Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30644, for Benjamin Perry, Virginia
Page 1

Form
(3-1776)
Service.Name.Number.Contents

1.Va. Perry, Benjamin. S.30644
Page 2

Kentucky 22361
Benjamin Perry [illegible]
of Henry Co in the State of Kentucky who was a private in the com commanded by Captain Legg of the regt commanded by Col Winslow in the Virginia Line for 1 year & 7 months.

Inscribed on the Roll of Kentucky at the rate of 63 Dollars 33 Cents per annum to commence the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 30 day of October 1833 and Hon R M Johnson Great [illegible]

Arrears to the 4 of Sept $138.33
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 March $31.67
$190.00
{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Dan Boyd Clerk.
Book E Vol 7 Page 20
Page 3

Pen: Perry, [illegible]
Rev: Claim

Ad [illegible] 1 year & 7 months

40.00
23.33
$63.33
Page 4

State of Kentucky
Henry County [illegible]
Be it known that on this 175h day of September 1833 personally appeared before William McCrackin a justice of the peace in aforesaid County of Henry and one of the Justice of the Henry County Courts Benjamin Perry a resident of the said county of Henry and State of Kentucky aged 80 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 act of Congress passed Jun 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated, that is to say being a resident of Spottsylvania County in the state of Virginia he did on the    day of April in the year 1781 as well as he remembers he entered the service of the United States as a drafted militia man and private soldier in the Company of Captain Legg upon a term of six months and served as such during the whole of his term. That he rendezvoused with his company at Fredericksburg Va. and was there joined to the regiment of Col. Winslow and was attached the Brigade of Genl Weeden and was marched from thence and joined the army under Genl La Fayette near the horse Pens ford of the Potomac River that he continued with the army of Gen Lafayette under his said officers during the whole of that celebrated campaign and partook of its dangers turmoils and difficulties. That the operation of the American Army was directed against that of the British under Lord Cornwallis and he was finally driven to Little York. that Genl Washington and the troops with him joined the troops in Virginia under Lafayette and the whole army marched down to Little York and commenced the siege of that place and prosecuted it until Cornwallis and the army under his command surrendered. This declarant was with the Army and assisted in its operations from the time of his said entry into the service until the expiration of his said tour of duty. he was present & assisted at the siege of York and witnessed the surrender of the British Army and soon after that event his term of service having expired he was discharged and returned home. I recollect upon this town to have seen Genls Lafayette, Wayne, Steuben and Col Greene & (illegible) of the regulars and now think I recollect Genls Lawson, & Weeden and Cols. White & (illegible) of the Militia.
He further states and declares that soon after his return home
Page 5

from his above named town that is to say in the month of November 1781 as well as he remembers he moved from Spottsylvania County to the present state of Ky. and sometime in the month of December in the same year landed at Bryan Station. that he continued at said station during the balance of the winter that is to say from the month of December 1781 as a part of the Garrison of the fort at that place till the month of April 1782 constituting a period of not less than three months, which time he served in said fort faithfully under Captain Craig as a private volunteer soldier, that the county was a frontier one and the Indians very troublesome.

he further states and declares that in the month of April 1782 as well as he recollects he entered the service of the United States as a private volunteer Indian spy upon an engagement for seven months under Capt Dudley. That he was at the fort at Bryans Station at the time he entered the service against the Indians as a spy upon this last engagement that he (illegible) were in the service as such during the whole period of his said engagement actually and actively employed as such, that his duties as such under his said engagement required him to ran an extensive tract of country including the present counties of Fayette, Clark, Bourbon, Scott, Franklin & Harrison; that he was frequently at Bryans Station, Ashton Station, Strouds Station and Boone Station. he states that he was not engaged in any skirmish of note or importance with the Indians during the period of his engagement in the service upon the town but that he was in several (illegible) over. He states that he served out the full term of his said engagement actively and faithfully.

He states that he served upon many small scouting & spying parties in the year 1783 but he does not recollect that particulars of them with sufficient certainty to attempt their detail but he is confident and certain from his present best recollection that he did not serve up, during the spring and summer of 1783 than the months in scouting and spying  parties against the Indians.

He states that he is growing old and is so infirm that he cannot attend court to make his declaration but though his memory from age and infirmity is greatly impaired yet he thinks he can safely say and he is positive from his present
Page 6

best recollection that he did not serve life during the revolutionary War than six months as a drafted militia man (illegible) months as a private volunteer soldier in the fort at Bryans station, 7 months as an Indian spy in 1782 and three months upon scouting and spying parties in 1783 marking in all 17 months service from which he is claiming a pension.

He stats that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.

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 the day and year aforesaid.

Benjamin Ferguson

Interrogatories put to the above named applicant by the said William McCracken Justice of the Peace and member of the Henry County Court as aforesaid.

1st: Where and in what year were you born?
Answer: I was born in Spottsylvania County Va in the year 1752
Q. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it? Answer I have a record of my age at home in my Bible.
Q Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the revolutionary War and where do you now live?
Answer. I was living in Spottsylvania County Va. when I entered the service upon my first tour in the month of December 1781 as well as I remember I moved to Ky. to the present county of Fayette where I lived during the residue of my service, and where I continued to reside for a short time after the war and then I moved to the present count of Woodford where I continued to live till the year 1803 as well as I recollect and I then moved to Henry County where I have lived ever since & still live.
4th How were you called into service: were  you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom?
Answer-I was drafted on my first tour. Upon all my other services I was a volunteer.
5th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served such as continental & militia
Page 7

regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service?
Answer. I recollect Genls. Washington, Lafayette, Wayne & Steuban and Cols. Willis and Greene who I believe were regular officers. I recollect Genls. Fruden & Lawson, and Cols. White and Winslow and Cols. Logan and Baron who I think were militia officers. My first tour was performed in Virginia in the Army of Gnl. Lafayette in the celebrate campaign against Cornwallis, and I was with the Army during the whole of it once assisted in the capture of Cornwallis and was present at the time he surrendered and witnessed the whole transaction. My other serves were performed in Ky. against the Indians in the fort at Bryans Station, in spying, and in spying & scouting parties. Much of which kind of service I performed.

6th. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so by whom was it given and what has become of it?
Answer. I recd. but our discharge and that was from my service as a drafted militia man in as which was signed by my captain & which I have lost.

7th. 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 in your services as a soldier in the revolution.
Answer. I will name Charles Stewart and William McCrackin.

Sworn and subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
Benjaman Perry

We Charles Stewart and William McCrackin residents of Henry Corner Cty in the state of Kentucky hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Benjamin Perry who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be eighty years of age, that he is respected 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.
Charles Stewart
X his mark  Will. McCrackin
Page 8

And I William McCrackin Just of the peace as aforesaid and one of the Justices of the Henry County Court do hereby certify and declare my opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the Interrogatories prescribed by the war department that the above named applicant Benjamin Perry was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states and that he is so infirm in body that he cannot attend court to make his declaration and I further certify that Charles Stewart and William McCrackin who have signed the preceding certificate & sworn to the same are residents of Henry County Ky. and are credible persons and that their statements are certified to credit and I further certify that there is no clergyman in the neighborhood of the said Benjamin Perry.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand this 17th day of Sept. 1833.
William McCrackin JP

State of Kentucky}
Henry County}  set
I Edmund P Thomas Clerk of the Court of Henry County Ky. hereby certify that William McCrackin whose name appears to the preceding certificate was at the date thereof and still is a Justice of the peace for Henry County Ky. and one of the Justices of the Court of which I am clerk and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is his genuine signature: And I further certify that the foregoing were this day presented to me in my office as the original proceedings in t he matter of the application of Benjamin Perry for a pension by the said Justice.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my name and affixed my seal of office this 8th day of Oct 1833
Edmund P Thomas
Clerk of the Henry County Court
Page 9

RECORD DIVISION
REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORDS SECTION
3-525
MMH   DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
S. 30644    BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
Washington, D. C., Nov. 6, 1922

In reply to your request of ____, received ____ for a statement of the military history of Benjamin Perry a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's (crossed out)) application for pension on file in this Bureau.
-------------------------------
 |  |  | OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. |
DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. | LENGTH OF SERVICE. | RANK. | CAPTAIN. | COLONEL. | STATE.

Apr. 1781 | 6 mos. | Private | Legg | Wieslaw | Va.
Dec. 1781 | 3 mos. |  | Craig | Wieslaw |
Apr. 1782 | 7 mos. | Indian spy | Dudley | Wieslaw |
Spring 1783 | 3 mos. | Indian spy | on many scouting parties |  |

Battles engaged in Siege of Yorktown
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Spottsylvania Co., Va. and Bryan's St. Ky.
Date of application for pension, Sept 17, 1833. Hi cl. was al.
Residence at date of application, Henry Co., Ky.
Age at date of application, Born in 1752 in Spottsylvania Co., Va.
Remarks: It is not shown that he was married.

(Dec. 1781 moved from Va. to Fayette Co. Ky. There short time, then to Woodford Co. Ky. till 1803 then to Henry Co. Date of death not in Agency Book.)

Respectfully,

Commissioner.
5-2556
Page 10

left column
1922. Nov. 6 _ Hist. to Mrs. H. H. McCampbell MMH

right column
30 644
Revy INVALID.
---------------
File No. 30,644
Benjamin Perry
Pri Rev War
---------------
Act: June 7th 32
Index:--Vol. 2, Page 319

[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 11

Rev Sec
614 Walnut St.
Knoxville, Tenn.
Sept. 3, 1922.
Department of The Interior,
Commissioner of the Bureau of Pension,
Revolutionary War Section,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

Will you please give me the Pension declarations of Chapman Poindexter placed on the pension roll of Grainger Co. Tenn. Oct. 18, 1833, and of Benjamin Perry placed on the pension roll of Henry Co., Ky.
Page 12

Oct. 30, 1833.

Thank you for this favor, I am,

Sincerely yours,
Mrs. H. H. McCampbell