Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2,589, James Cupples, Penn.
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Service
Penn.

Cupples, James

Number
R. 2,589
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To. The Commissioners of Pensions

Sir.

James Cupples, a Revolutionary Soldier died within the last twelve or fifteen years. His daughter is anxious to ascertain whether there is any pension due to him, a Bounty land. I know not what Reg. or Co. he served in, but of course his name is on record with the necessary facts. I do not [unintelligible] as the Atty or Agent of the family but simply as their friend & at the request of one of his daughters .

Very Truly
W H Irwin
Lewistown
May 21, 1855
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Lewistown Pa Feby 22 1855

To the Comm. of Pensions

D Sir

James Cupples was drafted soon after the commencement of the revolutionary war, served for a while as wagon master, was in the battle of Brandywine, some 4 or 5 years before his death. He applied for a pension which was granted to him. He died in 1843, leaving eleven children. His papers have been lost or misplaced or are in the hands of someone who conceals them. But I presume the records in your office show the facts, when application was made for a pension. First are his children or personal representatives entitled to draw his pension up until he made the application, say in 1838 or 1839, does not an act of Congress give him a pension from the time he was discharged or from the time of the passage of the act, and as he did not draw it - has not his personal representative or children a right to draw it. That is the back money and 2d Was his pension up to the time of his death,  and if so by whom. 3d Are not his children entitled to bounty land under existing laws or pension or other theirs. By answering the above inquiries your will *very much oblige* said heirs as well as 
Your Obt Servt
J W Shaw
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State of Pennsylvania Mifflin County SS On this fourth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three personally appeared in open court before Thomas Burnside Esquire, President and John Oliver and David Reynolds Esquire his associate Judges of the court of Common Pleas of Mifflin County in the State of Pennsylvania now sitting James Cupples a resident of the Derry township in the County of Mifflin and State of Pennsylvania aged seventy four years on the 21st day of May last who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.               
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated in the year 1776 in the month of August he was drafted and marched from Chester County in Pennsylvania under Captains Evan Anderson & Lieutenants Daniel Bowan & Bentley to Philadelphia - where they were detained 10 days or two weeks waiting for their arms - thence they marched to Amboy in the State of New Jersey where we were stationed during the remainder of the term of two months the term for which he was drafted and was then regularly discharged. That during this term of service he was not in any engagement but done camp duty during the time. General Robert Doe had command of the troops stationed at Amboy at that time. That the field officers of the Regiment to which he was attached were Colonel Richard Thomas, Lieut. Col. Lewis Grove, Majors John Bartholomew & John Baton.
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the inhabitants that there were but few days during this term of service that he was not out on duty. That he was at the taking of two British Soldiers near the Schuylkill one of whom he caught himself. The Field officers of the Regiment to which he belonged on this town were Col. Evans & Major John Culbertson both of Chester County in said State of Pennsylvania. That he does not now recollect the names of the other field officers. That Genera James Potter was their commanding General. That he was out on this campaign two months, the term for which he was drafted, at the expiration of which he was regularly discharged.               
In September 1781 he was again drafted in the militia from Chester County Penn for two months tour he was marched to Downingstown in said county under the command of Captain John Craig - his Lieutenants names he does not now recollect. His Colonel was John James. He was there for some time with his company waiting for orders when their colonel received orders from Philadelphia and the troops were discharged. He was out but a short time on this service. He thinks best 6 or 7 days, until they received their discharge. He had with him on this tour his wagon by an agreement with the Captain as a baggage wagon for their company.             
That there were not any continental troops stationed where he was stationed at any time that was in the service                     
Interrogatory 1st. Where an in what year where you born? Answer - He was born in the county of Antrim in Ireland on the 21st of May 1758.       
Interrogatory 2d - Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? Answer - He has no record of his age. He has seen the record of it in his father's Bible in Ireland when a boy. He left them when 16 years of age and has not seen it since.          
Interrogatory 3d - Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where to you now live? Answer - When called into service in 1776 he was living in West Whiteland Township Chester Count Penna - and in 1777 & 1778 when called into service he was living in Brandywine Manor West Mantzville township in the said county and state. That since the revolutionary war he lived in different parts of said county of Chester until the year 1792 when he moved to Derry township Mifflin County Penna where he continues to live ever since
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Interrogatory 4th How were you called into service? Were you drafted? Did you volunteer? or were you a substitute?
Answer - He was drafted into the service as before stated

Interrogatory 5th - State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troop where you served, such continental and millet regiments as you recollect and the general circumstances of your service.
Answer - That he has give the answer to this interrogatory to the best of his recollection in the foregoing declaration.

Interrogatory 6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given? And what has become of it?
Answer - That he received regular discharges from the service for each town that he served from the Captains he served under vis from Captain Evan Anderson, Captain Robert Lockhart & Captain John Craig - that he does not know what has become of them/ that not knowing they would ever be of service to him he was not careful to preserve them. He rather states that there is not any person living in this county Mifflin that can prove his service and whether any person is living in Chester County who was out with or could prove his services he does not know, that he has not been in [unintelligible] for 38 years past.

Interrogatory 7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character from verity and their belief of your service or a soldier of the revolution.
Answer - Read Samuel P Lilly & Dr Joseph B Ard. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declared that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state

James Cupples

Sworn & Subscribed in open court the 4th day of April AD 1833

D R Reynolds Prothy

We Samuel P Lilly a clergyman residing in the township of  Derry and county of Mifflin Pennsylvania and Joseph B Ard of the Borough of Lewistown, County & State aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Cupples who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy four years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood whence he resides to have
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been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion

Sam. P. Lilly
Joseph B. Ard

Sworn & subscribed the fourth day of April AD 1833 in open court Hon D R Reynolds Prothy

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary and served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Samuel P Lilly who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the township of Derry in Mifflin County and that Dr. Joseph B Ard who has also signed the same is a resident in the Borough of Lewistown in said county and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.

Judges of the court of Common Pleas of Mifflin Co Penna

Th Burnside
David Reynolds
John Oliver

State of Pennsylvania Mifflin County

I David R Reynolds, Clerk of the court of Common Pleas of Mifflin County in the State of Pennsylvania do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of James Cupples for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hence unto set my hand and seal of office this fourth day of April in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three.

D. R. Reynolds Prothy
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February 18, 1909.

Hon. Edgar D. Cumpacker, M. C.
House of Representatives 

My dear Mr. Crumpacker:

In reply to your letter dated the 15" and received the 16" instant, I have the honor to advise you that in the claim Rej. File No. 2,589, it appears that James Cupples was born in Antrim County, Ireland, May 21, 1758. He left Ireland when about 16 years old, and while residing in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, was drafted August, 1776 and served two months in Captain Evan Anderson's company, under Colonel Richard Thomas; drafted September, 1777, in the Chester County, Pennsylvania militia, and served two months under Captain Robert Lockhart and Colonel Evans; drafted September 1781, in same militia, and served six or seven days under Captain John Crag and Colonel Garner. After the Revolution soldier lived in different parts of Chester County, Pennsylvania, until 1792 when he moved to Derry Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. 

He applied for a pension April 4, 1833 while a resident of said Township; his claim was rejected as he did not render six months service, as required by law.

It is alleged that he died in 1848 leaving eleven children whose names are not stated.

Very respectfully,

Commissioner.
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1908 Jan. 9. Hist. to Wm. Richard. AW
1909 Feby 18 Hist. to E. D. Crumpacker [unintelligible]

2589.

P.O. James Cupples

REJECTED
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no

Act 7. June 1832

Pa - Suspended - Pa

James Cupples

Service less than 6 mos


J. W. Shaw March 5 1855
W. H. Irwin May 30 /55

See letter to Hon Jos Henderson
11 Jany 1836.

Act. 7th June 1832
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James Cupples

[postmark] Lewistown PA Feb 24 5

To the Commissioner of Pensions
Pension Office
Washington City, D. C.

Pa - sus - 1832
Page 12

James Cupples
Pa - sus 1832

To the Comm. of Pensions
Washington City, D.C.

[Postmark] Lewistown PA May [unintelligible]
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[Postmark Washington DC May 31 FREF]

Department of the Interior, Pension Office, Official Business,
Commissioner.

L P Waldo
W. H. Irwin Esqr.
Louisville
Pennsylvania
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3-871
Record Division.
Congressional
Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Pensions

Briefed by L D L
Claim No.
Certificate No.
Clamant
Soldier James Cupples
Service
Additional Service Rev. War

Remarks
No claim, except
Rej. #2589
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Through Desk

Record Division.
Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Pensions.

Briefed by Gill
Claim No.
Certificate No.
Claimant
Soldier James Cupples or Coupples
Additional Service Pa.
Rev. War

Remarks:
No claim as above except Rej. 2589
Jan. 9, 1908
no bounty land.
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Pension Office
May 20, 1855

Sir:

In reply to your letter of the 31st. You are informed that the claim of James Cupples was rejected in 1834 for the reason that he did not render an amount of service which would bring it within the provisions of the pension land. He claimed only five months service - whereas the minimum amount of service which would entitle him to pension is six months.

Very respectfully
Your Obt Servant.
L P Waldo
Commissioner

W. H. Irwin, Esqr.
Lewistown, Pa
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M [stamp] [illegible] Div. JAN 8 1908
COMMISSIONER.

Bloomville Ohio Jan 6th, 1908
Hon Com of Pensions
Dr Sir
can you find the name of
James Cupples who was a
Revolutionary soldier and
who enlisted incumberland or
Pennsylvania in 1776 as we
hav learned that we are
Heirs to an estate left by him
in Daublin Ireland, and being
in poor circumstances with
the exception of what pension
we receive from the government
three of us having served in
the war of the rebellion, so we
ask you the kindness to look
it up at your earliest convenience and we will feel
over
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very grateful for your kindness hoping to get reply in the near future we remain your very resfy

Address
William Richard
Bloomville Ohio
Seneca Co.

ps the said James Cupples was our grandfather

To Chf Record Division 
Section reply [unintelligible]
Jan 8 1908
desk [unintlligible]
COMMISSIONER.

R. 2589

Record Division
Jan 9 1908
Page 19

Sixtieth Congress
Edgar D Crumpacker, Chairman
Edwin C Burleigh, 
Otto G. Foelker,
James A. Hughes, 
James Hay,
Hiram R Burton
Joseph T Robinson,
Nathan W. Hale, 
Willam B. Wilson,
William M. Calder,
Hannibal L. Godwin,
Howard M. Snapp,
William E. Cox,
John W Langley,
Courtney W Hamlin,
Charles F. Barclay
Nelson R Jacobson, Clerk

Hour of Representatives U.S.,
Committee on the Census

Washington D. C., Feb. 15, 1909.

Hon. V. Warner,
Commissioner of Pensions, City.

My dear sir:-

Please inform me whether or not James Cupples ever drew a pension as a soldier of the Revolutionary War. I can give you no other data than his name, but I hope you may be able to give me the information I desire from that.

Sincerely yours,
E. D. Crumpacker
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Record Division

3-525.

Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Pensions,
WASHINGTON, D. C., 190

R 2589

In reply to your request of     , received        for a statement of the military history of James Cupples a solider of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his application for pension on file in this Bureau.

Dates of Enlistment of Appointment.
Length of Service
Rank.
Officers under whom services was rendered
Captain. Colonel.
State.

Aug 76
2 mons
Evan Anderson
Richard Thomas
Pa.

Sept. 77
2 "
Robert Lockhart
Evans.
"

Sept. 81
6 or 7 days
John Craig
John Garner
"

Battles engaged in,
Residence of soldier at enlistment, West Whiteland Township. Chester Co. Pa.
Date of application for pension, Apr. 4, 1833.
Residence at date of application, Derry Township. Mifflin Co. Pa
Age at date of application, born in Antrim Co. Ireland May 21, 1758.
Remarks: Soldier left Ireland when about 16 years old; since the Rev he lived in different parts of Chester Co. Pa. until 1792 when he moved to Derry Township Pa. It is alleged that he died in 1843 leaving eleven children names not stated. His claim was rejected as he did not render 6 mos service as required by law.

Very respectfully,
Commissioner