Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 1991, John Clarke, Del.

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[printed form with handwriting]

SERVICE
Del.
Clarke, John
NUMBER
R 1991

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[handwritten]

The Declaration and evidence of John Clarke who applies for a Pension for services as a Soldier in the Revolution. -
Hon. J. L. Dawson
H. R.

['G. L. [illegible] Attorney' lined out]

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[handwritten]

State of Ohio, Belmont County ss.
On this day of day of [duplicate] March A. D. 1853 personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Common Pleas in the County of Belmont in the State of Ohio - now sitting John Clarke a resident of Belmont County in the State of Ohio aged [blank] years who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832; That he entered the service under the following named officers and served as herein stated:
Your declarant [sic] States that he entered the Army of the United States in the month of November A. D. 1779 with Captain Robert Kirkwood of the Delaware regiment of the line. That in the year 1777 when Genl. Howe was on his march to the Battle Ground at Chad's ford, applicant went as a volunteer under Capt. John Craig of the Pennsylvania Militia and when the Company went forward to attach the enemy, declarant being then young was left in charge of the baggage and Horses of the Company, and the said Company had a battle with the British troops at Couch's Bridge on the road from the head of Elk to Brandywine declarant cannot recollect the name of the Commander of the Militia, but it was a branch of the main Army and Commanded by a Colonel. 
On the day of the battle of Brandywine (11 Sept 1777) declarant was engaged in removing the wounded of the American Army from near Minton's ford at which place they were deposited to a church near Gilpin's tavern distance about two miles and a half from Chad's ford: we were under the protection of Genl Maxwell's brigade of New Jersey Militia. After the battle declarant [sic] was engaged in collecting wounded soldiers and carrying them to his Father's house where their wounds were dressed and where they remained some time, until they were sent for to the general hospital which declarant  believes was then at Valley Forge. 
Previous to said battle declarant was employed by Benjamin Mc

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[handwritten]

Cowen who was in the service of the Waggon [sic] Master Genl. to collect waggons [sic] and horses for the use of the American Army to convoy the baggage of the Army tot he battle ground - the neighborhood settlement was composed primarally [sic] of what was then termed "Hickory Quoques" [underlined] - most inxeterate [sic] tories and the waggons and horses were obtained by impressment
During the whole of the winter of 1777 & 8 declarant was engaged as a volunteer under the said Capt. Craig in the service of preventing tories in the States of Pennsylvania and Delaware from carrying provisions to the British Army then in Philadelphia, this duty was very severe being in the winter as most of it had to be done in the night. All the stock taken from the tories on their way to Philadelphia was transferred to the American Cantonments under Genl. Washington.
In 1778 the State of Delaware undertook to furnish one regiment of regular troops. David Hall was Colonel and Allan McClane of Wilmington Lieutenant Colonel - the subalterns were William McKennon and Robert Kirkwood of Newark Whitely Creek, New Castle County, State of Delaware ^[insert] and Captain Stedham One Lewis Bush of Wilmington, a major was killed at the battle of Brandywine in 1777 at a Fort which he refused to surrender to the British and was consequently shot. Capt. Stedham resigned, and Thomas Kane took his place, Kane also resigned and and [duplucate] William McKennon and Robert Kirkwood were appointed Captains. James Campbell Lieutenant and John Bates our Ensign in McKennon's Company. In Capt. Kirkwood's Company - Alexander Steward was lieutenant and Paul Garratt ensign. In the year 1780 the part of the Army under Genl. Gates was sent to the Carolinas to contend with Lord [underlined] Cornwallis and Tarleton. Gates was defeated August 16th 1780 at Camden. He ran off and left his troops to do for themselves. Here the Delaware Regiment was broken and reduced to little more than one company
Captain William McKennon and Lieutenant Barret afterwards Governor of the State of Delaware Came to Christian Bridge in Newcastle County in the State of Delaware and called for more men. I had five or six men enlisted but there was no money to pay County. Some of the men enlisted

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went on to the Army which then was placed under the Command of Genl. Green who after several battles to wit - Eutaw, Guilford Court House and the Cow pens, drove the British out of the Carolinas in to Yorktown, Virginia where Lord Cornwallis and his Army surrendered prisoners of war to Genl. Washington in October 1781. I think this was about the end of the war with the British Government as peace took place in 1783. In the absence of Capt. Kirkwood and McKennon I was under the orders and control of Gov Collins then Governor of the State of Delaware
In the month of November 1779 declarant entered the regular army of the United States, under the Command of Capt. Robt. Kirkwood of the Delaware regiment Commanded by Colonel Hall: It was at the urgent request of said Kirkwood that declarant entered the service to continue to the end of the war, declarant entered as a cadet and Capt. Kirkwood engaged & has on any vacancy of a subaltern office in his company: that declarant should be commissioned - the officers then commanding a company were a Captain and two lieutenants, but shortly afterwards, an Ensign was added to the command and declarant by orders of Capt. Kirkwood. Acted and was considered by Capt. Kirkwood and the other officers of said company in the said regiment as [illegible] in Kirkwood's company, and that on the said Regiment being ordered to the southward under Genl Gates declarant was engaged and employed as Ensign in the recruiting service and that during this service declarant enlisted for the American Army, at least five soldiers and delivered them at Christian bridge to Captain William McKennon and continued in the said service until the termination of the war in the year 1783.
Sometime after the the [duplicate] termination of the war declarant met with Capt. Kirkwood who addressed declarant and observed that as soon as he returned home he would furnish declarant a certificate of his service, which would be satisfactory evidence of the time he served and the rank he held in the Delaware regiment; this Capt. Kirkwood neglected to do and before

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declarant had an opportunity of again seeing him, he (Kirkwood) was appointed a Captain in Genl. St. Clair's Army and was killed in the Engagement St. Clair had with the Indians in 1791.
Declarant does not ask a pension for for [duplicate] his volunteer services in the militia, but for that rendered as Ensign, commencing in November 1779 and until the conclusion of peace in the year 1783.
Declarant would have made earlier application, but that he intended to apply personally and was often prevented by sickness, sometimes for want of funds to bear his expenses to the seat of Government, but most particularly from expecting to procure personal evidence of his service which from the decease of all with whom he was acquainted at the time it was rendered, he is still unable to procure
Your declarant hereby relinquishes every claim ['to a' lined out] whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State
John Clarke [signature]
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
John H. Heaton Clk

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The following Interrogatories were propounded by the Court
1 Where and in what year, were you born?
2 Have you any record of your age? and if so where is it?
3 Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live?
4 How were you called into service: where you draughted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute; and if a substitute for whom?
5 State the 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 service?
6 Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed; and what has become of it?
8 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 or officer of the Revolution

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We Samuel R Brockunier} 
D S Welling} a Clergyman residing in the County of Belmont in the State of Ohio and residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Clarke who has subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration that we believe him to be 85 or 86 years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resided to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion
S. R. Brockunier
D. S. Welling
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
John H. Heaton clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of said County Belmont

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 S. R. Brockunier who has singed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the County and State aforesaid and that D. S. Welling is a credible person; and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Robert I Alexander, Judge
I, John H. Heaton Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Clarke for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 28 day of Sept. AD. 1853.
John H. Heaton Clerk

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State of Ohio}
County of Belmont} ss.
I, John Clarke of the County of Belmont and State of Ohio do hereby constitute and appoint Gibson L. Cranmen of the City of Wheeling County of Ohio and State of Virginia my name to prosecute my claim for a pension as a Revolutionary soldier before the Department and to do whatsoever I might or could do in the premises, to give proper acquittances, discharge and receipts and in general to do all things which I myself might or could do were I personally present. 
In witness whereof I have hereunto placed my hand and seal this day of March A. D. 1853.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this [blank] day of March A. D. 1853
J. P.

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Answers to the Interrogatories by the Court

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Answer to the Interrogatories propounded by the Court. [every word underlined]
Ans 1. I was born in Newcastle Co State of Delaware in Christeen [Christiana] Hundred on the 23d of Nov 1767 or 1768 and am now 85 or 86 years of age
Ans 2. The record of my age is in my fathers bible, now in the hands of Wm Clarke Esqr living in Beaver, Beaver Co Pa.
Ans 3. I lived in Newcastle Co Delaware in Christeen [Christiana] Hundred, until the year 1786; I removed to the town of Washington in Washington Co Pa; I now live in Belmont Co. Ohio where I have resided about fifty years~
Ans 4. I was called into service by the advice and solicitation of Capt Robert Kirkwood, then Captain in the Delaware regiment commanded by Col David Hall and Lieutenant Col Allen McClain, I enlisted as a Cadet, under the grade of Ensingn [sic], and served in the recruiting service until the year 1781, money ran out; the Continental money was at that time not worth any thing. Capt Kirkwood going to the South with the Delaware Regiment under Genl Gates, left me under the direction of Gov. Collins, (who was then Governor of the State of Delaware), through his secretary and aid Capt Joseph Barker.
Ans 5. I was acquainted with Major Lewis Bush who was killed at the Battle of Brandywine; Captains, Robert Kirkwood, Jos Stedham, Thomas Kane, & William McKennon; Lieuts, James Campbell, Bennett, afterwards Governor of the State of Delaware, and Alexander Stewart, taken prisoner at the Battle of Camden in 1780. I was also acquainted with Col Moore of the Pennsylvania line and ensign John Batson.