State of New York

Schoharie County

 

            On this sixth day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred thirty three personally appeared in open court before the Honorable William Beckmann, Harry Shafer and William Mann, The Court of Common Pleas of the County of Schoharie in the State of New York, now SAMUEL BLISS, a resident of the Town of Broome in the said County of Schoharie, aged seventy years, nearly seventy one years, who being they duly sworn according to Law doth in his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

 

-That he enlisted in the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated Colonel Walker, Captain Israel Hick, Lieutenant James Horton, Ensign Samuel Carpenter. – That he does not recollect the names of the other officers, nor the Christian name of the Colonel. – That he entered the Service as a private in the first day of January in the year 1777, and that he left the service the first day of April in the same year. – That he resided in the Town of Rehoboth in the County of Bristol in the state of Massachusetts when he entered the service. – That he entered the service as a volunteer to enlist for the term of three months. – That he joined the Company at Rehoboth, immediately on his enlistment marched with them to Providence in the State of Rhode Island & there joined the Regiment to which he belonged, and marched to the Town of Warwick in the State of Rhode Island, lay there as a guard to the shore until the expiration of the term of his enlistment, when he was dismissed and returned home. – That he was in no battle & saw no Continental Regiment, Company, or Officer during the period.

 

And the said Bliss further saith that he again entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated: Colonel Jacobs, Captain Jacob Fuller, Lieutenant Samuel Horton, Ensign Michael Mollon. That he does not recollect the names of the other officers nor the Christian name of the Colonel. – That he entered the service as a private in the fore part of the month of March in the year 1778, the day of the month he does not recollect, and left the Service the <page 2> for part of the month of March in the year 1779, one year from the time he entered it. –That he resided in the Town of Rehoboth in the County of Bristol in the State of Massachusetts, when he entered the Service. – That he entered the Service as a Volunteer & enlisted for one year. – That he joined his Company at Rehoboth immediately on his enlistment and marched with them to the Town of Freetown in the said County of Bristol. Soon after he arrived at this place he was in a skirmish with a party of British, who had come from Rhode Island for the purpose of burning Fall River mills. The succeeded in burning one of the mills and then retreated. – That he lay there about five months with the Company and then marched to the Town of Taunton in the State of Rhode Island where he joined his Regiment and immediately crossed into the Islands of Rhode Island, and marched to Butts Hill in the said Islands, and there joined the Army of General Sullivan. – That he lay on the Islands of Rhode Island about three weeks. – That he was in the Battle on Rhode Island between the Americans under General Sullivan & the British. – That soon after this battle he marched with his Regiment to Sakonnet <Seconnet sic!> Point on the main land. Lay there about six weeks. –That he was taken sick at this place and was confined to the hospital. – That the Regiment then marched back to the Town of Freetown in the State of Massachusetts. – That he was carried with them and stayed there a short time. Then he went home on his parole. – That he returned unable to do duty until the expiration of his term of enlistment. –That it was at least eight months from the time he enlisted into the service until he went home.

 

And, the said Bliss further saith that he has no documentary evidence of his Service as above states, and that he never received any written discharge from the Service. – And, that he knows of know person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service except Esther Kingsley, whose affidavit is hereto annexed. – That he was born in the Town of Rehoboth in the County of Bristol in the State of Massachusetts, where he resided until the spring of the year 1782; when he removed to the State of Rhode Island, where he resided until the spring of the year 1785; when he moved to the County of Berkshire in the State of Massachusetts, where he resided <Page 3> until the spring of the year 1803, when he resided in the County of Saratoga in the State of New York until the year 1807, when he moved to the Town of Pownall in the County of Bennington, in the State of Vermont, where he resided until the spring of the year 1815, when he removed to the now Town of Broome in the County of Schoharie, State of New York, where he has since resided. – That he has a record of his age in his family Bible.

 

He herby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any state.

 

Sworn to & subscribed the day and year

aforesaid in open court.

JOHN GEBHARD JR., CLERK                                              SAMUL BLISS [his own
                                                                                                signature.]

 

Originally transcribed by me, 27 June 1997, from copies of the records as appear in the Pension File of Samuel Bliss, # S 12239. Michael J. Fitzgerald, Ph. D., 19 September 2008.