Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 21549, Isaac Vernon, N.C.
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(3-1776)
SERVICE
N.C. [North Carolina]

Vernon, Isaac

NUMBER
S.21549
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CONTENTS
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[left page]
SELECTED RECORDS

[right page]
[left side]
Sent agt augt [august] 10 35 [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] 28”

[right side]
12.819
SOUTH CAROLINA
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Isaac Vernon
Abbeville in the State of South Car: [Carolina] who was a pri: [private] in the company commanded by Captain Leek of the Regt [Regiment] commanded by Col. [Colonel] Martin in the No. [North] Ca. [Carolina] line for 6 months + [and] 18 days
Pen. [pensioner] did not serve 6 mos [months] per the afft [affidavit] of Dd. [David] Humphry

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Inscribed on the Roll of South Carolina at the rate of 22 Dollars __ Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
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Certificate of Pension issued the 29 day of May 33 and sent to Jas. Wardlaw Abbeville C.H. [Court House] S.C. [South Carolina]
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Arrears to the 4th of March 33 - 44
Semi-anl. [Semi-annual] allowance ending 4 Sept “ - 11
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$55
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{Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Wm. [William] Miller Clerk,
Book E. Vol. 6. Page 82

[illegible: too faint to read]
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State of South Carolina }
Abbeville District } ss.
On this fifth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Josiah Evans Presiding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting Iasaac Vernon a resident of Elbert County in the State of Georgia aged sixty seven 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 7th, 1832
That he entered the service as a volunteer in the service of the United States, in the year seventeen hundred + [and] seventy seven in the first of the month of January under the command of Capt [Captain] John Leek and Col [Colonel] Alexander Martin in Guilford County in the State of North Carolina, that he was in Capt [Captain] Leeks company + [and] by him marched to Anson County in North Carolina to fight some + [and] catch Tories + [and] to join Gov [Governor] Caswells forces. Before Col [Colonel] Martin joined Govr. [Governor] Caswell he Govr. [Governor] Caswell defeated + [and] catch Tories, he then sent an express to Col [Colonel] Martin to inform him of this defeat + [and] to disband his forces amounting in member to about three thousand men the army under Col [Colonel] Martin was accordingly discharged + [and] the troops returned home having been out in this service three weeks which the applicant claims.
2d [2nd] Service - That the applicant entered a second time with [into?] service of the United States as a volunteer in the Early part of April in the year seventeen hundred + [and] eighty, from Surry County North Carolina under Capt. [Captain] Absalom Bostwick [Bostick] and under Col [Colonel] Isaac or Col [Colonel] Leadbetter [Ledbetter] was marched to Salisbury in said State therein down the Yadkin River to Rocky River there had a battle with the tories, several of whom were killed + [and] wounded + [and] a great number taken prisoners, from this place was marched to the narrows of the Yadkin under Genl. [General] Rutherford who we previously had joined at Salisbury, from the Narrows was marched to Lynches Creek there injoined [enjoined] Gates army with whom we were marched to Rudgeleys [Rugeley’s] Mill, there a Virginia force of troops joined us, from thence the whole force was marched towards Camden in So [South] Carolina, there the American force under Genl. [General] Gates met the British who defeated the American forces under Genl. [General] Gates, in the battle the applicant was taken a prisoner but soon after escaped being a prisoner not over two hours, by which escape being overcome by heat + [and] fatigue the applicants bodily system became much impaired for upwards of three years in this service the applicant performed at least four + [and] a half months duty.
[left side margin: 4.15]

3d. [3rd] Service - The applicant agained [again] entered the service of the U [United] States in March seventeen hundred and eighty one as a volunteer from
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Guilford County North Carolina under a Lieut [Lieutenant] Richard Vernon (the Captains name the applicant has forgotten) the object of this + [and] similar companies were to keep in check Cornwallis troops from pursuing Genl. [General] Green [Greene] too hard after the battle at Guilford Ct. [Court] House, and to keep the British from spreading out + [and] from undermining the country the applicant in this his third service or tour of duty fully served three weeks duty in defence of his country the United States.
[left margin: “21]
4th - The applicant a fourth time entered the service of the United States in October seventeen hundred + [and] eighty one as Volunteer from Guilford County N. [North] Carolina under a Col [Colonel] Samuel Henderson and under the said Lieut [Lieutenant] Richard Vernon, the object of this service was to rout [route] and defeat some tories who were embodied on the Yadkin River, but who were defeated by Col [Colonel] Campbell before the applicant + [and] the troops he was with reached the point of their destination on the Yadkin on hearing the certainty of the Tories defeat by Col [Colonel] Campbell the applicant with the others of the troops he was with, were discharged + [and] returned home after an absence of between two + [and] three weeks, this ended the service of the applicant in the Revolutionary War he not having able from increasing bodily infirmity to perform further duty
[left margin: 14]
Answers to certain Interrogatories
Ans [Answer] to 1st. The applicant says he was born on the seventh day of January seventeen hundred + [and] fifty seven in Charlotte County in the State of Virginia.
Ans [Answer] to 2d. [2nd] The applicant says he has no record of his age that it was lost + [and] depends on his recollection for the certainty of his age.
Ans [Answer] to 3d [3rd]. The applicant says he was living in Guilford County North Carolina when called into service, the applicant says that he has lived since the Revolutionary War in the District of Abbeville + [and] in the District of Pendleton both in the State of South Carolina and that he now lives in Elbert County in the State of Georgia, that his wife is dead that he has no home and entirely depends for his support on his children + [and] grand children who live dispersed + [and] among whom he lives + [and] by turns occasionally visits.
[left margin: 21
4.11
21
14
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6.11]
Ans [Answer] to 4th - The applicant always volunteered and considered himself a minute man to march when duty called him.
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Ans [Answer] to 6th - The applicant says he never received a written discharge that he was in every instance verbally discharged.
Ans [Answer] to 5th - The applicant says that he knows Genl. [General] Gates, Genl. [General] Dekalb [de Kalb], Genl. [General] Smallwood, + [and] Col [Colonel] Armang [Armand] a frenchman + [and] commander of the horse + [and] others not recollected by the applicant, he does not recollect continental or militia regiments so as to describe them, the Genl. [General] circumstances he has related in his declaration these officers were with the troops where the applicant served.
Ans [Answer] to 7th - The applicant says he is not as well known where he now lives, as he is in Abbeville District South Carolina where his residence was long and almost continued since the Revolutionary war until recently he will state the name of Joseph Black Esq a South Carolina senator in his Legislature James Black Esqr a Representative in the Legislature or So. [South] Ca. [Carolina] Caleb Burton, Samuel Jones, William Shaw, Cador Gantt Esqr who can testify as to the applicants character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution and who are all living in Abbeville District South Carolina.
The applicant 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.
Sworn to ans subscribed the day and year aforesaid
In open Court
Jas. Wardlaw
Clk. [Clerk]

Isaac Vernon

We James Moore a clergyman residing in Abbeville District in the State of South Carolina and Joseph Black + [and] Jas. [James] A. Black residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Isaac Vernon who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy seven years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resided in this Districted to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
In open Court
Jas. [James] Wardlaw
Clk. [Clerk]

Jas. [James] Moore
Jos [Joseph] Black
James A. Black
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And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states and the court further certifies that it appeared to them that James Moore who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the District of Abbeville in the State of South Carolina and that Jos [Joseph] Black + [and] Jas [James] Black who has also signed the same is a resident in the same State and District and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.

Josiah L Evans
precidg. [Presiding] Judge
April 1833

I James Wardlaw Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions for the District of Abbeville in the State of South Carolina do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the Original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Isaac Vernon for a pension.

[circular seal] In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of Office of the said Court this fifth day of April One thousand eight hundred and thirty three and in the fifty second year of the Independence of the United State of America

Jas. [James] Wardlaw
Clk: [Clerk]

H
U
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25035
Isaac Vernon
S.C. [South Carolina]

Admit as a private for 6 mos [months] and 18 days
$22.00
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WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension Office,
183

Sir:
The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will show what is necessary to be done. These points to which your attention is more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: }). You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.

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A Statement, showing the Service of Isaac Vernon S.C. [South Carolina]
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Period when the service was rendered | Duration of the claimant’s service. Years. | Months. | Days. | Rank of the claimant. | Names and rank of the Field officers under whom he served. | Age at present, and place of abode when he entered the service. | Proof by which the declaration is supported.
Jay. [January] 1777 [illegible] | - | [blank] | 21 | private | Cp [Captain] Leek Co [Colonel] Martin | 77 - born in Charlotte va entered at Guilford NC [North Carolina] now lives in Aberville [Abbeville] Dit. [District] S.C. [South Carolina] [underlined: with his children] | traditionary - certificate of Clergyman and a citizen
Apl. [April] 80 “ | [blank] | 4 | 15 | “ | Cp [Captain] Bostick Col [Colonel] Ledbetter | [blank] | [blank]
March 81 - | [blank] | [blank] | 21 | “ | Lieut. [Lieutenant] Vernon - forgotten | [blank] | [blank]
Octo. [October] “ | [blank] | [blank] | between 2 and 3 weeks | “ Col [Colonel] Henderson | [blank] | [blank]
21
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[illegible]

I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. L. EDWARDS,
Commissioner of Pensions.
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REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.
 The following regulations have been adopted: 
This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia" and "volunteers, all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c., Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of private armed vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.
                         Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
                                    1. The Regular Troops. 
                                    2. The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers. 
                                     3. Persons employed in the Naval Service. 
                                     4. Indian Spies.
            As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will, in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.
DECLARATION.
 
                 In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832. 
                   State, Territory, or District of 
                                              County of
 On this ____ day of ____ personally appeared (a) before ____ 
A.	B a resident (b) ____ of ____  in the county of ___________ and State, Territory or Disctrict of ______________aged (c) ____ 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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d) ____, with _____________ and served in the ____ (e) regiment of the ____ line, under the following named officers: 
     [Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers;) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched. This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.] – 
He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of ____ Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. A. B. 
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.] 
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
I    ____ of the Court of ____ do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of ____ for a pension. 
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this ____ of ____ & c. 

     If, on examination of the proper record, the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out. 

      Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz: 
      (k) We, A. B., a Clergyman, residing in the ____ and C.D. residing in (the same) hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with ____, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be ____ years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. 
                   Sworn and subscribed the days and year aforesaid.

 [And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
            And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that A. B. who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the ____ and that C.D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the ____ and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.

 I, ____ Clerk of the Court of ____ do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of   ____ for a pension.

 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this ____ day of ____ & c. 

      Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction. 

     If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration, (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his
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alleged service, as they are known at the Department. A very full account of the services of each person
will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case. The facts stated will afford one of the principal means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected. All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County in which they reside, and there subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his
case.
The Court will propound the following (m) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State
troops of Virginia.
1. Where and in what year were you born?
2. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?
3. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, and where do you now live?
4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?
5. State the names of some of the Regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services.
6. To a Soldier: Did you ever receive a discharge from service, and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it?
To an Officer: Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?
7. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.

The Court will see that the answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.

The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court, without too much expense and inconvenience to him, two respectable persons--one of whom should be
the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary soldier, and that they concur in that opinion.
If one of these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify to the character and standing of other persons giving such certificates.

The traditionary evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct
proof, except the declaration of the party. And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the enquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.

Applicants unable to appear in Court, by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to perform,
and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.

Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or by a Justice of the Peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper Clerk of the Court or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is his genuine signature.

No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before the taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.

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[a] The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity; in which case the declarant will follow the rule laid down for his guidance.
[b] The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides. If he should fail to do so, he must assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule.
[c] The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
[d] The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served.
[e] Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the claim cannot be had. Every claimant must state, with precision, the length of his service, and different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the Department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the
the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service; but, according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades: For ____ year ____ months, and ____ days, I served as a ____ and for such service I claim a pension."
It is important, in all cases, to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months, is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state that they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours, the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration in highly objectionable. It must, in every case, be clearly shown under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit,
[f] The law makes the relinquishment indispensable.
[g] The opinion of the Court is always required.
[h] The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
[i] The Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal, or if he has no public seal of office, the certificate of a Member of Congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.


MODE OF AUTHENTICATING PAPERS.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other papers authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

PROOF OF SERVICE.
[j] In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimant's entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
[k] The notes from [a] and [i] are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers and State Troops. The proof required by rule in note [j] applies to continental troops
[k] This traditionary evidence is indispensable in militia cases.
[l] If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
[m] The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with the declaration.
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Revolution 21549
21549
INVALID.
—
File No. 21549
Isaac Vernon
Pri [Private] Rev [Revolutionary] War
—
Act: June 7th 32”
Index: - Vol. 2, Page 432
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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Isaac Vernon in an afft [affidavit] in Dana Humphrys can swear that he was a soldier under Capt [Captain] Humphry in 1780 Col [Colonel] Alexr [Alexander] Regt [Regiment] from May to Augt [August] - In his own dec: [declaration] he says that he was under Cap [Captain] Bostick [crossed out: per age] Col [Colonel] Leadbetter [Ledbetter] and sent home.
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Declaration of Isaac Vernon an applicant for a pension under the act of Congress 7 June 1832.
25035
6 months + [and] 2 weeks service at Casl [Caswell] State of South Carolina