Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 6341, for Jacob Sights, Pennsylvania

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SERVICE
Penn.

Sights,Jacob

NUMBER
R.6341

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Jacob Sights
Illinois
18.434

Enlisted 11 May 1778 deserted Oct. 6 1778

Jacob Sights.
Rejected.
1 December 1832
see letter to Honble.
Joseph Duncan, H.R.
  {illegible}

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State of Illinois Montgomery County Sct
Court of County Commissioners Special September Term 1832
On this Seventeenth day of September A.D. 1832 personally appeared before
the County Commissioners Court of the County of Montgomery in the State of
Illinois, Jacob Sights a resident of Bostichs Settlement in the County of
Montgomery and State of Illinois, aged 77 years and 2 months who being
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
A.D. 1776 under Captain John Reese as a recruiting Serjeant {sergeant}, and transferred
to Capt. Plunketts Company of 4th Regt. of Light Dragoons of the Pennsylvania
 line and continued in that company and Regt. until he was taken prisoner in the latter part of July A.D. 1778. He states he served under General Washington himself during the whole of the Revolutionary War except the time he was a prisoner of War. And did not leave the service until the close of the war. He served the whole time under one enlistment. He resided in the City of Philadelphia when he enlisted. He was in the Battle of the White Plains, Trenton, Princeton Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth before he was taken Prisoner - After the Battle of Monmouth Genl. Washington detached Blan's & Whiles Regiments of Dragoons to guard the lines between the White Plains and New York.
After arriving at the place of destination Sergeant Enyard was detached with a
Sergeant Corporal and twenty four men near King's Bridge, being halted at a house near said place. The said Jacob Sights being one of the twenty four men and taking some refreshment the whole company were
surrounded by the British and made prisoners, and taken to New York
and put in prison for about nine months. and then put on board a prison ship and sailed for Charleston South Carolina. On arriving at said
place they came to anchor in the mouth of Stone river. While there the said Jacob Sights
 being sent out for wood made his escape through the Swamps and travelled three days without food of any kind except Swamp berries and after much toil and suffering was taken prisoner on Broad River by the Tories.
And was carried to Fergusons Camp on Kings Mountain and there put in the Bull pen and was taken with the rest of the Prisoners
after Ferguson's defeat to the Moravian Town and liberated by Major Smith of the Militia a former acquaintance - He marched
through New Jersey and Pennsylvania & was with Genl. Washington every day from the Battle of the White Plains until he was taken
prisoner after the Battle of Monmouth and was not absent one Single day. He never received any discharge in consequence of being unable to rejoin the Regiment to which he belonged. He was born in Philadelphia.
I Jacob Sights do hereby relinquish every claim

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whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present, and declare that my name is not on the pension Roll of any agency in any State.
Sworn to and subscribed the day
and year aforesaid
Jacob Sights

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant Jacob Sights was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he States.

I Hiram Rountree Clerk of the County
 Commissioners Court for the County of Montgomery and State of Illinois
do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings in the matter of the application of Jacob Sights for a pension.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office at Hillsboro this Nineteenth day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand and Eight hundred and thirty-two.

Hiram Rountree

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35.691
Jacob Sights
Illinois
Suspended
Let to H.H. Sylvester
Augt. 20. 1844
9564
Act June 7th' 32

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9564

{crossed out: Acts of July 14,1862,and
March 3, 1873.}
 REJECTED
6341
Jacob Sights
Service: Jacob Eights
Enlisted:
Discharged:
Act Aug.3,1900. 
Application filed:
Alleges:
Re-enlisted:
Attorney:
P. O.
Recognized.
Contract
Cert. of Dis.
 Searched for

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{crossed out: Acts of July 14,1862,and March 3,1873}
REJECTED

9564.
Jacob Sights 
Service:
Enlisted:
Discharged: --

Application filed:-
Consolidated with O.W Inv. Rej.# 6341

Alleges: --
Re-enlisted:-
Attorney:
P. O.
Recognized.
 Contract
Cert. of Dis.
 Searched for

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35.691
Jacob Sights
Illinois
Act June 7th '32

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State of Illinois
Montgomery County SS
Probate Court October 1843

On this 30th day of October 1843 before the
Probate Justices Court for the County aforesaid
personally appeared in open Court Jacob Sights, a resident of said County of Montgomery - aged Eighty eight years the 4 day of July last 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 on the 7th day of June 1832 entitled an act
{left blank}
that he enlisted into the service of the United States in the City of Philladelphia {Philadelphia} about January 1777 (or 5 or 6 months after independence was declared)
under Captain Charles Reece for the term of one year, was marched to Lake Champlain and to the Seven Islands. At the expiration of his said 12 months service he was discharged at Philladelphia {Philadelphia} and got a discharge, and on his way home when
Crossing the Schuylkill river he came near being drowned and got his discharge destroyed; about three months thereafter he enlisted for during the War in Phillidelphia {Philadelphia} under Capt. Pluncket and served in the 4th Pennsylvania Regt. of light dragoons commanded by Col. White about two years thereafter (during the whole of
which time he was in service;) he was taken
prisoner by the Brittish {British} at a place called the saw pits in the State of New York
and remained a prisoner nine months-was
taken while a prisoner to Charleston S.C. and {illegible} up Stone river in a prison ship
some 30 or 40 miles perhaps-- that him

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and another soldier had liberty to go out to gather wood to cook, and they made their escape. They traveled untill {until} they came to Broad River when they were retaken by the tories and taken to Salem and Moravian town in North Carolina, when he met with a Major Smith who he had known in Lancaster County Pensylvania, {Pennsylvania} who took him home with him after which the aforesaid Col. White came past that way on his way from Charleston, and he made himself known to him and told him his situation and that he did not wish to serve any longer, and the war being nearly over. The Colonel gave him a discharge- which discharge was destroyed by fire, when his house was burned last November at which time all his household furniture was burned. Should the enquiry be made why he has
thus long delayed his claim to a pension, the
answer is that he employed a Mr. Boyle of
Henderson County Kentucky to make or prepare the necessary declaration, which he was informed was put in to the hands of a member of Congress by the name of Young who shortly after died and there the matter ended. He then moved to this State of Illinois and settled in this County of Montgomery where he has resided for the last thirteen years. Since he has resided here he employed a
Lawyer by the name of Fisk to get his pension,
the said Fisk has removed to the State of
Missouri, and he has never been informed
why he did not succeed in obtaining the
pension. He declares that his name is
not on any pension List Roll of any State

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and the hereby relinquishes his claim to any other pension than the present.
    Sworn to and subscribed in open court the day and year above written.
                                       //s//
                                Jacob Sights
Before me Oliver Brewer Probate Justice.

    We John McEwen, Jesse Buzan and Mark S. Rutledge do hereby certify that we have been well acquainted with Jacob Sights who has signed and qualified to this foregoing declaration for the last nine years or more (said Rutledge for 35 years) and we certify that he is a man worthy of being believed on his oath.  That it is the opinion of the neighborhood in which he resides that he served in the Revolution as set forth in his declaration, and that we concur in that belief.
                                                  //s//
                                         John McEwen
                                         Jesse Buzan
                                         Mark S. Rutledge

I stricken out in the name
Sights before signed.
Sworn to and subscribed in open
court this 30th day of October 1843.
//s//
Oliver Brewer Probate Justice


    I do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with John McEven, Jesse Buzan and Mark S. Rutledge whose signatures appear to this declaration of Jacob Sights and that they (are) men of good standing and entitled to full credit.
    Given under my hand and private seal there being no official seal provided this 30th day of October A.D. 1848.
                                     //s//
                         Oliver Brewer Probate Justice

(seal)

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State of Illinois
Montgomery County} ss.

   I Oliver Coudy, Clerk of the County Commissioner's Court of said county do hereby certify that William Brewer before whom the within declaration or instrument of writing was acknowledged was at the time, the acting Probate Justice of the Peace within & for said county, duly commissioned and that full faith and credit is due to all his official acts as such.
    In testimony where I have set my hand and affixed the seal of said county at Hillsboro this 30th day of October A.D. 1843.
                                       //s//
                         Oliver Coudy Clk. C.C.C.M.C.

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24th November 1843
Carni, Illinois

Sir,

   I send you herewith the declaration of Jacob Sights, who it would appear should have received a pension long ago.  I had not the forms for that class of pension with me.  Should there be no other objections other than more forms, they may possibly be removed by writing to me.  I should suppose that those enlistments he speaks of might yet be found on second and I suppose his age and status would be taken down.  If so, it might go far to establish his identity - he states (and with no intention to deceive I know) that he was free from his mother (21 years of age) on the day that Independence was declared - and he is a very small man, not much over five feet high (I should think) Please let me know from you with regard to his case as soon as convenient.

                                       I am respectfully,
                                       Your obt. Servt.
                                               //s//
                                        Daniel Hay
James L. Edwards Esqr.
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City.

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Dec. 6, 1843
Rec. claim of
Jacob Sights.

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Sir,

   I am advised by this day's mail that he has sent to the Penna Office by the same mail that brought his letter to me, the declaration of Jacob Sights and sending it to be reported to me.

                                    (illegible)
                                           //s//
                                 H.H. Sylvester
                                         Dec. 6, 1843