Holy History Jackpot!

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)

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 establishment to serve for one year. We were stationed at Cambridge hill April & then marched to New London & New haven & then went to New York & then we marched to Albany, then to Saratoga 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 tarried 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 pension – 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

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Washington at Trenton

Battle of Princeton

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