Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 2584, John Griffith, New Jersey

SERVICE
NUMBER
New Jersey
Griffith, John
S. 2584
carded
CONTENTS

Died July 13, 1833. (a.p)
491.
New Jersey
John Griffith
of Middlesex Co. in the State of New Jersey who was a private in the Company commanded by Captain Manning of the — commanded by — in the Middlesex Line line for two years from 1778.
1778 - 3 Months 1779 - 3 Months 1780 - 4 Months - 1781 - 2 Months 1782 - 1 year —
Inscribed on the Roll of New Jersey at the rate of 80 Dollars — Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 10 day of Septem- ber 1832 - and delivered to the Pensioner
Arrears to 4th of March 1832 $80-00 Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Sep. 40-00 $120-00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Byrnes Clerk, Book 10 Vol. 4 th Page 152

Declaration of John Griffith in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832 State of New Jersey } Middlesex County } ss
On this twenty eighth day of August AD 1832 personally appeared before me Ichabod Patter one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County of Middlesex John Griffith now a resident of the County of Seneca & State of New York aged Seventy years of five months who being 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 saith that he was born in the Township of Piscataway adjoining the Township of Wood- bridge in the County of Middlesex and State of New Jersey in March 1762 & that he has has resided in said County of Middlesex from his birth until the year 1826 in April when he went into the State of New York & remained there until this time as a resident in said County of Seneca, his birth he understood was recorded in the records of the Township of Piscataway which he has understood were destroyed during the Revolutionary war, That he entered in the service of the U. States in the militia under Capt William Manning & served a three months term of duty in the year 1778 on the lines between Amboy & Rahway in the year 1779 your applicant

served three months duty as a militia men under Capt. Robert Ross and Capt. Matthew Freeman which service was on the lines where he had served under Capt. Manning the year before and the year following 1780 he served as a Militia man under Capt. David Dunham (Amos Freeman's Lieutenant) for a term of four months during this tour he was in the expedition to Staten Island as he thinks under Genl Sullivan in the winter they crossed the sound and the Sec d year applicant got his feet badly frozen and in the year 1781 he served one month under Capt. Dunham & one month under Capt. Asher H. Randolph in which service he received a wound in the wrist by two buck shot which was in a battle between Woodbridge & the sound with a party of the enemy from Staten Island and in the year 1782 he served the whole year from April until April 1783 under different officers part of the time for his own tour of duty which the militia were required to perform & part of the time as substitutes for Edward Griffith his father Jonathan Munday & others & he was in the service after the month of April 1783 for two months — during the time he was in the service under Capt. William Manning was at the battle near Eliz. Town, time not recollected but it was the time when the famous brave Capt. Nathaniel Randolph was mortally wounded & shortly after died your applicant further states that he has no discharge yet preserved & that he knows of no roll or record of the companies in which he served being in existence and that he has no document entry

documentary evidence of his service and that he is known by a great part of the old people in the County of Middlesex some few of whom have testified to that fact as will appear by the annexed certificates and affidavits to which he refers The department of war for some confirmation of this declaration, & which could have been fully done if the officers under whom he served were now living — your applicant 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
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
John Griffith
Richard Potter
We Henry Osborn Jonathan Struman both residing in the Township of Woodbridge in the County of Middlesex hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Griffith who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be twenty years of age that he is believed in the neighbourhood of this place (which is near where he has resided most of his lifetime) to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion
Sworn & Subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Henry Osborn Jonathan Struman
Richard Potter

I the said Ichabod Potter judge as aforesaid do hereby declare his opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories presented by the war department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states & I do further certify that the the two persons Henry Robson and Jonathan Freeman who have signed the same & whose residence is in the Town- ship of Woodbridge are both credible persons & Robson has been several years Colonel of a regiment of Middlesex Militia & Freeman is a member of Mr. Patons church & whose character is unimpeachable - and that their statement is entitled to full credit - And I do hereby further certify that some of the witnesses for the applicant were unable to attend the county court from bodily infirmity In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day & year aforesaid
Ichabod Potter
I H. S. Vanarsdalen Clerk of the court of common pleas in & for the county of Middle- sex in the State of New Jersey do hereby certify that Ichabod Potter who has signed the foregoing proceedings is one of the Judges of the said court and that his signatures annexed to the same are his genuine signatures and also I do certify that William B. Manning before whom one of the affidavits annexed is a justice of the peace in & for the aforesaid County his name thereto subscribed is his genuine signature In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office H. S. Vanarsdalen Clerk

New-Jersey, Middlesex County ss.
Before me Wm B Manning a justice of the peace in & for the said county, John Langstaff Esq. and Henry Sutton who being, severally duly sworn, deposes & saith they were acquainted with John Griffith (who signed the annexed petition) in the time of the revolutionary war, and knows him to have been in actual service in the Militia of New-Jersey, but how long he served or under what officers they cannot now say; that these deponents have been acquainted with the said John Griffith ever since and that he was always had the reputation of a man of veracity, and one whose word in all things might be relied upon
Sworn & subscribed before me June 16 th 1832 John Langstaff Wm B Manning Henry Sutton
State of New Jersey Middlesex County ss
Personally came before me Ichabod Potter one of the Justices of the peace in and for said county Jonathan Freeman & being duly sworn according to Law did depose & say that he is well acquainted with John Griffith the annexed petitioner & that he this deponent served a one months tour in the Militia in the U States service & was stationed at Woodbridge New Jersey being near the lines of the enemy in the revolutionary war under Capt David Dunham (Amos Freeman was Lieutenant) & that the said John Griffith served as a private in the same company during the aforesaid tour of one month & belonged to the same reg t with this deponent & he further saith that the officers then in command over them are all dead & that he this deponent is now about sixty eight years of age & that said Griffith is a few years older than this deponent & further saith not
Subscribed & sworn before me this 16 day of June A D 1832 Jonathan Freeman
Ichabod Potter

August 3, 1938
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mr. George H. Yow The National Archives Washington, D. C.
JOHN GRIFFITH S. 2584 BA-J/MLB
Dear Sir:
The data which follow in regard to John Griffith were obtained from the papers in pension claim, S. 2584, based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.
John Griffith, son of Edward Griffith, was born in March, 1762, in Piscataway Township which adjoined Woodbridge in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The name of his mother was not stated. His birth was recorded in the town records of said Piscataway.
While living in Middlesex County, New Jersey, John Griffith enlisted in 1778 and served three months as private in Captain William Manning's New Jersey company. He served a tour of three months in 1779 under Captains Robert Ross and Matthew Freeman in the New Jersey troops. He enlisted in 1780 and served a tour of four months as private in Captain David Dunham's New Jersey company, at Staten Island. He served, also, in 1781 one month under Captain Dunham and one month under Captain Asher F. Randolph in the New Jersey troops. He served from April, 1782, to April, 1783, in the New Jersey troops under different officers whose names were not stated, a part of the time as a substitute for his father. He subsequently served two months as private in Captain William Manning's New Jersey company. During his service he was in an engagement near Woodbridge in which he was wounded in his wrist by buckshot, also in a battle near Elizabethtown in which Captain Nathaniel Randolph was mortally wounded.
The soldier resided in Middlesex County, New Jersey, from the time of his birth until April, 1826, then moved to Seneca County, New York, and was a trader between there and different states, and while he spent most of his time in New York State, he still considered himself a resident of his native state, New Jersey.

John Griffith was allowed pension on his application executed August 25, 1832, while a resident of Seneca County, New York.
At the time the soldier applied for pension he stated he was without a family but did not state whether he had ever married. He died July 13, 1833.
In order to obtain date of last payment of pension, and name and address of the person paid, you should write to the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the following data: John Griffith, certificate #491, issued September 10, 1832, rate $80 per annum, commenced March 4, 1831, Act June 7, 1832, New Jersey Agency.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator

Application of John Griffith to the Hon. ble Secretary of War for a pension under the act of Congress of June 7 th 1832

District of Columbia
County of Washington S.S.
On this Tenth day of September 1832, before me the Subscriber a Justice of the Peace in for said County, personally appears John Griffith of Middlesex County New Jersey, who being duly sworn on the Holy Evangel of Almighty God, deposes and says, that he has been since the year 1826 engaged as a trader to and from different States, that most of his time has been spent in New York, but, that not having any real property in said State or paid any taxes or rent or voted therein, he considers himself still a resident of New Jersey, his native State, & that he is without a family, farther this deponent saith not
John Griffith
Sworn to & subscribed before me
James B. Pease

Admitted for two years later John Root Nathaniel Root Apr 10. 1832
$80 per ann.
To Pensioner, present

War Department, Pension Office September 8. 1832
Sir.
The papers in support of your claim to a Pension, have been examined, and they are herewith returned, the proof not being satisfactory. — The regulations require the testimony to be taken in open Court, and in the County where the applicant resides. — This part of the regulations has not been adhered to. — You have produced the testimony of three witnesses as to your service; but exception is taken to the evidence of Langstaff, and Sutton, as the magistrate who administered the oaths to them has not certified that they are credible witnesses. — This last objection is deemed insuperable. — The mode of authenticating the papers is not agreeably to the prescribed rules.

rules of this Department. — The affidavits should be so attached to the certificate of the clerk of the court, as to prevent any paper from being appended to the affidavits after the clerk has signed his certificate, and affixed his seal of office. —
I am respectfully your obedt. ser. t
J. L. Edwards
M c John Griffith, of Seneca Co. N York.
Present,

August 3, 1938
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
BA-J/MHF:MLB
Mr. George H. Yow The National Archives Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter of July 26, 1938, in which you request the Revolutionary War records of William Griffith who served in the Pennsylvania troops and was later Mayor of the City of Philadelphia; Henry Griffis or Griffith who served in the Virginia troops; John Griffeth who served in the New York troops; John Griffiths of New York who served in the New Jersey troops, and Burrell Griffith of North Carolina.
There is no claim for pension or bounty land on file based upon service in the Revolutionary War of a John Griffeth who served in the New York troops, nor of a William Griffith of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, nor of any Burrell or Henry Griffith. The surname was searched under various spellings.
The record has been found of a John Griffith who served in the New Jersey troops and lived also in New York State. His record is furnished you herewith; his pension claim number is S. 2584.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator

Wednesday, July 26, 1936
Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Section, Pension Division, Veteran's Administration, Washington, D.C.
Dear Sirs,
I desire as near complete information as possible on the
following persons:
 ✓ William Griffith-a private in the First Pennsylvania Regiment; the only mention I can find of him is the date of his discharge from that unit in the Continental Army. Home-Pa.  ✓ Henry Griffith - Enlisted in Captain Henry Fauntleroy's Company, Seventh Virginia Regiment of Volunteers, Colonel Josiah Parker, commanding; served as a private from February 17, 1778 to February 28, 1779 and was discharged after completing that year's service.  ✓ Henry Griffith(?)  ✓ John Griffith---Enlisted on March 24, 1776, as a private in Captain Samuel Van Dechten's company of Colonel Cornelius D. Wynkoop's Regiment of New York Militia(used as shock troops and referred to as Wynkoop's Shockers) He is listed as 'missing' as of April 4, 1776. Home-N.Y.  ✓ John Griffiths---Enlisted in New Jersey Regiment of Volunteers, giving New York as his home. No further information available to me. Home-N.Y.  ✓ Burrell Griffith- I have no information on this man other than the mention of him in old family letters and a family Bible, stating that he was a volunteer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Home-N.C. 
Rec'd N.Y. & N.J. one
The date I mentioned when speaking of William Griffith, above, is November 3, 1783, the date of his discharge from the Continental Army. This man was also at one time keeper of the Great Seal of Pennsylvania, and was later Mayor of the city of Philadelphia.
There also were some Griffiths, of this family, who served as officers in Virginia regiments during the War. However, I haven't the names of these men. Any information on these men will aid me.
This information is for private, not, official, use. Very truly yours,
George H. [unclear]
I remembered
later than that
this man works in Archives & had called me by phone, to wh. I does not refer in this
This letter came to the Vet. Ad. from the National Archives, where it is assumed, the envelope of this writer was destroyed & on which his address may have been.
7/30/38

1938, Aug 3, Hnt to Rev H. G. Wood
Rev War
2584. INVALID.
File No. 2584
John Griffith Brnt Rev War
Act: June 7  1832
Index:—Vol. A , Page 149
[Arrangement of 1870.]