Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 4910, for Charles Swain, Virginia

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va
Swain, Charles
S 4910
boarded.
CONTENTS

Letter to P. M. A. G. T. July 5. 1836.
30,743 Jonesboro', E. Tennessee.
Charles Swain, dec'd of Hawkins Co. in the State of Tennessee was a Private in the by Captain [blank] of the [blank] commanded in the [blank] for [blank]
Payable to Elizabeth Swain, Widow of dec'd
Virginia Line. Record corrected March 11. 1836 Inscribed on the Roll of Jonesborough at the rate of 44 Dollars 67 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831 and to terminate on the 11th July 1833, the day of his death.
Certificate of Pension issued the 5 day of July 1836 and sent to Hon S. Branch, A.R.
Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 Semi-annual allowance ending July 11. 1833
Recorded by J. D. Wilson Clerk, Book E 2. Vol. 7. Page 156. { Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Act June 28. 1836

State of Tennessee 55.
Shelby County
On this 13 th day of September 1832 personally appeared before me one of the justices of the court of Pleas and quarter sessions for said county Elizabeth Swain a resident of said county aged Eighty Seven years last February, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain for her husband Charles Swain the benefits of the act of Congress passed March 3 rd 1832.
That she is the lawful wife wife of Charles Swain a resident of the said county of Shelby, and who is now nearly Eighty Eight years of age, and who is at this time that has been for about eight months past labouring under great bodily debility and alienation of mind so much so that he is entirely helpless, and cannot talk rationally, so as to either appear in court or make any statement of facts. So as to avail himself of the provisions made by the said act of congress of March 3 rd 1832. That she the said Elizabeth informed with the said Charles on the 12 th day of January 1778 in Bedford county State of Virginia, and that afterwards sometime in the month of August (the day not known) in the year 1777 her said husband entered the service of the united states under the command of Captain Cummings in the Regiment of Militia commanded by Col. Charles Lynch, and at said time her husband resided in said county of Bedford, and that he entered as a volunteer, that her said husband marched with his said Regiment from New London (at that time called) to the head waters of New River above Evan's ferry, and from thence was marched into North Carolina, against the Tories, where he continued to serve about six months, at the expiration of which time he was marched back into Bedford and returned to his family about the latter part of February 1778. She states further that her said husband received from his said Col. a discharge which states that he had

served six months in said regiment, and was discharged honably, which discharge was afterwards burnt up, with every thing they had, save some beds) in their house, which was set on fire by some incendiary, while living in Bedford. The said Elizabeth further deposes, that her said husband again volunteered in the service of his country under a Captain Heddle Stone in Bedford county aforesaid, about the middle of March in the year 1778. but the beds, none under whom her husband served she has forgotten, though her husband has often named him, and as the said Elizabeth has understood from her said husband, he with his company was marched into Montgomery county on the River, and did not return until about the first of June following, having served about two months and a half - Again in the fall of said year 1778, the month not now remembered her said husband entered the said service as a volunteer, and was employed as one of the guards over the Tories, who were prisoners at New London, in Bedford county and continued in service about two months more half before he returned home, but the exact month when he returned the said Elizabeth cannot state positively, but she remembers it was in cold weather in the winter of 1778. Neither can she name the officers under whom her husband at that time served but she recollects of her husband often mentioning the names of Captain David Murray and St Thomas Murray who were with him at the time -
Again about the middle of January 1781 her said husband entered the United States service in the said said county of Bedford, in a company of volunteers, as a Lieutenant of said company, commanded by Captain Poinsett of Bedford county under Col. Carrington or May's battalion, as she thinks, she understood from her husband, and marched

from New London to Norfolk and from thence to a place called Gregory's Camp, in South Carolina, and to the distant swamps, and after serving three months returned home to his family The said Elizabeth further declares that her said husband always stated that he had served about two years, altogether in the United States service, during the revolutionary war, but she at this time does not recollect of any other engagements, than those she has stated, though he might have been out for shorter periods. she is well satisfied however from her own knowledge, and from what she has heard her husband say, when he was in his right mind, that he did serve during in manner above stated, amount- ing in the whole to fourteen months, eleven months a private, & three months as a sergeant  sergeant she further states that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state — In witness whereof the day & year aforesaid  Elizabeth & Swain (Mark)  Witness Justice of the Peace for Washington County
State of Tennessee } Shelby County } on this 18th day of September 1832 before me the undersigned known to me to be the person of the person in the said county personally appeared Mrs. Leonora a resident of said county, who being first duly sworn according to law, deposes & saith, that he is acquainted with the above named Charles Swain, on whose wife is now applying for a pension on his behalf. that the said Charles is about the age of 87 or 88 years. The said Leonora further saith that she is herself now on the pension roll of the United States, and that he

Recalling of being the said Levin in the United States serving as a Lieutenant at old Cumberland Court House in Virginia, the said deponent belonging at that time to the 11th Virginia Regiment, that after remain- ing at Cumberland Court House, a few weeks the said Levin left there for some some other place, and the said deponent doth not know when he was ordered to — but deponent is well satisfied from having seen the said Levin in the services as aforesaid, and conversing with him about a year ago, that the said Levin was in the service of the United States nearly or quite eighteen months, further deponent saith not  Sworn to this which the day John Lennep I do hereby subscribe before me
A. Dairn Justice of the Peace for Hawkins County
State of Tennessee } on this 27th Sept 1832 personally appeared Hawkins County }
before me Nicholas Frazar and after having Dr. Thomas Hamblen of lawful age who being first duly sworn according to law deponeth that he has been acquainted with the said Charles Levin (an applicant for a pension) for six or seven years past, and that he is about eighty years of age a mile off said Levin — that he the said Levin is now entirely helpless and childlike, and has been out of his right mind for more than seven or eight months past and is not in a situation of receiving himself of the benefit of the act of congress of the 7th June 1832 passed for the relief of those who served in the Revolutionary war, and could not give any correct account of his services neither could he appear in court. He resides about five miles from Rogers ville, and is poor and destitute of the means of support. He furthermore states that he is a veteran soldier in the neighborhood when he wishes to have been a soldier of the revolution, and said offi- cial concurs in that opinion. Sworn to this which the day
before me A. Dairn Justice of the Peace for Hawkins County } Thomas Hamblen

H.R. 642 -
Elizabeth Swain -
Com: on Pensions -

July 5.
Chas. D. L. ...
el. Sp. Act.
James L. Edwards Comm. of Pensions Washington City
Yrs. S. J. Murch
214. Snow 245. 222.
6. 2. 2

Heall Ho. Rep. July 4 th 1836.
Col. James L. Edwards Com. of Pensions,
Sir,
An Act has passed at the present Session, authorizing the Secretary of War, to place the name of Elizabeth Swain on the pension roll — will you be so good as to have the certificate issued and sent to me at Mr. Ronkendorffs — I shall not leave before 12 o'clock on tomorrow —
I am very Respect ly Your O bt Serv t
Sam l Bunch

Rev War
4910
INVALID.
File No. 4910
Charles Smith
Rev War
Act: June 7" 1832 " June 28" 1836
Index: —Vol. IV , Page 366
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Charles Swan, 808
Mayboro Agency

H. R. 642.
Pri 177
MAY 17, 1836.
Read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.
Mr. BUNCH, from the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, re- ported the following bill:
A BILL
An Act
For the relief of Elizabeth Swain.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That 3 the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, directed to cause 4 to be paid to Elizabeth Swain, of Hawkins county, Tennessee, 5 widow of Charles Swain, a deceased soldier of the revolution, 6 the amount which would have accrued to the said Charles as a 7 pension, at the rate of forty-four dollars and sixty-seven cents a 8 year, from the fourth of March, eighteen hundred and thirty-one, 9 to July eleven, eighteen hundred and thirty-three, the time of 10 his death, to be paid out of any moneys appropriated for the pay- 11 ment of revolutionary pensions.
Approved 28 th June 1836
A true copy compared with the Roll in this office Henry Bicknell Chief Clerk
Dept. of State } June 30 th 1836 }

Dr Alexander Don
with the last
W. H. R. 242 W. H. R. 242 letter for P. Deane
Hon. John Blair Rep. in Congress Washington City D. C. He with thanks. Me.

Pocumtuck Mountain
December 1 st 1832
Sir
I herewith enclose to you, an application for a pension, from Mrs. Swain for her husband Charles Swain, who is 88 years of age, who is at the time telegraphing under total alienation of mind. I believe the late pension law does not provide for such a case and therefore I have sent it to you to be presented to Congress, provided the Secretary does not feel authorized  warranted to grant the pension.
The old woman is 87 and without a very intelligent next of kin. She has however met with a horrible accident since she made her statement, her arm broken, by getting her arm caught as she was returning home, after being with Mr. Haines making out her statement, and she has been supported by the neighbors they  she has been and now supported by the neighbors.
Fifty respectable persons would swear if it were necessary, that they believe he served in the Revolutionary as his wife has stated. They live about five or six miles from here. Be so good as to attend to it, and write to me about it.
I have also this day forwarded to the Secretary of War the declarations of Reuben Boine, Jacob Lawson, and John Bodson citizens of Stark, which you will please

attend to with those others mentioned in a former letter written to you a few days since
Col. Brant has just left us, he has been here to see if the people will encourage to offer against DeLoach for Congress
I think he will be a candidate from the encouragement given him by the Jackson Party. Should be close as the mail is not being made up. Yours with respect
De Alexander
Hon. John Blair

Eliz Leavain Eliz Leavain
To the Honorable
Declaration for pension of her husband Charles Leavain who is deceased.
Dec. 14. 1832
Ref d to Com ee on Rev. Pensions
Feb y 14 1833
Com ee disch d to Lie
Jan y 6 th 1834
Ref d to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions
January 27 1834
Bill reported N o 242
April 11. 1836
Ref d to Com ee on Rev. Pensions
May 17. 1836 - Bill N o 642
Bunch Blanch Pen 23. Rev. Pen

State of Pennsylvania - in this 2 o October 1832 personally Hawkins County 3 appeared before me Nicholas Train one of the Justices of the Common Pleas a resident of Hawkins county & residing in the neighborhood of the within applicant for a pension in behalf of Swain, and being first duly sworn according to law deposes & saith that he is well acquainted with the said Charles Swain and that he believes him to be nearly eighty eight years of age and that he is respected and beloved in the neighborhood where he resides he has been a Soldier of the Revolution, and that I concur in that opinion, & further that the said Swain is now and has been for seven or eight months past entirely out of his right mind so that he cannot make any statement about his services, and is entirely unable to walk or be removed to town. Sworn to this day the day & year above
A. Swain Justice of the Peace for Hawkins County
Seve George L. Fox
And I the said Nicholas Train one of the Justices of the Peace of Pleas for the County of Hawkins do hereby declare my opinion after the investigation of the matter, that the above named Charles Swain (whose wife) is applying for a pension for himself was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as she states. And I do further certify that

it appears to Mr Thomas Hamblen, ledemon Smith and John Leonard residents in Hawkins county aforesaid who have signed the preceding certificates are credible persons and that their statements are entitled to credit. Given under my hand at Rogersville
And also that the said Charles Swain by reason of mental and bodily infirmity cannot attend court - Given under my hand at Rogersville this first day of December A.D. 1832
A. Fain Justice of the Peace for Hawkins County
State of Tennessee } Hawkins County }
I Stockley D. Mitchell Clerk of the court of pleas and quarters before of the County of Hawkins and State aforesaid do certify that Nicholas Fain whose name is subscribed to the above certif- icate is a Justice of the said court and that full faith and credit is and ought to be given to his official acts as such
In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of office at office in Rogersville this 15 th day of December A.D. 1832
S. D. Mitchell Clerk By M. B. Mitchell D. Clerk

additional Testimony in the case of Elizabeth Swain

State of Tennessee I have known recently D.
the Thomas Hambleton, Robert Young and Leitch Alexander, citizens
of the county of Giles, do hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Elizabeth Swain (widow of the late Charles Swain, deceased), and who in right of her said husband, petitioned Congress for the pay that was due to the said Charles Swain, on account of his services during the revolutionary war, and Pennsylvania of the United States) that she is now about ninety years of age, but retains her faculties in a surprising man- ner; that she is esteemed in her neighborhood as a woman of the strictest integrity and truth, and we believe, that the facts and circumstances, as stated to her in the declaration, seemed to be by her, when her husband was alive, known at the time labour- -ing under alienation of mind, as to the said on - she was also acquainted with her said husband for many years, and State also that he was reputed in the neighborhood, where he resided, to have been a soldier during the revolutionary war, and that we are in that opinion. and Thomas Hambleton deposes & saith that the said Charles Swain died on the 11th July 1833 - and at the time of his death was about eighty eight years, or a little upwards of age. Given to the subscribers before me this 21st day of October 1835.
Richard Mitchell S.P.
Thomas Hambleton D. Alexander R.D. Young

State of Tennessee Hawkins County } I Richard Mitchell do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Thomas Hamblen Robert L Young and Sikes Alexander who have signed and sworn to the foregoing certificate, that they are citizens of said county, and qualified, and entitled to credit. Given under my hand at Rogersville this 2 nd day of November 1835 Richard Mitchell J.P.
State of Tennessee Hawkins County } I Stockley R. Mitchell Clerk of the court of pleas and quarters sessions of said county in said State do certify that Rich- ard Mitchell whose name appears to the above certificate and the within affidavit is now and was at the time the same bears date an acting justice of the peace for said county, duly commissioned and qualified and that said signatures appear to be in his own proper hand writing
In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of office at Office in Rogersville this 19 th day of November A.D. 1835
SR Mitchell Clerk By W. Mitchell Clerk

Bill for the relief of Elizabeth Swain

JANUARY 27, 1834.
Read twice, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.
Mr. BELL, of Ohio, from the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, reported the following bill :
A BILL
For the relief of Elizabeth Swain.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That 3 the Secretary of War be, and he hereby is, directed to cause 4 to be paid to Elizabeth Swain, of Hawkins county, in the State 5 of Tennessee, the widow of Charles Swain, a deceased soldier 6 of the revolution, the amount which would have accrued to 7 the said Charles Swain, as a pension, at the rate of seventy- 8 six dollars and sixty-six cents per annum, from the fourth day 9 of March, eighteen hundred and thirty-one, to the time of his 10 death, upon satisfactory evidence being adduced to establish 11 the fact of the death of the said Charles Swain, and the time 12 of his death ; said payment to be made out of any moneys 13 that are or may be appropriated for the payment of revolu- 14 tionary pensioners of the United States.

ELIZABETH SWAIN.
MAY 17, 1836.
Mr. BUNCH, from the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, made the following
REPORT:
The Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, to which was referred the petition of Elizabeth Swain, make report:
That from an examination of the papers in the case, it appears that Charles Swain, the petitioner's husband, was a soldier of the revolution, and served at least fourteen months. (See report No. 221, 23d Congress.) The facts set forth are verified by the affidavit of said Elizabeth, who was the wife of said Charles before and at the time of performing said services, and that the said Charles, at the time that the papers were made out, and for eight months immediately preceding that time, was insane and utterly incapable of attending to any business for himself, and has since, to wit, July 11, 1833, died.
In addition to this is the testimony of John Leonard, who is himself on the pension roll, says that he saw said Charles Swain in the service at old Cumberland court-house, Virginia; that he was afterwards stationed at some other place. From what he saw and knew he believes him to have been in the United States service for about eighteen months.
Nicholas Fain, justice of the court, having put the necessary interrogatories, and made a careful investigation of the case, is of opinion said Charles served as stated by his said wife. The said judge also certifies to the credibility of said John Leonard, and Thomas Hamblin, and Coleman Suth, who have been long acquainted with said Charles, and that he was reported to have been a soldier of the revolution and served as stated. The statement is also verified by T. Hamblin, D. Alexander, and R. D. Young, upon oath, before Robert Mitchell, Esq.
The committee are of opinion that the said Elizabeth, for said services, is entitled to the pay of fourteen months' service, under the act of June 7, 1832, up to the time of his death, as a private, and they report a bill.