Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 8630, Benjamin Cook, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Cook, Benjamin Jemima
W 8630.
CONTENTS

6656
New Jersey
Benjamin Cook
of in the State of New Jersey who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Marshall of the Reg commanded by Col Marshall in the Virginia line for 2 years Private of Artillery $100
Inscribed on the Roll of New Jersey at the rate of 100 Dollars Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 6 day of March 1833 and sent to Hon Mr. Fulton King Sec - President
Arrears to 4th of March 1833 $200.00 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sept. 16 - 50.00
$250.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Book 9
Wm Luce
Clerk,
Vol. 4 Page 145

36. New Jersey Jemima Cook widow of Benj n Cook Va who served in the Revolutionary war, as a Pri t of Artillery
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of 100 Dollars 00
Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1848.
Certificate of Pension issued the 11 th day of Jan y 49. and sent to Hon. J. Van Dyke Secy of Reps.
Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under act March 2, 1848, Page 193 Vol. 1
29 July 60 R.D.
Letter to J. S. Street Aug 11. 1854

N o 3030
Benjamin Cook's Application for pension —

State of New Jersey Middlesex County ss: 3 On this thirty first day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, Personally appeared before the Judges of the Inferior court of com- mon Pleas in and for the county of Middlesex being a court of record & now sitting; Benjamin Cook a resident of the county of City of New Brunswick in said county of Middle- sex & State aforesaid 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. 1832 viz - That he was born in Powhatan county in the State of Virginia in June 1760. & is now in the seventy third year of his age - That he enlisted at Yorktown in the State of Virginia in the summer or autumn of 1778 as a sol- dier for three years in the 2 nd State Artillery of the Virginia regiment under Capt. John Marshall, who he believes to be the present Chief Justice of the United States - His col- onel was Thomas Marshall - The Lieu- tenant was also named Marshall, but there was a change in that officer, & then Lieut. Graham served part of the time - He serv- ed as a private in the Fort at Yorktown or Little York in Virginia from the time of his enlistment for the term of two years when they were ordered to Camden in South Carolina & on their way thither was taken sick and sent to the Hospital at Williamsburg in Virginia, when he recov- ered from his sickness he was sent back to the Fort at Yorktown, & continued to

serve there like it was taken by surprise by the British under bot. Simcoe - There were about 40 men in the fort when it was taken, the force of the enemy was three hundred or thereabouts. He was then taken prisoner and put on board of a transport which then lay at Cedar Point in the James River, where he was detained for thirty days or there- abouts was then discharged & returned im- mediately to Yorktown & was present at the capture of Cornwallis aided there during the siege but acted only as a volunteer & was not attached to any company. The regi- ment in which he had enlisted was not there they had gone to the South. This de- clarent was in no other engagement dur- ing the war nor has he any regular or written discharge from the service. When the siege of York took place the time of his enlistment had about expired or was near expiring. He knows of no written evidence of his service unless there be such evidence in the war office & he has heard that his name is there and that he is returned as killed at the battle of Camden in South Carolina but has no further knowledge of the matter. Previous to his enlistment he resided in the State of Virginia & since the revolution he has lived in the city of New Brunswick county of Middlesex & State of New Jersey having settled there in the year 1782. He has never received a pen- sion nor applied for one because he thought he would provide for himself & always for the last thirty or forty years had some pro- perty which is now much reduced. And He hereby relinquishes every claim what-

ever to a pension or annuity except the present & he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any State - I sworn & subscribed in open court the day & year first above written
Benjamin Cook
R. B. Chesney
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states - Dated July 31. 1832.
R. B. Chesney
Thos. Bance
N. Warren
I Ferdinand Vandusen clerk of the court of Common Pleas for the county of Middlesex do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Benjamin Cook for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the seal of said court this thirty first day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two -
F. D. Vandusen Clerk

No 47 Jan'y 2/49 Femina Cook mo of Benjamin N J act 29 May 1848
Mr Cook
Hon. J. Van Dyke H.R.

Middlesex Court of Common Pleas December Term 1848
(Declaration)
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 29 th of July 1848
State of New Jersey } Middlesex County }
On this twenty-seventh day of December one thousand eight hun- dred and forty-eight personally appeared before the Court of Common Pleas in and for the said County of Middlesex Lemina Cook a resident of the City of New Brunswick in the County aforesaid aged eighty years who being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following decla- ration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 29 th 1848 That she is the widow of Benjamin Cook who was a Private of In- fantry in the Revolutionary War. This deponent has understood and believes her said husband the said Benjamin Cook was in the Conti- nental service in the State of Virginia under Captain Marshall that he drew a Pension for his Revolutionary services under the act of Congress of June 7 th 1832 at the rate of one hundred dollars per annum until his death For the particulars of the Revolu- tionary services of the said Benjamin Cook her late husband this applicant

would refer the Commissioner of Pensions to his declaration now on file at the War Department. She also declares that she was married to the said Benjamin Cook her late husband on the sixteenth day of Oc- tober one thousand seven hundred and ninety nine by the Rev. Joseph Clark then Pastor of the Presbyterian Church at New Brunswick with the place of her present residence. She has no Certificate of her marriage but attaches the family Record taken from the family Bible which was written by the said Benjamin her late husband upwards of more than forty years ago and has always been in the possession of deponent. She also proves her marriage by Phebe Priestly the daughter of her said husband by a former wife who was present at the marriage.
That her late husband the said Benjamin Cook departed this life on the seventh day of July one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight. That she was not mar- ried prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the second of January eighteen hundred and at the time above stated.
She further swears that she is now a widow and that she has never before made any ap- plication for a Pension nor been married since the death of the said Benjamin Cook.
I vow to and subscribed in open Court on the day and year above written before Peter D. Henson Judge
Jemima Cook mark.

State of New Jersey Middlesex County
On this twenty seventh day of December one thousand eight hun- dred and forty eight Before the subscriber one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County personally appeared Phoebe Priestly known to me to be a credible person who being by me duly sworn according to law doth on her oath de- pose and say I am fifty nine years of age I reside in the City of New Brunswick Middlesex County and have resided there all my life I am the daughter of Benjamin Cook the person men- tioned in the declaration of Lemina Cook his present widow My mother was a former wife of the said Benjamin Cook I was at the marriage of my father the said Benjamin Cook with the said Lemina Cook They were married by the Rev d Joseph Clark then the Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in this place They were married in this City on the sixteenth day of October one thousand seven hundred and ninety nine as stated by her in her declaration My father the said Benjamin Cook departed this life on the seventh day of July one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight and Lemina Cook the foregoing named declarant is his widow She has never been married since my father's death Sworn to and subscribed the day and year above written before me
Peter B. Spencer Judge
Phoebe Mr X Cook mark

State of New Jersey } On this twenty seventh day of Middlesex County } December one thousand eight hundred and forty eight Before the subscriber one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for said County personally appeared Samuel G. Cook known to me to be a credible person who being duly sworn ac- cording to law doth on his oath depose and say I am forty eight years of age I am the son of Benjamin and Lemina Cook the persons named in the foregoing application for a Pension The family record hereto an- nexed is the same which was in the family bible from my earliest remembrance The record is in the hand writing of my father the said Benjamin Cook and was done before my memory My father the said Benjamin Cook died on the seventh day of July one thou- sand eight hundred and thirty eight My mother the said Lemina Cook is now his widow and has not been married since the death of my father the said Benjamin Cook
Sworn and subscribed the day and year above written before me
Peter P. Rarigan Judge
Samuel G. Cook
State of New Jersey } I Nicholas Poor an Clerk of the Court of Com- mon Pleas of said County } mon Pleas of the County of Middlesex do hereby certify that the foregoing are the original proceedings of said Court in the matter of an application of Lemina Cook widow of Benjamin Cook deceased for a pension & I do further testify that Peter P. Rarigan Esq. before whom the foregoing affidavits of Phoebe P. Cook & Samuel G. Cook were taken and at the time of their taking they were a Judge of the Court of Com- mon Pleas duly commissioned & sworn that his Services in the execution of said affidavits are genuine In witness whereof I have hereunto set

My friend Mr. S. L. G. said about this time, Seventh day of December A.D. Eighteen hundred and forty eight 1848
N. M. Williams
I do hereby certify that I am intimately acquainted with Samuel C. Cook the person making the foregoing affidavit or deposition, that he is a man of excellent character & veracity, & his above evidence is entitled to full credit January 11. 1849
John T. Dyer M. C. fourth Cong Dist N. Jersey

Benjamin Cook was Born June 9 1760 Jerusalem Infancy Born November 11 1768 married by the Revd M c Clarke October 16 ----- 1799
Benjamin Cook was born September 13 1800 Samuel C Cook was born September 14 1800 Thomas Hill Cook was born Sept r 3 1802

New Brunswick New Jersey August 5 th 1854.
Hon. Com. of Pensions,
Sir,
In my letter of inquiry of July 19 th to which the enclosed letter from the Department is an answer, I intended no application of the answer to any one specific case, because it is not possible for an outsider, to know, when he is approaching forbidden ground in these matters; But I will now make the inquiry specific; — Benjamin Cook of the Virginia line, a private of artillery, was a Pensioner of Middlesex County New Jersey, at 100 $ per annum, under the act, of June 7 th 1832; — After his death, his widow Sequina Cook, of the same place, drew, a half pay pension, (under what act, I am not informed) and died October 16 th 1849. — Was she entitled to an increase, under the act of July 29 th 1848, or the joint resolution of July 7 th 1848? The papers are doubtless on file, on which the pension was granted both to Mr. Cook and his widow; and an answer to the above question will give me all the information I desire in the premises, while I remain as ever Most Respectfully; James L. Street.

Rev WIDOW, &c.
File No. 8630
Jemima Cook Wid.. Benjamin Cook Prv. Rev. War
Act: July 29 th 1848.
Index:—Vol. A , Page 145
[Arrangement of 1870.]

for Theodore Tichborne several in Buss Nashington

New Brunswick Feb. 9. 1833
My good friend
I enclose to you the application of Benjamin Cook a very upright and respectable mechanic of this place for a pension, together with the answer
You will perceive from the length of time that Cook has lived here - From his extensive route when he was in service and from the fact that he was an utter stranger and from a distance when he first set- tled here, that it is almost hopeless to expect direct evidence of his service. But he thinks Col. J. Marshall was his captain - He insists that Col. Thomas Marshall commanded the regiment, & if the Col. J. commanded a company in that regiment, to  By all  then he can remember the his old captain of incidents to con- vince him of the service. He has said something to me of finding

a small box of gold at the siege of York I do not quite understand the story, nor do I know who found it, but he insists that he can recall some circumstances, to the remembrance of the Ch. I. which will satisfy him that the book was a soldier's then Will you see the Ch. I. and write to me book will be on to see Washington if it be at all valuable, but he is an old man poor and infirm - a drivel useless and unproductive he ought not to be compelled to make It would be cruel
I am ever & faithfully
Yours Frederick Douglass

No 47 Semina book N.J.
From John Van Dyke Jan 9, 48  Adm $100 per ann con: 4 March 48
cert: to Hon. John Van Dyke H.R.
act 29 May 1848

Pension Office July 21 st 1874,
Sir,
If you will explain fully the case of the widow to whom you refer, and direct me to her case on our files, I shall be able to reply understandingly whether she is entitled to an increase of pension under the act of July 29 th , 1878.
I am Respectfully Your Obt. Servt., S. M. Malan Commissioner
James S. Street Esq. New Brunswick, N. J.

Washington July 26. 1833
James A. Seward Esquire.
Sir,
I send herewith the application of Benjamin Cook - which was returned for further proof etc. I called on Chief Justice Marshall this morning & he states that the man is mistaken as to his being the captain of the company - that it was his brother . he states that all the facts mentioned by the applicant are correct - viz. That his father Col. Marshall / was the Col. of the Regiment - that his father's nephew A. Marshall, was a lieutenant of the company, mentioning Cook - That he recollects the fact of a part of the Regiment alluded to marching at Little York Virg a for about two years & until they were ordered to the South - & that there was a hospital at Williamsburg Virg a - Now when all these circumstances are so fully corroborated, I

hope that it may prevail - He is a respectable man as I am assured by a gentleman in the same town, of most respectable character.
Please communicate with Jos. W. Scott. St. Brunswick. N. Jersey.
When may I expect Col. Nelson's & Major John H. Schenck's certificates?
Yours Respectfully,
Frederick Douglass