Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 9,921, for John Snyder, New Jersey
Page 1

Service:  New Jersey, Penn

Snyder, John

R.9921
Page 2

State of Pennsylvania
County of Center

On this 29th day of August AD 1836 personally appeared before the Hon Thos. Bromide and his
associates, in open court of Common pleas of Center County, John Snyder a resident of Walker Township Center County aged seventy seven 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 June 7th 1832

In the year 1776 I was in the continental or revolutionary service with private wagon as driver from Easton to Trenton with a company of soldiers and when they encamped there I returned home. and in the year 1777 may first I enlisted for six months to drive a continental wagon under Captain Overley and Colo Houbes from Northanton County Penn. there were ten of us viz Abraham Houtz, Peter Lilyard, Henry Unangst, Michael Deitz, John Miller, John Snider they being from Northampton & Michael Rohr, Valentine West, Philip Stickle, Bastian Brown and Stophel Brown being from Bucks County. our wagons & horses were furnished by Anthony Lark from Northampton County all branded or marked continental, both wagons & horses; our wagons were loaded with flour & chop feed. we made the start for Trenton over the Delaware in Jersey, & came to Gen Washington's Army in Middlebrook; at the same time came an officer from Col. Spencers Rigt and took me along, & then I was under the command of Gen.
Page 3

[starts with duplicate of prior page.... from Northampton & Michael Rohr, Valentine West, Philip Stickle, Bastian Brown and Stophel Brown being from Bucks County. our wagons & horses were furnished by Anthony Lark from Northampton County all branded or marked continental, both wagons & horses; our wagons were loaded with flour & chop feed. we made the start for Trenton over the Delaware in Jersey, & came to Gen Washington's Army in Middlebrook; at the same time came an officer from Col. Spencers Rigt and took me along, & then I was under the command ...

of Gen Thomas Gregg.  my wagon contained the chest & medicine of Dorton Lettey and more of their goods. afterward I was ordered to drive with the piquet guard; the guard consisted of forty five men.  on one evening we came to a church where we staid over night. my four horses, I had in pasture & in the morning before sunrise we seen the Hessians or some of the enemy coming; I ran after my horses as quick as I could & before I had time to look round the men had all left me and fled in
Page 4

only one man of the wagon guard was left & before I had Geared my horses he was also gone, I being then quite alone. I drove as hard as possible through a lane perhaps a mile long and seeing a member of the enemy before me some distance in the main road, I took a bye road through the woods to escape, being almost surrounded. I had only then one way to effect my escape, however I came safely to the encampment (or Compt) perhaps one hour after the solders came in, also who were all glad to see me thinking I had been taken prisoner. I had a very good team but I believe it was through divine Providence that I came off safe.

After laying some time we made a start for Philadelphia, crossed Schuylkill towards Brandywine Creek then we staid all night; next morning I was ordered to drive back as quick as possible; I was perhaps three miles off when the Battle began. I drove off to Philadelphia after the Battle and waited till the army came on; we marched up Schuylkill near Germantown, from thence we marched through the County & got to Allentown in Northampton then to Bucks County then to Mongomery where we had camped again near Farmers Mill where I got free the first of November. I had a certificate of my Captain but is mislaid or lost.

Then in the year 1778 I was in the Continental service again six months under Capt Jack Wolf with a private team a deposition of which I gave for the use of the said Wolf to obtain his pension in 1824 which is perhaps to be seen at Harrisburg. I gave it to Mr Ormon, a member of the Legislator from Armstrong for Mr Wolf's use.

I never drawed any wages or clothing for my six month service but my rations I drawed with the soldiers when it was to be had.  I was bred & born in Nothampton County and am now over 75 years of age and cannot expect to live long

John Snyder
Center County Nov 24 1832
Page 5

Centre County//

Personally appeared before William [Carne], one of the Justices of the Peace in and for Centre County, John Buss, of Lewseron County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and after being sworn did say. Viz.: That I was well acquainted with John Snyder the time that he lived in Northampton County [crossed out: and] before the Revolutionary War of the United States. Likewise, during the war and ever since [crossed out: his] my father's plantation and John Snyder's father's place joined each other. I recollect very well that John Snyder was enlisted in the United Service in the year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy seven. I cannot recollect how long he was in the service but [crossed out: it] he was there about the time of the Brandywine Battle. I also recollect of a man of the name of Peter Hilyerd that came to my father's house and made enquiry for [crossed out: for that] John Snyder and where he lived. He said that he was a comrade of his in the Revolution of the United States and would be very glad to see him. I directed him to where he could find him. [crossed out: he started] He started for that place. Whether he called in the House or not, I do not know & further saith not.
s/ John Buss

Sworn and subscribed the 20 Day August A.D. 1833 before me at Walker Township.
s/ William Carne

State of Pennsylvania
Centre County//

I, James Gilliland, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County, do hereby certify that William Carne is a Justice of the Peace in and for said County duly commissioned and qualified and that the above signature purporting to be his is genuine. Given under my Hand and the Seal of said County
this 29th August A.D. 1834.
s/ Jas. Gilliland, Proth(onotary)
Page 6

31,823
John Snyder

Application of John Snyder for a pension.

Pennsylvania.

Alex Hale 
Bellefonte, Centre County, Pa.
Page 7

I have a record of my age at home in the Bible of my father and in a deposition also, which set forth that I was born in the year 1757 in Northampton County where I was living when called into service and where I lived after the Revolutionary War till I came to live in Centre County Twenty three years ago, last spring. There is but one person now living that I know of that can speak from personal knowledge of my services, and I have his deposition here with me. John Buss of Luzerne County in this State, but Colonel Wm. Smith, Commissioner of this County and David Lamb, a Revolutionary Soldier also, who draws a pension of Two Hundred & Eighty dollars a year, as I have heard as Wagon Master, can speak of my good character and that I have been and am considered by every body that knows me, as a Revolutionary Soldier, but there is no Clergyman in our neighborhood and of cause I can't get none to do so. And I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and I declare that my name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State.
s/ John Snyder

Sworn & subscribed in Open Court the day and year aforesaid.
s/ Jas. Gilliland, Proth(onotary)
Page 8

We, William Smyth and David Lamb, residing in Walker Township, Centre County, Pa., hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Snyder, who has subscribed & sworn to the foregoing declaration. That we believe him to be Seventy seven years of age. That he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier in the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
s/ Wm. Smyth
s/ David Lamb

Sworn & subscribed in Open Court this 29th August A.D. 1834 before me.
s/ Jas. Gilliland, Proth(onotary)

And the said Court do hereby declares 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 & served as he stated. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Colonel Wm. Smyth, Commissioner of this County and David Lamb, who have signed the foregoing certificate, are residents of Walker Township in this County are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Judges:
s/ D. Burnside
s/ Isaac Kinney
s/ Jacob Kryder

I, James Gilliland, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Centre County, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Snyder for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal of Office this 29th August 1834.
s/ Jas. Gilliland, Proth(onotary)
Page 9

Washington September 10, 1931.

BA-J/ADY

Miss Helen L. Snyder,
1042 West Lincoln Boulevard,
Freeport, Illinois.

Dear Madam:

You are advised that it appears from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, R.9921, that
John Snyder, son of Philip, was born in Northampton County, Pennsylvania in 1757, the day and month not given.

While a resident of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, he served in 1776, driving his private wagon
from Easton to Trenton. He enlisted May 1, 1777 and served six months as wagoner under Captain Anthony Overley and Colonel Huber or Hooper of Pennsylvania and Colonel Spencer of New Jersey. He enlisted in 1778 and served six months as wagoner under Captain Jacob Wolf.

In the spring of 1811 he moved from Northampton County, Pennsylvania, to Center County, Pennsylvania.

While a resident of Walker Township, Center County, Pennsylvania, he applied for pension August 29, 1834; his claim was not allowed as he did not render six months service in an embodied military corps as required by the pension law. The act under which he applied did not provide for service as teamster.

There are no further family data, other than the name of soldier's father.

Very truly yours,
A. D. HILLER
Assistant to Administrator.
Page 10

9921

P.O. 
John Snyder
Service: (blank)
REJECTED
Enlisted:  (blank)
Discharged: (blank)

Application filed: (blank)

Alleges: (blank)
Re-enlisted: (blank)

Attorney: (blank)
P.O. (blank)
(blank) Recognized. (blank) Contract.
(blank) Cert. of Dis. Searched for (blank), 18 (blank).

1931 Sep. 10 - Hist(ory sent) to Helen L. Snyder. A.D.Y.
Page 11

1042 W. Lincoln Blvd.
Freeport, Illinois
Aug. 22, 1931

Commissioner of Pensions
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

I have an ancestor, John Snyder; b. 1757; d. 1850; from Northampton Co., Penn., who was in the Revolutionary War. He is buried at Snydertown near Mackeyville, Penn. Can you tell me in what capacity he served in the war and where the information can be found? Also, have you any record of where he was born of who his father was?

Very truly
s/ (Miss) Helen L. Snyder
Page 12

Bellefonte, October 2nd 1834.

Sir,

I forwarded to Charles F. Lex, Esq., of Philadelphia a few days since, a Power of Attorney duly acknowledged in Open Court by John and Anders Peters, sons of Anthony Peters, late of this County, dec(eased), to draw the pension coming to their father at the time of his decease. Mr. Peters died about two years since. The papers were in all respects correct in the opinion of the bank, save that they want a special order from the Pension Office to pay it. More than two years having elapsed since the death of Mr. Peters. To account for this lapse of time, I enclose to you a Power of Attorney made out his 1829 but returned for informality. The papers were then lost and were only discovered a few days since, on examining the papers of a gentleman who died a short time since in this town. The order for payment, you will please enclose to "Charles F. Lex, Esq., Philadelphia.

I also enclose to you a further application on the part of John Snyder. The old man brought the paper to me today and insisted on my forwarding it to you. As the applicant enlisted in May, might he not come under that class of Waggoner, enlisted for nine months in the campaign? The campaign would open earlier than the time he states he enlisted and might be not have enlisted for six months on the balance of...
Page 13

...the campaign? I believe that he proved his service by a deposition annexed to his first application-

Respectfully y(ou)r obe(dient) ser(vant),
s/ Alex Hale
Page 14

Centre County//

Personally appeared before the subscriber, one of the Justice of the Peace in and for Centre County, John Snyder, and after being sworn did depose and say that on the First day of May 1777, he did enlist in [crossed out: New] Northampton County, Pennsylvania, under Colonel Hooper for to drive a train for six months in the Revolutionary Services of the United States. There was Twelve wagons in number and the drivers where all enlisted by him. Viz.: Peter Hilyert, Abraham Hanks, Henry Onunks, Michael Teatis, John Miller, Michael Roher, Valentine Vart, Philip Stakel, Boston Prong, Stofle Prong and myself. There was a lieutenant that drove one of the teams; his name I cannot recollect. I entered the army afores(ai)d and served out my time in Colonel Spencer's Fifth Regiment, Jersey, under Capt. Anthony Overby, Capt. of Wagon. A few days before my time was expired, Captain Overby came to me and gave me my discharge. Said perhaps I shall [crossed out: see you] be here the day your time is up. At the expiration of my time, I started for home. On the second day's travel, I met with two officers in a tavern on the Bethlehem Road. [crossed out: They] Kept by Christian Grose, the officers challenged me of being a deserter from the army. I told them that I was not. They was not satisfied; then showed them my certificate; they was satisfied; which certificate, I have lost. My father, Philip Snyder, drew my wages from said Colonel Hooper as I was not of age at that time &c.
s/ John Snyder

Sworn and subscribed the Second day of October A.D. 1834 before me.
s/ William Carne
Page 15

State of Pennsylvania
Centre County//

I, James Gilliland, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Centre County, certify that William Carne is a Magistrate as within and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his genuine. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my Seal of Office and subscribed my name this 2nd October 1834.
s/ Jas. Gilliland, Proth(onotary)
Page 16

R.C. Hail
Oct. 8, 1834.
G.C.

Record, Vol. 24; Page 447
A.C.
Page 17

War Dept.
Pension Office
Oct. 8, 1834

Sir,

The papers in the case of Anthony Peters, dec(eased), are herewith returned. The agent will pay you according to the directions I have sent to him on the production of the proper vouchers, but the enclosed are not deemed sufficient. The permitted sheets herewith transmitted contain the necessary instructions for the guidance of those who can draw up the vouchers.

John Snyder's claim cannot be allowed for reason which was given in my letter to you of the 4th ult. The affidavit which you sent here in this case does not remove the objections which exist.
s/ J.

R.C. Hale, Esq.
Bellefonte, Penna.

Enter this letter in relation to [John] Snyder's case on Nov. 4.