Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 8,784, for Absalom Kent, Pennsylvania
Page 1

(3-1776)
SERVICE
Penn.
CONTENTS
Kent, Absalom
NUMBER
S.8.784
carded
Page 2

Letter to Pen Agt [agent] 19 Sept 1837.
" " C. Davey 12 Oct 1837
Order to pay do
Order to pay to 1. Nov 1838
Paid at the Treasury under the act of the 6. April 1838 from 4th Sept. 1838 to 4 March 1839. the day of his death. agt [agent] notified 7 Mar 1840
Aug 12 - 1839

Ohio, Pittsburgh Agency 26.971
Absalom Kent of Harrison Co. in the in the State of Ohio who was a pri in the Company commanded by Captain Merchant of the Regt commanded by Col Crawford in the Penna. line for [illegible] [illegible] $22.33. 

Inscribed on the Roll of Ohio [Pa?] & at the rate of 22 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 30th day of July and sent to 1834 C Derry, Cadiz, Ohio

Arrears to the 4th of Mch [March] 34 - 67.00.
Semi-anl. [annual] allowance ending 4 Sept.
 11 16 
$78.16

{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.)

Recorded by J. T. Sprague Clerk,
Book E - Vol. 8 Page 117
Page 3

30.658
Absalom Kent
Ohio
for 1779- [illegible] 6 mos. 21 days
[Return j - crossed out]
$22.33/100
Chauncey Derrey
Cadiz
Ohio
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WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension Office,
Sir:
The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will shew what is necessary to be done. Those points to which your attention is more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: }). You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by compling [complying] with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.
A Statement, showing the Service of Absolam Kent
Period when the service was rendered.
1779
1780
81.
Duration of the claimant's service.
 21 Months.
 2 Months.
2 Months. 
Rank of the claimant.
Ensign
"
priv
Names and rank of the Field officers under whom he served.
Cap.  Merchant
Col Crawford
Age at present, and place of abode when he entered the service.
81 years 
Fayette County Pa
Proof by which the declaration is supported.
Traditionary
I am respectfully,
your obedient servant, 
JAMES L. EDWARDS,
Commissioner of Pensions.
His services as an Ensign must be proven by living witnesses or his original commission produced - If this cannot be done, and he shall so direct a pension will be allowed as a private
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TREASURY DEPARTMENT
Second Comptroller's Office,
January 25th, 1840. 
Sir: 
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," The widow of Absalom Kent, a Pensioner on the Roll of the Wheeling Va. Agency, at the rate of Twenty two
Dollars and thirty three cents per annum, under the law of the 7th June 1832, has
been paid at this Department, from the 4th of Sept. 1838. to the 4th March 1839.
Respectfully, yours,
Albion K. Parris
Comptroller.
To the Commissioner of Pensions,
Present.
Page 8

30.658.
Page 9

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
State of Ohio}
County of Harrison}
On this 31st day of March AD 1834, personally appeared in open Court, before the 2. Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, now sitting, Absalom Kent a resident of Archer Township, in the County of Harrison & State of Ohio, aged Eighty one years, 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 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers & served as herein stated. In August 4. 1779 (but he cannot recollect the precise day of the month,) he was drafted for two months, at Fayette County, Pennsylvania; & marched a few miles only, to the farm owned by Col. Mounts (whose Christian name, he thinks, was Providence) & was then occupied, during the whole time, until the two months expired, with but a few men, only part of a Company in building a store house & magasine [magazine] & in collecting & receiving provisions. Some time previous to this draft, he had been elected an Ensign in the company where he resided & received a commission as such. He was drafted as an Ensign, & in that capacity had charge of the small force where he served & was the only officer present except Col.
Mounts. He was discharged & returned home in October, with the other men, of whom he had the command; having served out the time of his draft
In June (& he thinks about the last of that month)
[numbers in left margin:] 2. 1. 5. 5. 4.
Page 10

A D 1780, he was drafted a second time & served 5. as an Ensign for the term of two months. Immediately after this draft, he marched, with about twenty men, of whom he had the command, to the Alleghany mountains
for the purpose of meeting & receiving & guarding several waggon [wagon] loads of ammunition & stores which were then on their way from some place East of the mountains & designed for the supply of the forts & block houses in the frontier settlements. When he with the detachment having charge of the waggons, [wagons] Col. Perry, who was present, was unwilling to let them go under the small force of which this declarant had the command, fearing they would be captured by the British & Indians. He therefore sent for Col. Mounts who come in after a few days & they then received the ammunition, stores &c & took them safely to the store-house or magasine, [magazine] before mentioned (which had been built the Summer preceding) where they were deposited. He remained at the [illegible] place a few days, when he was discharged, having served out
5 the whole two months; the period for which he was drafted.
In the month of June 1781, (but he cannot recollect 
4. the day of the month) having sometime previous resigned his commission on account of ill health, he was drafted the third time & served 5. as a private for the term of two months, The company in which he served was commanded
6. by Captain-- Merchant; the Lieutenant was John Carr. Shortly after he was drafted, he marched with his company to Fort Wallace, on the waters of the Kiskaminites [Kiskaminetas], The object of this draft was to protect the frontier settlements against incursions of the
Page 11

Indians. He continued to be stationed with his Company at said Fort nearly all the time for which he was drafted; but was occasionally out with small detachments, through the Country between "Wallace's Fort, "Bon's Fort. & "Leggonier Fort, Examining, & endeavoring to discover trails of the Indians. He continued in the service until the two months, the term for which he was drafted, expired, & was then discharged.
In 1782, and he thinks about the first of July
4. news was received in the neighborhood where he resided that Hanna's Town, in Westmoreland County, had been burnt by the Indians & he together with his whole company, volunteered to go in pursuit of them. They marched as far as Hannastown when they waited some days for reinforcements. When their number was increased to about five hundred, (commanded
6. he thinks by Col. Crawford) they pursued the Indians as for as the Alleghany river, but not being able to come up with them, they returned home & were discharged. He served during this tour, as a private soldier, 
5. three weeks. His company was commanded 
6. by Capt [Captain] John Stewart. The other officers names he cannot recollect. The whole length of his service, in all his different tours, was six months & twenty one days; four months of which he 
5. served as an Ensign, & the ballance [balance] of the time as a private soldier. There were no regular troops with him in any of his tours
of service. There [he knows crossed out] is no clergyman
12. residing in his neighborhood, whose evidence he can obtain respecting his belief as to his age, & the general belief in the neighborhood in relation to his Revolutionary service.
13. He has no documentary evidence, & knows of  no person living whose testimony he can procure
Page 12

who can testify to his service. He hereby relinquishes any claim whatever to a pension or annuity 
7. except the present & declares that his name is
not on the pension Roll of the agency of any State, or if any, only on that of the Agency of the State of Pennsylvania and in answer to the interrogatories put by the Court he states.
Ist. He was born on the 16th of October 1752 in Fairfax County Virginia
II nd. He has no record of his age, but derives his knowledge from his father, who had a record in his bible. [Bible]
III rd. At each time when he entered the service he was living in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, & continued to live there after the War until 1805, when he removed to the County of Harrison Ohio, when he has continued to live ever since.
IVth. At each of the time be entered the service, he was drafted, except the last when he volunteered.
Vth. He has answered this interrogatory in the body of his declaration, as fully as his memory permits him to do.
VIth. He thinks he received a discharge each time he served as a private, signed the captain under whom he served; but they have been long since lost. Some time previous to his entering the service, he received a commission, as Ensign of his Company, signed he thinks by the Clerk of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania (whose name he does not remember) but not toking [taking] any pains to produce it, it was long ago lost or destroyed.
VIIth He states the names of the following persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood, who con [can] testify as to his character for veracity & their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution viz:
William Henderson, William Derry & Robert Maxwell Esq
Abs [Absalom] Kent
Sworn to & Subscribed in open Court the day and year aforesaid before me
William Tingley Clerk.
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11.
William Henderson, William Derry & Robert Maxwell residing in the County of Harrison, Ohio, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Absalom Kent who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be Eighty one years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, & that we concur in that opinion.
Robt Maxwell
William Henderson
William Derry
Sworn to & Subscribed in open Court the day and year aforesaid before me Wm Tingley Clerk

The State of Ohio}
Harrison County} Ss
8
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 certifies that it appears to them that Robert Maxwell, William Henderson and William Derry, who have signed the preceding certificate are residents in the County of Harrison aforesaid, and are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
[white paper folded at left margin]
I William Tingley, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of said County, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Count in the matter of the application of Absalom Kent for a pension
In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of said Court at Cadiz, this 25 day of April A.D. 1836
William Tingley Clerk

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. 
[upside down - this is on another page, underneath]
Page 14

June 16, 1938

BA-J/AWF
Absalom Kent
S. 8784

Mr. H.N. Smithson                        
Macksburg                                    
Ohio                                              

Dear Sir:

    Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Absolem [sic] Kent, who served from the State of Pennsylvania, and pensioned while living in Harrison County, Ohio.

    The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in pension claim S. 8784, based on the service of Absalom Kent in the War of the Revolution.

    Absalom Kent was born October 16, 1753 in Fairfax County, Virginia.  The name of his parents were not stated. 

    While residing in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Absalom Kent enlisted sometime in August, 1779, served two months as ensign in the Pennsylvania troops, under Colonel Providence Mounts. He enlisted sometime in June, 1780, served two months as ensign under same Colonel.  He enlisted in the month of June, 1781, served two months as private in Captain Merchant's company, to protect the frontiers from the invasion of the Indians.  He Enlisted sometime in July, 1782, served three weeks as private in Captain John Stewart's company, Colonel Crawford's Pennsylvania regiment, out in pursuit of Indians.

    He continued to live in Fayette County until
Page 15

sometime in 1805, then moved to Harrison County, Ohio.

    The soldier, Absalom Kent, was allowed pension on his application executed March 31, 1834, then living in Archer Township, Harrison County, Ohio.

    He died August 12, 1839, leaving a widow; her name was not stated, and there is no reference to children.  The soldier's sister was referred to in 1834, her name was not given.

    In order to obtain the name and address of person paid the last payment of this pension, you should apply to the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, Washington, D.C., and furnish the following data:

Absalom Kent
Certificate #26971
Issued July 30, 1834
Rate $22.33 per annum
Commenced March 4, 1831
Act of June 7, 1832
Ohio, Pittsburgh, Agency.

 Very truly yours

A.D. Hiller
Executive Assistant 
to the Administrator
Page 16

August 26, 1937

Gilbert Bloomer
S. 15337
Absalom Kent
S. 8784
BA-J/AWF

Mrs. Winifred F. Bloomer
1010 Guinda Street
Palo Alto, California

Dear Madam:

    Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War records of Gilbert and Robert Bloomer of New York State, and Absalom Kent of Pennsylvania.

    The Revolutionary War records of this office have been searched and no claim for pension found based upon the service Of Robert Bloomer or Blumer.

    The records of Gilbert Bloomer and Absalom Kent are furnished you as found in claims for pension, based upon service in the Revolutionary War.

Gilbert Bloomer-S.15337

    The data which follow concerning Gilbert Bloomer were obtained from papers on file in pension claim, S.15337, based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.

    Gilbert Bloomer was born December 24, 1752 in "New" Marlborough, Ulster County, New York.  The names of his parents were not given, his father died in New York State, date not shown.

    While residing in New Marlborough, Gilbert Bloomer served as a private at various times in the New York (continues on next page)

[Very faint writing along right side of letter]

Her letter [illegible]  Gilbert Bloomer.
Page 17

                          -2-

militia under Captain Samuel (Clark) and Colonel Paulding; he assisted in building Fort Montgomery, was a guard along the Hudson river, and in several scouting expeditions, length of service about two years; definite dates of service not given.

    Gilbert Bloomer continued to live in New Marlborough, New York, until July, 1793, then moved to Roanoke, Virginia, lived about ten years, thence to Lawrence County, Kentucky.  He was allowed pension on his application executed October 31, 1832, them living in Lawrence County.

    The papers on file in this claim contain no reference to wife or children.

    In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, name and address of the person paid, and possibly the date of death of this pensioner, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and furnish the following data:

Gilbert Blumer (as he was pensioned)
Certificate # 25818
Issued February 14, 1834
Rate $ 80.00 per annum
Commenced March 4, 1831
Act of June 7, 1832
Kentucky Agency,

+++++++++++++++++++

Absalom, Kent - S.8784

    The data furnished herein relative to Absalom Kent were obtained from papers on file in pension claim, S. 8784, based upon service in the Revolutionary War.

    Absalom Kent was born October 18, 1752 in Fairfax (continued on next page)
Page 18

  He enlisted in the m                           -3-

County, Virginia.  The names of his parents were not given.

    Absalom Kent, while residing in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, enlisted sometime in August, 1779, served two months as ensign in the Pennsylvania troops, under Colonel Providence Mounts.  He enlisted sometime in June, 1780, served two months as ensign under same Colonel.  He enlisted in the month of June, 1781, served two months as private in Captain Merchant's company, to protect the frontiers from the invasions of the Indians.   He enlisted in the month of July, 1782, served three weeks as private in Captain John Stewart's company, Colonel Crawford's Pennsylvania regiment, in pursuit of Indians. 

    He continued to live in Fayette County, until in 1805, then moved to Harrison County, Ohio.  He was allowed pension on his application executed March 31, 1834, then living in Archer Township, Harrison County, Ohio.

    He died August 12, 1839, leaving a widow.  Her name is not stated, and there is no reference to children. His sister referred to in 1834 - no name given.

    In order to obtain the name and address of person paid this pension, you should apply to the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and furnish the following data:

Absalom Kent
Certificate # 26971
Issued July 30, 1834
Rate $22.33 per annum
Commenced March 4, 1831
Act of June 7, 1832
Ohio, Pittsburgh, Agency.

 
Very truly yours

A.D. Hiller
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator
Page 19

NOTARY PUBLIC

H.N.SMITHSON
MERCHANT

MACKSBURG, OHIO

May 26, 1938

Veterans Administration,
Washington, D.C. 
IN RS: Absolam Kent of Harrison County,
will probated August 31, 1839 in
Harrison County, Ohio.

In tracing the Kent ancestry, I find that Absolem Kent was granted pension on July 30, 1834 for service in Pennsylvania Militia in the Revolutionary War.

Kindly furnish me with his application record for pension.

I am trying to clear up his birth and death record and whom he married.

Respectfully,
//s//
H.N. Smithson
________________
H.N. Smithson.
Page 20

Rev War
8784
INVALID.

File No. 8784
Absalom Kent Priv. Rev. War

Act: June 7th 1832
Index:-Vol. [illegible], Page 202
[Arrangement of 1870.]

1937 - [illegible] 26 hist to  Mrs Winifred F. Bloo[illegible] See letter in Gilbert Bloo[illegible] S.15337 - ANF
be little Gilbert
1938 June 17 - hist to H. N. Smi[illegible]son ANF
Page 21

[round stamp CADIZ OHIO SEP 28]

Oct 2
[illegible] Evans 
Absalom Kent
Ohio [illegible] 
NO 26.971

FREE

J. L. Edwards Esqr
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City
D. C.
Page 22

Cadiz, Ohio. Sept 26th 1837.
Sir
A letter just recvd [received] from the Pension Agent at Wheeling Va.
contains an extract from one record by him from the Pension Office
at Washington, in relation to the pension of Absalom Kent of this place, in which it is stated that the Copy of his certificate forworded [forwarded] as a part of the vouchers, states his pention [pension] to be $22.33/100 per annum, whereas our books represent him as entitled to
$23.33/100 per annum. If this be a true copy of the certificate it should be
returned to this office for correction." 
I therefore enclose the certificate of Mr. Kent, in order that the correction
may be made.
Very Respectfully
Yours
C. Dewey
J.L. Edwards Esq}
Commission of Pentions [Pensions]}
Page 23

Pension Agency
A W. Bank of Virginia
September 15, 1837
Sir
I enclose for your inspection, Vouchers of Samuel Maholm, Charles D Wills, and Absalom Kent of Harrison County Ohio, Pensioners under act 7 June 1832. claiming each for one year - Are the erasures in the magistrates
certft [certificate] to the pensioners identity sufficient cause to reject these vouchers?
I am Yours very Resplity [Respectfully] 
A Woods
Pension Agent
[illegible] Jno [John] S [illegible] 
J. L. Edwards Esq
Comr [commissioner] Pensions
Washington City D. C.
Page 24

[round stamp CADIZ OHIO JUL 22]
Free
Hon. J.L. Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington
City
Page 25

Cadiz July 21st 1834.
Sir - 
Mr Absalom Kent, whose papers in relation to his application for a pension I herewith return, is unable to procure the testimony of any person, in support of his application, who has a personal knowledge of his services except that of his sister. Unless her testimony will be [illegible], he will be under the necessity of embracing the office which
is made him (& wishes me to state, [illegible] his behalf, that he does do so) & receive a certificate for the amount to which a private soldier only is entitled. There were but few others, as appears by his declaration, who served with him. and of those few, be con [can] find no one who is living. If the testimony of his sister will be recd [received] to establish the facts stated by him, be deposition will be token [taken] & forwarded: if not, he is willing to receive such a certificate as he would be entitled to, if his services had been rendered as a private soldier.
I will [illegible], that in either case, it will be most convenient for him to draw his pension at Pittsburgh
Very Respectfully
Your Obt Sert [obedient servant] 
Chauncey Dewey
Hon. J. L. Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions