Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R., for Solomon Johnson, North Carolina
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N.C.   Johnson, Solomon    R--
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NC-
R-
These papers were found in the claim of Solomon Johnson R.5664 with which they had no connection.
M.B.H.
Sept. 11, 1911
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No. 12.375
Solomon Johnson - 

Rejected, stated in Rolls to be deacd.
See letter 7 June 1833 to J. Pickett Carthage

J. Pickett 
Carthage
Tennessee
Feb. 23. 1833
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BRIEF in the case of Solomon Johnson of Smith County in the State of Tennessee
(Act 7th June, 1832.)

1.  Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge?  A court.
2.  If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3.  How old is he?  75 years.
4.  State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period.
   In 1777
Duration of Service.  Years, Months, Days.
  As stated -
Rank. As a 
  --
Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.
  Gen. Hogg), Col. Minor, Genl Lee
  (ct. Carolina line)

5.  In what battles was he engaged?  Guilford - 
6.  Where did he reside when he entered the service?  Caswell County, North Carolina.
7.  Is his statement support by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls?
8.  Are the papers defective as to form or authentication?  and if so, in what respect?  No

     I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
          B.F. Pleasant
          Examining Clerk.
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12.375
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State of Tennessee, Smith County 
On this 3rd day of September 1832 personally appeared before the County Court of the 
Smith County Solomon Johnson a resident of Tennessee Smith County aged Seventy-five years, who being 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 7 1832.  That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year 1777 with Captain Hogg and served in the 9th Regiment of the North Carolina line under the following officers General Lea Colonel Minor and Major Hardiman, that he entered the service in the County of Caswell North Carolina and was a resident of said County and State, was in the Battle of Guilford marched through Virginia to Norfolk. 
     I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present, 
and declare that my name is not on the pension Roll of any agency of any State. 
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid 
                      Solomon X Johnson
                        (X his mark)
And the said court do hereby declare there oppinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states.
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I Jonathan Pickett Clerk of the aforesaid Court do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings in the matter of the application of Solomon Johnson for a pension.  in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal of office this the ___ day of September 1832 and 57th year of our Independence.
                    J Pickett Clk

(seal)
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State of North Carolina
Secretary of State's Office 
I William Hill Secretary of State in and for the State aforesaid, do certify, that it appears from the muster-rolls of the Continental line of this State in the revolutionary war that Solomon Johnson a private Soldier in Hogg's Company of 10th Regiment enlisted __ for __ “Dead 15th Sept. 1778.” 
     That they Warrant for his services was issued to his heirs on the 22nd May 1820. 
                 Given under my hand this 23rd day of April 1833.         
                 Wm. Hill
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Apl 27 1843
Tenn.
Solomon Johnson

(stamp)
April 16
JACKSON TEN.

FREE

J.L. Edwards Esq.
Pension Office
Washington
D.C.
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            Jackson Tennessee  April 15, 1843.

J.L. Edwards Esq.
     Dear Sir.
     Since my return home old Mr. Solomon Johnson who claims a pension and to which place you replied by yours of the 7th of February last, informed me that although he resides in Virginia that he enlisted in North Carolina and that he supposes his name is on the roll of that state. One thing is certain he is not dead and from his character & respectability no doubt is entertained among his acquaintances as to the correctness of the fact of his having performed the services as stated by him.  Will you be so good as to examine further into this matter, and I feel every confidence you will find he is entitled to the pension which he claimed.  Write in reply to this and direct your letter to Joseph H. Talbot Esqu. of this place.

                     Most respectfully,
                             yours &c,
                             Milton Brown
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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Solomon Johnson which require further proof or explanation.
I.  Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?  yes

II.  Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?  yes

III.  If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? -

IV.  Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served?  Yes, but very imperfectly

V.  *Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled?  No.

VI.  Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?  Yes.

VII.  Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?  Yes.

VIII.  Has the Court given their opinion? yes.

IX.  Has the clerk given his certificate? yes

X.  Is the Clerk's seal affixed?  And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal?  yes.
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XI.  Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service?  No

XII.  Is the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?  no.

XIII.  If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?  No

XIV.  If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct?

XV.  Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in a situation, or of such an age, as to have personal knowledge of the applicant's service?

XVI.  Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct?  yes

XVII.  Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily?  And, if not, which of them is not so answered?  No.

EXPLANATORY NOTES.
*QUERE V.  In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
     "Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c A.B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively a to the previse length of service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades:  For ___ year___months, and ___ days, I served as a ___ For ___ months and ___ days, I served as a ___; and for such service I claim a pension.
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3
     It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directions the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service.  The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.  Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service.  This form of a declaration is highly objectionable.  It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant serviced;  the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority;  that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
QUERE XIV.  Proof of Service.
     In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged.  The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.

QUERE XVI.  Mode of authenticating papres.
      In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
     In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.
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Solomon Johnson
petition for Pension

Feby 1

Hon. M. Brown
HR
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State of Tennessee, Madison County: SS 
On this 7th day of November 1842, personally appeared in open Court before the Court 
of the County of Madison & State aforesaid, Solomon Johnson, a resident of said County & 
State, who being first 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 7th June 1832: That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the Spring of the year 1777 or thereabout -- with Captain Hogg & served in the 9th Regiment commanded by Colonel Moore -- under the following named officers viz. Bartlett Collins, Lieutenant: Captain Hogg: Major Hardeman & said Colonel Moore: Said Solomon Johnson further states upon his oath, that he was born in Spotsylvania County in the State of Virginia – that his father kept a Register of the ages of his Children, but the same is lost -- that he was born in the year 1757 -- that he ran away from his Father at about the age of twenty years & enlisted as above said under Captain Hogg by 
one of his recruiting officers, named Achilles Mashman or Marshman, at Caswell, now Person Court house in the State of North Carolina: That since the Revolutionary War, he lived in Halifax County Virginia -- thence he removed to Smith County in Tennessee where he resided till the year 1833 -- when he removed to Madison County aforesaid where he has resided ever since: That he received a written discharge from the Regular Army by the hand of Major Hardeman and that the said discharge was destroyed by being wetted in swimming across the Rappahannock River -- so that the Ink with which the same was written being bad, spread in such manner as to render the same illegible.  He further states on oath that the
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discharge stated, to the best of his recollection, that he has served for the space of three years, six months & eleven days as a private Soldier, and was dated about the fall of the year 1781: He further states upon his oath, that he was in the battle of Guilford -- being the only battle he was in -- that he was employed during the Siege of York on the Gloucester side of James River in making bastions or Hampers made of willows for the use of the American Army then defending themselves against the British: He further states on his oath, that eight or nine years ago he made proof of his identity & Revolutionary services by the oath of one Robert Tucker about the year 1833 before Samuel Givens a Justice of the Peace at that time, for this County of Madison -- said 
Givens now resides in the State of Mississippi: -- That said proof thus made was placed in the 
hands of one George Hainey, who had undertaken to procure a pension for him the said Johnson -- but who has lost or mislaid the same so that he the said Johnson could never get possession of the same -- That shortly afterwards the said Tucker died -- and that he the said Johnson was advised, as his witness who alone could prove his personal identity & services, was deceased, that he could not procure his pension, & therefore made no further attempt, until now and that he 
has never received a pension of his services in the Revolutionary war & that his name has never been enrolled in the pension list of any agency of any State – 
     Sworn to & subscribed the day & year before named here in open court
                       Solomon X Johnson
                         (X his mark)

     I James D. McClellan of the Couny Court
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of Madison State of Tennessee do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Solomon Johnson for a pension; and from the proof taken before said court by the testimony of credible witnesses, the Court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states-
     I testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this 8 day of November 1842.
                  James D. McClellan
                  Clerk of the County
                  Court of said County