Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 16825, James Gibbs, Va. Sea Service
Page 1

(8-1776)

SERVICE
Va. Sea Service

Gibbs, James

NUMBER
S. 16825

Carded

CONTENTS
Page 2

Virginia 27.948

James Gibbs - Navy
of [illegible] in the State of Va
who was a Seaman in the [illegible] commanded
by Captain Markham [crossed out: of the the] called [crossed out: commanded]
by Page in the Va Service
time for 2 years -

Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia
at the rate of 96 Dollars - Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 22d day of Sept. 34
and [illegible] Robt. Hudge
Bowling Green - Va

Arrears to the 4th of Sept 34 $336 -
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar. 35 [$]48 -

[$] 384

{Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Nath. Rice Clerk,
Book E. Vol. 6 1/2 Page 15.
Page 3

State of Kentucky
Greenup County set:
On this 4th day of July 1834
personally appeared before me a justice of
the peace for the County aforesaid, James
Gibbs, and made the following declaration
in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress,
passed on the 7th June 1832, entitled or an
act supplementary to the "Act for the relief of
certain surviving officers and soldiers of the revolution" -
That he was born in the County of Lancaster, 
Virginia - can not state the time - as he has no
record of his birth - that when he was large
enough, he was bound as an apprentice to a 
sea captain - and thinks he was about the
age of seventeen, when the Revolutionary War
first commenced - that a short time thereafter,
the precise period he cannot now state, his
Master gave him him up, and he on [illegible] as a 
sailor on board the Galley, called the Page
then lying in the Carter's Creek, commanded by
Capt. James Markham, for three years
that the Galley lay in Carters Creek, a few
days after he went on board repairing her 
rigging - she then went on a cruise and continued
cruizing in the Chesapeake Bay and
the capes of Virginia - that as well as he
now recollects he continued with Capt. Markham
on the board the Page galley about a
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2

year, from that [illegible] Vessel, Capt:
Markham and his crew, or a greater part
of them, among them, himself, were transferred
to the ship Dragon, then lying off or
near the mouth of the York River - that the
Dragon sailed on a cruize in company
as well as he now recollects, with ships
Tartar and Tempest - and tenders Patriot
and Liberty - the whole being under
the command of commodore Richard
Taylor - that between the Capes of
Virginia + Bermuda they gave chase
to a British sloop of war - the name
of which he has no forgotten - that
the Dragon ^and Tartar^ being slow sailers, he,
with good many other sailors, were 
transferred from ^those^ ships by the Commodore's
[crossed out: illegible] command, to
this [crossed out: illegible] Tender called the Patriot, then
ahead in the Chace - That the commadore
left his ship, the Tartar, + took
the command of the Patriot. - about 
an hours - sun in the evening we
came up with the Enemy and
attempted at once to board the ship
- that we run afoul of her - our jib
boom passing thro ^[illegible] of^ her quarter galley
windows - that which lying in this
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position we attempted to board - our
gallant old comodore, at the bow
of the Vessel, cheering his men, in
the chest of the fight, was wounded
in the thigh ^which was severely [illegible]^ and fending himself, not
supported by the other vessel of the
squadron - he gave orders, after he had
fallen to [crossed out: capt] Brittain, who had the
command of the tender, to 'face' or 'sheer
off' from the enemy, the commodore
was very indignant at Cap.t Callenders
conduct, and that the next morning, refused
positively to see Callender - who then
pained us - after this fight, I was returned
to the Dragon - + the whole fleet
put back to York River - and
we put the commodore ashore
at York-Town - + I assisted in this duty.
As well as I recollect, we remained at Yorktown
refitting about a fortnight - We sailed
on cruise - outside of the Virginia capes,
and lay off on the coast - sometimes at
the Mouth of Delaware - off Staten Island
+ often chasing - oftener chased, by
the Enemy - Finally we put into James
River - and after serving out faithfully
the term of my enlistment - I was
discharged by Capt. James Markham
- I served, in consequence of the ship not
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4

getting into port, from ten to fourteen
days, over the term of my enlistment
for which ^service^ I was paid by John Richards
then acting as purser of the Dragon
-after I was discharged I entered the
merchant services and in a voyage
to France, the ship was wrecked in the
Bay of Biscay - the cargo totally lost +
fifteen or sixteen men drowned - I then
lost the discharge which Capt Ja.s
Markham had given me. I have no 
document or other testimony, nor do
I know of a single individual now alive,
who can testify to the truth of his statement.
After I left the sea I lived about
about nine years in the County of Culpepper,
V.a, I then removed to this state
about thirty-six years ago - six of
which I resided in Marson County, six
or seven on the Ohio River, in Lewis County
+ the remainder in the County of Greenup.
From the best of information I could
obtain I think I am now between 75 and
eighty years of age. I solemnly declard
that this statement, is to the best of
my knowledge, remembrance and
belief, correct - I am not on the pension
roll of the United States, nor on the 
pension roll of any of the United States
and I hereby relinquish all claim to
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5.

any such pension except the pension under
the act herein before referred to -

his
x
mark
James Gibbs

State of Kentucky
Greenup County Set:}
Personally appeared before me a
Justice of the peace in the County aforesaid
James Gibbs, who subscribed, and in solemn
form, made oath that the foregoing declaration
contains, according to the best of his
knowledge, remembrance and belief, the truth,
I further certify that the said James, has resided
in my neighbourhood for 19 years, that
I have been intimately acquainted with him
for nineteen years - that he has always sustained
a good character - has always been 
considered in the neighbourhood, as a veteran
of the revolution - and I feel no hesitation in
saying that I consider any statement of
his, made under oath, as entitled to the 
fullest confidence - That tho' he is weak
in body - his mind ^+memory^ seems to be sufficiently
vigorous to recollect + detail the events of 
his early life - The said James, resides 
about 13 miles from the Court House of this
county - that he is much affected by a
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weakness in the back and loins, which
prevents his riding on horseback, or
taking much exercise of any kind -

Witness my hand + seal this 4th
July 1834

Basil Waring J.P.G.C {seal}

State of Kentucky
Greenup County} Set.

I John Young a regularly or named minister
of the Baptist church do certify that I have been acquainted
with James Gibbs who has subscribed sworn to the above
declaration, about 50 years, that I he how him to be between
seventy fine eighty years of age that he is [illegible] + believed in
the neighborhood where he lives to have been a sailor of the
revolution + that I concur in that opinion [illegible] I further certify
that I am 69 years of age, that during the revolution
I acted as [illegible: express?] for my uncle Richard Young who was
deputy Quarter Master in the continental service, stationed
it Fredericksburg V.a and while thus engaged was well acquainted
with James Gibbs + saw him frequently on board a vessel
as a sailor during the revolution, I can speak positively as
to his identity. after leaving Fredericksburg I did not see him
for near 20 years, when I met with ^him^ at his residence in Lewis 
county Kentucky I recognised him immediately as the same
James Gibbs + had known at Fredericksburg, said Gibbs is a
man of good reputation + any statements made by him
on oath is entitled to confidence - 

Witness my hand
this 28th of July 1834

John Young
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This is to Certify, That it appears from a List in this Office of such Officers
and Soldiers of the Virginia State Line, during the Revolutionary War,
as settled their Accounts, and received Certificates for the balance of their Full Pay,
according to an Act of Assembly passed the November Session, 1781, that a Certificate
issued on the 30th day of April 1785, in the name of
James Gibbs as a Seaman
for $81.17.0, which Certificate appears to have been delivered to 
Frances Graves and was given for services prior to the 1st January, 1782.

{No Seal
of Office}

Given under my hand at the Auditor's Office, Richmond, this
10th day of September 1884.
J. Adams Smith C.C
Acting AUDITOR.
Page 10

State of Kentucky Greenup County Set
I Basil Waring a justice of the peace in + for the
county + state aforesaid do certify that John Young made oath
before me to the correctness of the above certificate + subscribed
the same in my presence - I further certify that said
John Young is a minister of the Gospel is therein set
forth, Given under my hand this 28th day of
July 1834

Basil Waring J. P. G. C.

Commonwealth of Kentucky
Greenup County} Set.
I, Alfred W. G. Nichols, clerk of the
County Court of said County, do hereby certify that the foregoing
Contains the original proceedings of the said Basil Waring
who is a Justice of the Peace and one of the Judges of the
County Court of said County Greenup, in the matter of
the application of James Gibbs for a Pension - and that
the signature of the said Basil Waring to the above
certificate is genuine and that full faith and credit are
due and ought to be given to all his Official Acts as such
as well in Courts of Justice as thereout.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto
Subscribed my name and Office the
Seal of Said Court this this 28th
day of July 1834, and in the 43.d
Year of the Commonwealth.

A. W. G. Nichols, Clk.
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[left page]

Nov, 24, 1903 - Hist to
Miss Sarah Dufur 
Oil City Pa

[right page]

Invalid
[crossed out: illegible]
[illegible]
Navy

File No. 16825
James Gibbs
Seaman
U. S. Navy
Rev War

Act June 7 - 1832
Index: Vol 6 1/2, Page 15

[Arrangement of 1870.]
Page 12

[rubber stamp:]
U. S.
OLD WAR & NAVY
NOV 20 [illegible]
FILES.
F. B.
Page 13

W. H. DUFUR
OIL AND GAS.

Miss Sarah Dufur.
101 West Third, St.

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

To. Oil City, Pa.,
Nov. 16, -'93-

Gentleman; -
Will you please
send me a statement of the
military history of James Gibbs,
who fought in the Rev. War.
Also, Ebeneezer O Farly's record - from
N. H. volunteers of Rev. War.
and Silas Dufur of the War of 1812.

Respectfully
Sarah A. Dufur.

[rubber stamp:]

PENSION
U. S.
NOV 18 1903
OFFICE
Page 14

Bow. Green, V.a

Sir,

Enclosed you will receive a
declaration +.c made by James Gibbs
for a pension under the Act of
Congress of the 7th June 1832, to which
your attention is requested - when
you have acted upon the documents
please apprise me of the result +
direct to this place

Respectfully, yrs +.c
Robt: Hudgin.