Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 530, John Fenton, Penn.
Page 1

 Service                                                   Number

Penn.               Fenton, John              S.530

                                                        carded
Page 2

New Jersey [Illegible]
John Fenton
[Illegible] Private
Revolutionary War
Battle of Long Island 27 Aug. 1776
Ratio of Disability
by [illegible]     Total
Date of Closing Testimony 6, Febry 1816
Full Pension from Febry. 6, 1816  
Approved by [illegible] 
Duplicate Certificate
[illegible] 21  Sept. 1821
and sent to J Ewing Esq
Trenton, N.J.
Page 3

A.
State of New Jersey,
Burlington County, John Fenton, of the town
Ship of Mansfield, in the county [illegible]
being duly sworn before Thomas Adams, Esq. 
specially appointed for that   {illegible], [illegible] [illegible].  that this  deponent was born in March 1789.   his father was a day laborer  [illegible] this deponent  followed after he left his father until April 1776
when this depement enlisted under Capt Francis Murray, in Col. Atless regiment  in the Continental army. - Thick in the Battle of Long Island, on 27 Augt 1776. This Deponent  was wounded in the right knee  [illegible]     considered him unable to discharge his duties of a Soldier during the term of his inlistment, not being able to bend his right knee, & risks that even [illegible] renders him incapable of doing the full labor of a man & of obtaining full  [illegible], of a laborer. This deponent   with the  assistance, of a very  [illegible] and frugal wife, maintained himself,   [illegible]   within four years, he made
Page 4

applications to Judge Morris, the District Judge, who in 1812, appointed Physician to examine his wound and issued a commission       to [illegible] Hamilton Rhea to examine. We    [[illegible] to substantiate his claim to a pension when the said Capt. Murray had found little chance this deponent indicated - and John Moody was sworn in .  It proved    that he saw this Deponment wounded - that the [illegible] and/w  reported on his case -       Since  the [illegible] , the said Judge Morris Earl Rhea and the said John Mooody,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                have described - He said Deponting  [illegible]  taken in 1812. cannot be found, as this Deponent is infirmed.  That from the Deponent  [iillegible]  from his wound in the Revolutionary War, At his advanced age, being nearly 80 years of age -- obliged this Deponent to make application for relief   .    John X his Mark
Sworn this 19   [illegible]                                                                                                   
M G. Before - 
[Thomas Adams signature]  Commifsioner
Page 5

                      State of New Jersey
Hunterdon County on the 14th day of Septem-
ber 1821 before one James Ewing one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in said county of Hunterdon personally appeared John Fenton a man to me well known and worthy of credit who being duly sworn.  He deposeth and saith that he is the same John Fenton who belonged to the company commanded by Capt. Francis Murray in Col. Atlee's Regiment in the Pennsylvania line of the Army of the Winter States and who was wounded on Long Island in  1776 and placed on the Pension list by an Act of Congress paper the 30th day of April 1816 that he had previous to this had a certificate on which he drew his Pension, that this certificate was put in the hands of Col. Jonathan Rhea of Trenton to procure his Pension, that Col. Rhea [illegible]        in Feb. 1815 and that since his death this deponent's papers never have been  found which occasions his attaining his name to placed in the Act of Congress, on the copy of this act being produced he has always drawn  his Pension to this time, that now he is informed by the President of the Trenton Banking Company that he can draw no longer without producing a Certificate. He therefore  prays that a certificate may be sent him by the Secretary of War.  
                                                             his
Sworn at Trenton     [signature]  John   X  Fenton
Septem 14 1821                                  Mark
before me.

[Note written on side of page] - This Certificate
it is  [illegible] was given under the Laws of New Jersey.
Page 6

                                                                                           January 12, 1927

Mrs. I. P. Gough
2402 North Charles St.,
Baltimore, Md.

Madam:

I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim 
S. 530 it appears that John Fenton was born in March 1739.

He enlisted April 12, 1776, served as a private in Captain  Francis Murray's Company, Colonel Atlee's Pennsylvania Regiment and was in the battle of Long Island in which he was  wounded in the right knee, fracture of the patella.  He also received a flesh wound in the thigh by a bayonet,

He was allowed pension from February 6, 1818 on [See Note] account of disability resulting from said wound, at which time he was living in Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. 

The above noted is the only soldier by that name found on the Revolutionary War records of this Bureau who served with the Pennsylvania Troops, but it is not stated whether he ever lived there,

In 1818 he referred to his wife, name not given.  

                                              Respectfully,


                                             Winfield Scott
                                              Commissioner.

[A faint, handwritten note was written up the side of this letter with a line leading to "on account" .   
    "I could find bo earlier pension  He is on Hunterdon [illegible] NJ - list [1835 written  next to this note in different ink.]
Page 7

Case of John Fenton.

A. Deposition of Fenton.
B.       "            of Murray his Capt.
C.       "            of two Physicians.
D.  Certificate of
     T.  Adams Esq.
E.  of Isaac Hicks
F. District Judges. 
    Commision to take
    Murrays Testimony.
G. Commission of District
    Judges T Adams Esq. 

[A large parenthesis the connects D. 
and E. and Commission written along it]
Page 8

Pennsylvania    [A long bracket that connects both lines 
Bucks County    with a line and large B. written in]
 
Conformably to the  [inelligle] Commision General Francis Murray  and those named in the Seventy Second year of his age appeared before me Isaac Hicks Esquire was then specially appointed for that purpose and being duly sworn He said Francis Murray deposeth and saith that John Fenton named in the  [illegible] Commission was enlisted a soldier on the twelfth of April one thousand seven hundred and seventy six and did serve in the Continental Army in the Company recruited by the said deponent at Captain in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Atlee until this deponent was taken prisoner at the Battle of Long Island the 27th of August  [illegible] 1776, and that he has no knowledge of the said Fenton having been wounded as he the said Murray remained a prisoner for one year and nine months from and after the  said Battle.

Sworn and subscribed to this 13th of February 1816
aforementioned [illegible]

{Signatures of Francis Murray and H.Hicks
Page 9

State of New Jersey, Burlington County  SS

On the 25th Feb. 1816. Personally appeared before  the  [illegible] named Thomas Adams, one of the Judges that will of said State and county - Doctor Nathan , William Cole,  + Samuel Tucker being duly sworn depose + say, that they have examined the [illegible]  named John Fenton and do report, that the would represented by said John Fenton to have been received in the battle of Long Island in 1776. appeared to have fractured the knee pan (patella) of his right knee in such a manner, as to have destroyed the life of the knee joint, which renders the knee joint of the said John Fenton, unable to do the [inelligible] labor of a Man, and we are of the opinion  of such disability and advanced age of said John Fenton, that he is incapable of  obtaining his subsistence by manual labor.  

Sworn the date [illegible]
above William, 
before 
[Signatures of Thomas Adams, one illegible]\

PS.    John Fenton received [illegible] a flesh wound from a bayonet in his thigh which was soon healed & of no injury to  him.
Page 10

https://catalog.archives.gov/images/misc/drag.pngD.https://catalog.archives.gov/images/misc/drag.png
State of New Jersey, County of Burlington, to wit I Thomas Adams, do hereby certify to the honorable the Secretary of the department of War; that our obedience to the [illegible] Commission, taken the depositions of John Fenton, and of Doctors Nathan William Cole and Samuel Tucker, hereto
annexed which said Doctor Cole, and Tucker, now and for some time have been the only practicing Physicians and Surgeons [illegible] in the City of Burlington and who are esteemed very eminent in their profession. 
And I do further certify, from my own knowledge of the said John Fenton, that I believe that full credit ought to be given to the said depositioner [illegible], & that he is a proper object to be placed on the list of Pensioners. 

In Witness wherof I have herewith let my hand seal the 26th Feb.  1816.

To
The Hon ble
The Secretary                         {Thomas Adams'       
of the Department                       signature}                                                                 
of War.
Page 11

                                                F

United States
New-Jersey District             [illegible letters or symbol]

I William S Pennington Esq. Judge of the District Court of the United States of America, for the New-Jersey-District; by authority of an Act of Congress passed the 25th day of April 1812, entitled "An Act, to [illegible] and continue enforce, an Act to provide for persons, who were disabled by known wounds received in the Revolutionary War. & for this purpose, do hereby especially authorize [illegible] commissioner, Isaac Hicks, Esq., of the county of Bucks, in the State of Pennsylvania, to take the evidence  of said Francis Murray, of Newten, in said County of Bucks, relative to the inlistment of said John Fenton, [illegible] Soldier in the Continental Army and of a wound received by the said John Fenton, in the battle of Long Island in August 1776, and of the service of [illegible[ John Fenton, in the revolutionary war pursuant to the rules regulations
Page 12

of the said [illegible] for substantiating the claim of the said John Fenton of the township of Mansfield in the County of Burlington & District of New Gersey, to be placed on the Pension List, of the Certificate by [illegible] of known wound received in said War, while in the above service of the United States in the line of his duty and when his time shall be completed return
[illegible] & proceedings had hereupon, to the Secretary of the Department of War .

Given under my hand & Seal the Sixth day of February, in the year Eighteen hundred & Sixteen.

[Signature of William S Pennington]
Page 13

United States         }                                     G.
New Jersey District } Ss.
[Illegible circular seal]

I William S. Pennington Judge of the District Court of the United States of America, for the New-Jersey District, By authority, of an Act of Congress, passed the 25:th day of April,1812, entitled, "An Act to Revive & Continue inforce        an Act to provide for persons who were disabled by known wounds received in the revolutionary war, & for other purposes"- Do hereby especially 
are [illegible] & Commission
Thomas Adams Esquire
one of the Judges & Justices of the County of Burlington & District of New-Jersey  to take all evidence pursuant to the rules & regulations of
the said act for substantiating the claim of John Fenton of the town Mansfield in the county of Burlington & District of New-Jersey to be placed on the Pension - List
Page 14

Pension list of the United States by reason of known wound received in said war, {word "while" is crossed out] in the actual service of the United States & in the line of his duty. And when the same shall be completed, to return the evidence, Affidavits, Certificates & proceedings had hereupon, together with this commission, to the Secretary for the department of War. 
Given under my hand & Seal the Sixth day of February in the year Eighteen Hundred & Sixteen

[Signature of William S Pennington]
Page 15

[written to the side] 1927 - Jan 12 - Hist - to
Mrs. J. P. Gought [illegible]

[Large print at top] INVALID,.

File No.            S 30

John Fenton
[illegible] Rev. War.

Act [blank line]
Index: -- Vol.          [illegible], Page  122

[printed at bottom]
              [Arrangement of 18 70]
Page 16

Mrs. I.P. Gough
2402 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 
Nov. 16, 1926.

Bureau of Pensions Rev. and 1812 War Sections
Your communication of November 12th has been received and I thank you for the information it contained. I am now anxious to know if you have any record of a John Fenton, who enlisted from Bucks Co. Pennsylvania in 1775 and is supposed to have died in Washington Co. Penn. Any information you may be able to give me will be most gratefully received, and may I ask that I may hear as soon as convenient.
Sincerely
Mrs. I.P. Gough
Page 17

                                      John  C Colhoun Esq            Free
[Stamped Circular          Secretary of War        
 Seal with T R E A           United States                    For New Certificate date
 SEP 15]                                                                   Recd. 19 Sept 1821 
                                                                                
Rec. Sept.19 1821
Page 18

John C Colhoun Esq.            Trenton,New Jersey
Secretary of War                   September 15, 1827

Sir  John Fenton who has long been an Invalid Pensioner in this state, he having been severely wounded in an early part of the contest, and who is now in very  indigent circumstances, informs me that his Pension Certificate with other papers were left with his friend Col Rhea of this place some time before his death, but Fenton is now too old and too ignorant to be able to describe them, that since the Colonel's death they never can be found.
That he was afterwards placed on the Pension List by the Act of Congress of April 30, 1816 and has drawn his Pension ever since on showing a copy of that Act, without any Certificate.
The President of the Trenton Banking Company now thinks he cannot pay, agreeably to his late instructions, without a certificate from the War Office, even where
their Pension is allowed by express Act of Congress, I therefore at Fenton's request inclose you his deposition for the purpose of procuring from you office the necessary Certificate.
I know him to be the Man to whom I paid the Pension for years on the Act above mentioned. Presuming that
my signature and official character are well known at the War Office I did not direct him to procure any new Certificate of it, as it would occasion him an expense which he is utterly unable to meet. 
As he and his family are distressedly poor you will excuse my soliciting an early attention, any answer directed to me at this place can be immediately forwarded to him.
I am, with respect
Sir Your most Obedient Servant
Jas Ewing