Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 5695, for James Linn, Pennsylvania
Page 1

(3 - 1776)

SERVICE
Penn.
Linn, James
NUMBER
S 5695

Carded.

CONTENTS
[blank lines]
Page 2

30. 208
Pennsylvania. (Pittsg) [Pittsburgh]
James Linn Senr [Senior] of Washington Co in the State of Pennsylvania
who was a private in the company commanded by Captain Hays of the regt [regiment] commanded by Col Elders in the Penna mil[itia] for six months from 1776.

Inscribed on the Roll of Pittsburgh at the rate of 20 Dollars ~ Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 7 day of October 1835 and sent to David
Acheson Esqr [Esquire] Washington

Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1833 $90
Semi-anl. [annual] allowance ending
$90

{Revolutionary Claim, June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Wm S. Allison Clerk, 
Book E. 2 Vol. 5 Page 127
Page 3

Declaration of James Linn Sen. In order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
State of Pennsylvania}
Washington County} ss
On this 2 day of October AD 1835 personally appeared before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting James Linn Senr. [Senior] a resident of North Strabane Township in Washington County Pennsa. [Pennsylvania] aged Seventy five years past last January, 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 passed the 7th June 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. In the month of December 1776 he voluntarily 
enlisted and served for two months under Captain James Rogers who raised a company of volunteers in Hanover & Paxton Townships in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. As soon as the company was raised we were marched to Philadelphia, and on our way to the city we met, near to the Buck Tavern the Hessian Prisoners taken by General Washington at Trenton. On our arrival in Philadelphia the company held an election for Officers, and we 
elected James Rogers Captain, John Graham Lieutenant in Neil McCoy Ensign. The company was billeted in, and accepted a vacant house, North 2d Street, its owner, a tory, having absconded. We remained in the city eight or ten days until those members of the company who were deficient were supplied with arms. On this occasion our company was marched alone, having no superior Officer to our Captain until we arrived at head quarters: We were marched from Philadelphia to Bristol and to Trenton, and from Trenton, we were marched direct to Morristown, where the army lay encamped under Gen. Washington and we remained stationed there until our term of two months expired, when I was discharged with the company. I got no written discharge and returned home by Philadelphia, bringing with [illegible] twenty four prisoners, delivered to our Captain at head quarters, and which we delivered agreeably to order to the commanding Officer Philada [Philadelphia]
Beginning of October 1777, I was drafted and served a tour of two months in Captain Patrick Hays Company of Colonel Robert
Elders regiment of Militia of Lancaster County Pennsylvania
Page 4

The company was marched to Lancaster where we remained two or three days, and then moved from there towards Philadelphia until we arrived at the Foxchase,  where we met with other troops all under the command of General Potter. From the Foxchase we were marched to head quarters "White Morsh" where the army under General Washington lay encamped, and where we remained until the expiration of our two months.  Our regiment under Colonel Elder occupied, and was encamped upon, a ridge some little distance from the main army, and I was engaged with the regiment to which I belonged in a skirmish with the enemy at Chestnut hill, a day or two after this skirmish, which happened early in December my term expired and our company returned home after being discharged. I got no written discharge. Immediately after in the winter of 1777. 1778 I served another tour of two months, commencing some time in December 1777 and ending in February 1778, in Captain Joseph McClures Company of Colonel Rogers regiment of Militia Lancaster County Pennsylvania, as a substitute in place of John Snodgrass, a drafted Militiaman. During this tour our regiment under Col Rogers was engaged in continual and active service as scouts on the lines, some times near the City of Philadelphia, then in possession of the enemy, and at other times ten, fifteen, twenty and more miles in the interior of the country. Upon one occasion our regiment with some other troops with two field pieces marched to the Robinhood Tavern within three miles of
Philadelphia and there halted for a short time, by the time we arrived at the Robin Hood, we heard the alarm given, of the enemy, firing in the City, and their drums beating to arms. We retreated late in the evening through Germantown to White Morsh; the enemy following us for some distance. Thus the enemy in the City of Philadelphia, during this tour were kept in a continual state of alarm while the main army under General Washington was encamped at Valley Forge. Near the last of our time we were marched up the Schuylkill river, to within five miles of Pottsgrove and there stationed for a few days and when our term had expired we were discharged, and upon this occasion, considering it necessary having served as a substitute I applied for and
Page 5

obtained from Captain McGee a written discharge certifying that I had served as a substitute in place of and for John
Snotgrass a drafted Militia man for two months &c, which discharge however soon afterwards got lost or destroyed,  confident I am that it is not now nor has it been in existence for many years. I was born in Lancaster County Pennsylvania in the month of January 1760. I have no record of my age; I was living in Lancaster County, Penna in 1776 when entered the service of the United States and I continued to reside there until the year 1781, when I moved to Washington County Pennsylvania, where I have lived ever since, with the exception of seven years from 1791 to 1798 which I lived in Allegheny County Pennsylvania. To the fifth interrogatory I have made as full an answer as my recollection will now allow of. The 6th also answered. have no documentary evidence to prove my service and can provide none, I know of no person living who has a personal knowledge of my services except Hugh Workman whoes [whose] affidavit is hereunto attached. I know the name of no other officer under whom I served but what, or those names I have mentioned, nor I now  recollect the name of any other officer who was with the army, with the exception of John Marshal formerly of Lancaster county, late of Washington County decd. who was a captain in the Pennsylvania line and whom I saw at Morristown in the winter of 1777. I know of no clergyman who I can procure to certify for me according to the form prescribed by the War Department. I refer to Robert Lattimer, Joseph Taylor to prove my character and their belief of my services as a soldier of the Revolution. Having served as I have stated, two months as a Volunteer, two months as a drafted Militia Man and two Mon[ths] as a substitute, in all six months, and for such service I claim a pension. I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any state
James Linn
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Thomas Officer Pro [Prothonotary]
Page 6

    We Robert Lattimore & Joseph Taylor residing in the county of Washington and state of Pennsylvania, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Linn (illegible) who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy five years of age past; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to be have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion that he is moreover a man of good character and veracity whose statement is entitled to credit.

Sworn and subscribed               //s//
Oct. 2, 1835                      Robert Lattimer
                                                   //s//
                                         Joseph Taylor
//s//
Thomas Officer Pro.

   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 was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states.  And the court further certifies that is appears to them that Robert Lattimer & Joseph Taylor who have signed the proceeding certified are residents in the county of Washington and are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.
    I Thomas Officer Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said county of Washington do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of James Linn Sr. for a pension.  And that John Wilson Esquire before whom the attached deposition was taken & was at the time and still is a Justice of the Peace duly commissioned and acting as such in and for the said county of Washington and state of Pennsylvania and that due faith and credit is and ought to be given to all his individual acts and that his signatures annexed to it is his genuine signatures.  In testimony whereof I have unto set my hands and seal of office this 2d day of October AD 1835.
                                          //s//
                                Thomas Officer Pro.
Page 7

State of Pennsylvania}
Washington County} Ss Before me the Subscriber one of the
Justices of the Peace in and for said County personally came Hugh Workman, a resident of the said County, who being duly sworn according to law doth depose and say. That he is and has been for Sixty five years well acquainted with James Linn in a resident of North Strabane Township Washington County Penna. and an applicant for a pension from the United States. The said James Linn and this deponent are both natives of Lancaster County Penna. born and raised in the same neighbourhood, [neighborhood] within one half miles of each other. I was moreover well acquainted with James Rogers who raised and commanded a company of volunteers from Lancaster County Pennsylvania during the revolutionary war in the year 1776. 1777. I was also well acquainted with Joseph McClure who command a company of Militia from the said County of Lancaster during the war, in the winter of 1777. 1778. I was also acquainted with John Snotgrass who belonged to Captain McClures Company and who, it appears, hired or engaged the said James Linn as a substitute to serve in his place, when drafted in December 1777. In the month of December 1777, I left Lancaster County and moved to Washington County Pa. Prior to my removal, however, that the said James Linn did perform his first tour of two months as a volunteer under Captain Rogers commencing in August 1776, and I think he had performed his second tour of two months under Captain Patrick Hays. In
Page 8

relation to his third tour performed in the winter of 1777 - 1778 in Captain de Clunes company as a substitute. I had no personal knowledge having prior to his service left the county, but from report I understood that he did serve two months as a substitute for John Guatgrass, in the said Captain McClunis' company. From my personal knowledge of the said James Linn and the circumstances relating to his claim, I have no doubt that he did perform the three tours of service amounting to six months.
                 
                                             //s//
                                      Hugh Workman 
Sworn to and subscribed
before me this 23d day of September 1835.

                                           //s//
                                 John Wilson

    I do hereby certify that Hugh Workman who has sworn to and subscribed his name to the above deposition is a credible person whose statement is entitled to credit given under my hand this 23d day of September 1835.
                                           
                                             //s//
                                     John Wilson
Page 9

In reply to your request of    received   for a statement of the military history of James Linn Sr. a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired
information as contained in his [(or his widow's) crossed out] application for pension on file in this Bureau. S. File 5695
DATES OF
ENLISTMENT OR
APPOINTMENT.
Dec. 1776 
Oct. 1777
Dec. 1777
LENGTH OF
SERVICE.
2mos. 
2 mos
2 mos.
RANK.
Private
OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED.
CAPTAIN.
James Rogers
Patrick Hays
Joseph McClure
COLONEL.
Robert Elder
    Rogers
STATE.
Pa
Battles engaged in, Skirmish at Chestnut Hill.
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Lancaster Co., Pa.
Date of application for pension, Oct. 2, 1835 His cIm. [claim] was allowed
Residence at date of application, North Strabane Twp. Washington Co., Pa.
Age at date of application, Born Jan. 1760 Lancaster Co., Pa.
Remarks: No data as to family.
Page 10

Rev War

5695
INVALID.

File No. 5695
James Linn Senr.
Pri Rev War

Act: June [illegible number]th 22
Index:-Vol. M, Page 224

[Arrangement of 1870.]

1909 Feb. 4.  Hist. to Miss Lida H. Linn, A. E. P.
1909 Oct 8. Hist to Mr. M. Linn Bruce V. L. M.

1910 Jan'y 10 Hist to Mr. L. B. Wilson
1917 July 9.  Hist to Mrs. G. W. Beattie. aid

1917 July 27.  Mrs. G. W. Beattie furnished photostat copies of the pages of this claim.  AW

1917, Oct. 3. Mrs. G. W. Beattie - That James Linn S. F. 5695 only one of Pa. in Rev. War records of this Bu.  FW.
Page 11

33.268
James Linn
Pennsylvania

from 1776 [illegible] 6 month

$20.
Page 12

Linn           Washington  October 3d 1835

In addition to the application of Richard Hathaway transmitted to you by yesterday's mail,
I now herewith enclose two other applications for pensions, one in favor of James Linn and the other in favor of Benjm Carison.  In relation to the two former I have been well acquainted with both of them for forty five years past.  Mr. Garison having lately moved into the county I know but little of him, he is a very open man and, withal, a vey interesting & respectable looking man.

I am very respectfully
Your obt Sevt.
David Acheson

J. L Edwards Esqr.
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City
Page 13

Commissioner of Pensions

Dear Sir

Am desirous of finding out the Revolutionary War Record of my Great grand father James Linn.  He is supposed to have enlisted in Maryland or Penna.  Any information you may be able to give me will be much appreciated,
and oblige
Miss Lida H. Linn
214 Duncan Ave.
Washington Pa.
Jan. 18. 09
Page 14

Rev. Sec 
H

Highland, Calif.
Sept. 25, 1917.

The Commissioner of Pensions, - 
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir, -

Have you among your records any mention of one James Lynn, a Revolutionary War soldier who served in the Westmoreland County Militia, from Pennsylvania.  I have no further data regarding him, but think he may be the Lynn I am searching for.

You have already given me the history of James Linn, Penn. Troops S. 5695, but he is not my ancestor.

If there were any other James Lynns from Penn. in the Revolution, I should be glad to know of it.  My ancestor James Lynn was probably born in York County, Pa. and he died in McLean County, Ky.

Yours truly,
Mrs. G. W. Beattie
Page 15

Sons of the Revolution
in the State of New York
Frounces Tavern
Corner Broad & Pearl Streets
New York City Dec. 31, 1909

Bureau of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.

Gentlemen:

Will you kindly furnish us with a certificate
of service of James Linn, Sr. who was born in Lancaster, Pa. in January 1760, and died in Washington County, Pa. December 24th 1838. Enlisted at Lancaster in 1776 and again in 1777 and was engaged in skirmish at Chestnut Hill, Pa. Applied for pension October 2nd 1835.
Yours very truly,
L. B. Wilson
Curator.
Page 16

Rev                 [illegible]

M. Linn Bruce
Attorney and Counsellor at Law
18 Wall Street.
New York.
Telephone 1035  1036 } Rector.

September 30, 1909.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
Bureau of Pensions,
Record Division,
Washington, D. C.

Sir - 

Will you kindly send me a statement of the military history of James Linn Sr., a soldier of the Revolutionary war? A similar statement which I have seen dated February 4th, 1909 is marked A. E. P., S. File 5695, Rev. War.  I would also appreciate a statement of the military history of Samuel Pollock Jr., and Samuel Pollock Sr., soldiers of the Revolutionary War, Samuel Pollock Sr., having also enlisted
in 1751 in the Indian Wars.

Very truly yours,
M Linn Bruce

P. S.
If you have any record of Mr. Samuel Pollock's Sr's record in the Indian Wars, I should like to have a statement of it.

U. S. PENSION OFFICE 
A
OCT 1 1909
Page 17

Rev. sect.   J.C.
Highland, Calif.
San Bernadino Co.
June 7, 1917.

The Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.
 
Dear Sir:
    I am informed that a certain James Lynn or Linn (1759 - 1838) was a private in the Pennsylvania service, and obtained a pension in 1838 for his services.  This man may be an ancestor of whom I have been seeking information.  Can you furnish me with an abstract of his pension declaration, and tell me the number of pages that the whole document covers, so that I can send for a photostat copy of it later if advisable.
    Also, have you in your records any mention of soldiers named Pruitt, Pruett, or Prewett who served in the Revolutionary War? I should like to know about them.

    Yours truly,
//s//
Mrs. G. W. Beattie

(Pension Office Stamp)
Pension
     D
   Jun
U. 13  S.
  1917
  Office

(Handwritten notes along left side of letter)
See reply to this.  It was not necessary to go into details of cost of photostatic copies as she has been formerly advised, knows mode of procedure and has paid for and rcvd various photostat copies.
Page 18

M.O. $.90 recd. AB JC AX RWJ
(Date Stamp)
Chief's Desk
Mail & Supplies
Jul 25 1917
Division
U.S. Bureau of Pensions

Highland Calif.
July 20, 1917

Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir.
   Enclosed find 90 (cents) for which please send me a photostat copy of the pension application of the Rev. War pensioner, James Lynn, Penna. Troops, S.5695.  I am advised that the claim contains 6 pages.  I do not wish it  (...tested).

Yours truly,
//s//
Mrs. G,W, Beatty

Date Stamp
Finance Division
July 25 1917
Bureau of Pensions
Page 19

Date July 27, 1917
Name James Linn
No Survivor's File 5695
Penn. Troop War Rev.
Photographic copies wanted of 1 pieces, consisting of 6 pages.
Remarks: _____________
Exr. A E Wilson         Chief Rev. War Section

APPROVED:
T. F. Dennis
Chief, Law Division

8539
Serial No. __________
Page 20

Rev. War Section.

BUREAU OF PENSIONS
Finance Division
July 25, 1917
Chief of Rev. War Section
Sir:
I have this day received from Miss G.W. Beattie #323,553 for $90/100 requesting as per letter herewith. 
James Linn, Penna Troops
Rev. S5605; 
Land Div. notf. that copies were sent July 27, 1917.
Aw
Very respectfully,
//s//
Wm. Campell
Chief of Division,
Page 21

[illegible letter]W  Rev. War Section.

July 27, 1917.

Mrs. G. W. Beattie,
Highland, Cal.

Madam:

In reply to your letter of the 20" instant, you are herewith furnished under the provisions of the Act of Aug. 24, 1912, with photostat copies of six pages from the Revolutionary War pension claim of James Linn, Penn Troops, 8. 5695.

Very respectfully,
G M [illegible]
Commissioner.
Page 22

F W
Rev. War Section

October 3, 1917

Mrs. G. W. Beattie,
Highland,
["Sacramento" crossed out and "San Bernardino" written above] Co.,
California.

Madam:

In response to your letter of the twenty-fifth
ultimo, you are advised that James Linn, a history of whose claim, S. F. No. 5695, Rev. War, was furnished you on July 9, 1917, is the only James Linn (or Lynn) of Pennsylvania, found
in the Revolutionary War records of this Bureau.

Very respectfully,
[illegible stamped signature]
Commissioner.
Page 23

FW    Rev. War Section.

July 9, 1917.

Rev. War Section.

Mrs. G. W. Beattie,
Highland,
San Bernardino Co. Cal.

Madam:

In reply to your letter of the 7" ultimo, you are
herewith furnished the history of the Revolutionary War pensioner James Linn, Penn. Troops, S. 5695 and advised that his claim contains six pages.

If you desire the history of any particular soldier of the Revolution named Pruitt, Pruett or Prewett, you should furnish his full name and as much as possible of the following data relative to him, in order that a proper search of the records be made in your behalf: name of some officer under whom he served, place of residence at enlistment and after discharge, approximate dates of birth and death and given name of widow, if he left one.

Owing to the lack of a clerical force available for the purpose, it is not practicable for the Bureau to furnish reports relative to groups of Revolutionary War Soldiers, of any surname.

Very respectfully,
E. C. Tieman
Commissioner.

She has already had detailed account of how to pay for photostat copies so I only advised of no. of pages this time