In This Article
His Story
On May 7, 1818, John Richards appeared before a Massachusetts court to establish his right to a federal pension for service during the American Revolution. More than three decades had passed since his reported discharge from the Continental Army. He was now living in Adams, Berkshire County, far from the southeastern Massachusetts town where he had entered military service.
Richards’s pension declaration connected him to Colonel Henry Jackson’s Massachusetts regiment, an organization belonging to the Continental Army during the later years of the struggle for American independence.
He identified Rehoboth, Massachusetts, as his place of enlistment. His testimony described service under Jackson and a company commander whose name is difficult to read in the surviving transcription. Another declaration identified Captain Hunt.
According to Richards, his military career ended at Snake Hill, New York, in November 1783. The location placed his reported discharge in the Hudson Valley, a region that had played a central role in American military strategy throughout the Revolution.
By the autumn of 1783, the United States had achieved diplomatic recognition of its independence. The Treaty of Paris had been signed in September, but the process of reducing and discharging the Continental Army continued afterward.
Richards was among the soldiers whose military service extended into this final period. His pension administration credited him with three years of service and authorized an allowance of eight dollars per month.
The pension papers also preserve glimpses of his civilian life. A later declaration in 1820 included a schedule of personal property and mentioned Sally Richards and a son named Andrew.
Other documents in the pension file identified Sally as his widow, establishing that the family’s involvement with the federal pension system continued after his death.
These records reveal an ordinary Continental soldier whose experiences are preserved primarily through government paperwork rather than a detailed wartime diary.
His testimony identifies his regiment, officers, enlistment location, and discharge, while leaving questions about his individual battles, family origins, and final resting place.
John Richards’s story illustrates the enduring connection between Revolutionary War service and the federal pension system that eventually recognized veterans who had grown older in the republic they helped establish.
Early Life
Birth and Family Origins
The precise date and location of John Richards’s birth have not been established from the available pension transcriptions.
His declaration of May 7, 1818, recorded his age as fifty-seven. A subsequent declaration dated July 3, 1820, described him as sixty years old.
These statements suggest that Richards was born around 1760 or 1761. The difference may reflect approximate recollection, an imprecisely reported age, or a transcription difficulty.
Neither statement provides a verified birth date, and no original birth or baptismal record has been identified in the material examined for this biography.
The names of his parents and the circumstances of his childhood also remain unknown.
Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Richards stated that he enlisted at Rehoboth, Massachusetts, a community in the southeastern portion of the state near the Rhode Island border.
Rehoboth had developed as an agricultural settlement during the colonial period. Its location connected the community to the wider commercial and social networks of southeastern Massachusetts and Narragansett Bay.
During the Revolution, towns throughout the region supplied soldiers to militia organizations, state military establishments, and the Continental Army.
Richards’s declaration establishes Rehoboth as his place of enlistment. It does not independently prove that he was born there or that his family had lived there for generations.
Coming of Age During the Revolution
If Richards was born around 1760, he would have been approximately fourteen or fifteen when the war began in April 1775.
By the later years of the conflict, he was old enough to serve in the Continental Army, which depended increasingly upon soldiers willing to remain under military discipline for extended enlistments.
Unlike short-term militia service, Continental Army enlistments could involve lengthy absences from home and assignments far beyond a soldier’s local community.
The exact year Richards first enlisted remains uncertain in the supplied transcription, although his pension administration eventually credited three years of military service.
Revolutionary War Service
Enlistment at Rehoboth
John Richards’s pension declaration dated May 7, 1818, identifies Rehoboth, Massachusetts, as the location of his enlistment.
He described serving in a company commanded by an officer whose surname appears in the transcription as Watzon. The name may be Watson, but the original handwriting must be examined before that reading can be accepted as certain.
Richards associated his military service with Colonel Henry Jackson’s regiment of the Massachusetts Continental Line.
The declaration describes an extended enlistment, and the pension administration credited Richards with three years of service.
The surviving transcription does not establish an exact enlistment date.
Colonel Henry Jackson’s Regiment
Colonel Henry Jackson was a Massachusetts officer who commanded Continental troops during the American Revolution.
The Massachusetts Line formed an important component of the Continental Army. Its regiments served within the national military establishment organized under the authority of the Continental Congress.
During the later war years, Continental soldiers performed duties extending beyond participation in major battles. They guarded military positions, protected supply routes, maintained encampments, marched between posts, and supported operations directed by senior commanders.
Such service required continuity. Soldiers enlisted for extended terms could remain in the army while temporary militia units were raised and discharged according to local emergencies.
Richards’s pension record places him within Jackson’s command, but it does not preserve a complete itinerary of his assignments.
Captain Hunt and the Company Record
A later declaration dated July 3, 1820, identifies Captain Hunt in connection with Richards’s service under Colonel Henry Jackson.
The earlier declaration contains the differently transcribed captain’s name, Watzon or Watson.
These references may represent different company commanders during separate periods of service, a transfer within the regiment, or difficulty interpreting the handwriting.
The available transcription does not allow a definitive conclusion. Both names are retained as documentary references rather than silently combined into a single officer.
Continental Service During the War’s Final Years
The American military situation changed significantly after the British surrender at Yorktown in October 1781.
Although the surrender weakened Britain’s ability to continue major offensive operations, the war did not formally end at that moment.
American forces continued occupying strategic positions while peace negotiations proceeded and military leaders considered the security of the new nation.
The Hudson River corridor remained particularly important because of its connections between New England, New York, and the interior.
Continental soldiers stationed in this region continued military duties even as the prospects for a negotiated peace improved.
Discharge at Snake Hill, New York
Richards reported that he was discharged at Snake Hill, New York, in November 1783.
The Snake Hill name is associated with the New Windsor area of the Hudson Valley, near an important Continental Army encampment during the closing phase of the war.
The New Windsor cantonment had housed American troops during the period when the army awaited the final settlement of the conflict.
By November 1783, the Treaty of Paris had formally recognized American independence, and the Continental military establishment was undergoing demobilization.
Richards’s reported discharge belongs to this final stage of Revolutionary War military service.
The available record does not identify the exact day of his discharge or provide a separately verified original discharge certificate.
Battles and Campaigns
John Richards’s pension transcription contains a difficult-to-read reference to a battle. The wording is not sufficiently clear to identify the engagement or establish his individual participation.
His documented service connects him to Colonel Henry Jackson’s Massachusetts regiment and to the Hudson Valley military establishment. These connections provide historical context but must not be treated as proof that Richards fought in every engagement associated with his regiment.
Service in the Massachusetts Continental Line
Period: American Revolutionary War
Organization: Massachusetts Continental Line
The Massachusetts Line supplied a substantial portion of the Continental Army throughout the Revolution.
Its soldiers participated in the effort to maintain an organized military force capable of operating beyond the boundaries of individual colonies and states.
As the conflict continued, American commanders needed regiments that could remain in service through changing military conditions.
Continental troops provided this continuity, while militia units frequently served shorter terms in response to immediate threats.
Massachusetts Continental soldiers undertook assignments including field operations, garrison duty, protection of military stores, and defense of strategically important regions.
John Richards’s Connection
Richards’s pension file identifies him as a private in Colonel Henry Jackson’s Massachusetts regiment. The pension administration credited him with three years of service.
The available transcription does not establish a specific named battle in which he personally participated.
Participation: Personally reported regimental service; individual battle participation unverified.
Hudson Valley Military Service
Period: Final years of the Revolution
Location: Snake Hill, New York
The Hudson Valley was among the most strategically important regions of the Revolutionary War.
Control of the Hudson River influenced communication between New England and the middle colonies and affected the movement of troops, supplies, and military intelligence.
American commanders invested considerable effort in maintaining defensive positions along the river, particularly around the Hudson Highlands and West Point.
During the final phase of the war, Continental troops occupied the New Windsor cantonment near the river.
The encampment became an important center of military administration as the army awaited peace and eventual discharge.
Soldiers in the region faced uncertainty over compensation, outstanding pay, and the future of their military service.
The Treaty of Paris, signed September 3, 1783, formally recognized American independence. The months that followed brought the gradual dissolution of much of the wartime Continental Army.
John Richards’s Connection
Richards reported that his discharge occurred at Snake Hill, New York, in November 1783.
This establishes a reported connection to the Hudson Valley during the closing period of the Revolution, but it does not document his specific duties at the post.
Participation: Personally reported discharge location; specific military activities not established.
Unresolved Battle Reference
The May 1818 declaration contains a passage referring to a battle, but the available transcription does not preserve the name and surrounding wording clearly enough to identify the engagement.
Until the original manuscript can be examined, no particular battle should be attributed to Richards.
Regimental service and individual battlefield participation are separate historical claims. The presence of a regiment in a campaign does not establish the presence of every soldier assigned to it.
Military Honors and Recognition
No personal military decoration, battlefield commendation, or special honorary rank has been established for John Richards in the available pension transcription.
Federal Recognition of Military Service
His Revolutionary War service was formally recognized through a federal pension awarded under the Act of March 18, 1818.
The pension roll identified Richards as a private in the Massachusetts Line and recorded an allowance of eight dollars per month.
This pension represented recognition of qualifying military service under federal law. It was not a military decoration or battlefield honor.
Original Military Records
John Richards’s pension file contains administrative records, declarations, supporting statements, and later documents associated with his widow, Sally Richards.
Widow’s Pension File Cover
Archival Image: 4168292_00021.jpg
Pension File: W15241
The file cover identifies John Richards and Sally Richards in connection with Massachusetts Revolutionary War service.
The widow’s file number provides an important identifier for locating additional documents relating to the soldier and his family.
Federal Pension Roll
Archival Image: 4168292_00023.jpg
The administrative pension record identifies John Richards of Adams, Massachusetts, as a private associated with Colonel Henry Jackson’s regiment.
It records three years of credited service and an allowance of eight dollars per month.
The pension commenced May 7, 1818, and the certificate was issued September 6, 1819.
Regimental Notation
Archival Image: 4168292_00024.jpg
This document contains a partly illegible reference to Colonel Henry Jackson’s Massachusetts regiment.
The transcription does not preserve sufficient detail to establish additional assignments or service dates.
Pension Declaration — May 7, 1818
Archival Image: 4168292_00025.jpg
Richards appeared in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and stated that he was fifty-seven years old.
He identified Rehoboth as his place of enlistment and named Colonel Henry Jackson as his regimental commander.
His company commander is transcribed as Watzon, although Watson is another possible reading.
The declaration reports his discharge at Snake Hill, New York, in November 1783.
A passage referring to a battle remains difficult to interpret.
Supporting Affidavit
Archival Image: 4168292_00026.jpg
The available transcription includes an incomplete reference to an affidavit and the name Daniel Richards.
The relationship of Daniel Richards to the pensioner has not been established.
He should not be identified as a relative without further evidence.
Pension Certificate Notation
Archival Image: 4168292_00027.jpg
This administrative notation repeats the name John Richards and certificate number 14734.
It also contains references to September 1819 and March 1820.
Declaration and Property Schedule — July 3, 1820
Archival Image: 4168292_00028.jpg
Richards appeared again in a pension-related proceeding while residing in Adams, Massachusetts.
The transcription describes him as sixty years old and identifies Captain Hunt and Colonel Henry Jackson.
It also refers to a schedule of personal property and mentions Sally Richards, his mother, and a son named Andrew.
The exact wording of these family references and the complete inventory require examination of the original manuscript.
Sally Richards’s Widow’s Pension Documents
Archival Images: 4168292_00029.jpg and 4168292_00030.jpg
These documents identify Sally Richards as the widow of John Richards and refer to her pension petition.
The available transcription does not establish the date of their marriage, John’s death date, or the final disposition of Sally’s application.
Revolutionary War Pension
The Pension Act of March 18, 1818
Congress enacted the pension law of March 18, 1818, to provide assistance to qualifying veterans who had served in the Continental Army or Navy during the American Revolution and were in reduced circumstances.
By this period, many surviving veterans had reached old age. Some had experienced financial difficulties, while others struggled to establish the details of service performed decades earlier.
The pension program required applicants to provide sworn testimony concerning their military service and eligibility.
John Richards’s Application
On May 7, 1818, John Richards appeared before a Massachusetts court and gave an account of his Revolutionary War service.
He identified his regiment, place of enlistment, and reported discharge location.
The federal pension administration subsequently credited him with three years of service as a private.
The Pension Award
Richards received an allowance of eight dollars per month, equivalent to ninety-six dollars annually.
His pension commenced May 7, 1818.
The certificate was issued September 6, 1819, under certificate number 14734.
The administrative record includes arrears of $127.51 and a semiannual allowance of $48, producing a combined recorded amount of $175.51.
These figures represent pension accounting rather than a complete statement of his lifetime income or total pension receipts.
The Property Declaration of 1820
On July 3, 1820, Richards appeared in another pension-related proceeding.
The record included a schedule of his personal property.
Such declarations were important because federal legislation imposed additional financial reporting requirements on pensioners receiving benefits under the 1818 law.
These records can provide unusually detailed evidence about the material circumstances of early American veterans.
In Richards’s case, the surviving transcription does not preserve a complete inventory with reliably readable values.
His precise property holdings therefore cannot be calculated from the available material.
The Widow’s Pension
Later documents in the same pension file identify Sally Richards as John’s widow.
Her petition demonstrates that the family’s involvement with the pension system continued after John’s death.
The surviving transcription does not establish whether Sally ultimately received an allowance or the exact circumstances of her husband’s death.
From His Account
The available transcription preserves important information from Richards’s sworn declarations. Because portions of the handwriting are uncertain, the following passages are presented as documented summaries rather than invented direct quotations.
His Enlistment
In his May 1818 declaration, Richards identified Rehoboth, Massachusetts, as the place where he enlisted and associated his service with Colonel Henry Jackson’s regiment.
Source: Pension declaration, May 7, 1818, image 4168292_00025.jpg.
His Discharge
Richards reported that his military service ended at Snake Hill, New York, in November 1783.
Source: Pension declaration, May 7, 1818, image 4168292_00025.jpg.
His Household
The July 1820 pension declaration included a schedule of property and references to Sally Richards and a son named Andrew.
Source: Pension declaration, July 3, 1820, image 4168292_00028.jpg.
His Widow
Later pension documents identify Sally Richards as the widow of the Revolutionary War veteran.
Source: Widow’s pension records, images 4168292_00029.jpg and 4168292_00030.jpg.
Military Service Record
| Name | John Richards |
|---|---|
| Conflict | American Revolutionary War |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Rank | Private |
| Military Organization | Massachusetts Continental Line |
| Regimental Commander | Colonel Henry Jackson |
| Regiment | Seventh Massachusetts Regiment, as transcribed |
| Company Commander | Watzon or Watson; reading uncertain |
| Additional Officer | Captain Hunt, named in 1820 declaration |
| Enlistment Location | Rehoboth, Massachusetts |
| Enlistment Date | Not established |
| Credited Service | Three years |
| Reported Discharge | November 1783 |
| Discharge Location | Snake Hill, New York |
| Confirmed Battles | None individually established |
| Residence in 1818 | Adams, Massachusetts |
| Pension Law | Act of March 18, 1818 |
| Pension Commencement | May 7, 1818 |
| Monthly Allowance | $8 |
| Annual Equivalent | $96 |
| Certificate Issued | September 6, 1819 |
| Certificate Number | 14734 |
| Widow’s File | W15241 |
| National Archives ID | 196489153 |
Later Life and Burial
Residence in Adams, Massachusetts
By May 1818, John Richards lived in Adams, Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
Adams was a community in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, a region that developed through agriculture, local commerce, and manufacturing during the early nineteenth century.
The available pension records do not explain when Richards moved to Adams or whether he had previously lived elsewhere after leaving the army.
His occupation during civilian life has not been established.
A Veteran in His Later Years
Richards was approximately fifty-seven years old when he applied for a pension in 1818.
His application placed him among veterans seeking financial assistance through the new federal pension program.
Two years later, he provided an additional declaration and a schedule of personal property.
The surviving transcription indicates that the government examined his financial circumstances, but it does not preserve sufficient information to reconstruct his complete household economy.
The fact that he qualified for or sought a pension does not establish that he had experienced poverty throughout his adult life.
Family Connections
Richards’s pension papers refer to Sally Richards and his son Andrew.
Later documents identify Sally as his widow.
These records establish that the family remained connected to the federal pension system after John’s death, but the supplied transcription does not provide a complete family chronology.
Death and Burial
The exact date and location of John Richards’s death have not been established.
No verified cemetery or gravestone has been identified from the available records.
The full widow’s pension application may contain evidence of his death date, marriage, and surviving family members.
Until those records are examined, his burial location should remain unidentified.
Family History
The Yost Post · Family DirectoryJohn Richards’s family history is partially preserved through his Revolutionary War pension file and the subsequent petition of his widow, Sally Richards. The available evidence identifies his wife and a son, Andrew Richards, but does not establish his parents, earlier ancestry, or a complete list of children.
The surviving records place Richards in Massachusetts at two important periods of his life. He reported enlisting at Rehoboth and later resided in Adams, Berkshire County. These locations provide starting points for tracing his family, although neither establishes his birthplace.
Family Name & Heritage Richards Explore surname origins and meaning
Meaning and Etymology
Richards is a hereditary surname derived from the personal name Richard.
The name Richard originated from Germanic elements commonly interpreted as referring to strength or power and boldness.
It became widespread in England following the Norman Conquest and eventually produced several hereditary surnames, including Richards and Richardson.
Richards developed as a patronymic surname, originally indicating a son or descendant of a man named Richard.
Historical Origins in England and Wales
The surname appears in both English and Welsh genealogical traditions and was carried to North America by families of different origins.
Different families could independently adopt the surname through descent from an ancestor named Richard.
Consequently, the presence of the Richards surname does not establish a single common ancestral lineage.
The Richards Family in Colonial America
Families bearing the Richards surname were present in colonial North America, including New England.
John Richards’s pension file places him in Massachusetts at two different periods of his life.
He reported enlisting at Rehoboth in southeastern Massachusetts and later lived in Adams, Berkshire County.
These locations provide important starting points for genealogical research but do not establish his earlier ancestry.
Researching the Richards Family
Potential sources for further research include Massachusetts town birth and marriage registers, federal census records, Berkshire County probate proceedings, land transactions, church records, and the complete Revolutionary War widow’s pension application.
Researchers must also distinguish this soldier from other Revolutionary War veterans named John Richards.
The surname’s general etymology does not establish this soldier’s personal ancestry. Family relationships are limited to those supported by the available pension records.
His Parents
The surviving pension transcriptions do not identify John Richards’s father or establish a verified paternal ancestry.
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Family Origins
Richards reported enlisting at Rehoboth, Massachusetts, but the record does not establish that his father lived there.
Research Status
No verified paternal name, birth date, death date, or ancestral relationship has been established.
Rehoboth town records, church registers, tax lists, and probate documents may provide additional evidence.
The July 3, 1820, pension transcription contains a reference to Richards’s mother, but the wording is incomplete and does not establish her identity.
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Documentary Reference
A reference to his mother appears in the transcription of the 1820 declaration and property schedule.
The original handwritten document should be examined to determine the context of this statement.
Research Status
Her name, life dates, and ancestral family have not been established.
His Grandparents
Neither the paternal nor maternal grandparents of John Richards have been established from the reviewed pension documents.
John Richards’s paternal ancestry remains undocumented beyond the unidentified father.
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Research Status
Identifying John’s father through contemporary records is necessary before a reliable paternal pedigree can be developed.
No verified maternal grandparents have been identified from the pension material.
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Research Status
The identity of John’s mother must first be established before earlier maternal generations can be traced.
Earlier Generations
No documented ancestral line has been established beyond John Richards’s unidentified parents.
Although the Richards surname was established in colonial America, a shared surname alone cannot establish descent from a particular immigrant or earlier English or Welsh family.
His Marriage
Sally Richards is identified in John Richards’s pension file and explicitly described as his widow in later pension documents. Her petition appears in pension file W15241.
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Marriage and Family
Sally Richards appears in the pension material associated with her husband.
The July 1820 declaration includes a reference to Sally, while later documents identify her as John’s widow.
Widow’s Pension Application
Sally’s petition is preserved in the Revolutionary War pension file W15241.
The widow’s documents are associated with archival images 4168292_00029.jpg and 4168292_00030.jpg.
Research Status
Sally’s maiden surname, date of birth, marriage date, and date of death have not been established from the reviewed transcription.
Her complete application may contain testimony concerning the marriage and the death of her husband.
His Children
The July 3, 1820, pension declaration identifies a son named Andrew Richards. The available transcription does not establish whether John and Sally Richards had additional children.
Andrew Richards is identified as a son of John Richards in the transcription of the July 3, 1820, pension declaration.
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1820 Pension Declaration
The declaration and property schedule contain a reference to a son named Andrew.
The original manuscript should be examined to confirm the full wording and determine whether additional household details were recorded.
Genealogical Significance
The reference provides a starting point for reconstructing the next generation of the Richards family.
Research Status
Andrew’s age, birth date, occupation, marriage, later residence, and death have not been established.
Additional census and probate records may help identify him.
His Siblings
No brother or sister of John Richards has been reliably identified from the reviewed pension records.
The pension documents do not establish a verified sibling relationship for John Richards.
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Research Status
Identifying John’s parents through Massachusetts town and church records may provide evidence of additional children in the family.
His Descendants
Andrew Richards provides a documented starting point for reconstructing later generations of the family.
However, the pension records reviewed do not establish Andrew’s children or identify additional descendants with sufficient certainty.
The family of Andrew Richards requires additional genealogical research to establish subsequent generations.
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Potential Records
Census schedules, marriage records, land transactions, probate files, and cemetery records from Berkshire County may help establish later descendants.
Research Status
No additional descendants have been assigned without supporting evidence.
Other Family Research Leads
The name Daniel Richards appears in an incomplete supporting statement associated with John Richards’s pension file. His relationship to the veteran has not been established.
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Documentary Reference
Daniel Richards appears in the transcription of archival image 4168292_00026.jpg.
The available text does not establish whether Daniel was a relative, witness, another pension claimant, or a person mentioned for another reason.
Research Status
A shared surname does not establish that Daniel was John’s father, brother, son, or other relative.
The original manuscript must be examined before assigning Daniel a place in the Richards family tree.
Family Research Update
John Richards’s pension file provides evidence of his wife, Sally Richards, and a son, Andrew Richards.
Later pension documents explicitly identify Sally as John’s widow.
The July 1820 declaration contains references to his household and a schedule of personal property, although portions of the transcription remain unclear.
The names of John’s parents, the identities of his grandparents and siblings, and the complete number of his children remain unresolved.
Daniel Richards appears in supporting material, but his relationship to the veteran has not been established.
Future research should prioritize the original pension manuscripts, Rehoboth town records, Berkshire County probate files, marriage registers, census schedules, and Sally Richards’s complete widow’s pension application.
Original Sources
The following bibliography identifies the principal archival records used to reconstruct John Richards’s military service, pension history, and family relationships.
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Revolutionary War Pension File W15241
John Richards and Sally Richards. National Archives Identifier 196489153.
National Archives Catalog -
Widow’s Pension File Cover
Image 4168292_00021.jpg. Identifies John Richards and Sally Richards in pension file W15241. -
Federal Pension Roll
Image 4168292_00023.jpg. Records Colonel Henry Jackson, private’s rank, three years of service, an eight-dollar monthly pension, and certificate issued September 6, 1819. -
Massachusetts Regimental Notation
Image 4168292_00024.jpg. Partly illegible reference to Colonel Henry Jackson’s Massachusetts regiment. -
John Richards Pension Declaration
May 7, 1818. Image 4168292_00025.jpg. Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Records age, enlistment at Rehoboth, regimental command, and reported discharge at Snake Hill, New York. -
Supporting Affidavit or Statement
Image 4168292_00026.jpg. Incomplete transcription containing the name Daniel Richards. -
Pension Certificate Notation
Image 4168292_00027.jpg. Administrative reference to certificate number 14734. -
John Richards Declaration
and Property Schedule
July 3, 1820. Image 4168292_00028.jpg. Identifies Adams, Massachusetts, Captain Hunt, and references to household members and personal property. -
Sally Richards Widow’s Pension Record
Image 4168292_00029.jpg. Identifies Sally Richards as the widow of the Revolutionary War veteran. -
Sally Richards Pension Petition
Image 4168292_00030.jpg. Supporting widow’s pension document. Full substantive details are not preserved in the available transcription.
Historical Research Note
Identification: This biography concerns John Richards of Adams, Massachusetts, whose Revolutionary War pension file is identified as W15241, National Archives Identifier 196489153.
Birth: The 1818 and 1820 declarations report ages fifty-seven and sixty. A birth around 1760–1761 is an estimate rather than a verified date.
Enlistment: Rehoboth, Massachusetts, is identified as his place of enlistment. The precise date has not been established from the available transcription.
Military Organization: Richards served as a private in Colonel Henry Jackson’s Massachusetts regiment. The regiment is identified as the Seventh Massachusetts in the supplied transcription; the exact designation should be checked against the manuscript and contemporary regimental records.
Company Officers: The 1818 declaration contains a captain’s name transcribed as Watzon or Watson. The 1820 declaration identifies Captain Hunt. The relationship between these references remains unresolved.
Battles: A passage in the 1818 declaration refers to a battle, but the wording is too unclear to identify the engagement. No specific battle has been assigned to Richards without adequate evidence.
Discharge: Richards reported discharge at Snake Hill, New York, in November 1783. The precise day and original discharge document have not been established.
Pension: The federal pension roll credited three years of service and recorded an allowance of eight dollars per month beginning May 7, 1818. Certificate number 14734 was issued September 6, 1819.
Financial Circumstances: The July 1820 declaration included a schedule of property, but the available transcription does not preserve a complete inventory. The specific value of his possessions cannot be reliably calculated.
Family: Sally Richards is explicitly identified as John’s widow. Andrew Richards is identified as his son in the 1820 transcription. The relationship of Daniel Richards remains unknown.
Death and Burial: Neither the exact date of John’s death nor his burial location has been established from the supplied material.
Surname History: The patronymic origins of the Richards surname provide linguistic context but do not establish this soldier’s specific ancestral lineage.
Portrait Disclosure: The accompanying image, “Continental-Era Officer Portrait,” is a modern artistic representation used to illustrate the Revolutionary War period. It is not an authenticated likeness of John Richards. Although the artwork depicts an officer, the pension documents identify Richards as a private.
Research Priorities: The original May 1818 declaration should be examined to resolve the uncertain battle reference and company commander’s name. The complete 1820 property schedule and Sally Richards’s widow’s application may provide additional family information, including marriage and death dates.
Genealogical Research Note
This family history has been compiled principally from Revolutionary War pension documents, supporting statements, and later widow’s pension material.
The information reflects what has been recorded or attributed to these individuals in the surviving materials and may contain inaccuracies, conflicting dates, or unverified family connections.
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 ancestry.