Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 2,972, Thomas Bell, Va.
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(3-1776)

Service                                     Number    
VA              Bell, Thomas          S.2972

                                                   carded  
__________________________________________
CONTENTS
[blank]
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[left side of document]
25227
Jonesboro Tennessee
Thomas Bell
of Washington Co in the State of Tennessee
who was a private in the  [illegible] commanded
by Captain Beadding of the reg't commanded 
by Col Danks in the Virginia 
line for 6 months
______________________________________
Inscribed on the Roll of Jonesboro Ageny
at the rate of 20 dollars [blank] Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
______________________________________
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 day of Dec'r
1833 and [illegible] John
Blair [#3?]
______________________________________
Arrears to the 4th of Sept                     50.00
Semi-ann. allowance ending 4 Mach    10.00
                                                            ======
                                                             $60.00 
                                                            ======

{Revolutionary Claim,}
{Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Dan'l Boyd Clerk
Book 5 Vol 7 Page 122
[right side of document

Let. to I.E.Bell 2 May [5?]4
"          A.L. Buren Sept. 14/57
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State of Tennessee}
Washington County}

Declaration of Thomas Bell for Penion under the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832

Be it remmebered that on the seventh day of November 1833 personally appeared before me William [?Getteyton?] one of the acting Justices of the peace in and for the County aforesaid Thomas Bell aged seventy [illegible] years against the 20th day of February next who from age of bodily infirmity is [made] to allowed of the  seal of Justice in order to [?present?] his claim to a pension and being [illegible] of availing himself of the previous of the act of Congress passed the 7th June 1832 made & [?swears?] the following declaration and that he was born in the state of Maryland ( now District of Columbia) on [illegible] 25th day of February 1756 and ... [faded ink is illegible]... of his age, but believes the foregoing [?traditional?] account is correct. That he [illegible] to Barkley County Virginia where he said declarant [illegible}] when he entered the service [illegible] County in the Revolutionary War. that being liable to military duty on the [illegilbe] of County aforesaid he volunteered in the Barkley Militia [illegible] when on his march to [illegible] & [illegible] the 1st of May 17[??] & rendered [illegible] at Shephard Town under Cap'n [?Buchannan?] of Col [?Dagny?] command, and after lying in [F?] at length followed & Williamsburgh ...[illegible]... for Cornwallis had [?fondly?] [illegible] then [illegible] Capn [?M?] when [Br???] [?resigned?] and served his three months & again volunteered under Capn [?Moo?] for [illegible[ & was marched to York Town and found ...[illegible]... and Gl [?Warringter?] and was in the seige on [illegible] [M???], and again
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Volunteered under his former officer Cap'n [?Morris?] & Col. {[Dank?] to guard the french army on their actioin as far as New York where the British  [?reconferenant?] was collected & after continuing on said March to Boston when the French took [illegible] the [illegible] to which he belonged then returned and was discharged by Capnt [?Morris?], & was in the three several engagements from 1st of May 1781 to the last of March 1782 when he returned home hvaving been in [illegible] Eleven months, lacking a few days that [illegible] ten days that his discharge given him by Captain [?Moore?] have been lost many years ago, and he has now no documentary evidence nor does he know of any person living by whom he can [illegible] service, seeing that he removed shortly after the war & has been departed now all his acquaintences company ever since, but says that Samuel [Mauk?] and Michael [?Coss? Copp?] are pensioners know to him & he together & by whom he can establish reputation for said service. He hereby relinquishes any claim whatever to a pension except ...[illegible]... and declares that his name is not on the roll of the [illegible] any state that there is no ...[illegible]... [?recently?] by whom he can establish the facts regarding by the regulations of ...[illegible]... from age [illegible] bodily infirmity he is rendered unable to [illegible]
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to the seat of Justice of said County in order to [illegible] his pension claim.

Sworn & Subscribed before me this 7th November 1833
Wm Gilligham J
Justice of the peace

             his
Thomas X Bell
           mark

[illegible, rubbed out]

We Samuel Mauk & Michael Copp citizens of Washington County State of Tennessee do hereby certify on oath that we are well acquainted with Thomas Bell the declarant in the foregoing declaration that we believe him to be seventy eight years of age that he resides in our vicinity & is believed to have been a soldier of the Revolution & and is reputed to have served in the Revolutionary War & that we concur in this opinion

            his
Samuel X Mauk
           mark
[signed] Michael copp

Sworn to & subscribed this 8th Nov 1833
[?Ten?] Wm Gillingham JofPeace
State of Tennessee Washington County

I William Gillingham one of the acting Justices of the Peace do certify that Thomas Bell the declarant in the foregoing declaration & Samuel Mauk & Michael Copp his witnesses reside in my acquaintance and are known to me to be
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respectable [others?] ...[illegible].. to full credit that their foregoing [illegible] this original papers in reference to the matter of the application of Thomas Bell for a pension that Thomas Bell the declarant is from age & infirmity considered unable to attend Court in order to present his claim for pension. Given under ..[illegible]... this 7th day of November 1833

[signed] Wm Gilleyland
Justice of the Peace
Washington County

I am well acquainted with with [sic] the persons named in the within Declaration & accordance, William Gilleyland Esq'r is an acting magistrate of Washington County & his signature genuine, the declaration was drawn by me & [?refuted in my ???] new & the witnesses respectable
John Blair [?me?]

Dec'r 3d 1833

[Crosswriting]
28.739

Declaration of Thomas Bell
Revolutionary War
[illegible] 7th 1832

From 12 80 private
Granted
$20

Can only allow as above For Jonesborough agency & co seat J Blair

Hon Jas Blair
[?H.R]
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State of Tennessee} Application of Brooks H Bell son of
Washington County} Thomas Bell, Rev: Pensioner, for arrears of Pension due his mother, and widow of sd Thomas

On this first day of May 18[5?]4 personally appeared be fore the undersigned Justice of the Peace in and for said County Brooks H Bell, a citizen of said County, of good repute & entitled to credit for varacity & who having duly sworn states that he is the son of Thomas & Mary Bell, that his said father was a Revolutionary Pensioner of the United States payable at the Jonesboro Ten Agency and was paid as such from the 4th March 1831 to the 30th day of March 1837 the day of his death at the rate of $20 per annum as may be seen from the records of the Treasury Department, Washington.

He states further that when said Thomas Bell died, he left a widow, the mother of affiant whose marriage to said Thomas took place on the twenty second day of February one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, as may be seen from the following copy of an entry to that effect made in a family Bible long in the possession of the family, and which is an original one, and the only one in existence that affiant knows of, nor does he know of any living who was present at said marriage, which took place in Bakley [sic] Co. Va, & that sd mother named prior to sd marriage was Mary Earrows, and that after the death of his father his mother, who had always lived with his father as his lawful wife, survived him from the 36th Mch 1837 aforesaid to the sixth day of August eighteen hundred and thirty-nine and that under the act of 4 July 1836 she was entitled to a pension in consideration of the service of her husband in the revolutionary war and which in consequence of ignorance on her part of her right she never applied for, and to which affiant is advised is still due and receivable by his children and this declaration is therefore made for that object, That is to say, the said Brooks H. Bell, as one of the children, and heirs of said Thomas & Mary Bell, on his own behalf, and on the behalf of his brother Joseph who resides in Greene Co. Ten and of his brother Andrew, who resides in sd co of Washington and of his sister Rebecca, who also resides in last sd Co and who are alone the only surviving children of their said parents, hereby makes application for the amount of the Pension which was due his sd mother, and which would have been allowed her had she
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Made application before in her lifetime; and he especially asks an examination of the enclosed papers in support of his claim, and for proof of his father's service he refers to the original papers in the case, as provided in the Act 7 May 1840.
Brooks Bell
Sworn to & subscribed before me on the date aforesaid
G W Lynch
Justice of the Peace

State of Tennessee} On this 25th day of Feby
Washington County} 1852, personally appeared before the undersigned, Notary Public in and for said County, John Oamdulph, aged about 93 years, a resident of said County & state, and who being duly sworn according to law states that he resided in Bukley County, Va. from the time he as a youth up till after the War of 1812, that he was well acquainted with the foregoing Thomas Bell, and Mary Edwards, prior to their marriage in Feb. 1783, that he was not present at the marriage, but always understood that they were lawfully married, about that date, that they lived together as husband and wife & were received with surety as such until they left that County in probably, 1810, that several years afterwards he again became, acquainted with them in Washington County, Tenn. where they lived together as lawful husband & wife until the date of Tho: Bell's death in 1837, that his widow [illegible] him several years.
He states further that it was always understood in [illegible] that he, sd Bell, was a revolutionary soldier, and that it was always so understood, whilst in Tenn. And when he applied for a pension for services in the revolution, and for which a pension was allowed him.
John Oamdulph
O his mark
Sworn to & subscribed before me on the day and year afsaid [illegible]
P. Graham
Notary Public
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The State of Tennessee, Washington County
To Wit -
On the 1st day of May - in the year 1854 before me an acting justice of sd County personally came G. W. Telford Wm Gillyland, who are resident credible, & ter
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fifty seven and Rebecca Bell aged nearly fifty four - all of whom
reside in Tennessee
I certify further that G W Telford A G Graham
[illegible] tem Gyforth Bsopos  whose genuine official signatures appear
to the foregoing who the first and last  named acting Justices of the Pleas 
& the other having Notary Public in & for [illegible] County at the rate
the  [illegible] duly elected, commissioned & qualified
I state for this that I am in no ways interested to
the result or persecution of this claim
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my hand & affixed my official seal
at office in Jonesburough in the  [illegible]
day of May A.D. 1854
W. H. Smith Clerk of the County

Heirs of Tho Bells claim
for arrears of a Rev Pen

address
Wm H Smith
Jonesborough Tennessee
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In reply to your request of _________________, _________________received
for a statement of the military history of __________________________
a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired
information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pension
on file in this Bureau.
DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT.

LENGTH OF SERVICE.

RANK.

OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED.
     CAPTAIN.
     COLONEL.

STATE.

Battles engaged in, _________________
Resident of soldier at enlistment, __________________
Date of application for pension, ____________________
Residence at date of application, ____________________
Age at date of application, __________________
Remarks: __________________

Respectfully,
Commissioner.
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May 27 1901
Mrs. W. F. Hammack
Atlanta Ga
1919 Oct. 27. To Mrs. R.C. Howard.
Rev War
2972 INVALID.
File No. 2972

Thomas Bell
Pr. Va, line
---
Act: June 7732
Index: -- Vol. A, Page 26
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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Mill Bend Tennessee 1 Septr (September) 1857
Sir: It is alleged that Thomas Bell late of Washington County Tennessee desd was a pensioner under act 1832. That he died in March 1837 and that he was a captain of the Virginia line and that he never received that amount of pension pr (per) annum allowed to officers of his grade-but be this as it may. It is further alleged that Mary Bell late of Washington Co. Ten. deceased was the lawful wife and widow of said Thomas that she survived him several years that the period of her marriage entitled her to a pension of equal amount pr. annum from the date of her husbands death to that of her decease which was never received by said Mary in her lifetime. I respectfully request such information as to the correctness of each allegation as you may be pleased to give for my authority to act in the premises I have the honor to refer you to Robt J Atkinson Esqr.(Esquire) their auditor of the Treasury with whom a power of attorney has been filed with a view to enquiry as to claims presumed
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to be due from his office to the surviving heirs at Law of said decedents. It may be proper to add that I only desire to know "What Thos Bell alleged in his declaration. What amount pr annum he drew. And if Mary Bell widow of Thomas was ever pensioned if she was she was enrolled at Jonesboro, Tennessee. With very high regard Your Servant A L Burene Mill Bend, Ten
Hon. Geo. C. Whiting
[illegible] of Pensions
Washington, D.C.
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Cedar Creek. Greene County Tennessee 20th April 1854

Sir. It is important that I obtain from your Office, a certified
copy of all the papers, respecting the services of Thomas Bell of
Washington County Tennessee, who was a private in the war
of the Revolution, and drew a pension from March 1831,
till March 1837. I wish the copy of all the papers filed in
your Office in the above case, sent to this place, as early as
possible- I would inclose [enclose], in this, the money to pay you but
cannot know your charge till you inform me how
much it is-  As soon as you inform of the amount of
your charge in this matter, I will send it to you, by mail.
Your compliance will very much oblige your friend-
Very Respectfully
Jo. Ed. Bell

P.S. I care nothing about the amount of his pension, but wish a
copy of the papers which enabled him to draw it. When I say of
Washington County Tennessee, I allude to his residence at the
time he applied for a pension-
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U Pension Office E May 25 1901
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Pension Department
Washington D.C.
Please inform me if
Capt. Thomas Bell, a
Revolutionary soldier of
Virginia, drew a [illegible].
II would be very
grateful for copy of  [illegible].

Very respectfully
(Mrs.) W. F. Hammock
184 Alexander St.
Atlanta, Georgia
May 23, 1901
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WM B. CLARK
PRESIDENT
THOS E GALLAGHER
GENERAL AGENT
LOUIS O. KOHTZ
ASST GENL AGENT
RALPH B IVES
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Western Branch
Company incorporated 1819
Aetna Insurance Company
Western branch established 1853
N. T. HOWARD & CO., AGENTS
GREENEVILLE, TENN.
18 FLOOR INSURANCE EXCHANGE -- 175 WEST JACKSON BOULEVARD

Greeneville, Tenn. October 15th, 1919.

Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:
Please give me any information you may have on file regarding Thomas Bell, who was in the North Carolina Militia during the Revolutionary War. He served under General Washington at Yorktown. After the War he married Polly Edwards, of Virginia. He was born in Iredell County, N. C., and died in Washington County, Tenn. He drew a pension.
Children:
Brooks, who served with General Jackson at
New Orleans; Rebecca; Andrew, Joseph E.; John; Jake.
Thomas Bell was my great-great-great grand-father.
Thanking you in advance for giving the above mentioned matter your attention.

Yours truly,
Mrs. R. Howard

US Pension Office D Oct 16 1919