Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 21900, for Lemuel Peterson, New Jersey
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SERVICE 
New Jersey
Privateer

Peterson, Lemuel

NUMBER
R21900

CONTENTS
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State of Indiania
Delaware County Ss:

On this 2d day of May 1835 personally appeared before William Van Matre + William McCormack associate judges of the Delaware Circuit Court Samuel Peterson a resident of Delaware County Indiana aged 71 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: that he left his home at his father's house in Cumberland County New Jersey and on the 1st of March 1777 went on board a privateer vessel as a volunteer while said vessel lay in Little Egg Harbour commanded by Captain Samuel Seers to serve as a private; the name of this vessel by reason of the distance of time since elapsed, my youth at the time, and age and consequent defect of memory at this time is not recollected but it cruised off between New York and and Charleston to and from these places several times. This vessel being by the authority of the United States constituted and privileged with officers and crew to serve in the above mentioned capacity we captured a brig south of the mouth of the Delaware River near Cape Henlopen light house laden with Jamaican spirits, wine + lemons being and armed vessel of eleven guns, the name from the same reasons as above mentioned in regard to the vessel on which I was a volunteer, is not recollected but in attempting to take this Brig we killed 10 or 11 persons, had a hard fight in which she was by us dismasted + surrendered with nine prisoners on board - This brig was under British colours - We towed her up Delaware River and thence up Morris River in the State of New Jersey Cumberland County at Bells Landing where she was condemned by proper authority as a lawful prize, was advertized, sold, and the "proceeds distributed" among our said crew and they there disbanded on the 16th of June when Samuel Seers was made captain of a new
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vessel just then being launched at Bells Landing before mentioned and called the Morning Star in which he took a cruise from which on his return in July he was chosen Colonel of the New Jersey militia under General Rose with Benjamin Thompson as Captain and Hans Peterson, Lieutenant under him. I had remained at my fathers house + residence as above described from the time of my release from the privateer in June above mentioned. I then on the first of August was drafted to serve under the last above mentioned officers and was first quartered at Bells landing above described and from thence and under said officers was ordered to Mount Holly in New Jersey where we were stationed until after the 4th of July when I received a written discharge from Captain Thompson before mentioned which I have lost or worn out. The British army in its passage from Philadelphia to New York passed through New Jersey while I was at Mount Holly but the soldiers at that place were not ordered as other portions of the New Jersey militia were to impede or intercept their march. I knew no regular officers personally as I now recollect nor did I serve with any regular troops. I served on the privateer vessel as above described for the space of eleven months or more for which I claim a pension. I have no documentary evidence of my services nor do I know of any person whose testimony I can procure to testify of my services and have no record of my age and for the time I was engaged as above described. (I) was not engaged in any civil pursuit and was during the whole time a private in rank + served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority. I was born the 22nd day of Feb. 1764 during the time of all my services as a soldier my home was at my fathers residence above described in Cumberland County
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New Jersey where I resided until 1785 when I moved to Kent County State of Delaware where I resided 18 years from thence I removed to Warren County Ohio where I resided five years and eleven months when I again removed to Indiana then a territory and have since lived in the Counties of Union and Rush and have now my residence in Delaware County; persons with whom I am acquainted and who can testify of my character for veracity are Abraham Buckley, William Poland
I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my names is not on the Pension Roll of the agency of any state
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
his X mark
Lemuel Peterson

We Abraham Buckley, a clergyman residing in the County of Delaware and state of Indiana and William Poland residing in the same hereby certify that we are acquainted with Lemuel Peterson who has sworn and subscribed the above declaration that we believe him to be 71 year old that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day + year aforesaid
Abraham Buckley, clergyman +
his X mark
William Poland* (*pensioner)

And the said court to 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 Abraham Buckley who has signed the preceding certificates is a clergyman resident in the county
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of Delaware - and that William Poland who has also signed the same is a resident in the county aforesaid and is a credible person - and their statement is entitled to credit.

I, Samuel W. Harlan, Clerk of the Delaware Circuit Court do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings, had before the foregoing named associate judges of the said court in the matter of the Application of Lemuel Peterson for a pension.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name and affixed the seal of the court this 8th day of May 1835
Samuel W. Harlan clerk, D.C.C.
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(3-223) Revy

No. 21.900

REJECTED (stamped vertically along right margin)

____, Ex'r

OLD WAR INVALID

Lemuel Peterson, of Ind-
P.O. Pri + marine Col Seers NJ

Service:
1-0
Enlisted: ____, 18__
Discharged: ____, 18__

(A)pplication filed: ____, 18__
(A)lleges: ____
(R)e-enlisted:
(AT)torney: ___
(P.)O. ____
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Bounty Land Office and Pension Office

Answered, as to Bounty Land,

The subject of a Pension - referred respectfully to Jas. L. Edwards Esq. 
Pension Office
May 15, 1835

Rcd May 14th 1835
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Rec'd 14 May

Muncietown Delware County Indiana
May 2 1835

Hon. Lewis Cass

Sir

Enclosed is a declaration with the necessary certificates so far as I was able to understand in this my first attempt the directions of the War Department lately received - That Mr. Lemuel Peterson the present applicant is a Revolutionary Soldier there can be no doubt although he is in his dotage very greatly as to his memory -- Mr. William Poland who signed the within Certificate is a revolutionary worthy of a highly respectable character and sound in his memory as well as pretty well versed in the history of those times and of a part of the particulars of this applicant's service and has been acquainted personally with the applicant for thirty or forty years - If I have failed in making out this case properly the Department will please to instruct me in what points.
I have lately received instructions formed  [illegible] from your Department meeting every point of inquiry which I made but one and as the laws of the United States are not in my reach I must burthen you with one more inquiry and that is the rules or law in regard to who are entitled to Bounty Land as soldiers of the late war. 
Very Respectfully Your Obt Svt
Joseph Anthony, Agent of Lemuel Peterson
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25th Cong
2. Sept

Documents in relation to the claims of Lemuel Peterson of Indiana by Alexander McAllister for pensions.

1837 Jan. 2 referred with motion of Hon. W. Hendricks to Com: on Pensions
1837
Jan. 11 disch'd

1838. Jan. 16. referred to the Com: on Pensions
March 30 - discharged

Private Mariner Privateer Captn Seers
NJ
Pri Col. Seers NJ

Mr. Smith of Inda
W Hendricks
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Recd 10 Augt:

STate of Indiana Delaware County
July 30th 1835

Hon. Lewis Cass

Sir

Enclosed are three documents in relation to the revolutionary claims which I have forwarded at the request of the respective individuals who are therein mentioned, more from a desire to comply with their wishes than to be troublesome at your department.

In regard to them generally, I can inform you that our judicial circuit is large, roads very bad and courts at long intervals which if possible must be taken as part of the excuse for the proceedings in relation to those claims not being more exactly in conformity with the rules prescribed by the Department and in truth these are serious difficulties to those who are infirm and who perhaps have an old acquaintance at one end of the county and one at another and which when courts are sitting will be impossible to procure their attendance as likely as any how - Our probate court is composed of a single judge and is a court of Record.

In regard to John Ishmail's affidavit let me premise that he is a desperately ignorant man yet feels certain that his father did for the latter part of his Revolutionary services make an engagement for clerking the war and he thinks it was so proven in his petition for a pension and I rather suffered him to forward his claim as within as a means of eliciting from you what course he must pursue under such circumstances than that I expected him to get any thing with so little precision as he has made his affidavit and in hopes if it were not out of your line of duty that you would perhaps give him the necessary clue to the story in order to aid him properly to meet what may be required of him at your Department.
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Mr. Dale's claim comes upon two pieces of paper - He lives 14 miles from the store and this place and when I went to draw his declaration rather than detain to send after paper we cut two leaves from a neighbors copy book - I mention this to show no fraud is intended.

The persons who have signed Alex McCallister's papers in certification of his character are also those who signed Mr. Dales, are all old gentlemen of the first character for veracity themselves and expressly [illegible] on account of their long acquaintances with those individuals.

As there is no reasonable doubt in my mind but that both Mr. McCallister and Mr. Dale were revolutionary soldiers in some shape and as they are both honest sober men and deserving in every respect the gratitude of their country, I could wish if they are to receive any thing for this service that it may be won in proportion to their necessity for it and that the department may not exact from them all the rigorous scrutiny; that they have it in their power to exercise from the reasons alluded to in the beginning and from their pecuniary and bodily inability to fight any more for the small pittance they are willing to accept at your hands.

Your very respectfully
Joseph Anthony Agent for John Ishmail
Campell Dale + 
Alexander McCallister
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Hon. Lewis Cass -
Washington City
District of Columbia
War Department
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In Senate of the United States
January 2nd 1837

On motion by W. Hendricks,
Resolved, That the Committee on Pensions be instructed to enquire into the expediency fo placing Lemuel Peterson and Alexander McAllister of the State of Indiana on the Pension Roll, and that their papers herewith presented, be referred to the same Committee.
Attest 
Asbury Dickins
Secretary
Wm Carr Clerk