Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 3,693, Samuel Foster, Va.
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Service Va. (?) 
Born in Md -
Foster, Samuel 
Number R. 3693
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Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress of June 7, 1832

State of Indiana  Marion County

On this Eighteenth day of November 1836 personally appeared before the Probate Court of Marion County Samuel Foster a resident in t he county of Marion aforesaid aged seventy three years last February who being first duly sworn according to Law deposeth and saith and on his oath does make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of that provision made by act of Congress of June 7, 1832.

1st That he volunteered his service in the spring or summer of the year 1778 under Jesse Pigmore Captain, John Minor Colonel, Joseph Van Mater Lieutenant other officers forgotten at Swansfort at the Muddy Creek settlement (the place of his residence) near the Monongahela river in what was then disputed whether it was Pennsylvania or Virginia. He continued at the above fort at least four months. His employment while there was serving as an Indian spy and working and guarding fort. He was called out by Captain Jesse Pigmour aforesaid - during the time of this service he was not employed in any civil pursuit. Of the above statement he says this must be understood that this service was a settlement arrangement - that the neighbors built the fort - and the object was mutual self [defense] from the Indians in t he pursuit of their business. He was in no engagement and his company had none.

2nd He then remained at his above mentioned home until the spring of the year 1779 when he left home and went down the Ohio in canoes to the falls where Louisville now is. There he volunteered in a company under William Herod captain and served at least three months
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under him. Twenty five or thirty days of this time was taken up in going back to Wheeling in a Keel Boat & was then on this going back he was in Colonel Bowmans campaign and stood as Boat Guard and received his part of the spoils taken from the Indians on little Miani There was an engagement but this applicant was not in it being one (of twenty he thinks) left as above mentioned to guard the Boats and the sick. During this time he attended to no civil pursuit.
3rd He then remained at his above mentioned home during the winter of 1779 & 80 and then in seeding time about the last of July or first of August in 1780 he volunteered under William Crawford Captain, John Miner Colonel, to guard the frontiers, at Jonah Jareds fort or station on Big Whitely Creek (which put into the Monongahala a little above Mud Creek) He remained at this for at least one month - had no engagements - his employment was to guard the frontier from the ravages of the Indians. He was continually on foot for this purpose guarding more especially the streams. During the time of this service he attended to no civil pursuit. After his term of service expired he returned home which was about ten miles from the fort.
4th He then remained at home until some time in June of 1781 at which time his class on the muster roll and he with them went to John Anchvans fort on Ten mile Creek about Eight miles from home and under Jesse Pigman Captain and Asariah Davis (he thinks) ensign he served one month - had no engagements - attended to no civil pursuits except this that some of the men by turn helped to cultivate the soil while the others stood guard and scouted out - the object was to keep the soldiers busy - he then returned home with his class.
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5th He then remained at home until the summer of 1782 and went out about corn hoeing time in that year to the ten mile creek again. He had no engagements - had the same officers and the same employments as the previous year and after remaining one month returned home and this was the last of his service.
He states he did not apply sooner for his pension in consequence of bodily infirmities arising from age and a want of convenience of a person that he could rely on as being competent - he says his neighbors were often requesting him to apply.
In answer to the interrogatories propounded by the War Department he answers as follows viz 
1st He was born in Prince George County Maryland on the first day of February 1763
2nd He has a record of his age taken by himself from his fathers Bible showing him to be of the age first stated
3rd He was residing at the place named in his foregoing declaration when called into service. After the revolution To Wit in the year 1787 he moved to Kentucky where he lived until about six years past when he moved to Indiana in Union County where he lived until this fall when he came to Marion County to live with his son where he now resides
4th He was called into service as stated in the foregoing declaration
5th When he descended the river to go to Louisville as above related he saw continental troops at Fort Pitt and at Fort McIntosh but how many or who commanded them he cannot recollect and that from the frailty of body & mind he is unable to name any other officers or incidents than above related
6th He does not recollect whether he ever re-
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ceived a discharge if so he has lost it. 
7th Since his removal from Kentucky he has formed but very few acquaintances in the State but he is well acquainted with Amos Millner and Jesse Pigman the son of the Captain above named with whom he served at the forts above named during one or more of the tours above described also Job. Preble who resided in the neighborhood of his father during the revolution. He has not formed but few acquaintances in the neighborhood where he now resides but is acquainted with Benjamin C. McDuffy who resides about 8 miles from his son with whom he now lives who knew this applicant in the State of Kentucky and lived in the same neighborhood with him for thirty four  years and also Rice Millner, who has known him about twenty years in Kentucky and this state and has lived a close neighbor to him almost all that time - both of whom can state as to his character for veracity as well as their belief of his service as a Soldier of the revolution - as the said McDuffs father and this applicant frequently talked over the services of the Revolution in which they had both engaged. This applicant knows of no person except the said Pigman Milner and Preble who now reside in Fayette in County Ind. about sixty miles from his present residence who know of his revolutionary services who are men of good character and whose affidavits are hereto attached. He knows of no Clergyman residing in this county who has any knowledge actual or traditional of his revolutionary services.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on
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the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or Territory Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Samuel Foster
Robert B Duncan Clerk

We Benjamin C. McDuffy resident of Hamilton County and Eight miles from the present residence of Samuel Foster who lives now in Marion County Indiana and Rice Millner of Maria County do hereby certify that we were for many years residents of the immediate neighborhood of the said Samuel Foster in the State of Kentucky and hereby certify that we are well acquainted with the said Samuel Foster who subscribed and swore to the above declaration and that we believe him to be seventy three years of age and that he was reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resided in Kentucky to have been a soldier of the Revolution and we concur in that opinion And I the said Rice Millner further on my own behalf state that I was also well acquainted with the said Foster in Union County Indiana and lived in the same neighborhood and I state that he was reported and believed in that neighborhood to have been a soldier of the revolution as well as in Kentucky
Benjamin McDuffe
Rice x his mark Milner
Sworn and
subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Attest Robert B Duncan

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 Benjamin
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C. McDuffy who has signed the preceding Certificate is a resident of Hamilton County about Eight miles from where the aforesaid Samuel Foster lives and that the said Rice Milner is a resident of the County of Marion in the State of Indiana aforesaid and that they both are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit ~
Robert Patterson probate Judge

I Robert B. Duncan Clerk of the Probate Court for the County of Marion in the State of Indiana do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Samuel Foster for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this 18th day of November AD. 1836
Robert B. Duncan
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Rev. and 1812
War Section.

April 16, 1925.

Mrs. D. F. Richman
Lock Box 15,
Villa Grove, Ill.

Madam:
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, R. 3693, it appears that Samuel Foster was born February 1, 1763 in Prince George County, Maryland.
He applied for pension November 18, 1836, while residing with his son, whose name is not stated, in Marion County, Indiana, and stated that while residing at Swanefort, Muddy Creek Settlement, near the Monongahalia River, in Pennsylvania or Virginia, he enlisted in the spring or summer of 1778 and served four months as Indian Spy and doing guard duty, under Captain Jesse Pigman and Colonel John Minor.
In the spring of 1779, he went to the falls of the Ohio and served under Captain William Herod and was also in Colonel Bowman's Campaign against the Indians and
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served about three months.

From in July or August 1780, he served one month under Captain William Crawford and Colonel John Minor doing guard duty.

From in June 1781, he served one month under Captain Jesse Pigman and in summer of 1782, one month under same captain.

His claim was not allowed, as the service he rendered was on guard duty on the frontier, and not in a regular military organization, as required by the pension laws.

Soldier moved to Kentucky in 1787 and lived there until about 1830, when he moved to Indiana.

The name of soldier's wife does not appear in said claim.

Respectfully,

Commissioner.
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Mrs. D. F. RICHMAN
LOCK BOX 15
VILLA GROVE, ILLINOIS
Feb 20, 25
U.S. Pension Dept
Washington DC
STAMP
US PENSION OFFICE
FEB 24 1925
Sirs:
Please inform me if you have any record of Samuel Foster, who served in War of Revolution, born in Va Feb 1, 1763, removed to, and died in Ky in 1844
(wife was Mary M Veatch o- born Aug 24, 1772)
Very Resp.
Mrs. D F Richman
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3693
P. O. __________________
Samuel Foster
Service: ___________________
REJECTED
Enlisted: ________________, 18
Discharged: ________________, 18

Application filed: _________________, 18
The printed list of 1852 shows reasons for rejection "not under competent military authority or organization"
Alleges: _________________________
Re-enlisted: _________________

Attorney: _____________________
P. O. ___________________

_____________ Recognized.  ____________ Contract
_______ Cert. of Dis.   Searched for ____________, 18
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1925 - Apr. 16 - Hist to Mrs. D. F. Richman
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left column
Samuel Foster
Application for a pension

right column
33,968
Samuel Foster
Indiana

Hon. J. Tipton
HR
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The deposition of Amos Milner aged seventy seven years, and of Jesse Pigman aged seventy two years and of Job Preble aged seventy [illegible] years taken before me George Newland a Justice of the Peace within and for the county of Union and State of Indiana on the 4th day of October 1836.

The deponants being first sworn depose and [illegible] that Samuel Foster served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war about four years unders Captains Jesse Pigman and Joseph Vanmatre under Colonel John Miner in the Monogehala country in what was then called the Virginia line and further they say not
Amos Miler
Jesse Pigman
Job Preble

State of Indiana }
Union County ss}
I certify that the foregoing Depositions of Amos Milner , Jesse Pigman and Job Preble were taken subscribed & sworn to before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace within and for the County & State aforesaid and I further certify that said deponants are well known to me and have been proved to my satisfaction to be men of Integrity and [entitled] to full faith and credit given under my  hand and seal this 4th day of October 1836
George Newland
Justice of the Peace } seal
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Indiana To wit,
I, William Sheets secretary of state, of the state aforesaid, do certify that George Newland Esq whose signature appeared to the foregoing certificate, was on the seventeenth day of November A.D. 1835, commissioned a Just of the Peace of Union County Indiana, for the term of five years from t hat date.
In testimony whereof I have thereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of state at Indianapolis this 19th day of November A.D. 1836.
William Sheets Secry of State

UPSIDE DOWN ON PAGE
State of Indiana }
Union County ss }
the deposition of Jesse Pigman and county be taken before me George Newland a Justice of the pace in and for the County of Union and state of Indiana
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State of Indiana }
Union County ss }
the deposition of Jesse Pigman and county be taken before me George Newland a Justice of the pace in and for the County of Union and state of Indiana
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Samuel Foster
Indiana
----------
Rejected
let go Jan 37

did not serve
by order of competent
authority, local
defense Indian frontier

3693
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State of Illinois, Clark county
Marshall 19th July 1843.

Hon. J. L. Edwards
Comm of Pensions }

Sir,

Mr. Amos Miler, of Fayette county Indiana & Mr. Job Preble, Mr. Samuel Foster or Fosters & Mr. Jesse Pigman, now all of Union county Indiana, have written to me on the subject of a Pension, for service in the Revolutionary war. They say among other things, that they employed me A. D. Colman Esq an attorney then of Kentucky in the fall of 1836 to attend to their claims, & have never as yet received any information in relation to them from Mr. Colman or from any other person as to their fate or result at the War Department they have now engaged any attention to these claims.

Will you please have the goodness on the receipt of this, to inform me by letter to this place whether Mr. Colman ever presented the requisite declaration in each of these cases to the Pension Office, & if he did, what action was had upon them & say whether they are in proper form, or what they are deficient in as to form or proof in support of them; I should like to know the number & length of tours of service set out in each case & the manage of these officers under whom it is alleged they served Respectively.
With much Respect I have the honor to be
Your friend & 
Most Obt Servt
J. P. Cooper
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serv bham 21 Jan 37

Hon J. L. Edwards

Sir

With this I have the honor to transmit the Declaration of Samuel Foster of Indiana, to obtain a pension. I will thank you to [illegible] it an inform me of the result

Yr Obt Sert

John Tipton
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Hon J. Tipton

Jan 30 1837

Record Vol 41, P 277.
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War Dept, Pen Office
Jan 30 1837

Sir

I herewith return Mr. Foster's letter to you and also enclose a copy of the Act of 6 July 1836 and the printed regulations under said act for the guidance of Mr. Foster's mother in making a declaration.


Hon. John Tipton
Sec of State
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Pension Office
July 26 1843

Sir,

In answer to your letter of the 19th inst., I have to inform you that papers in support of the claim of Jesse Pigman and Job Pribble, of the State of Indian, were received here in the year 1836, and returned on t he 16th of September of that year to E. Burnside, Liberty, Indiana, for specification of serve and evidence of their having been called to serve by competent authority. The papers have not since been in this office. No papers in the case of Amos Wilner have ever been received. The claim of Samuel Foster, of the same state, was examined on the 30 June 1837, and [illegible] to the Hon. John Tipton. It was rejected because the applicant did not serve by order of competent authority.

Mr. J. P. Cooper
Manhall
Illinois

Indiana
Foster No 33968
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Pension Office
July 25, 1843.

Sir,

In answer to your letter of the 12th inst, I have to inform you that we have no knowledge of Mr. S. F. J. B


J. P. Cooper
July 26 1843