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Tri-County Legal Documents |
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Tri-County Legal Documents |
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Caleb WHITE was only 16 years old when he entered the service of his country. He was born in Connecticut, and I have tentatively traced his ancestry and posterity to me as follows:
Nicholas WHITE & Susannah HUMPHREY>Nicholas WHITE & (?)>Deacon Nicholas WHITE & (?)>Dr. Nicholas WHITE & Sarah WHITE PERSON>Nicholas WHITE & Sarah CASWELL>Caleb WHITE & Chloe HAMILTON>Melinda WHITE & Nathan C. BALLARD>Malinda “Emily” BALLARD & Nathan Newell FINNEY>Allen McKean PHINNEY & Hannah “Jane” CLARK>Dayton Leslie PHINNEY & Evangeline “Eva” May LOOMIS>Bernice Irene PHINNEY & Nils “Daniel” BERGQUIST>Daniel A. BERGQUIST & A. Sue LYON>Lynne M. BERGQUIST.
Caleb married Chloe HAMILTON and they had the following children (according to Heverly):
David WHITE m. (?)
Melinda WHITE m. Nathan C. BALLARD (this is my line)
Artemisia “Harty” WHITE m. 1st. Stephen PALMER; 2nd Nathaniel HICKOCK; 3rd James H. ROSS
Lucy WHITE m. a Mr. PALMER
Chloe WHITE m. a Mr. PARKER
Sally WHITE m. a Mr. TAFF
Silas Hamilton WHITE m. Charlotte BLODGETT
Sylvia WHITE m. Alanson WORDEN
Caleb WHITE and Chloe HAMILTON are buried in the Granville Centre Cemetery, as is their granddaughter Melinda Emily BALLARD FINNEY, their great-granddaughter Olive FINNEY FOOTE, and great-great-granddaughter Abbie FINNEY SHEDDEN. I have traced his daughter Melinda’s line, some of his daughter Harty’s line, and some of his son Silas’s line.
In Caleb’s service record I have left all errors in geography (Bedford Co. instead of Bradford Co.), spelling, punctuation, etc., as written by the clerk of court. If I could not transcribe a name or word, the questionable material is in parentheses with a question mark. The ^ marks a passage of testimony that the clerk inserted into the record.
Caleb had a very interesting service record, and I hope his other descendants will enjoy reading it as much as I did.
Lynne Berquist Howell
No. 11887
Pennsylvania
Caleb White
Bedford Co. in the State of Penn.
Who was a Private in the company commanded
by Captain Lee of the Reg.’t commanded
by Col. Meigs in the Cont. Troops*
line for 2 years
Conn. And Privateer*
Records completed May 20/05
Inscribed on the Roll of Pennsylvania
at the rate of 80 Dollars------Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March 1831
Certificate of Pension issued the 4th day of July
1833 and sent to David Cash
Towanda, Pa.
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833
160.00
Semi-anl. Allowance ending 4 Sept. 1833
40.00
200.00
{Revolutionary Claim,}
{Act June 7, 1832 }
Recorded by D. Brown, Clerk
Book E Vol. 5 Page
64
State of Pennsyolvania}
Bradford County p. }
On this 18th day of September A.D. 1832 personally
appeared in open court before the Honorable Edmond (Herrick?), President,
& his associates judges of the Court of Com. Pleas of the county aforesaid
now sitting, Caleb White a resident of Granville Township in the county
and state aforesaid, aged seventy 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 7th 1832.
He entered the service of the United States
under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
In the spring of 1778 the State of Connecticut raised troops by inlistment
for one year to protect the seaports & shores of that State against
the Brittish. The claimant enlisted under Lieutenant William Morris
of the Connecticut troops for term of one year; he enlisted in the spring
of 1778. The day and month which he enlisted he does not recollect.
He enlisted at Woodstock in Connecticut, ^at which place he then resided,
the company to which the applicant was attached and two or three other
companies or more, raised at the same time, met at Col. Samuel (McClanin’s?)
in Woodstock. From there the regiment marched under Col. (McClanin?)
to White Plains where they made a halt, while at White Plains, it was reported
that the Brittish were going up the North River, Col. (McClanin?) then
marched his regiment toward West Point. His ^troops at first were
unwilling to ^go out of the State of Connecticut, as by the terms of their
enlistment they could not be compeled to do so, but they adheared to the
solicitations of their officers & we went to West Point.
It turned out that the Brittish did not go up the North River at that time
Col. (McClanin?) then marched his Regiment to New London where we remained
until the expiration of our term of enlistment when Col. (McClanin’s?)
Regiment was dismissed. There were no written discharges given.
He does not recollect the name of the Major—Capt. Converse commanded the
company to which the claimant belonged, until Capt. Converse was taken
sick—the company was afterward commanded by Capt. (Tindal/Tisdal?)—(Lemuel
Gravesner?) & William Morris were the names of the Lieutenants and—Childs
^was the name of the Ensign of the company. The applicant was sixteen
years of age when he enlisted. After his year enlistment was out
he returned to Woodstock & found his father had moved to the State
of Vermont. he then visited some of his relations at Middletown &
Chatham on the Connecticut River—while at the latter place in the latter
part of the summer of 1779 he volunteered in the Connecticut troops for
six months—was stationed at New London and served the six months under
the following officers, Col. Levi Wells, Capt. Lee (Lay?), Lieut. Elihew
McDowell. He has no recollection of any written discharges being
given to any of the Connecticut troops that he was with.
After the expiration of the six months for
which service the claimant had volunteered, he returned to Chatham and
shortly after, in the spring of 1780, he took the place ^as a substitute
of a man by the name of Johnson, his given name not recollected, who had
been drafted at Middletown, Ct. as a militia man to serve two months under
Capt. Miller at Horseneck. He accordingly served the two months at
Horseneck sometimes called Greenwich. at the time of the last service
at Horseneck there was but one company there at the expiration of the time
of service we were marched to New Haven and dismissed.
Claimant went again to Chatham remained there
about a week when another draft of three months was called fore—James Right
of Wethersfield, having been drafted for three months, sent for me to go
as a substitute for him. Claimant served the three months for (?)
Right at the Horseneck—this service was in the summer of 1780. He
recollects the following circumstances that took place during this latter
term of service. The Brittish was then in possession of the city
of New York. Sent as large forriaging party to cut hay at East Chester.
he thinks there were three or four hundred in the party & while they
were there, he was sent with a party under Lieut. Elihu McDowell with a
flag and nine Brittish prisoners to be exchanged. The prisoners were
delivered to the commanding officer at East Chester & the necessary
papers received, and Lieut. McDowell & his party returned to the Horseneck.
A few days afterward he was on duty and heard that nine American prisoners
had come up to the Horseneck from New York. Col. Levi Wells was the
commanding officer at this time at the Horseneck. There were three
months & six months men under him. He was discharged at the expiration
of the three months & returned to Chatham. Johnson & Right
paid him in Continental money which he received with the expectation that
the Continental bills would be paid. They proved nearly an entire
loss to him. He also received Continental money at the rate of forty
shillings per month for his year enlistment, and the six months that he
volunteered.
In the summer of 1781 he contracted to work
six months for one Thomas Rogers at Chatham. before his time was
out said Rogers was drafted to ^go against Genl. Arnold who was then committing
depredations at Fort Griswold, New London. Rogers agreed with me
to go in his place on my six months engagement with him, and I was also
to have ^the pay as was then made in Continental money for the military
service. I accordingly took Roger’s place, was attached to Col. Meig’s
Regiment, who marched to Guilford, Ct. with the expectation that Genl.
Arnold would land there. We got to Guilford before Arnold and awaited
his landing. Arnold, after anchoring & putting out his boats
and sending them part way to shore, he hailed the boats as was supposed
the boats went back to the shipping. He weighed anchor & went
on towards N. York. After one month’s service Col. Meigs troops were
discharged.
In the month of February 1783 He enlisted
for a six week cruise on board of the Brig Marshall (a Continental privateer)
Capt. Noah Scovill—(?) prize master sailed from New London. Cruised
off the West Indies, on the fourth day of April 1783 fell in with the Brig
Hope from Liverpool bound for New York, took her as a prize & brought
her into New London. Doubts were entertained whether the Brig Hope
could be condemned as a prize in consequence of its having ^been captured
after peace had been declared. As the matter was undetermined whether
there would be distribution of the prize, the claimant went to see his
father in the State of Vermont, and left request with his uncle at Chatham
to inform him if the Brig Hope should be condemned. Since that time
he has not heard any thing more about it. The time of this enlistment
had expired two or three weeks before the got into New London with the
Brig Hope.
Your claimant being young when he entered
the service of his country, and not having any written discharges or other
records of dates and the grate loss of time renders it impossible for him
to ascertain the precise day or month in all cases on which his terms of
service commenced or ended, but he recollects clearly the number and duration
of the times that he served, to wit, he was in the service six times, and
served two years ^as a private in the land services and several weeks over
an enlistment of six weeks on the sea.
He has no documentary evidence and he knows
of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service.
He hereby rellinquishes every claim whatever
to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name
is not on the pension role of the agency of any State, or (if any) only
on that of the agency of the State of Connecticut.
Sworn to and subscribed }
The day and year aforesaid }
Caleb White (signature)
Wm. Bull, Prot.
Mr. David Ross residing in the township of
Granville ^and Jonathan Scott of Troy township in the county of Bradford,
Pa. hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Caleb White who has
subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be
seventy years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood
where he resides to have been a soldier in the revolution, & that we
concur in that opinion.
Sworn to, and subscribed the day & year
aforesaid.
David Ross (signature)
Wm. Bull, Prot.
Jonathan Scott (signature)
BRIEF in the case of Caleb White
County of Bedford in the State of Pennsylvania
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a
Court or a Judge? Open court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear
that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? 70
4. State his service, as directed in
the form annexed.
Period Duration of Service Rank Names of General and Field Officers
under whom he served.
Years Months
As a Gen.
State troops
Spring in 1778 1 Private Lieut. Morris
Col. McClanin
Capt. Converse
1779 Volunteered
6 “ Capt. Lee
Col. Wells
1780 Substitute
2 “ Capt. Miller
“
3 “ Col. Wells
1781 “
1 “ Col. Meigs
(TOTAL) 2
5. In what battles was he engaged? None mentioned.
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Woodstock,
Connecticut
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof,
by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls?
8. Are the papers’ defective as to form or authentication? And if so,
in what respect?
The papers are not attached agreeable to the regulations
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the
evidence in the
above mentioned.
George Taylor (signature), Examining Clerk
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