Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 8848, Robert Gillam, S.C.

Page 1

S.C.

Gillam, Robert

W. 8848
or
Gilliam
or
Gilam
? CONTENTS

Elizabeth

Page 8

State of South Carolina
Abbeville District

Personally appears before the undersigned an acting Magistrate in and for said District, William Burgess, a citizen of the same, who is being duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath state, that he is now in his eightieth year and was born, brought up and for the greater part of his life has lived in Newberry District in this State adjoining that in which he now resides. That in the same vicinity with this Deponent in our District of Newberry from his earliest recollection lived as his acquaintances and neighbors, Robert Gillam Senior and Robert Gillam Junior both off whom then and during life enjoyed the undisputed reputation of having borne an active and prominent part in the Struggle of the Revolution in the American Army: that this Deponent has frequently heard the old whigs of the neighborhood detailing incidents and scenes of the service in which they had engaged in that war, and knows the high esteem in which they held the father from above named, viz, Robert Gillam Senior and Robert Gillam Junior for their gallant and honorable career in said service and that soon after the Revolution when deponent had grown to boyhood Robert Gillam Senior was the acting Justice of the Peace for the neighborhood, and that about the time deponent had grown up as a young man having at times deputized to act as Gillam's Constable. This was but a short while before his death which took place as deponent remembers in 1795. That from his intimate acquaintance with said Robert Gillam Senior having acted as his Constable as aforesaid from having seen him frequently with he was in well aquainted with his hand-
writing, and that having been represented to examine the above and hereunto attached paper proportions to be an order from James Masson (who lived not far from said Gillam) on the Commissioners of the Treasury of this State, dated 17th July 1786 and attested by "Robert Gillam JR" "Ninety Six District" as it was then termed, this Deponent has no hesitation in saying that it is in his opinion the words "& is" above i[illegible] before signing.

Page 13

State of South Carolina
Edgefield District
Personally appeared before me Col. Zah S. Brooks, who being duly qualified and saith upon oath that he was personally acquainted with Robert Gillam during the Revolutionary War.
That the said Robert Gillam was a zealous and active whig. That he was attached to the same company with himself for the space of six months under the command of Captain John Wallace of Newberry District who was under the command of Colonel Andrew Pickens.
That the said Robert Gillam was generally present in all the active service performed by the said corps, although they were not in a general engagement while in the same company together - - - -
This deponent is further states that the said Gillam performed other services in the revolution, which from the great lapse of time and from his own age and infirmities he cannot accurately date - But from the commencement of the difficulties in the year 1776 to the close of the war in 1783 this section of country was in a perpetual state of warfare first from the Cherokee Indians then from the Tories and the British in which the great body of the citizens were engaged.
That said Robert Gillam was more than a year in continuous active service as a private in the Militia. -

Page 28

L. P. Waldo Esq
Commissioner for 
Pensions
Washington City

Free
W. W. Boggs
W.C.

Page 36

Kirwood House
17 July '54
GH Jones Esq. 

You will please go
to Mr. Rhett and get him
to assist in you in getting
action on Mr.  Gillam's
case for me. If necessary
Hon P.S. Brooks can certify
as to the character of Col W. Williams and Dr. Mo Holland and 
likely as to my witness Wm
Burgess. Address me
at Diamond Hill Abbeville Dist. S.C. and oblige
in haste
[illegible]
James A Black

Page 40

2nd August 1786 Sixteen Pounds eight shillgs & seven pence full satisfaction for an Indent A 470 Book W. 
£16.8.7      (Signed ) Robert Gillam Senr. 
Recieved 21 March 1787 an Indent No 3860 X for Eighty one pounds 487. full satisfaction for the above account 
£81.4.6 (Signed)   Robert Gillam 
No 3860 X Issued 4 Octr 1786 to Robt. Gillen for Eighty one 
                s     o
pounds 4  /  6. Atty for Militia duty in 1779, 80 
& 81 as part passed by the Commr Rincipal £ 81.4.6 
Annual Interest £5: 13:8. 
"360 X      4 Oct 16. 
Vide 470 W for receipt &c Mr Robt Gillen his account of Militia duty as Major ye in 1779, 1780 & 1781 amo G D Sty £7:13:1.
passed by ye Commr in pt 16.8.7
paper by do £ 81:4:6 
I do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true of Copy taken 
from the Records of this Office and that I further certify 
that there are but three Records of Indents and account in the name of Robert Gillen or Gillam in this office, of of which
the two foregoing are copies and the other is Indent 
& account No. 497 Book S: That I have compared the 
signatures of Robert Gillam in the two former accounts & in 
& with that of Robert Gillam in Book S No 497, and that 
they materially differ in the characteristics of style in 
the handwriting of the same & that the signature of "Robert 
Gillam J.P." to order of "Robert Gillam Junr" in favor of Thomas Bride on file in this office in said account No 497 Books is so

Page 42

South Carolina Rolls            Pension Affairs
4th July 1838                       10 1854
Shown her answers

Elizabeth Gilliam Widow of Robert
To what time paid?
when did she die?

for commission

Hon. R. I. Atkinson
Third Auditor

Page 47

Columbia S. C.
Dec 14th 1854

Hon. W. W. Boyce

Dear Sir, 

I am again under the necessity of troubling you in the case of Elizabeth Gillam widow of Robert Gillam Jnr. for increase of pension act 7th July, 1838. I sent to the Comm. of Pensions your letter respecting the signatures of Robert Gillam Senr. and [handwritten with symbol] Robert Gillam Jnr. to which he replies that he would see you personally on the subject. Will you be so good as to go to the Department and [handwritten with symbol] call for the papers in the claim and [handwritten with symbol] satisfy the Comm. or the Chief Clerk that neither my clients nor myself are asking anything more than that to which Mrs. Gillam was entitled by way of increase over the privates pay allowed her, as there can be no doubt that [last 6 words underlined] her husband (Robt. Jnr.) was part of the time a Sergeant and [handwritten with symbol] Captain. Please while you are there do say to them that you know my great familiarity with both the Record and individual history of the Revolution in this state, and that I have and [handwritten with symbol] do enjoy the character of an honest [underlined], industrious [underlined] and [handwritten with symbol] honorable [underlined] man and [handwritten with symbol] charge claimants that less fees than any other agent in the State. These facts demand to be placed in a proper light before the Department. 

I am 
   very respectfully
     yours etc.
                         James A. Black

Page 50

BRIEF IN THE CASE OF Elizabeth Gillam, decd widow of Robert
County and State of South Carolina
act 2d Feby 1848

CLAIM, ("original,")

Proof exhibited, (if original.)

Is it documentary, traditionary, or supported by rolls? If either, state the substance.

When the increase in this case was granted a few months since it
was not shown when she died, but the certificate was issued and
made payable to the 4th of March 1848 when she was last paid
as shown by the booking of their auditors officer - proof has
been introduced to to them that she actually died in the 29th
of Dec 1857, the witness are J H Holland her family
physician, R G Gillam & Henry Beard, all
properly certified.

Page 59

rate of pension allowed by acts of Congress, & that not having married
"Captain Robert Gillam" until after the war she had but little personal
knowledge of his services. Genl James Gillam one of her heirs and a gentleman
of much respectibility will swear that so far as he knew Mr Sperin never
knew of the facts shown by the Records & that his mother was quite in
her dotage when she signed her application. He says that Mr Sperin told
him that he wrote Mr Calhoun in Mrs Gillam's behalf & Mr Calhoun
knowing the family well told the then Commr of Pensions that the
claim should be passed as he was aware of merits of the claim upon
the reputation of her husband or from knowing the parties who testified
in her behalf, I suppose. Surely the objection as to the identity of
"Captain Robert Gillam Jun" as the husband of Elizabeth Gillam and son of
"Major Robert Gillam Sen" Also the fact the Comptroller's Records show that
these were not the same person, cannot be urged any longer.
I ask & desire nothing but that which is reasonable & just,
and I therefore hope, that with Mr Boyce's explanations, you
will see that the proofs are conclusive in the case.
I have the honor to be
Very respectfully,
Your Obt Sert
James A Black
P. S.
will you state whether a Certified Copy of Comptrollers Records
in the name of Robert Gillam was filed in Mrs Elizabeth Gillam's first
application or even before this claim for increase was commenced, and
also whether you desire an affidavit from Genl Jas Gillam
touching the facts I above refer to
respectfully
 Yr Obt. Sevt.
James A Black

Page 71

LEO CHARLES BROWNE
Post Office Box 185
New Orleans, Louisiana
January 9, 1930

DRAFT #8099 - $7.10
FINANCE DIVISION
BOOKKEEPING DESK
JAN 13 1930
BUREAU OF PENSIONS


Mr. E. W. Morgan,
Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Pension,
U. S. Department of the Interior,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir: -
With reference to your file "Rev. and 1812 Wars Section
MMHF/eel" of December 11th, I am enclosing herewith New York Exchange
for $7.10 to cover photostatic copies of the papers on file
in Revolutionary War Pension Claim W. 8848 and War 1812 pension and
Bounty Land claims, S. C. 24392.

As claim W-8848 includes 34 pages and claim S. C. 24392
includes 10 pages, or a total of 44 at 15 cents per page, certification
charge of 25 cents each for the two claims, this amounts to
$7.10.

I shall thank you to send me the above ordered copies
at your earliest convenience and oblige,


Yours very truly,
L.C. Browne

DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
JAN 13 1930
BUREAU OF PENSION

Page 82

State of South Carolina
District of Abbeville
Personally appear
ed before me an acting Magistrate in &
for said District General James Gillan
who being duly sworn according to law
declares that the following is a true copy of
the entry in his family Record of the death of
his mother Elizabeth Gillan widow of Sargent
& Captain Robert Gillam of the Revolution
late a pensioner of the United States, viz
"Elizabeth Gillam widdow of Robert Gillam died on the
29" December 1851. That this is the true date of her
death as recorded by deponent at the time
Sworn to and subscribed this 26 day of
April 1835
Before me
Jno R Garrant              Jas Gillam
AD

State of South Carolina
Abbeville District
Personally
appeared before me an acting Magistrate
in & for the District & State aforesaid Dr. John
Holland who being duly sworn states that
he attended the mother of the above deponent Mrs
Elizabeth Gillam in her last illness a Physician
and that his recollection of the date of her death
of which he speaks positively is as above given
by her son James Gillam and also appeared
R C Gillam Henry Beard who being duly sworn
say that they were present at the burial of said
Mrs Elizabeth Gillam decd & that his recollection of
which the speaks positively is as above given

Page 90

Name Gillaspie, Joseph 
Grade Private
Line New York
Warrant Number 7194
and Wt 97-60-55
Acerage 100
Issued Jan 25, 1791
to not shown

*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2-4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates.  Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800.  Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.