Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 1314, John Brown, Conn

SERVICE
NUMBER
born
Brown, John
R. 1314
CONTENTS
b. Aug. 1757 in Devonshire, England was a B. soldier a deserted to American Army. After Rev. lived in Conn. In 1834, res. of Wayne Co. Pa.

31. 337
John Brown's application for a Pension Pennsylvania.
Wm D. D. Wagener Easton Pa

State of Pennsylvania County of Wayne S s .
On this Twenty ninth day of April Anno Domini One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirtyfour personally appeared before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the County and State aforesaid John Brown of Sterling Township in the County of Wayne and State of Pennsylvania aforesaid aged Seventy seven 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 made by the Act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832; That he was born in Devonshire in England in August 1757. That he left England about the commencement of the War of the American Revolution as a private in the infantry under the command of General Howe; Col. Hope was the commander of his Regiment. They arrived at Sandy Hook. Learning that Hostilities had commenced near Boston we sailed for that port. The battle of Charlestown was over before we got there, and we then sailed from thence to Halifax and lay there till Spring. Then we sailed to the South, landed and marched to Philadelphia and lay in Philadelphia that winter, and whilst the British lay in Philadelphia he with twenty three others under the command of a Lieutenant was sent out as a guard to the Market people coming into Philadelphia with provisions for the British. This deponent and the whole of the guard aforesaid left the British and went to Valley Forge and put themselves under the charge of General Washington who then lay with the American Army at that place. We then obtained a pass from the Adjutant General, believing he was called Schermerhorn to go to Woodbury in the State of Connecticut to which place deponent went. At Woodbury deponent entered the Militia for Eight months in Col. Russell's Regiment, as a private soldier the names of the other officers he does not now recollect. He marched with his Regiment to West Point and lay there about a fortnight or three weeks and then marched to a place called "Connecticut Farms" in New Jersey between Elizabethtown and Morris town. He there served out the balance of the eight months aforesaid and was then discharged. At the time of his discharge one of his fellow soldiers obtained leave of absence for ten days upon this deponent's agreeing to stay for that time in his place. The said soldier was enlisted for Three years and had Twenty one months to serve. This deponent served the ten days and as the said soldier did not return he continued to serve out and did serve the whole of the said Twenty One months in the same Regiment under Col. Russell. During this time we marched on to Staten Island to take a fort, but finding the enemy coming from New York in force we were obliged to retire. After the conclusion of his

Service of 21 months as aforesaid he received a written discharge (but not knowing of any particular benefit to be derived from keeping it after the War was over, he carried it about him until the same was worn out. He then started to go home to Woodbury, and when on his way and had got to a place called Horse necks in Connecticut and there enlisted in the Whale boats for one year in the service of the State. Whilst in the Boats we took a number of prizes going into New York carrying wood & provisions to the British, and took a ten gun Sloop laying at the mouth of East Chester Creek as a Guard Ship. Before the year was expired the War ended and he was discharged. After the War Defendant lived in Connecticut chiefly and then came to Stroudsburg in Northampton County Pennsylvania and lived with Col. Stroud about nine years and after living in various parts of the country as a laborer finally settled in Sterling Township Wayne County, and has lived there upwards of fifteen years last past. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity excepting the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the Agency of any State.
Sworn & Subscribed the 29 th day of April 1834 in open court J. B. Mendenhall Probt
his John Brown Mark
We Joseph Williams and Jeremiah Bennet residing in Sterling Township in the County of Wayne and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Brown who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy seven years of age, that he is reputed and believed generally in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, that this report is general that we have not heard it denied and that we concur in that opinion.
Affirmed & Subscribed the day and year aforesaid J. B. Mendenhall Probt
Joseph Williams Jeremiah Bennet

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 Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states, and the Court further certifies that it appears to them that there is no clergyman residing in the neighbourhood of the applicant and that Joseph Williams and Jeremiah Bennett who have signed the preceding certificate are residents of the Township of Sterling Wayne County and are credible persons and their statement is entitled to credit.
I George Wescott Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Wayne County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Brown for a pension under the Act of February passed 7 th June 1832.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of the said Court at Astoria this 30 th day of April 1834.
Geo Wescott
Test

Sterling April the 24 th 1834 We the subscribers do certify that We have been Acquainted with the Bearer John Brown from ten to twenty years and has allways found him to be an honest industrious man and from his conversation to us and Reading the history of the war We believe him to be a Puritanical Soldier for some years As witness our hands
Thomas Bortree
William Orr
Simon Bortree
Thomas Lee
Joseph Simpson
John H Bortree
Dawson Bortree
Simon Lee
John rate Per
Yrs

Dechary Wayne Co. Pa
L. Edwards Esq Comm. of Pensions.
Dr. Sir, I enclose some pension papers which were before the Department heretofore, but from some peculiarities were returned as insufficient to enable the claimants to obtain their pensions. These papers were for- warded to the Hon. D. D. Wagener by private convey- but he had left Washington before the gentleman whose hands they were, reached there, and I have since received them. The enclosed letter to Wagener, enveloping the applications will show the nature of their claims, and I do trust the Department will feel justified in allowing some share of the People's gratitude .
With great respect
Your ob. Servt
Geo. D. Mescott
BROWN, JOHN (CONN.) R134

In the case of John Brown it is which indispensably necessary that the rule requiring proof of service where the claimant's name does not appear on the roll of service in state office be complied with.
W. G. Williams Esq. Scott Postmaster. Wayne Co. Pa
portion of Bureau letter of Apr. 25, 1835-

Suspended.
See letter of Sep. this letter refers to several 1835 to C. B. Westcott claims & confirms same Bethany as letter of Apr. 25, 1837 do. to J. Williams 25 Apr. 37.
1314
Oct 30 Jan 35 To cannot find this D. D. W. Wagners letter.

REJECTED
1314
P. O. _____
John Brown
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleged: The printed list of 1852 gives cause of suspension as Re-enlisted: "Not on the rolls, no proof of service."
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
Recognized. _____
Contract _____
Cert. of Dis. _____
Searched for _____
, 18

Bethany Feb. 25, 1835
My Dear Sir
By our friend A. B. Eldredge I forward the pension applications of John Brown, Abraham Frisbie, Ebenezer Sayton, and Andrew Aug. Tichenor. These papers have all been before the Department & have been returned for reasons stated. The reasons I enclose. Now it seems to me that the claims of these old men may be placed again before the proper officers. Since the hurry of the business is rather over, and they will be found to deserve the pensions for which they apply. They do not mean to censure the propriety of the course of the department in their cases. Since it is almost impossible for men however honestly & favorably disposed to do right in all cases. They only wish to be put on a fair footing with others - & would respectfully beg a rehearing of their claims.
Now as to John Brown - If there ever was a case in which a man deserved a pension it is his - You will perceive that he served during the whole war. He was brought to this Country in the British Service - and left it to join Genl. Washington at Valley Forge at the very time when the British were in comfortable winter quarters at Philadelphia, and the Americans were destitute hungry barefoot & frozen at Valley Forge - From that time he served throughout the war on the side of his adopted Country.
As to Abraham Frisbie - No objection seems to be made but to an omission on my part as Prothonotary to certify as to the credibility of one of the witnesses - This was purely accidental and I have filled up the letters.
As to Sayton - Additional Certificate is given -
As to Andrews - The Certificate from Connecticut has not the proper certificate of the Clerk of the Court as to the competency of the Magistrate - It would cost the poor old man more than he could possibly raise to send for that certificate although it could unquestionably be procured - It is thought that there is testimony sufficient without it -
Stephen King since the application is dead - However something may be obtained for the Widow up to the time of her decease -
I need not say by aiding these old men you will confer a great favour on them & your friend in haste G. A. Merrill