Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 14,812, Solomon R Wells, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Wells, Solomon R.
S. 14812
CONTENTS
Carded.

Virginia 16668
Solomon A. Wells — of Dinwiddie in the State of Va — who was a Pr: — in the Regt commanded by Captain — of the — commanded by Col: Jones — in the — line for 5 mo: 22 days —
Del. Pension Agt. 5 Oct 33.
Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia — at the rate of 29 — Dollars 10 — Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 12 day of Sept. 33 — and Subt. D r Crump — Dinwiddie Co. Va —
  Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1833  72.75    Pemi-ant. allowance ending Mar: 34  14.55     $87.30  
  58.20    14.55    72.75  
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by H. Rice Clerk, Book E Vol. 6 Page 23.

15,397
Solomon R. Kelly
2 m's 1873
07 16
P. 280
Adm's account -
8 mo 22 days
26 66
2 44
 $29.10
J.P. Crump Esq
Pinwardie C.H.
1 a
{

BRIEF in the case of  Solomon R Wells  County of Dinwiddie  in the State of  Virginia  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 65  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days.     drafted In 1780 1 15 private Col. Joseph Jones   about a fortnight after 3 Col. Gen. Pearson   above service drafted 1 7 Col. Joseph Jones   drafted 35. four 3 Capt. Baker   ditt. 1781 drafted Capt. Brown   Capt. William Booth   8 22  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? not any  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Dinwiddie Co. Virginia  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional - living witnesses  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? not properly attached 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Chas. G. Wilson Examining Clerk.  24 Feb 1832

Simon P. Wells Declaration for a Pension.
1832 August 20 th
15397 V

State of Virginia County of Dinwiddie } S b . 3.
On this 20 th day of August, 1832, personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the County Court of Dinwiddie Coun- ty, now sitting, Simon R. Wells, a resident of the County and State aforesaid, aged 68 years the 15 th day of June 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 Act of Congress, passed June the 7 th 1832. — That he entered the service of the United States under the following officers, and served as herein stated, to-wit: That some time in the year 1780 but he does not recollect the precise date, he was called into the militia service in regular draft by mem- bers, having recently before attained the age which rendered him liable for military duty, under Capt. George Pegram of Dinwiddie County, where this Decla- rant was born & raised, & has ever since resided. He recollects that the Lieutenant of the Company was Williamson Newman and the Ensign Charles Williamson, all of whom then resided in Dinwiddie, & have since died. That the Company was marched from Dinwiddie County to Stone's Mills below Petersburg, where they remained some ten or twelve days — I was marched from thence to Suffolk in the County of Southampton which had been then recently burnt by the British, except very few private houses, and one Public Ware- House for Tobacco which he recollects remained. That he remained in Suffolk a few weeks, when the company was discharged, having been in service, he will recollect

one more the fifteen days. —
2. That he had remained at home but about a fortnight when he volunteered to join a Company of light infantry militia which was called into service under Capt. Baker Pegram, Lieutenant I since dead Wm. Scott, and Ensign Benj r Andrews all of the said County. That the company was marched to Suffolk again, from whence it was subsequently ordered to Portsmouth to operate against the British then stationed there, but they having retired to their shipping, and sailed, before the arrival of the company, the order for their advance was countermanded just before it would have arrived at Portsmouth, and in a few days after, the three months for which the company had been called into service having expired, they were discharged, and he returned home.
3. That the next tour of duty which the declarant performed was when he was called out in regular draft by mustering in the militia service under Capt. Barwell Goodwyn, whose Lieutenant was Stephen Goodwyn, and Ensign Barwell Carter, all of the same County, and all of whom have since died. That the Company marched to Petersburg a few days before that place was visited by Phillips and Arnold — that he was engaged in the skirmish which occurred there, and recollects to have fired in it five times himself, after the militia were repulsed his company was marched on to Richmond, where it remained two or three weeks, whence it was moved down on the North side of James River, stopping occasionally at different positions, as low as Black ferry. That he recollects several places along the River in their line of march, — among them Curle's and Shirley. That the company was then marched up to Petersburg where it was discharged, after having been in service one month and seven days. He recollects that during

the former tour, as well as this, the Colonel to whom commanded his company was attached was Joseph Jones who resided in the same County near Petersburg. 3 That on the first tour his Major was named Holt  and on the second and latter tour his Major was named Falkner a very old Officer, with very white hair. That he par- ticularly recollects seeing Col o Falkner at Petersburg when Arnold was there. —
4 That subsequently, sometime in the year 1781, he thinks it was, he was again drafted for duty in the regular routine of his member, in the militia service under Capt t Gilliam Booth, whose Lieutenant was Peter Eppes, and Ensign Charles Williamson, the same who had acted as Ensign under Capt t George Pegram during the first tour which the Declaration performed, all of whom resided in Dinwiddie, (and have since died). That the Company marched to York town in V a where he recollects the following superior Officers under whom commands his company was, to wit, Maj r Walker, Col o Blunt, and Gen l Lawson. That he remained there until after the surrender of Cornwallis, was engaged on the works & saw the British troops marched out, but did not see Lord Cornwallis who did not come out with his troops. He there saw Gen l Washington; and his three months for which he was bound, having expired either a few days before or the day after the surrender, which he cannot distinctly recollect, he was discharged and returned home. His only doubt as to the period of the discharge is, that W m O'Neal who served in the same Company with him on that & another tour States that the company was discharged before the surrender of the town, or any active hostilities before it, by the expiration of the three months That he thereupon came home. That the Declaration may possibly have remained the additional few

days, as a volunteer, but he has no distinct recollection of such being the fact, but cannot be mistaken as to his having remained on duty after the capture.
That he was born raised, & has ever resided in the County of Dinwiddie, & served on each occasion in the militia called from that County. That he knows of no record ever having existed of his age, but from what he has always understood he entertaining no doubt that he has stated it correctly. That he never received any written discharge, on either occasion, the companies having been discharged verbally by their Captains under written orders of discharge no doubt received by them. And that he has no documentary evidence whatever of his services, but knows that he can prove by W m Venable, who served three terms with him, that he served the 2 nd and 4 th of those above mentioned and can prove by all his neighbors who have long resided near him, that he has always been reputed & considered a revolutionary soldier. He does not recollect any one person alive who was with him on his first or third tour.
He the said Solomon R. Wells hereby relinquishes every claim 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 whatever.
Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid.
Solomon his R. Wells mark
I W m Venable formerly a soldier in the revolutionary war and at present a planter residing in Dinwiddie County, do hereby certify, that I am well acquainted with the declarant Solomon R. Wells, and

have been so from an early period in the Revolutionary war. That I know that he served the second and fourth terms of service set forth above in his Declaration being those under Baker Peyton and Gilliam's Booke, inasmuch as I served each of them myself with him, & all recollection is in the same company with myself. I do not personally know any thing of the other terms of which he speaks, but have no doubt that he rendered the service as he has represented. —
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
Yours sincerely Wm. H. Munford
We Isham E. Gayan a clergyman residing in the County of Dinwiddie, in the State of Virginia, and Jeremiah Miles a planter residing in the same County, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Simon R. Wells, who has subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration; that we believe him to be 68 years of age; that he is respected, and believed, in the neighbourhood where he resides.

to have been a soldier in the Revolution; & that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn, and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid Isham E. Hargrave, Inverness Mills
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 William Nunnally who has signed the above certificate is a resident of Dinwiddie County, and is a credible, respectable person, to whose statements full credit is due. And also that Isham E. Hargrave who has signed the certificate immediately preceding this, is a clergyman resident of the County of Dinwiddie, and that Levi Miley, who has also signed the same, is also a resident of the same County, and that they are credible, respectable persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I John P. Crump Clerk of the County Court of Dinwiddie County, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of Solomon R. Wells for a Pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and the seal of my office, this 20th day of August, in the year of our Lord 1832 and of our Independence the 57th.
J. P. Crump C. D. C.

State of Virginia, Dinwiddie County, S c :
Personally appeared before the undersigned a Justice of the Peace for the said County, on this 22 d day of August 1833 Solomon R. Wells who being first duly sworn, deposeth and saith, in addition to his former Declaration hereto appended, that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory, he finds himself unable to designate the precise periods of the war, when but that he is perfectly certain that he served more than four or five months in all he served, more particularly than he has already done, nor for the same reason - can he state the names of any other officers, continental or militia, or mention any other regiments of either description with whom he served, other than further than he has already done - and that as for the names of persons to whom he is known in his present neighbourhood who can testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution, he can only refer to the three individuals whose certificates were taken by the court as a part of his original declaration - all spared however that he has no neighbour now or ever had, who would testify against his veracity, but few have heard any thing of his military services, not having been in the habit of boasting of them himself. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Solomon R. his Wells
Given under my hand the day marks and year aforesaid. James G. Young
I, A. P. Grump Clerk of the County Court of Dinwiddie in the State of Virginia, do certify that James G. Young is a magistrate as above, and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my seal of Office, and subscribed my name, this 22 d day of August 1833, the 58 th year of our Independence, -
A. P. Grump Clerk of the County Court of Dinwiddie.

14812 INVALID.
Rev. Am
File No. 14 812
Solomon K. Wells
Pris. Rev. War
Act: June 7 th 1832.
Index:—Vol. 1 , Page 400
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Simon R. Wells

Solomon R Wells BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? Yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? Yes III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? X IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? Yes V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? Yes VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? Yes VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? Yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? Yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? Yes X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? Yes

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? Yes
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?
XIV. † If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?
If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? Yes
Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? Yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? Yes & S. H. Long - yes
XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct?
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For _____ year _____ months, and _____ days, I served as a _____ For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each 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 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 shewn 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.
† QUERE XIV.  Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
† QUERE XVI.  Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
¶ In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.

Dear Sir Col. [?] Sept. 27. 1833
War Department
Mail 3
Octobr 11 1833 Pension Office Washington City

Dinwiddie Co. Va. Sept 27 th 1833
Sir,
The warrant giving to Solomon R. Wells a pension is returned to your Department in consequence of a mistake in the first names of the pensioner; it should have been Thomas instead of Solomon; enquiry has been made at the pension office in Richmond and the same mistake was found to exist there, you will confer a favor on the pensioner by attending to this little matter as speedily as possible, he is a very poor, old and infirm man. —
Yrs respectfully
W. Brumley clk of Dinwiddie County —