Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 26,086, Francis Ayers, Va.
Page 1

SERVICE
Va.

Ayers, Francis
or Ayres
Mary

NUMBER
R. 26.086

CONTENTS
Page 2

No dup

LUCIEN COVER, PRINTER, QUINCY, ILL.

ORIGINAL PENSION GLAIM.

Made by Sarah Sowards daughter
Capt Francis Ayers of
Thomas Sneads
of Company ____of the
Ninth Virginia Regiment of
the Continental
Establishment
Qart office Nebo Pike Co Illis

FILED BY --
C W Patterson
ATTORNEY
Pittsfield
Pike County
Illinois

[Various time stamps from 1905]

Declaration and
power of attorney valid.
S. A. Cuddy,
Chief, Law Division.
per W. L. B. 18
Page 3

ORIGINAL PENSION CLAIM.

STATE OF Illinois
COUNTY OF Pike} ss. On this 14 day of
July A. D., 1903, personally appeared before me Clerk County
Court within and for the county and State aforesaid, Sarah
Sowards [sic], aged 77 years, a resident of the Township
of Harchis, county of Pike State of Illinois
who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that [crossed out: he is the identical] Francis Ayers who was
enrolled on the ____ day of February ,1776, in [crossed out: company] Captn Thomas
[crossed out: of the] [Illegible] Co regiment of Ninths, Virginia Regt on the Continental
[inserted: Establishments of Revolutionary War] and honorably discharged at ____, on the
30 day of November 1777. That while a member of
the organization aforesaid, in the service and in the line of his duty, at ____in the
[crossed out: State of ____, on or about the ____ day of ____
1____, he contracted] That she is the youngest daughter and
the only daughter and the only child of the said
Frances Ayres living that the said Francis Ayres
has been dead about 60 years That her mother
Mary Ayers wife of said Francis Ayres died
about seven years prior to her said Fathers death
[crossed out: That he was treated in hospital as follows; ____ ]
[crossed out: That he has ____ been employed in the military or naval service otherwise than as stated above]
That since leaving the service this applicant has [crossed out: resided in ____
____ in the State of ____ and his occupation has been]
[crossed out: that of a ____ .] That prior to his entry into the service above named, he was a
man of good, sound physical health, being when enrolled a ____
[crossed out: That he is now disabled] from obtaining his subsistence by manual labor, by reason of his
injuries above described, received in the service of the United States; and therefore makes this declaration for
the purpose of being placed on the invalid pension roll of the United States.
[Inserted: She] [crossed out: He] hereby appoints, with full power of substitution and revocation, C W Patterson
____ of Pittsfield State of Illinois
[inserted: her] [crossed out: his] the true and lawful attorney ___ to prosecute [inserted: her] [crossed out: his] claim. That
[crossed out: he has ____ received ____ ]
[crossed out: applied for pension.] That [inserted: her] [crossed out: his] post-office address is Nebo county of
Pike, State of Illinois
Attest: J E Dinsmore
Attest: Jos R Williams
Sarah Sowards

U. S. PENSION OFFICE
JUL 17 1905
Page 4

Also personally appeared J E Dinsmore residing at Pittsfield
Ill and Jas R Williams or Pittsfield residing
at Nebo Ill persons whom I certify to be respectable and
entitled to credit, and who, being by me duly sworn, say that they were present and saw Sarah
Sowards, the claimant, sign [crossed out: his] her name (or make his mark) to the foregoing
declaration; that they have every reason to believe, from the appearance of said claimant and their acquaintance
with him, that he is the identical person he represents himself to be; and that they have no interest in
the prosecution of this claim.
J.E. Dinsmore
Jas. R Williams.
SWORN TO and subscribed before me this 14 day of July
1905; and I hereby certify that the contents of the above declaration, etc.,
were fully made known and explained to the applicant and witnesses before swearing,
including [inserted: all] the words ____
erased, and [inserted: all] the words ____; and
that have I no interest, direct or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim.
J R Gicker CountyClerk
By W ? Binns Dep
Page 5

3 -- 362.
( Old No. 3 - 129. )

No. Old War

ORIGINAL PENSION OF MINOR CHILDREN.

Children, Sarah Sowards

Guardian, ____
P.O. Nebo
County, Pike
State, Illinois
Soldier, Francis Ayers
Rank, Private
Company Captain Thomas Sneads
Regiment, 9 Virginia Regiment Co
Continental Establishment
Revolutionary War
Rate, $ ___ per month commencing
and $2 a month additional for each child, as follows:
________ Born____, ____ Sixteen ____, ____ Commencing ____, ____
[Above repeated 8 more times]

O. W. and N. Div
RECOGNIZED ATTORNEY.
Name, C. W. Patterson
Post-office, Pittsfield Ill.
Fee, $ ____, Agent to pay.
Articles filed ____
Payments on all former certificates covering any portion of same time to be deducted. REJECTED
Aug 14/05
sent- atty Patterson informmed AJ

APPROVALS.
Submitted for Rjct August 4, 1905, Pearce Thompson, Examiner
[Written over pre-typed text, mostly illegible] 
Approved for rejection on the grounds that the clamant
falls within the prohibition of Section 4742 R.S. US
which forbids allowances to children or other descendant of
Revolutionary War soldiers where such soldiers or his widow
died without having
established a claim
for pension.
Aug, 7, 1905, L Berger
Legal Reviewer.
Aug. 8, 1905, C. G. Bentley
Re-Reviewer.

IMPORTANT DATES.
Enlistment, February-, 1776
Discharge, November 30, 1777
Death,1845?
Invalid claim filed, None, 1___
Invalid paid to ____,1___
Widow's claim filed None, 1___
Widow paid to ____, 1___
Minors' claim filed, ____, 1___
Guardian appointed,____, 1___
Former marriage of soldier, ____, 1___
Death or divorce of former wife, ____, 1___
Last marriage of soldier, ____, 1___
Death or remarriage of widow, ____, 1___
Former marriage of wife, ____, 1___
Death or divorce of former husband, ____, 1___

Claimant does --- write.
No, M. C.

18751656 - 01
Page 6

Rev.&1812 Wars Section
R. 26086

February 7, 1927

Mary Williams
Nebo, Ill.


Madam:
I have to advise you that it appears that on July 14, 1905,
Sarah Sowards aged seventy-seven years whose Post Office
address was Nebo, Illinois, applied for pension as the youngest
est daughter and only living child of Francis Ayres who had been
dead about sixty years and his wife Mary who died about
seven years before her husband.
She stated that Francis Ayres enlisted in February 1778
in Captain Thomas Snead's Company of the Ninth Virginia Regiment
and was discharged November 30, 1777.
Her claim was not allowed as children of soldiers of the
Revolution had no title to pension.
There is no further data on file as to family.
Respectfully,

WINFIELD SCOTT
Commissioner.
Page 7

( 3 -- 224. )

No. 26086

Thompson
[Crossed out: Stafford], Ex'r.

OLD WAR WIDOW. REJECTED.

Sarah Sowards
P.O. Nebo, Pike Co, Ill
Daughter of
Francis Hyers
Capt Snead - 9 Va Regt
Revolutionary War
Died at ____
____other claim.
No O. W. [Illegible] or Widow
July 20, 1905. Morrison Clerk.

Application filed: July 17, 189 1905.
Attorney: C W. Patterson
P. O. Pittsfield
Ill

(10893,00.]
6 -- 607

1905 July 22 Claimant  &atty C. W. Patterson
notified B

[Crossed out: July 26, 05- Mil Secy
for mil and med history]

8 14/05 claimant
atty Patterson
informed of
jection
1927-Feb. 7. Hist to Mary
Williams 

JUL 22 1905
Page 8

3 -- 595.

O. W. AND N. DIVISION.

Department of the Interior,

BUREAU OF PENSIONS.

Searched by ____
O. W. Wid
Claim No. ____
Certificate No. ____
Claimant Sarah Sowards
Soldier Francis Ayers
Service Capt Snead's Co.
Rev War 9 Va. Regt
Additional service. ____
Remarks No bounty land as above
on Register of 1855.
135430 Rej. - 55?/ [Illegible]
Old militias
No Rev. bounty land
Filed May 17. 1855
Aug. 3, 1905.

C.M. Bryant
Chief of Division.

6091b10m11-02
Page 9

8 - 049.

Ex. W Div. Rev 182 Sect
Department of the Interior,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS.

WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec 21, 1926

The attached letter is respectfully returned
with the information that the data furnished is
not sufficient to enable this Bureau to make intelligent
answer to the queries therein contained.
Please fill out such of the blank spaces below
as the information in your possession will permit,
and return to this Bureau.
[Crossed out: No. of claim] [Inserted: First name of widow]
Name of soldier, Frances Ayers
P. O. address of [crossed out: claimant], soldier at
enlistment & after service
Company ____
Regiment Old Continental
State where enlisted Virginia
Date of [crossed out: enlistment] [inserted: birth] ____
Date of [crossed out: discharge] [inserted: death]
If unable to furnish company and regiment
give names of commanding officers.
I think his
Captin Thomas --
Return attached letter with reply.
WINFIELD
SCOTT
Commissioner.
Page 10

Dec. 4 1926
As Francis Ayers has been dead
for about 70 years all records
have been lost
Mary Williams
Nebo Ill

Rev 
U. S. PENSION OFFICE
DEC. 9 1926
Page 11

W 3 -- 333.

O. W. & N. Div. L.V.S. Ex'r
Wid. No. Old War Department of the Interior,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS,
Francis Ayers

MILITARY SECRETARY'S OFFICE 
WAR DEPARTMENT
JUL 27 1905
1039857
File mil- /03/555

SIR:
For use in the above-entitled claim for pension you are requested to furnish this Bureau
with a full military and medical history and personal description, including birthplace and occupation,
of Francis Ayers who, it is alleged, enlisted Feeb _ crossed out: 18__] [inserted: 1776,]
at ____, as a ____ in [crossed out Co.] [inserted: Capt. Thomas [crossed out: Reg't]
Sneads Co. 9th.. Virginia Mil, and was discharged Nov. 30, 1777; [crossed out: 18__,]
at ____
by
It is also alleged that on or about ____, 18__, he was disabled
by ____
and was treated in hospitals as follows: ___

Very respectfully,
V. Warner 
Commissioner.

[Crossed out: The Chief of the
RECORD AND PENSION OFFICE,
WAR DEPARTMENT]

[Inserted: To the
MILITARY SECRETARY,
WAR DEPARTMENT.]

U. S. PENSION OFFICE
JUL 28 1905

.
Page 12

Write nothing to the left of this line

3- 333.
( Old No. 3 - 060. )

No. ____

WAR DEPARTMENT,
RECORD AND PENSION OFFICE.
Respectfully returned to the Commissioner
of Pensions.

Co. ____ Regt. ____
was enrolled ____, 186_.
and ____, 186_.
From ____, 186_, to ____, 186_. 
he held the rank of ____
and during that period the rolls show him
present except as follows: ____
Place of birth, ____
age, ____ years; occupation, ____
height, ____ feet ____ inches; complexion ____;
color of eyes, ____;
color of hair, ____
The medical records show him treated as
follows: ____

Address: "The Military Secretary,
War Depapartment, Washington, D. C."

WAR DEPARTMENT,
THE MILITARY SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, July 27, 1905.

Respectfully returned to
The Commissioner of Pensions.
The records of this office show
that one Francis Ayres served as a
private in Captain Thomas Snead's
Company, 9th Virginia Regiment on the
Continental Establishment, Revolutionary
war; that he enlisted in February,
1776, exact date not shown, to
serve two years, and that he was discharged
November 30, 1777. Nothing
further relative to this soldier
has been found of record.
O. W. & N DIVISION 
RECEIVED JUL 28 1905

[Illegible]
The Military Secretary.
Page 13

N.

P. T. Exr.

August 14, 1905.

Old War No. 26, 086,
Sarah Sowards,
Daughter of
Francis Ayers,
Revolutionary War.

Madam:-
Relative to the above cited claim you are advised that it is rejected
on the ground that section 4742, Revised Statutes prohibits the
allowance of pension to children or other descendants of Revolutionary War
soldiers where such soldiers or their widows died without having established
title to pension. [Added by hand: Even if they had recd pension the statute of limitation
would have prevented children of Rev Soldiers
for receiving arrears of pension
that was stopped 
about 1832.
AW office note.]

Very respectfully,
Commissioner.

[Added by hand; She never proved that her father
was that soldieer named by War Dept.
In fact she was not called upon to prove anything as she had no [illegible].
Page 14

THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Form VAM-51
12-5-41

Division of Veterans' Administration Archives

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*

NAME Ayers, Frederick E GRADE Private LINE Maryland

WARRANT NUMBER 10939 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED January 15, 1792
to John Wright, assignee
of Hugh McCoy, admr

*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.