Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 7649, for William Nichols, Pennsylvania

SERVICE
NUMBER _____
Penn.
or Nicholls, William Nicols
P 7649
CONTENTS

Dauphin County, Pa. Pennsylvania
On the Eighth day of January one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine personally appeared in open court viz in the court of common pleas of said county being a court of record William Nichols a resident of Monongalia County State of Virginia aged Eighty five years the 28 day of the present month who being first sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress passed the 7 th of June 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States in the war of the revolution as a drafted Militia man under Captain James Chambers in Franklin County Pennsylvania in the fall about sending time in the year 1776 that they March from there to Carlisle in Pennsylvania from there they March to New York to Fort Lee on the North River, (on the road at the White Plains Captain Chambers was taken sick & left behind) at Fort Lee the period for which he was drafted expired and at the instance of General Washington he joined the Flying Camp & was employed by Washington in assisting in the erection of a Chevauxdefize in the North River to prevent the British vessels from going up, shortly after they got it down the British Army appeared on the opposite side of the river they attacked Fort Washington surrounded it before sundown & the next day about 3 o'clock P.M. they fort surrendered having exhausted their ammunition the British sent up their vessels the same day & the Rockback struck the chain thrown across the river which stopped her & the vessel was cut to pieces by the fire from the fort, but a large ship then came up a 74 gun ship called the Tender (he thinks) which broke the chain & the

Vespers then passed up the river a few days after they returned from Fort Lee to Hackensack when they cut down the arches of the bridge after the army had crossed - thence they went to Newark, thence to Brunswick thence to Princeton & to Trenton and crossed the Delaware & went to Bristol where they went into winter quarters on Christmas night Genl. Washington called for volunteers to recross to Trenton to take the Hessians the drivers had to volunteer with others to go but many were without shoes & clothing & could not go the weather being intensely cold when they arrived at the river they found the river full of ice thrown back by the tide they had to carry large quantities of white cedar boards which they put on the ice & crossed the river & attacked the Hessians in Trenton about day break, they found them drunk & fooling & soon asleep they soon surrendered with very little loss on our side we then took the Hessians to Philadelphia (about 900) they then went back & took with them the baggage belonging to Col. Byers regiment to Bristol where he was discharged and returned home in March having been in the service five months and a half part of the time as a drafted Militia man & part as a volunteer in the Flying Camp. He went out again as a drafted Militia man from Franklin county Penn a just after harvest in 1782 under Capt John Wood Lieut Reuben McLean & Ensign William Buck for a term of two months they were marched to Lancaster where they were put in the Barracks where they were nearly starved being supplied with bad provision to compel them it was thought to

enlist & a great part of the Relation did enlist he remained there till his term of two months expired when he returned home about the time hostilities ceased. Making his term in actual service as a drafted Militia Man & volunteer Seven Months and a half That he has no documentary Evidence; That he knows of no person except James Richey whose deposition accompanying this by whom to prove his service
He hereby relinquishes any 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. He further states as the reasons for not making this application sooner in as that residing in a remote & mountainous part of the country it was a long time before he was informed of his right to claim a pension; that he then applied to W. J. Willey Esq Member of Assembly to prepare his papers who put him off till he should procure the necessary forms but finally disappointed him he then applied to Robert M c Gehee Esq who also baffled him a long time & finally neglected to attend to it as is proved by their certificate herewith transmitted and he finally got an inexperienced man to prepare his statement which was taken to the pension office & presented by the Hon D r M c Gehee and rejected on account of its informality - he further states that he was born near Chambersburg the 28 th of Jany 1754 in Penn a which he has recorded in a bible - he lived when he went into the service & has since lived in Penn a since except for the last twenty five years which he has lived in Virginia. That he received a discharge from Col. Byers at Phil a which he has lost

Owing to the dilution of his mind we have cannot procure clergymen to certify to his character etc. but Daniel Stentz Esq & Regin Fowler who have been for many years his near neighbours will give the marking evidence
Jan'y 8th 1839
Sworn & Subscribed before
William his Nichols Mark
Thos. Sloan - Pro.
We Daniel Stentz Esq & Regin Fowler the first residing in Fayette County Penn & the second in Monongalia an adjoining county in Virginia hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Nichols who has been to & subscribed the above declaration that he has been to be eighty four years of age & that he is believed & reported in the neighborhood where he resided to have been a soldier of the Revolution & we concur in that opinion
34.725 William Nichols Virginia
Sworn & Subscribed in open court this 8 day of January 1839.
Thomas Sloan
Prothly
Daniel Stentz
Regin Fowler
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and putting the interrogatories, prescribed by the War Department that the above named Applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Daniel Stentz Esq & Othoneil Rhoads are residents as above stated, that they are credible persons & that their statements are entitled to credit.
I Thomas Sloan prothonotary of the court of common pleas of Fayette County Pennsylvania do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of William Nichols for a pension In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand & seal of office this Eighth day of January one thousand Eight hundred and thirty nine.
Thomas Sloan Prothonotary

William Nichols Virginia Pennsylvania
Suspended
at 24 May 39
No. A. Stewart.
1649
Atty June 1832

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1879.
REJECTED
7649
P. O. William Nichols
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

Jan. 18. 1839 La 1832 James M c Nichols James M c Edwards Esq Commissioner of Pensions Washington City D.C.

Union Town
Jany 14 th 1839
J. J. Edwards Esq Comr of Pensions
I inclose the declaration of Com. Nichols a revolutionary soldier who resides in an adjoining county in Virginia but who resided for forty years on this county on this side of the line he is universally known to be a very honest, conscientious & good old man though very poor & ignorant. You will see that he applied before but his application was altogether informal & could not be received, the reasons for the delay of his application are fully stated by him on oath. Mr. Morgan presented his application & can no doubt satisfy you as to the hand writing of Mr. Wiley & M c Gre to whom he applied to prepare his papers.
I think him justly entitled to a pension for 7 1/2 months service and hope you will grant it. his case is fully made out according to the requirements of the Dept. Please enclose the certificate to me when made out directed to 1 st Uniontown P.

If you have any doubt I would be glad you would see Mr Morgan before you decide the case Mr Morgan can no doubt explain any point of doubt or difficulty in the case
Yours Respectfully
And T. Smith

May 24.
In at
Postmark: NEW BEDFORD MASS. JULY 7 1838
Mrs
Genl. F.
FREE
L. Edwards Esq
Commissioner of Pensions
War Dept
Washington City D.C.

Mason Town May 21. 1839
James L. Edwards Esq. Commissioner of Pensions
Sir,
I enclose you the declaration of Jane Little widow of Thomas Little late a revolutionary Pensioner as made out complete & in strict conformity with the rules & regulations adopted by you Dept. you will find by the evidence on record in the case of her husband who received $96 per an Under the act of 18 March 1818 that she is entitled to a full pension under the act applicable to her case.
Please enclose her certificate to me when issued.
What decision has been made on the application of Wm. Nichols whose declaration I handed to you last Winter when I had the pleasure of seeing you in your office? very respectfully
W. M. H. S. J.
Ant. Stewart

This does Certify that William Nicholas of the County of Montgomery in the State of Virginia appears to me to have been for five years since to prepare a declaration for him in order that it might be placed on the pension roll which I am entitled for the want of the necessary forms
W. H. Willey
End of March 1838
I certify that Mr. Nicholas appears to me as above stated to claim his declaration which was neglected
Robt. McGee

Disposition of James Nihey.

Wayne County Pennsylvania ss
Before me Moses A. Nelson one of the common Pleas Justices of the peace in and for the said County of Wayne County James Ritchey and being by me sworn according to law deposeth and saith I was in the Militia that were called out from the County of Franklin State of Pennsylvania and was marched to Lancaster Pennsylvania and was stationed there three weeks and about the time Brandywine was defeated we were discharged with orders to hold ourselves in readiness to March at any time within one year if called for. John Wood was our Captain Richard M c Clain was our Lieutenant and William Bush was our Ensign, it was about two months from the time we left home until we returned again William Nichols was in the same Company Marched at the same time and returned home at the same. For which Service I received no pay or compensation whatever and there is twenty back Rations which I was entitled to that I still never received.
Given and subscribed the same Ritchey
25th day of March 1837
before Moses A. Nelson
Justice of the peace
Wayne County Pennsylvania ss
I Thomas Sloan Prothonotary of the court of Common Pleas for said County do hereby certify that Moses A. Nelson before whom the above affidavit was made was at the time of so doing an acting Justice of the Peace & that the signature above purporting to be his are genuine & that he is entitled to full faith & credit in all his official acts given from under my hand & seal of the said court at Union Town this 9th day of May 1837
Thomas Sloan Proth ry