Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 9766, for John Smith, Pennsylvania
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SERVICE: Penn.
Smith, John
NUMBER: R. 9766
b. Apr. 17 1755 in Germany.
res. at enl. Lancaster Co. Pa.
res in 1833. Lewis Co. Va.
res in 1834. Indiana
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Report to J Wainsly[?]
Weston Lewis County Va.

Crosswise:
File with
John Smith
Lewis Co Va.
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State of Virginia }
Lewis county } ss. 
On this 22nd day of August 1833 personally appeared before me Samuel Z Jones a Justice of the peace in and for Lewis county in the State of Virginia John Smith a resident of Lewis County in the said State of Virginia aged seventy eight years on the 17th of April last 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 7th June 1832.   That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
That in the spring of 1776 he entered the service as a volunteer in a company of Pennsylvania militia under Captain Myers to serve six months. He was marched from Lancaster county up towards the head waters of the Susquehannah. He was at Lycoming, Bald Eagle, White Deer Creek and many other places defending the frontiers from Indians and Tories - his Cols. name he has forgotten but he remembers that General Potter commanded all the troops sometimes 
He acted as an Indian spie on the tranches of the Susquehannah and in November 1776 he was discharged by Captain Myers having served not less than six months as a private this tour. Then in the Spring of 1777 He again volunteered to serve six months in the Pennsylvania militia under Captain Pattons  He was again marched from Lancaster County Pa up the Susquehannah to different places and on to the waters of Juniata
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at one time He was near the Munsie Towns. He was after detached to act as an Indian Spie on the head tranches of the Susquehannah till in Nov 1777 when he was discharged by Captain Patton He does not remember positively the name of his Col. but thinks it was Watts. When he returned home The men captured of Burgoyne's army were brought to Lancaster and there about the last of November 1777 He was drafted to guard the British prisoners at Lancaster. He was then engaged in guarding the prisoners and guarding forage waggons from Wright's Mills to Lancaster till in May 1778 under captain Foltner and Col Lacy in May 1778 he was discharged. Then sometime in this year the British Indians and Tories massacred the inhabitants at a place then called Wyoming now Wilkesberry [sic] in Pa. at arrival of these news the Cumberland and Lancaster Militias in generally volunteered their services for six months of whom declarant was one in the company of Captain McClure, Col Maxwell and general Lacy who had been promoted from a col. Marched up the Susquehannah to White deer Creek to Titsall's Mills  Captain McClure's company were detached to act as Indian spies on Bald Eagle Lycoming Munsie and Penns creek till Christmas 1778, when he was discharged having served six months this tour. He returned home and April 1779 He again volunteered to serve six months in the Pa. Ma. [militia] under Capt Myers his first captain. He was marched up the Susquehannah again under Col Chambers. They were again stationed at Titsall's mills and spied on Bald Eagle, Lycoming, Penn's Creek, Munsie
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and White deer Creek in this campaign several of the militia were killed and scalped by the Indians, in Novr 1779 he was discharged having served not less than six months as a private militia man this tour. Then in the spring of 1780 as he now thinks the Pa. militia were ordered ^under a draft to the south He marched under one of his former captains Pattons in Col. --- (not recollected) regt. They were attached to General Greenes army in South Carolinia went to Charlestown -Beaufort - hanging Rock near Camden and to Eutaw Springs. He was drafted this tour and he thinks for nine months but can not be certain He started on his march in the month of March and was discharged about Christmas 1780, and returned having been when he got home more than nine months gone in this tour. He got home in January 1781. Then in the spring of 1781 He thinks in April of that year he volunteered to guard the British prisoners at Lancaster in Pa. under Captain Blair, Col. Myers who had been promoted from a captain He guarded said prisoners and provisions and forage waggons from Wrights Mills to Lancaster during the whole of the summer of 1781 till in Novr when some of the troops taken at York Town Va. arrived at Lancaster, when he was discharged having served six months this tour as a private in the Pa. Ma. Here his services in the revolutionary
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War ended his health had become impaired by much exposure especially in his campaign of 1780 in the south and in 1781 in Pennsylvania. He served in all not less than Three years and nine months as a private militia man and sometimes an Indian Spie. He cannot now remember the names of regiments or their Nos. [#s] He saw in South Carolinia regulars in the State and Continental service. Pa. Va. and South & North Carolinia troops He saw Generals Greene, Gates, Lincoln, Wayne, Washington, Lacy Watts, Potter and many others whose names he has forgotten He saw and then knew many Cols. Majors &c in the regular and militia service whose names he cannot now recollect. He was no documentary evidence. He knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services 
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.
Subscribed and sworn to this day and year aforesaid.
[Signed] John Smith
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I the said Justice propounded to the applicant the seven several interrogatories prescribed by the war department to which he gave the following answers Viz. 
1st That he was born in Germany on the 17th April 1755. 
2nd That he has no record of his age except a transcript in his Bible taken from his fathers German bible that fixes his birth the day & year above.
3rd That he was living in Lancaster County in the State of Pensylvania after the war of the revolution he resided there till 1812 when he removed to Harrison County Va. The same place is now in Lewis County Va where he still lives. 
4th That volunteered first and second tours of six months each drafted for six [month?] 3rd tour. The 4 & 5 tours each six months he was a volunteer. The 6th he was drafted for nine months. The seventh and last tour he volunteered 
5th He saw Generals Washington, Wayne, Greene, Gates, Morgan, Lincoln, Potter, Lacy, Watts and others He saw many Cols Majors [&c?] whose names he has forgotten except those mentioned in his declaration He saw in the south Va., Carolinia & Pa. troops regulars and militia does not remember the names or Nos. of regts. There were state and continental troops. The general circumstances of his service are set forth above as near as his decayed memory now enables him to do.
6th He does not recollect that he ever had a written discharge If he had he has lost them
7th That he is known in his neighborhood to John Schoolcraft and John Hagle they can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his service as a soldier of the revolution there are no clergyman residing near him 
[Signed] John Smith
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We John Schoolcraft and John Hagle resident citizens of Lewis county in the State of Virginia do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Smith who has signed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 78 years of age That he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and we concur in that opinion. Subscribed and sworn to this day and year aforesaid. 
John (@ his mark) Schoolcraft 
John (X his mark) Hagle

And I the said Samuel Z Jones a Justice of the peace in and for Lewis county aforesaid in the said State of Virginia hereby declare my 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 I the said Justice of the peace further certify that John Schoolcraft and John Hagle who have signed and before me sworn to the preceding certificate are resident citizens of Lewis county in the said State of Virginia that they are both credible men and that their statement is entitled to credit. And the said Justice do further certify that the applicant is too old and infirm to travel to Court with great inconvenience and that there are no clergymen residing near him. 
Given under my hand at my[?] county of Lewis aforesaid in the State of Virginia this 22d day of August 1833. 
[Signed] Saml. Z Jones JP
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State of Virginia} 
Lewis County} S.S. 
I, John Talbott Clerk of the County Court of Lewis County aforesaid, do certify that Samuel Z. Jones is a Magistrate as above, and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine. 
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto [obscured by fold - likely,  "set my hand"] and affixed my Seal of Office at Weston this 2d day of October 1833
[Ribboned SEAL]
[Signed]  J. Talbott Clk
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28457
John Smith
Virginia

J. Walmsley
Weston
Lewis County Va
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WAR DEPARTMENT, 
Pension Office, 
22 Nov. 1833

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 [sic] with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim. 

A Statement, showing the Service of  [blank]
Period when the service was rendered | Duration of the claimant's service (Y-M-D) | 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 
1776 | 6M | Pri | Cap. Myers | 78 years Lancaster County Penna | blank
1777 | 6M | " | Cap. Patton | " | blank
I am, respectfully 
Your obedient servant 
JAMES L. EDWARDS, 
Commissioner of Pensions.
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2
REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.
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3
REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832 [con't]
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9766.
John Smith
REJECTED
The printed list of 1852 gives cause of rejection as "Fraudulent"
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John Smith
Virginia
Rejected -
Singletons report

Let. 16-Mar:35 W. Hoffman
This letter is a list of rejected pension claims 
on which appears the name of John Smith.
9766
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John Smith
applicant Lewis Cty
gone to Indianna
Not entitled -

Rep'd Singletons Report
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John Smith, applicant - Lewis County 
This man has removed to Indianna, could ascertain nothing about his Services - he came from the East - it is sufficient however in my opinion that the Lewis Gentry[?] have had the management of his case, from that circumstance alone, I would infer that he has no claim to a Pension 
[Signed] W. G Singleton 
Nov. 11. 1834