Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 9485, for Shepherd John, Pennsylvania
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(8-1776)

SERVICE
Penn
Shepherd, John
NUMBER
R.9485
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Dec 19 '45
Sir,
I have the honor to return your [illegible] agreeably to its request enclose [illegible] the papers of John Shepherd.  
The objection to the informality of making his declaration before a Justice of the Peace instead of asserting it before a Court of record is among the least of the [illegible] to the adjustment of his claim.  He asserts that he served nearly four years in the PA Line of the Continental Army and is as discharged from the service while in the Hospital upon a certificate of Dr. Rush obtained by his mother who was one of the nurses of the Hospital.  This statement (which covers the whole ground of his claim now asserted for the first time) is not only unsupported by any testimony in the papers, but is discredited
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by the records in this office & at Harrisbury & by the fact that Dr. Rush resigned in June 78 and could not have given such a certificate in 1780 as he alleges was the ground of his discharge after nearly 4 years of service.

Hon. D. R. Tilden
[Illegible] 19 45

Hon. D. R Tilden 
H.R.
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November 21, 1934
BA-J/MMHF/ILL
John Shepherd
R.9485
M. Becky Gordon
Office of Superintendent of Police
Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Dear Madam:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of John Shepard of Pennsylvania, who was born March 16, 1728 and died January 3, 1846 in Royalton, Ohio.
The Revolutionary War records of this office show that John Shepherd of Royalton, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, applied for pension under the Act of June 7, 1832, In July or August 1845, than aged one hundred seventeen years.
In the adjustment of this pension claim, Honorable D.R. Tilden, to aid in securing the pension for John Shepherd, requested that the papers in this soldier's application be withdrawn from the files of the Pension Office that he might have them referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Those papers were accordingly sent to Honorable D.R. Tilden, December 19, 1845, and were never returned to the Pension Office, therefore, there are no statements now on file in the Veterans Administration ( now in custody of such claims for pension) which were made by John Shepherd when he applied for his pension.
From a few pieces of old correspondence still on file in regard to the pension, it is shown that John Shepard alleged that he served under Captain Baird and Colonels Allen and Bull in the Pennsylvania line and was discharged from service of more thhan three years in the Revolutionary War, on a physician's certificate of disability, which certificate was secured by his mother, a nurse in the hospital; her name is not shown.
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This claim was not allowed as the soldier failed to furnish proof of service as required by the pension laws, either by record evidence or by comrades in arms.
One B.B. Chapman of Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio, requested information in regard to the matter in 1846, but did not state that he was related to the soldier.  It is not shown whether John Shepherd was ever married.
This office has no further data relative to this John Shepherd.
Very truly yours,
A.D. HILLER,
Executive Assistant to the Administrator.
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Rejected
9485
P.O.  John Shepherd
Service:
Enlisted:
Discharged:

Application Filed:
Printed list of 1852, Rejected and [illegible] classes.  Gives cause of suspension:  Alleges over 3 yrs service in the Penn. line - no trace of evidence on any of the records of that line appears in his credits.  [illegible]

Attorney:
P.O.
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No. 37,077
John Shepherd
O

Act 7 June 1832
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March 20, 1848
John Shepherd
Ohio
Wants copy of papers,
Evans

Hon. J. R. Giddings
H R
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Suspended case of
of Royalton Ohio
John Shepard Penna line - D37. 349.
[illegible] Clerk
March 6th 55
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[Note: This letter is very faint and very difficult to read for transcription]

Huntington City
March 18, 1848

Sir, 

If consistent with the rules of your office will you furnish the evidence enclosed in the Enclosed letter as to the [illegible] of John Shepard---

Very respectfully
M[illegible] 

J.L. Edwards Esq
Comm of Pensions
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No 37077
John Shepherd
O{hio}

Act 7 June 1832


92185
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Washington Dec 4 1825
Sir
Will you do me the favor to enclose me the papers referred to in the enclosed letter of the ninth that I may have them referred to the committee on invalid pensions
Very Truly
Your obt. sevt.
Dan R Tilden

Col. J. L. Edwards
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Pension Office
September 4th 1845

Sir,
The papers in the case of John Shepherd under the act of 7 June 1832, have been examined and filed.
The regulations require that all claims shall be asserted before a court of Record in Open Court unless from bodily infirmity they are unable to attend court, in that case a Judge of a court may act in certifying to the particular disability.  Shepherd's declaration was made before a Justice of the Peace which is not admissible.  His claim must be asserted in accordance with the above regulation before any further action can be had on it.
Claimant alleges he served upward of 3 years in the Pennsylvania Line, under Capt. Baird Col. Allen & Bull.  No proof whatever to sustain this allegation has been produced & before his claim can be attended he will be required to sustain the same by the revolutionary record at Harrisburgh.
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The fact of his (illegible) delayed to assert his claim to this late day when the means of establishing it by comrades was so rapidly diminishing, is well calculated to discredit his statement unless a very satisfactory reason be assigned for such delay.  Individual 117 years old who writes his name with so much accuracy as John Shepherd does in giving his declaration, cannot be supposed to be ignorant of the promising made by government for rewarding of the (illegible) who served during the Revolutionary War.
Claimants name is not found upon the list of men, in this office, of the Pennsylvania Line.

Edward Oviatt Esq.
Akron
Somerset Co 
Ohio
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March 1, 1846
Re can
Jos. Shepherd

{written on opposite end}
Hon. J. L. Edwards
Court of Pensions
Washington City
D. C.
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Elyria Lorain Co. Ohio Feby 24th 1846
Sir
If the Rules of your office will permit, you
will please send me a copy of the letter addressed by you to Edward Oviatt of Akron Ohio in September or October last in answer to the application of John Shepherd of Bolton Cuyahoga Co. Ohio for a pension under the act of 1832 said application was made in July
or August last
I am Very Respectfully Yours
B. B. Chapman

Hon J. S. Edwards
Comm of Pensions
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B. B. Chapman
May 23, 46
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576
Pension office
May 23, 1846.

Sir, 
In answer to your letter of the 24th February last, asking the copy of a letter in the case of John Shepherd, I have to state that the condition of the business of this office does not admit of our furnishing copies of papers in such case.  When a
claimant changes his agent he should see that the persons correspondence connected with his
claim [a word lined out] passess with the agency. 

B. B. Chapman, Esq
Elyria, Lorain Co. Ohio
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25. March 1848.
Hon J.R. Giddings
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225
Pension Office
March 25th 1848.
Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 18th requesting a copy of the papers of John Shepherd of Ohio, I have to inform you that the papers were forwarded to the Hon D.R. Tilden on the 19th December 1845. Since which time they have not been received at this office. Ats Jays letter
is herewith returned.

Hon J.R. Giddings
House of Reps.
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1885 -
Three Oaks, Mich, Oct 9" 1905
To the Commissioner of Pensions
Washington D.C.
Sir
I write you to know if you can give me any 
information concerning the subject of the enclosed notice, as hewas an applicant for pension. We thought perhaps you might
have some record of the same. Any information 
will be gratefully received. Respectfully.
Mrs Geo. L. Stevens
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[Round Stamp]
U.S. PENSION OFFICE
A
OCT 11 1905

[Square Stamp]
NAVY
OCT 12 1905
P  B
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March 25, 1845.
Sir:
In reply to your letter of the 18th inst., requesting a copy of the papers of John Shepherd of Ohio, I have to inform you that
papers were forwarded to the Hon. D. H. Tilden, on the 19th December, 1845
since which time they have not been received at this office.  Mr. Jay's letter is herewith returned.
To Hon. J. M. Giddings, House of Representatives.
December 19, 1845.
Sir:  I have the honor to return you Mr.  Oviatt's & agreeably to its request enclose you the papers of John Shepherd.  The objection to the informality of making his declaration before  a
Justice of the Peace instead of asserting it before a Court of record is among the least
of the obstacles to the adjustment of his claim. He asserts that he served nearly four years in the Pa. Line of the Continental army
and was discharged from the service while in the Hospital upon a certificate of Dr. Rush obtained by his mother, who was one of the nurses of the Hospital. This statement (which covers the whole ground of his
claim now asserted for the first time) is not only unsupported by any testimony in the papers, but is discredited by the records in this
Office and at Harrisburg and by the fact that Dr. Rush resigned in January '78 and could not have given such a certificate in 1780 when
he alleges was the ground of his discharge after nearly 4 years service.
To lion. D. R. Tilden, House of Representatives.
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[Breaks added for clarity of transcription]

[In the upper left hand corner, the seal of the city of Grand Rapids Mich. The Furniture City]

[Centered letterhead]
CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
GOVERNED BY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE
ALBERT A CARROLL SUPERINTENDENT

[In the upper right hand corner, a symbol consisting of an A, C, and + superimposed on each other and the word "POLICE" below]

[Below this a seal reading]
MEMBER
NATIONAL BUREAU OF IDENTIFICATION
Washington
[Said words largely surrounded by a wreath]

October 29, 1934

Veterans' Administration,
Washington, D.C.

[On the same lines as the date and address, a round date stamp, with 1-12 (hours) around the edge, the word RECEIVED and additional information in the center]

Oct 31 1934
MAIL SUB-DIV
VET.ADM [illegible] 75


Gentlemen:

In order to become a member of the D. A. R.
it is necessary for me to possess certain facts concerning my Revolutionary ancestor's line, and a proof of his service.  I am advised, if a pension was granted on account of his services, the record would be in your office.

The ancestor I wish a record of is John Shepherd, who was born ten miles from Philadelphia, Pa. on
March 16, 1728 and died in Royalton, Ohio, on January 3, 1846.  He served as a soldier during the French and Indian War, and was a sergeant under Washington at Braddock's Defeat; was in the battle of Brandywine and Germantown Flats. I am advised he served in Captain Caleb Armitage's company of a Philadelphia battalion of militia, Colonel John Moore commander, as shown on page 677, volume 1, Pennsylvania
Archives.  In volume 13 of Pennsylvania Archives it is recorded that John Shepherd was taken prisoner and confined in White Church, Philadelphia, later escaping through the efforts of a party of American troops who made an attack on the church at night. For over three years he served as a soldier in the War.

The above information was taken from a Family
History of John Shepherd.

If you do not have a record of this man, will you kindly advise where I can write to obtain an
official verification of his record.

Very truly yours,
M. Becky Gordon [signature]
M. Becky Gordon,
Secretary to A. A. Carroll,
Sup't of Police.
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[Breaks added for clarity of transcription]

S [centered]
Rejected No. 9485,      Oct. 19, 1905.
Rev. War.

Madam:

In reply to your communication dated October 9, 1905, received in this Bureau October 11, 1905, you are advised that from entries on the records in this Bureau it appears that one John Shepherd filed a claim for pension, which was rejected.

He asserted that he served nearly four years in the Pennsylvania line of the Continental Army, and was discharged from the service while in the hospital, upon a certificate from Dr. Rush, obtained by his mother, who was one of the nurses of the hospital.

His claim was rejected on the ground that the above statement (which covers the whole ground of his claim, asserted for the first time) is not only unsupported by any testimony in the papers, but
is discredited by the records in this office and at Harrisburg, and by the fact that Dr. Rush resigned in January 1778 and could not have given such a certificate in 1780, when soldier alleges he was discharged after nearly four years' service.

The original papers were returned December 19, 1845, through the Honorable D. R. Tilden, House of Representatives; therefore, the records show no further data.

Very respectfully,
Mrs. George L. Stevens,    Commissioner.
   Three Oaks, Michigan