Charles Paine, Sr.

Bio

In Massachusetts Soldiers & Sailors of the Revolutionary War (Vol. 11, pg. 784) Charles is described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a dark complexion and eyes, and with brown hair. According to his own account, he was 15 years old when he was sold in 1770 in Providence, Rhode Island, by Joshua Harper to Seth Daniels of Franklin, Massachusetts. Charles purchased his freedom from Daniels in 1777, and enlisted in the Massachusetts Line of the Continental Army for a three-year term. He then served two tours with the Franklin militia. Before he purchased his freedom, Paine married Rachel Hayden "alias Newberry, a Mulatto" also of Franklin. He was struck by lightning while serving at West Point, New York, which apparently disabled him for the remainder of his life. In 1782, he moved his family to Shutesbury, Massachusetts, and then to nearby Deerfield in 1786. Paine and his wife had several children: Melita (1786-1868), Lucinda (1789), Benjamn (1792-1792), Mahala (1793-1833), Timothy (1796), Levi (1800), and possibly Susannah (1803), Charles, and Juda. If birth and death dates are correct, Charles, Sr. died at the age of 105.

Paine applied for aid from the Massachusetts courts several times.  In order to receive it, he had to declare his circumstances, which he did on May 19, 1802. The document (from PVMA collections) is trancribed below.

I Charles Pain testify and declare that when I was  in my fifteenth year I was sold by Joshua Hacker of Providence in the State of Rhode Island to Seth Daniels of Franklin in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with whom I lived till I was twenty two years old, when I bought my time of said Daniels, and enlisted into the Continental Army  in the year 1777, for three years, which time I served in s^d [said] Army under Capt. Nathan Goodale in Col^o [Colonel] Rufus Putnam Regiment; after my return to Franklin in 1780 I served two tours in the Militia from said Town—that in 1777 (a little while before I bought my time of said Daniels) I married Rachel Hayden, alias Newberry, a Mulatto, then living in said Franklin, with whom I lived in said Franklin (excepting when I was in the Army,) till the year 1782, when I removed with my Wife and two Children into the Town of Shutesbury in the County of Hampshire where I lived four Years—In the Year 1786 I came to Deerfield with my Wife and three Children where I have lived since that time, and where I now live

Deerfield May 19th  1802 – Charles Pain

Witness W^m Stod^d Williams

Hampshire ss. May 19 th  1802 Then the above named Charles Paine, made solemn oath to the truth, (according to his best recollection,) of the foregoing Declaration by him subscribed

Before W^m [William] Stod^d [Stoddard] Williams Justice of the Peace

From an 1818 testimonial delivered to the Massachusetts “Circuit Court of Common Pleas, for the Western Circuit”:  

In April 1777 I enlisted for the term of three years in Capt. Nathan Goodale’s company & Col. Rufus Putnam’s Regiment in the Massachusetts line.  I continued in the same company & regiment until the expiration of said term, when I was regularly discharged.  A short time after I again elisted [enlisted] into the same company and regiment for the term of six months, and was regularly discharged at the expiration of said term.  When in the service I was struck with lightning at West Point, and from that cause have been infirm ever since, and am now so infirm as to be unable to support myself by labour.

My wife is dead and I have no children living with me.  I have five children living but none of them have any property to my knowledge.

This court valued Paine’s property at $9.25.

In May of 1802 Deerfield’s Overseers of the Poor, who had provided Charles Paine with aid, petitioned the Commonwealth for reimbursement.  A detailed list of what Capt. Elijah Arms gave to Paine is below. Monetary amounts are given in dollars and cents.

Captⁿ Elijah Arms

April 10^th For 31.h^lb of Rie [rye] Flour…   ,88
“ 1 Bush. of Potatoes…………........................ ,33
“ 15 ¾^lb  Wheat Flour……......................….. ,65
“ 3^lb  6^oz of Tallow…………............................ ,55
“ 8^lb of salt Pork………................................. 1,
“ 1 Peck of Salt…......................................….…,42
14^th      “ 1 Load of Wood…………...…...…..,60
“ 1 Dung Hill Fowl………...........................…,18
“ 22.5 W. I. Rum…………...............................,75
“ a Shirt partly worn……………...........……,40
“ ½ Bush. Indian Meal………................….,37
18^th  “ 29.h^lb Rie [rye] Flour…….…….….,61
“ 1.h^lb  of Butter………….....…….....….....…,25
26^th  “ 29^lb Rie [rye] Flour………….....….,81
“3 ¾^lb salt Pork…………………...........……,47
“  2 Fowls…………………………..............…..,36

Charles Paine died in Deerfield, Massachusetts on December 9, 1839.

Military Service

• April 1777; private in Capt. Nathan Goodale’s Co., Col. Rufus Putnam’s 5th Regiment; served 3 years
• May 19,1777- Dec. 31, 1779; private in Capt. Joshua Benson’s Co., Col. Rufus Putnam’s Regiment 
• Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1780; corporal in Capt. Joshua Benson’s Co., Col. Rufus Putnam’s 4th Regiment; in Oct. at Camp Totowa, NJ
• July 3-Dec. 6, 1780; re-enlisted in same company as above; served for 5 months, 15 days; paid for travel home (200 miles)
• Jan.-April 1781; corporal in Capt. Nathan Goodale’s Co., Col. Rufus Putnam’s Regiment; at West Point, NY