Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 22,561, Leonard Van Fossen, Penn.
Page 1

(3─1776)

SERVICE
Penn.

Van Fossen, Leonard

NUMBER
S. 22,561
Page 2

[printed form, blanks filled by hand]

11.578
Pennsylvania
====================
Leonard Van Fossen
of Montgomery Co, in the State of Penna.
who was a Sgt & Pr in the Company commanded
by Captain Pauling of the Regt commanded 
by Col. Moore [illegible] in the Penna.
Militia
2 Mo 14 days Sergt .....12.50
6 Mo                   Pvt    .....20.  
                                   $32.50
====================
Inscribed on the Roll of Pennsylvania
at the rate of 32 Dollars 50 Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
====================
Certificate of Pension issued the 21st day of May 
1833 and Sent to
J. S. McFarland Norristown, Penna.
====================
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833              65.00
Semi-an. allowance ending 4 Sept 1833   16.25
====
$81.25
====

{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832 }

Recorded by J. T. Sprague, Clerk,
Book 6  Vol.  1  Page  63
Page 3

Leonard Van Fossen
24784
Page 4

State of Pennsylvania Montgomery County ss }

On the Eleventh day of April Anno Domini One thousand Eight Hundred and thirty three personally appeared in open court of Common Pleas now sitting at Norristown for the county aforesaid Leonard Van Fossen a resident of Norriton Township in the County and State aforesaid aged seventy five years who being 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 7th 1832.
That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
He entered the Militia in the year 1776 having been drafted and served in a Company under Captain Henry Pawling and Lieutenant James Adams, he marched to Philadelphia the place of rendezvous, thence he marched to Amboy and remained there two months and two weeks when we were discharged.  I cannot recollect the names of any of our field officers. I was a Sergent [Sargent] in the Company.
I was again drafted and Served in a Company of Militia under Captain Arnold Francis and Lieutenant William Nelson, the Company marched to Billingsport about fourteen miles below Philadelphia and was the only Company there. We were designed for and served as a guard. We remained there two months, many of us then became sick. Those who were able then to the Battle of Brandywine.
The remainder when well returned home, and I amongst them. I think it was in the year 1777.
I was again drafted and served in a Company under Captain Murray, we marched to Newtown the place of rendezvous preparatory to marching into New Jersey immediately before the battle of Monmouth was fought. Having remained there one month we received orders that our services were ["not at" lined thru] immediately required, and we were allowed to  return home and hold ourselves in readiness to
Page 5

march at any time when required during the three
months for a  ? had been drafted.

I served another Campaign John Rynard
was Captain of the Company Peter Horn Lieutenant.

I cannot remember the Year. The Company marched to Herard's [?] Ferry on the Delaware where we lay until 
the prisoners taken at the Capture of Burgoyne
arrived on their way South. We then took charge of them
as a guard and marched across the County until we came to York Pennsylvania, where we were
met by a body of men from Virginia who took our place
as a guard to the prisoners and proceeded Southward.
We then marched home this Campaign 
continued three months. Our colonel's name was Moore.
And Captain Rynard was promoted to Major.

At the time of entering the service I resided in 
Norriton Township, where I now reside. There is no
person living that I know by where I can prove
my service. I hereby relinquish any claim
whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and
declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the
agency of any State.

 Leonard Van Fossen


Sworn & Subscribed
the day and year aforesaid } 
Adam Slemmer Proty [Prothontary]

Montgomery County 

I     Prothonotary
of the Court of Common Pleas of said County
do hereby Certify that the foregoing and 
following proceedings written on his one sheet
of paper, contains the original proceedings of 
said Court in the matter of application
of Leonard Van Fossen for a pension. In
testimony whereby I have hereunto set my
hand and Seal of Office on the               day of 
Anno Domini One thousand eight
hundred and twenty three
Page 6

Questions propounded by the Court and answered
by the applicant.
1. Where and in what year was you born?

A. I was born in Norriton Township Montgomery County Pennsylvania in the Year.

Q. Have you any record of your age and if so where is
it?

A. I have my age recorded in a Bible.

Q. Where were you living when called into service - where
have you lived since the revolutionary war and where
do you live now?

A. When called into service I resided in Norriton
Township before mentioned and have lived there ever
since.

Q. How were you called into service - were you drafted - 
did you volunteer or were you a substitute

A. I was drafted.

Q. State the names of some of the regular officers who 
were with the troops where you served - such continental
and militia Regiments as you can 
recollect and the general circumstances of you service.

A. I cannot recollect the names of any of the regular
officers nor can I remember the names of or
number of any regiments. The circumstances of my
service are such as stated in my declaration.

Q. Did you receive a discharge from the service and if so
by whom was it given and what has become of it?

A. I never received a written discharge from
service but always verbal.
Page 7

Q. State the names of person to whom you are known
in your present neighborhood, who can testify to
your character for veracity and their belief of your
service as a Soldier of the Revolution.

A. George Wack a clergyman residing within
Township of Whitpain and John McFarland [signature below appears to be  McParland] 
residing in the Township of Norriton, hereby Certify that
we are well acquainted with Leonard Van Fossen, who
has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration and 
that we believe him to be seventy five 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 & Subcribed the Eleventh  }
--day of April A. D. 1833                }
Adam Slemmer Prothy                   }

Geo. Wack [signature]
John McParland [signature]

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the
investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogations
prescribed by the war department that the above named
applicant  Leonard Van Fossen  was a revolutionary soldier
and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that 
it appears to them that George Wack - who has signed
the preceding certificate is a clergyman residing in the Township
of Whitpain and that John McFarland who
has also signed the same is a resident of the Township of 
Norriton in said County and is a credible person and that 
their statement is entitled to credit

John Fox Presd. Judge

Hiram McNiell
Associate

Rich'd B Jones
Page 8

Montgomery County ss.

I Adam Slemmer
Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of said
County of Montgomery do certify that
the foregoing proceedings contain all
the original proceedings of Said Court
in the matter of the application of 
Leonard Van Fossen for a Pension.
In testimony hereof I have
unto set my hand and the Seal of
said Court at Norristown the
Fifteenth day of April Anno Domini One
thousand eight hundred and thirty three
Adam Slemmer [signature]

The blank certificate written on the [?] papers
was prepared with reference to one sheet of paper, another
was afterwards added and the certificate [barred ?]
regularly sealed and certified, the first is therefore
superceded.
Page 9

No 24,784
Leonard Van Fossen
Montgomery Co.
Pensylvania [sic]

Admitted

2 mos as Lieut   12.50
6   "  -      Priv     20.00
                        $32.50
John S. McFarlain
Norristown 
Mtgy [Montgomery}
Pensa [Pennsylvania]
Page 10

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension  Office,
183

Sir:
The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has
been examined, and the papers are herewith enclosed. The following is a statement of
your case in a tabular form.  On comparing the 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. These 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. 


_________________________
A Statement, shewing the Service of Leonard Van Fossen Montgomery [written above] Co Pensylvania [sic]
__________________________

|| Period when the service was rendered. | |Duration of the claimant's service |Years.|Months.|Days.| || Rank of the claimant. ||  Names and rank of the Field officers under whom he served. || Age at present, and place of abode
when he entered the service. ||  Proof by which the declaration is supported. ||

|| Drafted 1776 || -|2|14 || Se ||rgt. || Capt Pauling || 75 years || Traditional Evidence ||

||Drafted until 1777 || - |2 | || [blank ] || Capt Francis Capt. Norris [Murray?]|| Norriton Township Pensylvania [sic] || [blank ||

||Drafted || - |1 | -|| [blank ] || Capt Rynard  || [blank] || [blank ||

|| [blank]  || - |3 | -|| [blank ] || Capt Moore Maj Raynard  || [blank][sic || [blank ||


I am respectfully,
Your obedient servant, 
J. L. EDWARDS
Commissioner of Pensions.
Page 11

Page 2 of 
Regulations under the act of June 7, 1832

NOTHING HAND WRITTEN ON THIS DOCUMENT
Page 12

Page  3 of 
Regulations under the act of June 7, 1832

Signed at bottom by
John N. Ashton
Page 13

26,561
Leonard Van Fossen

Apl. 11, 1833    75
Montgomery Co. Pa.

76   Montgy Co. Pa.
Capt Hy Pawling
Col

Sgt 20/2 mos

77  Capt Arnold Francis
Col.

2 mos

Capt. Morney
Col.
3 mos

Capt Jm Rynard
Col Moore
3 mos

No Bat
Page 14

To the Pension Agency

Sir
Will you kindly
furnish me with
information in regard
to Levi Van Fossen who
served in Captain John
Dougherty's Company of
Page 15

Northumberland County malitia [sic]
hanging on the [?] Inn
1779 to 1781 see Penna archives
3rd pines page 255 and 340.
Was he a married man
Where did he die
and was he a pensioner
of the Unitid [sic] States
any information you can give will
be gratefully received

Respectfully yours
Mrs George J. Dunbaugh
925 Court Street
Pueblo Colorado

Stamped
Pension Office
US
Jan 28 1901
Page 16

Revolution
22561
INVALID.

File No. 22,561
Leonard Van Fossen
Sergt Rev War
Act: June 7th '32
Index:- Vol. 2, Page 432

[Arrangement of 1870]

Feby 8, 1901
Mrs. Geo. Y. Dunbaugh
Pueblo Colorado
Page 17

Free 

J. L. Edwards Esq.
War Department
Washington City 
D. C. 

Revolutionary Claims

[Inside circle] April 17th

[Sideways] Apl. 26 Pa.
Pa 24784
Page 18

Pennsylvania Montgomery County
Norristown April 17, 1833
J. L. Edwards Esq
Sir,
I enclose the papers relative to a claim of Leonard Van Fossen for a Pension to which allow me to call your attention.
Any Communication relative to it may be addressed to me as the claim has been prepared under my direction.
If the Pension should be granted the Certificate may be enclosed to me.
Very Truly Yours
John L. McFarland