SAMUEL STOW'S PENSION FILE PT2

((First published in October, 2011)) 

I got a kick out of several things in Samuel Stow's Revolutionary War Pension
file statement.

The first is the reference to his being made Sergeant Major because he was
a veteran of the French war of 1756.  I have many ancestors who fought in
the colonial New England Indian wars and I've written posts about some of
them, but this is the first time I've found a statement by one of them  concerning
their service. In this case the "French war" was the French & Indian War.

Another thing is Samuel's name dropping and telling tales on General Washington's
low opinion of the discipline of the troops. I first learned about Washington's
dismay over the Massachusetts militia a few years back when  I read David
McCullough's 1776. There's a lot I'm still learning about the Revolutionary War.
(Although I have a degree in History I was more interested in Ancient and Medieval
History when I was younger. Boy the stories I could tell about Achaemenids, Hittites
and Plantagenets....)

Since Samuel didn't have any documentation or witnesses I checked for his War
Record or the War Roll for his Company at Fold3. I found three images but they
seem to be for another Samuel Stow from a different regiment.

I didn't find any images there either of his Company's Roll. But a Google Search did
lead me to some more information. At this site I found out that Captain Bullard's first
name was Benjamin, Lieutenant Gardner's first name was Thomas, and the Ensign
whose name Samuel couldn't recollect was Joshua Leland. Samuel was listed as
one of four sergeants and one of the men in the Company had the unique name of
Perley Death!

From a site on the Massachusetts Line I was able to figure out that Colonel
Whitcomb was Asa Whitcomb, His regiment was originally designated the 5th
Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment and then became the  23rd Regiment of
Foot.

Since Samuel didn't make claim to any other service after the Battle of Bunker Hill.
I'm guessing her was one of the men of the Massachusetts Militia who didn't enlist
in the Continental Army but instead went home to their farms(much to Washington's
chagrin). After all. Samuel had three young children at home all under the age of five
to feed, including my ancestor Melvin Stow!

SAMUEL STOW'S PENSION FILE PT1

((First published in Oct 2011))

As I previously  posted, I recently found the Revolutionary War 
Pension file for my 5x great grandfather Samuel Stow. It's interesting
for several reasons that I will go into in my next post, but for now, here's
the images of the statement he made about his service  and my transcription
of it:

Here's my transcription:

Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress
of the 7th of June 1832.
State of New York
County of Chenango:


On this the 24th day of December 1832, personally appeared before me
John Tracy first Judge of the Courts of Chenango County Samuel Stow a
resident of Oxford in Chenango County aforesaid aged ninety years,
who being first 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 of 1832, that he entered the serviceof the United States under
the following named Officers, and served as herein stated.

He lived in Sherburn Suffolk County State of Massachusetts near Boston,
and in the year 1775 enlisted into a company of minute men of which
Captain Bullard was Captain, the first Lieutenants name was Gardner,
the Ensign he does not recollect neither does he recollect the time,
but it was previous to the battle of Bunker hill. The Colonel of the
Regiment was Whitcomb of the Massachusetts Troops. On the Alarm that
the British were coming out of Boston, the company to which he belonged
were called out went upon Bunker hill in which Battle he was engaged.
After said Battle of Bunker hill he this deponent, in the company and
Regiment aforesaid, marched to Cambridge where he this deponent
staid in sentnal service eight months. During this term eight months he
this deponent acted as orderly sergeant major of the Regiment. Having
been a soldier of the old French war of 1756 he was appointed to this birth.
He was at Cambridge when General Washington  came and took the
command, General Ward had previously been commander in chief. He was
sent with a letter by General Washington to General Ward who came to
General Washington's Quarters and General Washington thinking the
discipline of the troops not so correct as it ought to be , this applicant
heard him say to General Ward he had been esaming(?) his orders and
found them generally good, and they must and should be obeyed.
This applicant has no documentary evidence and knows of no person, whose
testimony he can provide,  who can testify to his service.

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.
Saml Stowe
Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid
John Tracy first Judge
of Chenango County
State of New York
 

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 12: SAMUEL STOW OF SHERBORN, MA. & OXFORD, NY

4x great grandfather Samuel Stow is my only direct ancestor to move out of New England. He was born 17Apr 1742 in Grafton Ma. to Thomas Stow and Anne Wetherbee. He married Abigail Dana in Dedham, Ma on 26Feb 1767.

At some point Samuel and Abigail settled in Sherborn, Ma where seven children were born:

Anne 17Aug 1770
Samuel 25Jun 1772
Melvin 6Jul 1774
Sally 28Oct 1777
Andrew Newell, 13May 1780
Polly 12Dec 1784
Walter 27Oct 1788
I'm descended from their son Melvin.

As I said earlier, Samuel moved out of New England. His daughter Sally, also know as Sarah, had married Hezekiah Morse and was living in Oxford, New York. I've also found other Stows who lived in that area. After his wife Abigail's death, Samuel moved west to join his daughter's family at age 72.  I found this entry in Henry Judson Galpin's The Annals of Oxford, New York:

SAMUEL STOW, born April 17, 1742, came to Oxford in I819, to reside with his daughter, Mrs. Hezekiah Morse, and died January 21, 1835. He was a sergeantmajor during the war of the Revolution, and in 1832 was granted a pension of $40 per year.-p546

Annals of Oxford, New York: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Early Pioneers, Self published, Oxford, N.Y. 1906



I found Samuel Stow's  Revolutionary War pension file and wrote about it here five years ago. I'll
repost those two posts next.

SAMUEL STOWE'S PENSION FILE PT2

I got a kick out of several things in Samuel Stowe's Revolutionary War Pension
file statement.

The first is the reference to his being made Sergeant Major because he was
 a veteran of the French war of 1756.  I have many ancestors who fought in
the colonial New England Indian wars and I've written posts about some of
them, but this is the first time I've found a statement by one of them  concerning
their service .  In this case the "French war" was the French & Indian War.

Another thing is Samuel's name dropping and telling tales on General Washington's
low opinion of the discipline of the troops. I first learned about Washington's
dismay over the Massachusetts militia a few years back when  I read David
McCullough's 1776. There's a lot I'm still learning about the Revolutionary War.
(Although I have a degree in History I was more interested in Ancient and Medieval
History when I was younger. Boy the stories I could tell about Achaemenids, Hittites
and Plantagenets....)

Since Samuel didn't have any documentation or witnesses I checked for his War
Record or the War Roll for his Company at Fold3. I found three images but they
seem to be for another Samuel Stow from a different regiment.

I didn't find any images there either of his Company's Roll. But a Google Search did
lead me to some more information. At this site I found out that Captain Bullard's first
name was Benjamin, Lieutenant Gardner's first name was Thomas, and the Ensign
whose name Samuel couldn't recollect was Joshua Leland. Samuel was listed as
one of four sergeants and one of the men in the Company had the unique name of
Perley Death!

From a site on the Massachusetts Line I was able to figure out that Colonel
Whitcomb was Asa Whitcomb, His regiment was originally designated the 5th
Massachusetts Bay Provincial Regiment and then became the  23rd Regiment of
Foot.

Since Samuel didn't make claim to any other service after the Battle of Bunker Hill.
I'm guessing her was one of the men of the Massachusetts Militia who didn't enlist
in the Continental Army but instead went home to their farms(much to Washington's
chagrin). After all. Samuel had three young children at home all under the age of five
to feed, including my ancestor Melvin Stow!

SAMUEL STOWE'S PENSION FILE PT1

As I previously  posted, I recently found the Revolutionary War 
Pension file for my 5x great grandfather Samuel Stowe. It's interesting
for several reasons that I will go into in my next post, but for now, here's
the images of the statement he made about his service  and my transcription
of it:

Here's my transcription:

Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress
of the 7th of June 1832.
State of New York
County of Chenango:


On this the 24th day of December 1832, personally appeared before me
John Tracy first Judge of the Courts of Chenango County Samuel Stow a
resident of Oxford in Chenango County aforesaid aged ninety years,
who being first 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 of 1832, that he entered the serviceof the United States under
the following named Officers, and served as herein stated.

He lived in Sherburn Suffolk County State of Massachusetts near Boston,
and in the year 1775 enlisted into a company of minute men of which
Captain Bullard was Captain, the first Lieutenants name was Gardner,
the Ensign he does not recollect neither does he recollect the time,
but it was previous to the battle of Bunker hill. The Colonel of the
Regiment was Whitcomb of the Massachusetts Troops. On the Alarm that
the British were coming out of Boston, the company to which he belonged
were called out went upon Bunker hill in which Battle he was engaged.
After said Battle of Bunker hill he this deponent, in the company and
Regiment aforesaid, marched to Cambridge where he this deponent
staid in sentnal service eight months. During this term eight months he
this deponent acted as orderly sergeant major of the Regiment. Having
been a soldier of the old French war of 1756 he was appointed to this birth.
He was at Cambridge when General Washington  came and took the
command, General Ward had previously been commander in chief. He was
sent with a letter by General Washington to General Ward who came to
General Washington's Quarters and General Washington thinking the
discipline of the troops not so correct as it ought to be , this applicant
heard him say to General Ward he had been esaming(?) his orders and
found them generally good, and they must and should be obeyed.
This applicant has no documentary evidence and knows of no person, whose
testimony he can provide,  who can testify to his service.

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.
Saml Stowe
Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid
John Tracy first Judge
of Chenango County
State of New York