Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 13793, John Dowd, N.C.
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Service
N.C. |  Dowd, John  |  Number R. 13793
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State of Georgia
County of Warren    SS

On this eleventh day of February Eighteen hundred and thirty three, personally appeared before the Inferior Court of the County aforesaid John Dowd, a resident of the State and County aforesaid, aged seventy eight 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 provision made by the act of Congre[illegible] June 7, 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States for and during the war, but des not remember the day, month or year, with Capt. Clem Hall and served in the [illegible] regiment of the North Carolina line, and served under Colo. [illegible]. He was marched from Bladen County, N. Carolina, to Wilmington, N.C. thence to James Island near Charleston S. Carolina by the way of Ashley Hill, he was thus sent to Charleston to work at his trade, being that of a Tailor, where he remained about six months. He was then ordered to Wilmington to receive a discharge from Maj. [illegible], who died before [illegible] reached that place, so that got none.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declared that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any State. He knows of no person by whom he can prove his service, nor has he any documentary evidence to prove it.

Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
[illegible initials] Franklin [illegible]       John Dowd
Thomas Neal [illegible]
William Selle [[illegible]

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary
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soldier and served as he states.
QLC Franklin
Thomas Neal
William Sell

Besides the above and foregoing, while an inhabitant of Duplin now Sampson County , North Carolina, and before the above mentioned service, but cannot now recollect the year, he was drafted in the militia under Captain Richard Clinton, commanded by Col. Kennan, was marched to Moore Creek bridge in Hanover County, where he was in an [illegible] with the Tories and defeated them, he was then discharged, having served three months. After this he was for eighteen months or two years occasionally out as a volunteer, sometimes on foot and then mounted under different Captains, but always commanded by Colo. Brown. He thinks in all, he was [illegible] those trips as long as six months, and thinks not more than five weeks at any one time. He knows of no person by whom he can prove his service. Has no discharge. Has lived the last six years in Warren County, Georgia. 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 this day and year aforesaid.
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(8-1776)   796
SERVICE                    NUMBER
N.C.    Dowd, John    R. 13793

CONTENTS
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I Thomas Gibson, Clerk of the Inferior Court, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of application of John Dowd for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this 12th day of Feb. 1833

Thomas Gibson, Cl'k.

John Dowd
23438
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No 23438
John Dowd
Marion Co
Georgia

[Wilde?]
Rejected
see let: 6 June '33 to 
Thomas Gibson Warrenton
C.H. Ga

Thomas Gibson Clk
Marion Co
Georgia
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WAR DEPARTMENT.
Pension Office,
183
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 complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your
claim.
A Statement, shewing the service of John Dowd Warren Co. Georgia -
Period when the service was rendered.
Duration of the claimant's service.
Years. Months. Days.
Rank of the claimant.
Names and Rank of the company officers under whom he served. 
Names and Rank of the General and Field officers. 
Battles in  which the applicant was engaged. Country through which he marched. 
Place of abode when he entered the service, and age at the present period. 
Evidence by which the declaration is supported. 
enlisted for & during the war time not told of the year except overall 6 -[months]  [illegible] Militia 3. [months] val- 6 [months] 
Private
Captn Hall- 
Captn Clinkton
Col Litle Maj McCree
Col Kennon
Col Brown
Creek Bridge
Bladen Co. N. Carolina Wilmington James Island Charleston S. Carolina Ashly Hill Wilmington More Creek bridge
78 years
[blank]
I am, respectfully, 
Your obedient servant,
J. L. EDWARDS,
Commissioner of Pensions.
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REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.

The following regulations have been adopted: This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army and to include under the terms "Continental LIne," "State troops," "militia," and "volunteers," all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally deployed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c.Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of Private Armed Vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night and were not recognized as being in actual military service.
   Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
    1. The Regular Troops.
     2. The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers.
    3. Persons employed in the Naval service.
    4. Indian Spies
   As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons, claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by a law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.
                           DECLARATION
     In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.
            State, Territory, or District of}
           County of                                 }ss:
    On this      day of      personally appeared (a) before   A. B. a resident (b) of    in the county of        of       and  State, Territory or District of     aged(c)     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 proviso made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d)        , with        and served in the        (e) regiment of the        line, under the following named officers:
      [Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers, the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify  the particular period, and rank and names of his officers) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched. (hand pointing) This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia volunteers, navy,  &c.]
        He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of 
   Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
       [And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
   And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
    I                         of the Court of
do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court  in the matter of the application of         for a pension
          In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (I) this       day of 
        &c.
    If, on examination of the proper record the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points outs.
    Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz:
   (k) We., A. D., a Clergyman, residing in the      and C. D. residing in (the same) hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with           , who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be    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 and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
             [And then will follow the certificate of the Court]
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 Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that A.B.      who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the        and is credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
    I,      Clerk of the Court     do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceeding of the said Court, in the matter of the application of     for a pension.
   In the testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal      of office,  this       day of       &c.
   Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission; but it neither or these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the service of applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have tendency to throw light upon the transaction.
   If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his alleged service, as they are known at the Department. A very full account of the services of each person
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will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case. The facts stated will afford one of the principal means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected.
All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County, in which they reside, and there subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his case.
The Court will propound the following (m) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State troops of Virginia.
1. Where and in what year were you born?
2. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?
3. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, and where do you now live?
4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?
5. State the names of some of the Regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services.
6. {To a Soldier { Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given and what has become of it?
{To an Officer { Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?
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 Revolution.
The Court will see that he answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.
The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court, without too much expense and inconvenience to him, two respectable persons -one of whom should be the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from
their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary soldier, and that they concur in that opinion. If one of these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify, to the character and standing of other persons, giving such certificates.
The traditionary evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct
proof, except the declaration of the party. And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the enquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.
Applicants unable to appear in Court by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to perform, and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.
Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or by a Justice of the peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper Clerk of the Court or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is his genuine signature.
No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before the taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.
(a) The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity; in which case the declarant will follow the rule laid down for his guidance.
(b) The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides. If he should fail to do so, he must assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule.
(c) The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
(d) The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served
(e) Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the claim cannot be had. Every claimant must state, 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. 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 - year  - months, and - days, I served as a -. For - months and - days, I served as a ; and for such service I claim a pension."
It is important, in all cases, to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months, is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state that they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours, the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is
highly objectionable. It must, in every case, be clearly shown under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority
; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil
pursuit.
(f) The law makes the relinquishment indispensable.
(g) The opinion of the Court is always required.
(h)The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
(i) The Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal, or if he 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.
Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other papers authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon 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.
Proof of Service.
(j) In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimant's entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
[pointer] The notes from (a) to (i) are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers and State Troops, The proof required by rule in note (j) applies to continental troops only.
(k) This traditionary evidence is indispensable in militia cases. 
(l) If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
(m)The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with the declaration.
1.2.3.
John N Ashton
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13793
P. O. John Doud Dowd 
[margin note ] Ann
Service: [blank]
Enlisted: [stamped] REJECTED , 18
Discharged: [blank] , 18
Application filed:  [blank] , 18
Alleges: [blank]
Re-enlisted:  [blank]
Attorney:  [blank]
P. O.  [blank]
 [blank] Recognized.  [blank] Contract
 [blank] Cert. of Dis. Searched for  [blank], 18
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No 23438
John Doud
Georgia
Rejected see let:
of the 6th June 1833 to 
Thomas Gibson
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State of North Carolina
Secretary of State's Office
I William Hill Secretary of State in and for the State aforesaid, do certify that it appears from the muster rolls of the Continental line of this State in the revolutionary war, that John Doude a private in Capt Halls company of the 10th Regiment enlisted for the war, was mustered in Sept. 1782, Deserted 1st June 1783
Given under my hand this
27th May 1833.
Wm. Hill