Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 8411, for Francis Powers, South Carolina
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(3-1776)
SERVICE NUMBER
SC Powers Francis R8411
Catharine
CONTENTS
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Pension Claim
of
Mrs Catharine Powers
widow of 
Francis Powers

Filed by Wm M Thomas
Greenville
So Ca

Shane Noh Called for a new
Dec & additional proof of 
Marriage 
presume it unecessary the 
parties will be unable to
conclude or prove by Mass
service & identity
B
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N3676
X Issued 15th Septr 1786 to Mr Francis Powers for one pound 2s / d 10 1/4 Stlg for duty in Roebuck's Regt
pr Acct audited
Prin L 1..2..10 1/4
Int L 0..1..7

3676 X No 114 15th Septr 1786
Francis Powers for militia duty since the fall of Charleston in Roebuck's Regiment for Anderson's Return
Curry L 8.
Stlg L 1:2:10 1/4

State of South Carolina 
To Francis Powers
For militia duty in Roebuck's Regiment since the fall of Chastown p Anderson's Return
Amotg to Currency L 8.
L 1.2.10 1/4
Comptroller General's office
Columbia So Ca Feby 6th 1858 } I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy from the records of this office
Given under my hand
WR Huntt
Dep Comp Genl

No Seal of office
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State of South Carolina
Spartanburg District } On this the 25th day of January AD 1858 personally appeared before me the subscribing Magistrate Mrs Catharine Powers a resident of the state and district abovenamed aged ninety six years last November who being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the acts of Congress passed 7th June 1832, 4th July 1836, 7th July 1838, 2 February 1848, 29 July 1848 and 3rd Febry 1853 that she is the widow of Francis Powers deceased who was a private in the war between the United States and Great Britain comonly known as the Revolutionary war in the South Carolina Malitia in the Regiment commanded by Col Roebuck and in the company commanded by Capt Anderson which served at the seige of Charleston That he was mustered into service by being drafted about twenty miles from the city of Charleston uon one morning when he the said Francis Powers was fishing with his employer Mr Brasy and that he and his said employer
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took it by turns to do military duty in behalf of their country and to stay at home and oversee the plantation; that his turn came first and he was marched to the city of Charleston under Lieutenant Reynolds; that after said siege he returned to Virginia and from thence came back to South Carolina and settled in Spartanburg district from whence in the same war of the Revolution he went under capt Collins and officer William Goodlett against the Indians towards what was called the Indian line in a scouting expedition; that she had a discharge of her said husband and some four or three years ago gave it to an agent who was about to under take this claim and who died before any thing could be done if however she finds it a copy will be appendid to this paper that she is further advised and doth verily believe that the name of her said husband will be found in the pay roll and refers to Vol No 91 Book X Fo 3676 that he received L 1: 2:10. for said service in the office of the Comptroller General of South Carolina to which she refers She further said that she was married to the said Francis Powers by the Revd Mr Reese in Spartanburg District in the state of South Carolina and that her name before said marriage was Catharine Goodlett Parson Reese
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Rev Mr Reese in Spartanburg District in the state of South Carolina and that her name before said marriage was Catharine Goodlett Parson Reese was a minister of the Babtist faith She was married on the 24th day of March AD 1783 that there may have been a family record of said marriage which if not mislaid she will have a copy of the same appended to this paper She however submits proof that she the said Catharine and he the said Francis Powers lived together as man and wife were so reputed by the neighbours that said marriage was never called in question or disputed and that they as publicly regarded and spoke of each other and that she is told believes and has reason to believe that the law of South Carolina as laid down in IV Kent Commentaries page 87 & 88 and in 2" Richardson So Ca Reports (establishing such proof as sufficient to prove the marriage in a trial for bigamg
being the law of the place of contract establishes such proof as evidence of a valid marriage She further sais that her said husband died on the 25 day of January in the year 1836 in Spartanburg District that she has ever since remained a widow and that she has never applied for or received any pension whatever She hereby consttutes and appoints Wm M Thomas of Greenville So Ca her legal attorney to do all things in relation to the business which she her self can do Catharine (her) X (mark) Powers
WW Anderson Witness
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and in the year abov writen before me
MG Anderson NP
ix of Magistrate
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State of South Carolina
Spartanburg District } Personally comes before me James M Anderson James McNeugh & Abner Wakefield to me well known as persons of good and credible character and being duly sworn make oath that they have lived in the neighbourhood of Catharine Powers for more than a half century in Spartanburg District and knew her husband Francis Powers during his life time that they have heard him speak concerning his being in the Revolutionary war that they believed the same and had every reason to do so that he died about the first of the year 1836 that he was then apparently about eighty two years of age that he moved to Spartanburg District he always said during the revolution that he had no relatives there except his wife and children and that he the said Francis Powers and she the said Catharine Powers did live together as man and wife were so publicly regarded and spoke of each other so were reputed and conscidered by the neighbourhood and that these deponents never heard said marriage disputed that her name was Catharine Goodlett before her marriage and that she had seven living children at the death of her husband all called and named Powers
Sworn to and subscribed before me on this the 25th day of January AD 1858
M G Anderson NP

James Mc Neugh
James M Anderson
Abner Wakefield

State of South Carolina
Spartanburg District } I certify that M G Anderson before whom the accompaning affidavits were made was a Notary Public on the 25th January AD 1858 that the accompanying are his signatures
Given under my hand and seal on this the 11th day February AD 1858
J B Tollison clerk of the court of Comon Please for Spartanburg
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State of South Carolina
Greenville District } Personally appeared before me Miss Polly Powers who being duly sworn made oath that Francis Powers during his life time was in possession of an official paper given at Charleston as appeared by its reading during the Revolutionary war and that after his death it passed into the possession of Catharine Powers his widow who gave it to this deponent to keep in order to commence an application for a Pension that this deponent gave it to Mr Wm Goodlett for that purpose about three years ago that said Goodlett at that time died and that this deponent has carefully searched among his papers for it but as yet has not found it She further said she has seen it in the possession of Francis Powers Catharine Powers & Wm Goodlett has read its contents above stated but not being acquainted with such matters does not know whether it was an oath of allegiance furlough or discharge but is sure it was an official paper given at Charleston during the Revolution
Polly Powers
Sworn to and subscribed before me on the 27" day Jany 1858
Wm M Thomas Notary Public
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State of South Carolina
Greenville District } Personally appeared Wm M Thomas whose genuine signature appears above was on the 27th day of January AD 1808 a Notary Public in and for Greenville District in the state of South Carolina
Given under my hand and the seal of the court of Comon Pleas of the state and district aforenamed on this the 28th day of January AD 1858
W A McDaniel
CCP
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No 15.488.
Catharine Powers
wid of 
Francis SC 

Lt Wm M Thomas Mch 17/58
same April 17/58

8 & 111

act 7 July 38

287349
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[crossed out
Acts of July 14 1862 and March 3 1873]

REJECTED
8411
PO Catharine Powers
Service
Enlisted 18
Discharged 18
Application filed 18
Alleges
Re-enlisted
Attorney
PO 
Recognized Contract
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Greenville So Ca 23rd Mar 1858
To the Commissioner of Pensions
Dr Sir
Your letter concerning the claim of Catharine Powers widow of Francis Powers has been duly received
It is to this effect that the comptrollers certificate proves only one pay ment of L 1.105.; and secondly that there is identifying proof
Your deputy I am afraid has overlooked several matters in the application and I would respectfully ask that the said application be re examined if the following statements be sufficient to cause the application a more favourable
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able hearing 
You will find that the certificate of the Comptroller embraces several payments to the said Francis Powers sufficient in all probability to raise the belief that they were for a longer period than six month when we conscider the depletion of the treasury and the pay of our patriot soldiers during the Revolution
Again you will find proof that Francis Powers the husband of the applicant during his life time did frequently converse with his neighbours on the subject of the war that they had every reason
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to believe him and finally evidence of the existance of his discharge or other official paper em anating from Charleston during the Revolution
To require further proof than this would be to contrerest the purposes of the law for no one can personally prove the revolutionary services or identity of a single soldier who has thus long remained a monument of patriotism The great Washington if he were alive might apply in vain
Hoping that you will take this case of this centenarian into conscideration
I am respectfully 
Wm M Thomas
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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Form VAM 51 12-5-41  bounty land warrant record card Division of Veterans
BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD
NAME Powers George GRADE Private LINE New Jersey

WARRANT NUMBER 8638 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED August 31, 1791
to not shown

The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates.  Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.