Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 2581, Joseph Griffin, Continental New York

SERVICE
NUMBER
Continental New York
Griffin, Joseph
S. 2581
CONTENTS
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.

See letter Decr 12. 1832. " " Jan. 22. 1833 } to pension agent.
Ohio 1916
Joseph Griffin of Ohio in the State of Ohio who was a Private in the Comp y : commanded by Captain Chipman of the Reg t commanded by Col: Warner in the New York line for 1 year from 1779-
Inscribed on the Roll of Ohio - at the rate of $1.00 - Dollars - Cents per annum. to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 th day of Nov; 1832 - and sent to M c Bosworth, Chester, N.Y. Co. O.
  Arrears to 14th of Sept 1832  60-    Semi-ann. allowance ending 4 th  20-    March 1833-      $80-  
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Nathan Rice Clerk Book D Vol. 10 Page 35.

The State of Ohio } Meigs County } p 3
Meigs County Pleas July Term AD 1832
On this thirty first day of July AD 1832 Personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common Pleas for said County (it being a Court of record constituted by the Constitution & Laws of the State of Ohio) now sitting, Joseph Griffin a resident of Chester, in the County of Meigs & State of Ohio, aged seventy two years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath, make the follow- ing declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th AD 1832 That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers & served as herein stated, to wit, In the Month of April AD 1779 This deponent, being then a resident of Saratoga Alba- ny County (now called Easttown Washington Coun- ty) N.Y. was at that place drafted to serve in the Militia for the term of nine months under Capt John Chipman in the Regiment comman- ded by Col. Seth Warner which Officers this depo- nent believes belonged to the Continental estab- lishment - The names of the other Officers not recol- lected - That soon after the draft he joined the Reg t at Fort Edwards N.Y. The precise day not recollected & continued to serve at that place during the nine months & was discharged in January 1780 - although the Company belonged to the Reg t of Col Warner he was not at that post during the term of deponent's service - That in the month of July 1780 this de- ponent believes, on the 6 th July at the same place

he was again drafted to serve a tour of three months in the Militia under Capt Adiel Sherwood & Lieut Cornelius Robinson. that sd. Company was placed under the Superintendence & control of Capt John Shipman he being a Continental Officer com- manding at an adjoining post & soon afterwards marched to Fort Ann where he continued to serve until the 2 d day of October following when He together with the whole Company to which he was attached was taken prisoner. & the Company commanded by Capt Shipman was also either taken prisoners after a severe engagement at Fort George on the next day & all were taken prisoners to St Johns & from thence to Montreal where this deponent, with all the Company, except the Officers who were dismissed on parol & a few sold- iers who ran away were detained prisoners of War until the close thereof. This deponent states that he has no documentary evidence of his services. that he never rec d any except at the close of his first tour he rec d an order on the Pay master for the amt due him for his services but as continental money was then of little value he did not apply for payment & lost his certificate while he was a prisoner in Canada & that he knows of no person living whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.
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 agen- cy of any state.
Which I subscribed the day & year 3 Joseph Griffin

We Milton Kimball a clergyman residing in Chester Meigs County & Thompson Picken Lucian C. M c Clanahan residing in Chester Township aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Joseph Griffin who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration that We believe him to be seventy two years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revo- lution & that We concur in that opinion Sworn to & subscribed the day Milton Kimball & year aforesaid Lucian C. M c Clanahan M c Clanahan, Clerk
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion af- ter the investigation of the matter & after putting the in- terrogatories prescribed by the statute War Depart- ment that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier & served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Joseph Griffin Milton Kimball who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in Chester Meigs County & that who have also signed the same are credible persons & that their statement is entitled to credit.
And the above named Joseph Griffin being first duly sworn according to law does further de- clare that he was born in Duchess County N. York July 16 th 1760 That he does not know of any record of his age - after the close of the War he moved into St. Lawrence County N. York resided there about four years, subsequently lived in various places working as a journeyman at his trade both in New York the Northern part of New York & in Canada until 1819 when he moved to the State of Ohio, until 1823. had no settled residence since which has resided in

Meigs County Ohio.
Joseph Griffin
Sworn to & subscribed in Open Court August 1 st 1832 W. Bosworth Clerk
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, & after testing the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department That the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier & served as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Milton Kim- ball who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in Chester & that Lucian Col- clanathan who has also signed the same is a resi- dent in the Township of Chester afo d in the said Coun- ty of Meigs & is a credible person & that their statement is entitled to credit Attest W. Bosworth Clerk
The State of Ohio Meigs County p 3
I Marcus Bosworth Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for said County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original pro- ceedings of the said Court in the matter of the appli- cation of Joseph Griffin for a Pension. In testi- mony whereof I hereunto set my hand & affix the seal of said Court this second day of August A.D. one thousand eight hundred & thirty two of our State the thirtieth
W. Bosworth Clerk

Joseph Griffith
Ohio
No 2307.
from 1779.
Private one year
$40.

BRIEF in the case of  Joseph Griffith  of Meigs County  in the State of  Ohio  (Act 7th 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? 72 Years.  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.     April In 1779 " 9 " Private Gen. Col Seth Warner Regt Capt John Chipman   July 6 1780 in " 3 "   October was taken prisoner   Remained in captivity   until the close of the war  
5. In what battles was he engaged? Fort George
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Saratoga Co Albany New York
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Directly
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
X Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
C. Little
Examining Clerk.

S.2581
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
Washington, D. C., _____, 19_____
In reply to your request of _____, received _____ for a statement of the military history of Joseph Griffin a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pen- sion on file in this Bureau.
   DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. STATE.   CAPTAIN. COLONEL.     Apr. 1779 9 mos. Pvt John Chipman Seth Warner Continental   July 6, 1780 Adiel Sherwood N.Y.   John Chipman   and on Oct. 2, 1780 was captured and confined at Montreal until close of the war.  
Battles engaged in, ✓ Saratoga, Albany Co. N.Y. which in 1832 was called Easttown Washington Co. N.Y. Residence of soldier at enlistment, Easttown Washington Co. N.Y. Date of application for pension, July 21, 1832. His ch. ab. Residence at date of application, Chester Meigs Co. Ohio Age at date of application, born in Dutchess Co. N.Y. July 16, 1760.
Remarks: No family data
Respectfully,
Commissioner.

One 2 cent envelope (addressed) recd.
Pensions Bureau - of PWD Stamping our pets M.C. & P.C. Washington D.C.
Rev. Sect. 25
Gentlemen - Kindly tell me if you have any record of Joseph Griffen of Westchester Co., or Duchess Co N.Y. having been a Revolutionary Soldier. Also of Abraham Fardow of the same counties as a Revolution- ary soldier. Kindly advise me at earliest convenience. Yours Resp't.
Mrs Jno A. Henley.
Nov. 6 - 16 - Litchfield Ills.

1916 Nov. 24. Hist to Mrs. Jos. A. Hanley and
) ( . )
Rev War
2581.
INVALID.
File No. 2581.
Joseph Griffin
Rev War
Act: June 7. 1832
Index:—Vol. 24. , Page 149.
[Arrangement of 1870.]

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Joseph Griffith 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? 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?  yes
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?
And is the official character and signature of the magistrate certified by the proper officer under his seal of office?
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?  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.”

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.
REQUIRE 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.
REQUIRE 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.

Chas. H. Smith Aug 31. 1882 for 1716 pounds 280 180 City of Washington
Spec

Chas. 18 1860 Oct 21. 1862
Jan 1-1863
Feb 17 1863
Apr 1863
Genl. J. L. Edwards Pension Office
Appoint.
Sir
Lawr. Cass Secretary of War City of Washington

Charles Neigs County Pa Decr 22 d Ap 1832
Sir
Enclosed is the certificate of Mr Joseph Griffin for correction, it being spelled in the certificate Griffith instead of Griffin & while on this subject permit me to call your attention to another point. I do not recollect precisely the term of time he served before he was taken prisoner, but it presume he is allowed for the time of his service before he was taken prisoner - Now if a pension is allowed on account of service why not for the time when a prisoner? surely hard service is less severe than to be a prisoner, but I am aware that this case will rest on similar principles with others. but I am apprehensive that this point was some how overlooked & it is for this reason that I now call your attention to it. - If any are allowed for the time they remained prisoners when taken in actual service I presume that point will be reviewed in this case if judg es , that he may be allowed the full amt.
I am
M c Bratton
J. S. Edwards Esq.

Chester Maye C.O.
Augt 11. 1832
2305 & 2308
Hon. Secy Wash.
Augt 20. 32
P.O.

P.O. Aug 20. 32
Frank from Lewis
2305-2308 Aug 11. 1832 Chatham Mng e.g.

Chester Meigs County O. August 1 th A.D. 1832
Hon. Secretary of War
Enclosed are the applications of Charles Rice, Freeman Hecox, Joseph Griffin & Asa Dains for a pension under the recent act of congress. I prepared the papers of three of these applicants with some two or three others during court when I had official duties to discharge & not rec d the instructions of the department until the morning of court & it is possible that some things required by the Department are omitted. The applicants are required to state the names of persons in their neighborhood who can testify to their veracity - this is omitted but if the object of the Department is to satisfy themselves by writing to the individuals named I can supply that deficiency as I am personally acquainted with the applicants. I would refer you to David Barker Esq. Post Master Chester T. Montague Attorney at law James S. Hibbard Physician Wm M c Kinley Sheriff M. Co. John C. Beston V. S. See Saunders Justices of the Peace - all of Chester - or the Trustees of Chester Township - The Trustees of Range Township or any or all of them - in respect to Mr Rice - Major Rice of Belpre in respect to Mr Dains lot in Barb. Marietta

Trueman Hovey being having been on the conti- nental establishment The Court saw proper not to record the testimony of any persons as to the tradit- ionary proof of service in his case
I hope that all three applicants will succeed but I have great solicitude in behalf of Joseph Griffin - he is poor & without relatives to support him - is universally esteemed as a man of sound moral principles & of strict veracity if pensions are allowed you can direct them to my care Chester Meigs County Ohio
M. B. [unclear] clerk