Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 6571, for Patrick Macher, Maryland
Page 1

(3 - 1776)
SERVICE
Md.
Macher,
Machar Patrick
NUMBER
R. 6571
CONTENTS
Page 2

Virginia 20.758
Patrick Macher,
18 March 1818

Suspended 
See letter to Captain 
D. Lynn Cumberland, Md

30 Dec 1828 See also letter 
15 April 1829 to A. Reid.
13 May 1833 to S. Mc D Reed
Clk. Rockbridge Co. [?]
Page 3

6571
P.O.
Patrick Macher        REJECTED
Service:
Enlisted:    , 18
Discharged: ,18
application filed:, 18
Alleges:
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P.O.
Recognized.
Contract
Cert. of Dis. Searched for ,18
Page 4

Cumberland Feb. 20. 1829 
Sir
Your letter of the 30th Dec was forwarded to this place,
when I was from Home, & was sent to me to Frederick, where I have been 
detained by sickness, until a few days ago 
From your letter it appears that Patrick Macher has stated in 
his application to the war department, “that he enlisted for three
years from 1781 in a Compy commanded by Capt David Lynn & the Regt.
Comd. by Col Miller of Fred. Town Maryld. & in the Brigade Comd by
Genl Smallwood” and I am called on "to give any information in my 
power, respecting said Patrick Mather, & whether there was an Officer
Comdg a Regt of the Maryland line, belonging to the Continental 
Establishment, by the name of Miller" 
This call on me required that I should refer to a book which is 
now before me, before I could make any reply. This Book contains 
the names of all the Officers & Soldiers of the Maryland line entitled to 
bounty lands from the State, but on which there is no officer of any 
grade of the name of Miller, nor was there ever field officer of that 
name, belonging to the line, nor can I find the name of Patrick 
Macher on the list. This list of names, was made, under the authority
 of law, by the Auditor Genl of Maryland, from the muster rolls of 
the Army, after the war was over, to be the guide in the distribution 
of the bounty lands, given to all Soldiers who enlisted in Maryland 
for the Continental Army either for the war or for three years, at any 
time after the Session of Assembly 1777. & before the end of the War,
as well as to the Officers, who served to the end thereof.
Page 5

I was one of three Commissioners appointed by the Executive to 
make the distribution of these lands, the list was put into our hands, and 
when the distribution was compleated it was left with me, & is still in 
my possession but whenever any application is made to me by any old 
Solder. I feel perfectly at a loss what to advise of his name is not to be 
found on this list. However on this occasion, I will state a number of 
circumstances, some of which are in some measure connected with Patrick 
Macher’s Statement & will show when & where he was in my Compy if he 
ever was under my command.
In the year 1780. the two Maryland Brigades were ordered to join 
the Southern Army & were defeated & compleatly cut to pieces in the first 
engagement. As soon as the remnants of the army could be collected, the two 
Brigades were reduced & formed two Regt only & all Supernumerary officers 
were ordered to the State to be employed in the recruiting service. Genl 
Smallwood was stationed at Annapolis, to superintend the whole & 
to forward the recruits, as they were raised, to the Army. 
Preparatory to the Siege of York, in 1781 a  certain number of 
Militia was ordered to be in readiness, & to rendezvous at Annapolis 
the moment they received marching orders. I was stationed there, to
receive them, & was supplied with money with directions from the 
Genl to enlist as many as possible, into the Continental service while
we were preparing for the March during which time I enlisted perhaps 
sixty. When  the Regt was organised it was composed altogether of 
militia, except my recruits & they having become troops of the line 
were [?] to the right of the Regt. but as I was not the Senr Capt. 
in Comd. they were given to Capt Garther & I had nothing more to do 
with them but took the Com of a Compy of Milita, in the same Regt.
Page 6

a proportion of which were militia substitutes, even in the first instance 
collected in their respective Counties, but when brought to Annapolis were 
given up to the officers of the regular army and I think it more than 
probable Col Miller of the Fredk Militia who lived in Fredr Town, had the 
direction of this detachment, as long as they remained in the County, and 
that he sent them to Annapolis, which made the impression on Patrick 
Macher’s mind, that he was an officer in the Continental Service 
If Macher joined the Regt at Annapolis in 1781 & well say he 
joined the Southern Army afterwards, his account & mine of the March,
siege &c, ought to be the same. The Regt on that occasion was called the 
4th Maryland Regt. Comd by Maj Roxburgh. We marched from Annapolis 
through GeorgeTown, Alexandria, Fredericksburgh & to Williamsburgh, 
& joined the American & French Army in sight of York Town the day after 
the Brittish army had been withdrawn from their outposts, and two 
or three days before our Army broke ground on the line of our first intrenchment,
we assisted in all the operation of the siege, & one Regt was formed in [?]
line. when the whole Brittish army passed in review, & grounded there
at the time of the surrender. When this was done Capt. Garther’s Compy 
composed of my recruits was ordered to join the 3rd Maryld Regt (which we 
found there) & sent on to the Southern Army & the militia was ordered to 
return to Maryland 
With my Compy I guarded a part of the Brittish prisoners to Fredk Town, where they were discharged, and if 
Macher enlisted with 
me at Annapolis he must or ought to have been in Capt Garthers Compy.
& marched with him to join the Southern Army. if of my Compy he was only a 
militia man, or substitute, for that particular tour of Duty, & probably returned 
with me to Fred Town, where my compy was discharged 
Being one of the few surviving officers of revolutionary Army
Page 7

very frequent applications have been made to me by old soldiers but unless 
their names are to be found on my list, it is not in my power to afford 
them any relief. It is impossible for me to recollect names, persons or services
of men who have neither been seen or heard of by me, for nearly fifty years past.
I am my respectfully 
Yr. Obt Servant 
David Lynn 

James L Edwards Esq
Pension Office
War Department 
Washington 

Feb 26
Page 8

Council Chamber 
Annapolis Dec 27 1828 
Sir 
The late Auditor (whose office has 
been abolished, and its duties devolved on me) this morning handed me your two letters of respective dates of the 3rd & 15th Instant, 
asking information relative to the service in 
the Maryland line of the Revolutionary Army which Patrick Machan and Elijah Barton 
alledge that they afforded. 
I have carefully examined the very 
imperfect Records of the services of the Maryland 
troops that have been preserved among the 
archives of the State, and have not found the names of either of the persons named upon any 
of them. 
It is proper however to inform you 
that no Muster Roll of a later date than 
1780 has been preserved, and that the 
principal evidence the State keeps of the
Revolutionary Services of its troops is two
Page 9

pay Rolls one for erreas and another for depreciation 
so that the statements of the two soldiers may be 
in the main true although the Records of the State 
afford no evidence in their support. 
Very respectfully
Your Obt Servt 
Tho: Culbreth Clerk
Of the Executive Council 
P. S. There was a Capt. 
David Lynn in the Maryland 
Line but there was not 
a Colonel named Miller 
T.C. 

James L. Edward Esq 
Pension Office