Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S, for Archibald Mc Nair, Pennsylvania
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[notecard]
[upper left]
SERVICE
Continental Penn
[center]
McNair, Archibald
[upper right]
S (check)
B. L. Wt. 1640-100
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Act of 1828 - Agency book - shows-Cet #954 ------ Original #1010/ILL -11/5/37

No pension papers on file

On pension list. Mercer Co. Pa. Act of 1828 - Secy. of War Report - 1835.
I.L.L. 11/5/37
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Archibald McNair
No. 1640
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(Copy)
Revolutionary Claims.
Under the act, entitled "An act for the relief of certain surviving Officers and
Soldiers of the Army of the Revolution, "" approved 15th May, 1828.
SIR:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
17 October 1829
Your claim, under the abovementioned act, having been examined, you
are found to be entitled to the pay of a Sergeant of Artillery +
in the Continental Line. The amount which may be due, accordingly, will be remitted
to you by the Treasurer of the United States.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) S. D. Ingham
Secretary of the Treasury
M Archibald McNair
Care of Alexander Brown Esq.
Mercer
Pa
+ McNair was a Sergeant in the Artillery of the Pennsylvania line
F.A.Dickens


A True Copy
F. A. Dickins Clerk [illegible] Dept
11 June 1830
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Erie Penn - June 28th 1830

Sir ,

I have received your letter of the 17th intact, enclosing a Land Warrant for one hundred acres of Land N 1640 granted to Archibald McNair, who was a Sargeant in the Pennsylvania Line, in the War of the Revolution.
I am - 
very respectfully
Your obd sert
Thomas H Sill

Wm Gordon Esq
Property Land Office
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DEPARTMENT OF WAR.
Regulations for the Officers and Soldiers of the Revolutionary War who acquired a
right to Land from the United States, but have not received it.
By an Act of Congress of the 16th September, 1776, it is provided, that the Officers and Soldiers who engaged
for, and continued to serve, during the War, or until discharged by Congress, shall receive land in proportion to their
rank.
N. B. Those who engaged for three years, or for any other period than during the war, are not entitled to land
from the United States.
The following declaration must be filled up and sworn to by the claimant:
State of Pennsylvania
County of Mercer
I, Archibald McNair
aged seventy two
years, do, upon oath, testify and declare, that, in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven
I enlisted for the term of "during the war," and served in the regiment No. 2d bat artiliry [artillery]  under the
command of Colonel Lamb of the * line; and
*in 1779 We James Col Procters Reg. of Artillery Pennsylvania line
that I continued in the service aforesaid until the close of the war, when I was regularly discharged from the
1st Artilery [Artillery] regiment, commanded by Colonel Andrew Porter
I further declare, that I have never received a warrant for the Bounty Land promised to me on the part of the
United States; nor have I ever assigned or transferred my claim in any manner whatsoever: therefore,
Know all men by these presents, that I, Archibald McNair aforesaid, do hereby
constitute and appoint Alexander Brown Esquire to be my true and lawful
attorney, for me and in my name to demand and receive from the Secretary of War of the United States, a warrant
for the quantity of Land due to me as aforesaid; and my said attorney is hereby fully authorized and empowered to
constitute and appoint one or more substitutes or attorneys under him, for the special purposes above expressed.
Arch McNair
Attest,
James Clark
Alexr Brown [illegible]

I, Nathan Patterson aged fifty six years, do, upon
oath, declare that I have been long acquainted with Archibald McNair who has subscribed
the above declaration in my presence, and well know that he is the identical person he therein represents himself
to be; and further, I know, or do believe, that he did perform the military service therein stated.
Nathan Patterson
Attest,
James Clark

Before me, James Clark a Justice of the peace in Mercer County Pa
personally appeared the above named Archibald McNair subscriber to the foregoing
declaration, and in my presence acknowledged the power of attorney thereto subjoined, to be his free act and deed;
and likewise, personally appeared Nathan Patterson who hath subscribed the above
certificate of identity, both to me well known to be men of respectability and truth, and made solemn oath to the truth
of the depositions by them respectively subscribed, this tenth day of February 1830
James Clark Justice of the Peace

In testimony that the above written James Clark was a magistrate
authorized to administer oaths, and take acknowledgments, &c., in the State of Pennsylvania at
the above date, and that his name there subscribed appears to me to be his usual signature, I have hereunto affixed the
county seal, and subscribed my name and quality, at Mercer this eleventh day of March 1830
Wm S Rankin C. Clerk &c
This law expires 3d March, 1827.
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Know all men by these presents, that I Alexander Brown, of Mercer County Attorney for Archivbald McNair to obtain a Land warrant from the Secty of War, of the United States, do hereby constitute, the Hon. Thomas H Sill my time and lawful attorney, for one, but in the name and for the use of Archibald McNair to demand and receive from the Secretary of War a Land warrant for the quantity of Land due him from the United States as a Sergeant of Artillery in the Revolutionary War. hereby ratifying what my said attorny should legally do Touching the aforsaid warrant.
March 13th 1830
[signed] A. Brown.
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[stamp upper left] Received Oct 22 1937 Mail Sub Div. Vets Adm Reader # 17

[typewritten letter]
870 University Ave.
Boulder, Colo.
Oct. 19, 1937.

Veterans Administration
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:

I am endeavoring to gather some information concerning
some of my ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War.
Will you kindly see if the records in your office have
information about a Captain Thomas Bales Company of a regiment of the Pennsylvania Line commanded by Colonel Thomas Torbett, and if a David and a Robert McNair were in the company?
If you find these McNairs will you please tell me where they enlisted, if records are that complete.
Are there any McNairs on record who served from Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary War besides the David and Robert I have mentioned above? 

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,
[signed]Jeannette McNair Bain
(Mrs. Edward Bain )
Jeannette McNair Bain
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[typewritten letter]
November 5, 1937.

Mrs. Edward Bain
870 University Avenue
Boulder, Colorado.

BA-J/ILL.
Archibald McNair
S. -- Rev. War
Robert McNair
S. 16949

Dear Madam:

Reference is made to your letter in which you request information in regard to your ancestors with the surname McNair who served from Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary War, and cite David and Robert McNair who served in Captain Thomas Bales' company, Colonel Thomas Torbett's regiment.
A search of the Revolutionary War records has been made and only two claims for pension found based upon service of soldiers with the surname McNair (variously spelled) of Pennsylvania, those of Archibald and Robert. The data which follow are shown in the papers on file in said claims, and may aid you in your research.
ARCHIBALD McNAIR - S. ----- Rev. War.
Archibald McNair enlisted in the year 1777, served as sergeant in Colonels Lamb's, Proctor's and Andrew Porter's Regiments of Continental Artillery and was discharged at the close of the war. His residence at the time of his enlistment is not shown.
[handwritten comment in margin - OK - Mrs Fru**** illegible]
He was allowed pension at the rate of $120 per annum on account of his service; his name was placed on the pension roll October 17, 1829, under the Act of May 15, 1828; at that time his address was Mercer, Pennsylvaniia.
Archibald McNair applied February 10, 1830, for bounty land which was due on account of his service in the Revolutionary War. He was aged then seventy-two years, and resided in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The date and place of his birth and names of his parents are not shown. He
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was granted 100 acres of bounty land on warrant #1640, issued June 17, 1830.
There are no data whatever pertaining to the family of this soldier.
It is suggested that information in regard to the location of the land which Archibald McNair received on account of his service in the Revolutionary War might be obtained from the Commissioner,
General Land Office, this city: you should furnish that official the warrant number, acreage and date of issuance, given above.
---------------
ROBERT McNAIR-S.16949.
Robert McNair, son of David McNair, was born December 24, 1756, in Cumberland County (later Mifflin and Juniata Counties), Pennsylvania; the name of his mother is not shown. He lived with his father in
Millford Township, in said Cumberland County, at the time of the Revolutionary War.
Robert McNair entered service in December 1776, with his father, David McNair, served as private in Captains Thomas Bales' and Thomas Torbet's companies, Colonel Watts' Pennsylvania regiment, crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, where he joined the troops under General George Washington, was in the battle of Princeton, also in a
severe skirmish near there in which two men were killed, and was discharged at the end of service of three months. David McNair died in service while in that campaign, exact date and place of his death not given, nor other details. Robert McNair returned home; he enlisted in June 1777 and served one year in Captain Nathaniel Irish's company, Colonel Flowers' regiment of Artificers, stationed most of the time at the Iron Works near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and was wounded there by the bursting of a cannon which he was testing, further details regarding wound not stated. He enlisted in August 1778, and served two months as a private in Captain Thomas Torbet's company, Colonel Watts' Pennsylvania regiment, afterwards served seven months as private in Captain James Hurt's company in that same regiment;

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during these later services he was engaged in protecting the frontier against the Indians and Tories.
Robert McNair continued to reside in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, about twenty years after the War, moved then to the vicinity of Pittsburgh and resided six or seven years, thence to Lake Erie where he resided "several years', afterwards went to the western country
and settled about 1814, in the vicinity of Lincoln County, Missouri.
He was allowed pension on his application executed September 16, 1833, at which time he resided in Lincoln County, Missouri. He died October 23, 1835, survived by a widow who was living in May 1837; her name is not shown, nor the date and place of their marriage given.
In November 1832, Major David McNair, Robert McNair's brother, was a resident of Erie County, Pennsylvania, at which time he made affidavit regarding the service and death of his father in the Revolutionary War. No explanation in regard to the rank of this David McNair was given.
When Robert McNair made application for his pension, he referred to David McNair, "first Lieutenant", Captain Thomas Torbet's company of militia in December 1776, but did not state that this David was his father, David McNair.
In order to obtain the name of the person to whom the last payment of pension was made, you should apply to the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, this city and furnish the following:
Robert McNair
Certificate #25814
Issued January 9, 1834
Rate $112 per annum
Commenced March 4, 1831
Act of June 7, 1832
Missouri Agency.
Very truly yours,
A. D. HILLER,
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator.
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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Form VAM-51
12-5-41
BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
Division of Veterans' Administration Archives
NAME McNair, John
GRADE Private
LINE Pennsylvania
WARRANT NUMBER 9949
ACREAGE 100
ISSUED  April 16, 1790
to not shown-
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.