Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 5886, for Joseph Kerr, New Jersey
Page 1

(3 - 1776)
SERVICE
New Jersey
CONTENTS
Kerr
Joseph
NUMBER
R
R. 5886
Page 2

State of Pennsylvania
Fayette County ┃
On the day of September 1834 personally appeared in open
Court of said County, now sitting of Uniontown, Joseph Five
resident of Fayette County and State aforesaid, aged 72 years, who
being first sworn according to Law, doth on his oath, make the
following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of and
of Congress, passed the 7th June 1832
That he was drafted into the service of the United States in the
year 1777 in the State of New Jersey Monmouth County, for
freehold township; and entered the service on the first of July and
General Freeman. Capt. Joseph Coward Quitman Samuel
Boward, Ensign William Yates orderly Sergeant Aaron Home
all of the County and State aforesaid he was marched through Monmouth
County down to Sandy hook, to guard the shore to prove
the British from obtaining supplies in that quarter, the whilst
there an English his run aground near the shore, that his
company got a number of small crop boarded the vessel and brought
the cargo, consisting of Rum, plates, knives & forks, pigs and which
fathers reply to thou and burnt the ship; that he was with said
Company permitted to return home the last of January 1778.
making six months and was drafted again and marched under the
same officers in the first of August following down to Toms River in
new jersey when they were informed the tories had erected a fort
and were committing depredations upon the approach the tories
 but they burnt the fort they were afterwards marched from
place to place guarding the shore against the means of the
enemy, and sat down the bridge in this town he was detained
six months, and from both these tours he was dismissed
without discharge, many or provisions; making in all twelve
the terminations required to be fed by the course the deponent as
there he was born in the State of New Jersey Monmouth County,
upper freehold township of his parents informed him on the
16th September 1762 and resided there until he was twenty one
years of age when he removed to and resided for years in the
State of Pennsylvania. He then removed to the State of Maryland
and in 1811 he removed to Fayette County Pennsylvania
when he has consined lived
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that he has no record of his age that he was a drafted
Militiaman & served under the officers and at the places stated
above, that he knows of no witness living by whom he can
prove his services, but that General James Patterson & James
Winders will certify to his character as a Revolutionary
Soldier that owing to the instance of his residence from
the from the County that he could not prove the attendance
clergyman
that he relinquishes my claim
whatever to a pension or annuity except the present
and declares his name is not to the best of his knowledge
on the pension roll of any agency in any
State
Sworn & subscribed in open Court
2nd Sept 1834 Richd Been
Joseph Kerr
Jack
Onthy
General James H. Patterson & James Winder both resident in
Fayette County Pa do hereby certify that we are well
acquainted with Joseph Kerr who has made the foregoing
declaration that we believe him to be 72 years of age
that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where
he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that
we concur in that open & that he is a man of county
& truth.
Sworn & subscribed in open Court
James H Patterson
2d Sept 1834 Rich. Beeson
James Winder
---
Footh
And the Court do hereby declare their opinion after the
investigation of the matter and after putting the in
interragatories prescribed by the war department, that
Joseph Kerr, who has signed & sworn to the paying
declaration was a tiller of the Revolutionary war
served as he states. And the Court do further certify
that appears to them that give James Patton
and James P Minder who have signed the above certify
at are both residents of Fayette County Penna and
are reputable person and that their statement is
entitled to credit
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Tayler County
Pennsylvania

Richard Beeson Prothonators of the
Court of Common pleas in for said
County do certify that the foregoing
contains the original proceeding the
the said Court in the matter of the
application of Joseph Kerr for a pension
hereof I have hereunto set his hand
offered the seal of the said County
John
Sept
1824
Rich
the
ington
to
the
Rev Pension
for my
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986 W
Joseph
free Stewart
M
J.L. Edwards Esq
Com of Pensions
War Dept
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Hopkins
Mar 26 /46
J L Edwards
by
June 7
Pens
Sir:
will you
the goodness
have
to send me
the
paper
Joseph Kerr can
requested to the enclose
hole
also
commensedrate
in
informatin
ye
by
have
in relation to
Thos Hall in
referred to
Reben
the
Cashier
letter
of
truly
A. Stewart
=
Page 7


Joseph Kerr
Penn

5886
Rejected
See letter to
Hon A. Stewart
27 Decr 1834
same
July 20. 1836
the 16 June 37
Butcher
-

Andrew Stewart
April 8th 46
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The honourable the Secretary at War Washington City
We the Subscribers are and have been for a long time will
acquainted with Joseph Kerr of Franklin Township in
the County of Fayette Pa. from our knowledge of mr. Kerr we have no hesitation in recommending him to
your honour as a man of truth sober and honest
but failing fast through age and infirmity from all
we know of Mr Kerr we make no doubt of his having
served his country in the Revolutionary war from
Kerr statement and from his appearance we should
suppose he was about 72 years of age. We therefore rec
command him as a proper person to receive the County
of his country and the benefit of the laws of the United States
made in behalf of
Old Soldiers
John Roberts
April 15th 1834
Edward Mc Sherry
John Wilgus-
James
Patterson
---
Michael Layton
Henry Deal
Elijah
Give her request ┃
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REJECTED

Act of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1879.
vice:
5886
---
of
Joseph Kerr
Enlisted:
Discharged:
Alleges:
.
tion filed:
Re-enlisted:
---
Recognized.
Cert. of Dis. Searched for
18
18
Contra
18
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UNIONTOWN PA JUN 12
James L. Edwards Esqr
Commissioner
Butler

of
Pensions


War department
Washington D.C.
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Union Town Fayette Co Pa June 11th 1837
Sir I am forced to double you again in relation to
the application of Joseph Kerr for a pension. My
only apology for my importunity after the application
has been refused; is his necessitious circumstances
and a conciousness that he is entitled to a pension
The Hon. Andrew Stewart wrote to you on the 18th of
July 1836 on the subject of Mr Kerrs application for
pension under the act of June 7th 1832, as reference to
the papers of your office will show. The objections
to Mr Kerr's Claim as stated in your reply to Mr Stewart
 dated July 20 1836 was that Kerr alleged he was
drafted in 1777 and served six months in Captain Co
ards company Col. Freeman's regiment, and that in
1778 he served six months in the same company, the
applicant instructs me to say, that there is an
error in your reply else it was in error in his
declaration: as regards his officers. His Colonel was
Elisha Lawrance not Freeman his Lieut. Colonel Daniel
Hendrickson, and his captain's name is as you have
stated it, Howard; the Commissary was Abram Hendrickson
. Your objection however to his claim is that there
is no evidence of any such service in the Malitia of
New Jersey; they were divided into classes and served alternate
in monthly tours, were frequently dismissed before the
expiration of the month; but not in any instance required
than
to serve longer that term, which Mr Stewart assures
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me must be a mistake for on the application of Isaac
Young (he thinks the person's name was the same objections
were urged; and he and the Hon. Samuel L. Southard
examined the statute laws of N. Jersey and found accord
and to a memorandum which he has given me
" on page 129 Act 7 June 1780 to raise 624 men to serve
six months to wit, to 1 Jany 1781,
on page 157 act 26 Dec. 1780 to raise 20 volunteers for
frontion defence
The men raised in consequence of this act served until ┃
Jany 1 1782
3 from each company in Sussex to serve all 1st
1831
Page 190 Supplement June 1777 (6 months). It is true all
these acts are dated subsequent to the time that the
claiment alleges he entered the service; but they go
to show it was the custom of the state for men to serve
longer than one month
Mr Kerr further thinks they were sometimes arbitarely
kept in the service by the Commander, and that
sometimes they volunteered for a longer period
than their first term of service he dont remember
whether either of these was his case or not
If upon examination it is found that Mr Stewart
is correct, and that the applicant is entitled to the
pittance the generosity of a grateful country has
awarded to others; and it is found necessary to amend
the declaration of Mr Kerr, that you now have in
your possession (owing to the inadvertence in the statement
of his officer's names, or if further proof is deemed necessary and you will be kind enough to state what it is
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It will if practible, be forwarded to you immediatly
The reason why Mr Kerr did not reiterate his
application sooner, is that he lives in a remote part of
the County and could not procure any one to
do it for him
I very respectfully, though earnestly solicit an early
answer as Mr Kerr is in extreme poverty and enable
to sustain himself by reason of his age and other
infirmities
James L. Edwards Esqr
Commissioner of Pensions
I have the honour
to be your's &c
with great respect
George Butcher
Mr Butcher has shewed me the foregoing letter
from my knowledge of men's character as an
honest man & a man of truth from he now
his since I have not a doubt of his having been
in service as he states, & on account of
his property as will as a sense of the Justice
by his claim I should be gratified if he
could be placed on the pension roll
with quat respect
J. L. Edwards Esq
at at
Ann Street
Com of Pension