Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 6761, John P Bowen, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Bowen, John P.
S. 6761
CONTENTS
carded

260
Virginia
John P. Bower
of King George Co. in the State of Virginia who was a Private in the company commanded by Captain Taliaferro of the regt. commanded by Colonel in the Virginia line, for the term of one year from 17 to 17
Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of forty Dollars per month, to commence on the 24 day of March 1832 and
Certificate of Pension issued the 15 of August 1832 - and sent to Gen. John Taliaferro Present.
the Roll on day of 182 and notification sent to at Pension commencing on the of 182
Amount due on 4th of March 1832 } 40 20 $60. -
{ Revolutionary Claim, Acts March 18, 1818. May 1, 1820. }
Rec Book D. 7 June 1832 Vol: 7. fol: 92
See report March 1835 to Sec. War clo. to J. Roberts in act. P. Q. June 15. 1835 -
Do. Hon. J. Taliaferro. 15 July 1835 Do. to same & P. Agt. 11 July 1837 Do. to Peter Cotton July 27. 1837.

578 Brown Mr. P. Declaration.
See affidavit of James G. Taliaferro Senr, and John Taliaferro.
J. P. Brown -
$40 per ann

State of Virginia Ringgold County } S S T
On this 2 nd day of August 1832, personally appeared in open court, before the Justices of the Court for the County aforesaid, John P. Bowen, a resident of the said County, aged about seventy eight years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following Declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision of the Act of Congress passed the 7 th day of June 1832: That late in the year 1775 or early in the 1776 he enlisted as a Soldier in the Army of the Revolution for the term of two years under Capt e Gustavus B: Wallace; that he was marched to the Northward & having served six months he hired a Substitute for the remainder of his term, and he was discharged from the service in Pennsylvania at a place, he thinks, called Valley Forge; that his substitute served out the remainder of the two years; That he enlisted under Capt e John Taliaferro, long since dead, as a Soldier in the war of the Revolution in a Volunteer Minute Company, and performed a tour of about three months to Williamsburg & Hampton early in the war, the time not now recollected; That late in the said war he marched in the Company commanded by Capt e W m Bunbury - to the siege of York, & was stationed during the whole siege on Gloucester Point, mak-

ing another tour of about three months from the time he marched till he was discharged; That while not engaged in the foregoing service he was at home in the County of King George, which in its whole extent borders on the River Potomac, in which during the whole war, ex- cept at very short intervals, a hostile fleet was present, to guard against which the Militia of King George & the adjoining counties, bordering on the Potomac, were by a levy en masse kept on almost unceasing duty, night & day - That he is well satisfied, that the sum of the service rendered by him at various times in manner aforesaid amounted in the whole to a period exceeding two years - That he has no Documentary evidence in support of his aforesaid service, having long since lost his dis- charge from his aforesaid enlistment for two years; and that the best evidence of his service known to him is herewith exhibited - That he was born in the County of King George, where & near which he has re- sided ever since - That he has no record of his age - That as before stated he first enlisted for two years in the Army of the U: States, then he volunteered in a Mi- lita company, then he was drafted to march to the Siege of York - and all his other service was in obedi- ence to calls to guard the Potomac Margin - He hereby relinquishes every claim to a Pension or annu- ity, except the present, and declares, that his name

is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State - Sworn to & subscribed John P Bower The day & year aforesaid - {
We Jyse Davis, a bluegrass man, and John Taliaferro - - - both residing in the County of King George, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John P. Bower who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be about seventy nine - years old; that we know him to be a man of the most strict veracity & integri- ty; and that he is reputed & believed, in the neighbor- hood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the re- volution, in the manner set forth in his declaration, and that we concur in that opinion -
Sworn & subscribed the day and year aforesaid. {
John Taliaferro -
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a soldier of the revolution, and served as he states - And the Court further certifies, that it appears to them that Jyse Davis, is sick & cannot attend  has signed the proceedings  whereby  the  above  stated  is a bluegrass man  resides in  the  above  stated  county ; and that John Taliaferro - - - who has also signed the above  the same , is of King George County a resident thereof, and is a credible person, and

his that the statement is entitled to credit-
I John G. Stuart, Clerk of the Court of King George County, do hereby certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of John P. Bowen for a Pension-
In testimony whereof I have here- to set my hand & seal of Office, this 3 rd day of August 1832; and of the Commonwealth The - 57 th : J. G. Stuart
J. P. Bowen-

August 21, 1939.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mr. George King 1301 Prince Edward Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
BA-J/CC John P. Bowen S.6761
Dear Sir:
Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War record of John P. Bowen of King George County, Virginia.
The data which follow were obtained from papers on file in pension claim, S.6761, based upon service of John P. Bowen in the Revolutionary War.
John P. Bowen was born in King George County, Virginia. Names of his parents and date of his birth are not shown.
While a resident of King George County, Virginia, John P. Bowen enlisted late in 1775, or early in 1776, served six months as private in Captain Gustavus B. Wallace's Virginia company; volunteered served about three months as private in Captain John Taliaferro's Virginia company, dates not shown; late in the war he enlisted served about three months as private in Captain William Bunbury's Virginia company, marched to the siege of Yorktown and was stationed during the whole siege on Gloucester Point. He was frequently on guard duty on the Potomac, dates of this service not shown. His service in all amounted to about two years.
The soldier was allowed pension on his application executed August 2, 1832, at which time he was aged about seventy-eight years and a resident of King George County, Virginia.
No family data are shown.
In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, the name and address of person paid and possibly the date of death

of John P. Bowen, you should address the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city and cite the following data:
John P. Bowen, Certificate #260 Issued August 15, 1832 Rate $40.00 per annum Commenced March 4, 1832 Act of June 7, 1832, Virginia Agency.
Very truly yours
A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator.

I Jesse Davis, a clergyman, residing in the County of King George, hereby certify that I am intimately acquainted with John P. Brown, who is aged about seventy-eight years; that I know him to be a man of unquestioned integrity; that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and I concur in that opinion
King George County S t {
Jesse Davies
Personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace for the County aforesaid, the Rev d Jesse Davies, and made oath in due form of law to the Truth of the above certificate, subscribed by him in my presence: and I further certify that he now is, & that he has been for about forty years, a resident clergyman of the County aforesaid, of great us- efulness - Given under my hand the 3 rd day of August, in the year 1832.
John Taliaferro J. P.

July 15.
56 Dr. P. ... 260.
J. L. Calamus age
Pension Office
Washington
the
FREE

Hagley, near Frodshof - 12 th of July 1835-
Dear Sir,
Soon after the 4 th of March last, I was called on by a very honest & respectable old man, John P. Bower, a Pensioner under the Law of the 7 th of June 1832, to take his declaration of Tenacity, and his acknowledgement of a Power of Attorney in order to draw his Pension for three years, say from the 4 th of March 1832 - I thought I had prepared the old man's papers correctly - But on the application of his Attorney to the Pension Agent at Richmond for payment, it was refused, on the ground that the signature to the Power of Attorney not being in the hand-writing of the Pensioner, the regulations of the Department required a witness to his acknowledgement of the Deed. Tho' I had never seen such a regulation, nor could I see the reason for such a one; as no other objection

was made to the payment of the Pension, I took the trouble to prepare all the papers again - and as the old man was aged & tremulous he desired his name to be subscribed to his declaration of Identity & Power of Attorney, to both of which he affixed his mark in the presence of a subscribing witness - The witness made oath before me, as a Justice, to the acknowledgment as to both, & tho' the Justice most distinctly states that the Pensioner made his declaration of Identity on oath, this second set of papers were rejected by the Agent at Richmond, on the ground that, there is no evidence that the Pensioner made oath to his declaration of Identity - Besides in this case, the Justice certified, on his own knowledge to the Identity of the Pensioner, who lived near him, & for whom the Justice had obtained the Pension - Capricious as I considered this objection to pay the Pension; as it was the only one made, I prepared all the papers a third time - They were sent by mail, as the others had been, to the old man's Attorney in Richmond - These papers were at length decided by the Pension Agent to be exactly in form, in all

respects. But for the first time the Pensioner is told, that he cannot receive his Pension in Richmond, he must go to Washington for it - So the thing stands - The old man has been trying since some time in March last to draw his Pension, & is yet without it - I have taken the liberty, at his request, to make this statement to you, & to ask the favor of you to inform me, how & where he can draw his Pension - The direction on the back of his Certificate is to apply at Richmond - Your answer will oblige dear Sir - yours very respectfully & Truly
John Taliaferro

1301 Prince Edward Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia, July 20, 1939.
Veterans Administration, Old Record Division, Washington, D.C.
Gentlemen:
I should like to have an abstract of the pension record of JOHN P. BOWEN who appears on the 1832 list as of King George county, Virginia.
Particularly would I like any Bible records you might find filed with these papers, or any clue as to his parentage.
Thanking you for this information, I am
Very truly yours,
Geo. H. S. King George King

Rev. h. g.
6761
INVALID.
1939 - Aug 21 Hist to George King cc
File No. 6761
John P. Brown Bowen
Tri Rev War
Act: June 7 th 32
Index: — Vol. 04 , Page 45
[Arrangement of 1870.]

July 27
Cm
Mr P Brown Gardn 260.
Be
The v. is closed!
J. L. Edwards esq.
FREE
True John Taliaferro
Pension Office
Washington

Fredricksburg 25 th of July 1837-
Dear Sir,
On receiving your communication, in reply to mine calling your attention to the refusal of the Agent in Richmond Virg a to pay the Pension of John P. Bown, I examined with care the rejected papers, & found but a single variance in it from the strict letter of the prescribed form - It was the want of an individual witness to the acknowledgement of Bown, that the Power of Attorney signed by him was his act & deed - In making out the papers I considered this a useless form, seeing that my official certificate made on oath , must be the best evidence the nature of the case could furnish - Be that as it may, like a good & loyal citizen always ready to submit to power, I made out the enclosed paper, which corrects the only alleged defect in the first declaration, namely, the want of an individual witness to the Power of Attorney - This, as you will perceive by the enclosed, is rejected, because the number of the Pension certificate is not expressed in the certificate of Identity - Now my dear Sir, if there be any foundation for such an objection, why was it not taken notice of on the examination of the paper first rejected - That paper gives the number of the Pension Certificate (blank) - Because the original received by me at your hands is on the face of it numbered - (blank); nor do I believe that on the original the number is endorsed on the back - As however the copy of the certificate corresponds with the original in every minute particular, & as the number is most assuredly left blank on the face of the certificate , can it be a serious objection to pay the Pension, because a Mem a of its number appears on the back of

The certificate, & has not been considered an essential part of it - I am positive the Pension Certificate in question has no number on the face of it, nor do I believe it has a number endorsed - If the duplicate in the hands of the Agent has a number endorsed on it, you of course have a record of that number - If so, be pleased to fill up the blank in the enclosed paper & forward it by Mail to Peter Cotton of Richmond - I ask this favor of you in behalf of Bowen, because I am here on my way up the country, not to return for three or four weeks, and unless the old man obtains his money in the way proposed, I do not know when he can get it - In great haste I am dear Sir, your friend
John Taliaferro

Free
The Honourable J. M. Taliaferro. Hagley K. Geo. 67. Fredericksburg, P.O.

Dr Sir I have again to return the Pension as the agent will not pay it on acct. of Informality. I have seen several returned on him from the Pension Office Washington on very frivolous excuses. You will observe the Date S t . o (as in Pencil mark) is the only thing wanting which please insert & I will do the kindfull he said if the number was omitted he would have paid it but not the Date S t .
St. Leonard July 24. 37
I remain
Yours &c
Peter L. Harn

July 11
Free John Taliaferro
FREE
J. T. Taliaferro Esq.
Pension Office
Washington

Hagley, near Freesby, 8 th of July 1837-
Dear Sir,
A truly honest man who is on your Pension List, and who being aged & illiterate cannot prepare his papers in the strict form prescribed in order to obtain payment of the Pension due to him, applied to me to render him that service - I did so, & sent them to a respectable friend of mine, a resident of Richmond, to draw the Pension & send it to the old man - He, Mr. Cotton the Attorney, made the application, & payment was refused, as you will see from the inclosed papers - I send them to you, in the full hope you will direct the payment - I have known John P. Bown, the Pensioner, from my infancy, & a more honest, correct man never lived - Because his annual Pension is small, only $40 Dollars; & because he does not depend entirely on it for support; & because he does not like to trouble me too often for the means to draw it, he lets it run two years - But it is a sore disappointment to him not to get it then - The preparation of papers for Pensioners has become a profession, & it operates as a grievous tax on them - All that can be necessary is to know that the Pensioner is living, & that the Power to draw the Pension is genuine - Be pleased to order payment to be made to this old man, & advise me - And oblige
dear Sir yours with great respect & regard J. L. Edwards esq-?
John Taliaferro

Garnis Affidavit For J. P. Bowen

Affidavit of John Gann a Soldier of the Revolution taken this 30 th day of July 1832, to be used in support of the application of John P. Bown to the War Department of the U: States, for the benefit of the act of Congress, passed the 7 th of June 1832 -
Affiant being about seventy nine years of age & first duly sworn says that John P. Bown did to his certain know- ledge enlist for the term of two years to serve as a Soldier in the Army of the U: States in the war of the Revolution - That affiant & said J: P: Bown enlisted about the same time & for the same term, under Capt: Just: B: Wallace - That affiant served on this full time, but that John B: Bown at the end of about six months hired a sub-

Statute - That at the expiration of the term for which applicant was enlisted he returned home, but he found the Militia of his County, King George, so constantly on duty, without tents, or scarcely any accommodation, he enlisted in the regular army as a refuge from the privations & exposure of the local Militia -
his John X Gannan mark -
King George County S.C.
The above taken, subscribed & sworn to before me a Justice of the Peace for the County aforesaid, this 30 th day of July, 1892 -
John Taliaferro