Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 22206, Jacob Decker, Penn.
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Penn.   Decker, Jacob  S.22206
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26170
Pennsylvania.
Jacob Decker, of Lebanon Co. in the State of Pennv'a who was a Private in the + Serg't commanded by Captain [blank] of the commanded by [blank] in the Penn'a line for 1 year 2 mo. Serg't, 10 " [months] Private.

Inscribed on the Roll of Pennsylvania at the rate of 103 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 26th day of March, 1834 and sent to Hon. Wm Clarke [illeg.]

Arrears to the 4th of
Semi-annual allowance ending

Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832

Recorded by P. T. Sprague, Clerk
Book E Vol. 5 Page 14.

Letter to R. K. Doebler, Mch 23, 1836.
Paid at Treasury under act 6th[?] April 1838. fr. 4 Sept. 1842 to 24 February 1843.

Agent notified 28 March 1846.
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State of Pennsylvania
County of Lebanon S.S.

[marginal note:] pg 566[?] Hon W. Clarke

Personally appeared in open court, this seventh day of January A.D. 1834 before the Honorable the Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County aforesaid, Jacob Decker, a resident of the Township of Bethel, in the County of Berks and State aforesaid, aged seventy eight years, who being first duly affirmed according to law, doth on his said affirmations, make the following declarations, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed 7 June, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated:
That he served in the army of the Revolution at these several periods; that he entered the service the first time in the month of June 1776, in a volunteer company, which was attached to the brigade or division commanded by General Wayne, and was commanded byCaptain Lower; the Lieutenant was named Reed; that it was a rifle company and that he was a sergeant in the same -- after he had been in the service four or five months, Captain Lower died, and that the company elected a certain John Gregg to supply his place; that he was discharged in the month of August 1777; that consequently he was out the first period for the space of one year and two months;
- that he resided in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County during the whole war; that he marched from Easton and the Jerseys to New York; that he was engaged in several severe[?] skirmishes, when engaged in covering parties of foragers, the most bloody of these took place near New York, he was in command of the party as sergeant, he had about 36 men - twelve of these drove the cattle, whilst the others resisted[?] the attacks of the light horse, which were sent after them. That he entered the militia on his second tour, as a substitute for one Nicholas Williams, in the company of Capt. Conrad Weiser; that when he arrived at New York he left the militia and again volunteered into the same company to which he formerly belonged, but which had since been put under the command of Captain Davis; he was engaged in numerous skirmishes during his second term and was present and took part in the three battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth, in which last battle he received a slight wound above the left eye, he lay[?] with the army at Valley Forge with the army during the whole time that they remained there and was out scouting every day; that Captain Davis was temporarily absent, and that one Henry Freitag was elected captain during his absence; after his return he resumed the command; on this second time he left home in the month of September 1777, and that he received a discharge, in the month of February 1779; consequently that he served on his second tour one year and five months. The discharge above mentioned was written by Davis, and the deponent believes, though at this distance of time he cannot distinctly recollect it, was signed by General Wayne himself - he has since lost it. The third time he went out as a waggoner under a certain Captain Dunn, that he remained out until the month of December 1779 having started in the month of April 1779 making eight months in all -- that he served in all three
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years and three months viz, one year and two months, as a sergeant, in a volunteer company; one year and five months, as a private in a volunteer corps; and eight months as a waggoner, in a brigade of waggons. He can recollect the names of the following named officers - that he had no personal acquaintance with them but merely knew them by reputation - Col. Weltner, Capt.'s Brunner[?], Boyer, Rice and Lieutenant Weidman. That he has no documentary evidence, but that he can produce two persons whose depositions are hereto attached who can testify to his service.

He 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 and subscribed in open court this 8th day of January 1834
Adam Ritscher clk.

[signature] Jacob Decker

We hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jacob Decker who has subscribed and affirmed to the above declarations and we believe him to be seventy eight years of age; and 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.

[signatures] John Walborne[?]
John Harrison

Interrogatories propounded by the court to Jacob Deckert at the time of filing his Declaration.
1. Where and in what year were you born? I was born in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, on the 19 April 1756.
2. Have you any record of your age; and if so where is it? I have none.
3. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live? I lived in Tulpehocken Township during the Revolutionary War and for some time after, I next went to Bethel Township, in the same county (Berks) about 38 years ago where I have lived ever since.
4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute and if a substitute, for whom? The first time I volunteered! the second time I went as a substitute, and afterwards entered a volunteer company, the third time I was hired to drive waggons.
5. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with their troops when you served; such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your services? The only officers whose names
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I can recollect are Col. Weltner, Capt'n Brunner Boyer and Rice and Lieutenant Weidman; I cannot recollect any regiments of any description and the general circumstances of my services are stated in my declaration
6. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given and what has become of it. I did, at the conclusion of my second term of service, it was handed to me by Captain Davis and I think signed by General Wayne. I have since lost it.
7. State the names of two persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify to your veracity and their belief in your serving as a soldier of the Revolution. Hon'bl John Gloninger and Gen'l[?] John Harrison and John Walborn.
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Lebanon County
State of Pennsylvania

Personally appeared in open court this 7 January 1834 Peter Behney and being duly sworn according to law doth depose and say that his is well acquainted with Jacob Deckert, who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration and that he knows that he was out twice during the Revolutionary War once as a soldier and once as a teamster, but cannot recollect the length of time that elapsed before his return.

his mark Peter Behney

Sworn and subscribed in open court the day and year aforesaid
Adam Ritscher Clk

Lebanon County [illeg.]
State of Pennsylvania
S.S.

Personally appeared in open court this 7 January 1834 Dilman Daub and being duly affirmed according to law doth depose and say that he is well acquainted with Jacob Deckert who has subscribed and affirmed to the foregoing declaration, that he saw the said Jacob Deckert at or near New York, he thinks in the year 1776, that he himself afterward enlisted in the Flying Camps, and he lost sight of said Deckert, that he frequently saw said Jacob Deckert on parade, and further deponent [illeg.]

his mark Dilman Daub

affirmed and subscribed in open court the day and year aforesaid
Adam Ritscher clk

And the said Court certify that they believe after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interregatorial prescribed by the War Department that the said Jacob Deckert was a soldier of the Revolution and served as he states. And the said court further certifies that it appears to them that the John Walborn, Gen'l John Harrison, Peter Behney and Dilman Daub are credible persons and that their statements is entitled to credit.

[signatures]
Jno Gloninger
Calvin Blythe
Baldorff[?]

I Adam Ritscher clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Lebanon do hereby certify that the signatures herein written purporting to thos of the Hon. Calvin Blythe, Hon. John Gloninger, and the Hon. John Gloninger are genuine and that the foregoing are the original proceedings in the said case. Witness my hand and seal of said court, this seventh of January A.D. 1834.

Adam Ritscher clk
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Lebanon County ss
Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, an Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County, Jacob Decker, a resident of the Township of Bethel, in the County of Berks and State aforesaid, who being duly affirmed deposeth and saith, that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot affirm positively as to the precise length of his service; but according to the best of his recollections, he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades: For one year and two months, I served as a Sergeant. For one year and five months, I served as a private; and for such service I claim a pension.

Affirmed and subscribed before me this Fourth day of March 1834
Jno Gloninger

[signed] Jacob Decker

I, Adam Ritscher, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Lebanon hereby certify that the Hon'ble John Gloninger is an Associate Judge of said Court and that the signature attached to the above declaration purporting to be his is genuine. In witness whereof I have here I have hereunto set my hand and seal of said court this 4 day of March A.D. 1834.

Adam Ritscher clk
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Jacob Decker
Penn'a

[illeg.]  1 year + 2 months Sgt
        10 months private

60    70    30

Hon[?] William Clarke
Ho[?] of Rep.
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War Department
Pension Office
10th July 1834

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 shew what is necessary to be done. Those 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 compling with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.

A Statement, shewing the Service of Jacob Decker

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.

June 1776   1 [year] 2 [months] 
Serg    Cap. Sorre[?]  78 years
1 [year]   5 [months]  Priv   Cap. Davis
8 [months]   Waggoner
Berks County Pa
Testimony[?] of Living Witnesses

I am, respectfully, 
Your obedient servant,
James L. Edwards,
Commissioner of Pensions

His Services as Teamster not provided for by Act 7 June 1832
He must be under some mistake as to the length of the tours - See note [illeg.]
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[excerpt from relevant Act, not transcribed]
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[excerpt from relevant Act, not transcribed]
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1812 Wars Section
[illeg.]

November 30, 1928

Mrs. Sara G. Dallett
Palmyra, New Jersey

Madam:
I advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S.22206, it appears that Jacob Decker was born, April 19, 1756, in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
While a resident of said place he enlisted in June, 1776, served as sergeant in Captains Lower's and John Gregg's Pennsylvania Company, was in several skirmishes and was discharged in August, 1777.
He enlisted in September, 1777, as a private in Captain Conrad Weiser's Company, marched to New York and there joined the company to he had formerly belonged, then commanded by Captain Davis and later by Captain Henry Freitag, was in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth, where he received a slight wound above the left eye, was in numerous skirmishes and was discharged in February, 1779.
He enlisted in April, 1779, served as a waggoner
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Rev. [illeg.]

under Captain Dann and was discharged in December, 1779.
He was allowed pension on his application executed January 7, 1834, while a resident of Bethel, Berks County, Pennsylvania, where he had lived for about thirty-eight years.
He died February 24, 1843. [note added:] not on A.B[?]
There are no data on file relative to his family.

Respectfully,
Winfield Scott
Commissioner.
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Lebanon March 4 1832

Dear Sir
I received yours of the 17 ult. and its inclosures, and must confess perused them with considerable surprise, and this surprise was increased[?] when upon an attentive examination of Mr Decker's declaration I could discern no deficiencys of the kind alluded to in he accompanying printed document. There is a note at the bottom of the first page of that paper which runs as follows "His service as Teamster not provided for by Act 7 June 1932. He must be under some mistake as to the length of the tours -" Upon an examination of the history of the War as given by [illeg.], I find that the battles at which the deponent says he was present, occurred during the time his declaration tells us he was out on his second term of service. So that no objection of that kind can be argued[?}. It seems to me therefore that it is owing to the improper sense in which I have used the word "tour" that this mistake has arisen. I used it as synonymous to "term" or "period", forgetting at the moment that its proper and correct signification was the term which was by law fixed for the performance of duty by the militia of the country viz, two months. I have nevertheless inclosed a supplementary declaration according with the prescribed form, which I hope will be sufficient to make clearly manifest his title to a pension. He is a very respectable man and one on whose mere word I would place the greatest reliance. He stated to day that he had fixed the term of his service rather under than above what he really thought was the case, because as it was a matter in which certainty was preferable he wished to be so. I am sorry that I have been obliged to trouble you so frequently to attend to these matters, and offer my thanks for the ready and immediate attention that has been paid them. I remain, sir, yours respectfully 
John A. Weidman

To the Hon. Wm Clark Esq'e
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Lebanon Pa     Free

To the 

Hon'ble William Clark M.H.R.
City of Washington
District of Columbia

Hon W Clark
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War Department
Pension Office
11th March 1834

Sit
The claim of Jacob Decker has been again examined, and the papers are herewith returned. It is a well known fact that the Militia of Pennsylvania were never in service more than a few months at one tour, "periods or term," and hence the claimant could not have served as a volunteer or drafted militia man two tours, one of one year and two months, and the other of one year and five months continuous service. If the above service were composed of different tours, "periods or terms," he has failed to comply with the regulations pointed out in note [illeg.], the observance of which is necessary to the admission of the claim.

I have the honour to be very respectf'y Your Ob't Serv't
J.L. Edwards

Hon William Clarke
House of Representatives
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Palmyra, N.J.
Nov. 19, 1928

Bureau of Pensions
Washington, D.C.

Gentlemen,

Kindly send me a copy of War Record of John Jacob Decker (he may have inlisted as Jacob Decker) Born April 19, 1757, died February 24, 1843. He was pensioned from Leb Co. in 1834. He was a private in Capt. Mick Wolf's company, Berks Co. Militia War of Revolution. (Penna archives)
also of Christian Gehring. Born Oct. 5, 1755 and died June 5th 1832 in Ohio. He was a private in Capt. Caspar Shriver's company
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Lancaster Co Militia (Penna archives)
This information is wanted for D.A.R. records.

Enclosed please find stamped and addressed envelope.

much oblige
Yours Truly
Mrs. R. Dallett
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Palmyra N.J.
Feb. 25 1928

Pension Office
Dept. of Interior
Washington D.C.

Dear Sirs -
Can you furnish me with any information of service or war record of Jacob Decker born April 19th 1757 and died Feb 24th 1843 in East Hanover Township Lebanon Co. Pa. I learned from Pa State Library at Harrisburg that he was pensioned about 1834. Did his wife survive him and also receive a pension? Have you any record of her name? I am trying to get this information for my application for membership in The Daughters of American Revolution.

Thanking you for any assistance you can give me,

Yours Truly,
(Mrs) Sara G Dallett
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Revolution
22206
Invalid.

File No. 22,206
Jacob Decker
Pa Rev War

Act: June 7th 32
Index: Vol. 2, Page 105

Arrangement of 1870.

1928 Nov. 20[?] Sent to Mrs Sara Dallett[?] 
M E.E.
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Treasury Department
Second Comptroller's Office
June 20th, 1845.

Sir: 
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An Act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," and the third section of the Act of August 23, 1842, extending the time within which pensioners may receive their pensions from the pension agents, The Executor of Jacob Decker, dec'd a Pensioner on the Roll of the Philadelphia, Pa Agency, at the rate of one hundred + three Dollars and 33 Cents per annum, under the law of the 7th June 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 4th of Sept. 1842, to the 24th Feb'y 1843.

Respectfully, yours,
Albion K Parris
Comptroller.

To the Commissioner of Pensions, Present.
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see letter to R.K. Doebler March 23'd 1836
Paid at Treasury, under act 6 April, 1838, from 4th Sept 1842 to 24 Feb'y 1843. Ag't notified 28 March, 1846.