Revolutionary War Pension Application File, Reuben Damon / Daman

So many ancestors, so VERY little time!! I was just cleaning up my hard drive when I came across a Revolutionary War Pension file for my 4th great grandfather, Reuben Damon. I had downloaded it from Heritage Quest several years ago.  At the time I was thrilled with the fact that it was available online. I downloaded all 6 pages of it and haven't thought of it again until today. 

You may not be aware of it, but Heritage Quest, which is accessible through many libraries,  has a database of "selected" Revolutionary War pension application files. They are taken from the National Archives and Records Administration "selected" series, which means NARA went through and picked out those files they thought genealogists might want to see, and filmed them. Heritage Quest put them online, which seemed altogether miraculous at the time. BUT they only contain the pages of the selected series. The other, more complete microfilm series contains all pension and bounty land records, but was probably much too large for Heritage Quest to tackle at the time. As a result this database is woefully incomplete, something that might be overlooked by a new researcher. Not only that but the images are shot at a low resolution and very grainy, as you'd expect for earlier technology. Here is one page, plus a detailed shot. 

In the years since I downloaded the HQ file, Footnote.com has come online, and bless them, they have complete Revolutionary War pension files (along with hundreds of other records types). So off I rushed to check their version. I used to have a stand-alone subscription to their site, but my subscription ran out on 28 July of this year. I knew that NEHGS had an agreement with Footnote and we were supposed to be able to get a discount on it through our membership with them, so I went hunting for that information.

From what I can tell, NEHGS and Footnote no longer have this agreement. I found an old link to the offer being the brazen beast I am, clicked on it. Though it was supposed to have expired in February, my transaction went through. So I'm okay for another year!

Here is the much easier to read version. This one has 23 pages.

Reuben Daman's file is a moderate 27 pages long. Exactly which of these pages did the HQ people select? One was the index card, so that left only 5 pages of information. Suffice to say, lots was left out of the HQ file.The clerk had extremely neat handwriting and his spelling was impeccable, even by today' standards, though punctuation is a bit wobbly at times. Our pensioner's memory is very good, and he has witnesses to most of his service, including, wondrously enough, Samuel Deane, author of the History of Scituate! I feel I must run to that book now and see if he speaks of his buddy Reuben, knowing that anything he said about him was likely first-hand information.

To transcribe the file I created a document in my Mac word processing program, Pages. It has facing pages so that I can insert the pension page on the left and transcribe it on the right side. This makes it easy to compare and contrast.

Pension files contain a wealth of information about the pensioner, his family, his war service, his buddies and his era. The absolute best part is that we get it in the pensioner's own words. Below is the first part of his file, not in Reuben's words, but tells what he was up to during the Revolution. I like to think I got my interest in the flute from Reuben, Fifer! I started here with Footnote.com's page 4 of the file, just because I thought was the most interesting and concise portion. I will do the rest later and probably upload it to my new website (in progress). Don't look for it soon, but I plan to put up transcriptions and little histories, etc. 

This is what it will look like.

Here is the Footnote.com version. So much easier on the eyes.

State of Massachusetts }

County of Plymouth       }  ss.

On this twenty second day of August A.D. 1832 personally

appeared in open Court, before the Hon^l Wilkes Wood Judge of the

Court of Probate for the said County of Plymouth, now sitting

at Hanover in said County, Reuben Damon a Resident of

Scituate in the said County of Plymouth & State of Massachusetts

aged seventy three years, who being first duly sworn according

to law, doth on his oath make the following delaration 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 named officers and served as herein stated to wit:

1^st In August or Sep^r of 1776 he entered said service as a

private and did the duty of Fifer in the Company commanded by

Joseph Stetson, Lieut. Bemjamin Studley and Ensign Benj Holmes,

marched to Roxbury was stationed there a short time, then marched

to Boston, and was stationed near [Acmoody’s] lane, there was one

other Company there at the same time. his duty to guard the town 

and public stores. he served three months, was then discharged

and returned home to Scituate. He can prove this service by

Charles Turner, who served with him and his deposition is annexed.

2^d In the month of May A.D. 1777. He volunteerd and went

to Castle William in Boston harbour, was employed in repairing

and rebuilding the fortifications which the Brittish troops had de=

molished on their leaving Boston, the Engineer under whom he

served was Col^l Burbeck. he served three months was then

discharged and returned hom to Scituate, he knows of no one 

living by whom he can prove this service and his deposition is

ann

3^d In the month of July as he thinks A.D. 1778 he

entered said service as a private in the Company commanded

by Joseph Cliff of Marshfield, the other Officers not recollected

he with two other soldiers went directly to Howland’s Ferry, and

there joined said Company, in August crossed the Ferry to Rhode

Island. his Company was attached to Col Thayers’ Regiment as he

thinks. Gen^l Sullivan was commander in chief. The American

troops remained on the Island about three weeks after he joined

them, then they all retreated before the British troops, and his

Regiment retreated over Howland’s Ferry to Tiverton, then marched

to Providence, then to Patuxett and there continued to the end

of his term he having served, one month & 19 days he was then dis=

charged and returned home to Scituate the last of October as he

thinks. he can prove this service by Francis Litchfield who

served with him and his deposition is hereto annexed. Also see

the Certificate of the Secretary of the State of Massachusetts annexed, in which

he is who stated to have served four days more in the Lexington Alarm

4^th In April A.D. 1779. he entered said service as a private

in the Company commanded by Captain Wilder, the other Officers ⁽not⁾

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recollected, went to Nantaskett, joined said Company was there

stationed and served to the end of his term, he having served three

months, was then discharged and returned home to Scituate, there

was a Company of Artillery commanded by Peter Nichols stationed

there at the same time. he knows of no one living by whom

he can prove this service.

5^th In July as he thinks A.D. 1780 he entered said service

as a private in Cap Amos Turner’s Company, Lieut Benjn Stetson

Ensign Nathl Brooks, marched to Howland’s Ferry and crossed over

to Newport on Rhode Island. his Company was attached to Coll John

Jacob’s Regiment, Lieut Col John Clapp, After serving with said Regt.

four or five weeks, he with three others of his Company was detached to

tend Howland’s Ferry and so continued untill the end of his term, and

having served four months. he was discharged and returned home.

Elisha Briggs who served in the same Company with him can prove

this service, his disposition is annexed.

He served in all as aforesaid fourteen months & 19 days, he never

received a written discharge, nor has he any documentary evidence

of his service.

He was born in Scituate the 13^th day of February 1759.

His birth is recorded in the town Records of Scituate. He lived in

Scituate when he entered said service and has always lived there,

He volunteered or enlisted into each tern of service aforesaid

he was in no instance drafted, nor was he a substitute. He

has named all the officers under whom he served that now recollects

also all the important circumstances of his service.

He is known in his present neighborhood to Samuel Deane

Samuel A. Turner and others who can testify as to his character

for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the

Revolution

Reuben Daman (signature)

He 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.

Reuben Daman (signature)

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

Attest Jacob H. Loud Register

We Samuel Deane       a clery man residing in the town

of Scituate in the County of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts

and Samuel A. Turner     residing in the same town hereby

certify that we are well acquainted with Reuben Damon who

has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe

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him to be seventy three years of age, that he is reputed and believed

in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the

Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion_

Samuel Deane (signature)

Samuel A. Turner (signature)

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid,

Attest Jacob H. Loud Register

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after

the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories

prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant

was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states, And the Court

further certifies that it appears to them that Samuel Deane who

has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the

said town of Scituate and that Samuel A. Turner who has

also signed the same is a resident in the same town and is a 

credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.

By the Court attest Jacob H. Loud Register

I Jacob H. Loud Register of the said Court of

Probate do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original

proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of

Reuben Damon for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and

seal of said Court   this twenty second day of August in the year of

our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two,

Jacob H. Loud

Here is a lovely record of his birth, something commonly found in Revolutionary War pension files.