Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 605, Weldon Boswell, Penn.

SERVICE
Penn.
Boswell, Weldon or Baswell
NUMBER
P. 605
CONTENTS

Fayette County Pa.      B P. Pennsylvania      B
On this 6th day of November one Thousand Eight hundred & forty four personally appeared before the Subscribers President Judge of the Court of Common pleas in & for the County of Fayette Heldon Baswell aged Eighty Eight years a Resident of Preston County Virginia who upon his oath deposeth that makes the following declaration in order to obtain a pension under the act of congress passed the 7th of June 1832.
The deponent saith that he entered in the army of the United States in Pittsburgh a State of Pennsylvania when he then resided on the first day of January 1777 for during the war. That he entered under Captain Bellpatrick who immediately after his company was filled marched from Pittsburgh to E. R. Bridge where he remained guarding the town & surrounding country until the Battle of Brandywine which he thinks was in September 1777 and in which he was engaged. That shortly before the Battle of Brandywine he was attached to Col Anthony Wayne's Regt. That during the Battle Genl. La. Fayette was wounded and the deponent aided in carrying him from the field to a place of security. That after this (he thinks in October) he was in the Battle of Germantown & served under the same Captain Bellpatrick and he thinks under the same Genl or field officers mainly some having been killed & others wounded in the Battle of Brandywine. That Genl Washington commanded at both these Battles - he can also recollect that

Genl Greene & Genl Lee were engaged 2 Com manding in Asia bottles . That Shortly after the Battle of Brandywine  Germantown The defeat was taken violently with Pleasantry and what was called the head Plenty and obliged to leave the Army - he was taken to the town of Conestoga in Pa where he was confined with sickness and disappointment for more than a year. That after a considerable lapse of time he again joined the Army, his health being restored, in the State of New Jersey and among the first events that he was now with the at - called was the Army to which belonged being on the march before the British Army - That they encamped at a certain place not far from Princeton. & in the night received orders to be ready to march at a moments warning - That they quickly broke up their encampment & moved away leaving men to keep up their fires & That about day light they reached Princeton & had an engagement there with the in which the  captured  they There in this engagement Genl Washington was the Com- -mander that he cannot now recollect who was his Captain. His former Capt Patterson having been promoted to Major That this was the last battle of any impor- -tance in which he was engaged during the war. That he continued upon the Jersey Coast the most of the time after this at various places & was engaged in several skirmishes. Of all this however his recollection is very indistinct. But that he remembers well that he was in the City of New York at the time of the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. That he

Continued in the service from that time until he was discharged which was sometime in the year 1783. - That at the time he received his discharge he was in the city of Philadelphia He also received a certificate of his services upon which there was back pay & back rations due. - This he sold to a certain Benjamin Crossington for 110$ he was also entitled to 200 acres of land which was embraced in his certificate & sold to the said Crossington. He is not certain that he received any discharge distinct from his cer- =tificate. if he did he has lost it. He has never set forth all upon which his memory concerns with certainty. as to the some names of many  his officers under whom he served & many places where he was at the time. He has impressions that not distinct enough to put down. That after the war he returned to this country & moved in what was then Monongalia County Virginia (now Preston) where he has lived ever since That he had a small farm upon which he & his wife lived comfortably having no children until the death of his wife a few years since He then worked with his land & property. The proceeds of which he now feels are scarcely sufficient to keep him comfortably & then - for apply for a pension. He would have applied earlier under the act of 1832. but did not feel the need of it. & he deter- =mined never to apply as long as he can live comfortably without it. That he is old & inform too much so to be able to attend the court at its sittings.
That he knows of no one now by whom he can prove his services but that two of his neighbors will testify as to his reputation That he was nearly seven years in the service and was not one day out of the service during

The whole time, That some years since he could have reculated the names of all the officers under whom he served, but at this time he cannot do it. being nearly ninety years of age That he was born in Bristol (England) in the year 1752. Came to this country at the age of 20 years & enlisted in the American Service at the age of 25. This deponent says he lives a distance of eighteen miles from Kingwood the county seat of his own county. but the road is so bad for a carriage (the only way he can travel) that he believes he could not possibly go with safety to that place. nor does he believe that he can attend at any court at the time of its session owing to infirmity of age. He is not acquainted any clergymen who can testify for him, he has no record of his age, Sworn & subscribed this 11th day of November 1840. before J. C. Ewing
State of Oregon monia } 4/20/18 } We P. in } 1/2 osuall Say the county }
Personally appeared before me The Subscriber The President Judge of The 19th Judicial District Christopher Munt aged fifty five years who being duly sworn according to Law deponeth & saith That he is well acquainted with Nelson Baswell the above applicant for a pension That he lives his neighbor & has done so for a number of years in Preston County Virginia and during the whole time he has known him he has sustained The reputation of a soldier of The Revolution considered so by his neighbors & That Mr Baswells repu- -tation as a man stands high - has always been considered a man of veracity & truth, & This deponent believes from his knowledge of Mr Baswell that he never would have applied for a pension had he not felt the need

of some additional aid - That until lately he was in circumstances which enabled him to get along comfortably. That he now needs aid & that in the opinion of this deponent no man in the country more deserves a pension readily than does Mr. Boswell. Christopher Mope
Sworn & subscribed before me this 6 th day of Novr. A.D. 1840
William
Pennsylvania Fayette County S p
Be it remembered that on the sixth day of November A.D. 1840 before the undersigned President Judge of the fourteenth Judicial District in said State composed of the Counties of Washington & Fayette & Green personally appeared Weldon Boswell a resident of Preston County Virginia, aged as he states and as I have reason to believe eighty eight years who being duly sworn according to law on his oath make the foregoing declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7 th of June A.D. 1832. And do hereby declare my opinion after an investigation of the matter and on printing the interrogations prescribed by the War Depart- ment, that the above named Weldon Boswell was a revolutionary soldier and served as he has above stated, and I do hereby certify that I am satisfied from the appearance of the said applicant and from the statement of the witnesses who accompanied him that it would be extremely inconvenient & perhaps hazardous for him to attend Court by reason of age and infirmity. - I do further certify that Chris- topher Mope, sworn as above before me, is a credible person.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 6 th day of November A.D. 1840

in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7 th of June A D 1832. And do hereby declare my opinion after an investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogations prescribed by the War Department, that the above named Weldon Boswell was a revolutionary Soldier and served as he has above stated, and I do hereby certify that I am satisfied from the appearance of the said applicant and from the statement of the witnesses who accompanied him that it would be extremely inconvenient & perhaps hazardous for him to attend Court by reason of age and infirmity. I do further certify that Elias Stephen Mops, seen as above before me, is a credible person.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 6 th day of November A D 1840
O. Ewing Pennsylvania. Fayette County, ss I Richard Beever, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas in for said County, do certify that the Hon. O. Ewing is President Judge of the 14 th Judicial District or Circuit in said State, as stated in his above certificate, duly Commissioned & sworn, & that the above signature purporting to be his, is genuine. In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand & the seal of said Court at Union Town this 21 st day of November A. D. 1840 Rich d Beever Pro.

Pennsylvania Fayette County } p
On the fourth day of December AD 1840. Personally appeared before me one of of the Justices of the peace in and for said County Weldon Russell a reputable & Credible Citizen of Preston County Virginia who is an applicant for the benefit of the Pension laws of the United States, and who about a month since made a statement of his enlist- ment, & services during the Revolution War before his Hon: Henry Ely President Judge of the fourteenth Judicial District of Pennsylvania in which he was made to represent his two Cincinnati Companies with his services and thereby in accordance with the history of these Companies who being duly sworn according to law, doth depose and say, in explanation of his former statement  his former statement , and maketh this further additional statement, That he enlisted at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania on the first day of January 1777. in a Company Commanded by Captain Kilpatrick . That he was marched from thence to Elk-Ridge at which place the Company was in the Command  under of Col: Wayne , that immediately after arriving at Elk-Ridge the Battle of Brandywine took place in which Battle he was engaged, that this battle was the first battle he ever was en- gaged in, that in his first statement owing to the discomposed state of his mind from having travelled from his residence to Uniontown , about 18 Miles over an incre- -ding rough road, his mind in consequence of the time being his great age, and infirmities being unusually arranged, he was made to say in his first statement, that he was  the first battle he was in after his enlistment

the battle of Princeton as the say that this was entirely a mistake, which either arose through a mistake in communicating his pure language to paper in his first state- ment, or from miscomprehending his statement from the general manner of his narrating the whole circumstances of the war which he was engaged in it that the battle of Brandywine as before stated, was the first engagement he was in, that he continued in active duty he thinks under the command of the same officers until the battle of Germantown, for which battle he was engaged under the same officers as mentioned in his first statement that after the last mentioned battle he was attacked with with what he thinks was called the head paining, that soon after this he was taken to Carlisle Pennsylvania and then remained about a year as near as his recollection serves him, sick in the Barracks, that after he recovered, he took the field and was actively engaged in several skirmishing & foraging parties. That he continued thus engaged in active service until near the close of the war, that at the time of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at York Town, he was in the City of Philadelphia on the sick list in consequence of a severe attack of Fever and Ague, that soon after the surrender of Lord Cornwallis he again recovered his health and went to the City of New York the following month after the surrender, that he remained in the City of New York for some time and again returned to Philadelphia, where he received his discharge, that he was entirely mis- understood in his first statement where he was made to say that he was in the City of New York at the time of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, that he thinks the mistake

occurred by the impression being made at the time of committing his first statement to paper, that being at the City of New York so soon after the surrender and some time after, returning to Philadelphia; and getting his discharge, the impression was created that he was in the City of New York at the time of the surrender of Cornwallis which was not the case as stated in his first Statement, that at the time of his discharge he received a Certificate, for a Soldiers quota of land and also for back rations, due him which in the sum that he sold said Certificate to a man by the name of "Carington," for one hundred Dollars that for a compensation some years after that with a son of the said Carington he told him that his Father had got all the Certificate called for from the Government, that he is now old and very infirm, and feels great need of some assistance - that he has no means of support, not being able to do any labour and from the circumstance in regard to the disposal of his little piece of property as mentioned in his first statement - that he feels should his life be spared any great length of time, that he will be in want of a sufficiency to sustain life unless he is so fortunate as to get his name placed on the Pension roll. I have subscribed the 4th day of December A.D. 1840 } Weldon B. Powell Rev. Brownfield J.P.

Pennsylvania Fayette County
Personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace in & for said county Smith Wheeler aged forty years a respectable citizen of Preston County Virginia who being duly sworn according to law deponeth & saith that he is well acquainted with Mr. Weldon Baswell who has application for a pension as a poor soldier of the Revolution. That he has long since known the character of Mr. Baswell & knows him to be a man of good moral character & whose reputation is beyond all reproach considered a man of truth & veracity That he has always been regarded a soldier of the Revolution in the manner -had in which he resides. That he is That he is now very old & infirm & stands in need of aid. That he believes from his knowledge of Mr. Baswell that he never would have applied to the govt for aid, if his circumstances had continued as good as they were some years ago. That in the opinion of this deponent Mr. Baswell richly deserves a pension
Sworn & Subscribed
Smith Wheeler
Before James Lindsay
Nov 10 1840
Pennsylvania, Fayette County fr. Richd Peers Clerk of the Court in & for said County, do certify that James Lindsay Esq. is a magis- trate as above & that the above signature purporting to be his, is genuine. In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand & the seal of said Court at Union Town the 21st day of Novem - A. D. 1840. Richd Peers CLK

Pennsylvania Hayette County } S
Personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace in and for said County John O Darby aged 38 th years a respectable and credible Citizen - Who being duly sworn according to law saith that he is well acquainted with Wilson Russell, who is making appli- cation to the Government for a pension, that he has lived in his neighbourhood for nineteen years during all which time he has been intimately acquainted with him, that he sustains a most excellent Character is an honest upright and good man. When veracity have once been doubted, that he is very old and infirm, and his memory doubtless to some extent impaired that he has always been regarded in the neighbour- hood in which he resides as having been a Revolutionary Soldier, and that I fully concur in that opinion, having no doubt myself that he was engaged in the Revolution as a regular soldier during most of the period of that war - that Mr Russell until very recently has had means sufficient to support him comfortably, and that he believes from his knowledge of the old gentleman that had those means continued he never would have applied to the government for aid, in his old days.
Sworn and subscribed { the 4 th day of Dec. A.D. 1840 }
Alex r Brownfield J.P.
John O Darby

Pennsylvania. Fayette County ss.
I Richard Beeson Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas in & for said County do certify that Alex. Brownfield Esq. before whom the foregoing affidavits were made, was at the date thereof & is an acting Justice of the Peace in & for said County, duly Commissioned & sworn - In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & the seal of said Court at Union Town the 31 st day of December A. D. 1840 Richard Beeson Pro

Dec 4 1840
In at Pa.
James H. Edwards Esq. Comptroller of Public Machinery etc.

Union Town 1 Decr. 1840.
Mr. S. Edwards Esq.
Sir
I recd your favour of the 17 th inst in regard to the paper of Mr Nelson Bassett in which you allude that a part of his statement is at variance with the facts relating to the revolutionary war. I think if he was at the city of New York at the time of the surrender of Cornwallis. The circumstances under which he was there should be stated. It is still my impression that he stated that he was in the city of New York at the time above alluded to. told Mr Gallagher my partner who was in the office at the time understood him to say that he was at Yorktown. I also conversed this morning with the Hon Judge Ewing before whom he was sworn. who stated says he under- -stood him to say that he was at York- -town. The Judge informed me that he was perfectly satisfied from his connec- -tion with him that he served during the Revolution as he stated. He related a difficulty to the Judge between Genl Washington & Genl Stevens at the battle of Germantown which satisfied the Judge most fully that he was in that battle & which I did not put in his declaration. The declaration was drawn in great hurry as the old gentleman became alarmed alarmed about the state of his health & could not be prevailed upon to remain

in town over night. As soon as Thad mon can be seen I will learn learn as to whether whether he meant that he was in the City of New York or at Yonkers at the time of the surrender. and if it be possible for him to be more specific in his statement. Then he has been to make an additional one.
I am so fully satisfied from the statement of the old man that he was in the revolutionary war, that I should regret most deeply if I, in writing down his declaration have misrepresented in any thing his meaning. From the recollection of the Judge & Mr. Galloway it is more than likely I have been as to when he was at the surrender. I have written to Harrisburg to know if his name is on the rolls there & as soon as I have will inform you. I will also see that the old man give some explanation as to where he was at the time of the surrender. If the declaration had been returned the old man would now be better enabled to have made the corrections or explanations, & if it be not inconsistent with your rules I would request the declaration to be returned very respectfully
B. D. Harnick

Senate Chamber
Feb 8 th 1841
Dr Sir
Inclosed I send you for ex- =amination the claims of our old soldiers you will also see a request by having them submitted as soon as possible since you are in information of what may be its merits
Yours Truly D. D. H. [unclear]
Wm. L. Richards

Jas. L. Edwards Esq. Comm r of Pensions. Washington City D.C.

Union Town 20th Novr 1840.
J. L. Edwards Esq.
Dear Sir
Accompanying this you have the opportunity of Mr. Bassett of Virginia for a Reunion. I am not personally acquainted with Mr. Bassett. He is a very aged man who, lives in Virginia in an aging Country & who came here to make his opportunity opportunity. In making his statement or declaration he manifested great candor and a scrupulous regard for truth, - He learned during the greater part of the war lives in some of the most im- -portant & hard fought battles which occurred during the Revolutionary struggle. I asked him why he had not applied earlier under the Act of 1832. He informed me that until the first year he had not needed it. I observed that it had been his fixed determination never to ask the govt for aid while he could live comfortably without it. He said he had some years since posted

with all his property the avails of which were not now competent to his support. His nephew however Mr Mart who was with him & a very respectable person replaced the mother to me. After the death of his wife some ten or fifteen years since Mr Basswell sold his farm & all his personal property to one of his nephews for the consideration that the person to whom he sold should keep him for a certain number of years paying a period at the supposed beyond the time he had allowed himself to live, he lived longer however than he supposed & last year the time expired & he now finds himself without the means of support.
I have no doubt from the investigation I made of his services that his claim is as in meritorious one having served the length of time he states & served faithfully. I hope therefore his papers may be such as to place him on the list.
very respectfully your obed servt
R. P. Herrick

Wlden Barrow Virginia
Suspended
See let 27 Nov 40 R. P. Mannikin let to do. 4 Dec 40 let 9 Feb 41 No. D. Sturges.
605
Act 7 June 1832

_____ Ex'r.
INVALID.
RECEIVED
Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1879.
William Baswell
P. O. _____
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____