Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 5060, James Hite, New Jersey Penn.
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Headings: Service, Number
New Jersey/Penn.   Hite, James  R. 5060

Contents:
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35.141
James Hite
Pa
Hon: George Mc Culloch 
H. Reps
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State of Pennsylvania, County of Huntingdon
On this nineteenth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty one personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Thomas Burnside Esquire President ,and his associated judges of the Court of Common Pleas, in and for said County of Huntingdon now sitting , James Hite a resident of Henderson Township in the said County of Huntingdon in the State of Pennsylvania, aged ninety years who being first duly sworn according to law doth make on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed 7th June 1832
 
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated - That he was drafted as a militia man in Hunterdon County in the State of New Jersey and marched under Captain Philip Methire to Elizabethtown in  the State of New Jersey and was engaged with the British at Strawberry Hill near to Amboy- several of his company were killed - next he served in this town one month at the expiration of which he was regularly discharged- he can not recollect dates but thinks this was about the time that Independance was declared - next he was drafted a second time from said County that he can {illegible interlined words} not recollect how long after he was first drafted and marched under Captain Francis Lock to Elizabeth town in the state of New Jersey that he was marched from there with his company to {illegible words interlined} {illegible word written above Ma... hill near {illegible } from there on they  crossed to/the {illegible words some interlined} near Ma{illegible} {second word illegible} {Staten Island  written and crossed out} and took a number of Prisoners
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at a Court House about day light; we had [ill] over in
the night and also killed a number - the British were
 reinforced and we situated and recooped at Amboy to
which place our boats had been removed.  The prisoners
we had taken were then sent to Morristown in the State 
of New Jersey.  The British followed us to Amboy and 
drove us from there to Elizabeth town and above it where 
they pretended to retreat and we in in turn pursued them
back through Elizabeth town where they were near surround=
ing us and we were again obliged to retreat - on this re-
=treat - Captain Socks was killed-we retreated to a place 
called the [underlined] Three laves end-where we were reinforced and turned on the enemy and took, in and about Elizabeth-
town, about twenty five or thirty prisoners which we sent 
to Morristown - the next day we engaged with the enemy
again at McQuachincy hill near Newark where we killed
several - we pursued them further the next day but did not
overtake them - We then returned to our quarters at Elizabeth
-town where I remained until we were discharged.  I was out
this time one month.  Their Commander was General Way-
his Colonels names he does not now recollect-his major 
was Grunindyke on both these tours of service - when out
with Captain Metlen, one of his lieutenants was Derrick
Hoglan - on his 2a tour of duty his lieutenants were John-
ston and Palmer - and after Sock was killed Johnston
had the command - he does not recollect the names of
the other officers there but saw a great - some yearly 
after this he went from Hunterdon County over to Easton 
in Pennsylvania where he had two cousins enlisted in
the Horse Service - at which place he enlisted under a 
recruiting officer called Captain Snead expecting to get
into the horse service but was continued in the foot -
He enlisted for during the war or five years - he thinks he
did not serve five years until he was discharged - but can-
not be certain - recollection is now very bad - And his
impression is at this time that he had served between 
two and three years until the peace was made and he was
discharged.  He recollects well of being at the battle of Mon-
=mouth and at the battle of Trenton where they took the
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Hessians - He also recollects well of being driven from
Philadelphia to a place in Pennsylvania called the
White Marsh and lay with the Army in the Winter at
the Valley Forge in Pennsylvania - He thinks he was
discharged when with the Army in some part of Virginia
He cannot recollect under what official he served after he was transferred from Captain Meade.  He 
recollects Generals Washington and Wayne - but does not recollect the names of the officers under whose immediate command he was - the officers he served under while in the Militia were neighbors - those he served under while in the regular service were strangers to him.

his 
James X Hite
mark

Sworn and subscribed this day and year aforesaid in open court by [illegible] Mueller

Questions by the Court
1.  Where and in what year were you born?
I can recollect in what year I was born but I will be ninety by the 26 February next
2.  Have you any record of your age; and if so when is it?
I have no record of my age-It is recorded I feel certain in a family Bible which was kept by my father I have not the Bible but think it is in Centre County Penna.
3.  Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live?
I was living in Hunterdon County in the State of New Jersey when first called into service - and moved from Jersey to Carlisle in Cumberland County - Penna.  Moved from there to Tuscarora Valley in what is now Terniata County - and above 2 years since moved to Henderson TN, Huntingdon County housing ;lived occasionally here for the last 29 years
4.  How were you called into service, were you drafted, and were volunteer or were you substitute? If a substitute for whom
First service I was drafted - afterwards I enlisted.  I was not a substitute
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5.  State the names of some of the regular officers when with the troops when you served;  such  continental and militia regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services?
A.  I was under Washington and Wayne - cannot recollect the names of other regular officers 
The circumstances of the service are stated in previous declarations


6.  Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given and what became of it
A.  I received a discharge but cannot recollect from whom I have lost all of my papers and don't know what has become of them.

7.  State the names of Persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood - and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution?  
William Orbison Esq and John McCahan Esq also Hon. Thos. Burnside Esq.  James Hite & others

State of Pennsylvania
Huntington County
We William Orbison and John McCahan 
residing in said County hereby certify:  That we are well acquainted with James Hite, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declarations that we believe him to be ninety years of age, that his character for truth and veracity is good; and that he is so reported and believed in the neighborhood where he resides; to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion
W. Orbison
Jn. McCahan

Sworn and subscribed this day 2 years aforseaid in open Court 
By [illegible]
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State of Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County

Personally appeared in
open Court James Hite who being duly
sworn doth depose & say that this a son of the afore named James Hite; that he is eighty eight years of age that they believe the facts and statements set forth in the fore-going this father's declaration are true, and that to the best of his knowledge he is ninety years of age and
that he has always in the neighborhood where
he has resided believed and reputed to have been a soldier of the revolutionary War
James Hite
Sworn [illegible]
in open court
Thos Wrendle

And the said Court do hereby declare this 
opinion after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the interrogations 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 William Orbison, and John McCahan and James Hite state who have signed the proceeding certificate as residents of the said County of Huntingdon and as men whose standing for truth and veracity is good and that their statements are entitled to full belief and credit.

Thos Wrendle
John Ker
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State of Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County
I James Steel Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Huntingdon
in the State of Pennsylvania
afoersaid Do hereby Certify and foregoing, contains original proceedings of the Said Court 
in the matter of the application of James Hite for a Pension - In Testimony whereof
I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal of Office the 19th day of January A.D. 1844-

James Steel  Proty
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WASHINGTON October 9, 1931.

Mr. Sam L. Hiett
509 South State Street
Springfield, Illinois.

BA-J/ILL

Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter relative to James Hight, a soldier of the Revolutionary War.

The data which follow are obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, R. 5060, based upon his military service in that war.

James Hite was born February 24, 1751, place not stated.

While a resident of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, he enlisted, served one month as private in Captain Philip Metlin's or Metlen's New Jersey Company and was in the battle of Elisabethtown.  Some years later, he moved from Hunterdon County, New Jersey, to Easton, Pennsylvania; he enlisted there under recruiting officer, Captain Head, and served between two and three years.  He stated also that he was in the battles of Trenton and White Marsh, was in winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, was in the bat battle of Monmouth and served until "peace was made"; no specific dates during this service were given.

He moved from Ney Jersey to Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, thence to Juniata County and from there to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.

On January 19, 1841, he applied for pension on account of the above services, then a resident of Henderson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.  His claim for pension was not allowed as he failed to furnish proof of service as required by the pension law.

1.
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Soldier's son, James Hight, as signature appears, was a resident of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, [] years of age, at the time his father made application for pension.

Very truly yours,

A.D. HILLER
Assistant to Administrator.
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War Department
Oct 7th 1843
Sir
Will you be good enough to inform
me whether a Pension has been allowed to James Heit ( or Height) a Rev. Sol. now living in Huntingdon Co. Penna.  If it at all, it has been allowed within the last 3 years-

Very Respectfully
Yours

Andrew Porter


Geo W. Crump
Actg Comm Pen
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fr Geo. W. Crump
Actg Com. Pensions
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1.9.
Pen Office
Feb 2, 1841

Sir,
The papers in the case of James Hite have been examined and filed with suspended cases. He alleged that he served two tours of one month each as a militia man of New Jersey, aft [crossed out] and that several years thereafter he removed to Pennsylvania, and enlisted under Captain Head, and served two or three years before he was terminated. A particular statement is given of his tours of service in New Jersey, but none of his service as an enlisted soldier.  The service as such, should be particularly specified.  The records in this office afford us proof of the alleged service as an enlisted soldier. Application should be made to the proper office at Harrisburg for such proof of the alleged service as the records in the [crossed out] public record, there may afford.  If there be no record proof of this service, the [crossed out] it should be proved, by witness, or
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required in note j, in the end printed sheet. The applicant should state under oath his reasons for us making an earlier application for a pension.

Hon. George McCulloch
H.R.
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5060

James Hite

stamped  REJECTED 

Rej. & Suspended Pension List.
Page 209 - "Suspended for proof of service"

{handwritten vertically along right edge of page}
1931 - Oct. 9 - Hiet to Sam L. Hiett - ILL
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Springfield Ill.  Sept 20 1931

United States Pension Bureau
Revolutionary War Dept.
Washington DC

Gentleman -
Will you kindly give me the War 
record of James Hight[underlined] Born 
(Apro 1751)
His name appears in List of Pensioners 
of Jan 1 - 1840- Henderson Co.
Huntingdon - and [illegible] with John Hight.

Yours Very truly

Sam L (Hight) Hiett

509$0$tate St
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James Hite
Pennsylvania
      -----
Suspended 
      -----
[crossed out] See let. 2d Feb.
1840 Hon George
McCullock
Set to SH Porter Oct 9, 1843

5060

Act of June 1832
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Samuel H Porter
Oct 9 1843
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[handwritten in pencil] 67
[illegible]
Oct 9  43
Sir
In answer to your inquiry I wanted to inform you that James Hite of Huntingdon Co Pa applied for the first time in Feby 1841 and claimed for services in the Pa Line which he was required to establish by the records at Harrisburgh or in
the event of-credited by the silence of the roll 
by two credible witnesses having a personal knowledge of the enlistment service and honorable discharge-  Neither kind of proof has been added.  And it is improbable under all the circumstances of this claim that he is entitled at all

Saml H Porter [illegible]
Present