Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 10,786, Benjamin Harrison, Md.
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(3-1776)
SERVICE Md.
Harrison, Benjamin
NUMBER S. 10,786

carded.

CONTENTS [blank]
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3963
District of Columbia

Benjamin Harrison of Washington in the Dis. of Cola. who was a Private in the compy commanded by Captain Balch of the [blank] commanded by [blank] in the Maryland line for 2 years

Inscribed on the Roll of Dist. of Columbia at the rat of 80 Dollars [blank] Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 7th day of Jany 33 and delivered Pensioner

Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1832 -- 120
Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 Mar. 33 -- 60
___
$180
{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Nathan Rice Clerk, Book D Vol. 8 Page 185.
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Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832

District of Columbia
County of Washington SS:

On this 26th day of December one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in Open Court before the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia sitting for the County of Washington Benjamin Harrison a Resident of the City of Washington in the County of Washington and District of Columbia aged seventy three 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 7th, 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers as herein stated -- viz: That in the fall of the year One thousand seven hundred and seventy five, he was enrolled as a Volunteer in the Company of Maryland Militia commanded by Captain Stephen B Balch, of which Patrick Smith was the Major, in the Town of Lower Marlborough Calvert County Maryland. That he was at the time a Student of the Lower Marlborough Academy of which said Stephen B Balch was Principal. That the Company to which he belonged was composed chiefly if not entirely of the Students of said Academy. That that Company was required to be always in readiness to march, and to be in the field on duty when the Enemy was in the neighboring waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River, and in the Peninsula between those waters. That he was frequently called out in consequence of the Enemy's having easy access to that part of the Country for provisions, plunder &c. And that he remained on duty for several months
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months at a time, when thus called out. That he served in said company during the whole time that Captain Balch commanded it which he verily believes was about three years. He cannot hower declare positively as to the exact aggregate amount of time he was thus on actual duty, but is fully justified in declaring that it was not less than two years of actual service in the field.

That he has no documentary Evidence of his thus serving as a militia man or private, but would refer to the Revd. [illegible] Balch of Georgetown D.C. who was the Captain of the Company in which he served and who will testify to the facts therein stated.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State.

Benjamin Harrison

Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid in Open Court aforesaid
[illegible]
Wm. Brent Clk

We James Laurie a Clergyman residing in the City of Washington in the District of Columbia and James Larned residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Benjamin Harrison who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy three 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.

James Laurie
James Larned

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
[illegible] W Brent Clk of the Cy. Ct. of the Dist of Cola. & City of Wash
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Interrogatories propounded by the Court to Benjamin Harrison who has subscribed & sworn to the foregoing declaration with his answer to the same.

1. Where and in what year were you born? Answer. In Calvert county Maryland in the year 1759.

2. Have you any Record of your age -- if so, where is it? A. There is I believe a record of my birth in the family Bible now in the possession of my nephew Joseph Harrison in Calvert County Md

3. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live? A. When called into service I was a student in the Lower Marlborough Academy, Calvert County Maryland. Since the Revolution I resided in [blank] County and am now and have been for many years a resident of the City of Washington Dist. of Cola.

4. How were you called into service? A. I entered it as a volunteer.

5. State the names of some of the Regular Officers who were with the troops where you served said Continental Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service? A. The officers I served under were Capt. Stephen B. Balch & Major Patrick Smith. On one occasion I volunteered under the command of Capt. King & served four or five months. Capt. Balch being confined I believe by sickness & could not march his company when called upon, but allowed any of his company to volunteer that chose to do so.

6. Did you ever receive a discharge? A. I never received a discharge.

7. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a Soldier of the Revolution? A. Revd. Dr. J Laurie & James Larned of this City. I refer also to the certificates or testaments of Judge Anderson Compt[?] of the [illegible], Judge Duval [illegible] of the Revd. Dr Balch of Georgetown D.C. then my Captain
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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 before named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states - and the court further certifies that it appears to them that James Laurie who has signed the preceding certificate is a Clergyman resident in the city of Washington D.C. - and that James Larned who has also signed the same is a resident in the same town and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.

I William Brent Clerk of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia for the County of Washington do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Benjamin Harrison for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 26th day of December 1832.

Wm Brent - Clerk
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In reply to your request of blank received blank for a statement of the military history of Benjamin Harrison a soldier of the Revolutionary War you will find below the desired information as contained in his application for pension on file in this bureau. S.10786

Dates of Enlistment and Length of Service - Dec 1775 to Dec 1777
Rank - Private
Officers Under Whom Service was Rendered - 
Captain - Stephen B Balch, Francis King
Colonel - Major Patrick Smith
Guarding of the Peninsula
State - MD Mil.

Battles Engaged in - check mark
Residence of soldier at enlistment - Lower Marlborough, Calvert Co, MD

Date of Application for Pension - Dec 26, 1852 his claim was allowed

Residence at date of application - Washington DC

Age at date of application - born in 1759 in Calvert Co, MD

Remarks - He was a student at Lower Marlborough Academy of which Capt. Stephen B. Balch was the principal. There is no family data on file

Very respectfully

Commissioner
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Mobile Ala
Apr 4/14
Bureau of Pensions
Washington D.C.
Will you kindly tell me if you have any record of services of a John Stull of Maryland during the Revolutionary War. also of a Benjamin Harrison of Maryland + very much oblige.
(Mrs.) Nina H. Boykin
201 St. Louis St
Mobile Ala
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Rev War
10.786
INVALID.
File No. 10.786
Benjamin Harrison
Pri. Rev. War
Act: June 7th 1832.
Index: - Vol. A, Page 163
[Arrangement Of 1870.]
1914 Apl. 13. History to Mrs. Nina H. Boykin.
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Doc. S. B. Balch's
Certificate in favor
of B. Harrison
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Georgetown, DC, 26th December 1832

I certify that Benjamin Harrison of the City of Washington DC was a student of the Lower Marlborough Academy in Calvert County, MD when I was principal of the institution. That in the fall of the year 1775 I was appointed a Captain of the Militia with the view to organize a company from the students for the service of the U. States in the Revolutionary War. That the said Harrison volunteered as one of my company and served during the whole time I commanded it as well as I can now recollect. What was about three years - And further that on an occasion when I was from some considerable circumstances detained at home he with some others of my company volunteered and served under Captain Francis King and remained on duty for a considerable time in the lower part of the Peninsula between the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent Rivers. 

S.B. Balch

Sworn & subscribed the day & year above written before me - James Gotlip - JP
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Jude Duvall's
Certificate in
favor of B. Harrison
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Marietta, December 20, 1832

I hereby certify that I have known Benjamin Harrison Esquire the bearer of this more than fifty years. Our acquaintance commenced in the year 1778 when he began the study of the law in the office of John Hale, Esquire in Annapolis. I was then about leaving the office. He is a native of Anne Arundel County and resided in Maryland until he moved to the city of Washington with the exception of two or three years whilst completing the study of the law at New Castle in Delaware under the superintendence of the late George Read, Esq.

Mr. Harrison has ever sustained a fair character. Our acquaintance has been long & intimate. No one who knows him will question his veracity: much less would any one believe that he would swear to that which he did not know to be true. He is entitled to full confidence.

G. Duval
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Judge Anderson's 
Certificate in
favor of B. Harrison
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Washington City - December 26th 1832

I do hereby certify that I became acquainted with Mr. Benjamin Harrison i the year seventeen hundred and seventy eight or nine - he was then considered a young man of very fair character in many respects - I have known him for the last seventeen years - during which time he has been a clerk in my office and I consider him a man of strict integrity and veracity and [illegible] entire confidence in any statement which he might make on oath - however deeply his own interest might be involved in the facts stated in his affidavit.


Jos Anderson
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$80 per annum
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Washington County
District of Columbia
On this Seventh of January 1833 personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace for the County of Washington for Benjamin Harrison and makes the following declaration in addition to his former [illegible] for the purpose of obtaining the benefits of the act of June 7 1832. That during his revolutionary service his portion being within one mile of Patuxent River and seven[?] from the Chesapeake Bay and river, armed partly[?] landing[?] and carrying off negroes, provisions to which kept the company constantly on the alert as a Guard to the Peninsula - and under these circumstances and the nature of the order under which
[End of letter page]
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[Letter continued from previous page]
his Captain acted, the declarant asserts that he was on duty and did Service as a Soldier for the [illegible] of three years wherever danger threatened; two years of which he was in actual Service against the enemies of his country viz; from 1st December 1775 to December 1777.
Benjamin Harrison
Sworn to and [illegible] [illegible] the day & year
first above written
before me
Enoch Reynolds, J.P.