Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 6657, for Daniel Mc Caskey, Pennsylvania
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(8-1776)

SERVICE
Penn.

McCaskey, Daniel

NUMBER
R.6657
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33.117
Daniel McCaskey
Pensioner
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State of Pennsylvania Beaver County ss

On this first day of June 1835 personally appeared before the Court of Common Pleas, now sitting, in and for this County, Daniel McCaskey a resident of said County in the State of Pennsylvania, aged seventy three years who first being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he enlisted under Captain Johnston in the 1st Regt. of Penna. troops, he thinks in 1777 and served ten months (at the, his enlistment was only for nine) in the capacity of a fifer during this time his officers were engaged in the recruiting service, and at the end of the ten months was discharged in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He then [illegible] some time out of the service, cannot tell precisely how long, but to the best of his knowledge again enlisted in the early part of 1780, for one year or to the end of the war to Act in the Capacity of a Fifer. This enlistment took place at Lancaster under Captain William Leeper in the 4th Penna. Regt. was detained at Lancaster for about three months in the recruiting service then went to Carlisle. Recruited there and in different towns through the country for as much as ten months, was then called into actual service & march through Hagerstown & to Winchester to gather in the recruits and taken from that on to Philadelphia during all which time he served as a fifer, about the close of the year after his enlistment, before the troops were marched from Philadelphia, he was taken sick & lodged in the Hospital and lay there at least one month when he was discharged from the hospital and taken away by the late Governor McKean, still in bad health & unfit for duty, his last service would amount to at least including the time he lay in the hospital thirteen months making in all
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twenty three months.

He was born in Ireland in the year 1761, has no record of his age, was living in Penna. when called into service, and lived in Penna. ever since except about seven year that he lived in the State of Virginia and Ohio. The first discharge he got in writing which is long since lost, the second discharge was by parole, & not in writing. That there is no person now living that has a knowledge of his service that he knows of, nor can he make any other proof than his own declaration, that the Revd. Joshua Monroe who reside in his neighborhood & Joseph Jenkins of the same County who have long known him can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services in the Revolution.

He herby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Sworn & Subscribed to in open court this first day of June A.D. 1835

[signed] James Logan Pro
[signed] Daniel x his mark McCaskey

We, Joshua Monroe a clergyman residing in the County of Beaver and Joseph Jenkins residing in the same place, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Daniel McCaskey, who has sworn to and subscribed the foregoing declaration. We believe him to be about 75 years of age, that he is reported and believe, as we have understood in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in the opinion that he sustains a good character for [illegible] and veracity.

Sworn and subscribed in open Court the first day of June AD 1835
[signed] James Logan Pro
[signed Joshua Monroe
[signed] Joseph Jenkins
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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion of the investigation of the matter and after 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 Joshua Monroe who has signed the preceding Certificate is a Clergyman resident in the County of Beaver and that Joseph Jenkins-who has also signed the same is are - creditable persons and that their statements are entitled to credit.

I, James Logan, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County & as Prothonotary of said Court, do certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said Court in the matter of the application of Daniel McCaskey for a pension.

[seal affixed on the left is unreadable]

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of Said Court the first day of June AD 1835.

[signed] James Logan Prothy
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Suspended, per letter 13 June 1835 to James Logan 
Beaver do 13 July 35 do do
Hon. Tho. Henry Dec 9 1837 do 26th Dec. 37

6657
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[crossed off] Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3 1873.

6657.
P.O. Daniel McCaskey
Service:

[stamped] REJECTED

Enlisted: ___, 18
Discharge: ____, 18
Application filed: ____, 18
Alleges:
Re-enlisted:
Attorney: _____
P.O._______
____ Recognized. ______Contract
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18
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77 10 mo. fifer. 1 Reg of Pa troops, Capt. Johnson

'80 12 " [illegible] after 13 mon [illegible]
dec at Thilcal Capt. W. Leeper a/Lancater

Geo Snyder, art.

'78 12 mo I Sen gma Capt. Ripsey

79 12 ad 11 Cl Johnson, Regt. (4th)
at Lancaster

[illegible] Bach L. Glaith
[illegible] 1776

Hon. W. Henry
Pa
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Hon. J. L. Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions

T. Henry H. R. 

[illegible] Dec 26
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26th Dec 1837

Hon. J. L. Edwards

Dear Sir,

I feel sorry for your decision adverse to the claim of Daniel McCaskey.

for answer to the objection that McCaskey did not apply under the Act of 1919, I knew him there, and that he was in reasonable good circumstances, having a small tract of land & living comfortably, & did not as long as he could avoid it become a pensioner.

I do not at all wonder that there should be a discrepancy in dates between the statements given by old Revolutionary men. McCaskey is now very old, and now in my opinion in his second childhood. That he can give an honest detail of all the preeminent facts totaling to his testimony source I have no doubt.  But I feel well assured there could not now be expected much accuracy as to dates.

I know McCaskey well in the late war, then quite an old man was fife mayor in the Regt in which I was a Captain. He was a first rate fifer, but what was called left handed. At that time, I heard him frequently speak of his Revolutionary Service & that he said he was a fifer in the Regular Service. This was at a time when it was not known or even thought of, that of pensioning old soldiers.

For myself, I have no hesitation in saying that it is my firm belief McCaskey served in the Revolutionary, as a fifer and from his integrity as to truth. I believe he served the time
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time he states.

He had another deposition taken some time since of an old soldier who knew him in service, but it was informally taken. I asked him for it when I left, but he had lost it or could not lay his hand on it.

Will you have the goodness to reconsider this case, and if you can consistent with duty reconcile the whole facts so as to place him on the pension list for the length of time he states. I believe it will be an act of Justice & will much serve the old man who is now in very indigent circumstances.

I have the Honor to be your obt Servant

[signed] Tho. Henry

P. S. The winter preceding the year that McCaskey was in the service with in the late war, he was at Fort Miegs under Gnl. Harrison. It appeared the old man the time of Revolution had got a taste for military service and could not keep from it when opportunity offered.

T.H.
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[an envelope]

Honorable J. L. Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City

[postmark reads] Beaver Pa Jun 2

[stamped] FREE

[handwritten] June 8 Pa
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[Illegible] of Beaver County June 1st 1835

Dr Sir/

I enclose you an application of Danl. McCaskey, an old revolutionary soldier, who asks a pension from the government for his services.

I have long been acquainted with the applicant and believe him to be a man of veracity. And do not at all doubt his statement. Please write to me at Beaver.

Yours with great respect
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Additional evidence of Danl. McCaskey to procure a pension
Va.

Thos. Henry H. R.
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State of Viginia, Brooke County} ss. 

Be it known that before the subscriber, a Justice of the peace in and for the County aforesaid personally appeared George Snyder of the County of Beaver in the State of Pennsylvania who after being duly sworn according to law, deposed and said that he is now Seventy six years of age, that he served as an officer in the Militia of Pennsylvania in the Revolutionary War for about ten months, that he is well and personally acquainted with Daniel McCaskey at present residing in Brooke County aforesaid, but formerly of the county of Beaver aforesaid, and has been so acquainted with the said McCaskey since his youth.

This deponent understands that the said Daniel McCaskey has applied for a pension under the law of Congress of the 7th June 1832 and says on his oath aforesaid, that the said Daniel McCaskey enlisted, as a fifer, in the year 1777 for the term of one year, and served on said enlistment nine months in the company Commanded by Captain Rissey, in Major William Findlay's Battalion of the Pennsylvania Corps; deponent further says that he (deponent) served in the Militia of Pennsylvania part of the time said McCaskey was served under Captain Rissey, and frequently saw said McCaskey performing duly as a fifer as above stated. Deponent was then serving, also as a fifer, in Capt. Purdy's Company. Said Daniel McCaskey and the deponent were from Lancaster County and State of Pennsylvania.

Deponent further says, that in the year 1774, as well as he can recollect, the said Daniel McCaskey enlisted as a fifer with Col. Francis Johnson 4 regmt of the Pennsylvania line, for the term of one year or during the war. That deponent perfectly recollects that Col. Johnson arrived in Lancaster and made an inquiry for the above named McCaskey, the fifer; that the said McCaskey was then some distance from Lancaster, but was sent for by Col. Johnson, and when the said fifer did arrive, Col. Johnson, in presence of this deponent, enlisted said fifer, paid him bounty money, and deponent saw said fifer to the necessary oath of enlistment, before a magistrate in the town of Lancaster. That deponent understood the object in enlisting said McCaskey by Col. Johnson was to place him in the recruiting service, and that said deponent repeatedly saw the said fifer on duty in said service in Lancaster; deponent understood that said McCaskey was afterwards marched to Staten Island and that he served under the Capt mentioned the full term thereof.

Deponent further says that he was in the Battle of Long Island, and then and there saw the said Daniel McCaskey doing duty as a fifer in the Pennsylvania line.

And further that deponent was secured to duty on Mud Island with the Pennsylvania Militia, and there saw the said McCaskey doing duty. That after the evacuation of Mud Island; the U. S. troops were pursued by a body of British, and within about two miles of Newark, in the State of Delaware, a skirmish took place, between the British and the United States regular troops, in which battle was the said Daniel McCaskey.

Sworn and subscribed this 8 day of November 1837 before me 
[signed] Moses Congleton
[signed] George x his mark Synder
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I do further certify that the deponent is a credible person given under my hand this 8th day of November 1837.

[signed] Moses Congleton J, S.

State of Virginia, Brooke County, Ss.

I Adam Kuhn clerk of the County Court of the County aforesaid do hereby certify that Moses Congleton esquire whose name is subscribed to the foregoing affidavit & certificate was on the day of the date thereof now is an acting Just of the Peace of the County aforesaid duly commissioned and qualified according to the Constitution and Laws of the State aforesaid to all whose official acts as such full faith [illegible] are clear and out to be given [illegible] that the signatures purporting to be his are genuine.

In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Said Court this 8th day of November 1837 and in the 67th year of the Commonwealth.

[Signed] Adam Kuhn
[illegible initials]

[unreadable seal affixed]