield & there served in said Company on guard duty at the United States Arsenal there situated. his first Lieut. was Solomon Brown of the Springfield & his second Lieut. Miles or Mials he was discharged at said Springfield on new years day January 1 st 1878 by verbal discharge from the Capt. at the head of the Company. - he has no documentary evidence of said service, but he served out the full period of his enlistment as aforesaid - he offers the deposition of his Brother Aaron Hitchcock, as evidence thereof - he was born in said Wilbraham - now then a part of Springfield aforesaid, (where his birth is recorded,) on the twelfth day of May A D 1751 & has resided there ever since.
He hereby relinquishes all claim whatever to any pension or annuity from the Government except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Sworn to & subscribed this day & year aforesaid
Reuben Hitchcock

We Samuel F. Merrill & Ezra Barker residing in Wilbraham abovenamed hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Reuben Hitchcock who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration - that we believe him to be eighty one years of age - that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution & that we concur in that opinion Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
Sam l F. Merrill Ezra Barker
I Israel G. Rose a clergyman settled in the ministry in said Wilbraham in said state that I am well acquainted with said Reuben Hitchcock, & concur in the truth of the facts & in the opinion last above stated
Israel G. Rose
And the said Court - Present the Hon. Oliver B. Morris Judge - after the investigation of the matter & after hearing the interrogatories presented by the War Department, do hereby declare their opinion that the abovenamed Applicant was a Revolutionary soldier & served as he has stated - And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Samuel F. Merrill & Ezra Barker, who have signed & sworn to the foregoing certificate are residents in Wilbraham in said County & are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit and that Israel G. Rose who has subscribed to certificate is a clergyman of said Wilbraham
I Austin Willard Register of the Court of Probate within & for said County of Hampshire do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Reuben Hitchcock for a Pension In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court this eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two
Austin Willard
Register

I Aaron Hitchcock of Wilbraham in the County of Hampden. Hampden of lawful age do on oath testify upon & say that I have always been well acquainted with my Brother Reuben Hitchcock of said Wilbraham - have lived near neighbor to him always - that I was with him in a six months tour of duty at Springfield in the service of the United States as a private soldier - that he enlisted at said Springfield about the first of July Seventeen hundred and seventy seven as a volunteer under Capt Gideon Droot in a company raised by him from the militia of the state, & did good duty in said company at the public stores & arrived at said Springfield for a period of six months being the full period of his enlistment - & he was discharged there on the first day of January 1878 & further this deponent saith not Aaron Hitchcock
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
County of Hampden ss. Aug. 4 th - 1882 Then personally appeared Aaron Hitchcock above named & subscribed & swore to the truth of the above depositions before me.
Justin Willard Justice of the Peace
Hampden ss 1883 And I do now further certify that the above named Aaron Hitchcock is a man of good character for truth & veracity and is a credible witness Justin Willard Justice of the Peace
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Hampden ss I John Ingersoll a Clerk of the Common Pleas Court being a Court of Record in the County of Hampden do hereby certify that Justice Willard Esq. before whom the above depositions was executed is a justice of the Peace for the County of Hampden and that his name thereto subscribed is his true & proper signature
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of the said Common Pleas Court at Springfield on this thirteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & eighty two
John Ingersoll Clerk

30488 Rev INVALID.
File No. 30,488
Rembert Hitchcock
Pri Rev War
Act: June 7 th 32 nd
Index:—Vol. 9 , Page 187
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Rubin Sketchbook
1865
Justin Millard Springfield Mass

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Reuben Witchcoch 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? No 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? Yes VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? Yes 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? Yes

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? yes
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 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? no - alone Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office? yes
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? yes
XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? yes _____
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.”
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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.