Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 612, for Robert Mc Chesney, New Jersey
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(8-1776)

SERVICE | NUMBER
New Jersey | McChesney, Robert | S.612

carded
CONTENTS
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[crossed out: 90607]
[crossed out: (illegible])

14044
New Jersey
Robert McChesney of Middlesex in the State of N. Jersey, who was a Private in the Comp(any) commanded by Captain Day of the Reg(iment) commanded by Col. Nelson in the N. Jersey line for 7 months.

Inscribed on the Roll of N. Jersey as the rate of 23 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 7th day of May 1833 and sent Dr. Chesney, Hightstown [crossed out: Agent]

Arrears to the 4th of Mar. '33.............46.66
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4th Sep. '33....11.67
                                          ======
                                          $58.33

{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Geo. C. Stiles, Clerk
Book E; Vol. 4; Page 121
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No. 4121
Robert McChesney
5 Mar. 1833
Obj. 5.13
Hon J.F. Randolph
P. 283
Undefined service of 2 mos.
Disallowed.
Dom'd
7 mos. Pri(vate)
$23.33
Dr. McChesney
Present
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BRIEF in the case of Robert McChesney of Middlesex County in the State of N. Jersey.
(Act 7th June, 1832.)

1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Common Pleas.
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? (blank)
3. How old is he? 74 years.
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period. | Duration of Service. (Years/Months/Days) | Rank. As a: | Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.
In 1777 Jan. | Times not specified, he believes between 9 months & 1 year. | O(rderly) Sergeant | (Militia) Capt. Dey, Col. Nelson
(blank) | (blank) | O(rderly) Sergeant | Capt. Combs, Col. Hyer
5. In what battles was he engaged? (blank)
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Middlesex Co., New Jersey.
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditionary.
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Correct.

I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
s/ D. Brown, Examining Clerk
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No. 4121

State of New Jersey 
Middlesex County//

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed the 7 June 1832.

On this Thirty first day of July Eighteen Hundred and Thirty two, personally appeared in Open Court, being a special term of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County held at the City of New Brunswick in the said County of Middlesex now sitting, being a Court of Record, Robert McChesney, a resident of the Township of South Brunswick and County aforesaid, aged Seventy four years, on the Twentieth day of March last, 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 the 7, 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States in the Militia of New Jersey as an Orderly Sergeant under the following named officers and served as herein stated. Viz.: In the Company commanded by Captain John Dey under the command of Colonel John Nielson in the early part of January 1777, shortly after the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, and which was stationed at a town or village called Cranbury, about fifteen miles from New Brunswick and continued in said company at the same place until the first of April following, being relieved one half of the time by other parts of the militia. He then moved into the Township of Windsor in said County into the company commanded by Captain Jonathan Combs under Colonel Jacob Hyre and shortly after was called out under the said officers to the same place and continued there he thinks to sometime about the first of June following. And while on those different tours was on different services; one of which was commanded by the said Captain John Dey, who remanded that scouting party. And near New Brunswick, we attacked a party of the British Light Horse and some Hessians who were coming out as a plundering party, when we took three Hessians prisoner and killed one. This route was about Thirty miles going and returning. After this tour, ending about the first of June as above stated, the next I was ordered out in the same company under the said colonel. We marched through Somerset County to a place called [illegible] town in Hunterdon County, and after laying there some time, we marched to Sourland Mountain at the time the British army marched from New Brunswick to Somerset Courthouse. And from there, marched to a place called Steel's Gap, where part of General Washington's Army lay. And when the British retreated from Somerset Courthouse, we marched in order to harass the British on their retreat to a place north of the road leading from New Brunswick to Perth Amboy, and continued out until the British army crossed over from the latter place, out of New Jersey to Staten Island, and then returned home. In the whole of this tour, I marched about one hundred miles...
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...The next tour, he thinks was when the British Army was marching from the Chesapeake to Philadelphia. Was called out in the said Captain Combs company. Does not recollect the name of the Colonel, and marched to Trenton with an expectation of crossing the Delaware [River] in Pennsylvania. And after laying there some time, was order to Elizabeth Town, opposite to Staten Island, where part of the British Army and the refugees lay, and continued there for a month or half a month, does not remember which, and was then relieved. The next tour this deponent thinks, was back to Elizabeth Town again and was then put into the company commanded by Captain John Schenk under the command of Colonel John Nielson, when a plan was adopted to cross over to Staten Island, with which party this deponent went under the command of General Dickinson and the aforesaid Captain and Colonel. The whole party was pretty strong and marched almost over the whole island, and about the time we were coming off, we were attacked by a party of the refugees, sometimes called greens, in which attack we had one man wounded and taken prisoner. How long this tour lasted, he does not remember, but some who were out at the same time say it was one month. Elizabeth Town is about thirty eight miles from where this deponent resided at that time, but this deponent was out at every all made upon the militia until shortly before the Battle of Monmouth, when he got his leg very badly fractured in two places, which rendered this deponent incapable of service. Afterwards, and from the best of this deponents recollection, he verily believes he was engaged in the service as aforesaid for as long a time on the different tours as between nine months and one year. But if the said Pension Law is intended to include the time engaged in the company trainings to be instructed in the manual exercise, then he verily believes he was engaged for more than one year. But this he will leave to be determined by the proper departments. And this deponent further declares that he has no documentary evidence relating to his services and 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. And this deponent also declares that the foregoing are the most material facts that he can at this distance of time recollect of his services during the Revolutionary War. And this deponent further declares that all the officers under whom he served during that period are now dead, as far as he knows, except the above named Colonel John Nielson, and not being long under him, I don't expect he now remembers anything about my services.
s/ Robert McChesney

Sworn and subscribed in Open Court this 31 day of July 1832.
s/ Thos. Hance, Judge
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We, Symmes C. Henry, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in the Village of Cranbury in the County of Middlesex and, John Neilson, residing in the said County, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Robert McChesney, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration. That we believe him to be Seventy four years of age and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution, and we concur in that opinion.
s/ Symmes C. Henry (with the exception of a precise knowledge of [illegible])
s/ John Neilson

Sworn and subscribed in Open Court this 31 day of July 1832.
s/ Thos. Hance, Judge

Interrogatories put by the Court to the above named applicant.:
1. Where and in what year were you born.
Answer: In the Township of South Amboy in the County of Middlesex on the 20 day of March 1758.

2. Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?
Answer: It was entered by my father in a book called, "The Life of Luther" and taken from the same by me and entered into Tenant's Sermons, which I have now in my possession.

3. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live?
Answer: In the Township of South Amboy in the County of Middlesex in the said County, except nine or ten years in the County of Monmouth. But I have lived in the said County of Middlesex this Thirty seven years past and I now live in the Township of South Brunswick in the said County of Middlesex.

4. How was you called into service?
Answer: Always as a volunteer. I never was drafted nor served as a substitute.

5. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you served; such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service?
Answer: I do not recollect that I was out under any regular officers of the standing army. I was out part of the time of General Dickson of New Jersey and the colonels and captains that I have named in my declaration. And I do not remember any others at this time. And as to the general circumstances of my services, I do not now recollect any other circumstances of importance than what is contained in my foregoing declaration.

6. Did you receive a discharge from the service?
Answer: I never received any regular discharge. When the tours expired for which I was called out, I was always verbally discharged from those different tours.

7. State the names of the persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution?
Answer: I will name Major Andrew McDowell, Colonel David Chambers...
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...Abraham Gulick, John Reeves, John Ervin and John Grove of the Revolution. And John Day, Esquire; George Morris; John Stonaker; Lewis Day and Samuel Mount, Elders in the Church in Cranbury; to whom I will add Captain Timothy Horner and Captain Benjamin M. Clark, of later years.
s/ Robert McChesney

Sworn and subscribed in Open Court this 31 day of July 1832.
s/ Thos. Hance, Judge

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the above interrogatories prescribed by the War Department. That the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them hat the said Symmes C. Henry, who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clergyman resident in the said Village of Cranbury in the County of Middlesex, and that John Neilson, who has also signed his name to the same, is a resident in the said County of Middlesex and is a creditable person. And that their statement is entitled to credit.

The foregoing affidavits were all sworn to and subscribed in Open Court this 31 day of July 1832 before the subscribing Judges, namely.:
s/ Thos. Hance, Judge
s/ N. Booream
s/ Jos. Ford

I, F.J. Vanarsdale, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Middlesex in the State of New Jersey, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Robert McChesney for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal of Office this 31st day of July 1832.
s/ F.J. Vanarsdale, Clerk
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INVALID.
Rev(olutionary) War
File No. 612
Robert McChesney
Pri(vate), N.J. Line
Act; June 7, 1832.
Index: -; Vol. A; Page 64
{Arrangement of 1870.}
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State of New Jersey
Middlesex County//

Personally appeared before me, Josiah Ford, one of the Judges of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas for the said County, Andrew McDowell, Esq., who being duly sworn according to law upon his oath saith that he is well acquainted with Robert McChesney, who is applying for a pension under the Act of Congress of the United States. And this deponent knows the said applicant to be a soldier in the militia of the revolution. And that this deponent has personal knowledge of the said applicant being [crossed out: engaged] with the Militia of the State of New Jersey at Williams Farms or West Field in the year of Seventeen Hundred and Seventy seven, Seventeen Hundred and Seventy eight, under the command of Col. John Neilson. And this deponent has good reason to believe this applicant was frequently engaged with the militia during the war. The tour of duty at West Field lasted about three weeks, as this deponent believes.
s/ Andrew McDowell

Sworn & subscribed to before me the day a year aforesaid.
s/ Jos. Ford

I do hereby certify that Robert McChesney, above named, has been for many years a Presiding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for s(ai)d County and that the witness, Andrew McDowell, Esquire, has been for many years a member of the Board of Freeholders and is a man in whom the utmost confidence can be placed.
s/ Jos. Ford, Judge Com(mon) Pleas
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I, Robert McChesney, an applicant for a pension under the Act of June 7, 1832, having had his declaration and papers returned from the War Department, relating to his said application, for further explanation in two particulars. Viz.: Requiring more precision as to the time of his actual service in the Revolutionary War and secondly as to proof of his actual service, who after being duly sworn according to law doth in addition to his original declaration to which this is attached further declare as to the first. That upon the most mature deliberation and reflection to the best of his memory, he was engaged in his first tour at the Village of Cranbury altogether as much as three months. And in his next tour, at least as long as one month and a half. And in his third tour, as long as one month and a half. And in the fourth, as long as one month, which as far as he remembers are the most material tours he was out in, making in the whole as relates to them altogether seven months. But from the long distance of time that have intervened since that time to the present and from a state of very infirm health and loss of memory, he cannot now recollect with precision and certainty the whole of the time and places that he was engaged in the said service. And it must be evident that those who lived on the lines, as I did at that time, and who were continually liable to short call on various occasions of alarms, that it is possible to remember the whole of the time. But I think and verily believe that I was engaged in the service, at least in the whole, as long a time as nine months at least and were from first to last. And further than what I have above stated, I cannot under oath declare. And this applicant also declares that he would rather go without any compensation for the hardships, fatigue and privations that he underwent and endured during the arduous struggle for liberty and the independence of his country, than to say more than he has above stated relating to his actual service and as relates to the proof of actual service, he again declares that as far as he knows and verily believes, there is not one officer under whom he served now alive; Col. John Neilson, who has departed this life since I made my original declaration. That after the most strictest inquiry that this applicant hath been enabled to make, he cannot find or discover any person by whom he can prove his actual service, excepting the affidavit hereunto attached made...
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...by Andrew McDowell, Esq., as to one tour as is therein stated, which it will be observed is one tour of three weeks, which he, this applicant, had forgot when he made out his original declaration. And there may be others in the same situation, which has escaped his memory, and further says not.
s/ Robert McCheney

Sworn & subscribed to before me the 4th April A.D. 1833
s/ Jos. Ford, Judge Court (of) Com(mon) Pleas

I, Nicholas Booraem, Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of Middlesex County in the State of New Jersey, do hereby certify that the forgoing contains the original proceedings had before the said Court and the supplementary affidavit had before Josiah Ford, Esq., in the matter of Robert McChesney for a pension & I further certify that Josiah Ford, before whom the last mentioned affidavit was taken, is a Judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas of said County, duly commissioned & authorized to administer oaths.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and affixed the Seal of said Court this Eleventh day of April in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred & Thirty three.
s/ N. Booraem