Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 7,364, for Abram Read, Virginia
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(3-1776)
SERVICE                             NUMBER
Va.           Read, Abram of    S.7364
carded
CONTNENTS
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[On the left side of the page, perpendicular to the page.]
Struck from the roll, Sept 1, 1831 See let to [illegible]
Let. Hon H Aloise Dec 8, 1835

[On the right side of the page.]
Virginia N0 23.241
Abram of Read
Nansemond Co, in the State of Virginia
who was a Private in the company commanded
by Captain Coles of the Rgt. commanded
by col___ in the Virginia Troops
line for 10 months + 12 days

Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia
at the rate of 34 Dollars 66 Cants per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834.

Certificate of Pension issued the 10 day of Dec
1833 and sent to R.D. Webb
Richmond Va.

Arrears to the 4th of Sep 1833                  86.66/3
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 March 34   17.33/3
                                                               $104.00

{Revolutionary Claim,
Act June7, 1832.}
Recorded by D. Brown Clerk,
Book E. Vol. 672 Page 30
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Abram of Read
25409
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In Nansemond County Court 13th May 1833
Virginia County of Nansemond Sc.  On this 13th day of
May 1833, personally appeared in open Court before Josiah
Riddick, Hardy Cross, Edward R. Hunter,  D. Edwin B Sumner,
the Court of Nansemond County now sitting Abram
of Read, a free man of color by birth, a resident of Nansemond
County and State of Virginia aged 69 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 7th 1832.  He says that he entered the service of the United States
under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
The he entered as a militia drafted man on his own account on the
   day of    under Captain John Coles, Lieutenant
Samuel Riddick and Ensign Zachariah McClenny, and
served he thinks about 6 months at Portsmouth, Smithfield (in
Isle of Wight County) and Surry County, and that he was discharged
at Babbs old field in Isle of Wight County, at which time one
William Boothe came and employed him as a substitute for about
3 months service and that he served out the time under Captain
Roberts or Robertson (as he think) the same subaltern officers;
that he served that tour (for Boothe) out on the north side of James
river; he was then discharged and then came on home (Nansemond
County) and when again called on he volunteered his service
to go to Portsmouth to dig down some embankments, William
Riddick captain, David Campbell Lieutenant
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Ensign, that he served there only about 6 weeks; he was then 
discharged and came home; that he recollects of seeing General Washington
at or near little York; that he has no recollection of any of the other
regular officers; that he has no documentary evidence having lost
his discharge; (that he thinks he can prove this by James Wright
and Joseph Ross). that he was born in the County of Nansemond
Virginia, that he has no record of his age; that he has always lived
in Nansemond County, Virginia; that he has stated all he knows
about the matter further, he cannot recollect.  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.
(Signed)
Abram of his + mark Read
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 named applicant
was a Revolutionary
Soldier, and served as he states.  In the same Court Joseph Ross
 77 years and James Wright aged
aged 79 years being sworn saith that they well recollect to have
seen the aforesaid Abram of Read in the service of the 
Revolution several times, but how long the said Abram served they
they cannot tell.  Sworn to and subscribed the day and year 
aforesaid.
(Signed)
Joseph his + mark Ross, James Wright.
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Virginia, County of Nansemond Sc.
   I John T. Kilby, Clerk of the County
Court of Nansemond, do hereby certify that the
foregoing is a true copy, as taken from the 
records of my office.
   In testimony and faith
whereof I hereunto subscribe my 
name and cause the seal of my County
to be affixed this 7th day of June A.D. 1833.
John T. Kilby Clk
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No. 25409
Abram of Read Nansemond
County of Virginia

Return d of Mo.

Admit as a private
10 month 12 days
34.66


Richard D. Webb Esqr
Richmond 
Va.

Jno T. Kilby Suffolk Nansemond
County Virg'a
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WAR DEPARTMENT, Pension Office, 5th August 1832 Sir:  The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined; and the papers are herewith returned.  The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form.  On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed.  The notes and the regulations will show what is necessary to be done.  These points to which your attention is more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, ( thus: } ).  You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them, and you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.  A Statement, showing the Service of Abram of Read Nansemond County Virginia Period when the service was rendered| Duration of the claimant's service. Years. Months. Days. | Rank of the claimant.| Names and rank of the Field officers under whom he served.| Age at present, and place of abode when he entered the service.  | Proof by which the declaration is supported.  Draft|  - 6 - |private| Cap Coles| 69 years| two Witnesses-papers correct Sub.| - 3-| "| Cap Roberts or Robertson| County of| Vol.| - 1-12| "| Cap Riddick| Nansemond Virginia| I am, respectfully, Your obedient servant, J. L. EDWARDS, Commissioner of Pensions.
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2 REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.  The following regulations have been adopted:  This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia," and "volunteers," all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who sere bond to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c., Teamsters, Boatmen, &c.  Persons who served on board of private armed vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.  Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:  1.  The Regular Troops.  2.  The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers.  3.  Persons employed in the Naval Service.  4.  Indian Spies.  As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, mucicians or privates, will, in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides.  And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.  DECLARATION, In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.    State, Territory, or District of County of }ss.  On this--day of --personally appeared (a) before--A. B. a resident (b) of -- in the county of--and State, Territory or District of -- aged (c)--years, who being first dully sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832.  That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d)--, with -- and served in the --(e) regiment of the --line, under the following named officers:  {Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the tie he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers:) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched.  This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.]  He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency i the State of --.  Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.  A. B. [And then will follow the certification of the Court.]  And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.   I, -- Clerk of the Court of -- do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of -- for a pension.  In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this -- day of -- &c.  If, on examination of the proper record, the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out  Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz:  (k) We, A. B., a Clergyman, residing in the -- and C. D. residing in (the same) hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with --, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declarations; that we believe him to be -- years of age; that hi is reputed and believed, the in neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.  Sworn and subscribed the days and year aforesaid.   [And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]  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 named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states.  And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that A. B. who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the -- and that C. D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the --- and is a credible person, ant that their statement is entitled to credit.  I, --Clerk of the Court of -- do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of ---for a pension.  In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this--day of --&c.  Every applicant will produce the best proof in this power. This is the original discharge or commission; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction.  If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his
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7364 Rev War INVALID.  File No. 73664 Abram of Read Priv. Rev. War Act: June 7th 1832 Index:--Vol. 103, Page 312 {Arrangement of 1870}
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Amended Declaration of Abram of Read.  State of Virginia, County of Nansemond.} I, Abram of Read of the aforesaid County and State, being duly sworn according to law, doth, on my oath, make the following amended declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress, passed June 7thm 1832--That I am now nearly Seventy years of age, (my mother and Mr. David Dukes' mother of this county, have both after told me that Mr. David Duke and myself were both born the same year, and the record of Mr. David Duke's age says he was born in 1763.) that I entered the service of the United States in the 1779, and served before the close of the Revolution, a period not less than ten months and twelve days, and for which service, I claim a pension.--That I performed this service under the following named officers, as a private soldier, and at the periods have stated--That I first entered the service, as before stated, in the year 1779 under the command of Captain John Cole, (Lemuel Riddick was the Lieutenant and Zachariah McClenny was the Ensign.) and served a tour of Six
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months--that I served a part of this tour near Portsmouth in Norfolk County Va., a part in Surrey County, Va. and a part in the neighbourhood of Smithfield in Isle of Wright County, Va., and at the expiration of this tour of six months was discharged at Babb's old field in the last mentioned County--that before the above of the year 1779. I again entered the service as a substitute under the command of Captain Roberts, and served a tour of three months on the north side of James River, principally in the neighbourhood  of Williamsburg--and in 1781, I again entered the service under the command of Captain William Riddick and went to Portsmouth, and served a tour of six weeks..--That this service was performed in the field, all except the last tour of six weeks in the town of Portsmouth, Va.--and that I was not engaged in any civil pursuit, during the performance of this service, except a part of the last six week's tour in Portsmouth I assisted in  [illegible] down some embankments.  Sworn to and subscribed this 16t day of Octr--1833.  S. G. Goodwin Andrew McAlister Abram his x mark Read
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State of Virginia,
County of Nansemond}
   I, John T. Kilby, Clerk of the County court of
Nansemond, in the State aforesaid, do hereby certify,
that Jno B. Benton whose name is subscribed to
to the foregoing certificate, is a Justice of the Peace
in and for the county of Nansemond, duly commissioned,
qualified and authorized to act as such, and that
the signature purporting to be his is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I 
hereunto subscribe my
name and cause the
seal of my County to be
affixed this 4th day of Nov. 1833.
John T. Kilby Clk