Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W 3427, for William Keyser, Virginia

SERVICE
NUMBER
Val.
Keyser, William Tessiah K or Reziah
W 3427
CONTENTS

12.01 X. 2/  Polly was January 29 - 1781 John was Born October 10 - 1784 William was Born November 20 1785 Elizabeth was Born October 13 - 1787 Est. Born May 30 1789 Cat. was Born January 26 1792 Flemen was Born January 26 1794 David was Born July 30 - 1796 James was Born May 1 1799 Talley was Born Sept 13 1801  Polly

Solley was Born february 22 - 1782 Keturah was Born June 9 - 1785 Elizabeth was Born Dec 25 - 1787 Jean was Born May 6 - 1789 William was Born Oct 22 - 1792 Rich d was Born May 27 - 1795
1835 16 25
1835 1800 38 34 1800 11 - 35

7004
Virginia
William Keyser
of Bath County in the State of Virginia who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Dayton of the Legion commanded by Col. Dabney in the Virginia line for the Revolution.
Ms. 83. L. Dec 1837
Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 80 Dollars 00 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 21st day of February 1833 and sent to Hon. W. M. Coy At of Reps.
Arrears to 4th of March 1833 $ 160.00 Semi-annual allowance ending Sept 33 40.00
$ 200.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by W. L. Williams Clerk, Book E Vol. 1 Page 15 .

8626. Virginia  Rufina Elizabeth Keyser widow of William Keyser who served in the Revolutionary war, as a Private Va Line
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of 20 Dollars
Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1848.
Certificate of Pension issued the 2 day of July 1848 and sent to
Andrew Hodge Covington La
Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under act February 2, 1848, Page 162 Vol. 3

15208.
Mr. Nupser of
Virginia
from 1776 private 3 years lost a V$80, State Roll
on Roll
Rev. H. Meloy

BRIEF in the case of  Wm Keyser of Bath  County  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? 77.  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. As a Gen.     In 17 3 On  Capt Bayly Col Genl  Washington Col Genl  ney Col Genl  Wayne Col Genl     2d Virginia Regiment
 5. In what battles was he engaged? Monmouth, Stony Point  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Gilesburg County Virginia  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Defective 
No data to his service
I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
J. Michener Examining Clerk.  by 287833

2338
2338
Rezah Keyser
$ 80.
35 45
150
J. W. Brokenborough Warm Springs Bath Co Va Brokenborough

Declarations.
State of Virginia, Bath County to wit:
On This Tenth day of May in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty Three personally appeared before the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for the said County of Bath and State of Virginia aforesaid, Resiah Keyser, a resident in the said County of Bath, aged Seventy Eight years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed on the 3 rd of March One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty Three, granting pensions to widows of persons who served during the Revolutionary War: That she is the widow of William Keyser who was a private soldier in the army of the Revolution the evidence of whose service and the regiment in which he served is now on file in the War Department at Washington and that she has received a pension of Eighty Dollars per annum commencing on the fourth day of March 1836 and terminating on the fourth day of March 1841 amounting to Four Hundred Dollars which she received under the Act of July 7 th 1838. And she further declares that she is still the widow of the said William Keyser and that she has not intermarried with any other person since the death of the said William Keyser.
Sworn to and subscribed Teste. John T. Brockmeyer D.
Resiah her Keyser mark
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year first above written before me a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Bath and State of Virginia aforesaid Wm W. Shields
State of Virginia Bath County to wit
I Stephen H. Porten Clerk of Bath County Court in the State of Virginia, certify that William

W. Shields is a Magistrate and justice of the peace as above stated and that the foregoing signature pur- porting to be his is genuine. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of Office and subscribed my name this 10 th day of May 1843. S. H. Porter Clerk of Bath County Court
(A large, stylized calligraphic flourish or signature mark.)
I W m W Shields a Magistrate and Justice of the peace in and for the County of Bath and State of Virginia do hereby certify that I have known Mrs Resiah Keyser the Widow of William Keyser Deed personally and well for several years past Given under my hand this 27 th day of September 1843 W m W Shields
State of Virginia Bath County to wit:
I Stephen H Porter Clerk of the County Court of Bath County in the State of Virginia certify that William W. Shields whose name is an- nexed to the last above certificate is the same whom name is annexed to the first certificate and that he is a Magistrate and Justice of the peace as above stated and that the foregoing signatures purporting to be his are genuine. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of Office and subscribed my name this 28 th day of September 1843. S. H. Porter Clerk of Bath County Court

15408
Oct 22 William Hossner 15408
15406 15408 M rs Mc Coy
Secretary of War
Washington City
sworn to the above declaration that we they believe him to be seventy seven years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides

~ The Commonwealth of Virginia ~
Bath County to wit,
On this 9 th day of October 1832 personally appeared before the Justices of the County Court of Bath now sitting in Court in the state of Virginia William Kreyser a resident of Bath County in the state aforesaid aged seventy seven 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 14 th 1832. He states that he enlisted in the service of the United States in the regular army for the term of three years and served out the said term of three years. He enlisted in the County of Gloucester in the state of Va but the time of his enlistment he does not at this time recollect. He enlisted under Captain Thomas Baytop in Second Va State Regiment. He then marched to Hampton Va after he was there he was encamped for the small pox. He afterwards was marched to the Valley Forge where he joined the Army under General Washington at which place he remained all Winter the next summer he was marched after the British and under the command of Colonel Charles Pulasky he overtook the British at Monmouth Church and was in an engagement with the British one whole day and lay on his arms all night expecting to engage again on the next day but on that night the British got on board their ships. He further states that he was in a skirmish with the British at Saw Mill River Bridge near Fort Montgomery under the command of Colonel Samuel Snipes and in that skirmish twenty eight soldiers and two officers were  were taken by the British. He further states that he was in another engagement and was in front of the Army in taking Stony Point Fort under the command of General Anthony Wayne at which engagement Genl Wayne received a small wound in his temple and then Colonel Pickering took the command. Col. Hany was the commander of the Vanguard he received no wound. He states that he received a discharge in writing which discharge was deposited in the Auditor's Office in Richmond Va for the purpose of entitling him to draw his back pay. He states that he is known to William McIntire and Robert Brinkley who are his neighbors. He 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. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
W m Kreyser
And the said William McIntire and Robert Brinkley here in Court state that they are well acquainted with William Kreyser who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that they believe him to be seventy seven 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. And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories presented by the War department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as in states —
I Charles L Francisco clerk of the court of Bast County aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of William Kreyer for a pension — In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 12 th day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two and 57 th year of the commonwealth — Ch s L Francisco

Bath County Court, Bath County to wit:
This day Fleming Keyser personally appeared before the undersigned Justices of the Peace for the said County of Bath sitting in open Court who made oath that he is the son and Executor of William Keyser decd late a former of the United States: That the paper hereto annexed was found by the affiant among the papers of the said William Keyser decd after his death carefully filed away among his important papers and that the said paper has been in possession of the affiant ever since. The affiant further made oath that the said paper purports to be a register of the births of his children commencing with "Polly was January 26 - 1782" and ending with "Sally was born September 13 th 1806" in the handwriting of the said William Keyser decd. The affiant further made oath that he has often heard his father say that he had lost the original register of his children's births and that many years ago he had obtained from his neighbor Richard Sneed obtained from him a register of the births of his own children which he had set down on a piece of paper and that on the opposite side of the same paper he had made a register of the births of his own (Keyser's) children which he was only enabled to make out by a comparison between the ages of his own children & those of the said Richard Sneed. The affiant further made oath that his deceased father had the children enumerated in the said paper to wit: Polly, John, William, Elizabeth, Christopher or Kit, Catherine, Fleming, David, James, and Sally: that he has often heard his father say that the annexed re-

gister of the births of his children having been made out many years after the children were born & in consequence of his having lost the original register that it was not entirely accurate & was only an approximation to the true period of the births of his children - The undersigned further certify that the said Fleming Keyser is a man of truth & that full faith and credit are due to his declarations made on oath. In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands & annexed our seals this 12 th day of October 1841.
John Graham
Andrew Killington
John D. Hamilton
Joseph Burger
State of Virginia Bath County to Wit. I Stephen H. Porter Clerk of the County Court of Bath County in the State aforesaid do hereby certify that John Graham, Andrew Killington, John D. Hamilton and Joseph Burger whose names are affixed to the foregoing affidavit and certificate are Justices of the peace in the County aforesaid as above stated and that full faith and credit are due to their Official acts as such. In Wit- ness whereof I have hereunto subscri- bed my name and affixed the seal of the said Court this 15 th day of November in the year 1841. S. H. Porter Clerk County Court

No 7982
Isaiah Keyser widow of William Virginia
Page 60
Wills Recd A. 76. 76. Stuart Aug 25. 1811
act 7 July 1838

Virginia, N o : 7085
Kesiah Keyser
widow of William Keyser —
who died on the — of December 1837 of Bath Co o in the State of Virginia who was a private — in the company commanded by Captain Payton — of the Reg t — commanded by Col: Labney — in the Virginia line for 2 years —
Inscribed on the Roll of Richmond at the rate of 80 — Dollars — Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1836.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 th day of March, 1843 and sent to Hon. A. H. H. Stuart,
Arrears to the 4th of Semi-annual allowance ending
$400.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act July 7, 1838, — Section 10 }
Recorded by Clerk, Book A — Vol. 2 — Page 181
Repd March 15 — 43 See letter Sept. 16. 1843 to J. W. Breckenridge

Virginid 3545
Report
Kiziah Keyser widow of William Keyser who was a Private in the Virginia line for 2 years
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of Eighty — Dollars — Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1843.
Certificate of Pension issued the March day of December 1843 and sent to J. W. Brickenbough Warm Springs Bath County Virginia
[Act of March 3, 1843.]
Recorded in Book 4 Vol. 1 Page 150

15408
Mr. Keyser of Virginia

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of
Mr. Keyser further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? 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? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? As 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? VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? 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?

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? two citizens XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? No 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? No 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? Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? 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? 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.

August 21 st 1841 via Mr. Sylvester
A. H. Stuart Keyser
Hon. J. L. Edwards
Com r of Patents

Anne Repp Aug. 21 st ,
Mrs L. L. Edwards
Com te of Pensions
Sir
I have the honor to enclose you some documentary evidence in relation to a pension claim. Will you have the goodness to examine it & let me know whether it is right - if not please point out the defect -
Very respectfully
Your obt. servt:
Alex r H. H. Stuart

In the County Court of Bath, State of Virginia to wit:
We the undersigned Justices of the peace for said County, sitting in open Court, do hereby certify that on this Ninth day of March One Thousand Eight Hundred & Forty One Michael McElwee a citizen of said County came personally before us in open Court and being first duly sworn, deposed as follows to wit: That William Keyser late a Revolutionary Pensioner of the United States died at the house of the witness in said County of Bath in the early part of December in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred & Thirty Seven, he thinks about the third or fourth day of the month but he is unable to fix the precise day, that Kesiah Keyser who has this day made a declaration in open Court to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress granting half pay & pension to certain widows, the widow of the said William Keyser that he has known the said William Keyser & Kesiah his wife intimately for the last thirty seven or eight years during which time until the death of William Keyser aforesaid they lived in his neighborhood in the said County of Bath, that they were people of excellent and unblemished characters and that they were married long before his acquaintance with them commenced: That he always understood from both of the said parties that they removed from the County of Hanover, where they had pre- viously resided, to the County of Bath, and that he has never during his whole acquaintance with them heard a doubt suggested that the said par- ties were legally married and the witness can-

-ertain not the slightest doubt that they were so.
We further certify that Robert Poindexter another witness came personally before us at the same time who being first duly sworn de- posed as follows to wit: That the said William Keyser died at the house of Michael McElwee in said County of Bath early in the month of December One Thousand Eight Hundred & Thirty Seven, That the witness is the son in law of the said William & Kesiak Keyser having intermarried with Their daughter Elizabeth Keyser on the third day of December One Thousand Eight Hundred and Five in said County, that the said parties removed from Harrison County Virginia some three or four years before the marriage of the witness and continued to reside in said County of Bath from that time until the death of said William Keyser, that during the whole of that time the witness was intimately acquainted with the said William and Kesiak Keyser, that at the time of his intermarriage with Elizabeth Keyser she was in her eighteenth year she being the fourth child of the said William and Elizabeth Keyser, that the witness never heard a doubt suggested of the legality of the marriage of William & Elizabeth Keyser aforesaid and that he does not doubt that they were legally married at the time stated by Kesiak Keyser in her declaration made this day in open court viz: in the month of Decem- ber One Thousand Seven Hundred & Eighty Three and that the said William & Kesiak Keyser have always been most excellent and unex

ceptionable moral characters.
We further certify that both of the above witnesses are persons of veracity and that their statements under oath are entitled to full faith and credit. In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals the day & year first above written.
Sam Lewis Seal
A. Sittington Seal
Chas. Stuart Seal
Joseph Burge Seal
We further certify that the following words viz: "is the widow of the said William Keyser" were interlined on the first page & nineteenth line from the top before our signatures were annexed to this certificate.
Sam Lewis Seal
A. Sittington Seal
Chas. Stuart Seal
Joseph Burge Seal
State of Virginia
Bath County to wit
I Stephen H. Foster Clerk of the County Court of Bath County in the State of Virginia do hereby certify that Samuel Lewis Andrew Sittington Charles Stuart, and Joseph Burge whose signatures are annexed to the foregoing certificates are magistrates and Justices of the peace in the County aforesaid and that the signatures purporting to be theirs are genuine In Testimony where-

of I hereto set my hand and annex the seal of the said Court this 12 th day of May in the year One thousand eight hundred and Forty One
J. V. Foster Clerk of Bath County Court
[Signature]
Hon. A. H. H. Stuart H.R.
No 7982 Hesecah Keyser widow of William Virginia Act of July 1838
advised 2 yrs in 80

Brewer
WIDOW, &c.
File No. 3427
Hezekiah Ryder
Widow
William Ryder
Per. Rev. War
Act: Feb. 2, 1818.
Index:—Vol. A. , Page 390.
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Kesiah Keyser's Petition for a Pension as widow of William Keyser decd.
Hon A. H. H. Stuart

B. 3 Oct 8. 1843
Mr Nehemiah Keyes act 1843
Return Care
James T Edwards Esq Commissioner of Pension Washington City D.C.

Warm Springs Bath County Ky Sept 29 th 1843.
Sir I return you enclosed herewith the declaration of Mrs. Kessiah Keyser with the addition required by your polite note of the 16 th inst.
Very Respectfully Your ob t Servant John D. Brooks esq.
P.S. Please address me in heretofore at Lexington 8 th J. D. B.
James T. Edwards Esq House of Pension Washington City.

3545

State of Virginia
On this 18 day of december 1848 before me Lewis J Mann a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Alleghany, in the said State, personally appeared Hiziah Keyser, a resident of the said County of Alleghany, aged 85 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress, passed on the 2 nd February 1848, granting pensions to Widows of Pensioners, who served during the Revolutionary War. That she is the Widow of William Keyser dec d who was a Private in the Army of the Revolution, and that under the act of Congress of the 17 th June 1844, she received a pension at the rate of Eighty dollars per annum.
She further declares, that she is still a widow sworn & subscribed the 3 day of year above written in the presence of February 1 st 1849 Nancy Keyser
Hiziah her Keyser mark
before me Lewis J Mann J. Peace
I Certify that Hiziah Keyser the declarant above named is personally known to me.
Lewis J Mann J. Peace
I Andrew Fudge Clerk of the Court of Alleghany County Certify, that Lewis J Mann is a magistrate as above, and that the foregoing signatures purporting to be his are genuine.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, and affixed the seal of said Court, this 22 nd day of December 1848.
Andrew Fudge Clerk of the County Court of Alleghany County

Covington Va Decr 23 d
To
J. L. Edwards, Comm. Pensions Washington City
D. Columbia

Clarendon 22 nd Decr. 1848.
Dear Sir
Enclosed you will receive two affidavits of Mrs. Hight & Hineaid, pensioners of my County, who wish to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed on the 2 nd Febry: 1848. Their Certificate of pension you will please forward to me at this place. Will you be so good as to enclose me, at the same time, a blank form, to enable me to draw their pension from the Agent at Richmond. and should there be anything wanting, to enable those old ladies to get their pension, please give me the necessary instructions.
Very Respectfully &c
Andr. Judge

In Bath County Court, State of Vir- ginia, To wit:
On this Ninth day of March in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty One personally appeared before the un- dersigned Justices of the County of Bath sitting in open Court, Kessiah Keyser, a resident of the said County of Bath, aged Seventy Six 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 pro- vision made by the act of Congress, passed July 7 th 1838 entitled "An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows." That she is the widow of William Keyser who was a private soldier in the service of the United States during the Revolutionary War, that the said William Keyser was a Pensioner of the United States at the time of his death and that the evidence of his service on which the pension to the said William Keyser was allowed is filed in the War Department at the City of Washington. She further declares that she was married to the said William Keyser on the day of December in the year Seventeen Hundred and Eighty Three, that her husband, the aforesaid William Keyser died in the early part of De- cember in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Seven about three weeks before Christ- mas; that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the first of January, Seventeen Hundred and Ninety Four, viz: at the time above stated.
Sworn to and subscribed, on the

day and year above written before us, Justices of the Peace and Magistrates of the said County of Bath sitting in open Court.
Resiah her Keyser mark
Chas. Stewart seal
A. Sittington seal
Joseph Burgen seal
Andrew M. Cameron seal
State of Virginia
Bath County to wit
I Stephen A. Porter Clerk of the County Court of Bath County in the state of Virginia do hereby certify that Charles Stewart, Andrew Sittington, Joseph Burgen and Andrew M. Cameron whose signatures are annexed to the foregoing certificates are Magistrates and Justices of the Peace in the County aforesaid, and that the signatures purporting to be theirs are genuine. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and annexed the seal of the said Court this 12 th day of May in the year One thou- sand Eight hundred and Forty one
S. A. Porter Clerk of Bath County Court

2338
June 27 1843 LONDON
Pa.
Mar 3 1843
R. Horeham K. Keyes
Ant. C.
The Hon. James L. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions Washington City.
FREE

Lexington Va June 20 th 1843.
Hon. J. L. Edwards. 3 Com ee of Pensions 3
Sir,
Enclosed herewith are the declarations of Mr. Kesiah Keyser of Bath and Mr. Rebecca Forehand of Rockbridge County, made with a view to entitle themselves to the benefit of the Act of March 3 rd 1843. They have each heretofore drawn pensions under the Act of July 7 th 1838, but in reference to Mrs. Forehand, I respectfully suggest two points for your consideration. 1. Was she not entitled to draw a pension for five entire years? Such is my construction of the Act. 2. Her husband John Forehand drew Ninety six dollars per annum. The words of the Act are - "such widow shall be entitled to receive, for and during the term of five years from the fourth day of March 1836 the annuity or pension which might have been allowed to her husband, in virtue of said act, if living at the time it was passed" - Mrs. Forehand has drawn only Eighty dollars per annum for three years. Is there not a clear mistake in fixing the amount of her pension, & is she not now entitled to draw the difference between $96.00 and $80.00?
In the month of February last I transmitted to your Department through the hands of the Hon. A. H. A. Stuart our then Representative in Congress the Declaration and evidence of marriage of Ann W m Glanghlin seeking the benefit of the Act of July 7, 1838. Mr. Stuart forwarded to me your letter of March 10 th 1843 stating that the proof of marriage in the case of Mrs. W m Glanghlin was satisfactory, but I have since then heard nothing from the case. May I ask whether her certificate has ever been forwarded.
I have the honor to be,
Very Respectfully Your obt Servant John W. Brooks