Nathaniel Oak, pension declaration at Chelsea, Vt., 21 August 1832 (upper part: service in 1775 and 1776, Capt. Humphrey, Col. Wingate)

Word-for-word transcription (spellings kept; uncertain letters in brackets).

State of Vermont,

Orange County ss.

At Chelsea in said County on this 21st day of August A.D. 1832, personally appeared in open Court, before Hon. Titus Hutchinson Daniel Cobb & [Thoring?] Young justices of the County Court of said Orange County, now setting, being a Court of Record Nathaniel Oak a resident of Chelsea in the County of Orange and State of Vermont, aged 81 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 7, 1832,

that he entered the Service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein Stated — that in the year 1775 he resided in Winchester in the County of Cheshire & State of Newhampshire, that on the 19th of April of that year being the day of the Lexington battle he volunteered in the Service of the United States to march forthwith to Cambridge — and further that he entered the Company of Massachusetts — Militia commanded by Capt Benjamin Hastings & Lieut. Haughton in the Regiment Commanded by Col. John Whitcomb & Lieut. Col Asa Whitcomb & Maj Sawyer, that his Company was called Minute Men, and had for a year previously stood ready to march off a moments warning, and had been called out on an alarm several times, once to Cambridge & once to Watertown — that he Marched with his Company forthwith to Cambridge Massachusetts and arrived there on the 20th the day after Lexington battle & remained there on guard & on fatigue and continued in sd Service about six weeks according to his best recollection & was Verbally discharged at Cambridge afsd at the expiration of the sd Six weeks —

Also that sometime in the Month of June he thinks about the first of the month 1776 he again Volunteered in the Service of the United States, in the New Hampshire Militia in the Company Commanded by Capt William Humphrey, in the Regiment Commanded by Col Wingate & Lieut Col Connor, that immediately on enlistment or volunteering he marched from Winchester afsd to Keene & thence to Charlestown & there drew provisions — & his regiment then proceeded across the Country to Otter Creek — struck the Lake between Crown point & Ticonderoga, & from thence to Mount Independence. Col. Wymans Regiment soon joined them from Keene Newhampshire that several Regiments were stationed there & in that vicinity & he thinks Gen Sullivan held the Chief Command, that he was detailed to cut and open Road from Mount Independence to Hubbardton a distance of about 25 miles — that two Companies were so detailed, & he then returned to the sd Mount and continued there on guard & on fatigue, till his term of five months expired which was the forepart of November 1776. — that he enlisted or volunteered was mustered and was discharged for five months & that his discharge was verbal, that he has no documentary evidence to prove his services and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service except what he has procured —

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. to my knowledge

Nathl Oak

Sworn to, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.

[Clerk attestation continues in 00125.]