Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4646, Abraham Harris, New Jersey
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SERVICE  New Jersey
Harris, Abraham
NUMBER R 4646
CONTENTS
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Declaration (_) of Abraham Harris of Salem Co. N. Jersey

32697
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State of New Jersey County of Salem Ss
   On this fourth day of December A.D. eighteen hundred and thirty for personally appeared before the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in + for the County of Salem N.J. Abraha Harris a resident of the township of Upper Alloway Creek in the County of Salem N. Jersey aged eighty eight years on the 16th December at 1800 afsd 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 June 7th 1832.
    That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated That he was drafted in the militia in the County of Salem N.J. in the year 1777 and attached to a company of drafted militia under Capt William Smith and which Company afterwards joined a body or regiment of militia [illeg] at Col Benjamin Holmes on or about the 13th Feby 1777--that he remembers the date on account of the birth of his son Dalymory Harris being born in about a week of that time - that the company marched about the time aforesaid from Upper Alloway Creek Township aforesaid up through this State to the town of Jamesville, Somerset County, N.J. and there joined a large body of militia quartered there under the command of Gen Philemon Dickerson - We lay thus to check any excursions of the enemy, who lay in New Brunswick + New York -  I rem'd there until my time of service had expired, and on the 17th March 1777 I left there to return home with a number of the company to which I belonged, whose time of service had also expired - I did not receive any written discharge but only by word of mouth - That some time after his return home he was again drafted in the militia in the County of Salem at N.J. under the same Captn. Wm Smith, and served one month under him in a company of drafted militia, which was stationed in the township of Elsinborough in said County to oppose the landing of the English, who made excursions for forage + plunder whilst + during the time they occupied
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the City of Philadelphia - that the militia were kept there until the ice became so thick in the Delaware that the officers did not deem it worth while to stay there any longer - and he was again discharged
   After this discharge, upon the report that the British had come, or where about to come to attack Billingsport or Red Bank, he with several others volunteered their services under Capt. Allan Congleton + marched to Woodbury in Gloucester County N.J. + to Haddonfield in said County and was some times quartered in one place and sometimes in the other - this was during the time the British lay in Philadelphia. He believes one General Newcomb commanded the militia there - Whilst there they plainly heard the firing at the Battle of Germantown - He cant recollect the number of days he was there but believes it to have been about two weeks - he then was permitted to go home -
After his return home the next thing, he again volunteered his services in the militia under the aforesaid Capt Smith and again joined the militia stationed at Quinton's Bridge in the said County of Salem a body of the English then had landed in Salem about three miles from Quinton's Bridge in a foraging excursion - They departed and a regiment under Col. Mawhood -- or some such name came and took possession of the Town of Salem - this deponent again volunteered his services under Capt Wm Smith and attached himself to the milititia stationed at Quinton's Bridge + the enemy marched from Salem to Quinton's Bridge + attacked the militia there entrenched, but was beaten back - the militia crossed Quinton's Bridge in the afternoon of same day, were attacked by the enemy, a fight ensued a number of the militia were killed + wounded + taken prisoners his brother was severely wounded but recovered + moved to the State of Ohio - but he does not know whether he is living or dead - this deponent was present in both of those fights - and served again about two weeks on those occasions - Col Holmes commander of the Salem militia at Quinton's bridge and Col. Hand the Cumberland militia at this time he was drafted and volunteered he lived
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in the Township of Upper Alloway Creek in the County of Sale N. Jersey and has resided there ever since - He knew Joseph Bloomfield who was the a Captain in the Continentals - he was recruiting in Cmberland County N.J. He also knew Lieut Jonathan Kinsey of Salem - also Richard Howell a major in the Regular army - but this petitioner never served in the regular army - but his brother John served therein during the war - That he has no documentary evidence - and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service - except perhaps a brother Nicholas Harris who is very, a good deal infirm and resides in the city of Philadelphia
   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 Abraham Harris
Henry Freers afs sd. Judge
mistakes and the said Court do hereby declare their opinion that
We William Mulford + Moses Crane - Clergymen residing in the town of Salem in the County of Salem and State of New Jersey, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Abraham Harris, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be about eighty eight 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.
Sworn + subscribed the day + year aforesaid Willian Mulford Moses Crane
Henry Freers p.n.s. Judge 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
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Soldier and served as he states. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that William Mulford + Moses Crane Clergymen residents in the Town of Salem in the County of Salem N.J., who have signed the preceding Certificate are clergymen and credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.      Henry Freers    pr.s.s.Judges  Joseph L. Risley George Bushel} Judges
State of New Jersey County of Salem
David S. English allowing himself to be conscientiously scrupulous of taking an oath, 
+ being duly affirmed, did declare and say, that he is thirty seven years old or thereabouts, that he has known Abraham Harris the petitioner as long as he can remember that he lived close to him for many years, that he has always heard from the neighborhood + from his grandfather and it was the general report that he the said Abraham had served in the service of the United State during the Revolutionary War - that he is a man of very respectable standing and integrity of unblemished reputation and undoubted veracity     David S. English
Taken sworn and subscribed in o en court Salem Common Pleas N.J. Dec. term AD 1834
Henry Freers p.r.s. Judge
I Joseph Kille Clerk of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Salem N.J. do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Abraham Harris for a pension In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand + seal of Office this fourth day of December Anno Domini eighteen hundred and thirty four   J. Kille Clerk
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N.J. Mar 25
Salem NJ March 21

Free
J. L. Edwards Esquire
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City
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Salem N.J. March 20th 1835
Sir
O the 22d Dec. last, I sent you the Declaration +c. of Abraham Harris, the Revolutionary soldier of 88 years of age for he purpose of obtaining a pension for his services +c and in January last  the testimony of an aged sick brother (Nicholas Harris) residing in Phila was taken, corroborating the declarations of Abraham Harris, and sent to your department. I have never yet recd. any acknowledget. of the rect. of the same, or of any decision made thereon - you will confer a new particular favour to the aged soldier, by shortly  informing him of a favorable report of his claims +c +c
I am with the highest respect yr obt Servt Alphonso L. Eakin Atty +c of A. Harris
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Dec 30 Abm Harris NJ Copy Papers

J. L. Edwards Comm Pension Office War Department Washington
Hon T. Jones  [ illeg ] 1812
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Sir I enclose you a copy of your letter of March 26 1835 in answer to the petition of W Abraham Harris a revolutionary soldier for a pension.
You will oblige me by furnishing copies of all the papers in the case on file in your office - and send the same together with the enclose - to me, at Hyatts Penn.' Acr.    Rept.  V. Jones York
Washington Dec 30 1837

To J L Edwards Esq
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Crossed out:  "Acts of July 14, 1862 and March 3, 1873."
4646.
P.O.   Abraham Harris
Service: 
Enlisted:  REJECTED, 18  .
Discharged:        , 18  .
       
Application filed:                    , 18  .
Alleges:     
Re-enlisted: 
Attorney: 
P.O. 
                          Recognized.             Contract.
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State of Pennsylvania City of Philadelphia Ss
Nicholas Harris residing in the City of Philadelphia Penna. being duly sworn deposith + say that he is in his seventy fifth year - that he is a brother of Abraham Harris residing in Upper Alloway Creek Salem County N. Jersey - that he remembers the time perfectly well when his brother Abraham Harris went out in the militia from that place to Jamesville N.J. that he staid at home + took care of his brothers affairs + family - he was away he thinks about one month - he also remembers very well lthat he served as a militia man in Elsinborough - that this deponent served in the same company with him - they were commanded by Capt Wm Smith + he served there about a month or more. he also remembers that his brother Ab. Harris volunteered his services with militia + marched up to Gloucester County N.J.  [illeg] + Haddon field but this deponent does not remember how long he was absent - that he + his brother were at the fight at Quinton's Bridge, N.J. and to the best of his recollection he says - take it all together. his brother served in the militia during the Revolutionary War about three months  Nicholas Harris
Taken + sworn and subscribed before me this 24th Jany AD 1835}
William Milnor one of the aldarmen of the city of Philadelphia and ex office a Justice of the peace
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New Jersey
Abraham Harris
rejected
Col A L Eakin 26 Mar [illeg]5

Copies of papers sent to Hon T. J. Yorke, H.R. Jan 6. 1868

[upside down]:
Hon J. L. Edward
Comm. of Pensions
City of Washington D.C.
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[top of page ripped away}
rec'd an answer f the 19th Nov last The proceeding were had in open Court + done in accordance last by Blks +c furnished me by yr Depart. some time ago - an accidental injury to an eye has prevented me sending the enclosed before
D.S. English  Esqr is the sheriff of any county that [erased] his testimony in behalf of this applicant - If Nickolas Harris is alive + can be found [illeg] to procure his testimony also provided it shall be required by you
Will you do me the favour of a speedy answer
I rem. with the highest respect Yr Obedt Servt Alonso L Eakin
To J. L. Edwards Esqr.
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THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES Form VAM-51
12-5-41
Division of Veterans' Administration Archives
BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
Name: Harris, Amos   Grade: Private Line: Connecticut
Warrant Number: 5979  Acreage: 100  Issued: Apr. 20, 1796 to - not shown -
______________________________
The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800.
Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.