Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2,580, Asa Cummins, New Jersey

SERVICE
New Jersey
Cummins, Asa
NUMBER
R. 2580
CONTENTS
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Pension declaration of Asa Cummings
31.120
Hon. A. A. Shepherd

State of North Carolina Stokes County
on this 11 th day of June 1834 personally appeared in open Court before us the Subscribers of the County Court of Stokes aforesaid now sitting. Asa Cummins a resident of North Carolina in the County aforesaid aged Seventy three 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 Act of Congress pass d the 7 th June 1832 — That he entered the service of the United States United States under the following named Officers and served as herein after stated. That he entered the service of the United States on the 11 th day of February 1777 as a private drafted militiaman under the command of Captain Thomas Jones & Lieutenant Jacob Anderson in the County of Hunterdon & State of New Jersey and was attached to Col o Frelinghuysens Regiment of Militia at Somerset Court house in New Jersey and was stationed at that place one month & then march d to Morristown & remained there two weeks & from thence march d to a small Village call d Brawley & remained there about four weeks then march d out into the country about four miles from Amboy & eighteen from New York, when the British Army was stationed at that time then I was march d to Middle Brook & stationed there three or 4 weeks & was discha d ed in the month of June 1777 that he served in this service four months & ten days. During this Campaign he was in one small skirmish with a foraging party of the enemy in which we took about two hundred of the British prisoners & their Baggage waggons & about fifty head of horses. — The next service I entered as a drafted private Militia in October 1777 under a Captain Benjamin Cooper & attached to Colonel Frelinghuysens Regiment of Militia at Elizabeth Town in the State of New Jersey & remained there five weeks & was discharged by his Captain during both these campaigns the British were stationed at New York & Amboy and Col o Frelinghuysens Militia were kept scouting from one point to another in order to check the British and keep them from committing encroachments on our citizens in the next service

I entered in June 1778. (at the time the British Marched from New York (Philadelphia) to New York) a drafted Militia and served as Orderly Sergeant under Captain Benjamin Cooper & Marched from Lebanon Township in New Jersey to Monmouth, at the time the memorable Battle of Monmouth happened. the detachment of Militia to which I belonged was not able to reach the Battle until it was over but reached the Spot; Shortly after the British had left the Ground. In this Service I served two Weeks at least - & was discharged. — The next I was again drafted in September 1779 & entered the Service as a private under Capt. Jacob Emmons & Lieutenant McCall. at Hackett's Town & Marched up Delaware River. in pursuit of Indians who had been killing & plundering the inhabitants & was stationed on the bank of said River near the dividing line between the State of New York & New Jersey in the County of Sussex & remained there as a Guard until some time in March 1780 & was discharged & returned home. in this Service I was drafted for & served six months & over - all of which Service in the four years amounts to twelve months at least for which he claims a pension. he states that he does not recollect of receiving written discharges for the aforesaid Service & if he did he has lost them; that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service, nor has he any documentary evidence. The seven Interrogatories prescribed by the War department being propounded, was answered as follows (towell) that he was born in the County of Hunterdon in the State of New Jersey Lebanon Township in the month of January 1761. on the 8th day; that he has no record of his age — that he lived in the County of Hunterdon in New Jersey at the different periods of his entering the Service & removed to North Carolina in the year 1784 to then Surry County (now Stokes County) where he has resided ever since. That he entered the Service by drafted classes when it came round to his turn - that he knew General Maxwell & Regular officers & was put under his command at Monmouth & cannot recollect of any other officers except the militia officers named above - that he does remember of receiving a written discharge - he is acquainted with Lockhart, Murray a Clergiman & Hush Martin who can testify as to their belief of his Service age & Veracity &c.

We hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declare that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any state Sworn & subscribed the day & year first above mentioned in open court - A. Cummins
Mr Hill. cc
We Joshua Morrow a clergyman residing in the County of Stokes in N Carolina & Hugh Martin residing in the same County, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Asa Cummins who has subscribed & sworn to the above declarative that we believe him to be seventy three years of age that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution & that ever concur in that opinion. Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid in open court Joshua Morrow
Mr Hill. cc
Hugh Martin
And the said Court do hereby declare their Opinion after investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier & served as he states, and the Court further certify that it appears to them that Joshua Morrow who signed the foregoing certificate is a resident clergyman in Stokes County North Carolina & that Hugh Martin who has signed the same is also a resident of the same County, and is credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
W. Poindexter J.P. J. Banner J.P.

State of North Carolina Stokes County } I John Hill Clerk of the court of pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County aforesaid Do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the Original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of Application of Asa Cummings for a Pension
In Testimony whereof I have here- unto affixed my seal of office and subscribed my name this 11 th day of June A.D. 1834
J. Hill

North Carolina
Asa Cummins
Suspended
Lee Col. Charles
Banner Nov. 19
1834 1834
Act 25 Jan: 1835
Hon A. H. Sheppard
2580
Act 7 June '34

RECEIVED
2580
P. O. _____
Asa Cummings
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

Department of War Pension Office November 19. 1834.
Sir
I have examined the explanatory statement of Asa Cummins in relation to the alleged term of five months service in 1779, but as he has omitted to name the Colonel or the regiment in which the service was performed, or to give such a detail of the service as the Department requires, and as no proof is adduced in support of the service, the omission above alluded to must be supplied before any favorable decision can be had in his case. The papers are placed on file.
Yours Respectfully J. L. Edwards
Col. Banner Esq. Summers St. John's Co. N.E.

Asa Cummings Declaration.
— Amended —
Col. Banner Germania N.C.

And amendatory declaration of Asa Cummings of Hobbs County in North Carolina explanatory of his former declaration of the 11 th of June 1834
State of North Carolina ss Hobbs County
Be it known that before me Charles Banner a Justice of the peace in and for the County aforesaid personally appeared Asa Cummings who being duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to explain his former declaration aforesaid. That he entered the service of the United States on the 11 th of Feb y 1777 as a private militia man under Capt Thomas Jones that said Captain hired him for one month, to fill up his Company as he was lacking his complement of men at that time & after serving his engagement of one month aforesaid; he said Asa Cummings Entered in the service in the same Company Capacity a private under Captain the then Captain Jacob Anderson in the County of Hunterdon in the State of New Jersey & after serving the second month, then he entered for the third month under a Captain Myres & after serving this time making three months as a hired private soldier to fill up the Ranks of the several Companies then the 4 th month it came round to his own turn to serve his month according to lot of what was called drafts all of which service was rendered & Ten days more than the four months agreeable to the statement in his former declaration in the Regiment of Col l Frelinghuysen the next service he entered & served five weeks in stead of one month under Captain Ben l Cooper as stated in his former declaration; & in June 1778 he served as Orderly Sergeant two weeks as therein stated. And the last four of services of six months was under the following circumstances. That there was a call for men to serve a six months tour in order to suppress the Indians that had broke out & com- mitted depredations on the frontier inhabitants. I joined at Hackett's Town in Sussex County New Jersey under Capt. Jacob Simmons & Lieut. Metcalf in September 1779 when he was march d up Delaware river

a Circumferent route tho' thinks at least one hundred & fifty Miles passing passing a number of houses where the white people had settlements & made small stockading fortifications untill we reached a place called Minicant or Minicet, at which place we were stationed & after serving six months was dismissed and other soldiers took our places; This was on or near the line between the States of N. York & N. Jersey, and I understood that the opposite side of Delaware River was guarded by the Pennsylvania Troops at the same time, then I returned home to Hunterdon Co. N. Jersey. Sworn and subscribed this 14 th day of July 1834 before me
J. Banner W.P.
A. Cummings
State of North Carolina Stokes County 355
Be it known that on the 14 th day of July 1834. before the subscriber a Justice of the peace in and for the County aforesaid personally appeared Asa Cummings above named. and he being duly sworn according to Law, did declare the foregoing amendment or explanation to his Declaration in open court 11 th June 1834. to be just & true. and subscribed the same. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand the day & year first above written
J. Banner W.P.

State of North Carolina } Stokes County }
I John Hill Clerk of the Court of Pleas & quarter sessions for Stokes County certify that Charles Banner whose name appears to the foregoing is a duly commissioned, qualified & acting Justice of the peace in & for our said County of Stokes & that his signature is genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of office & subscribed my name this 23 rd day of September 1834
John Hill. cl.

Asa Cummings 2 nd Amendment to his declaration —
Hon A H Shepherd

State of North Carolina Hoke County
The second explanatory statement of Asa Cummins in relation to his declaration for to obtain a Pension, which he made at June Court of the County aforesaid in 1834.
On this third day of January 1835. before me Charles Banner one of the Justices of the peace for the County aforesaid, the said Asa Cummins, personally appeared and being Sworn according to Law, on his oath declared; that when he was march d from Hunterdon County State of New Jersey, under the Command of his Captain Jacob Emmans & one other Captain & Company from the same County, his Name he does not recollect. But they march d into Sussex County which was a frontier County in said State of N. Jersey and a certain William Reynolds Commanded as Sergent Major & conducted our troops, divided & Stationed small Companies at a Number of points or small Forts along the Delaware River, on the West side of the Blue ridge of mountains, when the greater portion of the Militia in Sussex County, at the same time was out in the Service as he understood, he was Stationed at Minessink with his Cap t Emmans & Twenty men, by the Sergent Major aforesaid who continually kept traveling from fort to fort up & down the River, our Cap t had to draw our provision sixteen miles below our fort, once in every two weeks, as to the Number of the Regiment he does not know, But that he was detach d from Colonel John Taylor Regiment of Militia in Hunterdon County & Commanded by his Captain the Sergent Major as above stated, that he saw a certain Officer once who lived in Sussex County aforesaid that he understood their Col d Commandant or Major, but he never saw him at the fort where he was Stationed, his name he cannot recollect but that he was a German or what is call d Low Dutch, & had the Word (Van) as part of his name that he understood that said Van, was kill d by the Indians a short time after his Town was ended, that the aforesaid Sergent Major Reynolds visited our fort frequently and gave orders how we should guard & conduct our little Company in case of an Attack from the Indians & British, who I was informed had burn d a little Town in the State of New York by the Name of Esopus, about two years before that time, of say 1808. which Town was not very far from our Fort Minessink (say about Twenty miles) at which place I served my Time faithfully as stated in my Declaration first above mentioned, Sworn to and Subscribed the day & year first above mentioned.
before me
C. Banner JP
A. Cummins

State of North Carolina Stokes County ss
On this third day of January 1835 before me Charles Banner a Justice of the peace for the county aforesaid personally appeared Asa Cummings who signed and swore to the within supplementary amendment to his former declaration now filed in the Department of War, Pension office done the 19 th November 1834 as per the inclosed letter, that he is the Identical person who swore & subscribed the former declaration mentioned in the within altho he cannot recollect the whole of the colonels name yet his statement is entitled to credit. Given under my hand this day & year first above mentioned.
C Banner
State of North Carolina Stokes County
I John Hill Clerk of the court of pleas and quarter sessions for the county aforesaid certify that Charles Banner is a magistrate as above, and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine. In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed the seal of my office, and subscribed my name this 15 th day of January 1835.
J. Hill. cc