Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 6833, for Archelaus Mahone, Virginia

Va.
SERVICE
Mahone, Archelaus Magdalena
NUMBER
R 6833
CONTENTS
Blank lined area for contents entry
Blank lined area for contents entry

5966.
Magdalena Mahone
No. 6
Act July 4 th '36
5966

State of North Carolina } ss Stokes County }
On this 20 th 23 rd day of Sept. 1843. before me Hayd Webb a Justice of the peace of the Court of pleas and Quarter Sessions in and for the County aforesaid personally appeared Magdalena Mahone a Resident of the County of Stokes N. Carolina aged ninety years, who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on her Oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of congress passed 4 th July 1836.
Entitled an act granting — pensions to certain widows, that she is the widow of Archibald Mahone deceased who was a soldier of the Virginia Militia and served four Tours in the service of the United States in time of the Revolutionary War, as he informed this applicant, one Tour of three months after 20 th towards North Carolina, two Tours of three months each towards the Eastern part of Virginia, and was at the taking of Genl Wallis at Little York, one Tour of one month towards the Mountains in Virginia after 20 th , marched all the Tours from Bedford County Virginia, he was discharged the last Tour which ended the War, when Genl Wallis surrendered to Genl Washington at Little York One Tour he marched under Capt Lynch and the two Tours towards the Eastern part of Virginia, he marched under Capt Collinsway, the Tour of one month she does not recollect who he marched under, she thinks that her Husband was drafted some of the Tours & some he volunteered, she thinks that the whole of her Husband's services was at least ten months.

She does not recollect where he was discharged the other years for which services she claims a pension and begs leave to refer the pension department to the lists or rolls of the Virginia Militia for the more satisfactory proof of his services, as also to the evidence that will be annexed to this declaration of his services, and her marriage to the said Archilus Mahone as she has no documentary evidence to shew of either, the services or the marriage, the papers discharges etc. all being lost or destroyed, further she states that from bodily infirmities & old age she is unable to travel to Court without great injury to her health, to the truth of which Statements I am fully satisfied. She further declares that she was married to the said Archilus Mahone on the day of Seventeen Hundred and Sixty Eight, and that her husband the aforesaid Archilus Mahone died on the 6 th day of January 1842 and that she was married to him previous to the revolution at the time above stated, and she further declares that whilst she and her husband remained to line in union together as man & wife, she had the following named children born of her body
William Mahone born in 1769 Micajah Mahone was born on day of 1770
 Zachariah Mahone - - - - - 1772  Nancy Mahone - - - - - 1774  Elizabeth Mahone - - - - - 1779  Cecilia Mahone - - - - - 1781  Susannah Mahone - - - - - 1783  Jenny Mahone - - - - - 1785  Mary Mahone - - - - - 1787  John Mahone - - - - - 1789  Archilus Mahone - - - - - 1791 
The family records of the above having been lost or, destroyed, is set down from memory etc. sworn to & subscribed the day & year first above mentioned before me
J. H. Webb J.P.
Magdalina Mahone her mark

I John Hill Clerk of the Court of Pleas and quarter Sessions for Stokes County certify that Floyd Webb before whom the foregoing proceedings were had is a duly commissioned qualified & acting Justice of the peace in & for Stokes County & that the foregoing signatures purporting to be his are genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of office & subscribed my name this 9. day of October 1843.
J. Hill. cler.

Archelaus Makone
24090

State of Virginia Patrick County ss
On this fourteenth day of February 1833. personally appeared in open court before the justices of the county court of Patrick now sitting Archibald Mahone aged eighty eight or eighty nine years a resident of the county of Patrick County and State aforesaid 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 in the year under the following named officers and served as herein stated. In the year aforesaid he was drafted as a militia man and marched from the County of Bedford under Capt Charles Beallaway immediately to Little York which had just then been besieged. The trenches then being just commenced. very shortly after, on the very day after his arrival the recruiting officer coming along the line, he enlisted for the term of during the war. He states that before this some two years he was drafted as a militia man and marched under Capt Robert Adams to Petersburg, where he continued to serve for three weeks. The company was then dismissed & he returned home. and was shortly after drafted again & marched under Capt Christopher Syphax to some place near Richmond he does not now recollect the name - where he remained six or seven weeks & being discharged he returned home. He states that at the period before named when at Little York he enlisted under one Capt Jones his first name not being recollected into the regular service, and continued in it until after the surrender of Cornwallis he was regularly discharged. he states that his discharge has been lost. He says also that from extreme old age his memory does not serve him to state the particular time & periods of his service, but that he can say with confidence that as a militia man he was called frequently into service at other times & for other periods than those just before recited & was actually in service for more than six months. He will not undertake to name any other officers for his memory has almost failed him -
He says he was born in the County of New Kent. his father moved to Bedford when he was young to become an overseer for one Payne. he was raised in the County of Bedford - he moved from Bedford to the County of Rockingham in North Carolina where he

received for two years. he Then into what is now the county of Patrick. many years since & has continued to reside principally in the county of Patrick ever since. he has no recollection of his age & does not know that any was ever made. he says he is acquainted with & known to Mr. Boyles, Richd Beardwell in the county of Stokes on North Carolina adjoining the county. to Andrew Grogan, Elisha Collins, Edw. Collins, Jno Tatum, Major McCarver, & many others in the county of Patrick
He hereby relinquishes all every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension agency of any state as far as he knows or if any only on that of the state of Virginia
Archelaus Mahone Mark
Patrick County Court
We John Simmons of the county of Stokes & state of North Carolina and Elisha Collins of the county of Patrick do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Archelaus Mahone who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that they believe him to be eighty eight years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion & the said John Simmons further swears that he has seen the discharge of the said Mahone.
Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid John Simmons
On this day Archelaus Mahone came into court & made oath that from extreme old age & consequent loss of memory he is unable to state further particulars of his service in the Revolution than those stated in the above declaration
Archelaus Mahone Mark

I, Abram Staples Clerk of the County Court of Patrick do hereby certify that the foregoing contain the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Nicholas Mahone for a pension
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of Office this 26 th day of March 1833
A. Staples Clerk
and I moreover certify that it appeared to the satisfaction of the Court that there was no Clergyman within the reach of the said Mahone from whom he could obtain the requisite Certificate
A. Staples Clerk
particular T. ...
serve him to state the

N o 24090 Archelaus Mahone Patrick Co- Virginia
6833
L. J. L.
Hon. N. H. Claiborne H. R. A. Staples Clk Patrick Co House Virginia

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension Office,
May 11. 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 a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will shew what is necessary to be done. Those 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 complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.
A Statement, shewing the Service of Archelaus Mahone Patrick Co. Va.
   Period when the service was rendered. Duration of the claimant's service. Rank of the claimant. Names and rank of the 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.   Years. Months. Days.     defct 1778-9 letto entrd 1781 9 1 21 12 Privt Captm Adams Captm Lynch Captm Jones 89 years Bedford County Virginia Traditional evidence        
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
he states he served as a militia man more than 6 months.
J. L. EDWARDS,
Commissioner of Pensions.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.
The following regulations have been adopted:
This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia," and "volunteers," all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c., Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of private armed vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.
Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
 1. The Regular Troops.  2. The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers.  3. Persons employed in the Naval Service.  4. Indian Spies. 
As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will, in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.
DECLARATION,
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832.
State, Territory, or District of } ss. County of }
On this day of personally appeared (a) before A. B. a resident (b) of in the county of and State, Territory or District of aged (c) 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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d) , with and served in the (e) regiment of the line, under the following named officers:
[Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers;) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched. This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.]
He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
A. B.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
I of the Court of do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this day of &c.
If, on examination of the proper record, the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out.
Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz:
(k) We, A. B., a Clergyman, residing in the and C. D. residing in (the same) hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with , who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the days and year aforesaid.
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
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 A. B. who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the and that C. D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I, Clerk of the Court of do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this day of &c.
Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant, and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction.
If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration, (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his alleged service, as they are known at the Department. A very full account of the services of each person

will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case. The facts stated will afford one of the principal means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected. All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County in which they reside, and there subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his case.
The Court will propound the following ( m ) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State troops of Virginia.
 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; were you drafted, 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 services.  6. { To a Soldier. } Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it? { To an Officer. } Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?  7. 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 of the Revolution. 
The Court will see that the answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.
The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court, without too much expense and inconvenience to him, two respectable persons—one of whom should be the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary soldier, and that they concur in that opinion. If one of these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify to the character and standing of other persons giving such certificates.
The traditional evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct proof, except the declaration of the party. And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the enquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.
Applicants unable to appear in Court, by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to perform, and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.
Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or by a Justice of the Peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper Clerk of the Service, or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is his genuine signature.
No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before the taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.
[a] The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity; in which case the declarant will follow the rule laid down for his guidance.
[b] The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides. If he should fail to do so, he must assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule.
[c] The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
[d] The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served.
[e] Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the claim cannot be had. Every claimant must state, with precision, the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language definite as to enable the Department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled. 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 that they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the terms, 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.
[f] The law makes the relinquishment indispensable.
[g] The opinion of the Court is always required.
[h] The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
[i] The Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal, or if he 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.
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 papers 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.
Proof of Service.
[j] 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 claimant's 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.
□ The notes from [a] to [i] are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers and State Troops. The proof required by rule in note [j] applies to continental troops only.
[k] This traditional evidence is indispensable in militia cases.
[l] If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
[m] The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with the declaration.
John R. Stanton

State of N. Carolina } ss Stokes County } 3
On this 25. th day of Sept. 1843. before me Hoyd Webb a Justice of the peace of the Court of pleas and Quarter Sessions, in and for the county & State aforesaid, personally appeared Elizabeth Mahone a resident of the County & State aforesaid, aged Sixty four, and after being duly sworn according to law deposeth as follows, that some short time previous to the death of her father Archibald Mahone, she saw in his possession a discharge that he had served a term of three months in time of the Revolutionary war, and was discharged some where in North Carolina, the place she does not recollect, which discharge was lost by her father together with his Pocket Book.
Sworn to & subscribed the day and year above mentioned before me
Hoyd Webb JP
Elizabeth her Mahone mark.
State of N. Carolina } Stokes County } 3
Elizabeth Mahone whose Signature is to the above affidavit is a woman of probity whose testimony can be relied on
Hoyd Webb JP

Stokes County N.C. Oct 9 th 1843.
Dear Sir please examine the inclosed and all communications on the subject with the certificate, provided she is entitled address to the subscriber to Colesville Stokes Co. N.C. as the applicant lives a considerable distance from an office Yrs respectfully
J. H. Little

Archibald Mahone Virginia
Rejected - Letter Dec 19 1880 - to Hon
N. H. Claiborne
ack 7 Jan 1882

596. Magdalena Sta No. 6. Suspended Act F. 1844 May 31. 1844
6834
Act July 4 th 1836

Worl Nathaniel H Claiborne -
Claybrook Franklin -

Archibald Mahone
He was married in 1768 to Magdalena Bridgeman & he deceased Jan'y 6 1842 & His widow, Sept 1842 was residing in Stokes County N.C. aged 96 years — He discharged & the family record having been lost or destroyed & he not making an application for pension, the only statement of his service is furnished by the widow and is without dates & places —
He marched all the time from Bedford County Va, he served one tour of 3 months after Jones "towards" N.C., two tours of 3 months each "towards" the eastern part of the State of Va & was at the "taking of Lord Cornwallis at Little York (Oct 19 1781) and one tour of one month "towards" the Mountain of Va after Jones. One of the tours was under Capt. Colbray.
Hetty Collings of Bedford Co Va aged 86 years was present at their marriage prior to the Revolutionary War & to the enlistment of Service.
From memory gives the birth of Children
  William Born 1769   Abigail " 1770   Joannah " 1772   Nancy " 1777   Elizabeth " 1774   Evelia " 1781 Maybe for Evelia   Ann " 1783   Danny " 1785   Mary " 1787   John " 1789   Archibald " 1791 

1890 March 17 Mrs M. F. Otes history Prior
Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1870.
6834.
P. O.
Magdalena Machene
Service:
REJECTED
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18
M. F. Otes

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
1833
O. Nicholas Mahone
Service: _____
REJECTED
listed: _____, 18
discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
ages: _____
-enlisted: _____
attorney: _____
O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

State of N o Carolina } 83 Stokes County }
On this 25 th day of Sept. 1843. Before me H h Webb a Justice of the peace of the Court of pleas & Quarters Sessions in and for the County and State aforesaid personally appeared Hethy Collings a Resident of the County and State aforesaid, aged Eighty six, and after being duly sworn according to law, deposeth as follows that she lived in Bedford County and State of and Gov't Virginia, and was knowing to the marriage between Magdalena Bridgeman & Magdalena Archilus Mahone now, Magdalena Mahone, previous to the revolutionary war, and was at the said Archilus Mahone's when he returned from the service of the United States two Tours of three months each from the Eastern part of Virginia, & heard him say that he was discharged the last tour at Little York, when Cornwallis surrendered to Genl Washington, but does not recollect where he was discharged the other tour, and one tour of one month towards the mountains in Virginia, after Tories and further she saith not.
Sworn to and subscribed the date above written before me. } H h Webb J.P. Hethy her Collings mark
State of N o Carolina } Stokes County }
Hethy Collings whose signature is to the above affidavit is a woman of Probity whose testimony can be relied on
H h Webb J.P. Sept 25 th 1843.

Rocky Mount. November 19 th 1833.
Dear Sir
I send herewith the declaration of A. Mahone a soldier of the Revolution and resident of the County of Patrick together the accompanying document from the War department with a request from Mr Mahone that you will attend to the for matter for him.
You will observe that the objections urged against the claim are that he does not state with sufficient precision the periods at which the claimant entered the service the names of the field officers under whom he served the exact time of each tour, and I suppose that the proper traditional evidence is not produced. In relation to the first and second objections it is impossible that any other statement can be made on which any reliance can be placed. I drew the declaration and found great difficulty in understanding the claimant or making the requisitions of the department understood by him, and indeed from the extreme age, want of memory and feebleness of Mahone I am only surprised that he could present the statement he has of his services. These objections of the department though they may protect the government from fraudulent claims in some instances will I am satisfied if persisted in, in every case defeat every claim that the honesty of an old soldier prompts him to state truly. In this instance Mahone states two tours. The captains under whom he served. He states also that he enlisted at Little York for the term of "during the war" & also that he served at other times but from loss of memory is unable to state particulars - he says however that he is confident he served Six months and relies upon traditional under testimony in which it is not only stated that he is reputed to have been a soldier of the revolution, but one of the witnesses says he has seen his discharge.

tho' I had thought would have been sufficient more especially when he made as certified by the court an affidavit of his loss of memory and his inability to recollect distinctly further particulars - One who had thus lost his memory could not be expected to know the names of witnesses of any request by whom he could possibly prove his services -
I have to hope that the department will reconsider the case of old Mr Mahone and when it is considered the appearance of honesty and truth that marks his whole declaration and conduct permit him to participate of the benefits of the government - He is very needy & shall not if I can help it be made the subject of speculation -
Be so good as to examine if the name of Dury Pullam is to be found on the roll of the Virginia troops, he represents himself to have been a lieutenant and produces a commission signed by Mr Jefferson -
Very Respectfully
Your Obedt Servt
N M Taliaferro
Humble N M Taliaferro
Bladensburg