Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4384, Shepherd Gum, Va.
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(3-1776)

SERVICE Va.
Gum, Shepherd
NUMBER R. 4384

CONTENTS
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State of Missouri,
County of Howard,

[illegible]

On the sixth day of August, 1834, personally appeared before the County Court of the County of Howard and State of Missouri, Shepherd Gum a 73 year, who being [illegible] duly sworn, according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the pension made by the act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the military service of the United States, in the County of Rockingham, Virginia [illegible], under the Command of Captain Robert Cravens in the spring of 1779, and marched under his command to a fort in Tyen Valley for the purpose of guarding the frontier of Virginia against the incursion of the Indian. In this service I continued there months and was [illegible], or rather the whole company was [illegible].

In the fall of the year 1779 I again entered the service under the command of Captain Abraham [illegible], and marched under him to the north western part of Pennsylvania, where we formed the army of General McIntosh, at Fort McIntosh, on the north west bank of the Ohio. From there the whole command of [illegible] McIntosh (except a guard for the garrison) marched to the head water of the river [illegible] where we built Fort Laurense, on the western bank of the [illegible], and there met a tribe of Indians with whom we made a verbal treaty and from [illegible] moved some supplies of corn. In this time I served three months.

In the fall of 1780 I served a term of three months under Captain George Baxter. We marched from Rockingham, and camped in the neighborhood of Fort Smith to prevent the [illegible] and [illegible]
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deprecations of the British, who had possession of the Fort.

In the spring and summer of 1781, I served a tour of three months under Captain George Chrisman. I entered the service in Rockingham County and marched from there to a place of rendezvous north of Old James Town. Nothing occurred during the campaign worthy of recording.

In September 1781, I again entered the service and served a three months tour, viz: Under
Captain Richard Ragan I marched from Rockingham down to the battery at Yorktown, from whence I was ordered out on a fatigue party to Burrell’s ferry on James River, where I assisted in putting the cannon on their
carriages & hail them up the river bluff. I was then ordered on board the Schooner Hummingbird, then loading with provision for the use of the French fleet then blockading York River. I sailed on board this schooner & delivered the stores to the French fleet. We proceeded from thence to York Town, where we arrived a few days after the surrender of Cornwallis , where I was discharged by Captain
Hague.

Between the periods of some of these tours of service, I served one campaign of twenty days
under Captain William Herring in marching from Rockingham to Richmond & returning. We were
marched to Richmond under the apprehension that the British were about to attack that place, which apprehension, however, proved groundless. 

I also served a tour of one month, in an irregular service, against the tories, who were embodied in the mountains on the headwaters of the South branch of the Potomac. I do not remember the name of our Captain or whether he was more than a mere leader in this volunteer service.

He knows of no living witness of his services.
To the questions directed to be propounded by the War Department he answers: –
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1. He was born in the County of Orange in the State of Virginia, on the 29 day of July 1761
2. He has a record of his age, in the hand writing of his father Jacob Gum, which he here produces to the Court.
3. He was living in the County of Rockingham and State of Virginia at the several periods at which he was called into the service as aforesaid, and since the Revolutionary War has lived in Hardin County Kentucky and now lives in the County of Howard & State of Missouri.
4. He was a volunteer in every tour except the last one – and was drafted into the service for that tour.
5. In addition to the names of his Captains he states the names of General Muhlenburgh, Col. Naul & Major Guy Hamilton who were with the troops where he served as aforesaid.
6. He rec’d a discharge, as before stated from Captain Hague. His own discharge & that of a fellow soldier (Saml Drake) was written on the same sheet and Drake having taken both together, I never procured mine – caring nothing about it.
7. He states the names of Thomas Burrows and Hampton L. Boon to whom he is known in his present neighborhood, and who can testify as to his character for veracity and their beleif of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and
he declares that his name is not on the pension
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e pension roll of any agency in any State. Shepherd Gum

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. John B. Clark cn

Mr. Hampton L Boon, a Clergyman residing in the County of Howard & Thomas Burrows residing in Howard County, duely certify that we are well acquainted with Shepherd Gum who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 73 years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. 
H. L. Boon [signed]
Thomas Burrows [signed]
Sworn and subscribed this day and aforesaid.
John B. Clark cln
And the said court do hereby declare that opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogations prescribed by the War Department, that the above named affiant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served in the States. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Hampton L. Boon, who has signed the preceding certificate is a Clergyman residing in Howard County, and that Thomas Burrows who has also signed the same, is a resident in the County of Howard aforesaid, and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit. 
D R Drake
Henry Lewis
Daniel Reeder
I, John B Clark, Clerk of County Court of Howard County, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original of the said Court in the matter of the application of Shepherd Gum for a Pension. In wherefor, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office, this sixth day of August, Eighteen Hundred Thirty Four.
John B. Clark, Clerk
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The Declaration of Shepherd Gum amend story of his declaration made before the County Clerk of the County of Howard and State of MIssouri, on the sixth day of August 1834, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of the 7th of June 1832.
In relation to my services as detailed in my original declaration aforesaid, I am now under the impression, from an examination of some of my old papers, and taxing my recollection to its utmost, that I entered the service of the United States under the Command of Captain Robert Cravens in the Spring of 1778, instead of the Spring of 1779 as stated in my original declaration, and that, consequently, there is the inaccuracy of one year in the detail of his first, second and third tours of service.

His recollection enables him to state in relation to the second tour of service as detailed in his original declaration, that he was rendesvoused at Harrisonburg, Virginia, and marched from thence across the South and North branches of the Potomac; we struck “Braddock’s road” at Gwinns Tavern, at
the foot of the Allegany Mountain, a short distance above Fort Cumberland; we followed “Braddock’s road” across the Allegany Mountain to the foot of Laurel Hill, passing the Camp of Dunbar, where he had once blown up a Magazine, as we were given to understand in passing by it. Between
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“Dunbar Camp” and “Braddock’s old battle ground” we left this road, turning to the left in the direction of Devores old ferry, on the Monongohelia about thirty miles above Fort Pitt – now Pittsburg. From there we
struck through the Country to Fort McIntosh, on the Ohio, passing Col. Neville’s on the head of Shirtee Creek. He remembers in addition to what he has stated in his
original declaration, that as the army was passing from Fort McIntosh to the Tucarora (where he assisted in building Fort Lawrence) that as they were passing through some fallen timber, a body of Indians fired on the advance guard of the Army & killed a man by the name of Gaines – as I now recollect the name. In the building of Fort Lawrence, having no waggons nor teams, he remembers the men had to carry the timbers used in its construction on their shoulders across a small prairie which lays between the
Tuscarora & the woods.
In his fifth tour of service under Captain Richard Ragan, he remembers that on his arrival at York Town the British were firing at the Americans who were engaged in throwing up the breast works. This firing continued occasionally
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during his short stay there (before he was sent to Burrell’s ferry as stated in his original declaration) and one cannon ball struck a stack of musketts, peices of which wounded two men (brothers by the name of Boyer.) The same Cannon ball cut off another mans thigh by the name of John Shannon who died directly of loss of blood – as I understood from some of my comrades. On his
arrival at York Town on board the Hummingbird (as stated in his original declaration) he remembers Lord Cornwallis was in close quarters under the river bluff – the British shipping had the rigging all cut
off – a great part of it had been sunk – and many horses which had been killed were thrown into the river at the wharf.
From 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 fifteen months and twenty days – and for this service he claims a pension. [signed] Shepherd Gum
John B Clark, cln
Sworn to and subscribed [this day, crossed out] in open court on the 3rd day of November, 1834. and the said court do herby declare their
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opinion, (as they have heretofore declared the same) that the above-named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served ar he States.
DR Drake
Henry Lewis 
Daniel Reeder
Judges of Howard Co. Court

I, John B Clark, Clerk of the Howard County Court do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original amended proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Shepherd Gum for a pension. 

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this 13th day of November, eighteen hundred and thirty four.
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Suspended
Sec letter to J. M. Birch
Fayette, Mo.

12th March, 1835
24 Dec 11
Edwards
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House of Representatives
Dec 22, 1841
J. C. Edwards Esq
Comm of Pensions:

Dr. Sir.
Let me ask you to examine the enclosed letter of the Hon. J. M. Redman. I happen myself to be acquainted with Mr. Shepherd Gum. If he is entitled to a pension his claim ought to be examined at once. He is very old & I expect very infirm, and if not absolutely poor, at least not comfortably rich. You sp please give me an answer when convenient. 

Very respectfully,

J. C. Edwards
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[crossed out] Acts of July 14, 1802, and March 3, 1873.

4384
[crossed out] 3484

P. O. Shepherd Gum

Service:

Enlisted: Rejected, 18
Discharged: , 18

Application filed: , 18

Alleges:
Re-enlisted:

Attorney:
P.O.
Recognized Contract
Cert. of Dis. Searched for , 18
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Shepherd Gum MO

Conformably to the suggestion of Mr. Edward, Mr. Gum has amended his declaration rendering the detail of his service, as full as his memory will enable him. If sufficiently so, it is hoped to merit the favorable action of the illegible.
With high regard,
Your Obdt Servant
J. H. Burch
Atty for
S. Gum

Fayette Nov 4, 1834
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War Department
Pension Office
September 1st, 1834

The declaration of Sheperd Gum has been examined, and it is herewith returned. The statement of the applicant services is not so full and particular as to the occurrences connected therewith, as the regulations require. He is also in an error as to the period of which McIntosh's campaign took place. If the applicant can produce any direct proof of any part of his service, he should do so. Enclosed is a copy of the regulations, to which he must strictly conform.
I am Respectfully,
Your Obd Servant
J L Edwards