Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 15317, Samuel Belville, Del.
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(3---1776)
SERVICE
Del. 
Belville, Samuel
or
Belvell.
NUMBER
S. 15317
carded
CONTENTS
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Certificate of Pension issued the 14 of April 1834 and Hon RM Johnson

Arrears to the 4th of March $60
Semi Annual allowance ending 4th April $10
$70

Revolutionary Claim Act June 7 1832
Recorded by Dan Boyd, Clerk
Book E Volume 1 page 36
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State of Kentucky
County of Campbell

On this 23rd day of April 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the Circuit Court of said County of Campbell, now sitting Samuel Bowell a resident of said County and stated, aged seventy one years on the 9th day of January last, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath state the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1833.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officer and served as herein stated -viz on April 1777 he entered the said service in New Castle County in the state of Delaware in a militia Company commanded by Captain Hugh McCracken in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Patterson and remained in said Company and Regiment until he had completed two years and three months and was then discharged.
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that the nature of his said service was that of a Minute Man-and during the whole of said period he the said applicant and the others were composing said company and company's regiment were almost continually on the alert, some times as scouts, hunting up the Tories and at other times in skirmishing with scouts of the British Army-that is one of their skirmishes which took place at Fort Bend near New Castle Lieutenant Joseph Middleton of said company was killed. The said applicant further states that he never served with any part of the Regulars or Continental Army and knew none of the officers thereto attached, but often saw General Washington and LaFayette they were passing to and from New York, Philadelphia and other places to which their duty called them. He also stated that he never served or engaged in regular battles, and his services were only of a local Militia man but for the fact that the state of Delaware was often the theater of the war he had to be ready at
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all times, both night and day, to March and when the enemy and finally he says that he never was a substitute for any persons whatever, nor was he ever drafted as he recollects being from the nature of the service and organizations and object of said Company and Regiment, obliged to hold himself at all times in readiness as a soldier to perform duty when any of the numerous occasionally a demand for its performance. 
 [illegible]

He has no documentary evidence by which he can prove his services as above stated nor does he know of any persons whose testimony can be procured who can testify to his service. Subscribed and sworn to, on the day and in the year aforesaid. 

the following questions were propounded by the court, and answered by the above named applicant,
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1st Where and in what year, were you born?
Answer - I was born near Christien Bridge, New Castle Countyin the state of Delaware, On the 9th of January 1762, as I have been informed by my parents. 
2nd have you any record of your age if so, where is it
Answer - My Father had my age recorded in this family bible - but I have no copy from it;-neither can I tell where the original now is.
3rd Where were you living when called into service: where have you lived since the Revolutionary War & where do yo now live.
Answer - I was living at Christian Bridge, New Castle County & State of Delaware, when called into service & remained there until after the proclamation of peace. Thern removed to Hipping Port Pennsylvania where I remained nearly a year & then removed to Westmoreland County Pennsylvania 30 miles above Pittsburg where I remained until the year 1791 when I removed to Campbell County, Kentucky, where I have lived ever since.
4th How were you called unto service; were you drafter did you volunteer, or were you a substitute, if a substitute, for whom?
Answer: I was not drafted as I recollect, niether was I ever a subsititute but I was a volunteer minute man & had to hold myself at all times ready to perform duty & did perform it upon numerous occasions at a minutes' notice.
5th Name the names of some of the Regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such continental & militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services.
Answer - I served with the regular officers, no were any continental troops with me in the service. I have also ready stated to names of such militia officers, & the only militia regiment that I served with.
6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so, by whom was it given, & what has become of it?
Answer - I never received a written discharge, that was verbally permitted by my Captain to quit said company when I had served two years & three months as before stated.
7th state the names of persons to whom you are [illegible] in your present neighborhood and who can testify to your * Character for veracity and their  belief of your service of its [illegible] of the Revolution
Answer - I am known to Col. R [illigible] Johnson. General Jarrald Taylor, Wrd Pl Courtney Esquire, Jr, Be Cissdaey
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The affidavit of Samuel Belvill, to be taken
as an amendment to his declaration made for
the purpose of obtaining a pension from the U. States

State of Kentucky
Campbell County ⎬ Set

Personally appeared before me the
undersigned, a justice of the Peace for said County Samuel Belvill, who being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory, he cannot seem  from to rely as to the precise length of his service; but according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the
period mentioned below and in the following grade  For two years and three months, I served as a private and for such service I claim a pension

Samuel (his X mark) Belvill

Subscribed and sworn to
before me a Justice of the peace
for said County this 24th
March 1834.-

Horatio T Harris
J P C C
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26.668
Samuel Belvell (aka Belville)
Campbell Co
Kentucky
-----
B 1777 ( e over the seven) b - 6  p 20

Col John W. Tibbatts
of Newport has 
sent me these
papers

(this note was placed on another paper - found on War Dept form)
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I agree to take ten months for the within applicant

R M Johnson
13th Apr  1834
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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 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 show 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 complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.
Statement, showing the Service of Samuel Bellville
Period which the service was rendered 1777
Duration of the claimant's service.
Years. 2
Months. 3
Days.
Rank of the claimant 
Pa.
Names and rant of the Field officers under whom he served.
Cap McCracken
Col Patterson
Age at present, and place of abode when he entered the service
71 
Delaware
Proof by which the declaration is supported.
Traditionary
The applicant should state the [illegible] that he was in actual service against the enemy.
Wheresoever a length of service is claimed by applecante who here for the greater part of the term manly held themselves in ready to serve when called in upon, it establishes a serious objection to the admission of the claim.
I am, respectfully, Your obedient servant, J. L. Edwards, Commissioner of Pensions.
The statement of service is still unsatisfactory. He belonged to a company of minute men, and until it can be shown that he was called out to perform some specific service a formable decision cannot be had. 
April 3, 1834
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2

REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.

The following regulations have been adopted:

This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia" and "volunteers, all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c., Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of private armed vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.

Four general
classes of cases are embraced in this law:
.
 1. The Regular Troops.
2. The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers.
3. Persons employed in the Naval Service.
4. Indian Spies.

As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, mucicians (?) or privates, will, in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record,

DECLARATION.

In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.

State, Territory, or District of}
County of                               } ss.

On this ....Day of ....personally appeared (a) before ....A.B. a resident (b) ....in the county of ....
and State, Territory or District of ....age(c)...
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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed
June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d) ...with.... and...served in the  .....(e) regiment of the ....
line, under the following named officers:

{Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers;) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged,
and the country through which he marched. This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.]

He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.......A. B.

[And then will follow the certificate of the Court]
.
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary
soldier, and served as he states
.
I .....of the Court of .....do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the pplication of ...... for a pension.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this ....day of ....& c.

If, on examination of the proper record, the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out.

Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz:

(k) We, A. B., a Clergyman, residing in the ....and C.D. residing in (the same) hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with .... , who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be .... years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.

Sworn and subscribed the days and year aforesaid.

(And then will follow the certificate of the Court.)

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 A.B.
who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the ...... and that C. D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the ..... and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.

I, .....Clerk of the Court of ..... do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of .... for a pension.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this ....day of ....& c.

Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission ; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction.

If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration, (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his
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Service Number
Del. Belville, Samuel S. 15317
or
Belvell
carded
contents
Page 13

May 5, 1937.

Mrs. Edna Walton
1026 West Lincoln Boulevard
Freeport, Illinois

BA-J/ady   (hand written ) our
Samuel Belville
S. 15317

Dear Madam:

Reference is made to your letter relative to
Henery, Jacob, Cristian, James, Samuel Belville, and other soldiers with that surname of the Revolutionary War.

The record of Samuel Belville, the only   (the only is circled with a ? and an arrow pointed right with " Nicholas Bellivill on file")
soldier with that surname that is found on the
Revolutionary War records of the office is furnished you herein as found in the papers on file in the Revolutionary War claim for pension, S.15317, based upon military service in that war.

Samuel Belville, the name is also shown as
Belvell, was born near Christien Bridge, New Castle County, Delaware, January 9, 1762. The names of his parents are not shown.

While residing at Christien Bridge, New Castle
County, Delaware, Samuel Belville, enlisted in April 1777, served two years and three months as private in Captain Hugh McCracken's Company, Colonel Patterson's Delaware Regiment and was in skirmishes.

After the Revolutionary War he lived in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, nearly a year, then moved to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, thirty miles above Pittsburgh, and in 1791, he moved to Campbell County, Kentucky.

(written to side of para) Date of death not on
 A B)

He was allowed pension on his application executed April 23, 1833, at which time he was a resident of Campbell County, Kentucky.

There are no family data.
Very truly yours

A. D. HILLER
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator
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P  15317

INVALID
------
File No.  15.317
Samuel Belville
Pri Rev War
-------
Act:  June 7"  32
Index: ---Vol.   1   , Page   31

(Arrangement of 1870)

1937 May 5. Hist. to Mrs. Edna Walton:  A.D.Y.
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AD 23

Mr. R.M. Johnson

Col J. L.  Edwards

City of Washington
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Col Edwards will please read the within and examine the case & answer as soon as convenient.
I oblige

R M Johnson
4 April 1835
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21 h  hh8

Samuel Belvell ( aka Belville)

to Applications for Pensions

The United States
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The Honorable Secretary of War. will please address line to me at New York  Respectfully

Horatio T Harris
August 28th 1833
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We Thomas Herbert, a Clergyman residing
in the said County of Campbell and
State of Kentucky and Jno B Lindsey
residing in the same County and State hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with 
Samuel Belvell (aka Belville), who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy one years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier in the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion

 Thos (sic Thomas) Herbert    (his signature)
John B Lindsey   (his signature)


Sworn and subscribed
the day and year aforesaid

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 in the states  that  the Court further 
certifies, that it appears to them that Thomas
Herbert who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman  resident in the County of Campbell State of Kentucky, and that John B. Lindsey, who


(continued page 2)
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(page 2 deposition of Herbert/Lindsey)

has also signed the same is a resident in the same
County and State, and is a credible person
and that their statement is entitled to credit.-

 I John W. Taliaferro, Clerk of the
Circuit Court in and for Campbell County and
State Kentucky do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Samuel Belvell (aka Belville) for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have
hereunto set my hand and
seal of office, this 24th day
of April 1833

Jno (sic John) N. Taliaferro
Clerk Campbell Circuit Court

(seal attached to left side of document)
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Freeport Ill
April 12, 37,
[Stamped] 
Received
Apr 15 1937
Mail 908.DIV.
VETS, ADM.
Reader [indecipherable]
15
Dept of Interior
Washington
DC
Bearers of Pensions
Dear Sirs, I would like very much to  join the organization of the "Daughters of the American Revolution." I have been advised by an uncle of mine that I am eligible if I can get the government dates as to when the ancestors were enlisted in the war and when mustered out and what Regiment they were in. I have gotten my information from an uncle in Monroe Wisconsin whose name is Sylvester Belville and is 85 years old and remembers well that my great-grandfather had 3 brothers in the Revolution War and who came
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(illegible) mill Lafayette and (illegible) and later were property holders hilidelphia Pa. there has a large family of boys and my uncle was not (illegible) of the given names of the soldiers but my great grand fathers name was Joseph Belville who lived and died at Marysville, Ohio. The suggested names of the soldiers are as follows. 
Henery
Joseph
Jacop
Cristian
James
Samuel
Belville
These are suggested names of soldiers 
If you have any other names please advise me. 
I would appreciate any information you could give as to any one on preferably all three of the soldiers as to when enlisted and when mustered out and also where they are buried and any other necessary information. 
As you can note from this letter I
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I am experienced in this work and would appreciate ay advice you could give. 
I remain yours Respectfully

Mrs. Edna Walton
1026 West Lincoln Bvd
Freeport Illinois