Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 5677, for William Johnston, Pennsylvania
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SERVICE   Penn.
Johnston, William
Margaret
NUMBER   R. 5677
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William Johnson & Margaret Bart were lawfully married on the sixth day of July A.D. seventeen hundred & eighty four, according to the records of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in the city of Lancaster 
Lancaster, Penna 
February 8. 1848.}  
John C. Baker h. t. Pastor 
Lancaster City personally appeared  before me an Alderman of said City the above named John Baker Pastor of Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in the City of Lancaster, who being duly sworn doth depose and say, that the above is a true extract from the Church Book of the said Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in the City of Lancaster 
John C. Baker
Sworn and Subscribed before me February 8th 1848}
M Carpenter  Ald
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State of Pennsylvania Lancaster County S.S. 
I J. H. Kunrtz Prothonotary of the Court of Common pleas for said County, do certify that M. Carpenter Esqr. before whom the within & foregoing affidavit was made was at the time and still is an Alderman in and for the City of Lancaster duly commissioned and qualified, and that the signature, purporting to be his is genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at Lancaster this Eighth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight. J.H. Kurtz Prothy
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Mr Yearley & Son 
No. 13 St. Paul Street. 
Baltimore M.D.
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Mr Cole
April 2 1851
Ex B. – Col. 
J. G. Berrett
April 51
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Duncannon Pa Mar 26th 1831
Mr Yearley 
Dear Sir I understand by Mr Bruner that you atend to pension Claims.  Sir I have a case but I have had it it tried twice Bruner told me that you thought that you could get it. I think it will be hard to get at this case that I have refference to is my Granmother.  In we can prove her marriage Granfather’s name was William Johnson.  There is five by that name on Record all from Penns but we can not tell what Company or what Regiment he was in. He joined the company in Lancaster Citty.  He was married to Granmother in Lancaster City Soon after the war.  Her marrage is in Record.   Granmother is years old now.  W Johnson Served Seven years.  let me know wether you can get it and what you will charge for your trouble.  Pleas let me Know soon and oblige 
H Stevenson P. M. 
Aron Joy of Ovid Seneca Co New York State tried to get this claim he has all the proofs that I could get - it must be 4 or 5 years ago he sent on to us for the County seal - he had ful power to get it - some thinks that perhaps he has got too many
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13591
Margaret Johnston
Wid of William
Pa
Act 7 July 1838
Married 1784
husband died 1805
5677
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Declaration 
In order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of the 7th July 1838 
State of Pennsylvania 
County of Perry} ss 
On this fourth day of February 1848 personally appeared before the subscriber a Judge of the Court of said State Margaret Johnston of said County aged eighty one year & over who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 7th 1838 entitled "an act granting half pay and pensions certain widows"  That she is the widow of William Johnston late a soldier in the war of the Revolution, that during the said war, her said husband was a resident of the City of Lancaster Pennsylvania, that he enlisted from there and as this deponent learned from her said husband he enter for during the war, that he served to the close of the war, was at the Battle of Yorktown, Saw the Surrender of Cornwallis, that he drew County land, this deponent had many years since her said husbands honorable discharge, that he belonged to the foot, or Infantry that having been married after the close of the war, all she knows of her said husbands service, she learned from him that he was once taken prisoner & held some time in captivity, this deponent had two brothers in the army belonged to the [unreadable], to wit. Henry Beard & Stephen Beard, they & this deponents late husband the talked over the war hardships, this deponents brothers are dead or one is dead & the other if living, probably in Canada, this deponent cannot name the officers, but is sure her said husband enlisted from Lancaster Pennsylvania. 
She further declares that she was married to the said William Johnston in 1782 or 1785 by Rev Mr Malinburgh, that her name before marriage was Beard, that her late husband the said William Johnston died in 1805 - that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to 1 January 1794 at the time above stated,  - Subscribed & Sworn before me the day & date above mentioned 
G. Blattenberger
Margaret Johnston her mark
I certify that the above named Margaret Johnston is a respectable person that she cannot attend court from bodily infirmity 
G Blattenberger Associate Judge
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State of Pennsylvania 
County of Perry} ss  Mary Eddy whom I certify is a respectable person, after being duly sworn according to law, doth depose & say that she is upwards of sixty years of age, that Margaret Johnston who is applying for a pension, is this deponents mother & both reside together, & that William Johnston the late husband of the said Margaret Johnston was this deponents father, that this deponent was married in 1809- that her said father had the reputation of having served in the war of the Revolution, that he died in 1805 before this deponent was married, that this deponents said mother Margaret Johnston is still a widow, that this deponent said father had the general reputation of having been taken a prisoner.
Mary Eddy her mark
Subscribed & Sworn before me 20 day of Febry thest 1848 
Attest 
Reuben Owen  
Abner Vanfossen  a Justice of the Peace 
State of Pennsylvania 
County of Perry} ss  Henry Stevenson whom I certify is a highly respectable person, after being duly sworn according to law, deposes & says that Margaret Johnston is a widow, that she has the reputation of being the widow of William Johnston, late a Soldier in the war of the Revolution, that this deponent from a child recollects I have heard the stories of the hardships in the war of the Revolution underwent by the said William Johnston & of his having been once taken a prisoner & held in captivity some time 
Subscribed & Sworn before me this 4 day of February 1848 
G. Blattenberger Associate Judge 
Henry Stevenson 
The name of Mary Eddy was written by herself  I directing her hand Witness my hand the day of the above certificate 
G. Blattenberger Judge
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State of Pennsylvania 
Perry County SS. 
Fredrick Speck whom I certify is a respectable person after being duly sworn according to law deposes and says that he is upwards of seventy six years of age and that more than fifty years since he was personally acquainted with William Johnston late of Lancaster in said State and that he had talked with the Said William Johnston of his revolutionary Services and that the said William Johnston always said that he served in the revolutionary war and that the said William Johnston was then the husband of the present Margaret Johnston who is applying for a pension and that she is the identical person and widow of the above named William Johnston and that this deponant was himself married in seventeen hundred and ninety four and that the to said William Johnston had at that time by his Marriage with the said present, Margaret Johnston children that the said William Johnson and the said Margaret the present widow must have been married as early as seventeen hundred eighty six 
Fred Speck
Subscribed and Sworn before me the subscriber a Justice of the peace for said County 
Jany 8th 1849 
Abner Vanfossen
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State of Pennsylvania 
Perry County SS
Henry Bradley Whom I certify is a respectable person after being duly Sworn Sixty three years of age and that about Fifty years since he was personally acquainted with William Johnston late of Lancaster County State of Pennsylvania and that the said Margaret Johnston and William Johnston Lived together and kept House together and that he hath every reason to believe that they were married and that the said William Johnston was the Husband of the present Margaret Johnston who is applying for a pension and that she is the identical person and widow of the above named William Johnston and that this deponent was himself married in Eighteen Hundred and that the said Wm Johnston had at that time by his Marriage with the said present Margaret Johnston had two or three children and that the oldest of them was about Twelve of the said Wm Johnston & Margaret Johnston & Margaret Johnston that is still surviving.
Henry Bradley
Sworn and Subscribed before me the Subscriber & Justice of the peace in and for the aforesaid County This Fourteenth day of January A D 1845 before me
Wm T. Shively J. P. 
G Blattenburger   Margaret Johnston her mark
I certify that the above named Margaret Johnston is a respectable person that the cannot attend court from bodily infirmity 
G Blattenberger  Associate Judge
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State of Pennsylvania, 
Perry County.}  SS 
I  Joseph Miller Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Perry County, do certify that George Blattenberger, Esquire is an associate Judge of the said Court; and that Abner Vanfossen and William T. Shively, Esquires, are magistrates as within Stated and that the foregoing signatures purporting to be theirs are genuine.
 In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court at Bloomfield this 17th day of February A.D. 1848. 
Joseph Miller Prothy 
13591 
Margaret Johnston
Wid. of William 
Pa
Act 7 July 1838 
Married 1784
Husband died 1805 
5677
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5677
Margaret Johnston
REJECTED
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No 13591 
Margaret Johnston 
Pa
5677
Let Hon J. E. Brady 
March 25 ‘48 
D. D. Addison, 
July 17, 49  
John C. Thomas Sep 13 1853 
act 7 July 1838
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application of Margaret Johnston, widow for Pension 
Act 7 July 1838 
D C 
J. E. Brady 
H. R.
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May 4 / 44
Margaret Johnston
Penn
D D Addison
Revolutionary
J. L. Edwards Esqr
Commr of Pensions
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Washington May 17th 1849 
Dr Sir,
I enclose herewith two letters relating to the claim of Mrs Margaret Johnston of Penn’a now on file among suspended cases in your office, and have to request that I may be informed of its condition, and the objections to its allowance, in order that I may, if possible, supply the defects
I am very respectfully 
Yr Most Obt Svt
D. D. Addison 
J. L. Edwards, Esq. 
Com of Pensions
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Duncannon Perry Co July the 12th / 53
 To the Commissioner of Pensions 
Honorable Sir pardon the Intrusion of those few lines Dear Sir at the request of those concerned and through the feeling of humanity, I have been induced to write these few in regard to the pension of a Certain Margaret Johnston wife of a revolutionary Soldier whose claims have been presented at Washington by an agent for consideration for a number years since and to whose prayer and petition there has been No Definite Answer received through Agency or any Other means whatever therefore Dear Sir we pray you to be so Condecending as to answer these few lines on behalf of a poor widow whose Extreme poverty and destitute condition will awaken your simpathies in her behalf and further she has a crippled Daughter from her infancy who is now also an aged woman and should you doubt the veracity of those few lines it can be proved to your satisfaction therefore Dear Sir we wish to know your decision in her case as Every one that she has Engaged Seems Determined to plunder her of her pension or otherwise Do Nothing in her case Dear Sir if you have decided her case favorably we wish to know how much her pension is and how she can obtain it should her Destitute condition and penury obtain your aid and Simpathies in her behalf which is the prayers of the within Named widow and Daughter and also of your Obedient humble Servant  - please Direct your answer to my address 
John B Thomas  
Duncannon Port Perry County Pa