Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 23745, for John Kitts, Pennsylvania

SERVICE
Hitts, John
NUMBER
S. 23745
Person-
CONTENTS
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.

6248  Pennsylvania  John Kitts
in the State of Penn. a was a Private in the Comp y commanded by Captain Clay of the Reg t commanded by Col Slay in the Penn a for 7 Mos Pension $23 33
D. Rept. 9, 1833 from A.B.
Inscribed on the Roll of Pennsylvanians at the rate of 23 Dollars 33 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 26 day of Feb 1833 and sent to Hon. J. Evans Home Reps.
Arrears to the 4th of Feb 1. 1832 $34.99 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4th mo 1833 11.60 $46.65
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Wm Luce Clerk Book 2 Vol. 6 Page 65

Provisions
23 745 INVALID.
File No. 23 745
John Kitts
His Rev. Rev.
Act: June 7 th 89 th
Index:—Vol. 9 , Page 221
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Hon. J. Evans H. R.
#23. 38m ano
1000
I Henry Myers Esq: Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John W. Kelly for a pension.
In testimony of which, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this 11th day of Decr. A. D. 1832

State of Pennsylvania, } ss. County of Delaware } ss.
On this eighth day of August September A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court, before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County, now sitting, John Kittle, residing of Ridley township, in the County of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, age six seventy eight years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following names, officers and served as herein stated.
The claimant entered the service in the month of July 1776, in a company commanded by Captain John Crossby, which company was attached to the Regiment of Militia commanded by Colonel Hugh Lloyd, Majors Sketchley Morton, and Jacob Davis, the Lieutenants of the Company in which he served were Thomas Smith and John Price, he resided in the said township of Ridley at the time he entered the service, he was drafted as a volunteer or militia man, he was engaged in no battle, he marched from Ridley to Philadelphia and from thence through Trenton, Princeton, & New Brunswick to Perth Amboy where they were stationed - he left the service in October 1776.
The claimant was drafted and entered the service of the United States as a militia man in the beginning of August 1777 in a company commanded by Captain Jacob Rudolph & Lieut. Samuel Ash & Lieut. Seth Thomas, which company was attached to the Regiment of Militia commanded by Colonel Isaac Taylor, of Lieut. Col. John Simons at the time of entering the service this second time, he resided in Ridley township aforesaid, he was engaged in no battle during this tour, he marched from Chester to Wilmington where they met their Regiment and lay there six weeks waiting the motion of the British, marched from thence to Iron Hill to intercept the British army - thence back to Wilmington, because of the British starting a march upon General Washington - from Wilmington over Brandywine to Chadds Ford where the battle was fought & arrived the day before the battle was fought the claimant was not in the battle owing to the circumstance of his being detailed as a picket guard - marched from Chadd's Ford back to Chester - the company to which the claimant was attached was drafted immediately upon their return to Chester the day after the battle of Brandywine to drive the cattle from off the marshes between Schuylkill Creek & the Schuylkill - which they did - drove them through Philadelphia County, into Bucks, & through said Bucks to all places where pasture could be found - he left the service in the latter part of October 1777 - at Wilmington the Regiment to which the claimant was attached was serving with the Regular army commanded by Genl. George Washington.

The claimant was drafted and entered the service a third time in the beginning of August 1779 in a company commanded by Captain John Lindsay, Lieut Col William Price William Kirk, attached to a Regiment commanded by Colonel Gardiner, - he resided at Ridley at the time of entering the service in 1779, he was engaged in no battle, marched from Darby to Philadelphia - & from thence was taken to Trenton New Jersey, in Schooner's - was encamped at Lambertville, for about three weeks, thence marched farther into the interior of the state of New Jersey & encamped - was discharged at this time being at the time between six and seven weeks in the service - left the service about the middle of September 1779.
The claimant was drafted and entered the service for the fourth and last time in the month of August 1781 in a company commanded by Captain Jonathan Vernon, Lieutenants Boaz Matthews and James Green, attached to a Regiment of Militia commanded by Colonel Caleb Davis, - he resided in Ridley township at the time of being drafted - he was engaged in no battle - marched from Ridley, to Springfield - thence to Newtown, where the Regiment was organized - they were sent home from thence with orders to hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's warning - in the course of a week he was called upon to march to Newtown again, - from thence he was marched to the Great Valley in Chester County and were quartered at a house called the Widow Howell's - he lay there between five and six weeks - and then were ordered home - he left the service on or about the middle of September 1781.
The claimant does not remember any of the continental regiments or companies with which he served - he was attached to the regular army but once, & that was at Wilmington & Brandywine when George Washington had the command of the army. The claimant was out a few days in 1775 to oppose the landing of the British from two vessels that came up the Delaware as high as the Highlands of Christiana - the British vessels were called the Roebuck & Liverpool he marched as far as the Highlands remained a few days - the British vessels went back again & he came home - The claimant has no documentary evidence, and he knows of but one person, whose testimony he can procure, who was with him in the service and who can testify to the same.
The claimant was born in Ridley township, Delaware County, State of Pennsylvania on the 11 th day of March 1756. He has a record of his age which is herewith exhibited and attached. He was living in Ridley township at the time he was called into the service - he has lived there since the revolutionary war, and he lives there still. He was called into the service by being drafted. He does not recollect any of the regular officers (except General Washington) with whom he served - and does not recollect any continental and militia regiments other than those already stated. He never received a written discharge from the service never received but one month's pay during the time he was in the service. John L. Pearson Esq and James Maddock are persons to whom the claimant is known in his present neighborhood & who he believes can testify to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution - William Long of Cheyenne township is he believes the only person living who has a knowledge of his services.

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 11 th day and year aforesaid
Henry Lloyd Prothon.
John Kitts
(Personally appeared this 8 th day of September A. D 1832 Before the said John William Long aged about 39 years and being affirmed according to law doth depose and say that he is well acquainted with the above named Claimant John Kitts, who he believes is aged about twenty six years, and that he served with the said John Kitts during the revolutionary war for a period exceeding six months in the several campaigns and tours of 1776, 1777 & 1779 under the same officers in the same Companies and regiments, and performed the same marches as is more fully stated in the declaration accompanying this affidavit made by the said John Kitts, and this affiant further declares and says that the services set forth in the declaration of the said John Kitts he firmly believes were performed and executed and all things therein contained are just and true to the best of his knowledge & belief
Affirmed to and subscribed, the 11 th day and year aforesaid.
Henry Lloyd Prothon.
his William Long mark

We John S. Pearson Esquire a Justice of the Peace of Delaware County, residing in Ridley Township and James Maddock residing in the same township, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Hitt, who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration; that we believe him to be seventy six 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.
Affirmed and subscribed this 8 th day of September A. D. 1832.
Henry Myers Prothon.
John S. Pearson James Maddock
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 foregoing named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier, and served as stated. And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that John S. Pearson Esquire who has signed the foregoing Certificate is a Justice of the Peace resident in Ridley and that James Maddock who has also signed the same is a resident of Ridley and is a credible person and that this statement is entitled to credit, and there is no resident Clergyman in the immediate neighbourhood of said Claimant.
Hon. J. Myers Esq.
23. 39. 100 100
I Henry Myers Esq. Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Hitt for a pension.
In testimony of which, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this eighth day of September A. D. 1832 —
Henry Myers Prothon.

put this in case as it will be to catch it up again when another copy is in file R. 6601
July 22, 1937
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mr. Albert M. Rung 820 North 16th Street Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
JOHN KITTS Revolutionary War BA-J/18HF:MLB
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of Caleb Armitage, and photostatic copies of papers on file in a claim for pension which, you state, was made by one John Kitts who was born in 1762 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, served in the Revolutionary War, was greeted with cheers by Congress in Washington, D. C., in February, 1870, when he stated that he had never requested a pension but, because of his circumstances at that time, was forced to do so.
There is no claim for pension on file based upon service in the Revolutionary War of a Caleb Armitage, nor is there a claim for pension on file in this office which was made by a John Kitts as described above.
Reference to an old volume which contains a list of private claims presented to the House of Representatives of the United States, from the 32nd to the 41st Congress, inclusive, discloses that one John Kitts presented to the House of Representatives a claim for Revolutionary War pension in the 41st Congress, 2nd and 3rd Sessions, which transactions were recorded on pages 312 and 318 of the House Journal; that the claims were referred to the Committee on Revolutionary War Pensions, number of the Bill 1192, also, that the Committee was "discharged" and the papers "laid on the table". The volume referred to above does not show any subsequent action in the matter.
No papers in the transactions were filed in this office.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator

820 N. 16th St., Harrisburg, Pa.
May 19, 1937.
United States Pension Bureau, Washington, D. C.
Dear Sirs:
Please advise if you can furnish any information from your department in regard to the following soldiers of the Revolutionary War:
Caleb Armitage; from records available it would seem that this man joined the Colonial Army, possibly in Philadelphia or Germantown, Pa. Believed to have reached the rank of captain; born about 1737; died, 1832, possibly at Mill Creek, Huntingdon county, Penn'a.
Here is one of extreme importance:
JOHN KITTS :
This man was in Washington in early February, 1870. Was presented to Congress at the time. He stated he had never requested a pension, but his circumstances at that time forced him to do so. Kitts claimed to have been born in Bedford county, Penn'a. in 1762. Congress greeted him with cheers.
It has been my understanding that the last soldier of the Revolution died in New York state in 1867. According to this information which I have just discovered about Kitts; he is the one who should bear this distinction. Bedford county is a section in which I have been engaged in making historical research and if this can be verified it will add a very important chapter to the history of that section, as this knowledge seems to be unknown.
If this record requested, can be found, please advise if I can obtain photostatic copies of same; also the cost. I am very anxious to get whatever information I can and will gladly come to Washington, if your department should think best, so that I can carry my mission out more completely.
Very truly yours,
Albert M. Rung.
(Albert M. Rung)