Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 29,172, Henry Geiger, Penn.
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
Penn.

Geiger, Henry

NUMBER
S 29.172

CONTENTS
Page 2

31.162
Michigan
------------------
Henry Geiger
Essex Co. Upper Canada in the State of ---
who as a Matross in the Company commanded by Captain Proctor of the regt. commanded by Col. Proctor in the Pennsylvania line for the war.
-----------------------------------
Inscribed on the Roll of Michigan
at the rate of 100. Dollars --- cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March 1831.
-----------------------------------
Certificate of Pension issued the 19th day of July 1837--and sent to James B. Watson Esq. Detroit.
-----------------------------------
Arrears to the 4th of March 1837  $600.--
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sept. 37  50.--
$650.-- [double underlined]

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

Recorded by Wm. S. Allison Clerk,
Book E. 2  Vol. 9   Page 98

[right-hand side of page written sideways]
Date of Death [illegible]
Page 3

Henry Geiger
pri [illegible]

admitted
on roll
as Matross
$100
Page 4

Declaration of Henry Geiger--
In order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress
of the 7th of June 1832--

State of Michigan }
County of Essex    }   Ss.
On this 22nd day of June 1837
Personally appeared in the District Court of the
United States for the State aforesaid Henry Geiger a resident of 
Colchester in the County of Essex & province of Upper Canada
aged eighty years.
Who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his Oath,
make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the
provisions made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 that
he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year of 1775 with Col. Thomas Proctor and served under the following 
named Officers in the First Regiment of the Pennsylvania line
of the regular army as Field Officers Col. Proctor, Major Houston, Capt. Proctor & as Company Officers Lieutenant Houston, Ensign
Claiborne and that he continued to serve until the close of the
war and that he enlisted the first time for three years & at the
expiration of that time he again enlisted for three years more 
during the War & that he served under the same officers after
his second enlistment as he did under his first, & that he remained in the same Regt. line until the close of the war.  That at the time of his enlisting he resided in the County of Philadelphia & State of Pennsylvania and that he was at the 
Battle of Brandywine & Germantown, & that he fought with the 
Regt. in parts of the State of Pennsylvania, Virginia &
Maryland & New Jersey (in consequence of advanced age & loss
of memory & he cannot remember the names of places or
Counties thru which they may have passed).
That he did receive a discharge from Maj. Houston (he believes)
which has since been lost;  that he recollects the circumstance
of Maj. Houston being shot in a Duel at Philadelphia by
Capt Porter of the Infantry.  He also has recollection of 
the place that Andre was hung as a spy--which was at
Tappers he having been present at the time both these 
circumstances occurred.  And that they lay in Winter Quarters
at Philadelphia
Page 5

and that as many as could Quarter in the Garrison
at Philadelphia did so the remained Quartered in tents on the
Commons of said City.  That he did receive his discharge from
Major Houston who was afterwards killed in a duel at Phila.
which he has since lost.  That he has resided in Colchester
Essex County for thirty years past & since he has been unable to
work has been supported by the charity of the inhabitants & was
never aware of his right to petition for pension until the
past summer.
He hereby relinquishes any claim whatever to a 
pension or an annuity except the present & he declares that
his name is not on any Pension Roll of any agency in any State.

Henry Geiger [signature]

Sworn & subscribed to   }
the day & year aforesaid}
Jno Winder
clk.

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion that
the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier
& served as he states.
(signature of Ross Wilkins)

I John Winder ---Clerk of the Detroit Court of the U.S. for the District
of Michigan do hereby certify that the foregoing contains
the original proceedings of the said Court in  the matter
of the application of Henry Geiger for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my hand & seal of office this twenty second day of
June 1837.
(signature of Jn. Winder, Clerk)
[SEAL]
Page 6

State of Michigan }
Wayne County      } Ss

Personally appeared before 
me the undersigned a Justice of the
Peace for said State & County aforesaid the within named Henry
Geiger who being duly sworn deposeth & saith that by reason
of old age, & the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear 
positively as to the precise length of his service but according to the
best of his recollection, he served not less than the points mentioned
below & in the following grades for eight years as a private
viz he enlisted as a musician but never was [illegible] to
play & was taken as a waiter in which capacity he served &
for such service & claim a pension.

Henry Geiger [signature]

Sworn & subscribed to       }
before me this 22nd day of}
June 1837.                           }
GFH Witherell
J P W Co Wayne
Page 7

May 3, 1937

Henry Geiger [initials]
S. 29172
BA-J/AWF

Mrs. Lloyd Rensberger
Lakeville, R. 1
Indiana

Dear Madam:

Reference is made to  your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War records of Henry Geiger, and William Sheffer, both of Pennsylvania.

The Revolutionary War records of this office have been searched and no claim for pension found based upon the service of William Sheffer, under any spelling of that surname.

The record of Henry Geiger which follows was obtained from papers on file in pension claim,
S. 29172, based upon his service in the War of the Revolution.

Henry Geiger was a native of Barnhill, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, date of his birth not shown, nor were the names of his parents given.

While a resident of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Henry Geiger enlisted in the year 1775, served as a private in Captains Proctor's and Stricker's companies, Colonel Thomas Proctor's regiment of Artillery; he was in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and continued in the service until the close of the war.

After the Revolution, he served in General Wayne's Army against the Indians.

He was allowed pension on his application
Page 8

executed June 22, 1837, at which time he was eighty years of age and living in Colchester, County of Essex, Province of Upper Canada, where he had lived about thirty years.  His application for pension was executed in 
Wayne County, Michigan.

The papers in this claim contain no reference to the family of the soldier, Henry Geiger.

In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, name and address of person paid, and possibly date of death of this pensioner, you should apply to the General, [sic] General 
Accounting Office, Records Division, Washington D. C., and give the following data--

Henry Geiger
Certificate #31182
Issued July 19, 1837
Rate $100.00 per annum
Commenced March 4, 1831
Act of June 7, 1832
Michigan Agency

Very truly yours

A. D. HILLER
Executive Assistant
to the Administrator
Page 9

[page is completely blacked out]
Page 10

Henry Geiger
private [illegible]
file
[line illegible]
cases

Suspended
see letter of [rest of page illegible]
Page 11

[left-hand side of page]

33.917
Henry Geiger
of upper Canada

[right-hand side of page - written sideways]

No 467
on Roll 
& final settlement
certificate No. 295
Vol 3
Page 12

This fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord 1836,
came before me, Prideaux Girty Esquire, of His Majesty's Justice of the peace in and for the Western District of the Province of Upper
Canada, Henry Geiger, a native of Barnhill, near Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, and being duly sworn, saith, that he was enlisted in Philadelphia at the beginning of the American revolutionary war, in Colonel Proctor's Regiment of Artillery, Pennsylvania Line, and served in Captain Proctor's Company of the said Regiment, for the term of seven years, until the same was disbanded, that he received 200 acres of land for his services, and that he had lost, many years ago, his discharge as well as other certificates relative to the same that he served for some time, as waiter to Major Huston and so [sic[ [also] Captain Stricker of the said Regiment, and that he was well known
to the then Adjutant George Hofner, of the city of Philadelphia aforesaid, he further saith that he likewise served upwards of three years in General Wayne's Army, during the subsequent 
Indian war, and that his discharge from the same is among his above mentioned lost papers. 
[illegible first name] Geiger [signature]

Signed and sworn to, the day
and year above written 
before me
Prideaux Girty
J.P.W.D.

Western District }
To wit -               }
I do hereby certify that
Prideaux Girty of the township of
Gosfield in the Western District
of the province of upper Canada Esquire
is a Justice of the Peace in and for
the said Western District ~

Given under my hand
and seal at Sandwich this 18th day of 
November 1836.
(signature of Charles Bab[rest torn off]
Jus Peace Western District
Page 13

B. F. N. Witherall
Dec 17. 1836





Record Vol 41  P 208,
Page 14

War Dept--Pen. Office
Dec 17th 1836

Sir
The declaration  of
Henry Geiger ^ of upper Canada has been [illegible] & filed with suspended cases in
this office from Michigan.  Before
a final decision can be held he
should make a declaration as required
in the enclosed printed regulations.  
[line crossed out]  He should also produce
the most undoubted proof of his
being the identical person who served
in Colonel Proctor's regiment as
alleged.  He should also give a
satisfactory reason for not making
an earlier application for a pension.


B.F.N. Witherall Esq
Detroit
Michigan
Page 15

Detroit City
22nd June 1837

Sir,
At the request of Henry Geiger the person
who made the enclosed "Declaration for a pension"--
I enclose it to you, with a request that any
communications you may make inspecting his pension--
could be made to me at this City as he resides
several miles in the interior of Canada.
I am for 
Y.O.H.S.
(signature of Samuel B. Watson)

To 
Mr. J.L. Edwards
Comm. of Pensions
Washington City
Page 16

No 467 [raised 3]
[some kind of seal or stamp]
Dec 12. 1836
Pension Office.

Mr Allison

[written upside down on page]
Honbl B. T. Butler
Acting Gen Auditor
Washington

FREE [stamped upside down]
Page 17

Detroit Nov 30th 1836

Sir,
At the request of the friend
of Henry Geiger I enclose an affidavit
of his one claim for a pension for
Revolutionary Services & Geiger resides
in upper Canada, like all other
claimants for services in that War he is
old  & poor [2 smudges] any communication that may be made on the subject, if I could
to me will be communicated to him--
Living in a foreign country communications to him through the mail, would
not probably reach him---
I am
B.F.H. Witherall [signature]
Page 18

R. I. Lakeville, Indiana
Apr 27, 1937
Mr. A.D. Hiller
Veterans Bureau
Washington, D.C.

[Stamp: REC'D APR 29 1937 MAIL SUB-DIV. VETS ADM READER # 4]

Dear Sir:-
Will you please send to my address all of the war records that you have of Capt. [underlined: Wm] Sheffer of Northampton Co. Pennsylvania all spellings (including Shafer etc) Also all of Col. Henry Geiger's of the same Co. 
We are trying to trace our family but find so many spellings we are having some difficulty. Any information you could give us will be gratefully recieved.
Very Respectfully,
Mrs. Lloyd Rensberger
Page 19

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 
BUREAU OF PENSIONS, 
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 19, 1895
O. W. & N. Div.
[illegible]. S.
M. E. C.

[handwritten] Part of Letter to G. L. Geiger, 1137 R. St. Lincoln, Neb. remainder in case of Jacob Geiger. File no. 2728.

[typed] Sir:-
Referring to your request for information relative to Jacob and Henry Geiger, who are supposed to have served as soldiers in the Revolutionary war, you are advised that this Bureau has a record of one Henry Geiger who appears to have been a native of Barnhill, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and to have served during the war mentioned as a private with the Philadelphia troops. In June 1837 he was residing in Colchester, county of Essex, Province of Upper Canada, and eighty years of age. He received a pension from the Government while residing at that place.
Page 20

[Stamp: US PENSION OFFICE FEB 1 1895]
Page 21

[Stamp: Return in Five Days to 
A.L. Geiger 
1137 R. Street 
LINCOLN, NEB 
[Handwritten initials or acronym]

Lincoln Neb Jan 29 1895
[illegible handwriting]

Dear sir
in reply to yours of the [date illegible]
I would say that I am not after a pension it is for a settlement with Germany that I ask these questions will you look on these records of the Revolution war and see if you can find Henry Geiger and Jacob Geiger of Pa. the county I cant [sic] give at present my Father lost trace of them in 1832 and have not been able to locate them and ^ lost the papers of their Birth place now if you can give me their Birth place it will be a great favor to me we have been advertised for in the papers from Germany for a settlement but they dont [sic] give place of Birth please answer soon tell me how paid (in land warrents) [sic].
Respectfuly [sic] Yours
A L Geiger [signature]
1137 . R . st . Lincoln Neb