Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 886, James Black, Va.
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SERVICE 
VA. 

Black, James 

Number R. 886 

CONTENTS
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Declaration 
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. 
State of South Carolina 
Abbeville District 
On this twenty third day of October one thousands eight hundred and forty five personally appeared in the open court before the  Hon'ble Elected First presiding Judge of the Court of Common Please and General Sessions for the District and State aforesaid James Black aged eighty five 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 June 7 1832. 
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and serves as herein stated. 
That he was draughted as a [illegible] private in Rockbridge County in the State of Virginia in the month of April of the year seven teen hundred and eighty one, about the time Tarleton Horse came to Virginia south of the Blue Ridge, under a Capt Campbell, who was shortly after taken sick & went home, a Capt William Moore then took command of the company, he was a brother of Andw Moore, member of Congress he does not recollect the names of the field officers, except the adjutant whose name was John McCandless he was marched to Charlottesville to oppose Tarleton, he as then marched to other points and was kept in constant active service in the Virginia Regt Corps or regiment
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British prisoners taken at Yorktown whose conducted or marched to Winchester where he was verbally discharged from service, having as he believes served fully seven months. he further says that he does not know of a living witness whose evidence he could obtain to testify to his service, whether he was any documentary evidence to produce he here subjoins the affidavit of his neighbor Christian Rasor who was at the surrender of Cornwallis, but was not in the same corps or Regiment, and unknown to each other at that period. But from the repeated conversations he has had with Mr. Rasor on the subject of the surrender he is satisfied that Mr. Pasor must have have present on that occasion, Mr. Pasor is an old man of credibility and brevity and his affidavit is subjoined to support this application. Now the applicant in answer to the interrogatories required to be propounded by the Act of Congress 7 June 1832 states or answers as follows. 
1st. Born in Augusta County Virginia within four miles of Staunton, in the year 1761. 
2 Has no Record of his age, relies upon his memory. 
3 Roxbridge County, Virginia, has since lived in Abbeville District State of South Carolina, where I now live.
4 He was called into service by being drafted. 
5 Genl. Washington, Genl Lafayette, does not recollect either continental or militia regiments or the names of Officers commanding them, the general circumstances of his service he has already stated to the best of his belief and recollection.
6 He never received a written discharge, it was verbal. 
7 Genl . Geo W Hodges, Col Donald Douglass, Revd G W Huckabee, Mayor M. L. Williams, Dr. Paul Connor, who can testify to my character for veracity and their belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution. 
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension of annuity except the present, and declares that his name
-is not
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is not on the pension of the Agency of any State. Sworn and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid, 
James Black 

Mr Franklin Branch - a clergyman residing in Abbeville District in the State of South Carolina and Joel Smith - residing in the same district and State do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Black who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be eighty five years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resided, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. 
Sworn, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid. 
Franklin Branch, V. D. M 
Minister of Methodis E. Church 
Joel Smith 
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 name applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And the Court who has signed the preceding certificate , is a clergyman resident in Abbeville District in the State of South Carolina and that Joel Smith - who has also signed the same is a resident of or in the same District and State and is a credible person, and that the Statement is entitled to credit. 
Edward Frost 
Presiding Judge
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I John F Livingston clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions for the District of Abbeville in the State of South Carolina do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of James Black for a pension. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this twenty third day of October in in the year of our Lord one thousands eight hundred and forty five, and in the seventieth year of the Independence of the United States of America. 

Jno F Livingston 
Clk
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37.136
James Black
S. C.
[illegible] to Thos. P. Speirin
Dec 10. 1845.
Letter re Christian Rasor - Va. Troops
4-8599
886
Act 7 June 1832.
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Ex'r. INVALID.
No. 886
James Black
P. O. Va
Reble
Service: [blank]
Enlisted: [blank]
Discharged: [blank]
Application filed: [blank]
Alleges: [blank]
Re-enlisted: [blank]
Attorney: [blank]
P. O. [blank]
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[envelope with following notation on right end]
Nov. 13, 1845
Be Christian Razer
 & Jas Black
June 7, 1832.
307
[postal cancellation stamp in upper left] ABBEVILLE S.C. NOV 6
Hon'ble J. L. Edwards.
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City
Dist. Columbia
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So.Ca Abbeville Cl House 5 Nov 1845 
Hon'ble J L Edwards 
Enclosed are the claims of Christian Rasor and James Black, two respectable old men of Abbeville District, who are regarded as worthy revolutionary characters. You'll perceive that I have attached each claim with a ribbon and impressed it with my private seal, showing the initials TPS of my name. Be pleased by the request of these old men, to communicate to me your action on their claims, at as early a day as practicable with your labourious duties. 
Yours very Respectfully
Thos P Spieria
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37.176 
James Black's 
declaration 
seven months service.
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State of South Carolina }
Abbeville District           }
I Christian Rason do solemnly swear that I have been personally acquainted with James Black the within applicant for a pension for thirty-eight years last past, that he is a citizen of credibility and veracity that he and myself have had frequent conversations relative to our Revolutionary services in the service of the United States in the Revolutionary War, and particularly in relation to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Altho [sic] I did not know the applicant at that time being in different companies and regiments from each other, yet I am confident that he must have been at the surrender of Cornwallis from many little details of facts which I know positively to be true and to exist, for instance the frame work in which the French heated their hot balles [sp?] the quantity of facines [sic], the rough made baskets to be filled with earth, in constructing entrenchments, the position of the American forces, the surrender of the British, the march of the prisoners &c all confirm me in the belief that James Black was a Revolutionary soldier and that he was at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown in the War of the Revolution.
Sworn to 29th Octr 1845           }
Before me                                  }
[signed] Wm. Barmon. Marshal  }
              Christia[n] Rasor
South Carolina" I Jno F Livingston Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for Abbeville District do hereby certify that Wm Barmon who hath signed the foregoing affidavit is a Magistrate and that the above signature purporting to be his is genuine
Given under my hand and seal of office at Abbeville Court House this fourth day of October 1845
[signed] Jno F Livingston
Clerk of the Court of Common Plea
Abbeville District.