Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 667, Christopher Beard, Penn.
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(S-1776)

SERVICE NUMBER
Penn. Beard, Christopher R. 667

CONTENTS
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The State of Ohio
Franklin County ss

    On the 28th day of September 1836 personally appeared in open court before the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County and State of Ohio now sitting Christopher Beard a resident in Perry Township in the county aforesaid and State aforesaid aged eighty four 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 1822. 
    That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated:

    He was first drafted as a private for six months in the Militia from Lancaster County Pennsylvania he thinks in July 1777 under Capt. John Roland who soon died.  He was then under Capt. Slates, he was stationed in Lancaster, Penna. and employed in erecting a stockade about the town.  He was also at Chester.  He was under Col. Hoover and Col. Clotts and Major Scott.  He is not certain which had the command.  He served the six months and took discharge he thinks from Capt.  Fleigher, but he soon lost it.  He then enlisted for one year either under Capt. Ross or Capt. Fleigher and was most of the time employed with a team.  He was at Trenton in N.J. at reading, Pa. at Germantown and Valley Forge.  He was under Capt. Dan'l. Ailer and Col. Hoofnagle.  He served the year out but took no discharge.  And immediately volunteered again for nine months.  He was told if he went home he would immediately be drafted.  He was at Princeton, at Brandywine, and at Havre de Grass [Grace] mostly under the same officers.  Col. (next Page)
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Smeizen and Col Sleigle were in the service during part of the time. His time was out in the fall he thinks in the year 1770 he think he took a discharge but he does not recollect from whom.

Interrogatories propounded by the Court:

1st  Where and in what year were you born?
Ans.  Near Lancaster Penna in 1752
2  Have you any record of your age if so where is it--
Ans. He has it in the Bible-
3  Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live?
Ans.  When called into service he lived in Lancaster Co. Pa. Since the Revolution he went to Hagerstown ^ M [Maryland] about the year 1790  About 1800 he moved to Frederic [Frederick] Co. Va. and about 1809 he moved to Franklin County Ohio where he has lived ever since
4  How were you called into service, were you drafted or did you volunteer
Ans. He was first drafted.  2d time enlisted and 3d time volunteered
5  State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served, such continental and militia Regts. as you can recollect and the gen'l circumstances of  of [sic] your service.
Ans.  The same as stated above.  He was mostly with the Militia, he served two years & 3 months -
6  Did you ever receive a discharge?
Ans. He recd one as above stated.
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
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Revolution
Ans. James Hoge and Jeremiah McLene.  
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, but he made an application about four years part which was refused for informality, and which ^ papers by accident are lost.  
He further states that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.  He omitted to mention that he was at Chester in the winter of 1777 and 1778 when the soldiers performed duty barefooted when [the crossed out] snow was on the ground.  
From debility old age and loss of memory he does not recollect the names of many officers with whom he served.  He recollects a Capt John Whitmore who died about 14 miles from Philadelphia.  Gen'l Washington sometimes commanded.  And he thinks sometimes Gen'l St. Clair, and ^ perhaps Gen'l Vaughn
That he was bound to and did perform military services for two years and three months that he was by his officers taken from the ranks to drive a United States team and much of the latter part of the time, was that way employed he rec'd his pay as a soldier and done no other business during the time

Christopher his X mark Beard

Sworn to and subscribed }
the day and year aforesaid}
in open court.                    }
C Backus Clerk partime
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Mr James Hoge - a clergyman residing in the County of Franklinton and State of Ohio and Jeremiah McLene residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Christopher Beard who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 84 years of age that he is credited and believed in the neighbourhood [sic] where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion
James Hoge [signature]
Jer. McLene [signature]

Sworn to and subscribed the
day and year aforesaid
E Backus Clkpt

[written sideways in left-hand margin of page]
15.045
Christopher Beard
Ohio

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 certify that it appears to them that James Hoge who has  signed the preceeding [sic] is a clergyman resident in the said County of Franklin and that Jerah McLene who has also signed the same is a resident in the said County and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
E Backus Clkpt [signature]

I E Backus Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County and State of Ohio do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the Court in the matter of the application of Christopher Beard for a pension

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 28th day of Sept 1836
E Backus
Clkpt
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April 28, 1938

Christopher Beard
R. 667
BA-J/AWF [initialed]

Frances R. Long
1462 West Second Avenue
Columbus, Ohio

Dear Madam:

    Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Christopher Beard.

    The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in pension claim, R. 667, based on the service of Christopher Beard in the War of the Revolution.  This is the record of the only Christopher Beard found on file in the Revolutionary War records of this office.

Christopher Beard was born in the year 1752, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The names of his parents were not given.

    Christopher Beard lived during the Revolution in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and about 1790, moved to Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1800 moved to Frederick County, Virginia, and in 1808 moved to Franklin County, Ohio.

    He applied for pension, September 28, 1836, at which time he was living in Perry Township, Franklin County, Ohio, and alleged that he enlisted sometime in July 1777, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Militia, under Captain John Roland, Slater, Colonel Hoover and Cletts, and was employed in erecting a stockade in the town of Lancaster,   (next page)
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served six months, that he served about one year "with a team" under Captain Ress or Fleigher, Captain Daniel Ailer, Colonel Hoofnagle, and that he served nine months, under the same officers, and was discharged in the fall of 1779.

    The claim for pension was not allowed as proof of six months service as required by the pension law was not furnished.

    The papers on file in this claim contain no reference to the family of the soldier, Christopher Beard.

                            Very truly yours
                            
                             A. D. Hiller
                             Executive Assistant
                             to the Administrator
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War Dept. Pen. Office
Oct. 7, 1836

Sir,

    The declaration of Christopher Beard has been ex ^/" [examined] ["and filed with suspended cases" crossed out]  He alleges to have been drafted for six months as a militia man of Penna. in July 1777 during which he was employed in erecting a stockade at Lancaster.  The militia were not drafted to serve more than two months.  The alleged service can not therefore have been under military obligations.  He also alleges to have enlisted for one year under Col. Hoofnagle and was most of the time employed with a team ^ after the expiration of the year again volunteered for nine months.  The alleged service under Col. Hoofnagle in driving a team was not of that character provided for by the Act of 7 June 1832, and the militia did not serve more than two months under one engagement.  If he served at all subject to military discipline.  He could not [therefore] have served more the five months under the Act of 7 June 1832 provides for some who did not serve under a military contract for six months.  The claim has therefore been rejected and papers filed.

//s//
Walter Thrall Esq.
Greenville 
Ohio
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W. Shrall
Oct 7, 1836


Record Vol. 4 P(age) 133
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Free

Hon. J. L. Edwards
Commissioner of Pens.
Washington
City

Oct. 5
Ohio
Columbus

(Date stamp)
Granville
Sep
30
O
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Licking County, Ohio
Granville 29th Sept. 1836

Sir,

    Enclosed is the application of Chrit. Beard for a pension.  The old man is so frail that he can with difficulty make the necessary statements, Gen'l McLene a member of Congress from Columbus, O. and Dr. Hoge have attested to his credibility.

Respectfully yours &c
//s//
Walter Thrall






Hon. J. L. Edwards
Comm. of Pen.
Wash.
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Revy,
_______Ex'r.                           Invalid
REJECTED

Christopher Beard

P.O. ______
Service: ______

Enlisted:  ____. 18__.
Discharged: ______. 18__.
The printed list of 1852
shows reasons for rejection.

Application filed: _____.  18__.
"not military service"

Alleges: _______
Reenlisted: ________

Attorney:  ______
P.O. ________
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1462 W. Second Ave.
Columbus, Ohio
February 6, 1938

Commissioner of Pensions
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir,

    Will you please send me the Revolutionary War record of Christopher Beard, who applied for a pension in 1832.  Thank you for your kind service.

Respectfully yours,
//s//
Francis R. Long

[stamp at top of page]
RECEIVED
Feb 8 1938 Mail Sub-Div.
Vets. Adm.
[illegible] 15
[numbers 1-12 on outside of stamp]