Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 1691, for Samuel Mc Ferran, Virginia

SERVICE
NUMBER _____
Va.
Mc Ferran, Samuel
S. 1691
Mc Faran
carded.
CONTENTS

19314  West Tennessee
Samuel McFarran of Hardin Co in the State of W. Va. who was a private in the co by Captain Miller of the regt by Col Miller in the Va line for
Letter to 3 d Auditor b. July 1839. Paid at the Treasury under the Act of the 6 April 1838 from 4 Sept 1836 to 4 th Sept 1837 Agt Notified 29 th July 1839
Samuel McFarran. Records corrected Inscribed on the Roll of W. Tenn  Capt. Miller's at the rate of 20 Dollars & Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 day of Sept 1832 and James  Scott Savannah
Arrears to the 4th of Sept 50.00 Semi-ant. allowance ending Mar 10.00  $60.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Dan Boyd Clerk, Book E Vol. 7 Page 89

State of Tennessee Harding County
On this the 18 th day of June 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the court of Pleas and quarter Sessions (being a court of Record possessing the powers of Fines & imprisonment) of the county of Harding and State of Tennessee now sitting, Samuel M c Ferran a resident in the county of Harding & State of Tennessee aged seventy two years on the 29 th day of April 1833 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 th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under John Mills a Captain sometime in the spring of the year 1778 or 1779 he being drafted shortly previous to that time, and that George Skelton was the colonel who had the command of the Regiment out which the declarant was drafted, but he believes there was no officer superior in command to Captain Mills, who had control over the troops amongst whom I was, and one George Hutchinson was the Lieutenant under whom I served.
That he was at the time he entered the service a resident of Botetourt County in the State of Virginia and that he was drafted for the term of six months & was ordered to meet those who had been drafted in that County in Winchester where I accordingly met the others & we were marched from there to Montgomery County Virginia on New River, where we who were under the command of Captain Mills were stationed, being about five miles below Pepper's Ferry on said New River, the purpose for which we were drafted being to keep the Tories in check, we were stationed as aforesaid, & made daily

excursions into the surrounding country for the purposes of fulfilling the object for which we were called out to suppress & keep the Tories in subjection who were very numerous in the county of Montgomery where we were stationed & he supposes that the company under the command of Captain Mills was stationed in said last mentioned county owing to the great number of Tories in that county, it being expected about the time that we were drafted that the Tories would embody themselves & do great damage to those who were opposed to the Government of Great Britain, I was never in any battle or engagement with the enemy during the service although myself & others of the company made frequent excursions into the country watching the movements of the Tories. The said Samuel M c Herran would state that he believes & is well satisfied that he served out the full time for which he was drafted (viz) six months & about the expiration of the said term of six months we were marched back to Winchester in Botetourt County Va. & discharged, I rec d . a discharge in writing from the said Captain Mills but do not know where it is, or what has become of it, but think he left it about his fathers house where he removed from his Father, it being straight of no value, & has never heard of it & presumes it has long since been destroyed. He would further state that he does not know precisely the time he went into the service of the United States & cannot make a more definite statement than he has made in the commencement of this declaration. This declarant would further state that there were no other officers than those above named who were with the troops with whom he served

during the term of service aforesaid in which service I was a private soldier.
Some time after I received the discharge aforesaid, how long after I do not recollect I was again drafted in Botetourt county in the state of Virginia I believe for the term of six months, & then who were drafted in said county rendered up in the corner of Botetourt county Va. not far from a place called the Beaver dams where I remained four five or six weeks being unable to march further on account of a Rheumatism which rendered me unable to get farther but then who were drafted at the time at which I was, marched on to join Washington at Little York, except myself & some few others who were sick, we were left with orders to join the troops that should afterwards go on to join the main army under the command of Genl. Washington so soon as we became able to march, but we never left the place where we were rendered as Lord Cornwallis surrendered before myself & the sick who were with me recovered of which I was informed & when I recovered I returned home. I was not drafted or under the command of any particular officer the last time I was drafted, as I was dismissed by the officer unfit for service.
I was born in Botetourt county in the state of Virginia on the 29 th day of April 1761, I have no record of my age but when I was about to leave my Father I took a copy of the private Register which my Father made of my birth & that is the only evidence I have of my age. Since the Revolutionary war I have resided at the following places & the length of time herein after mentioned. I resided in Botetourt county until the 14 th October 1792 when I removed into Lincoln County in the state of Kentucky & from that county to Mercer's Ferry Clarke county & from that county to Adair & from Adair County Ky to Smith County

in the State of Tennessee, I left Kentucky in February 1804 at which time I came to Tennessee Smith County where I resided until August 1830 from Smith County Tennessee I removed to Hardin County Tennessee where I now reside & have resided since that time. The discharge aforesaid was given by Captain Mills aforesaid.
I am known to Bowen Davis Thomas Meadows James Wright Esq. William Cartledge John Davis James Montgomery.
I have no documentary evidence to prove my services nor do I know of any person whose testimony I can procure to testify to my service. I know no clergyman in my county or vicinity. The said Samuel McFerran 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.
Samuel McFerran
Sworn to & subscribed in open court the day & year aforesaid. John Houston Clk.
We the subscribers residing in the county of Hardin & state of Tennessee & in the vicinity of Samuel McFerran hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Samuel McFerran who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 72 years of age & that he is respected & beloved in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
James Wright William Cartledge
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid. John Houston Clk.
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter & putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that James Wright and William Cartledge who have signed the above certificate are residents in the county of Hardin & State of Tennessee & in the vicinity of the above declarant & that their statement is entitled to credit.
Sam Houston David Robinson Archibald Davis
I John Houston Clerk of the court of Pleas and quarter Sessions of said county do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Samuel McFerran for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said court this the 18th day of June 1833. John Houston Clk.

Rev War.
1691. ✓ INVALID.
File No. 1691 Samuel McFerran. Prio. In-Sure.
Act: June 7, 1890.
Index:—Vol. a, Page 2112
[Arrangement of 1870.]
Samuel McFerran. Records corrected Oct. 30 '98

West
Samuel M c Farrows Hamburg Co. Ky Tennessee
for 1778 print 6 months $20.
James Scott Savannah Ga

Savannah June 21 st 1835 D r Sir
About nine months since Mr Daniel Winchester made his declaration for a Pension under the act of Congress of the 7 th June 1832 which to his astonishment has been returned principally for the want of a Clergymans certificate . He presumed that it was unnecessary to have a clergyman unless he was resident in the immediate vicinity of applicant, as only in that case his certificate was required by Pointed instructions of the War Department. He has been informed of the result of his application & has procured a clergyman to certify for him according to your instructions, which he hopes will enable him to receive something from the Department very soon, as he now absolutely needs assistance. In this case no person would have supposed that a clergyman's certificate would have been required as his services were proved by a witness who saw him in service & also two other respectable witnesses certified as to his reputation in his neighborhood. To require in all cases the certificate of a clergyman resident in the neighborhood will operate to the exclusion of a great many applicants, who if they were really soldiers, more deserve & require the bounty of the Genl. Government than those who will find no difficulty in getting a clergyman. For in this State & particularly in this

part of the State. There are very few resident Clergy men, as the country is not divided into Parishes, & each division under the care & superintendence of a Parson . In fact a great many old persons, I have no doubt have lived in this part of the country 100 yrs without ever seeing a Clergyman, as the only Clergymen we have here are itinerant preachers. But as it is a rule of the Department to prevent imposition, for the which some caution is necessary no doubt, & as the certificate of a Clergyman is only required where one lives in the immediate vicinity , they the applicants cannot justly murmur.
I have said thus much, that the Department may dispense with the certificate of a Clergyman as to Samuel M c Herran's declaration which is herewith enclosed. I informed Mr. M c Herran that the Department did require the certificate of a Clergyman, and he informed that he was not acquainted with a Clergyman in his County. Examine Mr. M c Herran's declaration & inform the subscriber of its fate as early as convenient.
I presume there will be no objection to having Mr. Winchester put on the pension roll, & if he should be allowed a pension add up your communication upon that subject to myself or him.

The brief returned with Manchester declaration only pointed out two objections first that there was no clergyman's certificate & second that the papers were not fastened by a Ribbon & both ends thereof under the seal of the clerk, which has been amended in both respects. I herewith return the brief. answer me quickly
Respectfully Wm. Lewis Cope James Scott Secretary Wards

TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
Second Comptroller's Office,
July 18 th , 1839.
Sir:
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838 entitled "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," Samuel McFerrin, — a Pensioner on the Roll of the Jackson, Genl. Agency, at the rate of Twenty Dollars and  Cents per annum, under the law of the 7 th June, 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 4 th of Sept., 1836, to the 4 th Sept., 1838.
Respectfully, yours,
Widow B. Paris Comptroller.
To the Commissioner of Pensions,
Present.