Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 17,339, for John Reese, Pennsylvania

SERVICE
NUMBER
Penn.
Reese, John
R 17,339
Barbara Margaretta
CONTENTS

Berks County ss.
Personally appeared before me William Pauli — Pastor of the German Reformed Church of city of Reading who doth depose and say that the within is a true extract from the records of the church.
Sworn & subscribed before me this 11 th day of March 1856
W. Pauli
William B. [unclear] J. B. [unclear] H. D. [unclear]

John Heese and Barbara Wender were joined in matrimony on the 28 th of April A 1778 by the Rev. Mr Boas regular Pastor of the Reformed Church of Red Bank.
do hereby certify that the above is a true extract from the Records of the German Reformed Church of Reading Berks County State of Penn a
J. M. Paul
Pastor
Reading Feb 15 th 1851

Geiger
393
Petition
Barbara Margarett Reese Widow Reasing Penn
Mar. 6. 1834
clms.
of John Reese
State of Pennsylvania } Dukes County ss }
I Michael H. Boyer Notary of the Court of Common Pleas of Dukes County do hereby certify that William Reitz is an Acting Alderman of the City of Reading in and for said County duly elected and Commissioned as such according to law and that the signature purporting to be his is true and genuine — In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at Reading this 24 th day of January A.D. 1851. Michael H. Boyer Not.

To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly met,
The petition of Barbara Margaretta Reese, widow and relict of John Reese late of the Borough of Reading Berks County
Humbly shews that your Petitioner's said Husband was a soldier in the revolutionary War, that she is you, and is in her seventy seventh year that she now is and has been confined to her room for several years past Therefore prays your Honorable Body will take into consideration and grant her relief.
Witness
Henry Betz
And she will pray &c Barbara Margaretta Reese Mark

Berks County ss On the 29 th day of January A.D. 1834 Before me the Subscribed, one of the Justices of the peace in and for said County personally appeared Nicholas Lott of the Borough of Reading Berks County afore- said a Creditable Witness who upon his solemn oath with depre- & say that he is now in his seventy eighth year, that he was with my mother Sarah (Stent) Rees the deceased husband of the said Barbara Mayanta Rees that the said John Rees was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and served a term of duty of six months in the Hightstown Camp, in the year 1776 and that the deponent was also a soldier in said Camp, and that she is now I swear to Subscribed Nicholas Lott Coram me Henry V Ditz

Berks County ss. On the 28 th 1834 Before me the subscribers, one of the Justices of the peace in and for said County personally appeared Jacob Peter of the Borough of Reading a Credible Witness who upon his solemn Oath doth depose and say that he is upward of seventy five years old upon his solemn Oath doth depose and say, That he was well acquainted with John Rees late of the Borough of Reading deceased who was the husband of Barbara Margarella Rees the Petitioner, That she said John Rees served as a man in the militia during the voluntary War in Capt. Scott's Company in the year 1777. Col. Hunter's regiment, and at that time was intermarried with the petitioner and that he served a second time in the year 1778 in a company commanded by Capt. White from that time onward that the said Barbara Margarella is the wife of the said John Rees deceased, and that she is old and infirm.
Jacob Peter
Sworn to Subscribed
Coram me
Henry Beltz
We the subscribers Justices of the peace in and for Berks County do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Nicholas Lott and Jacob Peter, that they are men of good Character and to be believed on their oaths, Witness our hands Mar 4 th 1834
Henry Beltz Peter A. Auerbach

State of Pennsylvania Berks County ss.
Before me the Subscriber an Alderman of the City of Reading in and for said County came John Miller of said City, Esquire who being duly sworn says, that he was well acquainted with Henry Betz and Peter Aurand within named, frequently saw them with and that the signature of Henry Betz and Peter Aurand within named are genuine.
Sworn & subscribed
John Miller
Jany 29. 1857. Before me
William Betz Alderman
Spencer
393
Wilson
Barbara Margarett Huns
Witness: Henry Betz
Mar. 6. 1834
Chas.
of John Reese
State of Pennsylvania Berks County ss
Michael K. Boyer Notary Public of the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County do hereby certify that William Betz is an Acting Alderman of the City of Reading in and for said County duly elected and Commissioned as such according to law and that the signature purporting to be his is true and genuine - In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Affixed the seal of said Court at Reading this 29 th day of Jany, A.D. 1857.
Mich K. Boyer Not.

Barbara M. Reinecke Pa
Act 4 Aug 1836
J. Rudin

State of Pennsylvania County of Berks
On this 11 th day of March 1851 personally before me, one of the Judges of the court of Common Pleas in & for the County aforesaid. Hannah Reese who being duly sworn according to law, doth on her solemn oath make the following declaration on behalf of her self, and surviving brothers & sister, whose names are viz; Catherine Pinger, Elizabeth Reese, Mary Christ & Rebecca Bechtel in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed 2 d July 1836, or any act subsequent thereto.
That she is the daughter of John Reese & Barbara Margaret Reese, who were married as will appear by the annexed certificate, on the 28 th April 1778. That her father John Reese told her he served as a soldier during the Revolutionary War, but cannot now recollect the length of time he served. That her father died in the town of Reading, County of Berks, sometime in the month of April in the year 1813 and was not in the receipt of a U.S. pension at the time of his death, that her mother Barbara M. Reese after his death, in the year 1834 applied to the Legislature of Pennsylvania, and rec d a pension, which she drew up to the time of her death, which was in the month of August in the year 1834.
That she is now very poor and humbly begs that she may obtain any money or monies that was or may be due her mother Barbara M. Reese, who never rec d anything in account of the services of her husband John Reese from the government of the United States - the said John Reese as you will see by the deposition of his companions in arms, served different terms in the war of the revolution, and further saith not.

Sworn and subscribed before me an Judge in & for the County of Berks this 11 th day of March 1851
David F. Gordon Judge
Hannah her Jones Mark
State of Pennsylvania Berks County ss.
I Michael H. Boyer, Prothonotary of the court of Common Pleas of Berks County do hereby certify that David F. Gordon Esq. is President Judge of 23 rd Judicial District of Penn a , the acting Judge of said court in & for the County of Berks, duly appointed  elected and commissioned as, such according to law and that the signature purporting to be his is true and genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at Reading this 11 th day of March 1851.
Michael H. Boyer — Prob.

MMH CMS
November 24, 1925
Emma A. Bechtel 1319 Lancaster Ave., P. O. Box 189 Reading, Penna.
Madam:
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim R. 17339 it appears that John Reese enlisted in 1776 and served six months as a private in the Flying Camp; that he served a tour in 1777 as a private in Captain Geist's Company, Colonel Hunter's Pennsylvania Regiment and that he also served a tour in 1778 as a private in Captain Whetstone's Pennsylvania Company. (It is not stated that he was with Washington at Valley Forge.) He died in April 1813 in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. His age is not given.
Soldier married April 28, 1778 in Reading, Pennsylvania, Barbara Margareta Wunder. She died in August 1834 in the seventy-seventh year of her age.
On March 11, 1851, Hannah Jones applied for pension, on account of the services of her father, the said John Reese, in behalf of herself and the other surviving children: Catharine Bingaman, Elizabeth Maurer, Mary Christ and Juliann
my friend's signature
one witness said that he was married, but there is no record of it

Bechtel. The claim was not allowed as there was no law that provided for the children of such a soldier.
Respectfully,
WINFIELD SCOTT Commissioner.
The legal technicalities about soldier being dead before any but invalid acts of widows act were too complicated and also unnecessary to explain now. AU

No 7. 7/4
Barbara M. Reese decd widow of John Penn
Act: of 4 th July 1830.
Sett to James Breedin June 13 th 57

1925 Nov. 24 - Hist: to Emma A. Bechtel - MNH F
Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
17339 Rev
P. O. Barbara M. Reese Service: Widow of John Rev
Enlisted: _____, 18 Discharged: REJECTED _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: not found on printed list of 1852 -
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

Copy
June 13-1851
James Madison Lee Harrisburg, Pa.
Sir: The declaration in the case of Barbara M. Reeve has been received, and filed under the act of July 4-1836. But waiting was ever due the defendant from the government, since the fact of granting a petition to withdraw petition on the 4th July 1836, embracing with previous only widow's then living, while Mrs. Reeve died in 1834. I have sent this letter to you in consequence of my not receiving the Post Office by the 1st Mr. G. L. Jones, to whom after requested to send a letter and used and I am yours truly
(M c F)

EMMA A. BECHTEL 1319 LANCASTER AVENUE P. O. BOX 189 READING, PA.
Pension Office Dept. of Interior Washington D.C.
Oct. 21 - 1925
I am writing your Dept. for information.
I am a descendant of John Reese of Reading Pa. - who's own Grand- Mother always told us had served with Washington's army at Valley Forge, - we have no papers to help us prove this.
So far, in all the records of Berks soldiers in the Revolution; we have had access to, we find only one John Reese, a private in Capt. Reiff's Co. Sometimes the

name is Phelt Rees or P...
Is there anything on record help us prove that John Reese had been at Valley Forge?
As to the different ways of spelling the name, we have found the same thing existing on the Schuch records in the baptisms & marriages of his children.
I am also enclosing a sheet giving the date of his birth & death as well as the names of his wife and children.
I am writing your department at the suggestion of Miss Jessica C. Ferguson Research Librarian at Harrisburg Pa.
Yours Sincerely
Emma A. Bechtel

John Reese Family
John Reese was a son of Job Josia Reese and his wife Catharine (Reim)
John Reese married Margaretha Barbara daughter of John George Wunder & his wife Dorothea Elizabeth.
John Reese B-Sept-1754 - Died Apr. 1 st / 1813 Margaretha Barbara Reese B-1753 - D-Aug 21-1854 Their children were
  George      Elizabeth B-1783  - Mar -  Maria - Daniel Maurer    Sarah B-1785  - "  Michael Kramer    Maria Magdalena - B-1787  - "  Thomas Christ    Hannah - B-1790  - "  Jores    Barbara - B-1792  - "  Felix    Catharine B-1795  - "  Bingaman    Juliana B-1797  - "  Christian Bechtel    Margaret B-1799    

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
NAME Peese, John GRADE Private LINE Virginia (Lee's Legion)
WARRANT NUMBER 12494 and 13697 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED June 20, 1789 To — not shown —
*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.