In This Article
His Story
On April 27, 1818, John Burbeck appeared before Chief Justice Isaac Parker of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Boston. More than thirty-eight years had passed since Burbeck completed his Revolutionary War enlistment. Now, describing himself as a man in reduced financial circumstances, he asked the United States government for assistance.
Burbeck had served as a sergeant in the Continental Army’s artillery artificers, a military organization whose work supported the weapons and equipment needed to sustain the American Revolution. Unlike soldiers whose service is remembered through accounts of famous battles, John’s surviving testimony places him within the specialized military establishment at Springfield, Massachusetts.
His declaration identified his commander, his regiment, and the exact dates of his enlistment. He entered service on March 25, 1777, and continued until May 13, 1779, when he was discharged by the colonel of his regiment.
John had no written discharge to submit with his application. Instead, his claim was supported by his sworn declaration, the personal endorsement of Chief Justice Parker, and an official Massachusetts regimental roll.
These documents preserve the experience of a Revolutionary War veteran whose contribution came through the Continental Army’s technical and logistical organization. His story illustrates that American independence depended not only upon men on the battlefield but also upon the soldiers who helped maintain the army’s military equipment and supply infrastructure.
A Massachusetts Soldier
John Burbeck’s birth date, birthplace, and childhood are not identified in the surviving pension transcriptions examined for this biography.
His surname appears in the records of several Revolutionary War soldiers associated with Massachusetts artillery service. Among them were Henry, Joseph, Thomas, and Edward Burbeck. Some of these men are connected through later genealogical research to the family of Colonel William Burbeck of Boston.
John may have belonged to this wider family, but his own pension file does not name his father, mother, or siblings. A shared surname and a connection to Massachusetts military service are not sufficient to establish a family relationship.
What is documented is that John entered Continental service in March 1777 and later resided in Boston, where he applied for a pension in 1818.
The Artillery Artificers
By 1777, the Continental Army required a substantial organization to manufacture, repair, store, and maintain the equipment used by its soldiers.
Artillery artificers were associated with this technical and logistical work. Artificers could include skilled tradesmen involved in the preparation and maintenance of military stores, equipment, and ordnance.
John Burbeck belonged to Captain Bryant’s company in Colonel Mason’s Regiment of Artillery Artificers. His pension declaration identifies the regiment as part of the Continental establishment at Springfield, Massachusetts.
As a sergeant, Burbeck held a noncommissioned officer’s rank. Sergeants generally carried responsibilities involving discipline, supervision, and the organization of enlisted men.
The surviving records do not identify John’s civilian trade or his particular duties within the artificers. It would therefore be inaccurate to describe him specifically as a blacksmith, carpenter, gunsmith, or ammunition maker without additional evidence.
His documented assignment nevertheless places him within an essential part of the Continental Army’s military support system.
Service at Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield occupied an important place in the Continental Army’s military supply network. Located along the Connecticut River, the town provided a strategic location for the storage, movement, and maintenance of military supplies.
The Continental Army developed military stores and ordnance operations there during the Revolution. Springfield’s importance as an arms and supply center continued after independence.
John Burbeck’s pension declaration places his regiment within the Continental establishment at Springfield. His service therefore connected him to the military infrastructure that supported American operations across the Revolutionary War.
The pension record does not identify specific battles, marches, or campaigns in which John personally participated. Nor does it establish that he remained physically at Springfield on every day of his enlistment.
His documented service should be understood as service in the artillery artificers, rather than an assumed assignment to a field artillery battery.
Completing His Enlistment
John Burbeck enlisted on March 25, 1777, and continued serving until May 13, 1779.
His own declaration described his service as lasting approximately two years. The official Massachusetts regimental roll gave the more precise duration of two years, one month, and nineteen days.
John stated that he had never received a written discharge but had been duly discharged by the colonel of his regiment.
The absence of a discharge certificate could complicate a veteran’s later attempt to prove military service. In John’s case, however, the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth certified that his name appeared on the official regimental roll with the dates he had claimed.
This confirmation is particularly important because it provides administrative evidence independent of John’s recollection in 1818.
By the time he left service in May 1779, the war had already lasted four years and would continue for several more. The pension file does not document any additional military enlistment by John after that date.
Later Life, Death and Burial
John Burbeck’s life between his discharge in 1779 and his pension application in 1818 remains largely undocumented in the transcriptions examined.
By April 1818, he was living in Boston, Massachusetts. His sworn declaration described him as a citizen of the United States and a resident of the city.
John also acknowledged that his financial circumstances had deteriorated. He requested the relief available to qualifying Revolutionary War veterans under the Act of March 18, 1818.
Chief Justice Isaac Parker personally knew Burbeck and expressed confidence in both his account of military service and his need for assistance.
The federal government approved John’s pension at eight dollars per month, beginning April 27, 1818. His pension certificate was issued June 30, 1818, and sent to him in Boston.
The surviving transcriptions do not establish when John died, where he was buried, or whether he left a surviving spouse or children.
Those details should remain open research questions until supported by contemporary vital, probate, church, cemetery, or other records that can be reliably connected to this specific pensioner.
Military Service
John Burbeck’s service is established by his sworn pension declaration and an official Massachusetts regimental roll certified in 1818. These records agree on his rank, company, regiment, and service dates.
| Conflict | American Revolutionary War |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Military establishment | Continental Army |
| Branch | Artillery Artificers |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Company | Captain Bryant’s Company |
| Regiment | Colonel Mason’s Regiment of Artillery Artificers |
| Associated post | Continental establishment at Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Enlistment | March 25, 1777 |
| Discharge | May 13, 1779 |
| Length of service | Two years, one month, nineteen days |
| Discharge documentation | John reported no written discharge; official roll confirms service |
| Named battles | None identified in the pension file |
| 1818 residence | Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts |
| Pension application | April 27, 1818 |
| Pension allowance | $8 per month |
| Pension commencement | April 27, 1818 |
| Certificate issued | June 30, 1818 |
| Pension file | S.34,126 |
| National Archives ID | 54105722 |
Military research note: The artillery artificers performed important military support functions, but the records do not establish John’s specific trade or individual assignments. No particular battle or campaign has been attributed to him without supporting evidence.
Pension Records and Firsthand Accounts
John Burbeck’s original pension documents are preserved in the National Archives’ Revolutionary War pension collection. The references below identify each document by its date and purpose. The catalog link opens the overall pension collection, where readers can locate the corresponding manuscript pages.
John Burbeck’s Sworn Declaration — April 27, 1818
John Burbeck appeared before Chief Justice Isaac Parker in Boston on April 27, 1818, to apply for a pension under the Act of March 18, 1818.
His declaration identified his military rank, company, regiment, enlistment date, and discharge date.
Primary Source: John Burbeck’s Declaration, April 27, 1818
“I was a Sergeant in Capt Bryants Company in Col Mason’s Regiment of Artillery Artificers, in the Continental establishment at Springfield Massachusetts”
Wording and spelling preserved from the archival transcription.
Source: National Archives, John Burbeck Pension File S.34,126, declaration dated April 27, 1818. View pension collection.
John further stated that he had enlisted on March 25, 1777, and served until May 13, 1779.
He explained that he had not received a written discharge, although he had been properly discharged by the regiment’s colonel.
Primary Source: John Burbeck on His Discharge
“I never received any written discharge, but was duly discharged by the Colonel of the Regiment.”
Source: John Burbeck’s sworn declaration, April 27, 1818. View National Archives pension collection.
John also described his reduced financial circumstances and relinquished any previously granted pension claims as required by the legislation.
Chief Justice Isaac Parker’s Certification
Isaac Parker, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, personally examined John Burbeck and certified his sworn declaration.
Parker stated that John was personally known to him and that he was satisfied with the truth of the declaration based upon his examination and the evidence presented.
The judicial certification appears as part of the pension declaration and continues onto the following manuscript page.
Original source: Isaac Parker, judicial certification accompanying John Burbeck’s declaration, April 27, 1818. View National Archives pension collection.
Parker’s Personal Letter to the Secretary of War
On April 28, 1818, one day after John’s sworn application, Chief Justice Parker wrote separately to the Secretary of War in Washington.
His letter provides unusually direct personal support for John’s application.
Primary Source: Isaac Parker, April 28, 1818
“Enclosed is the declaration of John Burbeck an inhabitant of this town, well known to me. And I have no doubt of the truth of his statement relating to his services, or to his needy circumstances”
Excerpt from the archival transcription.
Source: Isaac Parker’s letter to the Secretary of War, April 28, 1818, John Burbeck Pension File S.34,126. View pension collection.
Parker’s letter is significant because it supports both elements of John’s claim: his Revolutionary War service and his financial need.
It also establishes that John was known personally to a prominent Massachusetts judicial officer in 1818.
The Massachusetts Regimental Roll
The strongest independent evidence for John’s service came from the office of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Secretary Alden Bradford certified that John’s name appeared on the official regimental roll as a sergeant in Captain Bryant’s company of Colonel Mason’s Regiment of Artillery Artificers.
The certification confirmed the same dates John had given in his declaration: March 25, 1777, through May 13, 1779.
Primary Source: Alden Bradford’s Certification, April 1818
“the name of John Burbeck is borne on the official List or regimental Roll now in this office, as a Sergeant in Capt. Bryant’s Company Colo. Mason’s Regiment of Artillery Artificers”
Excerpt from the archival transcription.
Source: Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, certified regimental roll, John Burbeck Pension File S.34,126. View pension collection.
The certification also established a service duration of two years, one month, and nineteen days.
Because the statement was based upon an official regimental roll, it provides documentary corroboration rather than relying solely upon the veteran’s memory.
Pension Approval — June 30, 1818
John’s pension was approved under the Act of March 18, 1818.
The pension roll records his name as John Burbeck, sergeant, in Captain Bryant’s company of the Massachusetts Line.
His allowance was eight dollars per month, beginning April 27, 1818. The certificate was issued June 30, 1818, and sent to the pensioner in Boston.
The roll also records an arrears calculation of $34.13 through September 4, 1818.
Original source: John Burbeck, pension roll and certificate record, 1818, Pension File S.34,126. View National Archives pension collection.
Family
John Burbeck’s family history remains less clearly documented than his military service. His pension records provide strong evidence for his rank, regiment, and enlistment dates but do not identify his parents, wife, children, or siblings.
The Burbeck surname appears in several Massachusetts Revolutionary War pension files. Those records offer possible genealogical leads, but they do not by themselves prove that all of the soldiers belonged to the same immediate family.
A definitive family-tree infographic has therefore not been inserted. Any future chart should be based on verified parentage and family relationships rather than a reconstruction from surname similarities.
Parents
Father — Not Established
John’s pension file does not name his father. Colonel William Burbeck of Boston is associated with a family that included several Revolutionary War artillerymen, but the documents examined do not establish that this John Burbeck was his son.
Additional birth, baptismal, probate, or family records are needed before William Burbeck can be identified as John’s father.
Mother — Not Established
John’s mother’s identity is not recorded in the pension transcriptions. No maternal name has been assigned without supporting documentation.
Spouse
Wife — Not Established
The pension file does not identify a wife or provide a marriage date for John Burbeck.
His application was made under his own military service rather than through a surviving spouse. It does not establish whether he was married, widowed, or unmarried in 1818.
Children
No children are identified in the surviving pension transcriptions examined for John Burbeck.
This absence of evidence does not mean he had no children. It means that a reliable list cannot presently be established from the available documents.
Siblings and Possible Burbeck Connections
Several other Burbeck men served in Massachusetts artillery organizations during the American Revolution. Their records provide possible research leads but do not establish sibling relationships with John.
Henry Burbeck (1754–1848) — Possible Family Connection
Henry Burbeck served as a Continental artillery lieutenant and captain during the Revolution and later became a brevet brigadier general in the United States Army.
Henry’s pension file establishes his own service in the Massachusetts artillery. It does not directly identify Sergeant John Burbeck of Colonel Mason’s artificers as his brother.
Joseph Burbeck — Possible Family Connection
Joseph Burbeck served in Captain Edward Burbeck’s artillery company during the Revolution. His pension file is a separate collection from John’s.
Although both men shared a surname and Massachusetts military associations, their precise relationship has not been established by the pension evidence examined here.
Thomas Burbeck — Possible Family Connection
Thomas Burbeck served as a private in Massachusetts artillery units associated with Edward Burbeck and Henry Knox.
His pension records include additional testimony concerning the Burbeck artillerymen, but they do not establish that Thomas and Sergeant John Burbeck were brothers.
Edward Burbeck — Possible Family Connection
Captain Edward Burbeck commanded a Massachusetts artillery company during the early Revolution. His name appears in the military histories and pension records of several other Burbeck soldiers.
No direct evidence in John’s pension file establishes a family relationship between the two men.
Sources and Historical Research Notes
Historical and Archival Sources
The principal documents listed below are contained within National Archives Identifier 54105722. The link opens the pension collection, not an individual manuscript image.
- National Archives — John Burbeck Revolutionary War Pension File, S.34,126. National Archives Identifier 54105722. Principal archival collection containing John’s pension declaration, military certification, judicial endorsement, and pension roll. View archival collection.
- John Burbeck, Pension Declaration, April 27, 1818. Sworn statement establishing his rank, company, regiment, service dates, discharge circumstances, and financial need. Preserved in pension file S.34,126. Locate in pension collection.
- Isaac Parker, Judicial Certification, April 27, 1818. Chief Justice Parker’s certification of John’s declaration and the evidence presented. Preserved in pension file S.34,126. Locate in pension collection.
- Isaac Parker, Letter to the Secretary of War, April 28, 1818. Personal endorsement of John Burbeck’s service and reduced financial circumstances. Preserved in pension file S.34,126. Locate in pension collection.
- Alden Bradford, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Regimental Roll Certification, April 1818. Official confirmation of John Burbeck’s service as sergeant in Captain Bryant’s company of Colonel Mason’s Regiment of Artillery Artificers, March 25, 1777–May 13, 1779. Preserved in pension file S.34,126. Locate in pension collection.
- John Burbeck, Massachusetts Pension Roll, 1818. Documents the monthly pension allowance, commencement date, certificate issuance, and arrears calculation. Preserved in pension file S.34,126. Locate in pension collection.
- John Burbeck, Pension File Cover and Administrative Index. Identifies pension claim S.34,126 and his Revolutionary War sergeant’s rank. View archival collection.
- National Archives — Henry Burbeck Pension Collection. Related military and genealogical research lead; not independent proof of John’s relationship to Henry. View Henry Burbeck’s collection.
- National Archives — Joseph Burbeck Pension Collection. Related Massachusetts artillery soldier, included for comparison of family and military records. View Joseph Burbeck’s collection.
- National Archives — Thomas Burbeck Pension Collection. Related Massachusetts artillery records, including testimony involving other Burbeck soldiers. View Thomas Burbeck’s collection.
Historical Research Note
Primary evidence: John’s Revolutionary War service is supported by his sworn declaration of April 27, 1818, and the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s certification of the official regimental roll. The two sources agree on his rank, company, regiment, enlistment date, and discharge date.
Military assignment: John served in Colonel Mason’s Regiment of Artillery Artificers, not a documented field artillery company. His precise technical duties are unknown, and no specific battles have been attributed to him.
Discharge evidence: John stated that he received no written discharge. His military service was nevertheless independently corroborated by the Massachusetts regimental roll.
Pension evidence: His pension was approved at eight dollars per month beginning April 27, 1818. The certificate was issued June 30, 1818. The original pension documents identify him as a resident of Boston.
Archival links: All primary pension citations in this article point to the National Archives catalog record for John Burbeck, Identifier 54105722. The individual document titles and dates are provided so readers can locate the corresponding pages within the collection. Direct image links have been omitted because their public accessibility could not be reliably established.
Death and burial: The available pension transcriptions do not establish John’s death date or burial location. Neither has been assigned without independent evidence.
Portrait disclosure: The accompanying portrait is a modern artistic interpretation of a Revolutionary War soldier, not an authenticated contemporary likeness of John Burbeck.
Genealogical Research Note
John Burbeck’s parents, spouse, children, and siblings are not identified in the pension transcriptions examined for this biography.
Although several men named Burbeck served in Massachusetts artillery organizations, their shared surname and military associations do not independently establish family relationships. The possible connections to Henry, Joseph, Thomas, Edward, and Colonel William Burbeck remain subjects for further genealogical research.
Original birth, baptismal, marriage, probate, land, cemetery, and other family records should be examined before constructing a definitive family tree or assigning John to a particular branch of the Burbeck family.
This family history has been compiled from archival military records and related genealogical research. Information may be incomplete, and additional sources may reveal or clarify relationships not established in the surviving pension file.
The Yost Post presents this information as a historical and genealogical resource rather than a definitive account of every family relationship. Readers are encouraged to consult original records and conduct additional research when tracing their own ancestry.