Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 23630, John Fisher, Penn.
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SERVICE
Penn

Fisher, John

NUMBER
S.23630
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[start slanted text] Revolution [end slanted text]
23630
INVALID
File No. 23630
John Fisher
Pri Rec War
Act: June 7th 32"
Index: Vol. 2, Page 137
(Arrangement of 1870)
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.25.951
Pennsylvania 
----------------
John Fisher
of Lancaster Co. in the State of Pa.
who was a Pt in the Co commanded
by Captain Groff of the Regt commanded 
by Col Ross in the Penna
line for Militia.
9 Mo.          23.33
14 days         1.54
                     24.87
--------------------------
Inscribed on the Roll of Penna
at the rate of 24 Dollars 87 cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.
---------------------------------
Certificate of Pension issued the 4th day of Feby and Sent to 
1834 H. G. Long, Lancaster, PA
-------------------------------
Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1833. 62.17
Semi-ani. allowance ending 4 Mar '34 12 43
                                                   --------
$74.60
---------
{Revolutionary Claim,}
{Act June 7, 1832.}
Recorder by J.T. Prague Clerk,
Book C Vol. 5. Page 19

Saml Dale & Pen Apt
May 5, 1837
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Lancaster Apl 22 - 1837

J. L Edwards Esq.
Com. of Pensions.
Sir
I enclose the Power of Attorney of J. Fisher and J Getz returned by the officers of the Girard Bank for want of a special order from the Comr of Pensions, as more than six months have elapsed since the last payment. The fact is this, The pensions which they draw are so small that they have always delayed drawing for a year to save the expense of the Power & certificate here & the certificate in Philada & the difficulty in finding persons to draw for them [illegible]. It would be a saving to them to draw yearly, but as the Rules direct otherwise they must hereafter comply with them. Would you please send the order to me for each to draw the pension now due to them
Respectfully yours
Saml Dale
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State of Pennsylvania
County of Lancaster

On this sixth day of December anno domini one thousand eight hundred thirty-three, personally appeared before the Honorable Alexander L. Hayes, judge of the district court for the city and county of Lancaster and state of Pennsylvania, aged eight-three years and upwards, being born on the fourth day of April 1750, 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 of 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following officers and served as herein stated, but 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:

That in the beginning of the Revolutionary War he was drafted in the Pennsylvania Militia, that he then resided in the City of Lancaster aforesaid from which place he marched in said militia as a private, under the command of Colonel George Ross, Captain Andrew Groff, First Lieutenant John Miller, other officers not recollected; that when he left Lancaster, he marched with his company to Philadelphia to Woodbridge to Elizabethtown (where they encamped) in the state of New Jersey.  In the service at this time two months at least.

After that (time not recollected by petitioner) again left Lancaster aforesaid as a drafted militia man and as a private in (illegible) to escort prisoners to Fredericktown, Maryland, out one month and at least in the service of the Pennsylvania Militia at this time commanded by Capt. Bush, other officers not recollected. 

After the last service he again left Lancaster as a private militia man (but whether he volunteered or was drafted his memory does not now serve him) and went to the lower part of Lancaster County to prep wagons for the service of the army out in the Pennsylvania militia at this time at least ten days as is believed, under the command of Capt. Bush.

He also left Lancaster as a drafted private militia man to assist in escorting English prisoners to Fredericktown, Maryland, out in the service at this time
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two weeks under the command of Captain Bush, other officer's names not now recollected. 

He was also engaged as a private drafted militia man in the service of the Pennsylvania Militia (time mot recollected in consequence of the failure of memory caused by acknowledged age) in standing as one of the guards around the barracks jail in Lancaster, Pennsylvania under the command of Capt. Groff, other officers not recollected. 

The applicant also states that he has no documentary testimony of his service, nor did he ever receive any written discharges for his service; that the only persons who the petitioner knows or that he has been able to ascertain that served with him in the Revolutionary War are Thomas Kautz and Swentzel, and they possess but a partial knowledge of his services which he has rendered. 

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 and that he was born in the city of Lancaster aforesaid which has always been his place of resident but that he has no record of his age.

Signed:  John (his X mark) Fisher

Sworn and subscribed at Lancaster the day and aforesaid.  Before me
Signed:  A. L. Hayes
Pres. Judge of the High Court

I do also certify that it is my opinion that the applicant cannot from bodily infirmity attend court.  December 6, 1833
Signed:  A. L. Hayes

We, Rev'd Bernard Keenan, clergyman of the Roman Catholic congregation at Lancaster and county and state aforesaid and George Hoover, residing the in same place, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Fisher who has subscribed and sworn to the above and foregoing declaration; that we believe him to be eighty-three 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.

Signed:  Bernard Keenan, George Hoover

Sworn and subscribed in the district court for the city and county of Lancaster, December 12th, 1833.
Signed:  Christ Bachman
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Thomas Kantz aged Eighty - years upwards being Sworn says that he is acquainted with John Fisher the applicant within named, that he served with him as a private militia man  n the service of his country in the Revolutionary war, that in 1776 in the summer they left Lancaster in Andrew Groffs company George Ross Colonel, John Miller first Lieutenant marched from Lancaster to Philadelphia from thence to Trenton from thence to Princetown from thence to Brunswick fromthence to Elizabethtown and from thence to Staten Island, John Fisher the applicant subscribed in service at this time two months were relieved by Col Sloughs Battalion, the subscribed also further believes that John Fisher was further in the service of his country as a soldier but particularly not remembered if were known to this subscriber in consequence of his failure of memory
Thomas  his X mark  Kantz

Sworn Subscribed
December 28th 1833 -
before me 
[signed] Geo: Matter Justice of the peace,

[Left margin]
29.134

[text continued]
John Fisher the applicant being sworn says that he now will recollect in consequence of being reminded of it of having performed the service testified to by Frederick Swentzel, but which slipped his memory in consequence of the frailty thereof, at the time he was recounting his service when his declaration as within dated was about being drawn + was not introduced therein, that in performing that service as a private militia man viz in bathing horses to French soldiers in service of United States or mentioned by Mr.Swentzel he was in the service seven weeks at least, he therefore hopes that this may be added to the account of his service, mentioned in his declaration, as it was ommitted [omitted] by accident - time when this service was rendered not [illegible]
John  his X mark  Fisher

Sworn Subscribed
December 28th 1833
before me 
[signed] Geo: Matter  Justice of the peace

I George Matter above + within named do Certify that I have long known Frederick Swentzel and Thomas Kantz aforesaid as well as John Fisher the applicant and that they are all worthy honest and respectable citizens of Lancaster + that they are refuted + considered soldiers of the Revolutionary war and I do also certify that Frederick Swentzel + Thomas Kantz aforesaid are persons of credibility and deserving of full belief ^+ that from bodily infirmity + old age are unable to appear in Court or leave their dwelling witness my hand + seal this thirtieth day of December AD - 1833
[signed] Geo: Matter [seal]

I Christian Bachman Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County Do Certify, That George Matter, Esquire, before whom the foregoing affidavits of ^Frederick Swentzel Thomas Hantz and John Fisher were taken, was at the time + now is a Justice of the Peace in and for said county, duly commissioned and qualified and that the signatures annexed are  [strikethrough 'is'] his genuine signatures -

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand of said Court at Lancaster this thirty first day of December  in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty three - 
[signed] Christ. Bachman
Prothy.
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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after pulling the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above mentioned applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states, and the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that [strikethrough 'John Fisher'] that the Revd Bernard Keenan who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman resident in the City of Lancaster, and that George Hoover ---- who has also signed the same is a resident in the said City of Lancaster and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit - December 12, 1833. -
[signed] A. L. Hayes

I Christian Bachman Prothonotary of the District Court for the city and County of Lancaster in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Fisher for a pension

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand + the seal of said Court at Lancaster this 21st day of December Anno Domini 1833 -
[signed] Christ. Bachman
Prothy.

Frederick Swentzel a soldier of the Revolution aged Ninety - years and upwards being Sworn says that he served with John Fisher the applicant in the Revolutionary War as a private militia man (the said John Fisher being also a private) in taking horses to Rhode Island for the war of the Frenchsoldiers then in the service of the Republic that they were in the service at that time as private militia men seven weeks + more under the command of Bernhart Wolf (time when this service was rendered not recollected in consequence of the frailty of memory) he also knows that the applicant was further engaged in the service of his country as a soldier but the particulars of that service he does not know nor does his memory now serve him, whether he served with him at any other time, other than what he has above stated - they took the horses from Lancaster Pennsylvania time not recollected -
[signed] Frederick Swentzel

Sworn + Subscribed
December 28th 1833
before me

[signed] Geo: Matter Justice of the Peace
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No  29.134

Adm 7 Months & 14 days -

[stamp illegible] 'JAN

[Handwritten at 90-degree angle] Penn
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[Envelope]

Honorable Lewis Cass
Secretary of War
Washington -
D.C.

[Stamp] FREE

[At 90-degree angle:]
Penna ongenial[?]

7 January 1834
Pension Office
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[Letter]

Lancaster Decr 31st 1833

Honorable Lewis Cass.

Sir:
Enclosed I forward to you the application of John Fisher for a pension as an old soldier, will you favour him by communicating to me the result of his application - you will perceive by the affidavit of Frederick Sentzel annexed to his application, that he proves two months service which is not mentioned in Mr. Fisher declaration, and which had escaped his memory when he made the declaration but upon being reminded of it subsequently he again recall d^it to his recollection, as appears by his affidavit -

Very Respectfully
Your Humble + Obdt
H. G. Long
[seal]
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[Across the top]
THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Form VAM-51
12 - 5 - 41

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*

Division of Veterans' Administration Archives


NAME  Fisher, John
GRADE  Private
LINE  Rhode Island
WARRANT NUMBER  3122
ACREAGE  100
ISSUED  May 11, 1792
to Ezra Blodget -


*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of 'Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800' which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800.
Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.