Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 12051., Stephen Bloomer Balch, Md.
Page 1

SERVICE
Md.

Balch, Stephen Bloomer

NUMBER
S. 12051

carded
Page 2

2589
District of Columbia
Stephen B. Balch
of Washington in the Disc. of Columbia
who was a Captain in the 
(crossed out)
Maryland Militia
for 2 years from 1775

Inscribed on the Roll of Dist. of Columbia
at the rate of 480 Dollars - Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 3. day of Decr 32
and [illegible] Gen:
Macomb
Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1832, 720.--
Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 March 33 240
$960.--

{Revolutionary Claim
Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Nathan Rice - Clerk
Book D Vol. 8 Page 179

Let 13 Oct: 41 S.P.
W. Balch copy of declr
sent to him Oct 15 1841.
Page 3

Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th June 1832.
District of Columbia
County of Washington } ss
On this twenty third day of November 1832 personally
appeared (crossed out in open Court) before me William Cranch chief Judge of this Circuit Court of the District aforesaid
and sole judge of the District Court of the United states for this District
the Reverend Stephen Bloomer Balch a resident
of George Town in the County aforesaid aged about 84 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 officers and served as herein stated:
That he was, about the first of October 1775, appointed by the
then authorities of Maryland, to a Captain of open company
of Acadamicians at Lower Marlborough Calvert County
Maryland, and formed a part of the Militia of said County,
the appointment was made upon the express ambition that he
should carefully train the said students or Acadamicians (they 
being of age to be enrolled in the militia of the said State)
under his command to a knowledge of the Military Exercises
and that he should hold himself and his company ready to
march against the Enemy when he should appear in his
vicinity within striking distance and repel and subdue him as much
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as he could. That this condition was strictly and [illegible] by fulfilled
on his part. He trained the youth as his company, and they followed
him as their Captain always breasting danger when it
existed. That the Enemy did frequently appear at several
places on the Patuxent River and on the Chesapeake
Bay especially at the Cliffs in Calvert County at Lower
Marlborough and at Herring Bay and whenever he
did so he marched with his company to assist in repelling
him according to his instructions as Captain - that the
spirited conduct of his Company exerted a beneficial
influence on the population at the time and induced
others to follow their patriotic example, that by his experiences
in marching against the Enemy he suffered materially
by exposure to night air in that unhealthy climate.
That the First Officers under whose orders he acted
where Major Patrick Smith and Colonel Alexander Summerville
of the Maryland Militia. And that he held
his Commission at Captain for the space of three years
from the time at which he received it. that his company
usually consisted of between forty & fifty youths many
of whom were larger than himself- that his position
being within one mile of Patuxent river & seven from the
Chesapeake Bay, it was not necessary to be constantly
encamped- there were, however, frequently in the Bay &
river
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river armed parties landing and carrying off negroes
provisions to which kept the company constantly 
on the alert as a guard to the Peninsula- and under
all these circumstances and the nature of his orders,
the Declarant asserts that he was on duty and did
service as a Captain, for the space of three years
whenever danger threated: two years which time he was in
actual service against the enemies of his country viz from first of December
1775 to Dec. 1777. Doctor Charles A. Beatty of George Town in the
District of Columbia aforesaid was a student in the 
Lower Malborough Academy at the time and will
substantiate that truth of the essentials of his declaration
by his Oath. That he has no Documentary evidence of
his services as Captain aforesaid.

He hereby relinquishes any 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 Stated

Sworn and subscribed to the day & year aforesaid
before me W. Crach Ch. J.
District of Columbia
County of Washington
We James Mcvean and Charles A Beally
residing in Georgetown in the District of Columbia hereby
certify that we are well acquainted with the Reverend S. B. Balch
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who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be about eighty-four years of age or more that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood to have been an officer of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.

Sworn and subscribed the 28th day of Mar 1832 before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the county aforesaid.

Edmund Brooke

Jas McVean - Clergyman
Charles A Beatty

And the said Judge do hereby declare my opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department that the above name applicant was a revolutionary Officer and served as he states.

And I further certify the foregoing contains the original proceedings before me in the matter of the application of the rev. Stephen B Balch for a pension.

W Cranch
Page 7

Oct 12, 1841
MD

J.L. Edwards, Esqr
Pension Office
Washington DC
Page 8

Frederick Oct. 11 1841
Sir
My father was married to my mother
July 10 1781- she died in 27- he in 33 - are
his children entitled to any thing virtue of his
pension now on file in your office.
Would you oblige me & the friends of Dr Balch
so far as to send me a copy of his papers
in the pension case. My object is to write
a biographical [illegible] for the Southern
Literary Messenger. It so happened that
all his papers were burnt a short time
before his decease: his companies & contemporary
are no more & my chief source of knowledge
as to his military life must now depend
on your centers: I am [illegible]
L. P. W. Balch
Page 9

Rev. and 1812
Wars Section.

December 10, 1926

James S. Wilson
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

Sir:
I have to advise you from the papers in
the Revolutionary War pension claim S. 12051,
it appears that Stephen Bloomer Balch elisted
in Lower Marlboro, Maryland, October 1, 1775
and served until December 1777 as Captain in
Colonel Alexander Somerville's Maryland Regiment.
He was allowed pension on his application
executed November 23, 1832, while a resident of
Georgetown, Washington, District of Columbia, aged
about eighty-four years.
He married July 10, 1781, his wife died in
1827, her name is not stated. He died in 1833.
Son, L. P. W. Bach, was living in Frederick
in 1841 (his full name is not given) at which time
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he referred to soldier's children, but did not
mention any names.
Soldier was referred to in 1832, as Reverend
Stephen Bloomer Balch.
There is no further data on file as to family.
Respectfully,

WINFIELD SCOTT
Commissioner.
Page 11

Left Side Page

Nov 19 Mil Hist to 
B. Wilson, Washington DC
Jan 16, 1904 hist to Miss Rogers 905 B St NW DC
1920 Feb 26 - Hist to B B Wilson
1921 Sep 24 - Hist to Capt. O C Luxford
1926 Dec 10 Hist to James S Wilson

Right Side Page

12051
INVLAID
Rev War

File NO 12,051
Stephen B. Balch
Capt. Rev War

Act: June 7th 1832
Index Vol A Page 21

[Arrangement of 1870]
Page 12

3-068
(Old No. 3-619)
Bureau of Pensions
Miss Rogers
#905. O. N. W.
Mr Warner
Please send
statement to
lady named
above
Bryant
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Rev War
(3-469)
Bureau of Pensions
7 #12,051
Application No.
Certificate No. 2589
NAME OF SOLDIER
Stephen B. Balch
Co. Md
INFORMATION DESIRED.
Papers for
exam
K
Page 14

2909 Qst R W
Washington DC
Commissioner of Pensions
Sir: Will you be kind
enough to let me know
as soon as possible if your
office has any regard of
the names of those few
sinners who drew pensions
for service in Revolutionary
War. I simply want to
fact (wh I knew to h a 
fact) to is vouched for
in the case of Rev Stephen
Bloomer Balch.
I am [illegible]
yours [illegible]
B.B. Wilson
Page 15

The Ohio State University
George W Rightmire, President

College of Medicine
Department of Public Health
E.F. McCampbell, PH.D., M.D.
Emery R. Hayhurst, M.D., PH.D.
James S. Wilson, M.S. , M.D.
Norma Selbert, R.N., B.S., M.A.
L.H. Van Buskirk, B.S., M.D.

Columbus

Dec 6-26

The Commissioner of Pensions
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir.

I [illegible] unto your attention to the correspondence attached.

Is it possible for me to obtain the record of Stephen Bloomer Balch from your office.

Respectfully, 

James S Wilson, 
M.D.
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No. 11028
The Schmelz National Bank
of Newport News, Va.
Captial $200,000.00 Surplus $250,000.00
Newport News, Va
Rev Sec

February 11, 1920

Honorable Commissioner of Pensions, 
Washington, D.C.

Sir:

Will you kindly advise me whether or not my great-great-grandfather, Stephen Bloomer Balch, received a pension for services rendered during the Revolutionary War, and very much oblige.

Very truly yours,

B.B. Wilson

bbs.1

US PENSION OFFICE STAMP: Feb 12, 1920
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District of Columbia Society
of the
Sons of the American Revolution
Washington, D.C.
Office of the Registrar
501 Quincy Street N.W.

Sept 14, 1921

Commissioner of Pensions
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

It will be very much appreciated if you will kindly let me know what is shown by the records of your office concerning pension applied for by one Stephen Bloomer Balch, a soldier in the Revolutionary War who, it is stated, was a Captain in Calvert County, Maryland Militia.

Thanking you in advance for your courtesy in the matter, I am, 

Respectfully, 

Overton C. Luxford
Registrar D.C. S.A.R.

US PENSION OFFICE STAMP: Sep 15, 1921
Page 18

Revolutionary War Records Section

3-525

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Pensions
Washington, D.C.

In reply to your request of blank received blank for a statement of the military history of Stephen Bloomer Balch a soldier of the revolutionary war, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pension on file in this Bureau.

Date of Enlistment or Appointment: Abt 1775
Length of Service: Dec 1777
Rank: Captain

Officer under whom service was rendered:
Captain - Blank
Colonel - Alexander Somervill
State: MD

Battles engaged in - None Stated
Residence of Soldier at enlistment - enlisted at Lower Marlboro MD
Date of Application for Pension - Nov 23, 1832 {illegible - too light to read}
Residence at date of application - Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Age at date of application - about 84 years
Remarks - He enlisted Feb 10, 1781 his wife died in 1827 her name not stated. He died in 1833. Son L.P. W. Balch was living in Frederick in 1841. His full name is not stated. He referred to soldier's children but no names are given. Solder was referred to in 1832 as Reverand Stephen Bloomer Balch

Respectfully

Commissioner