Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2,268, Matthew Cook, Privateer (Va.) War Of 1812

SERVICE
NUMBER
Private (Va.)
Cook, Matthew
R. 2,268
War of 1812
CONTENTS

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
2268
P. O. _____
Matthew Cook
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
REJECTED
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized.
_____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis.
Searched for _____
, 18

Feb 9 get Matthew Cushing
Col. James V. Edwards Pension Office Washington
Mr. Johnson H.R.

Dear Col
I want you to read the whole of the written & then send me the papers, or a copy of the declaration I with you and return Mr Baker's letter Sincerely
Rh. M. Johnson

Matthew Cook Ken abt 1832
Nov 17 Who Peay Nov 9th 1835
Matthew Cook abt 1832
Ken.
Col J. L. Edwards
City of Washington
Dear Rhen Johnson
(Faint mirrored bleed-through text from the reverse side of the page)

Col Edwards Please keep themakers till I get to the City
so oblig'd Rh. Johnson

Matthew Cook Rejected
See letter 9 Dec 1835 to Hon. R. M. Hurd do. to same Feb. 18. 1836
Served as a private
2268

State of Kentucky County of Campbell 358. On this 10 th day of October 1835, personally appeared before me Samuel Baker a Justice of the peace in and for the aforesaid county, Matthew Cook a resident of the county of Campbell and state of Kentucky aged seventy-five years, who being first duly sworn, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7 th 1832. That he entered the service, as an enlisted soldier in the 19 th year of his age, to the best of his recollection, on the first day of March 1779, for the term of two years, in the capacity of a babin-boy, in the ship Fair American Liberty , and continued to the first day of March 1781, and, he then volunteered for six months longer, and still continued on board till after Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, under the following named officers, to wit, Capt. Michael James John Ewing first Mate, Elcaney Shellcutt second Mate. The first year he states he was babin boy and the second year he went before the Mast as a Saylor, Commodore John Baron commanded the Patriot and Fair American lib- erty , both privateer vessels, he further states that when he enlisted he lived in the state of Virginia, in the coun- ty of Northampton, and the reason of his enlistment was that he was engaged to be married to a girl, that his father was opposed to the marriage and sent him fifty miles from home to go to school, and he went to the ship as above stated, and enlisted and did not return home for the space of seven years, and when he returned home he took a wife with him, and he married her in the Army, but not, while on sea, he states that he was enlisted four times in his life, first on ship board then under Wayne, then in Lexington Kentucky with troops that went to Canada was in the battle at the River Raisin on the 18 th & 22 nd January, 1813, and made prisoner at that time.

after this declarant enlisted he states that the first time they went to sea, and the second time they made no discoveries of much importance, but the third time, we had an engagement with the ship George, on the Chesapeake bay near Cape Charles, near the mouth of James River, and the battle lasted about one hour, and in the above named declarant managed the helm during the battle, and we took the ship George, and we had one man wounded by the name of William Cook, but he was no connexion of mine, and they had one man wounded and one killed, and capt. James when in the act of boarding the ship, fell between the two vessels and lost his pistol, cutlass and hat, and was in danger of being drowned as the sea was somewhat rough at the time, and he had to call for assistance, and was taken up by the long boat, and the ship George was taken to Norfolk and sold as a prize vessel, and the capt. & mate were both put in irons and taken to Norfolk and I do not know what was done with them he states that he was with the fleet of Lafayette blockaded up at the mouth of York river when Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, and the next day he went on shore with capt. James, he states that he has no documentary evidence of his age, and knows of no person that he can prove his services by, and that he has had two discharges and that they were both lost by fire, and in the house of my son in Fayette county Ky. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity whatever except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state or territory in the United States. Witness to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Matthew his book mark
We William Hume a clergyman residing in the same neighborhood of Matthew Cook and Pastor of the same church

of which the said book is a member, and John Byland a respectable person, resides in the same neighborhood. Certify that we are well acquainted with the said book who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be of the age of seventy-five years, and that he is reputed and believed to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed this 12 th day of October 1835. William Howard
John Byland
I Sam l Baker a Justice of the Peace in and for the county of Campbell and state of Kentucky certify that the above named Matthew book personally appeared before me and made the above declaration, and after the investigation of the whole matter, and putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department, I am of opinion that the said book was a revolutionary sol- -dier and served as he states, and I also certify that his residence is at least Twenty miles from court and from Bodily infirmity he is unable to appear in court, and he is nearly blind and stated to me that he had never been at court since he lived in the country and was never in the county town but once in his life and that was as he was going to Canada with the Army Samuel Baker J. P. etc.
Commonwealth of Ky. Campbell County, to wit:
I John W. Lee of and clerk of the county court for said County, do certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the application of Matthew book for a pension, and that Sam l Baker is and was at the time of subscribing his name a Justice of the Peace in and for said County Commissioned and qualified according to law, and that

33. 294 Matthew Cook Kentucky
Report Full credit ought to be given to all his as such. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said County this 29 th day of October, 1835. Geo. R. Salins Clerk.
Question by the court. When and in what year were you born. Ans. I was born in the state of Virginia in Northampton county, and on the 11 th day of April, as my Father's statement to me was, - Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? Ans. I have no record of my age nor never had nor neither could I ever read or write, - Where were you living when called into service. Where have you lived since the Revolutionary war & where do you now live? Ans. I lived in the state of Virginia when called into service, and went from there to North Carolina, and from there I moved to the state of Kentucky Fayette County and from there I came to Campbell County where I now live and have lived for the term of about ten years, and I never was at the court house of this county in my life, nor at the Town of Newport only when on my way to Canada with the troops in 1812. Did you ever receive a discharge and if so by whom was it signed. I did receive a discharge from Capt. Dames for my service on sea, and one from Wayne, and the discharge that I got from Capt. Dames was signed by himself, and the discharge from Wayne I do not know by whom it was signed, but I never cared any thing about them, and they were both burned in the house of my son in Fayette Co. Ky, about 15 years ago. - I am acquainted with Jobalon Alphin William B. Northcutt Esq. Capt William Dayer who represented this county in the state Legislature two years ago. and James Root & a small acquaintance with Col. R. M. Johnson & Matthew his book our Representative in Congress. } mark

BOUNTY LAND WARRANT RECORD CARD*
NAME Book, Miles GRADE Drummer LINE Connecticut
WARRANT NUMBER 5628 ACREAGE 100 ISSUED Aug. 23, 1790 to not shown
*The information concerning the issuance of warrants carded on this form is found in volumes 2 to 4 of "Land Warrants Issued Prior to 1800" which are registers of bounty land warrants issued to non-commissioned officers and privates under congressional resolutions of September 16, 1776, and subsequent dates. Other records relative to the applications for warrants appear to have been destroyed in the War Department fire of November 9, 1800. Information concerning warrants surrendered to the Federal Government is to be found in General Land Office records in The National Archives.