Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 8235, for Francis Pierce, Virginia
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(3-1776)
SERVICE                                      NUMBER
Va.   Pierce, Francis                     R8235
Pearce or
CONTENTS
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Act of June 7, 1832
Suspended Claim
Francis Pierce
Mo.
Power of Attorney
to examine claim
Chas. C. Tucker
Atty.
Present
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Know all men by these presents that I Prince Pierce of the County of Boone and Sate of Missouri do hereby constitute and appoint Charles C. Tucker of Washington City D.C. my true and lawful agent and attorney to prosecute the Claim of Francis Pierce my father for an amount of Revolutionary Service or increase of Pension that may be due under the provisions of the act of                        or any other act or resolution of Congress and I hereby authorize my said Attorney to examine all papers and documents in relation to said Claim on file in the departments at Washington City, or elsewhere to file additional evidence or arguments and to receive the certificate which may be issued for said Claim and to appoint one or more substitutes under him for the purposes herein expressed and to do all things that I might or could do were I personally present [illegible] notifying and confirming all that my said Attorney my lawfully do in the premises.
Witness my hand and seal this 25th day of September --. 1854
          his
Prince  X  Pierce   seal (circled)
         mark
In the presence of John H. Field
John Robinson
State of Missouri County of Boone }ss.
On this 25th day of September 1854 before me  a Justice of the peace in and for the county and State above mentioned personally appeared Prince Pierce and acknowledged the foregoing power of Attorney to be his act and deed for the purposes therein mentioned.
Given under my hand this day and first above written
Signed Lewis H. Pemberton J.P.
State of Missouri}
County of Boone} SS
On this 25th day of September 1854
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before me the undersigned a Justice of the peace in and for the County and State aforesaid personally appeared Prince Pierce a resident of said County and made oath according to law that he is the identical Prince Pierce who executed the foregoing power of Attorney and that his is directly interested in said Claim and makes this affidavit to be filed with such additional evidence or arguments as may said Attorney may use use in prosecuting said claim
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written.
Signed
         his
Prince  X  Pierce
         mark
Lewis H. Pemberton J.P.
State of Missouri}
County of Boone} SS
Warren Woodson Clerk of the county Court of Boone County and State aforesaid do hereby certify that Lewis H. Pemberton Esqr. before whom the foregoing affidavit and acknowledgment were made and who has thereunto signed his name was at the time of so doing a Justice of the peace in and for the County and State aforesaid duly commissioned and sworn and that all his official acts as such are entitled to full faith and credit.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my official seal this 25th day of September 1854
Warren Woodson Clerk
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Francis Pierce
Missouri
Todd & Kirtley,
Columbia
Missouri.
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State of Missouri to wit.
BE it known that Francis Pearce a resident of the County of Boone in the said State a free man of colour, who was by birth, free, came personally in the County court of said county now in session on this first day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven, which said court is a court of record established by the Laws of said State, before James M. Gordon, (presiding Justice crossed out) and Hiram Philips and Alexander Persinger (associate crossed out) Justices, and doth on oath make the following declaration to obtain a pension as a revolutionary soldier under the act of congress of the United States granting pension for revolutionary services passed on the 15th day of May [illegible] and the act amendatory thereto passed on the 7th day of June 1832 and he doth hereby declare that he is not upon the pension roll of any State for his services as herein after stated, and he doth renounce all claim or right to any such pension and all right for such, except from the United States under the said acts of congress, and for the services herein mentioned. [illegible] doth declare and say
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that he is not in possession of any documentary or written testimony by which he can establish his services or his discharge for the toure; as the discharge he has obtained has been lost and mislaid by reason of his removal, and for want of knowledge of the necessity to preserve them: Neither does he know of any living witness by whom he can establish his services. This declarant farther states that about the               whilst he resided as hereafter stated in the County of Harrison in the State of Kentucky he made application to the County court of said County and prepared his papers for a pension for the same services here enumerated, and under the same provisions of the acts of congress aforesaid, and they were forwarded to the war department, and which he believes were now allowed in form & that therefore he does not know that he is on the pension roll of any state of or certify by reason of some deficiency, said papers are on file he refers to them to support his present application, and to them the date of his first application to the war department
This declarant states that he was born as he thinks from information on the 13th day of April and
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according to his computation & his best belief was about seventy one years of age the 13th day of April last past. The place of his nativity was near Port Royal in Carolina County in the state of Virginia where he resided until in the month of April where he was entering his seventeenth year in the county of Carolina and State of Virginia he was then enlisted by Captain Philip Buckner of the regular armey (army) for the term of five years or during the war. That from his best recollection he thinks was in the year of Seventeen hundred & eighty two as he thinks the year after Lord Cornwallis surrendered his army at (York Town. After my enlistment I was taken by Captain Buckner to near the line between Carolina & Spotsylvania counties but in which I am not certain to the Fathers of Colonel Samuel Haws of the Regulars, to whose charge I was transferred and with an under him I acted in the capacity of his servant a good portion of the time I was
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in the service. From this place my first rout was with Colonel Haws to Cumberland Court house to a board of war setting there, after which I attended Col. Haws until Christmas when we went on to Winchester to a board of war then to Winchester Barracks then under the Command of Generals Muhlenburgh & Scott. Of the officers under the command of Col Haws there were Captain Abram Kirkpatrick whose Lieutenant was Archey Campbell - also Captain Ambrose Bohannan of the artillery - Captains Stith, Coverly Lovely & Lieutenant Drew. At the Winchester Barracks there were at that time a number of the Brittish Prisoners taken principally at the surrender at York Town. I remained at Winchester until the August or September following during which time I had the small pox which prevented me from accompanying Col Haws on trip of duty he took ^I think to Richmond, during which time I was left under the charge & command
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of Captain Kirkpatrick in whose company when able I did duty as a soldier. At this place we were joined by Captain Peyton of the regular army. I marched with & under Captain Kirkpatrick from Winchester in August or September to the forks of James River (sometimes called the Point of Forks) where we were again joined by Colonel Haws & who again so arranged it that I acted as his servant & went with Col. Haws to a Mr. Ross's in the point whose given name I think was David. I continued in the service of Col Haws until I received my discharge from the army in which I had served eighteen months & for that term I was allowed as I now recollect, which discharge as before stated in my moving about I have lost without knowing it would ever be of value to me. I will also state that I received for pay as a soldier at one time six dollars at another a twenty dollars Morris note as it was called & at another one
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hundred and seven dollars and some odd cents. At the time I received my discharge I was with Col. Haws as his fathers in Carolina or Spotsylvania as before stated. After my discharge I remained in Carolina County Virginia about two years and was then employed by a Catain (Captain) Robert Ware with whom I went to the State of South Carolina Edgfield county & remained there about Seven years. I then returned to Carolina county Virginia & remained there between one or two years & went to Spotsylvania & remain there about five years & then removed to Harrison County Kentucky & remained there until September last was four years ago & then removed with Mr. Michael Robinson to the county of Boone & State of Missouri where I have resided ever since.
I am acquainted in the neighbourhood where I reside, with Michael Robinson, and the Rev. James Wright
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to whom I refer with regard to the veracity of these statements.
         his
Francis  X  Pearce
          mark
Sworn to ^ & subscribed in open court this 1st day of May 1837  acc J Woodson clerk
I Michael Robinson doth solemnly swear that I became acquainted with Francis Pearce in the State of Virginia about the year 1796 - and have known him ever since, that he said Pearce removed to Harrison County in the fall of 1817, and [illegible] said Pearce there and until his [illegible] to Missouri last fall four ye[illegible]
that said Pearce now under Boone County and ^he formerly had a wife in the family of this affiant - that I believe the said Pearce to be of the age he states, vis. seventy one - that the said Pearce was reputed in Virginia, in Kentucky and in Missouri, in the neighbourhoods where he resided, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and I concur in that belief - and I believe him to be a person of veracity and
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truth, and such is his general reputation at this time, and at such times and places where I have known him to reside
Michael Robinson
Sworn^ & subscribed too in open court this 1st day of May 1837   acc J. Woodson clerk
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I James M. Wright doth swear that I am a clergyman in the county of Boone, that I have been acquainted with Francis Pearce the applicant for the pension stated in the foregoing papers, and have known him four years last fall, when he first came to the country, that he has the reputation, and is believed by his neighbors to be a man of truth and veracity, and that he served as a soldier in the revolutionary war as he has stated; and this affiant concurs in both said opinions, and he believes the applicant is seventy one years old as he states
James M. Wright
Sworn to ^ & subscribed in open court this 1st day of May 1847   C W Woodson clerk
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 certify that it appears to them, that James M. Wright who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the said County of Boone
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certify that it appears to them that James M. Wright who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the said County of Boone and Michael Robinson who has also signed the same is a resident in the said county, and is a credible person and their statement is entitled to credit
I Warren Woodsen clerk of the County court within and for the county of Boone aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said court in the matter of the application of Francis Pearce for a pension.  In Testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and seal of Office this 23rd day of August, A.D. 1837
Warren Woodsen clerk
(seal) [illegible] TY COURT [illegible]  ISSOURI
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Francis Pierce
Missouri
Suspended
(See letter of Nov. '37 to Messrs. Todd & Kentlay crossed out)
see Francis Pierce's papers in Roll Kentucky No. 7232, - 8
8235
awaited man
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(Acts of July 11, 1822, and March 3, 1873, crossed out)
8235
P.O. 
Francis Pierce
Service:
REJECTED 
Enlisted:         , 18
Discharged:        , 18
Application filed:      , 18
Alleges:   
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P.O.
Recognized.  Contract.
Cert. of Dis.  Searched for        , 18  .
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Todd & Kentley
Nov 17, 1837
Mo
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War Dept. Pen Office
Nov 17, 1837
Gentlemen
(Sir, crossed out)
The declaration of Francis Pierce has been examined. He states therein that he made application from Kentucky for the benefit, of the act of 7 June 1852 and that he removed from that state about four years ago. The claim of a person named Francis Pierce (and the only crossed out) who resides in Kentucky was admitted in March 1833 and the pension certificate sent to Wm Owens Esqr at Columbia. His pension has been drawn up to 4th September last at the Pension agency at Lexington Ken: (As only one person of the applicants name applied from Kentucky and his services were alleged to have been in the Virginia line, the person has been drawn by some person not properly authorised to do so crossed out) The claimant should state particularly in what county he resided; before what court he made his declaration, and by whom (his did crossed out) his papers were transmitted to this Dept. (And crossed out) and we shall then be enabled to ascertain whether he is the same person for whom a pension certificate has already been issued. Messrs. Todd & Kentley Columbia, Missouri
There were two Francis Pierces & and were confident in correspondence
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Oct 18
Mo.
Act of 1832
Honl. Secretary of War
Pension office
City of Washington
Address to (Todd & Kentley crossed out) 
Todd & Kurtley
Columbia 
Missouri