Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S 39686, Andrew Higgins, Del.
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SERVICE
Del.

Higgins, Andrew
or Higgens

NUMBER
S39686

CONTENTS
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[left side of page]

See letter to Hon. C Miner May 27. 1829.

[right side of page]

No. 19.300.

Pennsylvania.  R
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Andrew Higgins of East Fallowfield in the state of Pennsylva. who was a private in the company commanded by Captain J. Stedham, of the regiment commanded by Colonel Haslet, in the Delaware line, for the term of 1 yr. from 1776.--
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Inscribed on the Roll of Pennsylvania at the rate of 6 Dollars per month, to commence on the first of May 1824--
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Certificate of Pension issued the 19th of July. 1824, and sent to Jas. M. Broom, Esqr.
Philadelphia.
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Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1824.      $33.03
["Semi-anl. all'ce ending" stricken out]
4 mos. 4/31     $33.03.

(Revolutionary claim,   )
(Acts March 18, 1818,  )
(and May 1, 1820, &    )
1 March 1824.

Chester Coy.
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State of Maryland Harford County - To wit -
April the 28 - 1824 - Then came before me the
Subscriber a Justice of the peace in and for the
County aforesaid - Jane Flowers and made 
Oath on the holy Evangely of Almighty God
that the now Andrew Hogan her Brother to
inlist [enlist] in the Continental service in the year 1776 and after some time afterwards he came home on a furlough for three days and after
wards went back Again- Sworn to before
Edward Prigg
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State of Maryland, Harford County 

I hereby certify that Edward Prigg, Gentleman, before whom the within oath appears to have been made (and whose name is signed
thereto, was, the time of the making thereof, and of the signing of his name thereto, 
and yet is one of the Justices of the peace of the State of Maryland, in and for Harford County, duly commissioned and sworn, and that to all his acts, as such, full faith and credit are and ought to be given, as well in Courts of Justice as thereout
In Testimony whereof I, hereunto set my hand and affix the seal of my Office, on this Twenty Third day of April in the year of our Lord, One thousand Eight hundred and Twenty four
Henry Dorsey Clk Harford County Court
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18439

Andrew Higgins

J.M. Broom
Philad

J.D. Barnard Esqr
West Chester
Pennsylvania
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Office of the Secratary of the state of Delaware

Dover June 12th 1822

Here is in this office a Muster Roll of Captain Joseph Stedham, Company of the Delaware Regiment Commanded by Col. John Haslet & in the Continental service, during the war of the revolution, by which it appears, that a man by the name of Andrew Higgins, is enrolled & that he enlisted on the 1st day of February 1776, as a private in said Company. There are no pay rolls, previous to January 1777 & I have examined the pay rolls, for the months of January, February & March 1777. I have not been able to find the name of said Higgins, & therefore am unable to certify as to his service.

Peter Robinson
Secy of State

I Thomas Davis Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Chester (Pennsylvania) Do hereby certify that it appears to the satisfaction of the Court that the said Andrew Higgins did serve in the revolutionary war, as stated in the preceeding declaration against the Common enemy. for the term of nine months under One engagement, on the continental establishment.

I also certify that the foregoing oath, & the schedule thereto annexed, are truly copied from the record of the said Court.--And I do further certify that it is the opinion of the said court that the total amount in value of the property exhibited in the aforesaid Schedule is Fifteen dollars.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of the said Court on this fifth day of August
Thomas Davis Prot
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Chester County etc
On this fifth day of August in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred & twenty three, personally appeared in open court of Pennsylvania, being a a Court of Record, according to the constitution & laws of said commonwealth, the same, being a court of record, having the power, of fine and imprisonment, Andrew Higgins, a resident of East Fallowfield township in sworn, according to laws, doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provisions made by the acts of Congress of the 18th of March 1818 & the 1st of May 1820. That he the said Andrew, enlisted, for the term of one year, on or about the first of February in the year seventeen hundred & seventy, in the state of Pennsylvania, in the Delaware Regiment, commanded by Colonel John  Haslet, commonly called the Delaware Blues, in the line of the state of Delaware, on the continental, establishment, that he continued to serve, in the said company, until some time in the month of February in the year seventeen hundred & seventy seven, when he was discharged from the said service, in Wilmington, in the state of Delaware, being at that time, sick of the Camp Fever, under which he had been labouring, for about three months previous.
That he was in the battles of Long Island & white plains & that he has no other evidence,  now in his power, of his said services except the certificate of the secretary of the state of Delaware hereto annexed.
and in pursuance of the act of the 1st of May, 1820, I do solemnly swear that I was a resident, citizen of the United States, on the 18th day of March, in the year eighteen hundred and eighteen, and that I have not since that time, by gift sale, or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it, as to bring myself within the provisions, of an act of Congress entitled " an act for to provide for certain persons, engaged ion the land and naval service of the United States, in the Revolutionary war," passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me, any property or securities, contracts, or debts, due to me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule, hereto annexed, and by me subscribed. and this declarant further maketh oath, that he formerly followed the business of
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Andrew Higgens
a weaver, untill about three years ago, when he lost the sight of one eye, entirely of the other partially & was unable any longer to follow this said business, since which
he has endeavoured to support himself by making baskets but is not able to pursue it to advantage on account of his infirmity and the nature of the business.
That he has no family residing with him except his wife aged about fifty three years, and that he is in such indigent circumstances as to be unable to support himself, without the
assistance of his country, except by public or private charity and declarant further says that he did not make application for a pensions upon the passage of the act of 1818, because at thattime he had his eye sight & was able to maintain himself by his trade, but since the son of his sight as aforesaid, having
no other sufficient means, of living, he is obliged to make this application.

Sworn to declared & subscribed
in open Court this 5th of August 1823
Thomas Davis Prot Andrew Higgins

Schedule refered to in the foregoing declaration
five common windsor chairs
one bedstead
one walnut table
one pine table
one axe
one saw
one hatchet
a lot of crockery
two iron pots/ skillet/tea kettle, in ale worth about fifteen dollars, & exclusive of two chapp beds, & a bare supply of bedding & clothing all which is necessary
Andrew Higgens
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Mrs. Charles H. Wilson
4920 Penn Street
Frankford, Philadelphia
Pennsylvania

Dear Madam,

I advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim S, 39686, it appears that Andrew Higgins enlisted in Pennsylvania about February 1, 1776, served as a private in Captain Joseph Stedham's Company, Colonel John Haslet's Delaware Regiment, was in the battles of Long Island and White Plains and was discharged in February 1777.

He was allowed pension on his application executed August 5, 1823, at which time he was sixty-six years of age and resided in East Fallowfield Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. At the time of his application for pension he referred to his wife who was aged about fifty-three years, but did not state her name, and there are no further data relative to wife and children. 

Very truly yours,
EARL D. CHURCH
Commissioner.

The sol's sister
Jane Flowers, was a res of Harford Co. Md.
in 1824
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[Panel 1]
39686
invalid
Revy
File No. S9686
Andrew Higgins
Pri Rev War
Act 18 March 18
index vol. 3, page 227
{Arrangement of 1870}

[Panel 2]
1929-Oct 10, Hist to Mrs. Chas Wilson, M.E.E
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4920 Penn Street
Frankford, Phila.

July 31st /29.

Commissioner of Pensions:—
Washington D.C.

Dear Sir.
The records show that one Andrew Higgons was receiving a pension in Pennsylvania in 1825. Would it be possible to obtain his record. (in full)
Thanking you in advance
Very sincerely.
Alberta W. Wilson

(Mrs. Chas. H.)
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Chester County of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
I William Williamson Prothonotary of the Court
of Common pleas in and for the County of Chester in the Commonwealth aforesaid Do Certify that Thomas Bod-by Esquire before whom the within affidavit of Dennis Dempsey was taken is and at the time at which it bears
date was one of the Justices of the Peace of said Commonwealth, duly commissioned and qualified for the said County of Chester, to all whose official acts as such full faith
and credit is and ought to be given

In Testimony whereof I have here
unto set my hand and affixed the
Seal of said Court at West Chester
in said County of Chester the first
day of May A.D. 1824
Wm Williamson
Prothy
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Chester County State of Pennsylvania
Before me the subscriber one of the Justices
of the peace in and for said County Dennis Dempsey made Oath on the holy Evangelist that he new [sic; knew]Andrew Higgins & that he Enlisted Capt Joseph Stidhams company
of Col John Hazlots Regiment of Delaware State known by the name of delaware blues, and that the said Andrew Higgins served as a soldier in said company one year and that he well remembers him at the battle of Long
Island and served with him in the afforesaid [aforesaid] company and further saith not
[signatures]
Sworn and subscribed April the 30th 1824 before me
Thos Bedley

x his mark
Dennis Dempsey
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Philad io May 29 1824
Dear Sir,
I am really almost in despair of satisfying your department about the pension of Andrew Higgins an old soldier of the 'Delaware Blues'. I observe that his papers have been sent on several times and returned for further proof. He now sends two additional affidavits which are not conformable to the requisition but they appear to be the product of his last effort.
He has been travelling about the country on foot in search of some of his fellow soldiers to support his claim with a perseverance almost incredible in one of his advanced years, but time has destroyed almost all who survived the [severe] service to which the 'Blues' were exposed. The fate of that gallant regiment ought to plead powerfully for a mitigation of all those [...] which for the satisfaction of The Secretary of War are superadded to the limitations of the act of Congress. 
Of the 'Delaware Blues' it has been often proudly said in the State to which the belonged that "they were the first in the field and the last out of it"
From a full complement of men they were reduced by the chances of 30 engagements to a Captain Cowan and and were disbanded at the Peace covered with scars
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and glory but with [countless] hours worn out by excessive hardship and exposure.
It can scarcely be expected that such proof could be procured as if the Regiment had been [...] but the course of the failure would seem to satisfy a more lenient rule, otherwise the most deserving would have the least chance of justice.
Mr Andrew Higgins' case. The [...] of the Secy of State of Delaware establishes the fact of his enlistment 1st Feb 1776 and the oath of Dennis Demphry, that he served a year in the Regiment - Mrs. Flowers his sister proves that he was at home but 3 days on furlough & went back to the army. The witnesses are cautious and therefore entitled to more credit for what they say, especially as they are supported by Higgins affd made before the [...] the year before. They payrolls before [Janry] 1777 were lost and Higgins name does not appear in that month or the succeeding one but his [...] may explain that fact because he was sick with the camp fever in December, Janry and Febry at Washington as he was not then with the army and discharged the last of Febry as disabled from service, it is highly possible that he was overlooked, but his 9 mos of service would be complete 1st Nov 1776 and to that period there is nothing to cast suspicion on it.
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He is a very old and infirm man and certainly has merit in  not applying for a pension as long as he was able to support himself by his personal labour.
The papers sent should not be satisfactory and any thing further should be required which he can procure I will endeavour to have it done for him.
I feel greatly interested in the fate of this veteran whose poverty has driven him against his will to this application.
With great respect and esteem
I am y mo obt st [your most obedient servant]
James M Broom