Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 1,803, Benjamin Dillard, Va.
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          Service   Number 
Va      Dillard, Benjamin   S. 1,803
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5986
Jonesboro Agency
Benjamin Dillard
of Greene in the State of Tennessee
who was a Pvt in the Company
commanded by Captain Clements of the Regt commanded
by Col Perkins in the Va. line for 6 months from 1781

Inscribed on the Roll of Jonesboro’s Agency
at the rate of 20 [Blank] Dollars [Blank] Cents per annum,
to commence on the 5th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 20th day of July, 1833
and sent to Hon J. Blair, House of Reps

Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1832               30
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar. ’33    10 
                   $40 

{Revolutionary Claim
Act June 7, 1832}

Recorded by Nathan Rice, Clerk
Book D Vol. 9 Page 204
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Rev War 1803
INVALID
File No. 1803
Benjamin Dillard
Priv. Va Line
Act: June 7, 1832
Index: Vol. a, Page 96
{Arrangement of 1870}
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Benjamin Dillard
from 1781  Private
6 months  $20

Hon J. Blair
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BRIEF statement of the examination of Benjamin Gilleland, of which the
Attorney must be informed before he can make out the case, and apply to the office for Benjamin Dillard further proof or explanation. 

I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?

II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?

III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so?

IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served?

V. Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the 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?
No

VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?

VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?

VIII. Has the Court given their opinion?

IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?

X. Is the Clerk’s seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal?
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XII. If the clergyman’s affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?

XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?

XIV. If the applicant’s name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?

XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant’s service?

XVI. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct?

XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them are not so answered?
1, 2, 6

QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of 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 [Blank] months and [Blank] days, I served as a [Blank]; for [Blank] months and [Blank] days, I served as a [Blank]; and for such service I claim a pension."
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QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must produce proof by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavit the time of the applicant’s entering the service, and the time of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who administers the oath must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the clerk under the seal of his office.

QUERE XVI. In every case where the clerk of the county, or other certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not provided with a public seal, or where the same cannot be affixed, or where the impression of the seal is not made on the substance of the paper which contains the affidavit, or other instrument authenticated, but upon paper which is afterwards attached thereto by wafers, ribbons, &c., 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.
In every case where the clerk of the county, or other certifying officer, 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.

The applicant should prove his service as an Ensign, and in answer to the 6th inter­rogatory presented by the War Department, state for whom he received his Commission.
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State of Tennessee
Greene County
On this 3rd day of September 1832, personally appeared in open Court before the Judge of Law and Equity of Greene County Benjamin Dillard a resident citizen of said County aged 70 years the 29th instant 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 7 June 1832 That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he entered U.S. service as a volunteer in the month of January he thinks in the year 1781 under Colo Peter Perkins, Capt Isaac Clemens. 1st  Lieut David Hunt, 2nd  Lieut John Dillard himself entering as Ensign, he lived at that time in Pittsylvania County Virginia he was marched to Halifax Court House Va. where he joined the main army under Gen’l.Greene going to North Carolina about the time he crossed Dan River a mile or two his Capt. I. Clemens procured his discharge on hearing that his house had been blown down and some negroes killed & crippled where William Dix was appointed to the command of his company he was marched back and forward in North Carolina until Gen’l. Greene thinking himself strong enough for the enemy proceeded to Guilford Court House he was in that battle he was with the army under Gen. Greene till they arrived on the confines of South Carolina when the militia were discharged he was attached to the first Brigade of Virginia Militia under the Command of Gen. Stevens, he rec’d his written discharge by Capt. Dix but it is now lost & cannot be produced he was discharged about the 20 April. About the 1st of the month of July same year he again volunteered under Col. Wilson, Maj. Wilson, Capt John Buckley, Lieuts. Armstead and Spencer Shelton, Ensign John Hunt, he was forthwith marched to YorkTown Va. where he joined the main army under Gen. Lawson, he was he thinks attached to the 5 Regiment of Va. M. he was discharged on the 21st of Oct, two days after the Surrender of Lord Conwallis. He states that he has lost both his discharges as he did not know they would ever be of any benefit.
He states that he has no documentary evidence whereby
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to prove his service and knows of no person who can testify to the same except the affidavits hereto annexed, he states that he had a commission as ensign but not knowing that it would be of any service at this Late day it has been casually lost. and he served more than six months as appears above He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any State. There is not any Minister in the vicinity who knows anything of him or his service
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Benjamin Dillard

We Jacob Garrett and John Baker residing in said county hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Benjamin Dillard who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing Declaration — that we believe him to be seventy 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 to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid,
Given in open Court 3rd Sept. 1832.
Tho. Gaines, Clerk, by Jacob Garret  [illegible] John Baker

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 Jacob Garrett and John Baker
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who have signed the preceding certificate are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.
J. Porry Judge of the Circuit Court of the State of Tennessee

I Valentine Sevier Clerk of the Circuit Court of Greene County in the State of Tennessee do hereby certify the foregoing contains the original proceedings in the matter of the application of Benjamin Dillard for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this [Blank] day of Sept 1832.
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[Vertical text]
As there is no evidence of actual service as ensign, the proof will be sufficient if printed for six months. — J. Blair

[Horizontal text]
7566
Pension Application
Benjamin Dillard