Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 16391, Bennet Greenwell, Md.
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
Md.

Greenwell, Bennet

NUMBER
S. 16391

carded

CONTENTS
Page 2

6352
Kentucky
==========================
Bennet Greenwell
of Franklin C. in the State of Ky
who was a private in the Company commanded
by Captain Greenwell of the Regt commanded
by [blank] in the Maryland Militia
line for 12 mo
===========================
Inscribed on the Roll of Kentucky
at the ate of 40 Dollars [blank] Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
===========================
Certificate of Pension issued the 28 day of July
1833 and Richd M
Johnson H R
===========================
Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832 60.00
Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 March 1833 20.00
$80.00
=====
{ Revolutionary Claim, }
{ Act June 7, 1832. }

Recorded by H H Sylvester, Clerk
Book D Vol. 9. Page 412
Page 3

State of Kentucky, Franklin Coun
ty Sct:

On this 6th day of February
1833, personally appeared before
the Honourable Samuel Todd,
sole Judge of the Franklin cir
cuit court, now in session
in the capital in Frankfort,
Bennet Greenwell, a resident
of the county of Scott and
State of Kentucky, aged
seventy one years, who be
ing first duly sworn accor
ding to law, doth on his 
oath, make the following
declaration in order to ob
tain the benefit of the act
of congress passed June the 7th
1832.

That he entered the ser
vice of the United States and
served as herein stated:

That, on the 8th day of
December 1777, he entered the
service of the United States,
as a volunteer, in Captain
John Greenwell's company of
volunteer militia, who acted as
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minute men, in the Maryland
Militia; that Capt John Green
well, with his company, was engaged
from December 1777, until the close
of the revolutionary war, in garding
that part of Maryland, which lies
between the Patomack and Patux
ant rivers, on the Chesapeake 
Bay; that the said Bennett Green
well was stationed, by Capt John
Greenwell, on that part of the
Patomac, which lies between
Poplar hill creek and Flood's
creek, being about two miles
on said river; that the duty
assigned to him was to guard
that portion of the Potomack,
keep a good look out for the
British rebels and give imme
diate notice to Captain John
Greenwell's company of mi
litia, or to Captain Shelton's
company of Light horse, or
to any other troops that might
be nearest to his station when
it should become necessary for
him to give the alarm; that
he kept two horses constant
ly in the stable, to be always
ready to carry the expresses
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during the whole of the time he
was in the service, which was
from the 8th of December 1777
until the close of the war,
in October 1781; that he frequently
carried expresses during the period
that intervened between December
1777 and October 1781; that whilst
he was engaged in watching the
Potomac and carrying expresses
as aforesaid, several British vessels
sailed up the Potomac  and com
mitted depradations on the inhabitants
upon the Maryland shore; that he re
collects particularly two British
74 gun vessels, the Roebuck and the
Foy, which frequently sailed up
the Potomac, that on one occa
sion they burnt the house of Har
bert Blackstone at the mouth of
Clements' bay, which empties in
to the Potomac at Blackstone's
Island and the crew took a great
many [illegible] and rails from the
Island; at another time they burnt
William Gwider's house at Piney Point
neck; that on all of these occasions
he carried his expresses to the
nearest company to his said
station; several of these expresses
were carried to Capt. John Green
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well; several to Capt Charles
Shelton, who commanded the light
horse; several to Bennet Raighly,
the Lieutenant in said troop of horse,
and several to Bennett Coombs the
Lieutenant of Capt John Green
well's company of volunteer mi
litia.  During the whole of the
period from December 1777 untill
the close of the war, as aforesaid,
he was engaged, as one of Capt Green
well's company and by his orders, in
watching the two miles on the Potomac
and on all necessary occasions carrying expresses.

He further states that he never re
ceived any written discharge from
the service; but that after after
the news was received of the cap
ture of Cornwallace, Capt.
John Greenwell, who was his rel
ative, told him that the war was
over and that he was dischar
ged.  He has no documentary 
evidence, and knows of no
person by whom he can positively
prove the aforesaid service, ex
cept William Fenwick of Frank
lin County, Kentucky, who is a
bout seventy five years of age,
whose testimony he will attach
to this statement.

He hereby relinquishes every
claim whatever to a pension or
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annuity, except the present, and de
clares that his name is not on the
pension roll of any agency of the
United States.

Sworn to an subscribed the
day and year aforesaid
Bennet Greenwell

Questions put to the applicant
by the Court.

Where and in what year 
were you born?  Answer, I was
born in the County of St. Mary in
the State of Maryland on the
7th day of December 1761.

Have you any record of your
age and if so where is it?  Ans.
I have none, but my father had
which was in the possession of my
brother Joseph in 1810 when I was
last in Maryland, and I then took
a copy from it, which I have exam
ined and know it to be as stated
above.

Where were you living when call
ed into the service?  where have you
lived since the revolution? and where
do you now live?  Ans.  I lived when
called into the service in St. Mary's
County in Maryland, where I resi
ded untill 1795, when I removed to
Kentucky and settled on the
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waters of Elkhorn in Scott coun
ty Kentucky where I have re
sided ever since.

How were you called into the
service? were you drafted? or
did you volunteer? or were you
a substitute and if so, for whom?
Ans.  I volunteered

State the names of some of the
regular officers, who were with the
troops where you served; such
continental and militia regiments
as you can recollect, and the gen
eral circumstances of your service.
Ans.  There were no regular officers
with the troops where I served and
no regiments either of continental
troops or militia.  The only troops
where I served were the Light horse
or cavalry, and volunteers or mi
litia, to act as light troops, to
fly from point to point, as oc
casion might require, to repel
the predatory invasions from
[word struck out] the British shipping along
the Maryland shore of the Chesa
Peake bay, between the Potomac
and Patuxent rivers, and also along
the Maryland shore of both those
rivers.

Did you ever receive a discharge for
the service, and if so, by whom was it giv
en and what has become of it?  Ans.  I
never received any other discharge, than
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well at the close of the war.

State the names of persons to whom
you are known in your present neighborhood
and who can testify as to your character
for veracity, and their belief of
your services as a soldier of the rev
volution. Ans.  I am well acquain
ted with Col. Richard M. Johnson,
who is now in Congress; I am ac
quainted with Mr. William Fenwick,
who can testify as to my services
as a soldier in the revolution, and
with Mr. Samuel P. Weisiger, [illegible]
J. O. Belt, Stephen Fenwick and many others who
can testify as to my character 
and veracity.

We William Fenwick, Joseph J.
Belt, Stephen Fenwick and Joseph
Smith citizens residing in the
county of Franklin and State
aforesaid, do hereby certify that
we are well acquainted with
Bennett Greenwell, who has
subscribed and sworn to
the above declaration; that we be
lieve him to be seventy one years of
age; that he is reputed and believ
ed in the neighborhood where he re
sides to have been a soldier of
the revolution, and that we
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concur in that opinion

Sworn, and subscribed the day
and year aforesaid.
William Fenwick
Jo Smith
Joseph J Belt
Stephen Fenwick

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the
investigation of the matter and putting the interrogatories
prescribed by the War department; that the above named
applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he
states.  And the Court further certifies that it appears to
them, that William Fenwick, Joseph Smith, Joseph J.
Belt, and Stephen Fenwick, who have signed the
preceeding certificate, are residents of the County of
Franklin and State aforesaid, and are credible persons
and that their statement is entitled to credit.

State of Kentucky, Franklin County Sct.

I Philip Swigert, Clerk of the Franklin
Circuit Court in the State of Kentucky, do certify that
the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the
said Court in the matter of the application of Bennet
Greenwell for a pension.

In Testimony whereof I have hereto
set my hand as clerk and affix the
[Blurred seal of Court] seal of said Court this 6th
day of February 1832.
Philip Swigert o.f.c.c
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Bennet Greenwell
on the line between
Scott & Franklin
_____
Sent on by Lewis
Sanders Sec of
State, Kenty.
minute service
_____
1 witness
_____
I agree as the agt of the
applicant, to accept an
allowance for one year.
Rh. M. Johnson
Page 12

The affidavit of William Fenwick states that
he is in the seventy fifth year of his age.  That
he is well acquainted with Bennet Greenwell
who this day made oath before the Franklin Circuit
Court to his declaration to enable him to receive
the benefit of the provisions of the act of Congress
of June the 7th 1832.  That he was present
when said declaration was read and believes that
the statements therein are true as some of the
circumstances detailed comes under his own
knowledge and observation.  He lived a near
neighbor to said Greenwell in Maryland, at
the time of and during the revolutionary war. That
he served a part of the time stated, in the same
company with him, to wit Capt John Greenwells.
That during the war at various times he saw
the said Bennett and always found him at
his station as detailed in his declaration.

Witness my hand this sixth day of February
1833.
William Fenwick

State of Kentucky Franklin County Sct.

This day the above named William Fenwick
personally appeared before the undersigned a Justice
of the peace in and for said County (who by virtue of
my office was one of the Judges of the County Court of Franklin)
and make oath to the truth of the foregoing affidavit,
I also certify that said Fenwick is known to me
and his character is good as a man of truth.  Given
under my hand this 6th day of February 1833.
James Shannon J.P.
Page 13

State of Kentucky }
Office of Secretary of State } Sct

I Lewis Sanders Jr. Secretary of the State aforesaid
do hereby certify that Phillip Swigert who has signed
his name to the annexed certificate with the seal of the
Franklin Circuit Court was at the date thereof and now is
Clerk of said Court, and that James Shannon, who hath
signed his name to the foregoing certificate as a Justice of the
peace, was at the date thereof and now is one of the
Commonwealth Justices of the Peace in and for said County
of Franklin.  The said Swigert & Shannon duly appointed
and the latter commissioned & both acting acting as such.  That
their several certificates are in due form and that
full faith and credit is and ought to be given to 
their several acts as such.

[Blurred seal of state]
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my name and caused the seal of
the state to be hereto affixed at
Frankfort.  Given under my hand
the seventh day of February in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and thirty three and in the
41st year of the Commonwealth.
L. Sanders Jr.
Secretary of State
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16391
INVALID.

File No.  16391
Bennet Greenwell
Pri Rev War

Act: June 7" 32
Index:--Vol. A, Page 443

[ Arrangement of 1870. ]