Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 5712, for John Jones, Maryland
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[handwritten on pre-printed card]
(9-1776)
SERVICE          NUMBER
Md. Jones, John (of Benjamin) R. 5712

CONTENTS
b Feb. 11 1757 at Wetipaynin, Somerset Co., Md. there at enl.
m 1833 res of Naticoke, Somerset Co. Md.
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Declaration of John Jones of Benj of Somerset County, MD. an applicant for a pension under the Act of Congress of June 7th. 1832.
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Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th June, 1832.
State of Maryland, Somerset County, S.S.
On this twenty first day of May in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, personally appeared before the orphan's Court of Somerset Co. Md. John Jones, of Benjamin, a resident of the County of Somerset and State of Maryland, aged seventy six 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 provisions made by the Act of Congress, passed, June 7th, 1832. That he was enrolled in the Militia of Somerset County in the State of Maryland, as well as he can now recollect sometime in the years of 1775 or '76. That the company to which he belonged was, at first commanded by Captain George Day Scott. He believes the company belonged to the eighth regiment, for which E[illegible] Bayly, was at that time colonel. Subsequently the [illegible due to fold]
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by Capt. Johnathan Conray, and the Regiment by Col George Day Scott. That he was called out on military service at varios times, during the Revolutionary War. That at one time, he was ordered with the Company to the Tangier Island and other Islands of the Chesapeake Bay, to remove the cattle &c which afforded sustenance to the British, and were the objects of plunder for the British Ranges [Rangers], which then infested the Bay. That, at another time, he was ordered [illegible crossed out] with the company to march to Salisbury, on the borders of Somerset & Worcester Counties, in the State of Maryland, to disperse the Tories, who were reported to be armed, assembled and encamped, some miles beyond Salisbury. The Tories, however did not risk a battled, but dispersed upon hearing of the approach of their opponents. That at another time they marched to Salisbury & from Salisbury he was ordered with the company, to march through Princess Anne, in Somerset County, to the lower part of Little Annamossic [Annemessex], in the Southern part of Somerset County, to oppose the landing of the British. That they found no British enemy
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oppose, but took a party of Tories, prisoners, and [illegible] them to a place called Kingston, where they were guarded for about two weeks. That Subsequently he marched a [illegible] with his company to a place called Cedar Hammooks, an the Hicamic River, in Somerset County, and was there on guard for several weeks; and that he was called out and on guard at different times and places, and for different periods of time, till the close of the Revolutionary War.
He hereby relinquished every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any Agency in any State.
Sworn to and Subscribed the day & year aforesaid. in open Court
Test [signed] James Polk Reg W. S C.
[signed] John Jones of Benj
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinions, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, employed in the Militia Service of Somerset County Maryland and Served as he states. 
[illegible, page folded]
do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the Said Court in the matter of the application [illegible]
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ceedings of the Said Court in the matter of the application of John Jones, of Benjamin, for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this twenty first day of May, 1833.
[signed] James Polk Register of wills for somerset County -

We James Denson, a Clergyman, residing in the neighbourhood of Nanticoke, in Somerset County, Maryland, and Levin Willin, residing in the same, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Jones, of Benjamin, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 76 years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood, where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, employed in the Militia service of Somerset County, Md. and that we concur in that opinion. -- 
Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid - in open Court
[signed] J. P. Dension
[signed] his
Levin  X Willin
mark
Test [signed] James Polk Reg W. S. C.
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Interrogatories proposed to John Jones, of Benjamin, an applicant for a pension, on account of service in the Revolutionary War.
1.Q Where and when were you born?
Ans. At Wetipquin, in Somerset County, Maryland, on the eleventh day of February, 1757.
2. Q. Have you any record of your age & if so where is it?
Ans. There is a records of my age in the Register of Stepney Parish in Somerset County Maryland.
3. Q. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live?
A. At Wetipquin, in Somerset County, Maryland, when called into service, and I have lived at Nanticoke, about five miles from Wetipquin, ever since the Revolution & live there now. 
4. Q. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?
A. I was drafted.
5. Q. State names of some of the Regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services.
A. I have done this, to the best of my recollection, in the declaration, which I have above subscribed & sworn to.
6. Q. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so by whom was it given & what has become of it?
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Regiment as you [illegible] and the gene[illegible] of your services.
A. I have done this, to the best of my recollection, in the declaration, which I have above subscribed & sworn to.
6. Q. did you ever receive and discharge from the service, and if so by whom was is given & what has become of it?
A. I received no written discharge, but was disbanded with the soldiers of the Militia generally, at the end of the war. 
7. Q. State the names of persons, to whom you are Known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.
A. James Denson, George D. Walter, Jesse Hughes, Covington Corday, and many others.
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, employed in the Militia service of Somerset County Md. and served as he states.
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and the court further certifies that it appears to them, that James Denson, who has signed a preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the neighborhood of Nanticoke in Somerset County, and that Levin Willin, who has also signed the same is a resident of the same place, and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I James Polk Register of Wills of the county of Somerset, state of Maryland do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Jones, of Benjamin, for a pension
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this twenty first day of May, in the year of our Lord, 1833.
[signed] James Polk Register of Wills for Somerset County
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[handwritten on pre-printed letterhead]
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension Office, 
19 June 1833
Sir: 
The evidence in support of your claim under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in tabular form. ON comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjoined notes you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will shew what is necessary to be done. Those points to which your attention is more particularly direct, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: }). You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.

A Statement, shewing the Service of John Jones (of Benjamin) Somerset Cty Md.
Period when the service [illegible]| Duration of the claimant's service.| Rank of the claimant| Names and rank of the Field officers under whom he served.| Age at present, and place of abode when he entered the service.| Proof by which the declaration is supported.
Years|Months|Days.
End. 8 Agt} 75 or 6|0|3|15|Private guard guard-| Cap Scott Col. Bayly Capt Conway Col. Scott}| [illegible] Maryland| Traditionary - Oath of the applicant, Testimony of Levin Willin, who has a personal Knowledge of the services rendered -
I am, respectfully, Your obedient servant, J. L. EDWARDS, Commissioner of Pensions.
Rept to Mr. Robb
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Handwritten on side of Form: John Jones of Benj.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832

The following regulations have been adopted:
This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line", "State troops", "militia", and "volunteers", all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissories and to Store Keepers etc. Teamsters, Boatmen, etc.. Persons who serviced on board of private armed vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.

Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
1. The Regular Troops
2. The State Troops, Militia and Volunteers.
3. Persons employed (too dark to read)
4. Indian Spies.

As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons claiming the benefit of this law as officer, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will, in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.

DECLARATION
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832
State, Territory, or District of County of {blank}

On this --- day of --- personally appeared (a) before A. B. a resident (b) of --- in the county of --- and State, Territory or District of --- aged (c) --- 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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d) ---, with --- and served in the --- (e) regiment of the --- line under the following named officers:

[Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Copany Officers; the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers;) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged and the country through which he marched. This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, etc.)

He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency of the State of ---

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. A.B.

(And then will follow the certificate of the court).

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states.

I --- of the Court of --- do hereby certify (h) tht the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of --- for a pension.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this --- day of --- etc.

If, on examination of the proper record, the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (f) points out.
Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing with the following additions viz:

(k) We A.B. a Clergyman, residing in the --- and C.D. residing in (the same) hereby certify that we are well acquainted with --- who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be --- 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.
Sworn and subscribed the days and year aforesaid.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court]
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 it appears to them that A.B. who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the ... and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.

I ... Clerk of the Court of ... do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of ... for a pension.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the office, this ... day of ... etc.

Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of a least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction.

If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration (l0 and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his
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Feb 18, 1936

BA-J/MCS
John Jones, R.5712

Mrs. W.H. Tilghman 
112 Virginia Avenue
Salisbury, Maryland

Dear Madam:

Reference is made to your letter of February 10, 1936, in which you request information relative to Revolutionary War soldiers, Joseph Dashiell or De Schil, William Heath, John Jones, Vashi Whaley and John Leatherbury.

Revolutionary was data furnished by this office are obtained from claims made to the United States for pension and bounty land based upon the military service of soldiers in that war. A careful search of the records fails to show such claims on file on account of the services of the A William Heath of Worcester County, Maryland, or of any soldier's name Joseph Dashiell, Vashi Whaley and John Leatherbury, searched under all spellings of the names.

The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in the pension claim R.5712 based upon the military service of John Jones.

John Jones, who signed as John Hames of Benjamin, was born February 11, 1757 at Wetipquin, Somerset County, Maryland. The names of parents were not given. He stated that there was a record of his age in the register of Stepney or Stapney Parish in Somerset County, Maryland.

While a resident of Nanticoke, Somerset County, Maryland, where he had lived since the Revolution, he applied for pension May21, 1833, and stated that while living in Wetipquin he served in the Somerset County militia from 1775 or 1776 at various times until the close of the Revolution, amounting to three months and fifteen days in all, under Captains George Day Scott and John Span Conway and Colonels  name Bayly and George Day Scott (who was formerly captain).

His claim was not allowed as he did not render at least six months military service which was the minimum length of service required by the pension law to entitle him to pension.
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One Isaac D. Jones was living in Princess Anne, Somerset County, Maryland, in 1835 but it was not stated that he was related to the soldier and there are no further data relative to soldier's family.

Very truly yours

A.D. Hiller
Executive Assistant to the Administrator
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[handwritten on pre-printed form]
5712
P. O. 1832 Md
John Jones
[service crossed out, illegible]
Somerset Co Md age 76 (1833) Capt Scott V Conway, Colo Bagby & Scott went to Tangier Islands
Enlisted: , 18
Discharged: , 18
[stamp] REJECTED
Application filed: , 18
[Alleges crossed out] The printed list of 1852 gives cause of rejection as "He did not serve Six months"
[Re-enlisted crossed out]
Attonney:
P. O. 
Recognized. 
Contract
Cert. of Dis. Searched for , 18
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Maryland
John Jones 
Rejected 
See Letter to Isaac Jones, 28" October 1833
5712
No 1
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[handwritten on pre-printed form]
5712
P. O. 1832 Md
John Jones 
[service and illegible crossed out]
Somerset Co Md age 76 (1833) Capt Scott V Conway, Colo Bagby & Scott went to 
Enlisted: Tangier Islands, 18
Discharged: , 18
[stamped] REJECTED
Application filed: , 18
[Alleges: crossed out] The printed list of 1852 gives cause of rejection as
[Re-enlisted: crossed out] "He did not serve Six months"
Attorney:
P. O. 
Recognized. Contract.
Cert. of Dis. Searched for  , 18
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1936 Feb 18 Hist to Mrs W.H. Tilghman 
MCS
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Maryland
John Jones
Rejected
See Letter to Isaac Jones, 18th October 1833
5712
No 1
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J. L. Edwards, Esqr,
Commissioner on pension
War Department 
Washington.
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Princess Anne, Somerset Coy. Md Oct 10" 1833
J. L. Edwards, Esqr
Dear Sir, 
I herewith return to you the papers in relation to the applications of John Jones, of Benj [illegible] & of Levin Willin of this County, for pending with a supplemental declaration, which will, I hope, obviate the difficulties, suggested in the printed letter. Levin Willin insists that his service on Board of the Protector was at least six months. He says that he enlisted for seven months & had nearly served out the time. I told him I had seen the pay roll of the Protector in Annapolis, and that it represented him as having enlisted in June & being "on parole in September, and advised him to adopt [illegible] in May last, when he made his declaration. As he is a man, though illiterate, of strict veracity & integrity, I think, perhaps, I may be mistaken in my recollection of the record in Annapolis. A few days ago Willin repeated the same statement he may in May last.
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[illegible] application to Mr. Brewer, Regr of the Land Office, at Annapolis, you may ascertain the true dates. Or if the proof submitted is deemed sufficient & the pensions are immediately allowed, please inform me of the result as soon as convenient. 
The two applicants have [illegible] certified on oath, as their mental Knowledge of the services of each other. The Court, which took the original Declarations, you will percieve certified as to their character for veracity & c.
Hoping very soon to hear from you, I remain
Your Mo. Obt. Servt.
[signed] Isaac F. Jones.
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I. Jones Esqr
28th Octr 1833
O. C.
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War Department
Pension Office
October 28. 1833
Sir
The papers in the case of John Jones have been again examined, and -- placed on our files --
He served but 3 months and fifteen days during the revolutionary war, which is no sufficient to entitle him to a pension under the act of June 7, 1832, the minimum of service under the law, being 6 months at one or various times. His claim has therefor been rejected. 
The papers of Levin Willin have been transmitted to the Land office at Annapolis, in order that his statement may be verified by the rolls there --
Isaac Jones Esq
Princess Anne Md
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On the seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty three, personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of the peace for Somerset County, and State of Maryland, John Jones, of Benjamin, of the county & state aforesaid, 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 services; but according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than three months and fifteen days, as a soldier in the militia of Somerset County, Maryland, that he was called into service by competent authority, served in an embodied corps; and that for the time during which the service was performed, he was not engaged in any civil pursuit: -- and for the services aforesaid he claims a pension.
sworn before [signed] Jas Denson

On this seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty three, personally appears before me the undersigned, a Justice of the peace as aforesaid, Levin Willin of Somerset County, Maryland, who being duly sworn, deposeth & saith, that he certifies, of his own personal Knowledge that John Jones of Benjamin served as a soldier in the Militia of Somerset County, during the Revolutionary war, and altho' the said Willin does not recollect the length of the service of the said Jones, the said Willin believes that the said Jones
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served as he states in his declaration submitted to the War Department, which declaration has been read to the said Willin.
Sworn before, [signed] Jas Denson

Maryland Somerset County Sct:
I, George Handy, Clerk of Somerset County Court, do hereby certify, that James Denson Esquire who has taken and certified the above affidavits, is a Justice of the peace for Somerset County, Maryland, and that the signature thereto annexed is his genuine signature.
In testimony whereof I hereto Set my hand & affix the seal of said County Court, this 7th day of October Anno Domini 1833.
[signed] Geo. Handy Clk Somt. Coty Court

John Jones, of Benjn.
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Salisbury, MD
Feb 10, 1936

Veterans Administration
Washington, D.C.

Gentlemen -

Will you kindly send me any information you might have about the following men who fought in the Revolutionary War - 

Col Joseph Dashiell or De Schil of Worcester Co., Maryland; Lieut. William Heath of Worcester Co. Md, John Jones of Somerset Co. Md; Vashi Whaley of Worcester Co. Md and John Leatherbury of Somerset Co MD.

Yours Truly

(Mrs. W.H.) Irma B. Tilghman
112 Virginia Ave
Salisbury, Md

Mrs W.H. Tilghman
Registrar Samuel Chase Chap D.A.R.
Salisbury, Md

Date/Time Stamp
Received Feb 10. 1936