Pension Records:
Silas Chandler


Selected documents from Series M804,
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files,
National Archives
Transcribed by Marilyn Day, Jan. 2003
Checked by D.P. Lacroix Feb. 2003
Note: Documents placed in chronological order, dates in brackets added after transcription
 



[The following is a completed form.  Italics represent written portions.]
[6 November 1832]
 

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
     County of Middlesex SS:

On the    sixth    day of      November AD 1832     personally appeared in open court before the Court of [inserted] Probate Common Pleas,  now sitting at   Groton   within and for the County of   Middlesex   in the Commonwealth aforesaid,
Silas Chandler of Westford in said County     aged    seventy-seven   years, 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 7th 1832.  That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.  That is to say:
1.  That before the revolutionary war, commenced, he was a minute man, in the Town of Westford aforesaid, in the Company of Capt. Timothy Underwood, Proctor was one of the Lieuts., the Company was in Colo Prescott Regt which was mustered at Groton on the [?] before Concord fight and on the morning of the 19th of April AD 1775, the company went to the Battle at Concord & they arrived just as the Enemy were leaving, & they pursued, to Cambridge where his company was [stationed?] near the Colleges, and he remained in it, untill the eight months men were enlisted and organized, and his Brother William Chandler who lived at Westford had enlisted for eight months in Capt Joshua Parkers Company in Colo Bridges Regt, as he believes, but can not be certain whether it was in Bridges, or Prescotts Regt, and was in his Company at Cambridge, but desirous to return to Westford, for a short period and [?] [?] who was about to be dismissed, to take his place as a Substitute, which he did and was accepted for him by Capt. Parker and continued in the Company untill after the Battle of Bunker hill when in a few days, his Brother William came back to Camp, resumed his own place and he the said Silas was dismissed, and returned to Westford, having been in service more than two months.

2. In AD 1776 he engaged to go to New York, for two months, and enlisted in the Company of Cap. Zaccheus Wright of Westford, Lt. Robert Spaulding, of Chelmsford, and Lt. Holden of Dunstable, in Colo Eleazer Brooks Regt, his Company proceeded to White plains on the day of the Battle he was sick and unfit for duty, and was sent out of Camp, but from a distant hill he saw the Battle and continued with his Company afterwards, untill he served out his term of two months and was dismissed.

3. In AD 1777 he engaged to go to the northern frontier, two months and enlisted in the Company of Capt Aaron Jewett his Lts. were Sherwin of Townsend and Gilson[?] of Ashby, and he does not remember the name of his Colo or any of the field officers of the Regt, he proceeded to Lenox[?]  being in Company with Sergeant James Wright and then waited one, or two days for orders & then proceeded about the middle of July and joined, his Company at Bennington where he remained till a short time before the battle, when the Company was ordered to halfmoon and continued there till after the Battle, when they were ordered back to Bennington and there remained till they compleated their term of two months and were dismissed before the surrender of Burgoyne, and he returned home to Westford.
 He has caused search to be made for some record evidence, of these services but can find none, nor can he find any person who was in service with him all having removed to distant parts or decd at their former homes.
 

[Back of form]
 He relinquishes every claim, whatever, to a pension or annuity, whatever 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.
      [signed] Silas Chandler

 We Leonard Luce, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a Clergyman residing in the town of   Westford   in the county of    Middlesex and Jonathan Prescott of the same Westford, Esqr    hereby certify that we are well acquainted with   Silas Chandler   who has subscribed and sworn to the above, and that we believe him to be seventy seven years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood, where he resides, to have been a soldier in the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.  Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.                     [signed] Leonard Luce.
        Before me Saml. Dana Justics of the Peace for all the Counties in said commonwealth.
                                    Jonth. Prescott
 And the court…. [short remainder of the document is illegible]

__________________________________________
[New page]
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Middlesex, to wit,
        At the Court of   Probate   begun and holden at    Groton   within and for the County of     Middlesex     on the    sixth    day of    November      AD 1832
On the application of    Silas Chandler    claiming to be a Soldier of the Revolution, the following interrogatories were proponnded to him to wit:

1. Where, and in what year were you born.
 Answer,   I was born in Westford Mass on the 16th of May AD 1755.

2. Have you a record of your age and where is it?
 Answer,  I have no family or other record of my age.

3. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live?  Answer,   I was living in Westford where I have always lived.

4. How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute, and if a substitute for whom?  Answer,   I was a volunteer in April 1775, having been an enlisted minute man, at two other periods I enlisted voluntarily and I was a Substitute for my Brother in 1775.

5. State the names of some of the regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served, such Continental, and Militia Regiments, as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service?
 Answer,  I saw Colo Prescott at the Battle of Bunker hill was there in the fort with him, I also saw Colo Bridges who lay [down?] by the side of the intrenchment also I continued in the Fort untill every man was killed or taken when I escaped by jumping over the fort.

6. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a Soldier of the Revolution?
 Answer,   Deacon John Farwell, Mr. Samuel Read, John Abbott Esqr, Mr. Isaiah Prescott, and Deacon Reuben Leighton, and Thomas Fletcher Esq.

[Additional question hand written]
7. Did you ever receive any written discharge from service?  Ans, I never rec’d any such discharge.
      [signed] Silas Chandler



[15 August 1832]
Affidavit of Samuel Read in the case of Silas Chandler

 I Samuel Read of Westford in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, aged above seventy six years and five months, do depose and say, that I am well acquainted with Silas Chandler of said Westford, that said Chandler was in the United States service in the year 1776 in a company of militia commanded by Capt. Zaccheus Wright of said Westford and in a regiment commanded by Col. Eleazer Brooks of Lincoln in said County, that said Chandler, who with myself voluntarily enlisted into said company [?] to the State of New York and were in the battle of White Plains.  We were in said service two months.  In an affidavit I have given for Silas Howard of Milford N.H. I stated my age to be seventy seven years, but I have since obtained a copy of the record of my age, and it is as above stated.

  [signed] Samuel Read

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
 
Middlesex ss: August 15, 1832.  Then the above named Samuel Read, whom I certify to be a man of veracity, and to whose declarations full credit be given personally came before me the subscriber a Justice of the peace within the said County of Middlesex and subscribed the above affidavit and made oath that the same contains the whole truth relative to the transactions therein stated.

      John Abbot, Justice of the Peace

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Middlesex ss: I Isaac Fisher of the Court of Probate in and for the county of Middlesex hereby certify that John Abbot is a justice of the Peace within and for the County of Middlesex aforesaid & that the signature above written is genuine.  In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of said Court this Eleventh day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty two.

[signed] Isaac Fisher, Regr.                                                     


[The following is a completed form.  Italics represent written portions]
[11 September 1833]
 

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
_____________________________

     Secretary’s Office, September 11, 1833

I hereby certify, That from an examination of the Books and Documents, relating to Military Services in the War of the Revolution, which remain in this Department, it appears that the name of Silas Chandler is borne on a Roll of Capt. Timothy Underwood’s Company in Col. William Prescott’s Regiment of Minute men who marched in consequence of the alarm made the 19th April 1775 – on which roll his time of service is made up for two days –
        Also the name of William Chandler is borne on “a return of the men’s army     who entered the service on April 30th A.D. 1775” – No time of service made up.  Also the name of Silas Chandler is borne on “A return of Captain Zaccheus Wright’s Company, in Colonel Brooks Regiment – Dated at White Plains October 31 A.D. 1776” – On this roll likewise there is no time of service made up.

       Edward D. Bangs, Secty
[Back of form]
Groton Mass Sept. 12, 1833
Upon the rct of Silas Chandler papers in July last; further exertions have been made to procure witnesses for him – And he has been able to procure the Deposition of Saml Reed which is herewith transmitted – And further search has been made at the ___ office – The written certificate affixed some audience corroborating his former declaration and it is hoped may secure his admission for the 3 terms he claims.
          I am respectfully yours
                   Saml Dana for
                                Silas Chandler
J. L. Edwards Esq.
 C[?] Pensions
 
Page added: 22 February 2003
Last modified: 12 March 2003
 

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