Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 3215, Burgun Covert, New Jersey

Page 1

[column headings: Service. Number.]
New Jersey. Covert Burgun. Coovert Burgum. S. 3215.
carded  CONTENTS

Page 2

[page torn] Hio.- 22.477. Burgum* Coovert of Warren Co. in the State of Ohio. - who was a Private in the Co. - commanded by Captain Smook. - of the Regt commanded by COL Hendrickson in the New Jersey line for two years.

Burgun Covert . Records corrected Feb. 23 ‘04  Inscribed on the Roll of Ohio. ——
at the rate of 80. Dollars 00 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 9th day of Novr. 1833. and sent to Hon. Thos. Corwin. - Lebanon. - Ohio.  

Arrears to the 4th of Sept. 1833. - 200. Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar 34. 40.  $240.
{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.} Recorded by Wm R. Palmer, Clerk Book 96 Vol. 8 Page 5. + [blank page]

Page 3

State of Ohio, Warren County Court of Common Pleas of the term of February Eighteen hundred and thirty three. Be it remembered that on this fourth day of March in the Year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty three, personally appeared in open court, before the Hon. George G Smith Presiding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas within and for the County of Warren and State of Ohio and Wyly Pierson, Michael H. Johnson and Ignatius Brown associate [s lined through] Judges [illegible and crossed out] said Court, now sitting, Burgun Covert, a resident of said County of Warren and state fore said, aged about seventy three 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 act of Congress passed June 7th. 1832, that in the year 1776 he entered the service, in the State of New Jersey in the County of Monmouth, in the capacity of a militiaman, under one Captain Hendricks [added] Smock, according to the best of applicants recollection, and in a regiment Commanded by Col - Hendrickson, the Chief Commanding officer was Genl. David Fairman of the Jersey Militia.  Applicant cannot recollect the day and month in which he entered the service, but he well remembers that he was on the Sea coast in Salisbury Township ^in said county not far from the light house, and that he was drafted into the service, that it was then the practice that one half of the militia should serve a tour of one month about and that in this way he continued to do duty ^during the continuance of the War in garding the Sea coast, first serving for and on account of himself for one month and then in the capacity of a substitute for another month, but the names of the individuals for whom he so  served he cannot at this nemate period of time state, that during his service he was commanded not only by said Captain Smock but also by one Captain Walton & Leuitenant William Vancleve - that he was not [discharged lined through] dismissed from service until the close of the War, and then did not receive a written discharge - that applicant was not engaged in any battle,  nor can he state the names or rank of any officer other than those above named, except he remembers to have seen at Monmouth Court house Major - Lee Stationed at the place, but applicant cannot remember in what year this was - that he never was marched out of the County of Monmouth, but was continued therein engaged at before stated, and in searching for supported people, that he never served in the regular troops nor did he know or see any of the regular officers except the aforesaid Major Lee, one sometime rendezvousing at Monmouth Courthouse

Page 4

He further states that he has no documentary evidence of his discharge or of his having performed service and knows of no person who can testify to his service except his brother John Covert.  Applicant was born in the Year 1760 as he has been informed in Somerset County New Jersey, but removed with his father when he was very young to Monmouth County where he dwelt when he was drafted into the militia being then but sixteen years old, that he has a record of his age in his family bible, which is at the residence of his son, that after the revolutionary ^war he continued to live in Monmouth County until he nomoved to his now residence in the County of Warren & state of Ohio where he has lived for the last thirty years. He further states that he is well known to[crossed out] all his neighborhood & can proove his character for the truth, and that it has always been reputed that he was in the revolutionary War, by David Fox, James Perrine, David Randolph and many others, that there is no clergyman residing in his vicinity by whom he can proove his character He hereby relinquishing every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension role of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid [signed] J.K. Wilds clk {signed} Burgun Covert
Also John Covert, being sworn, according to the law, in open Court, before the Hon. Judges of said court, on his oath doth say that he is about 68 years of age and is brother to Burgun Covert the above applicant for a pension and that he lived during the revolutionary war in the County of Monmouth New Jersey, and that although he never was in the service himself ^yet he well remembers to have seen the aforesaid Burgun Covert in the [service crossed out] militia service, during the whole of the War, & that could not have been far out of the County of Monmouth, and he was frequently at home after his cloths - when deponent states of his own knowledge the service of the applicant during the war, such statement is made from his seeing applicant from time to time in the militia service, & from what was then & there the common report. Sworn to and subscribed the day & year afosd [signed] J.K. Wilds clk [signed] John Covert [signature]
We David Fox, David Randolph and James Perine, all residing in Warren County and in the neighborhood of Burgun Covert the above applicant, hereby certify, that we are

Page 5

Well acquainted with said Burgen Cov [page torn] subscribed and sworn to the above declarations that we believe him to be about seventy three years of age: that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood, where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolutionary war, and that we concur in that opinion & we further state that his character for morality, truth & veracity is good Sworn & Subscribed the day & year afsd [signed] J.K. Wilds clk  [signed] James Perrine David Fox [signature] David Randolph [signature]

And the Said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogations presented by the War department, that the above applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them, that David Fox, David Randolph & James Perine who have signed the military certificate, and John Covert who has signed the aforegoing affidavit, are all credible persons and their statements are entitled to credit

The State of Ohio Warren County} ss I Jonathan K. Wilds clerk of the court of Common Pleas within & for the county aforesaid do certify that the aforegoing contains the original proceeding of said court in the matter of the application of Burgun Covert for a pension. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of said court at Lebanon this 14th day of March A.D. 1833. J.K. Wilds clk

Page 6

Burgun Covert
pensioner

Page 7

B. Coovert pensioner

Page 8

The declaration of Burgun Covert explanatory of the declaration heretofore made by him in the Common Plea of Warren County Ohio on the fourth day of March 1833 for the purpose of obtaining the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832

Be it remembered that on this 2nd day of November 1833 personally appeared before me the subscriber one of the justices of the peace within and for the County of Warren and State of Ohio Burgun Covert who being by ^me duly sworn according to law doth say that since making his original declaration, he has had conversations with his family friends upon the subject of his revolutionary services which has so far refreshed his memory that he is now enabled to state, that he entered the service one month before he was sixteen years of age, and that having been born, as appearing from the record of his age now in the possession of my deceased son’s family, on the 29th day of July 1760, he must have entered the service either on the last day of June or the first of July 1776 under Captain Smock as stated in his original application, whose company belonged to a regiment commanded by Col - Hindrickson the Chief Commanding officer being General David Fairman of the Jersey militia, that he was drafted int the service in Solisbury township Monmouth County N. Jersey on the day and year at aforesaid and that he continued [crossed out] in active service all the time from thence until [until crossed out] the first of October 1780 being engaged first one month for himself and then one month as a substitute for others in the manner stated in his former application, that after [crossed out] the first of October 1780, he was occasionally in the service until the close of the war, but for this he does not ask a pension, deponent refers to his former declaration for a further history of his service and further and further does not that all the time of his service he was a private soldier [Signature] Burgun Covert 
State of Ohio Warren County} ss I do certify that the above declaration was Sworn to and subscribed by Burgun Covert before me on this 2nd day of November 1833 - Isaiah Ross J.P[Signature] [Seal]

Page 9

State of Ohio Warren County GS Pheneas Ross being by me sworn according to law saith that Burgen Covert who has sworn to and subscribed the foregoing declaration is the same man who subscribed to the original declaration referred to in said ^foregoing declaration [Signed} Phineas Ross 

I do certify that the above [illegible] was sworn to & subscribed in my presence, and that said Ross is a man of veracity & his statements are entitled to credit Nov. 2nd 1833. Isaiah Ross J.P.  {Seal}

The State of Ohio Warren County JS I Jonathan K. Wilds clerk of the court of Common Pleas within & for the county aforesaid do hereby certify that Isaiah Ross Esq. who has signed the two aforegoing certificates was at the time of the dates thereof & now is an acting Justice of the peace within & for the county aforesaid & that  full faith and credit are due to all his official acts as such & further that the signatures purporting to be his are genuine -

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of the Court aforesaid at Lebanon this 2nd day of Nov. A.D. 1833 - J.K. Wilds clk

Page 10

22.477. Burgum Coovert Warren County Ohio  Return of [crossed out] Adm 2 years $80-

Page 11

WAR DEPARTMENT Pension Office 16th July 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 this papers with the following rules, and 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 show what is necessary to be done. These points to which your attention is more particularly directed, 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 compling with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.
A STATEMENT, showing the Service of ^Burgum Coovert
[column headings: Period when the service was rendered. Duration of the claimant’s services. Years. Months. Days. Rank of the claimant. Names and Rank of 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.]. 1776 Fm Capt H. Smock Col Hendrickson 73 years Living witness and Traditionary
I am, respectfully, Your obedient servant, J. L. Edwards, Commissioner of Pensions.

Page 12

2 REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE &, 1832 [Standard printed form with no additions, not transcribed.]

Page 13

[Standard printed form with handwritten brace around the information required to complete the pension application]

{It is important, in all cases, to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state that they served two years in the militia, &c. Without specifying the tours, the names of the officers and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable.  It must, in every case, be clearly shown under what officers the applicant served;  the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.}

Page 14

REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORDS SECTION. 3-525 [handwritten illegible] DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF PENSIONS. Washington, D.C., [blank], 19 [blank]

In reply to your request of [left blank], received [left blank] for a statement of the military history of Burgun or Burgum Covert or Coovert, a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow’s) [Crossed out] application for pension on file in this Bureau. S 3215. [underlined]

[column headings: DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. CAPTAIN. COLONEL. STATE.]
June or July 1776. OCT. 1, 1780. PVT. {Hendrick Sock. Walton. Hendrickson . N.J.

Battles engaged in, None stated.
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Monmouth Co. N.J. Date of application for pension, Mch. 4. 1833. His claim was allowed. Residence at date of application, Warren Co., Ohio
Age at date of application, born July 29, 1760 in Somerset Co. N.J.  Remarks: in 1833 soldier refers to a son, name not stated. There is no further family data.
Respectfully,  Commissioner. 6-2856

Page 15

This claim is not identical with W.F. 6740 age, residence and service not the issue.

Page 16

rs 1 Rev Sec

114 Laurel Avenue Binghamton, N.Y. Aug 3, 1915
Department of the Interior Bureau of Pensions Washington D.C.
To the Commissioner of Pensions- Do the records of the Burau of Pensions contain any data concerning the military history of Burgum Covert [underlined] who served with the troops from Somerset Co., N.J. during the Revolution? And

Page 17

is there on file any
family data concerning 
him? His name occurs on
p. 174 + p. 558 in "Officers
and Men of New Jersey in
the Revolutionary War." The
name Burgun [underlined] Corvert [underlined] (Covert)
occurs on p. 452 but I do not think these men are the same. I have the pension data for the latter but I am hoping you can tell me something about the former. Very Truly yours, (Mrs. Clement) Mildred E. Covert

Page 18

Data from card
April 18, 1906
155 East North St. Wooster, Ohio. April. 6-1906.

Bureau Pensions.

In a list of Revolutionary Pensioners in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1840, on page 273 of Douglass's History of Wayne Co.Is given
the name of Covert Burgan,Age 80. I am of Burgan descent, and would like
to know what services were rendered by said Covert Burgan.Whether in
Pa. or N.J. or where?Hoping I may get a complete record of Revolutionary
services &c.

Respectfully yours.

(Miss) Kate Louise McMillan.
U.S. Pension Office April 7 1906 [stamp]

Page 19

History to Miss [first s lined through] Kate Lowre Mc. 5-East North St.. Wooster. Ohio. M.B.H [underlined] 1915. Aug 10. History to Mrs. Clermont Covert. M.B.H
Rev War 3215 Invalid.  File No. 3215 * Burgum Coovert Privt Rev” War Act: June 7th 1832 Index:-Vol. A, Page 74 [Arrangement of 1870.] * Burgun Covert. Records corrected February 23’04 a 1906 Apr 18. Millan 15