Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 11735, Philip Wirt, Penn.
Page 1

SERVICE
Penn.
CONTENTS
Wirt, Philip
or 
Dorothy
NUMBER
R. 11735
Page 9

City and County of Philadelphia, ss

Ja Woletcher, Esquire, Prothonotary of the District Court for the City and County of Philadelphia, Do CERTIFY, that the Honourable Geo M Stroud, Esq. by whom the foregoing Attestation was made, and whose name is thereto subscribed, was at the time of making thereof, and still is, one of the Judges of the District Court for the City and County of Philadelphia, duly commissioned and sworn, to all whose acts, as such, full faith and credit are and ought to be given, as well in Courts of Justice as elsewhere.

IN TESTIMONY whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the said Court, the Thirtieth day of June, eighteen hundred and fifty-seven.

Ja Woletcher, Prothonotary.
Page 17

[handwritten]
Dorothy Wirt and of
Philip Pa
original
Pa State pensioner

[stamped]
HARRISBURG PA
JUL
3

[handwritten]
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City
D. C.

FREE [handwritten] R
Page 18

[handwritten]
Dorothy Wirt
Philip Pa on
R 29 [illegible], 1848

[handwritten] R

FREE

[handwritten]
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City
D. C.

[stamped]
PHILADELPHIA PA
NOV
9
Page 20

R. M. Ross
Nov 25
Page 21

Pension Office
Nov: 25/57
Sir.
In reply to your letter of the 18" inst. You are informed, that when you memorialized Congress upon the subject of the pension Claim of Mrs. Dorothy Wirt, widow of Philip. the Committee of pension will call for the paper filed in this Office in relation thereto. provided, your Memorial is seriously entertained.
R. M. Ross Esqr [Esquire]
Philadelphia, Pa
Page 22

Pension Office, Nov. 17, 1857
Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 9th instant in relation to the claim of Dorothy Wirt for pension under act of 29, [illegible], I have to state that the fact that she received a pension from the State of Pennsylvania is not sufficient to establish a pension claim under any of the act of Congress - among other reasons, it may be observed, that it requires a service of at least six months duration to entitle a party a pension, [and crossed out] by the United States- a state pension may be allowed without regard to length of service - This matter is now, however, of no importance, since it appears from your letter that Mrs Wirt is dead. It has been recently decided by the department upon advice of the Attorney General, that unadjusted pension claims cannot be recovered by the children or other representatives of a deceased solder or his widow. This claim is therefore,
Page 23

rejected.
[illegible] &c
Nov 17/57
R. M. Ross. Esqr. [Esquire]
Philadelphia, Penna.
Page 24

Pension Office
August, 4" 1857.
Sir:
I have examined the claim for pension of Dorothy Wirt, [illegible] the widow of Philip.
Evidence should be filed identifying the husband of the applicant as the Philip Wirt whose service is certified by the Secty. [Secretary] of the Commonwealth of Penns. [Pennsylvania]. If She is able to furnish Satisfactory Evidence of identity, then proof of the length of his service should be filed. Upon the production of the required Evidence, it will be necessary for the Claimant to prove her Marriage & the precise date thereof.
Evidence of the death of Philip Wirt, should be filed as well as proof of the widowhood & identity of the applicant. It is advisable that the claimant file Certified Copies of the papers upon which she was pensioned by the State of Pa & she is desired to explain why she has not heretofore applied for a pension from the United States.
R. M. Ross Esqr [Esquire]
Lebanon, Ohio
Page 25

Copy
Pension Office March 2, 1858.
Sir:
The petition of the heirs of Dorothy Wirt, which are herewith returned, involve the question whether the children of a Revolutionary soldier can legally establish and recover a pension claim not perfected by the soldier during his lifetime.
This matter has been decided by the Department and is now before Congress in the hope of an appeal.
With great respect&c [respect etc.]
Hon. Geo. W. Jones,
Chn.[Chairman] of Committee on Revolutionary Pensions,
U. S. Senate.