Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 6698, for Samuel Mc Elhose, Pennsylvania
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Service: Penn.

McElhose, Samuel
Muckelhose,

Number: R6698
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pa. oct 1832

I James Gillonz Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Mifflin do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Samuel McElhose for a pension

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this 25th day of February
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Declaration

in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832

State of Pennsylvania
Mifflin County

In open Court before the Honourable Thomas Burnside Esq., President, and James Chriswell, and William McCay Associate Judge now holding a Court of Common Pleas, in and for the said County of Mifflin, personally appeared Samuel McElhose, a resident of Olive's Township, County of Mifflin, & State of Pennsylvania aged seventy eight years and ten months, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the Benefit of the act of Congress, passed June the 7th 1832 - 

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated

His first Captain was Edward Simonton, Lieutenant Ephraim Russell, Ensign William Chamberlain. On the last of August or 1st September 1777 Deponent then residing in Burmingham Township, Chester County - The Militia were then called out by General Washington, and were paraded & encamped in the Bottom near where the Battle of Brandywine was fought. Our company was to the Regiment of Colonel John Harper & Major John Hannum. We encamped from the first ot the 11th day of September to the left of General Wayne's. Deponent with the Company was fully engaged in the Battle of Brandywine and George Hannan, & David Brantim two men of our company were killed in the Battle of Brandywine
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The alarm guns were fired about nine o clock in the morning when we were cooking breakfast & we were hurried into the battle which lasted until about sundown. We beat the British back twice from Dan's Bottom but the main body of the British army being about five miles up the Brandywine had beaten the Americans there & were marching down to surround our four Regiments commanded by General Wayne & we retreated by his orders and marched that evening and night to Old Chester where Major Bush who was shot through the thigh died that same night. Our company marched the next day and the Bluebell Tavern above Marcus Hook and encamped there until the British marched into Philadelphia. We were then parted on the lines between the British and Americans to prevent the Tories and Refugees taking provisions to the British in Philadelphia and we were so engaged until March 1778 when General Smallwood marched out of Wilmington to General Washington's headquarters. This was about the 10th March 1778 and our company was disbanded in a few days after being out that tour about six and a half months. In April 1778 soon after I was discharged & moved with my father up to Tiaga on the North branch of the Susquehannah. I then was enrolled in the company of Elisha Matthewson, Lieutenant Samuel Baker and joined the Regiment of Colonel John Franklin about the 1st of August 1779. From there we marched to Hogback hill on the Roga branch of the Susquehannah where we had a battle with the Indians and one man of our company camed William Barton was killed. Colonel Franklin also was wounded. We then marched to Newtown Point where we remained five or six days. Then we returned to the Holland flats, on the Roga Branch. General Sullivan commanded at the Battle of Hogback hill with the Indians & marched with his army to the Lakes. Our Company were then disbanded being out
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that town about two and a half months the Wyoming and the Tioga Militia were also discharged at the same time we were. About five years after that I got married in Tioga and lived there about thirty years. I then removed in 1812 or 1813 to Wayne Township now Oliver Township Mifflin County where i have ever since lived.

Deponent has no recollection of the names of any other officers. Deponent had a discharge from Captain John Smith when his Company was disbanded at General Washington's headquarters near Wilmington about the 20th of March 1778 but has lost it many years ago and that he now has no documenting evidence. That he knows of no person at present whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Sworn to and subscribed in open court this 25th day of February 1840

Samuel McElhose

We Samuel P. Lilly - a clergyman residing in the Brough of Lewistown & David W. Hulings residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Samuel McElhose who has subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration, that we believe him to be between 70 & eighty years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution & that we enjoin in that opinion.  Sworn & subscribed this 25th February 1840
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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the interrogatories presented by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Samuel P. Lilly who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman residing in the Borough of Lewistown and that David W Hulings who has also signed the same is a resident in the same place and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.

I James Gillory Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Mifflin do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Samuel McElhose for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 25th day of February one thousand eight hundred and forty.
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The further and additional Declaration of Samuel McElhose in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of the 7th June 1832

State of Pennsylvania
County of Mifflin

On this 18th day of March 1840 personally appeared before the Honourable William McCay Esq. one of the associate judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the County of Mifflin aforesaid Samuel McElhose aged about 78 years and ten months who being just duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 being in addition to his statement already made & sent to the Pension Office About the last of August or 1st of September 1777 the British having landed on the Chesapeake were marching enroute to take Philadelphia, the militia were called out to oppose them.  By General Washington - Deponent then volunteered & joined Captain Edward Simonson's Company of Volunteers and were attached to Colonel John Hannam's Regiment and were stationed on the left of General Wayne's Division and was soon after with the Company to which he belonged on the 11th Sep 177 engaged in the Battle of Brandywine as stated in his former application & that night retreated to old Chester and from that we marched to Marcus Hook and our Company of Volunteers were engaged during the winter & spring between the British & American lines to prevent the Tories from taking provisions to the British in Philadelphia and while we were at Marcus Hook part of General Wayne's Regiment were surprised and massacred at the Park.
During that winter our company was divided by Captain
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Simonson & the part to which I was attached was commanded by Lieutenant Ephraim Russell & Ensign Samuel Baker. A few days before Christmas we intercepted fourteen head of fat cattle at the Crop Road near Old Chester which the Tories were taking to Philadelphia for the British. About the last of February we also took twenty six sheep and we had many races after the Refugees and at one time in close pursuit after a party of Refugees they dropped their cheese and escaped & we got them

Deponent further says that some time in June 1778 he went to see his uncle in Easton on the Delaware, staid there a few days & he & one Stephen Fuller went from that to Wilkesbarre & while there about the last of June Colonel Gebulon or Lord Butler who commanded forty four at Wyoming sent out to Wilkesbarre & the Country about for Volunteers to help to defend the front. That he & Stephen Fuller & others volunteered in Captain James Baddock's Company & marched to Forty Foot about six miles above Wilkesbarre on the West side of the river at Wyoming Flats. We were not in the fort more than two days when we were attacked by the British & Tories & Indians commanded by one Colonel Butler who were supposed by two thousand strong. We had three companies in the fort which was built of round logs about twelve feet high and backed up the inside and outside with clay with portholes cut in for our rifles & muskets. We had no cannon in the Fort. The first we knew of them was their firing out of a pine thicket about 20 or 25 feet from the fat about eleven o clock in the morning. About two o'clock we marched out of the forth into the bottom along below the fort. Our three companies being about 150 in number. Colonel Butler supposing the party attacking the fort were not numbered within an hour after we marched out the Tories and Indians
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attacked us & commanded us We were cut off from the fort and either all killed or flee to the river. Colonel Butler was killed soon after we came out of the fort & my Captain Baddock was taken prisoner & that night was killed by the Indians over at Kingston. They were not many that escaped. Fortunately there was no women or children in the fort. I & a certain Eldad Kellogg of our Company escaped to the River. We threw our muskets into the River & swam across to Manockong Island the stream was about 200 yards wide & very deep on that side of the Island. It was then almost sundown. We hid ourselves among the yellow Willa bushes that grew very thick near the lower end of the island the top of the willows hanging over the lake into the water & while concealed there we heard the Indians above us on the Island & a number of others who had escaped to the Island were caught there & made prisoner of & massacred that night at Kingston. Soon after dark we left the Island & waded across to the Wilkesbarre side & went down to Wilkesbarre. And there was in our Company a man called William Pike a British deserter who had his thigh broken by a bullet. He dragged himself into the River and floated on his back & swam down to near the fort at Wilkesbarre where he was taken out & carried into the fort & got well. I saw him several years after that he lived in Shawnee Flats I was from home at this time near a month but only a small portion of that time in the Company. This Massacre at Wyoming was near two years before the Battle of Hogback Hill related in my former statement. I was misunderstood by the person who wrote my former statement in not stating that I was a volunteer for six and a half months engaged near Marcus Hook & Old Chester in the fall of 1777 & the Spring of 1778. I was not drafted but volunteered in Captain Edward
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Simonson's Company & was out the whole period of six & a half months as before recalled as a Volunteer. Also as a Volunteer in Captain Elisha Matthewson's Company when we were out two & a half months. Our Company were not drafted militia but volunteers. Deponent further states that the reasons why his application was not sent in sooner was that he did not know that Volunteers & militia men were entitled to pension under the act of Congress until about four years ago. David W. Howlings told me that I would be entitled to a pension if had served as a militia man or volunteer in the Revolution. Some time after that I came to Lewistown to make an application but ... was from home. It then lay over for another year when I applied to ... We then wrote out my application in part & laid the war about going up to Wilkesbarre & Wyoming & he took the names of a number of persons that I formerly knew when I lived up there to inquire whether they were living or not so as to obtain their testimony in making this application & two years ago when L Wilson was a member of the Legislature I again called upon him & he said he would inquire as the member of the Legislature from Luzone County & having done so he said that my  ... whose names I gave him was told they were all dead. That I then lay over until this winter that he has become feeble & not able to work much & that his daughter & son in law with whom he lives are poor & not able to support the Deponent. He again came to town to see Wm Wilson but he was in the Legislature & he applied to D W Houling who made his former statement which was done in a hurry amid the prep of Court rulings & was imperfectly & briefly stated & as long as he was able to work he felt independent & supposed his pension would come good to him with the back pay when he really needed it and that that time is now come. Deponent does not now recollect any other matter which he supposes is