Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 42,759, James Gray, Penn.
Page 1

SERVICE
Penn

Gray, James

NUMBER
S. 42,759
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19 441  

OHIO

James Gray 2c

of Hamilton Cy in the State of Ohio
who was a Private in the Company commanded
by Captain Mc Donald of the regiment commanded
by Colonel Thompson in the Pen.a
line, for the term of one year
from July 1775 to ? July 1776.

Inscribed on the Roll of OHIO
at the rate of 8 Dollars per month, to commence on
the 4 of May 1825

Certificate of Pension issued the 17 of May 1825
and Sent to Saml. F. Hunt
Cincinnati. Ohio.

Arrears to 4th of 
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4 Sept 1825   $32:28

    7.22
    1.  6
  24. 0
$32:28

Revolutionary claim,
Acts March 18, 1818,
and May 1, 1820.
March 1, 1823
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State of Ohio
Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas
On this 18th day of August 1824 personally
appeared in open Court being a Court of Record for Said County and expressly made so by the law of this State James Gray aged Seventy three years resident of Said County who being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by an act of Congress of the 18th March 1818 and 1st May 1820 that he the Said Gray enlisted for the Term of One Year in the Month of June or July 1775 at said Yourk in the State of Pensylvania in the Company Commanded by Capt Michael Doud in the Reagment of Rifle men commanded by Colonel Thompson in the line of the State of Pennsylvania on Continental Establishment that he continued to Serve in the Land Corps until Some time in July 1776 when he was discharged from the Land Service on Long Island in the State of New York and that he had no other evidence now in his power of his Land Services except that which he herewith have made with this his declaration & Schedule of property and in persuance of the act of this 1st May 1820 I do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it so to bring myself within the provision of an act of Congress entitled an act to
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provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary war passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in hast for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me Subscribed and I do further declare under oath that I am a labourer by occupation that I have a wife now upwards of sixty one years old living and two children one grown up I further declare that in consequence of my old age indigent circumstances and bodily infirmities I stand in need of the assistance of my country for support.
Sworn and Subscribed in open court this 18th day of August 1824

(signed) Danl. Gano clerk

(signed) James Gray

Schedule of Property belonging to James Gray an applicant for Pension for Revolutionary Services made this 18th day of August 1824

I entered a quarter Section of Land lying in Shelby County on the North west Frontier of the State of Ohio in December 1829 on this tract I have paid $50 and on the ballance I have taken the longest credit allowed by the late acts of Congress
$50.00
 10.00
 12.00
102.00

One Old Gray Horse aged 21 years
One dray & harness
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Exclusive of wearing apparel and my bed and beding
my household furniture contents of the following articles
to wit
1. One Bearron [baron coat] cost   $2.50
4. Common Chains   $1.50
1. Table   25
2. Small Iron Potts      $1.00
1. Iron Tea Kettle   25
1. Old frying pan   25
a few knives and forks tea cups and saucers   
and plates worth in the aggregate 1.50
$109.25
Sworn and subscribed
in open court this 19th
day of August 1824

(signed) Danl Gano cl(er)k

The State of Ohio
Hamilton County
I Daniel Gano clerk of the Court of Common
Pleas within and for the County aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing Declaration & Schedule exhibited by James Gray are
truly copied from the Records of said Court and I do further certify that it is the opinion of said Court that the total amount in value of the property in said Schedule is one hundred and nine dollars and twenty five cents
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the Seal of our Said Court of Common Pleas at Cincinnati this 6th day of October A.D. 1824

(signed) Danl Gano Clerk
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Cincinnati 5th May 1825

Sir
Your letter of the 14th ultimo was duly received in which you state "It appears that the quarter section of Land mentioned in Mr. Grays schedule is not set down at its full value, but only at the amount which he has already paid for it. Before a final decision can be had in the case, the full value of the land must be stated, and the statement must be corroborated by the testimony of credible persons certified to be such, by the Magistrate, before whom their affidavits may be made." Perhaps the propriety or necessity of this course is now done away inasmuch as the land no longer belongs to Gray who in consequence of his poverty could not retain the land, and rather than lose the amount or a part thereof which he had paid for it, he was about the end of March last compelled to sell it as you will perceive by the enclosed affidavit which I send to you. And, in relation to the value of the land, (even if Gray did now own it) permit me to observe (and what I say is predicated on my personal knowledge of the situation of the country in which this tract
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his and the general price or selling value of tracts similarly situated I mean on which one payment only has been made) that this quarter section is situated on the extreme frontier settlement on the north West frontier of this State. I mean, as far as the settlement has extended in that quarter (crossed out: "and that a large") which you will at once observe by the inspection of the Map of Ohio and that a large tract of Congress land immediately adjoining this on the West can now be entered for $1.25 per acre, and I am informed that two quarter sections only in this section have ever been entered, and that the court in setting the value of the land as two dollars an acre, at which rate you will see they did, placed a high value on it and more that it would sell for now, or at any time since Gray made his declaration inasmuch as land adjoining it can be had for $1.25 per acre, thus making a saving of $120, on a quarter section. In this Land district, since the late acts of congress on the subject of the payment of Lands bought from the U. States, in no instance has a certificate upon which $80 or the first payment has been made sold for more than forty eight dollars and in numerous instance much less and some districts in Illinois I am credibly informed, they have sold as low as
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twenty and thirty dollars and that in trade. Horses , cattle, merchandise &c, &c. And the court in valuing the interest which Gray had in this land at $80, because he had then only an equitable title to it. Such also gave it rather a nominal that a real value, and beat it down at that Sum, from the fact that he had paid it for the land, because it must be obvious from what I have said that at present it would not sell for 80 Dollars in money. It is true that if the quarter section had been entirely cleared or paid out of the office at the time Gray made his declaration it would have been worth $200, which is the selling price of Land similarly situated, I mean the Congress Land for sale at the Land office. As I live in a new state where there are immense tracts of public lands for sale and being pretty largely interested in Lands myself I have ventured to make these remarks to you, in relation to their value with the hope that they may not be considered obtrusive by you but perhaps they may be of service in enabling you to form an equitable decision in this case.

I am with great respect Sir
Your most ob(edien)t. servant
(signed) Saml. J. Hunt

To J.L. Edwards Esqr.
Pension Agent
War Department
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State of Ohio
City of Cincinnati
Before me Isaac G. Burnet Mayor of the City of Cincinnati aforesaid, personally came James Gray who, on his Solemn oath declares that he is the identical person of that name who on or about the 18th day of August 1824 made his declaration and filed his schedule of property in the court of Common Pleas of Hamilton County (Ohio) in order to avail himself of the benefit of the provisions of the acts of Congress of the 18th of March 1818 1st of May 1820 & 1st of March 1823, and that the identical quarter section of Land which he gave on his schedule is the N.E. qr. Sec. 7 Tq .R. 5E which is situated in Shelby county on the North West frontier of the State of Ohio, and that in consequence of his not being able to make the Second payment on it or any part thereof, he, to avoid a forfeiture and total loss of the eighty dollars which he had paid on it, on or about the thirtieth day of March last past, sold and transferred the certificate of the aforesaid quarter section of Land to a certain John Reemer for the Sum of forty five dollars part of which Sum he received in money, part in merchandise and part in Household furniture
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which was the highest price he could (crossed out: "he could") obtain for the same and further this deponent saith (crossed out: "not") that he is informed and verily he testifies that the said Reemer to whom he sold the said quarter section of Land has since that time relinquished the same to the United States and further he saith not.

(signed) James Gray

In Testimony of which I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the corporate Seal of the said city this 4th day of May 1825

(signed) Isaac Burnet Mayor
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[Top half of document is struck out and redone on lower half]
Butler County fr
Before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for 
Said county Personally came William Dougherty and being
duly sworn according to Law deprovith and Saith that
Either in June of July in the year 1775 James
enlisted under Cap(tai)n Michael Doudle in the Reg(i)ment
Commanded by Col(o)n(al) Thompson and Served in the
Revolutionary War one year and to the best of this
Deponent? Knowledge Said James Gray was discharged
in June or July 1776
Further this deponent? Saith not
Sworn and Inscribed before Me and W(illia)m Damegh
This 27th day of July A.D. 1824
(signed) Robert Reed
I do hereby certify to all to whom these concern that William
Dougherty who took and the above deportation
Before me is a man of Credit and ?? and is ??
?? willingly given under My hand and Seal this 27th day 
of July A.D. 1824
(signed) Robert Reed
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I John Seymour Prothonotary of the court of 
Common Pleas of Butler county Pennsylvania
Do certify that Robert Scott and Robert Reed, Esquires, before whom the foregoing deposition
were made and who certifies the same was
at the time of ?? said depositions two of 
the acting Justices of the Pearr? are the Said county duly ?? and sworn and
that ?? ?? and until as due to all
their official attestations as such as are
in ?? of Justice as the court
The testimony hereof I ??
hereunto set my hand and affixed
the Seal of Said Court at Butler
this twenty eighth day of July
A.D. one thousand eight 
hundred and twenty four

(signed) John Seymour Proth
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For the ?? Office
16,877

James Gray
Ohio

Sam(ue)l Hunt,
Cincinnati, Ohio

Rec(eive)d 17 May 1825

(written over top)
The ?? James Barbour
Secretary of War,
Washington

(stampled
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16,877

James Gray,
Hamilton Co(unty) Ohio

Sam(ue)l F. Hunt,
Cincinnati, Ohio

Susp(ende)d See letter 14 Apr
1825
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42757

INVALID
Rev Y

File No. 42,759
James Gray
Pri Rev Wao

Act: 18 March 18
Index: - Vol. 5, Page 205

[Arrangement of 1870.]

(In right corner)
1908 Apr. 7. R.R. Jones
Ohio S. of R. uifd?
date of death