Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-11-01
Saratoga This may explain Alternate

Saratoga This may explain Alternate
draughtng l'
think it is sufficiently shown, the man
ner how aud time when became n soldier,
but for the time Of service it is impossible
TO ascertain, when ! marched out or re
turned home Yet | am confident that not
more than Three days elapsed at either
time between my returning home and
marching out.
Another query Of the Hon Commissioner,
was, "Why did you not apply for IA pension
when Harris and Bemis applied for pen
sions ~ Answer, The reason is Obvious.
Few, very few Of the Militia soldiers could
obtain Pensions under the then Pension
Law, as few Of them could prove when
they were draughted, or turned out as Vol
unteers, the time they served, or when dis
charged 1t was by later Law, that more
especially favoured the Militia soldiers in
obtaining Pensions, of which Law | availed
myself in my then application for a pen
sion, is my answer. And would further re
mark, that the before named Harris and
Bemis were enlisted soldiers Bemis served
six months near Boston Harris served six
months at or near White plains and both
Of them afterwards served six months as
draughted Militia soldiers with myself at
Bennington and Saratoga and each of them
obtained a Pension as enlisted soldiers for
six months and also for three additional
months as Militia men, making a pension
for each Of them for Nine months. Harris
yet lives to enjoy his Pension. Bemis is de
funct
An attempt has been made to ascertain
how many Of the Officers and soldiers Of
the Bratteboro and Dummerston Militia
who then formed one company, and served
u.
now living, and but two solitary instances
have been found Of the existance of said
Company, namely, Saathiel Harris and
myself
And in conclusion, having endeavoured
to answer all questions put TO me, and to
explain everything, whereon could hang
doubt, however, it may yet he euquired,
why have you thus long delayed renew
ing your application. and presenting sec
ond Petition for a Pension = | reply, that
as Negative Decision was given 10 my
Petition and testimony, and an equally
doubtful credence given to the veracity Of
several Gentlemen las respectable as any
in the state) who testified relative to my
Character, excited my Chagriu, which has
long prevailed But now. after lapse of
time sufficiently protracted, have grown
more wise and dismissed my Chagrin, and
III confidence that my CLAIM Is Just, ana
considering my age. aud consequent IN
frmities are daily growing upon me feel
it duty owe to myself and Family. tho
long neglected, | am now respectfully in
duced to ask of the Hon. Agent of Pensions
at Washington Pension suited to the
claims of your Petitioner, to wit, for six
months service as a Militia Soldier.
The formal application, it will be seen, is
signed only by initials and the supplement
tary statement has no signature From
this fact and because Of certain mternea-
tions and erasures, it is evident that these
papers were the original drafts from which
copies were made and forwarded to the
pensions commissioner.
The application was unsuccessful and the
pension was never granted, because the
necessary dates could not Ice obtained