Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File [BLANK], Robert Blair, Washingtons Life Guard
Page 1

(8-1776)
SERVICE   (cursive) Washington's Life Guard
(cursive) Blair Robert
NUMBER [hand-written check mark]
     (cursive) no papers

[Below a double horizontal line: "CONTENTS"]
   [This section is blank.]
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January 4, 1939

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

ROBERT BLAIR     
Revolutionary War
BA-J/MMHF:MLB

Captain William P. Blair
381 Ives Street
Providence, Rhode Island

Dear Sir:

     Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Robert Blair,
and in which letter you cite various references for identification, in your effort to locate the record of the father of Linus Blair, the War of 1812 soldier, whose record was furnished you.

     The record of one Robert Blair, only, has been found on the Revolutionary War records of this office,
and is as follows:

     In the report of the Secretary of War in regard to the pension establishment of United States, which volume was printed in 1835, Robert Blair of Ulster County, New York, was reported as a pensioner under the Act of Congress approved May 15, 1828. In that report, Robert Blair is recorded as a private of George Washington's Life Guard. He was allowed $80.00 per annum, to commence March 3, 1826.

     The records show that his pension certificate number was 131, issued August 3, 1829. The claims for pension under the Act of May 15, 1828, were adjudicated in the Treasury. No papers in this application are on file in this office, therefore, this office has no further information in regard to this Robert Blair.

     If you desire information in regard to the date of last payment of pension, the name and address of the person paid and possibly the date of death of Robert Blair, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the number of his pension certificate, the date of issuance, act under which pension was granted, and furnish the name of the agency at which it was paid, which was that of New York.

     In a "Census of Pensioners of 1840 for Revolutionary War or Military Services". returned by the marshals of the several judicial [text ends]
Page 3

districts under the Act for taking the Sixth Census, which volume was printed in 1841,
there is recorded one Robert Blair as a resident of Newburg, Orange County, New York, aged seventy-nine years, and following under the caption, "Names of heads of families with whom pensioners resided June 1, 1840", is the name Robert Blair, presumably, identical.

     This office has no way to determine whether or not the pensioner under the Act of 1828 and the one of Newburg were identical.

       Very truly yours

        A. D. HILLER
        Executive Assistant to the Administrator


                                        -  2  -
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[text is backwards as backside of page only round black stamp related to this transcription]
RECEIVED DEC 3 1938 MAIL SUB DIV.
VETS ADM READER 40 
[TIME; 12:00]
Page 5

38I Ives Street
Providence, R.I.
December I, 1938.

Custodian,
    Old Records Division,
    Adjutant General's Office,
    Ist St., & Florida Ave.,
    Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:-

     I would appreciate it very much if you will please give me what data you may have in your files on the following revolutionary soldier, a reference to whom I have found in Volume II, Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the Revolution:
          ROBERT BLAIR, I78I served under Captain James Tisdale.
               Beverly, Mass., aged I6 years in I78I. Dark complexion. 5 ft. 4 in.

     I have been endeavoring to trace my Blair ancestors. When I was a small boy, my grandfather once said that his father, Linus Blair, was a soldier in the War of I8I2, and that the father of Linus was a drummer boy in the revolution, he being too young to be taken for regular duty as a private. In 1935, I wrote your office, and was very grateful to have received a summary of the service of Linus Blair in the War of I8I2. However, you could not then find anything on the father of Linus Blair, for at that time I had been unable to obtain the name of the father of Linus. However, last summer, I found an inscription by my grandfather in the back of an old history of Londonderry, N.H., which gave the father of Linus Blair as " Robert Blair 
( I764-I844)". So far, I have been unable to locate this Robert Blair in any record, but it appears that he was born in either New Hampshire or Massachusetts, and that the name of his wife was " Sarah" or"Sally". His son, Linus, was born inI792 somewhere in Massachusetts, and died in I862 in Wyocena, Wis. A James Blair is believed to have been another son, as he had the identical service as Linus in the War of I8I2, same Company, same place and time of enlistment and discharge.  This James Blair was born June 3, I788 at Blandford, Mass. Still another son is believed to have been William Blair, born between I789 and I790. The wife of the latter was named Suzannah. The names of the following appear together in an old Chuech Record of Augusta, Oneida County, N.Y., in I8I6 & I8I8: Robert Blair and wife Sally, James Blair, William Blair, and Linus Blair.

     I have found mention made of a Robert Blair born about I764 in Londonderry, N.H., and left an orphan at an early age, but have not found what became of him. Also a Robert Blair 3rd of Blandford, Mass., bann to Sarah Boise was published in I776, and the census of I790 shows him the head of a family in Blandford, Mass.

     I would welcome any information you might be able to find, giving a family clue to the Robert Blair given in the first paragraph of this letter, or of any other Robert Blair who might be a possibility across whom you may come.

     I am sending a copy of this letter to the Veterans Bureau.

     Thanking you, I am,
     Sincerely yours,

     William P. Blair,
     Captain Field Artillery.
Page 6

381 Ives Street,
Providence, R. I.
December 1, 1938.

Mr. A. D. Hiller,
Executive, Veterans Administration,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir: -

.
I am inclosing [enclosing] a copy of a letter I am writing to the old Records Division of the War Department in search for a ROBERT BLAIR, in hopes that you may be able to help me. I visited your records office in Washington last summer on this matter, but at that time did not know the name of the Blair ancestor.
Since learning that it was ROBERT, I am hoping that something may be found to
find out which Robert Blair was my great great grand father.
Thanking you, I am,

Very truly yours,
William P Blair [signature]
William P. Blair,
Captain field artillery.
[{black round time stamp] RECEIVED DEC 3 1938
MAIL SUB-DIV. VETS. ADM. READER# 40
12:00
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HEADQUARTERS COMMANDERY-R-CHIEF
SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR
CHARLES R. HALE, CHAIRMAN
COMMITTEE OR MARKING GRAVES
30 OAK STREET
HARTFORD, CONN.
Chief Clerk
Bureau of Pensions
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:

March 17, 1938
Please send me Revolutionary War record of Robert
Blair who was one of Washington's Life Guards, and on
Pension Roll of 1840 from Newburgh, New York.

Yours very truly,
Chas. R. Hale
CRH: MB
{Round black time stamp}
RECEIVED MAR 19 1933
VETS ADM. SUB - DIV.
READER # 30
11:15
MAR
191933
A.
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only one 
July 5, 1936.
Pension Department,
Will you please
let me know the date
of birth and, death of
one Robert Blair who 
served, as, a private in
the Commander-in-chief's
Guard, Continental Troops 
commanded at various 
times by Lieutenant 
William Colfax, Major
Caleb Gibbs, and Leut.
Page 9

enant Levi Holden of the
Revolutionary War  His
name is on the rolls of
that organization for the 
period from April 1, 1778 
to April 1783, which
bear the remarks, "Term
of enlistment, War Com
mencement of pay April.
1, 1778.
Any more informa-
tion you can give me
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concerning Robert Blair
in regard to his mar-
riage who his wife was
where he was born parti-
culars of any kind will 
be greatly appreciated.
Have enclosed a 
three cent stamp and a 
not with let. when rec. in Rev 1812 Wars
section
self addressed envelope.
Thanking you very
kindly and hoping to
hear from you as
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soon as possible.
I am 
Truly yours,
Louise M. Jones.
266 Rutland Rd
Brooklyn, N.Y
P. S. The above is one
of my ancestors.
L. M. J.
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17 South Ave.,
Beacon, Ny,
Jan 29, 1936.
Veterans Administration,
Washington, D.C.
Gentlemen:
Have you any records in your pension files,
during the Revolutionary Period, giving data
as to one Barnard Blair, who married
Sarah Edwards, or Banard Blair's father,
who was named Robert Blair, who
married_________?  These men were,
I am informed, from around Orange &
Rockland Counties, N. Y., & Blairstown,
N. J. Robert Blair is said to have been
one of Washington's Body Guards.  Any
information you can give me as to their 
families, dates of birth, death or marriage,
or war record or pension record, will 
be very much appreciated.
I am also interested in finding out 
about Isaac Van Wart, one of the captors
of Andre.  I know he married Rachel
Storm in 1778.  Can you from any records
you have give me names of his children?
I understand h a son, Alexander a
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Minister who married Esthel Fowler & I am
anxious to find out the names of the issue 
of their marriage.  Can you help me along 
this line?
Any data you can furnish me will be
gratefully received
Yours very truly
(Miss) Lucy E. Aldridge
Page 14

4411 So. Hilton Place
Los Angeles Calif. Apr. 22nd 19
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington D.C.
Dear Sir.
I am greatly desirous of securing in-
formation which will prove that my great-grand
father, Robert Blair of Marlborough Ulster
Co. N. Y. who served in the Commander in Chief
Guard, from 1777 to 1783 and was honorably
discharged at Newberg N. Y. at the end of the 
Revolutionary War, was in reality my forbear.
I became a member of the society of the 
Sons of the Revolution of New York over twenty
years ago (1897) and am still a member,
but in consequence of my sister who recently 
made application for membership in the
DAR. having been refused a membership
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for the reason that my Robert Blair, had
died unmarried this information I presume
being obtains from a book written by Carlos
E. Godfrey published in Wash. D.D. in 1904 entitled
"The Commander-in-Chief Guard" of Rev. War. in
which he sates after giving his record that
Robert Blair died in 1841 unmarried.  Of course
he was married and my grand father Walter
Blair blacksmith and wheelwright of the
village of Marlborough N. Y . was his son
although he (Robert) may have survived his wife
and yet died unmarried.
I have recieved through the courtesy of Mr. Sam L.
Rogers, director of the Bureau of Census a few days
ago, a transcript covering the date for persons 
named Blair in Marborough N. Y. from the years 
1790 to 1850 inclusive.  the census of 1790 gives
16 years and upward including heads of families (1)
free white males under 16 years (1)
free" females including heads of families (2)
Page 16

The Census of 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830 all give Robert
Blair as head of family which had grown as years
passed.  the census of 1840 does not mention him
but takes up the name of Walter Blair his son
and my grand-father, as head of family.
Mr Rogers suggested in his letter that if Robert Blair
was a pensioner for Revolutionary Services I could
undoubtedly secure some information by writing 
to the commissioner of Pensions, stating that 
frequently affidavits filled in these cases and
which are on file in your office, disclose in-
formation in regard to the names of the wife and children etc.
I am enclosing a letter, which kindly return to me, 
from society, Sons of the Revolution, in which they
state as you will see that when the passed 
on my application for membership that the 
service of Robert Blair was taken from a Certificate
furnished by the Bureau of Pensions and that 
they now require me to make my title to membership
clear, which of course is somewhat difficult
now, as my mother who was born in and lived
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in the village of Marlboroug until she was 12
years old and then moved from there to Brooklyn
N.Y. with the family about year 1852, is now
dead and in fact all her family, so the
information I am required to furnish is only 
such as was repeated to me concerning my
great-grand father by my grand-mother, 
Mother, and Aunts when I was a boy, as I was
born in 1860, and my mother about 1840.
I will appreciate greatly any information you
may furnish me showing that my great-grand-
father was married and had a family, and
thanking you in advance, I am,
Yours very truly,
Harry M. DeWart.
Page 19

Rev Sec
Sons of the Revolution
in the State of New York
Fraunces Tavern
Corner Broad & Pearl Streets
New York City December
Thirteen
Nineteen-eighteen
Pension Bureau,
Washington, D. C.
Gentlemen:-
Will you please see if you have any information
in the request for pension of Robert Blair, a soldier
of the Revolution, with regard to his family.  He was
born in 1762 and died in 1841 and his Revolutionary 
service is as follows:-
"Private, Captain John Hollinshead's Company,
nothing in this Bureau 2nd Regiment New Jersey Line, Colonel Israel
to prove Shreve, enlisted for the war, May 1, 1777;
that he rendered Private, Captain Samuel Hendry's Company,
same regiment; transferred to Captain Caleb
all these Services Gibb's Company, Commander-in-Chief's Guard,
March 19, 1778; discharged November 3,
1783; at Short Hills, Brandywine, Germantown,
Monmouth, Connecticut Farms, skirmish at
King's Bridge, New York and Yorktown."
We would like to ascertain whether he was
married or not, and if so the name of his wife and
any other members of the family that he may have 
given at the time.
Yours very truly,
Henry Russell Drowne
Secretary
all these Services
Page 28

Rev. War Section.
also to
Mr. Henry R. Drowne}
Fraunces Tavern}
Cor Broad and Pearl Sts.} Sept. 26, 1917 June 12, 1917
New York City}
Mr. A.B. Zahn,
Fulton Building, 50 Church St.
New York, N. Y.
Sir: 
In reply to your letter of the 8" instant,
to Robert Blair, a soldier of the Revolution, who was al-
lowed half-pay under the Act of May 15, 1828, at the rate
of $80 per annum, under Certificate 131, which issued
paid at my agency
August 3, 1829, you are advised that there are no papers
on file in this Bureau relative to said soldier, as claims
under that act were adjudicated in the Treasury Department
and the certificates were signed by the Secretary of the
Treasury.
Very respectfully,
E. C. Tieman
Acting Commissioner.
Office note
N. Y. Agency book shows 
Act.  May 15, 1828.  Robert Blair, ctf. 131. Pvt. Rate $80 per an. cft. issued Aug 3, 1829
Printed List of 1835 shows
on list of Ulster Co. N. Y. Act May 16; 1828. page 476
Robert Blair Pvt. Washington's Life Guard, rate $80. sum
received $720 to commence Mar. 3, 1826.
Mr. Zahn had consulted said list &
evidently had the original ctf. which he can see is issued by Treasury AW