History & Genealogy - When Two Loves Combine

My primary blog at www.mymaineancestors.blogspot.com has more pictures.

I was working on genealogy and looking for some possible Revolutionary War ancestors when I hit the jackpot. Dominicus Smith, my 5th great-grandfather, on the Yates line lived in Biddeford, District of Maine and enlisted in the army in 1776. Last night I downloaded images of his application for a pension but I didn't have time to read them. This afternoon I started transcribing his testimony and this is what I found. (Bold is mine)

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Transcription of the Revolutionary Pension file of Dominicus Smith.

I Dominicus Smith of Biddeford in the County of York & commonwealth of Massachusetts aged fifty eight years & native citizen of said Commonwealth declare & say that about the tenth of January anno domini 1776 I inlisted as a private soldier in Captain Nobles Company & in Col. Patterson’s Regiment of the Massachusetts Line & Continental (unk. word) to serve for one year. We were (unk. word) at Cambridge hill April & then marched to New London & New haven & then went to New York & then we marched to Albany, then to (unk.word) over the lake to St. John [Saint-Jean] & to Moreal (Montreal?) & was detained there a little while where we had the smallpox & then retreated to St. Johns & there crossed the Lake & made a stand at Fort Independence till October, & then marched down to Albany thence went down the North River & crossed over the state of Jersey to Pennsylvania & there joined General Washington & then recrossed the Delaware & attacked the enemy at Trenton & after that marched to Princeton & had an engagement with the enemy there & drove them down to (unk. word, perhaps Brunswick) & we were marched to Morristown for winter quarters where I (unk. word) till my time of one year expired & I inlisted again in the same regiment for six weeks at the expiration of which time I was discharged in writing & also had a written pass to go home but have lost them both supposing after I had got home that they were of no value – I further declare I have no property & am indeed in circumstances & stand in need of support from the country – I have no (unk. word) – I am now growing old and much infeebled & not able to labour sufficiently to afford me a comfortable living - & I pray I may be allowed something to live upon 16 May 1818.

Dominicus Smith

I Stephen Bryant of Saco, County of York & Commonwealth of Massachusetts aged sixty one years depose & say that I have read the declaration of the above named Dominicus Smith & testify that it is true, & that I served a private soldier in the same regiment during the time mentioned in said Smith’s declaration & in the battles there mentioned & am well knowing to his being honourably discharged as he has stated after he had served the year & six weeks for which he engaged. Stephen Bryant

16 May 1818 –

Commonwealth }

Massachusetts } This 16 day of May Anno Domini 1818 personally appeared before me the subjects the above named Stephen Bryant & being duly sworn made oath to the truth of the testimony by him in my presence subscribed-

George Parker (or Barker) {one of the justices of the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Dominicus Smith & Jedidiah Tarbox

Patience Smith & David Shepard

Sarah Shepard & Jacob Emmons

Laura Emmons & Gilbert W. Yates

Estes Yates & Eva Hayes

Linona Yates - my grandmother

Comment by Chris Dunham on April 6, 2012 at 2:32am: Nice find! Here are my attempts at some the words you couldn't decipher:

"Massachusetts Line & Continental establishment"

"We were stationed at Cambridge hill"

"then to Saratoga over the lake"

"where I tarried till my time of one year expired"

"I have no pension"

Comment by Pamela Carter on April 6, 2012 at 8:23pm: Thanks Chris. This was my first attempt at deciphering this type of record and the handwriting is pretty challenging. Of course, I do have some experience with bad handwriting since I teach high school students.

Comment by Chris Dunham on April 6, 2012 at 8:25pm: I have years of experience deciphering my own. :)

Comment by Troy Jordan on April 7, 2012 at 6:24pm: GREAT find Pam. Thanks for thinking of me. - Awesome blog too.

Comment by Laurie Davis on April 12, 2012 at 9:36pm: If he wintered over in Morristown NJ then he would have been at an area called Jockey Hollow - now a national park. Perhaps there is some information further because Washington's HQ was at a place called the Ford Mansion in Morristown, which also is a part of the national park. It is very nice with a good sized museum behind it. I loved going there as a kid - and Jockey Hollow has recreations of the officers huts [log cabins] used there.