Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 21996, for Reuben Starke, South Carolina
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
S. C.

Starke, Reuben
or Stark

NUMBER
S. 21996

---------------------------------
CONTENTS
Page 2

South Carolina  10292
--------------------------------------
Reuben Stark
of Abbeville Dist in the State of So. Ca.
who was a private in the Company commanded
by Captain [blank] of the Regt commanded
by Col. Taylor in the So Ca Militia
9 months & 21 days
----------------------------------------
Issued on the Roll of So Ca
at the rate of 32 Dollars 33 Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
----------------------------------------
Certificate of Pension issued the 15 day of Dec
1838 and sent to Thos L
Sparin  Abbeville Court House
----------------------------------------
Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1835            145.50
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar '36   16.16
                                                            $161.66

{Revolutionary Claim,}
{Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by A. H Sylvester Clerk,
Book E.  Vol. 6  Page 80
Page 3

Reuben Starke
17760


Let Oct 28 '31 - N. Washington


[on right side of page written sideways]
Submitted
Page 4

State of South Carolina
Abbeville District.

On the 23 day of October A.D. 1832
Personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Richard Gantt
The presiding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting.  Reuben Starke, a resident of said State and 
District.  And after being duly sworn according to law Doth on oath make the following declaration in 
order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress Passed June the 7th 1832.
1.  That he the said Reuben Starke is now Seventy two years of age.
2.  That he entered the service of the United States in the year of our Lord 1777 and served the first
tour in Col. John Winn's Regt in Capt. John Smith's Company, the said Regiment being comprised of the 
Militia of the State of South Carolina, the length of time engaged in this service not remembered but
the deponent got a furlough to return home for a short time; and after returning to encampment,
was informed that Col. Winn had joined Genl. Williamson's Brigade and gone to Florida.
3.  The said deponent then volunteered his service and joined Col. Eli Kershaw's Regt. of rangers, and 
continued in this serviced untill a number of horses belonging to said Regt was stolen by the Tories,
and amongst these stolen the deponents he then returned home.  This term of service not distinctly remembered.
4.  The next tour of service was under Genl. Thomas Sumter in the year 1780 which was about the time the 
British took Camden.  Was with Genl. Sumter at the battle of the hanging Rock, and with him the time of
Genl. Gates' Defeat, and afterwards untill his surprise at Fishing Creek when his army was dispersed.
5.  the said deponent went at this time into North Carolina at which time they were drafting recruits
for Col. Taylors Regt. in Granville County.  The deponent there substituted for three months in the place
of James Norris.  The command of that army was transfered to Col. Malmuddy [Malmedy] a french gentleman.
During this expedition the battle of Guilford was fought and after serving out the tour, the deponent
returned home for a short time.
6.  The deponent after a short interval joined Col. Thomas Taylor at Orangeberg and acted as an
officer, for some time.  the term of this service not recollected.  He shortly after joined Major Lyles at
the four holes, and then joined Genl. Francis Marion's Brigade and was attached to Capt. Douglas
Parkers Company, was in the scrimage at Biggin Church, and the next day in the battle at Camtabee [Catawba?]
bridge.
7.  The next tour was under Col. Hunter the time of the battle of the Utaw Springs but was prevented
from being in that engagement by the deponents horse being sick.
this deponent saith he has no written documents to prove the above services, nor convenient witnesses
and but few of his compatriots alive to whom he could apply for proof of his services but these
who are yet alive live at such distances as to make it very inconvenient to obtain their testimony.
Col. Thomas Taylor of Richland District and Major Willis Whitaker of Fairfield District are the 
only persons of responsibility now known of, to whom the deponent could apply for testimony on his behalf
for the above recited services.
After submitting the above, I do hereby relinquish all claims, of every kind and nature, to a pension
or annuity for services rendered during the revolutionary struggle except the present.
Hereby solemnly declaring that my name is not on the pension Roll of this State, nor on the pension
Roll of the United States.
This deponent saith that at the time of his services he was a citizen of Camden District, now Kershaw
District And that he was born a citizen of the United States.

Reuben Starke

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first above written.
In open Court

Test    
Jas. Wardlaw Clk

The clergymen residing in said State and District Do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with
Reuben Starke who has sworn and subscribed the above Declaration.  That we believe him to be seventy two
years of age, and that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have rendered
his country the above reveled [?] services during the Revolution and we further believe him to be a gentleman
of understated veracity, integrity and truth, a good citizen and a honest man.  Certified and subscribed by us.

Reddick Pierce
Jas Moore
James Cosper
Tho Anderson

Sworn to in open court
23 October 1832
Test
Jas Wardlaw
Clk
Page 5

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 this court further certifies
that it appears to them that James Cosper who has signed the preceding certificate
is a clergyman resident in the District of Abbeville in the State of South Carolina and that
Thomas Anderson who has signed the same is a resident in the same State and 
District and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit

Richard Gantt O. J.


I James Wardlaw Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas 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 Reuben
Starke for a pension.  In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed
my Seal of Office of the said court this twenty third day of October
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty
two and in the fifty seventh year of the Independence of the United 
States of America. - 

Jas. Wardlaw
Clk.

[no seal seen]
Page 6

Rulben [Reuben] Stark
S. C.


Admit as priv at
9  mo 21 days

$30
    2 33
------------------
  3233
Page 7

So. Ca. Abbeville Ct House
30 Nov 1835

Honble J L Edwards

Dr Sir

Enclosed you will receive the 
Decloñ amended Decloñ brief objectives relative to the
claim of Major Reuben Starke who desires to be 
informed thru me of the result of his application for
a pension

I am Dr Sir
very Respectfully
your obt. servt.  [obedient servant]
Thos. L. Spierin
Page 8

FREE [stamped]

[post mark]
ABBEVILLE
NOV 30
S.C.

To Hon'ble J. L. Edwards
Washington City
Dist. Columbia


[written sideways]
Dec 8
S.C.
Page 9

Revolution

21996
INVALID.
---------
File No. 21,996
Reuben Stark
Pri Rev War
----------
Act:  June 7" 32"
Index: - Vol. 2, Page 392

[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 10

9/1/49

1 pos
1 neg

Miss Marie Daley,
Houston Texas
visited 18 N today and
said she might write
for photos of these
documents

CS.
Page 11

State of South Carolina
Abbeville District.  ss.

Amended declaration of Reuben
Starke an applicant for a pension under the Act of Congress
of 7 June 1832, and in answer to the objections pointed out
by the department in red ink to the admission of his claim

Personally appeared before me the undersigned
a Justice of the Peace in and for the District and State
aforesaid Reuben Starke who being duly sworn deposeth
and saith, that by reason of old age and the consequent
loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise
length of his service but according to the best of his recollection
he served not less than the periods mentioned 
below and in the following grades viz.
-----------------------------------------------
Table Exhibiting the periods of Reuben Starkes services & the grades &c -
------------------------------------------------
No of Services
1st
Length of Service
two months
Under whom Service was Rendered
Col John Winn
By What Authority called into service 
Col John Winn
Whether Drafted, Volunteer or Substitute
Drafted
Grade 
Private

No of Services
2
Length of Service
one month
Under whom Service was Rendered
Col Eli Kershaw
By What Authority called into service 
Col Eli Kershaw
Whether Drafted, Volunteer or Substitute
Volunteer
Grade 
Private

No of Services
3
Length of Service
one month
Under whom Service was Rendered
Genl. Thos. Sumpter
By What Authority called into service 
Genl. Thos. Sumpter
Whether Drafted, Volunteer or Substitute
Volunteer
Grade 
Private

No of Services
4
Length of Service
three months
Under whom Service was Rendered
Col Taylor of N Carolina
& transferred to command of Col. Malmedy
By What Authority called into service 
Col. Taylor NC.
Whether Drafted, Volunteer or Substitute
Substitute
Grade 
Private

No of Services
5
Length of Service
two months
Under whom Service was Rendered
Col Thos. Taylor of So. Ca.
By What Authority called into service 
Col. Thos. Taylor S. Carolina
Whether Drafted, Volunteer or Substitute
Volunteer
Grade 
1st Lieutenant

No of Services
6
Length of Service
two months
Under whom Service was Rendered
Maj. Lyles
By What Authority called into service 
Maj. Lyles
Whether Drafted, Volunteer or Substitute
Volunteer
Grade 
Private

No of Services
7
Length of Service
one month
Under whom Service was Rendered
Genl. Francis Marion
By What Authority called into service 
Genl. Francis Marion
Whether Drafted, Volunteer or Substitute
Volunteer
Grade 
Private

No of Services
8
Length of Service
three weeks
Under whom Service was Rendered
Col. Hunter
By What Authority called into service 
Col Hunter
Whether Drafted, Volunteer or Substitute
Volunteer
Grade 
Private

9 21   not mentioned in original declaration - disd

Here the applicant Reuben Starke takes occasion
to mention a tour of duty which he omitted to state in his declaration
& that is that he volunteered his services under Captain Singleton
to go in pursuit of some tories in the State of Georgia and in capturing
one of them single handed, the applicant took a fleeing tory prisoner
who was wounded by the applicant & from whom the application received 
a severe gunshot wound, which kept the applicant confined for
nine weeks, the applicant further states that all his military
services were performed in the State of South Carolina excepting
this service under Capt. Singleton and his fourth service as above stated
under Col. Taylor & Col. Malmedy your applicant further states that Col Thos. Taylor
and Major Willis Whitaker are both dead & that he does not know
of a living witness who could testify to the applicants services or any
part of them.  The applicant further states that he was born
Page 12

in the State of Virginia in Goodgeling [Goochland?] County in the year seventeen
hundred and sixty, that he has a record of his age in his family
Bible in his own hand in Abbeville District, that he was drafted
in one instance as already stated under Col. Winn, that he 
was a substitute for Mr. James Norris in North Carolina in 
Granville County under Col. Taylor, and was discharged in 
a written form from service under Col. Taylor by a Major
Williams which written discharge has for many years been
lost his other discharges were always verbal, he never recd.
a written commission, commissions being then conferred by the approbatory voice
of a company.  the applicant further states for the 
information of the department, that Dr. A. B. Arnold, Joseph Groves
Esqr, Maj John Caldwell and Major John Power are gentlemen
residing in the neighborhood of the applicant, and who 
can testify as to the applicants character for veracity
& their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution

Reuben Starke

Sworn to this twenty seventh
day of November 1835

Wm. C. Black, J.P.


The State of South Carolina
Abbeville District

I James Wardlaw Clerk
of the Court of Common
Pleas for Abbeville District do hereby certify that William C Black before whom the foregoing amended declaration
or affidavit was made is an acting Justice of the 
Peace in and for the District aforesaid; that all due faith
and credit are to be given to his official acts, and that the
above is the genuine signature of the said William C Black.
Given under my hand and seal of office
at Abbeville Court House this twenty eighth
day of November in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and thirty five

Jas. Wardlaw
Clk.

[seal]