Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 13534, William Cunningham, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Cunningham, William
R. 13534. Va. half pay.
{ B.S.Wt. 443. 400 - Major Issued Mar 22. 1796. Also recorded as above under B.S.Wt. 2664 No papers
CONTENTS

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Cunningham, William
R. 13534. Va. half pay.
{ B. S. W. 443-400 - Major Issued Mar 22, 1796. Also recorded as above under B. S. W. 2664 No papers
CONTENTS

C. A. Hanes
27 Sep. 1836
Decorr V 30 page 233

War Dep. Pension Office Sept. 27. 1836
Sir,
In reply to the enclosed letter from John M. Maury Esq. I have to inform you that there is nothing due to the  it does not appear that there is land, half-pay, or any other gratuity due to the heirs of the late William Cunningham, dec. on account of his revolutionary services. It appears from our books and papers that he was a Captain in the Virginia continental line, and that he received on the 23 d May 1783, a certificate for the balance of his full pay agreeably to an act of the Virginia Legislature, amounting to £175: 16, Va. currency. The books do not show how long he served. None of the pension laws provide for such a case, as he died before the acts passage of those  the pension laws. The act of 5 th July 1832, giving half-pay to certain Virginia officers, or their heirs, does not embrace any of the continental officers. It provides for  extends to those only who belonged to the State Troops, or their legal representatives.
C. A. Harris, Esq. acting Sec. of War
I have the honor
Enter this in Miscellaneous Book Schnebeck clerk

Know all men by these presents that We Phillip Maury & Betsey Ann his wife formerly Betsey Ann Cunningham Richard Alexander and Nancy his wife formerly Nancy Cunningham Jack Benton Cunningham, Polly M Cunningham Susanna R Hamilton formerly Susanna R Cunningham James Cunningham, Samuel P Howard and Lucy B his wife formerly Lucy Cunningham all heirs of Major William Cunningham Dec d who was an officer in the Virginia Continental line in the Revolutionary War do hereby nominate constitute and appoint John Bell and William Hall our true and lawful Attorneys to prosecute and to receive for our use and benefit all claims for Commutation or half pay for any money Lands or other things which we may as heirs of the said Maj. William Cunningham be intitled to receive from the state of Virginia or the United States for services rendered by said Major William Cunningham in the Revolutionary War and we do moreover authorize and empower our said Attorneys John Bell & William Hall to prosecute our said claim in any manner they may think proper for perfecting the same and we do also fully authorize and empower them to give full authority to any other person or persons to act under their instructions as Agents or otherwise for the final Adjustment of the claim hereby ratifying all and every act that our said Attorneys may do in the premises either by themselves or by any other whom they may appoint to act in their place and stead In testimony whereof the parties hereunto have set their hands & seals the 12 th day of November 1832
Phillip Maury (Seal)
Betsey Ann Maury (Seal)
Jack Benton (Seal)
Richard Alexander (Seal)
Nancy Alexander (Seal)
Polly M Cunningham (Seal)
Susanna R Hamilton (Seal)
James Cunningham (Seal)
Samuel P Howard (Seal)
Lucy B Howard (Seal)

State of Tennessee ) Be it known and that on Williamson County ) this 6 th day of November A.D. 1832 before us William Mancy and Gilbert Marshall two of the Justices of the Peace in & for said County came the within named Philip Mancy, Betsy Ann Mancy and Jacob Burton Cunningham one persons known to us and acknowledged the within written letter of Attor- ney to be their act & deed respectively.
In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands & affixed our seals the day and year first written
W. Mancy
G. Marshall
The State of Tennessee,
Thomas Wardeman clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Williamson in the State aforesaid, do certify that William Mancy and Gilbert Marshall Esquires, before whom the acknow- ledgment to the within letter of attorney was made, are acting
Justices of the Peace for the County of Williamson aforesaid duly commissioned and sworn; and that their faith and credit are due their official acts. In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of said Court at office this 6 th day of November A.D. 1832.
Thos Wardeman
By W. Wardeman Clerk

Rev. War Section.
Sept. 22, 1922.
Hon. B. G. Humphreys, House of Representatives.
In re: William Cunningham- War of Revolution. R-13534
You are advised that the records of this Bureau show that Major William Cunningham of the Virginia Line, War of Revolution, was allowed four hundred acres of bounty land on Warrant No. 443, which issued March 22, 1796. For the location of said land you should apply to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, citing all of the above data.
In 1832, the heirs of Major William Cunningham of the Virginia Line, applied for half pay under the Act of July 5, 1832. In said claim, it is stated that he served as a Captain and Major, dates of service not given, that he moved from Virginia, to North Carolina after the Revolution and thence to Smith County, Tennessee, where he died in 1806, or 1807, leaving the following

children: Betsey Ann wife of Philip Maury, Nancy wife of Richard Alexander, Jack Burton Cunningham, Polley M. Cunningham, James Cunningham, Mrs Susanna R. Hamilton, and Lucy B. wife of Samuel P. Howard.
There is no further data on file as to family.
This claim for half pay was not allowed for the reason that the heirs had no title under the Act of July 5, 1832.
Very respectfully,
Chief Clerk.

1912 Dec. 28 Hist. to P. M. Young Letter in G.F. 1646 Philip T. Burford 1913 Feb. 17 Mr. P. M. Young V.L.M. that there is no data other than that furnished Dec. 28, 1912 & to apply to Com d General Land Office 1922 Sept. 20. Hist. to Hon. B. G. Humphreys. aw.
NO 13534
ACT OF JULY 14, 1862.
3079
REJECTED
Capt Wm Cunningham
Was Line
Revolution
Discharged _____, 186
3079
N o Pay — act 32.
Received _____, 187

W m Cunningham act 5 July 1832 Tennessee case rejected.
See letter to C. A. Harris Sept. 27. 1836

John Bradley of the County of Smith in the State of Tennessee makes oath, That he was acquainted with Major William Cunningham whilst he lived in the State of North Carolina & that he was acquainted with said Cunningham (after his the said Cunningham's) removal to Smith County in the State of Tennessee until his death, which took place as well as affiant remembered in the year 1806 or 1807 - Affiant states that said Cunningham moved from Virginia to North Carolina some time after the revolutionary war & that he was always whilst affiant was acquainted with him up to his death, a Major in the Revolutionary war. Affiant states that he is acquainted with the children of Major William Cunningham who are now living & are his heirs as affiant believes, the same whose names are mentioned in the letter of attorney to which this affidavit is annexed, namely Betsy Ann, now the wife of Philip Maury, Nancy now the wife of Richard Alexander, Jack Burton Cunningham, Polly M. Cunningham, Susanah R. Hamilton formerly Susanah R. Cunningham, James Cunningham, & Lucy B. now the wife of Samuel H. Howard, affiant states that he is acquainted with the said Maury, Alexander & Howard also.
John Bradley
State of Tennessee Smith County Sworn to & subscribed before me this 12th Nov 1832
Thomas H. Hester of the peace

I Jerry H. Caggs, a clergyman residing in Smith County State of Tennessee, do hereby certify that I am acquainted with John Bradley who hath signed the annexed affidavit & I do believe him to be a man of respectability and of truth sworn & subscribed before me this 12th Nov 1832. Jerry H. Caggs
Thoroughby Justice of the peace
State of Tennessee Smith County ss Jonathan Pickett Clerk of the Court of pleas and quarter sessions for the County & State aforesaid, do hereby certify that Thomas M. Cosby before whom the above Certificate & within affidavit was made is now and was at the time of the same being made an acting Justice of the peace for said County duly Commissioned & qualified according to Law.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court at office in Carthage this 12th day of November 1832 and 57th Year of our Independence
Jonathan Pickett Clerk of Smith County Court

State of Tennessee Smith County I John Chambers Chairman of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions for the County & State aforesaid do hereby certify that Jonathan Pickett whose name appears to the within Certificate is Clerk of our said Court and that his s d Certificate is in due form of Law and as such is entitled to full faith & Credit Given under my hand and Seal this 14 th day of November 1832
John Chambers Esq d Chairman of Smith County Court

The Hon d
FR
John Bell
House of Reps
Washington
107. Mr. William Cunningham 294. not allowed 16 3/4

Auditor's office
Jan. 4. 1833
Sir
I owe you an apology for not answering earlier yours of the 5 inst; - The omission was inadvertent.
I send you a certificate that Capt Cunningham's name appears on the army R. Mts of the Va. Continental line.
Yours very Respectfully J. M. Keating

Northgate Stn. 22 July '43 Wm E. Jones Very inqf. as to Wm Cunningham -
Rec'd 5 August '43 Ans?
Lab. on Murch Roll for Sep 1793
Washington City D.C.
Mr. Wagner Esq. this matter
Respectfully referred to the several offices Aug. 5 1843 J. H.
Recd
Can
Aug 7 '43
Ans.

Northcote Temple July 22 d 1843
Sir
Yours of the 3 d inst in relation to the claim of W m Cunningham is received in which you state that there can be no doubt but that he was a Supernumerary officer at an early part of the war and from the fact that he was allowed a large quantity of Land from the State of Virginia that it is possible he belong to the State line of that State & if he belong to the State line of Virginia would he have been intitled to bounty land from the U.S. which he received in 1796 and if he was of that line would he not have been intitled to commutation under the act of Congress of 5 th July 1832 or under some other law of Congress — and Suppose he was of the Continental line and was a Supernumerary officer would he not have been intitled one of under the Resolves of Congress of the 21 st of October 1780 or the Resolve of the 8 th March 1783 the first promised to the officers who should become Supernumerary half pay for life and the Resolve of the 8 th March 83 appears to have been intended to embrace those officers

who became separated offered under the resolve of the 31st December 1781 which also promised half pay or commutation and as to the fact that he was a separated officer or did not serve to the final termin- ation of the revolution to entitle him to the commutation of five years full pay in lieu of the half pay for life I have thought that it is possible that you might prove beyond a doubt referring to the bounty Land offered when it appears he was allowed land bounty by the State of Virginia for five years services and count that five years from the date that he first entered the service as a captain and see if that will not bring it to the close of the war as that was I think the first services that he performed to entitle him to bounty Land you will please endeavour if possible to give me all of the particulars in relation to the claim as the same seems to be cousious that there is something coming to them if they had their titles and I hope you will excuse the trouble I am giving you about the Mother I am Respectfully yours Wm E Jones " "
P Wagner Esqr

PJ
I have requested Mrs A & J E Kindall of your city to look in to the matter for me who it is possible will be inquiring of you about the same claim. Respectfully
W. E. L.
and the

Thomas Brooks of the county of Wil- kinson in the State of Tennessee makes oath that he was acquainted with Major Williams Cunningham whilst he lived in the State of North Carolina, & that he was acquainted with said Cunningham after his (the said Cun- ningham) removal to Smith County in the State of Tennessee until his death, which took place as well as affiant remembers in the year 1806 or 1807 - Affiant states that said Cunningham moved from Virginia to North Carolina some time after the Revolutionary war & that he was always whilst affiant was acquainted with him reputed to have been a Major in the Rev- olutionary War - Affiant states all that he is acquainted with the children of Major Wil- iam Cunningham who are now living & all his heirs as affiant believes. The some heirs whose names are mentioned in the letter of attorney to which this affidavit is annexed. Nancy - Betty now the wife of Philip Maury. Mary now the wife of Richard Alexander Leach Bur- ton Cunningham, Polly M. Cunningham & Lucinda R. Cunningham now the wife of Lucinda R. Cunningham, James Cunningham & Lucy B. now the wife of Samuel P. Howard Affiant states that he was acquainted with the said Mary Alexander & Howard also - State of Tennessee Wilkerson City Sworn to subscribed Jno P. Breckler before me this 8 th Nov r 1832
M c Manus Jp
Robert Davis, a clergyman residing in the town of Franklin, Williamson County in the State of Ten- nessee do hereby certify that I am acquainted with Thomas Brooks who hath signed the above affidavit & I do believe him to be a man of respectability & of much
Sworn to subscribed before me this 8 th Nov r 1832
Robert Davis
M c Manus Jp

The State of Tennessee
I Thomas Wardeman clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Williamson in the state aforesaid, do certify that William Maney Esquire, before whom the within affidavits of Thomas Bradley and Robert Daves were made, is an active
Justice of the Peace for the County of William- son aforesaid, duly commissioned and sworn; and that full faith and credit are due his official acts. In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- scribed my name and affixed the seal of said court at Office in Franklin this 6 th day of November A.D. 1832.
Thos Wardeman
By William Wardeman D. S.
State of Tennessee } Williamson County } I Wm E. Owen Chairman of the court of Pleas and quarter sessions for the said County do hereby certify that Thos Wardeman whose name appears to the foregoing certificate as Clerk is the Clerk of the said Court that his certificate is in due form of law and that full faith and credit are due his official acts as such Given under my hand this 7 th day of November 1832
Wm E. Owen Chm

State of Tennessee Do it remembered that on this Smith County 12 th day of November A.D. 1832 before us Thomas W. Costy and Samuel W. McMurtry two of the Justices of the peace for said county came the residue of the within named Samuel P. Howard Lucy P. Howard Polly M. Cunningham Lucannah H. Hamilton James Cunningham Richard Alexander and Mary Alexander persons known to us and acknowledged the within written letters of Attorney to their acts and deeds respectively.
In Witness whereof we have set our hands and affixed our seals the day and year above written
Thomas W. Costy Samuel W. McMurtry
State of Tennessee Smith County 3 I Jonathan Pickett Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for said County & State of said do hereby certify that Thomas W. Costy and Samuel W. McMurtry before whom the said power of attorney was acknowledged are now & was at the time of the same being acknowledged acting Justices of the peace for said County & State duly commissioned & qualified according to Law.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court, at office in Carthage this 14 th day of November 1832 and 57 th Year of our Lord and

Jonathan Pickett Clerk of Smith County Court
State of Mississippi I, John Chambers Chairman of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Smith and State aforesaid do hereby certify that Jonathan Pickett whose name appears to the above Certificate is Clerk of our said Court and that his said Certificate is in due form of Law and that all his attestations are matter to full of faith & credit as such.
Given under my hand & Seal this 11 th day of November, 1832.
John Chambers Chairman of Smith County Court

SAM M. YOUNG DIXON SPRING, TENNESSEE
March 7th, 1915.
Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D. C.
Dear Sirs:-
Referring to my letter of Dec. 16th, 1912 to your Department and the Department's reply of Dec. 28th, 1912, I wish to know what command Major William Cunningham of the Virginia Troops was in. I have it from the elder members of his descendants that he was an "aide" to Gen. Washington. (2) What was the location of the 400 acres of Bounty Land allowed him under Warrant No. 443, in 1796, and where was he then living? (3) In what year did he move from Virginia to North Carolina, and in what year thence to Smith County, Tennessee? (4) Does your Bureau contain any data as to whom Major Cunningham married and when, and what were names of his father and mother?
Any information you may be able to furnish me along this line will be fully appreciated.
Very truly yours,
S. M. Young

SIXTY-FIFTH CONGRESS,
BENJAMIN G. HUMPHREYS, MISS., CHAIRMAN. FINIS J. GARRETT, TENN.      WILLIAM A. RODENBERG, ILL. MARTIN D. FOSTER, ILL.      CHARLES F. CURRY, CAL. JOSEPH J. RUSSELL, MO.      CHARLES C. KEARNS, OHIO. RILEY J. WILSON, LA.      JAMES W. HUBTED, N. Y. JOSEPH J. MANSFIELD, TEX.      JACOB E. MEEKER, MO. THOMAS D. SCHALL, MINN.      WILLIAM J. GRAHAM, ILL. A. T. SHIELDS, CLERK.
May Wilson Rev. Will COMMITTEE ON FLOOD CONTROL
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES U. S.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
September 23, 1922.
Mr. Hays Haymaker, Chief Clerk, Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D. C.
In re: WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM - War of Revolution :-
I thank you very much indeed for your letter of September 22nd relative to the above named. You state he died in "Smith County, Tennessee." If your records show the name of the town, will you please advise me that.
You also state, "There is further data on file as to family." If not asking too much, I should be happy indeed to receive that.
Respectfully,
D. W. Humphreys M. C.

House of Representatives U.S. Washington, D. C.
September 19, 1922.
Commissioner - Bureau of Pensions, Washington, D. C.
My dear Sir:
The Adjutant General's Office suggested that I might procure some information from your office regarding the Revolutionary War record of one MAJOR WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM of VIRGINIA.
If you can give me any information along this line, I will greatly appreciate it.
Respectfully,
Blasphemy M. C.
SEP 21 1922 OFFICE

Rev. War Section.
Sept. 25, 1922.
Hon. Benjamin G. Humphreys, House of Representatives.
In re: William Cunningham- War of Revolution. R. 12541 . 443-400
You are advised that in the above noted claim for bounty land and half pay, it is not stated whether William Cunningham died in a town in Smith County, Tennessee,
The sentence relative to family in the Bureau letter of September 22, 1922, should have read, as follows:
There is no further data on file as to family.
The omission of the word, no, was an error in type-writing.
Very respectfully,
Hayden Payne
Chief Clerk.

V.L.H.
Rev. War Section.
March 17, 1915.
Mr. Sam M. Young, Dixon Spring, Tennessee.
Sir:
In response to your letter dated the seventh instant, relative to Major William Cunningham of the Virginia troops, Rev. War, you are advised that there is no further data on file relative to his service, residence or family, other than that furnished you on December 28, 1912.
For the location of the four hundred acres of bounty land allowed, which issued March 22, 1796 under Warrant No. 443, you should apply to the Commissioner of the General Land Office.
Very respectfully,
J. M. Salzbauer Commissioner.

V. S. M. Rev. War Section.
December 28, 1912.
Mr. S. M. Young,
Dixon Springs, Tenn.
Sir:
In response to your letter dated the 16" and received the 19" instant, you are advised that a careful search of the records of this Bureau fails to show a claim for Revolutionary War pension on file for Major William Cunningham.
Major William Cunningham of the Virginia troops was allowed 400 acres of bounty land on Warrant No. 443. issued March 22, 1796.
In 1832, the heirs of Major William Cunningham of the Virginia troops, Revolutionary War. applied for half pay under the Act of July 5, 1832. In said claim it is stated that he served as a Captain and Major, dates of service not given, that he moved from Virginia to North Carolina after the Revolution. and thence to Smith County, Tennessee, where he died in 1806 or 1807 leaving the following children. Betsey Ann wife of Philip Maury.; Nancy wife of Richard Alexander; Jack Burton; Polley M; James; Mrs. Susanna R. Hamilton, and Lucy B. wife of Samuel P. Howard.
There is no further data as to family.
This claim for half pay was not allowed for the reason that the heirs had no title under the Act of July 5, 1832.
Very respectfully,
J. C. Alexander Commissioner.