Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30,855, William Bell, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Bell, William
S. 30,855
CONTENTS

13716
Kentucky
William Bell
of Barren Co in the State of Kentucky who was a private in the company commanded by Captain Lyons of the commanded by in the Virginia line for 7 months and 12 days
Inscribed on the Roll of Kentucky at the rate of 24 Dollars 66 Cents per annum to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 7 day of June 1833 and Scott Richard Garnett Glasgow
Arrears to the 14th of March 49 32 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sept 12 33 $61.65
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Daniel Boyd Clerk Book 6 Vol. 7 Page 13
Rev. S. K. Garnett, No. 7, 1833. " " Hon. C. Tompkins Jr. decd " " to Pugh & G. Wicklin Oct. 20, 1836-
Notice to Pension Agent 17 April 1838 Paid at the Treasury under the act of the 6 April 1838 from 4 Sept 1836 to 4 Sept 1837. Agt notified 13 June 1838.
Rate of Pension

From Bill
Punton Secret

State of Kentucky Bath County Sect
On this day of March 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the honorable Benjamin Monroe Judge of the Bath Circuit Court now sitting William Bell a resident of the County of Bath & State of Kentucky aged 78 years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed the 1 st June 1832 That he entered the service of the United States on the 10 day of June 1777 under Captain James Lyons and served with him as a private Militia Man three months against the Indians in guarding the frontier settlement on New River and that he marched in that town of duty from Franklin County in the State of Virginia when he entered the service of the United States & where he then resided to the frontiers and that he received no written discharge for that term of service although he was honorably dis- charged by his Captain. He again entered the service of the United States as a private Militia Man for three months under Captain John Renfrod in Franklin County State of Virginia and was attached to the Regi- ment commanded by not read Colonel by me and marched through Virginia to the Siege of York and was there when Com- Wallace was taken and that he then entered the service of the United States for three months & served about at least six weeks in that town & until he was discharged and when he was discharged he received no written discharge for his service. He again entered the service of the United States in Franklin County Virginia on the day of 1782 as an Indian Spy under Captain John Mannan and served three months on the frontiers

Notchequey & French Branch Rivers in watching the movements of the Indians & guarding the frontier settlements in that Country, and that he has no documentary Evidence by which he can prove any of his services by and that there is now no person living that is known to him by whom he can prove his services by and that he never received any written discharged for any of his services. That he was born in Orange County Virginia in May 1754 and has the record of his age in his Bible as given him by his father. He entered the service as a drafted Militia except when he served as an Indian spy, when he volunteered man, and that owing to his great age he does not recollect the names of the officers or any of the Col. Major etc. either regular or except as before stated Militia, that he is known to Herrod Bybrough Weir Richard Bailey, Samuel Douglass and a number of others who can testify to his being a man of veracity and of their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution and that he continued to reside in Franklin County State of Virginia until he removed to this state in the year where he has since resided say something and that there is no obligation remaining in his neighborhood like 38 year, and now resided, has hereby relin- quishes every claim whatever to an annuity or pension except the present and declares that his name is not on any pension role of the agency of any state or territory subscribed & sworn to this day & year aforesaid
William Bell

We John Bybee and John Nevill Residents of the County of Barren State of Kentucky hereby Certify That we are well acquainted with William Bell who has subscribed & sworn to the foregoing declaration and that he is reported and believed to have been a soldier of the revolution in the neighborhood where he resides and that we concur in that opinion subscribed & sworn to this day of March 1833
John Bybee John Nevill
And the said Court doth hereby declare its opinion after the investigation of the matter and after 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 Certify that it appears that John Bybee and John Nevill who has signed the preceding Certificate are Resident of the County of Barren and State of Kentucky and that they are credible persons and that their statements is entitled to Credit
I Richard Gammatt Clerk of the Barren Circuit Court do hereby Certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the applica- tion of William Bell for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 4 th day of April 1833
Richard Gammatt Clerk

February 1, 1939
BA-J/AWF William Bell S. 30855
Mrs. David Graham 1529 Third Street Roanoke, Virginia
Dear Madam:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War records of William Bell from Montgomery County, Virginia, later of Barren County, Kentucky, and of Samuel Montgomery from Montgomery County, Virginia, later of Woodford County, Kentucky.
The Revolutionary War records of this office have been searched and no claim for pension or bounty land found, based upon service of a Samuel Montgomery as described by you.
The Revolutionary War record of William Bell furnished herein was obtained from papers on file in claim for pension, S. 30855, based upon his service in that war.
William Bell was born sometime in May, 1754 in Orange County, Virginia. The names of his parents were not stated.
While a resident of Franklin County, Virginia, William Bell served with the Virginia troops, as follows:
From June 10, 1777, three months as private in Captain James Lyons' company, guarding the frontiers on New River against the Indians; six weeks in Captain John Renfroe's company, was at the siege of Yorktown, no dates of service given; in 1782, three

months as Indian Spy in Captain John Manham's company, guarding the frontiers on the "Noli-chuckey" and French Broad Rivers.
The soldier, William Bell, was allowed pension on his application executed March, 1833, at which time he was a resident of Barren County, Kentucky, where he had lived about thirty-eight years.
The papers on file in this claim contain no discernible data in regard to family.
In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, name and address of person paid, and possibly the date of death of this pensioner, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, this city, and furnish the following data-
William Bell Certificate # 15716 Issued June 7, 1833 Rate $24.66 per annum Commenced March 4, 1831 Act of June 7, 1832 Kentucky Agency.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator

30855 Rev INVALID.
1920, July 20 Hist to En Mrs. A.S. Benton or Britton 1939 Feb 1 - list. Turner. David Graham aug.
File No. 30,855
William Bell
Pa Rev War
Act: June 1832
Index: —Vol. 2 , Page 33
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Rec. Sec.
Ladonia Mo.
June 5, 1920
Comm of Pensions
Dept. Interior
Washington D.C.
Sir:
Please send military history and all family data on file in application of William Bell, Breckin Co. Ky.
Very truly yours, Mrs. A. L. Branton

1529 Third St, Roanoke, Va. Dec 27, 1938.
Veterans Administration Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
Do the records of your office show a pension No 3. in the name of one William Bell, who served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War from Montgomery County, Virginia, later of Barren County, Kentucky? Please send me a copy of this pension.
Do you have a record of pension for another soldier of the Revolution, Samuel Montgomery, of Montgomery County, and later of Woodford County, Kentucky? If you have this record I should like to have copy of this also.
Thanking you for these copies,
Yours very truly,
Elizabeth R. Graham (Mrs David Graham)

Treasury Department,
SECOND COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE,
June 7. 1838.
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;" William Bell a Pensioner on the Roll of the Kentucky Agency, at the rate of twenty four Dollars and sixty six 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 September 1837
Respectfully, Yours.
Merion K. Parrish Comptroller
To the COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS, Present.

Wm Bell
Rep
from - private 7 mo. & 12 days, $26.66 100

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of William Bell which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yes III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? _____ IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? yes V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? 2/10 VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yes VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? yes

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? two citizens
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? No
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? Yes
XIV. †If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? _____ Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office? _____
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? _____
XVI. ‡Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? Yes
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? 1, 2, 6, 7.
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
“Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades: For _____ year _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____. For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension.”

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.
QUERE XIV.  Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
QUERE XVI.  Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

J. L. Edwards Comm. of Peace
Richard Garnett, Esq. Glasgow, Kentucky.

War Department Pension Office November 7. 1835.
Sir.
Be pleased to cause the Pension Certificate which was issued to William Bell on the 7 th of June 1833 and sent to you, to be returned to this office, in order that an error may be corrected.
I am very respectfully Your Ob t Servant. J. L. Edwards
Richard Garnett, Esq. Glasgow Ken.

Mr Bell 100 High St
Before N.E. 1835 Correction - the year
Dec 7 1835 I beg to inform you that the year 1835 was a leap year and therefore had 366 days Dec 8 1835
Yours sincerely J. D. Colburn
1835

Plas gowd Nov. 23. 1837.
Sir:
Richd. Gannett has handed me the within letter & as you requested sends you Mrs. Bell's Certificate for correction.
Respectfully, C. Thompson Jr.
Rev. Mr. S. Edwards.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF PENSIONS.
Washington, D. C., _____, 19_____
In reply to your request of _____, received _____ for a statement of the military history of William Bell a soldier of the REVOLUTIONARY WAR, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pen- sion on file in this Bureau. S. 30855
   DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. STATE.   CAPTAIN. COLONEL.     June 19 1777 3 mos Pch James Murre ✓ Va.   ✓ 6 weeks John R. Love   1782 3 mos Infy John Manton ✓  
Battles engaged in, Saratoga
Residence of soldier at enlistment, Sta. Maria Va.
Date of application for pension, Mar. - 1832
Residence at date of application, Barren Co. Ky.
Age at date of application, May 1754 in Pa. & Va.
Remarks: There is no date of death
Respectfully,
Commissioner.