Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 859, Josiah Biscoe, Md. Privateer
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(3-1776)
SERVICE 
Md. 
Privateer. 

Biscoe, Josiah 

NUMBER 
R. 859 

CONTENTS
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Josiah Biscoe 
Application 
for pension 
State of 
Maryland 

Rejected, see lett 11. 
Act:  1833

Capt F. C. Shelton
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Maryland. Saint Marys Count to wit this tenth say of Aug 1832 Josiah Biscoe of said count personally appeared in open court before the county court of Saint Marys County in the State of Maryland Josiah Biscoe, a resident of the said count and state aged seventy three or thereabout, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on this oath make the following declarations,  in order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress passed at June session 1832. that he entered into the service of this state of Maryland during the Revolutionary War under the following officers. John Harris, Able  captain William Bennel Lieuten Benjamin Williams commd Silia Holland [illegible] [illegible] Colonel Richard Barnes does not recollect when he first  entered the service. State he did not leave until he [illegible] but continued to serve respective called to resist the operations of the enemy in [illegible] incursions in Saint Marys Count and that he conscientiously believes that he was in the land + naval services and as prisoner [illegible] of four years. He was enrolled and enlisted into service when called. That, he was engaged in action at [illegible] Point, [illegible] off a boat belonging to an armed British schooner that he was personally engaged in resisting the enemy on the shores of [illegible] Md. He knows of no persons who can testify to his service, save [illegible] Smith, the rest of the officers and [illegible] died and that he has no [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] in relation to his service. That he [illegible] on [board?] of a [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] Baltimore called the [illegible] in about
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1879 and continued in her about 3 months and was captured in her homeward bound passage from Saint Domingo by British ship [illegible] and remained prisoner on board the British ship The Jersey for 6 months and was paroled, by the name of James Biscoe. [illegible] the mistake of his Christian name and went from thence in a flag [illegible] vessel to Hampton Roads. and therein reenlisted to the militia commanded by captain [illegible] and his way down the Chesapeake [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] and captured by British [illegible] of [illegible] and carried into Little York in Virginia and remained there as prisoner until his captors of Cornwallis, from where he returned and performed service in his company that he verily believes that he was upward of two years in the naval service including the period of imprisonment, that he knows of no persons who know of his naval services and that he has no documentary evidence of the same, save his [illegible] which accompanies this paper. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of this any state sworn to and subscribed this day and year of aforesaid in open court
Johanns
[illegible] [illegible] Gough and Thomas Smith residing in the neighbourhood of Josiah Biscoe  [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
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Interogatories propounded to Josiah Biscoe of Saint Marys Count in the State of Maryland who is an applicant for the benefit of the act of congress passed 7th June 1832. 

First Interogatory - 
Where and in what count were you born
Answer I was born in Saint Marys County, Md on the 30th March 1760. 

Second Intero. Have you any record of your age, and if so where is it. 
Answer. My father Joseph Biscoe kept a record or register of the ages of his children in his prayer book after his death, his prayer book was taken away from my mothers house by John King a school master, and has not been heard of since. 

Third Intero. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live. 
Answer. At the time I was called into the military service I lived in Saint Marys County Md. I have lived in Saint Marys County, MD ever since the revolutionary war, and still live in Saint Marys County. 

Fourth Intero. How were you called into service, were you drafted did you volunteer, or was you a substitute ? If a substitute for whom. 
Answer. I was enrolled in the year 1777, in the militia company commanded by Capt. John Horn Abell in Saint Marys County, Md. 

Fifth Intero. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops [illegible] you served. Such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect, and general circumstances of your service. 
Answer. There were no officers of the regular army in the militia where I served. I do not know the number of our Regiment. I recollect that Col. Richard Barnes commanded the militia where I served. 
I was in a skirmish between a part of our company and a British armed schooner at Kitt's Point and Smith's Creek in said county at which the following occurences, took place, the British schooner send off her boat to burn a small American schooner then [illegible] in Smith's Creek bound to the West Indies, our detachment commanded firing on
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the boat and obliged her to return to the schooner. Soon after, the schooner was up near to the American schooner and sent her boat  under the fire of her guns and burnt the American schooner called Kitty. The schooner then returned to the mouth of the Smiths Creek and jointed a British Brig then lying there, the next day our detachment was stationed at Calverts Bay opposite the Brig schooner to watch their house the same evening both vessels went off down the Potomac River a few days  after the small American sloop in attempting to get into Smiths Creek ran ashore on Grays Creek, our company was ordered to go and guard the sloop when we approached the sloop we found the war too far off for our musket shot to protect her. The same Brig and schooner the following night got the sloop off the shoal and carried her off. 
In the year 1778, I went on board the sloop of war Buckskin then at Baltimore, commanded by Aquilla Johns bound on a cruise but soon after the government changed her cruise to a voyage to France. I then left her, and slipped on board the schooner Harford Capt Gough (a letter of marque) bound to the Island of Hispaniold  where we were embargoed for eleven weeks on our return home we took  a British sloop called the Porcupine. In a week after we were taken by a 50 gun ship and carried to New York where I was detained as a prisoner of war for the period of six months. I then obtained a parole to return home, the officer who gave the parole mistook my name and called me James Biscoe instead of Josiah Biscoe, as I could not read writing I was unable to discover the mistake. From New York, I [illegible] in a cartel to Hampton in Virginia, from Hampton I travelled home partly by land and partly by water. Within ten days after my return home, I found my former company for the period of about six months then went to Baltimore, slipped on board the (letter of mark) Capt. Mines, in our passage down the Bay, fell in with a British ship of 32 guns which firing up into the Cherry stones, on the eastern shore, the ship sent her boats to take us out when an engagement ensued between our crews and the boats in which we lost one man and which terminated in taking our vessel. Our crew were all made prisoners of war and sent to Little York in Virginia and detained there two or three months until the surrender of
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Lord Cornwallis on that occasion I saw the British flag hauled down and the American flag hoisted on the flag staff in Little York. 
After the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, I returned home. I again joined my company and performed militia services in guarding the shores of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay from the depredations of the British vessels called the refugees boats, who frequently plundered the people living near the shores, until the peace in 1783. & that he verily believes he served in land + naval service in the whole for the space of four years and [illegible] 

Sixth Interogatory 
Did you ever receive a discharge from the service
Answer No I never did 

Seventh Intero. 
State the names of person to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your service as a soldier of the Revolution. 
Answer. Elwiley Smith, and Mordicai C. Jones live in my present neighborhood, and can testify as to my character for varacity, and their belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution. 

his mark
Josiah Biscoe 

Sworn to and subscribed to this 11th day of August 1832 in open court. 
Joseph Harris 

I Joseph Harris Clerk of the Court of Saint Marys County do hereby certify that the aforegoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Josiah Biscoe for a pension. 
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Saint Marys County Court office this twelfth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two. 
Joseph Harris Clk
St. Marys County Court
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State of Maryland Saint Mary's County se
Be it remembered that on this twenty first day of February eighteen hundred and thirty three personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the peace in and for said county, Josiah Biscoe of saint county who being duly sworn on the holy Evangely of almighty God, deposeth and saith, that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his services, but according to the best of his recollection he served no less than two years a a private soldier, and for which service claim a pension. 

Sworn before 
his mark 
Josiah Biscoe 

Geo Crane

Saint Marys County towit 
I hereby certify that George Crane Gentleman who appears to have taken, certified and signed the above affidavit was at the time of so doing and still is a Justice of the peace of the state of Maryland in and for Saint Marys County aforesaid duly commissioned and qualified and to all acts by him done in that capacity full faith and credit are due and ought to be given as well in Courts of Justice as thereout. 
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of my office this twenty sixth day of February Eighteen hundred and thirty three. 

Jo. Harris 
St. Marys County Court
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Ex' 859 INVALID 
REJECTED 

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873 [lined out] 

Josiah Biscoe 
P.O. 
Service: 
Enlisted: ,18
Discharged: ,18 
Application filed: ,18 
Alleges: 
Re-enlisted: 
Attorney: 
P.O.
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No. 
Josiah Biscoe 
Maryland 

Let to F.C. Shelton 
Oct. 11th 1833

Copied of papers sent to Hon. D. Jenifer Feby 18th 1840 

859

Act 7th June 1832

Josiah Biscoe 
Maryland 

Rejected [illegible] 11 Oct 1833 to F. C. Shelton. 
[illegible] 
copies of papers sent to Hon. D. Jenifer Feb 18 1840 

Act 7 June 1832
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Josiah Biscoe 
Application for pension
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Maryland. Saint Marys Count to wit this tenth say of Aug 1832 Josiah Biscoe of said count personally appeared in open court before the county court of Saint Marys County in the State of Maryland Josiah Biscoe, a resident of the said count and state aged seventy three or thereabout, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on this oath make the following declarations, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress passed at June session 1832. that he entered into the service of this state of Maryland during the Revolutionary War under the following officers. John Harris, Able captain William Bennel Lieuten Benjamin Williams commd Silia Holland [illegible] [illegible] Colonel Richard Barnes does not recollect when he first entered the service. State he did not leave until he [illegible] but continued to serve respective called to resist the operations of the enemy in [illegible] incursions in Saint Marys Count and that he conscientiously believes that he was in the land + naval services and as prisoner [illegible] of four years. He was enrolled and enlisted into service when called. That, he was engaged in action at [illegible] Point, [illegible] off a boat belonging to an armed British schooner that he was personally engaged in resisting the enemy on the shores of [illegible] Md. He knows of no persons who can testify to his service, save [illegible] Smith, the rest of the officers and [illegible] died and that he has no [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] in relation to his service. That he [illegible] on [board?] of a [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] Baltimore called the [illegible] in about
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879 and continued in her about 3 months and was captured in her homeward bound passage from Saint Domingo by British ship [illegible] and remained prisoner on board the British ship The Jersey for 6 months and was paroled, by the name of James Biscoe. [illegible] the mistake of his Christian name and went from thence in a flag [illegible] vessel to Hampton Roads. and therein reenlisted to the militia commanded by captain [illegible] and his way down the Chesapeake [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] and captured by British [illegible] of [illegible] and carried into Little York in Virginia and remained there as prisoner until his captors of Cornwallis, from where he returned and performed service in his company that he verily believes that he was upward of two years in the naval service including the period of imprisonment, that he knows of no persons who know of his naval services and that he has no documentary evidence of the same, save his [illegible] which accompanies this paper. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of this any state sworn to and subscribed this day and year of aforesaid in open court
Johanns
[illegible] [illegible] Gough and Thomas Smith residing in the neighbourhood of Josiah Biscoe [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
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Biscoe who has subscribed and sworn to the above [cut off], that we believe him to be at least of [cut off] two years of age, that he is reported and believed in the neighbourhood, where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, engaged in the [illegible] and naval services and we concur in that opinion. 
Peter Gough Thomas Smith 
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court. 
Jo Harris 


and the said county do hereby declare [illegible] [illegible] that the above named applicant Josiah Biscoe was a revolutionary soldier and that he served as he states.
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and the said county, do hereby declare [illegible] [illegible] that the above named applicant Josiah Biscoe was a revolutionary soldier and that he served as he states. 

I James Biscoe captured + brought into this Fort. hereby acknowledge myself prisoner of ware, to the King of Great Britain, and having permission from his Excellency Rear Admiral Digby Commander in Chief  [illegible] [illegible] to go to Virginia - 
Do pledge faith and most sacredly promise upon parole of [illegible] that I will not do, say, write, or cause to be done, said, or written, directly or indirectly, in any respect whatever any thing to the prejudice of his Majesty's Service; and that I will return to this place when required - and deliver myself up again to the Commissary General for Naval prisoners or to the persons acting for or under him. 

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at New York this fourteenth Day of August -77.
Present - James Biscoe (seal) 

These are to certify that the above mentioned James Biscoe signed a Parole of which this is a copy; and that he has obtained leave to go to Virginia in a flag of Truce - 

Given under my hand and seal of office at New York, the Day & Date above written

Tho D. Hewling 
To whom it may concern D. Comm. for NY
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State of Maryland Saint Marys County 10 Aug 1832 Wm. Elwiley Smith and Mordicai C Jones of the County and State aforesaid do hereby certify that we believe that Josiah Biscoe of said County is of the age he represents and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been revolutionary soldier, and that we concur in that opinion. 

Elwiley Smith 
M S Jones
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Feb 6 1840 

Josiah Biscoe 
J. L. Edward 
Pension Office

Hon D Jenifer 

Feb 6 1840 
Copies promised
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HM F.Q. 5-40 
W Edwards will oblige W. Jenifer by [illegible] him the paper in his office in the case of Josiah Biscoe - apply + to place on the pension [illegible]