Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 1847, for Josiah Laws, South Carolina
Page 1

8-1776

SERVICE
S.C.

Laws, Josiah

NUMBER 
S 1847

Carded
Page 2

Rev War

INVALID

File No. 1847
Josiah Laws
Priv. S.C. Line

Act: June 7, 1832

Index:
Vol. a
Page 214

Arrangement of 1870
Page 3

[Left side]
7233
West Tennessee
Josiah Laws
of Haywood in the State of W T
who was a privat in the company commanded
by Captain [?]unch of the Regt commanded
by Col Mott in the S. Carolina
line for 7[?] years.

Inscribed on the Roll of W Tennessee
at the rate of 80 Dollars [blank] Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March 1831

Certificate of Pension issued the 18th day of March
1833 and sent[?] to
David O Shattuck Brownsville

Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 160.00
Semi-anl allowance ending 4 Sept 40.00
[Total] $200.00

{Revollutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832}

Recoded by Daniel Bays
Clerk,
Book E
Vol 7
Page 87

[Right side]

[?] letter to J M Bass P. Agt Sept 23 1835
Page 4

11986
Josiah Laws
Tennessee
from 1775 private
3 years $80

David [?] Shattuck
Brownsville
Page 5

Brief in the case of Josiah Laws
County of Haywood
in the State of Tennessee
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? 75 or 76
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
[Column 1]Period.
enlisted In 1773
1778
his service during the war he says was as
much as five years
[Column 2]Duration of Service.
Years, 3
not stated
[Column 3]Rank.
As a
Parate
[Column 4] Names of General and Field Officers
Gen. Ash[?] Lincoln
Capt Misick, Col Marion
Col Mott [?] [?]
Col Moultree[?] Col Gregg[?]
Col Hammels, Col Sharer[?]
Genl Ashe, Col Singleton

5. In what battles was he engaged? Fort Moultrie, [?]
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Fairfax Dist S.C.
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by
incidental evidence, or by the rolls? 
neither if not found on the rolls[?]
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
mentioned.
no clergyman
Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
[illegible signature]
Examining Clerk

Examining Cler
Page 6

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those
answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of
Josiah Laws which require 
further proof or explanation.

I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? Yes
II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes
III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason
assigned for his not doing so? [blank]
IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? Yes
V. Has he mentioned 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 amout of pension
he is entitled? Yes
VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yes
VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? Yes
VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? Yes
IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? Yes
X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished
from any other seal?
yes
Page 7

2
XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to
their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? No
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? No
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one
living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? No
XIV. If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness
or witnesses as to his service? [blank]
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath,
certified to the credibilty of the witness or witnesses? [blank]
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the
regulations direct? [blank]
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age
as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? [blank]
XVI. Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? Yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And,
if not, which of them is not so answered? 1,2,7

EXPLANATORY NOTES.
QUERE V. 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.
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3
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 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 objection
able. It must in every case be clearly shewn 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.
QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
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 claimants 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.
QUERE XVI. 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 paper 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.
In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, 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
Page 9

Petition of 
Josiah Laws
11986
Page 10

State of Tennessee
Haywood County
On this 10th day of
September 1832 personally appeared before
the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
of the County & State aforesaid, Josiah
Laws a resident of the said County of
Haywood and State of Tennessee aged
about seventy five or seventy six years
who being duly sworn according to law
doth on his oath make the following
declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the
provisions made by the act of Congress passed
June 7th 1832.  That he enlisted in the army
of the United States in the year 1775 with
Captain Daniel Misick and served in
the second Regiment of Militia as a private
commanded by Francis Marion  Colonel
Mott  Delong Adjutant in the
company commanded by Daniel Misick
Baker Lieut and in the year
1778 after a service of three years he obtained
a regular discharge signed by Col
Mott - and was in the following
engagements to wit - at Fort Moultree on
Sullivans Island Col Moultree
commanding [?] Peter Parker commanding
for his magisty George 3d another at parishes
saw mills (or within five miles) commanded
by Cols Grigg & Hammels & Eli Shaw
& is marches principally were in South Carolina
Page 11

he belonging to the South Carolina line of
troops and that at the time he enlisted he
was living in Fairfax, now Salem District
South Carolina - That he afterward
served under Genl Ashe and was with him
in the battle of brier creek - was service
under Genl Lincoln at the engagement at Sto
that he belonged to Genl Singletons Regiment
was present at the siege of Savannah
And he further states that his discharge obtained
as aforesaid he lost with his clothes when
he was afterward in service - And that
his whole service in the army of the United
States during the Revolutionary service was
as much as five years.
I hereby relinquish every claim whatever
to a pension or an annuity except the 
present and declare that my name is
not on the Pension Roll of any agency
in any state.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and
year aforesaid
Josiah his X mark Laws

Test
Will[?] Grove[?] Clk
Page 12

And the said court do hereby declare their
opinion that the above named applicant was
a revolutionary soldier and served as he states
James A Walker JP
[illegible] JP
B F Neelly JP

I Will B Grove [illegible] of the court
of pleas & quarter sessions for the [?] & [?]
state of Tennessee do certify that the foregoing contains
the original proceedings in the matter of the application
of Josiah Laws for a pension [illegible phrase]
hand hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of
office this 14 September 1832
Test
Will B Grove [?]
Page 13

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Form VAM-51
12-54-1
BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
Division of Veterans' Administration Archives

Name Laws, William
Grade Private
Line Maryland

WARRANT NUMBER 11451
ACREAGE 100
ISSUED September 24, 1799 to William Laws

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.