Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 416, Benajah Gill, Continental (Del)
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Service
Continental (Del)
Gill, Benajah
Mary

Number
W. 416
B.L.W.-259-60-55.

Contents
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Illinois 26.412
Benajah [illegible]
[illegible] Co. in the State of —
who was a [illegible] in the [illegible] commanded
by Captain — of the Regt commanded
by Col Luce- in the [illegible]
[illegible] for Militia* —
& [illegible] of [illegible] 100.00

Inscribed on the Roll of Ill—
at the rate of 100 Dollars — Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issues the 19th day of Janu
— and [illegible] to
34 [illegible] C Signs 11/2

Arrears to the 4th of [illegible] 30   300.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Sep   50.00

* Lee's Legion $350.00
Cont.n maq.
eu. n. m. nov. 15. 1909 {Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.}
Recorded by J. T. Sprague   Clerk,
Book 6 -   Vol. 8   Page 61 -
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[illegible]88.556 - act 3.° (mar. 5-5-
14th (July .5-5-

Mary Gill widow of Benajah Gill (Pensioner) Private

[illegible]

Rev War

Pensioner
Act 3.° [illegible] 185-3

neg 5-3-1956
Ad: 60 aq for 28.56 [illegible]

Richard T. McHaney & John T. Loudon

Marion Ill.
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1956
Illinois 
Mary Gill widow of Benajah Gill who served in the Revolutionary ware as a private of cavalry.
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of 100 dollars
Cents per annum, to commence on the 3rd February 1853
Certificated of pension issued the 15th day of Sept. 7, 53 and sent to 
Jno T. Nelly (illegible)
Recorded on roll of pensioners under act 193 Vol. A 
(illegible)
Set to J.T. Loudon
Nov 5, 1852
Let to J.T. Chenoweth
Feb 11/54
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State of Illinois
Williamson County

On this the fourth day of March in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty three personally appeared before the Judge of the county court of the County of Williamson and State of Illinois Mary Gill a resident of the County of Williamson and State aforesaid aged about 70 years who being duty sworn according to law doth, on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the act of Congress past February the 3rd 1853 that she is the identical widow of Benager Gill who was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and who was a pensioner and who did draw a pension from the government of the United States at the rate of one hundred dollars a year as she thinks the states that the first money that her husband Benager Gill drew as a pension from the government was paid by the Pension Agent Daniel Hay at Carmi in White County in Illinois and that the last pension money that he drew was paid by the pension agent at Springfield Sangamon County Illinois whose name the [crossed out] [illegible] She further states that at the time her husband obtained and received the first of his pension that he was a resident of Franklin County in the state of Illinois and in that portion of Franklin County which now composes the County of Williamson in said State and that the said Benager Gill her husband died in the County of Williamson in the State of Illinois on or about the 28th day of September 1843. She further declares that that she was married to the said Benager Gill on the first day of April sometime between the year
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1800 and 1809 in the County of Cumberland in the State of North Carolina by one John Demans and a Justice of the Peace. She further States that she knows of no Record by which she can prove her marriage to the said Benager Gill and that she knows of no person living at this time who was an eyewitness to the marriage ceremony and that she knows of no other proof of said marriage except her own oath and that her husband the aforesaid Benager Gill died on the 28th day of September 1843, that she was married to him at the time above stated. She further swears that she was a widow at the passage of the act and is still a widow and that she has never before made application for a pension under the present act of Congress. 
Subscribed and sworn to before me
WM Eubanks Judge of the county court of the county of Williamson and state of Illinois on the day and year first herein and above written.
WM Eubanks; County Judge

Mary [X mark] Gill, her marke

State of Illinois, Williamson County; I W. M. Eubanks Judge of the County Court in and for the County and State aforesaid do hereby certify that on this day I went into the presence of Mary Gill whose name appears signed to the above and foregoing application at her residence in the County and State aforesaid and while in her presence she subscribed and swore to the above application. I also further certify that from old age and bodily infirmity that the said Mary Gill whose signature appears to the foregoing application is unable to appear in court and that she resides some fifteen miles from
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the Court House in Williamson County and State of Illinois and therefore in my opinion she could not be carried so great a distance without endangering her life or health. 
Scribe under my hand and seal this the fourth day of March AD1853
W M Eubanks; Co Judge

State of Illinois 
Williamson County;
On this day personally appeared before me, W M Eubanks Judge of the County Court of Williamson County and in the State aforesaid, Philip Trammell, Elijah Henderson, Nancy Buckner and Temperance Aplin, James Gills, all residents of the County of Williamson and State aforesaid and men and women of good name, fame and character with all of whom I personally acquainted and after being duty sworn as the law direct, on their oaths make the following joint statement that they were well acquainted with Benager Gill who drew a pension from the United States for his services as a soldier in the Revolutionary war; that they were acquainted with and well knew the said Benager Gill for many years before he ever drew a Pension and that they well recollect when he obtained his Pension; and that he was then living in this immediate settlement in the County of Franklin and State of Illinois and in that portion of Franklin County which now composes the County of Williamson in said State; and that they knew him and was well acquainted with the said Benager Gill all the time that he continued to draw his pension until he died which was about the 28th day of September 1843 as they believe. They further state that when
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they first became acquainted with the said Benager Gill which was a long time ago, some 30 years [crossed out] since or more, that he then had with him whom he claimed to be his lawful wife, one Mary Gill whose name appears to the foregoing application and who is still living in the immediate vicinity where they first became acquainted with the said Benager Gill; they further state that all the time that they were acquainted with the said Benager Gill, from the first until his death, that he lived with the said Mary Gill as man and wife and that the said Benager and Mary Gill had several children, some of whom are dead and some now living away; those living are Stephen Gill, apparently some 43 years old and Catherine Gill now intermarried with [illegible] about 38. They further state that at the time that Benager Gill died, he left Mary Gill his widow and that they have been well acquainted with the the said Mary Gill ever since the death of Benager Gill her husband; and that she has continued a widow all the time from his death and is still a widow and that the said Mary Gill whose name appears to the foregoing application is the identical widow of Benager Gill who departed this life some time on or about the 28th day of September, 1843 and who drew a pension from the United States for services as a soldier in the Revolutionary war; and that the said Mary Gill is a resident of the County of Williamson and State of Illinois; they further state that they make this affidavit for the purpose of assisting the said Mary Gill to obtain a Pension from the United States as the widow of that aforesaid Benager Gill, deceased, and that they are disinterested.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this the 4th day of March AD1853
W M Eubanks; Co Judge

Phillip Trammell
James Gills
Elijah Henderson [X mark], his marke
Temperance [X mark] Aplin, her marke
Nancy [X mark] Buckner, her marke
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Benajah Gill
Illinois

On Roll Lee’s
Legion
1 July ‘80-
Benjamin Gill
Corresponding with
date-officers & [illegible marks]

[illegible]
24.mo pri [illegible]
-100$
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State of Illinois on the 2nd day of June Franklin County, 1834 personally appearance before Deusey, of the county commissioner court for Franklin County and state of Illinois. Benajah Gill aged seventy-three years, who being first duly sworn according today doth (illegible) his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions recorded by the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832 that he enlisted in the army of the United States in the year 1780 for (illegible) the war in Capt. George (illegible) company in what was Col. (illegible) Lee’s Legion for during the war that he (illegible) at Burlington in the state of (illegible) State of Delaware from Burlington they were shipped to go to Charleston in the state of South Carolina but were stopped at Port Smith in the state of Virginia from there they marched by land to the British lines near the city of New York from there they were marched to the state of South Carolina where we were inoculated for small pox by Doctor Ervin. We were then sent a place called the Scotch Lake in the same state where we got two mends wounded of our (illegible). We marched to Fort Thompson in the same state from there they marched us cross the water and Congaree River to a place where the British were stockading in which place Col. Lee took by making use of us
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Wooden carron from there he marches to a placed called Gaupeking Fort about 15 or 20 miles below Augusta, in the state of South Carolina from there to Augusta, where the (illegible) war wounded by shot through the right ear, in the state of Georgia. From there to Moncks Corner in the state of South Carolina, there we (illegible) Green for which place we retreated and went to (illegible) which was in the year 1782 and after the Battle at the Eutaw Springs, at which time the applicant was sick and after recovering from his sickness he was in (illegible) in scouting or (illegible) about until they went to George (illegible) in South Carolina from where they were marched into Charleston , State of South Carolina near which place they continued until they were legally discharged or furloughed without (illegible) with his discharge or furloughed without (illegible) become so obligated by the place of time what it was impossible to distinguish (illegible) the writing war or the face of it this was in the year 1782 or 1783 where he got his discharge. He here by positively states that he forgot to state that he was in the battle of Guildford Court, house in the state of North Carolina which battle was fought in the year of the 15th of March the battle lasted about one hour and a half he then was commence by the same officers as before mentioned he here by relinquish every claim whatever
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to a pension or an (illegible) except the present he declares that is name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state sworn to and subscribed they day and year afford said.
(his mark) Benajah Gill
And the same court do hear by declare their opinion that the above-named applicant was a revolutionary solider and a service of the states.
Dempsey Damm
Jeremiah Neal
State of Illinois 
S.M. Hubbard clerk of the Franklin County does hear by (illegible) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Benajah Gill for a pension.
In testimony where of I have heard   unto set my (illegible) and the (illegible) being no published (illegible) 
June 1834
SM Hubbard
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State of Illinois
Williamson; SS

On this the twenty eighth day of June [illegible] the year of our Lord one Thousand [crossed out] eight hundred and fifty-five personally appeared before me Joseph F Page an [illegible] Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid Mary Gill aged 80 years a resident of Johnson County in the state of Illinois who being duly sworn on her oath declares that she is the identical widow of Benajah Gill [illegible] who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and [illegible] [illegible] a Pension at the rate of one hundred dollars per year. She states that she was placed on the Pension list as the widow of the said Benajah Gill. Under the act of the 3rd of February 1833. On the 3rd day of February 1833 and is now drawing a pension as the widow of the said Benajah Gill at the rate of $100 per year. She states that she wishes that particular [illegible] may be had [illegible] her declaration now on file at Washington City which she obtained the Pension that she is now drawing [mark] for [illegible] of the service of her said husband, her marriage with the said Benajah Gill and also his death. She states that she makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty sum [mark] to which she is certified under the act of [illegible] 3rd of March AD1833— That she never has obtained any bounty [illegible] from the [illegible] government under any act of Congress whatever nor never made any application [illegible] except this one and that she is a widow at the date of this her application. And she hereby appoints Richard T Mcharry & John T [illegible] of Williamson County Illinois as her attornies to [illegible] her claim and to [illegible] her warrant when [illegible]
Mary [X mark] Gill
her mark
sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year afore written and I hereby certify that I am well and personally acquainted with the said Mary Gill and believe her to be of the age and State she states, that I know her to be the identical widow of Benajah Gill deceased and that she [illegible] now drawing a pension at the rate of one hundred dollars and that I am not [illegible] in [illegible] Claim or the prosecution thereof.
Joseph F Page JP
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State of Illinois
Williamson Couty SS

On the 28th day of June 1855 personally approved before me Joseph F Page (illegible) justice of the peace in and for the county and state aforesaid Nathan G. Joiner age 39 and Zachariah Jackson , age 27 years residents of Williamson County in the slate of Illinois who being duly sworn (illegible) and say that they and will and personally acquainted with Mary Gill the foregoing applicate for bounty (illegible) that that they were present and saw the said Mary Gill make her mark to the said foregoing that of them own personally acknowledge they know the said Mary Gill to be the identical widow of Benajah Gill deceased who was a revolutionary soldier and pensioner and that (illegible) the said Mary Gill is not drawing a pension as the widow of the said Benajah Gill deceased and that she is a widow at the date of this her application and they swear that they are distinguished witnesses 
Nathan G. Joiner
Zachariah Jackson 
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year fore above written and I certify that the said Nathan G. Joiner and Zachariah Jackson are both credible and respectable citizens of said county. 
Joseph F Page, JP
State of Illinois Williamson County 
John W White clerk of said count court do herby certify that Joseph F Page whose genuine signature appears officially to the fore upon certificate is and was at the date there of an acting justice of the peace within a for said county duly elected commissioned and qualified as such.
Intention only where of I have herewith let my hand and (illegible) affixed the seal of said county court at the office this June 30, A.D. 1853
John H. White
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March 28, 1940
Mrs. McCallister Pearce    BA-J/AWF
West Memphis, P.O. Box 61   Benajah Gill
Arkansas                                 W.416

Dear Madam:

Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of John Dameron, from Virginia or Noth Carlina, and later lived in Illinois, and Benagar Gill, from North Carolina.

The Revolutionary War records of this office have been searched and no claim for pension or bounty land found based upon service of John Dameron, under any spelling of the name.

The data which follows concerning Benajah or Benager Gill were obtained from claims for pension and bounty land on file under W. 416, based upon his service in the Revolutionary War.

The date and place of birth of Benajah Gill and names of his parents were not given.

While a resident of Kent County, Delaware, Benajah Gill enlisted in the year 1780, served as private in captain George Handy's company in Colonel Henry lee's Legion; he was in the battle of Guilford court house, was wounded at Augusta, Georgia, by a "shot through the right ear", and was discharged in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1782 or 1783.

He was allowed pension on his application
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Mary Gill wed Benajah as 1956
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188.7.76
Commissioner Pensions
Washington City DC
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Pension office 
Sept. 9, 53
Sir,
Please respond time of last payment to on death of written named pensioner. Respectfully F. Burt (illegible) S. Cole for court
Present
Benajah Gill, Act 1832, $100 per annum – paid (illegible) Sept 1844 – no date of death on our books.
F. Burt Auditor
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Nov 26, (illegible year)
John T. Loudon
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Pension office 
Nov 26, 1856
18.53
Sir
I am not able to discover that Mary Gill of Illinois has a claim for a pension at a (illegible) than the new receives.
There is nothing she has.
John T. Loudon
Marion Illinois
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Washington City, DC
(illegible) 1853
Sir:
Enclosed you will find the declaration of Mary Gill widow of Benajah Gill a revolutionary pensioner in the state of Illinois – for a pension under the 2nd section of the act of the 3rd, Feby. 1853-
Yours 
Very Respectfully
Jno T. Neely
The Commissioner of Pensions
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Brief in the case of Mrs. Mary Gill widow of Benager Williamson County and State of Illinois act of Feb. 3 – 1853
Claim (“original”)
Proof exhibited, (if original)
Is it documentary, traditionary, or supported by rolls. If either, state the substance
Husband a pensioner under act of 1832 at $100 per annum
(illegible)
Marriage (illegible) or with
(If for increase.)
Has additional evidence been filed since the admission of the claim? If so, what?
Death as with
Identity as with
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Marion Illinois
July 3, 1955
Commission Pensions
Washington City
Sir 
Enclosed you will find the application of Mary Gill for bounty land under the Act of the 3rd March 1855. She is the widow of Benajah Gill deceased who was a Revolutionary soldier. She is now drawing a pension under the act of the 3rd February 1853, and was placed on the Pension list some time in August 1853 as I think I obtained her pension for her, the present application for bounty land was drawn up by me and sent to the justice of the near where the old lady resides. I left a blank in the application which was intended to filled up with the date of the (illegible) of the certificate of pensioner which blank is in correctly filled, but suppose that it will make no difference as the only object in filling it was to refer the department (illegible) to the fact that she had obtained a pension the case is genuine and (illegible) one and I hope it will meet with prompt attention,
Yours very respectfully,
John T. Loudon
PS in this case (illegible)individually or in connection with Ms. Mcharry as the Power of attorney is (illegible) to use
JT Loudon
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State of Illinois Marion (illegible) Jan 15th 1854
Williamson County
Sir
In the case of Mrs. Mary Gill widow of Benajah Gill for a pension certificate under the act of February 3rd f1853 for $100 (illegible), I am closely of the opinion she is entitled to draw back to the 222nd February 1848 the act to which the 3rd of February was (illegible) as her husband died before the passage of said act of 1848. And I hope you will reconsider (illegible) her accordingly – or if it is the instructions of the attorney general in the matter please inform me for I will take the case to the Supreme Court for a decision if that is the case of your decision for an examination you will act the (illegible) in (illegible) of giving the pension (illegible) said act was intended to (illegible) the act of Feb 3rd (illegible) says that act the widow of revolutionary soldiers where marriage took after the year 1800 as well as those whose marriage took place before the year 1800. I hope you will therefore reconsider her case.
(illegible)
LP. Waldo
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City, DC
Said pension certificate allowed her $100 per annum from the 3rd of Feb. 1853. Dated September 15th 1853 I wish to draw back to the time stated in the declaration.
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Marion Illinois 
November 10th, 185(?)
(illegible) J. Minot Commissioner 
Pensioners Washington City
Sir under the act 3 February 1853 I have placed (illegible) pension list Mary Gill widow of Benajah Gill a Revolutionary Solider at the sum of $100 per annum which she has been drawing upon for (illegible) since the 3rd February 53. I have lately written (illegible) that she is entitled to some additional pay. I do not properly under stand the matter I wish you would inform me what amount she is entitled to and in what manner (illegible) to obtain it (illegible) have been made to her to obtain for her additional pension money for a fee of 30 per cent if she is entitled to any thing she is (illegible) very old and needs it and I can obtain it for her at a great deal less expenses to her please give me the increasing information in the matter at once and oblige. 
Yours very respectfully,
John T Loudon
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West Memphis, Ark.
Feb. 24, 1940 

Mr. A.D. Hiller
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Hiller:
While in Vienna, Ills. last year I located the grave of one of my ancestors, John Dameron, it was marked with a beautiful stone, marked that he was a Captain Revolutionary War Soldier, I have been told that this one and another of my ancestor’s grave were marked by the U.S. Veterans Administration.

The other ancestors name was Benagar Gill and I have proved that he was a Rev, soldier and received pension for his service. He married Mary Boone 1810 in Cumberland Co. North Carolina. Do you have any pension on Boon or Boone of this county which might be her father?

John Dameron would have fought from Va. or N.C. but he later moved to Tenn. then to Illinois, where he died 1836-38, his wife’s name was Cynthia, possibly Cynthis Thompson, possibly daughter of Noah Thompson of Bettie Co. N.C. 

Mr. hiller I will certainly appreciate our kindness in this matter.

Sincerely,
(signature)
Mrs. McCallister Pearce
P.O. Box 61-
West Memphis, Ark.