Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 13746, for Benjamin Lewis, Pennsylvania
Page 1

(8-1776)

SERVICE
Penn.
Lewis, Benjamin
NUMBER
S.13746
barded [or Carded]
CONTENTS [blank]
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11,854   11854
Pennsylvania

Benjamin Lewis
of Bradford Co in the State of Pennsylvania
who was a Private in the Company commanded
by Captain Chatham of the Regt commanded
by Col Eckher in the Pa [illegible]
line for 14 mo

Inscribed on the Roll of Pennsylvaniaat the rate of 46 Dollars 66 Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Dertificate of Pension issued the 6 day of July
1837 and sent to
David Cash  Towanda 

Arrears to the 4th of March 1833         $93.32
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sept -      23.33
                                                             $116.65

[Revolutionary Claim,
Act June 7, 1832]
Recorded by W. L. Williams Clerk,
Book  E  Vol.   5  Page 35
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Benj'n Lewis
21152
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State of Pennsylvania
Bradford County

On this 13th day of December A.D. 1932 personally appeared in open court before the Hon. judges of the court of common pleas of Bradford County aforesaid now sitting, Benjamin Lewis, a resident of Monroe Township in said county and state, aged sixty-nine 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 Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.  

In the year 1779 the Indians were committing depredation and murders at Northumberland and its vicinity about the Susquehanna River in the state of Pennsylvania.  On or about the first of April in that year he volunteered in the militia to go against the Indians.  Declarant was engaged in scouting parties and in matching the movements of the Indians until the six(sic) day of July on which day his father was killed and his brothers of the party were taken prisoners by the Indians and taken to Canada. 

His father, Lemuel Lewis, was a lieutenant and had the command of the volunteers, the capt . being absent.  On the night of the 5th of July declarant, with the company, had been out all night on a scout matching the movements of a party of Indians then in neighborhood of Northumberland.  About 8 o'clock the next morning while a most of the volunteer men were asleep at a house where they had gone into in the morning were taken by surprise by the Indians.  His father in the encounter was killed and the balance of the company taken prisoners
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as aforesaid, except a few escaped among which latter was the declarant.  After this the company was broken up and dispersed and many families moved from this scene of massacre.  

In the month of July in the year 1780 (does not recollect the day) he enlisted in the service of the United States as a teamster or waggoner under Captain Leightheiser at Reading in Berks County, Pennsylvania, for a term of three months.  This declarant resided at the time of his enlistment at (illegible) in Berks County aforesaid.  He served out the time of his enlistment and received a written discharge from Capt. Leightheiser at Morristown, New Jersey and returned home. 

He went from Reading with a four-horse team loaded with camp kettles to West Point.  At West Point he took a load of ammunition (consisting of cannon balls) and carried the same to the army about 16 miles above New York on the North River.  Then this declarant saw Gen. Washington whose army was encamped near there.   Here he remained doing such business for the army as he was ordered - about 7 or 8 months, when he was ordered to Morristown and there discharged.  

In the next year 1781 - in the summer, cannot tell the day, believes it was in June or July, he again entered the service of the United States at Carters Town  aforesaid as a substitute for Jacob Sidle who was drafted as a militia man for three months.  This declarant served the three months for which Jacob Sidle was drafted.  He marched from Reading under Lieutenant John Kunkle into New Jersey, but before joining the army was ordered back to Reading where he served out his time as a guard over Genl. Burgoin's Dutch soldiers, called the Hessians.  Col. Eckerd had the command at Reading who discharged Lieut. Kunkle and his company.  There was no written discharge given.
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In the year 1782 he again volunteered to go against the Indians at Northumberland.  He was under arms at this time about eight months with many other militia men who were daily posted as a guard of the town and kept in Reading to repel the attacks of the Indians.  Capt. John Chatham commanded the company to which this declarant was attached.  

The regular troops had been all taken away from Northumberland and its vicinity and the defense of the country left to the militia.  During this latter service there were many massacres committed by the savages in the neighborhood of Northumberland.  Declarant well recollects the case of Capt. Lee who with two women were tomahawked and scalped at his house about four miles from Northumberland. 

He was born in Dutchess County, New York, the sixth of Sept 1763; moved from there with his father while a child to Sunbury in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania where he resided when he first entered the service as aforesaid.   He has no record of his age.

He has resided in Pennsylvania since the Revolution with the exception of 15 or 16 years that he resided in Broome County, New York.  In 1816 he removed from NY to Columbia in Lancaster County, Pa.  In 1823 he removed to Monroe Township in Bradford County, Pa. where he now resides.  

The written discharge which declarant received for his wagon service has long since been lost or mislaid; he does not know what has become of it.  He has no documentary evidence, nor does he know of any person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. 

He is well known to Samuel Cranmer and Ebenezer Mason of his present neighborhood who can testify to his
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character for veracity and their belief of his service as a soldier of the Revolutionary War.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any state to his knowledge.
Signed:  Benjamin Lewis

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Signed for J. P. Bull
E. S. Goodrick

We, Samuel Cranmer and Ebenezer Mason, residing in the township of Monroe in the county of Bradford and state of Pennsylvania, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Benjamin Lewis who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be sixty-nine years of age; that he reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Signed:  Samuel Cranmer, Ebenezer Mason

Sworn to and subscribed in open court this 14th day of December A.D. 1832.
Signed:  J. P. Bull, Prot.

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after 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 Samuel Cranmer and Ebenezer Mason, who have signed the preceding certificate are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.  

I, James P. Bull, prothonotary of the court of common pleas of the county of Bradford do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Benjamin Lewis for a pension.  In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 15th day of Dec. A.D. 1832.
Signed: for J. B. Bull, Prot.
 E S. Goodrick, Dep.
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State of Pennsylvania]
Bradford County Ss.]

Personally appeared before the
Subscriber a justice of the peace of said
county, Benjamin Lewis, who being duly sworn,
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 service, but according to the
best of his recollection he served not less
than the periods mentioned below and in
the following grades;  Three months I served as
a private volunteer. For three other months I served
as a private in the Waggon Service. For three other
months I served as a private substitute for Jacob
Sidle. for eight other months I Served as a
volunteer and for such service I claim a
pension.
And the said Benjamin Lewis in order to
explain the reason why he did not procure
a clergyman to prove by traditions his
age & revolutionary services doth further
depose & say that there is no clergyman
within his knowledge by whom he could
make the required proof that he
procured the attendance of two of his
neighbors of known respectability to make the
requisite proof.
Sworn to & subscribed before me this]   Benjamin Lewis [signature]
25th day of April 1833 D. F. Barstow J. Peace
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Bradford County Ss.

[Seal attached here]
I, James P. Bull, Prothonatary
of the court of Common
Pleas of said County
do certify that David F. Barstow,
before whom this within
affidavit was made, is and
was at the date thereof 
recognised in the court as a duly qualified Justice of
the Peace; & that I am acquainted with his 
signature and believe that the within purporting to
be his is genuine. witness my hand & official
seal this 22d day of May AD 1833
J.P.Bulls Prot.
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387.37             Number 208/154
  76.22
--------
$462.59
---------
231.79  - - 121.79PF   
193.68
-------
=381.17       192.62 - 195.68

To be Reported in [illegible] of [illegible] 159
[illegible signature]

387.37
 76.22
-------
462.59
----------
231.79 th Comm'n
193.62
-------
38..11 th [illegible]

231.79 th
102
-------
129.79th [illegible] Township
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21,152
Benjamin Lewis

E.J.

14 mo's
$46.66

David Cash Esqr
Towanda
Bradford County
Pa
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Mrs. Charles Davidson
2 William St.
Towanda, Penna
Personal call for
Pension claim of 
 Benj. Lewis, S.13746
Penn Troups
June 10-1924