Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 30,380, John Decker, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Decker John
S. 30,380
CONTENTS

19304 Kunlucky
John Decker of Grayson in the State of Kent who was a Pr in the co command by Captain Moore of the regt command by Col Mungad in the Va line for 10 mos.
55
Inscribed on the Roll of Kent the rate of 33 Dollars 33 Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 22 day of Aug 1833 and Sack Thomas Litchfield
Arrears to the 4th of March 66.66 Semi-ant. allowance ending 4 Sept 16 66 83 32
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by Dan Boyd Clerk Book 6 Vol. 7 Page 7
Death not in A. B.

13488
John Decker
Amended Declaration
for a pension

(1) State of Kentucky Grayson County S.S.
On this 24 th day of September 1832 personally appeared in Open Court before Joseph Boone, Benedict Barrico & Charles A. Sturteville the Court of Grayson County now sitting John Beck -er Resident of Grayson County and State of Kentucky aged 80 years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his Oath make the following declara- -tion in Order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832 - That he was in the Service of the Revolutionary war from five years before the close until the close of the war he was drafted but cannot tell the time and place under the Command of Capt Monroe, Maj. Montgomery Holo Mumford and stationed at the Magazine on Roan Oak River in Macklenburg County Virginia in which County he was born and entered the Service in the same County at which place he was stationed one winter say three months, he was also drafted for six months and served that time in guarding the Town of Portsmouth on the Apomattox River in Virginia he was at another time in Service and stationed at the Town of Albemarle in Virginia North Carolina under Capt John Homes & Samuel Lark Lieut - at the time he was stationed at Portsmouth he was under the Command of Capt Anderson and Genl. Purcell, that he was in Service at various other times and places and marched through

Virginia and North Carolina, that he was in the service at the time Cornwallis was taken and was in hearings he was guarding the Magazine at the time of the battle of Guilford. - he is positive he has served upwards one year -
Questions propounded by the Court to the applicant
Question 1 st where and in what year were you born
Answer I was born on the 21 st day of October
1752 -
Question 2 nd have you any record of your age and if so where is it - Answer I have no record of my age
3 rd Question where were you living when called into service where have you lived since the Revolution war and where do you now live -
Answer I was born in Macklenburg County Virginia and resided in the same County when I entered the service and continued to reside there during the war - I moved to Georgia soon after the war and lived there about 18 years from thence I moved to Mercer County from thence I moved to Grayson County where I now live and have lived in Grayson County Kentucky 15 years -
Question 4 th how were you called into service were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute - Answer I was drafted on militia
Company was laid off into Claps and when my turn came to go I had to march and that was very often during five years -
5 th Question State the names of some of the Regular Officers where you served and such Continental & Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general Circumstance of your service

(3) Answer. I served under the Officers named in this declaration, I don't know whether they were Regular or Militia Officers, and the general circumstances of my service are those already stated. Question 6 th did you ever receive a discharge.
Answer I never did receive a discharge
7 th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution
Answer - Samuel Rhoads John Cook James Gatten, Mellicum Beaswell, John Haysse and John Haysse Jr. Mordecai Lincoln Zachariah Burns Allen Decker, John Decker Jr.
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 to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid John his Decker mark
for Allen Decker Clappman Residing in Grayson County and State of Kentucky and John Decker residing in the same place hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Decker who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 80 years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion
Sworn and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid John his Decker Allen mark Decker

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putt- ing the interrogatories prescribed by the war depart- ment that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states, and the Court further certifies that John Decker and Allen Decker who have signed the preceding Certificate are residents of Grayson County Kentucky and are neighbours of the applicant and that they are credible persons and that their state- ment is entitled to credit
I Jack Thomas Clerk of the Grayson County Court in the State of Kentucky do certify that the foregoing contains the Original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the applica- tion of John Decker for a pension
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the County aforesaid this 24 th day of September 1839 Jack Thomas, C le

13.488 John Becker's
Declaration for a Pension

State of Kentucky
Grayson County ss
The Affidavit of William Decker Taken at the town of Leitchfield in Grayson County State of Kentucky before William L. Northam a Justice of the Peace for Grayson County on the 25 th day of May 1833
The deponent being in the 89 th year of his age after being duly sworn according to law saith that he was well acquainted with John Decker in the time of the Revolutionary war that he knows the said John Decker in the year 1776 he was in the service of the United States and was stationed at the Magazine on Roan Oak in Mack- linburg County in the State of Virginia and served three months, and that in the year 1780 he knows the said John Decker was in service of the United States and stationed at Portsmouth on the Apomattox River in Virginia and served a term of six months he the said William Decker was in service at the same time and served with the sd John Decker and further saith not William Decker mark
Also the Deposition of Henry Decker taken at the time and place above mentioned
The deponent being in the 68 th year of his

age and being sworn agreeably to law. Saith that he was acquainted with John Decker in the time of the Revolutionary war that he lived in the same neighbourhood in the state of Virginia and recollects perfectly well to have heard it talked of in the neighbourhood at the time that the said John Decker and his father William Decker who has given his affidavit was gone to guard Portsmouth and the Magazine which was destroyed between the years he thinks of 1775 & 1781
and further this Deponent saith not Henry Decker
State of Kentucky Grayson County ss
I William C. Northam a Justice of the peace in & for the County aforesaid do certify that on this day William Decker and Henry Decker personally appeared before me and sever- ally subscribed subscribed and made Oath to the foregoing Affidavits, I do further certify that I am well acquainted with the said William Decker & Henry Decker and have been for a number of years and that they are men of creditability Given under my hand this 25 th day of May 1833 William C. Northam a Justice of the peace for Grayson County

State of Kentucky Grayson County ss
I Jack Thomas Clerk of the County Court of the County aforesaid do Certify that William B. Northam whose name is signed to the within Certificate is and was at the time of signing the same a Justice of the Peace in upon said County duly Commissioned and qualified as such. And that his signature is in his proper hand writing to whose Official acts due faith and Credit is due
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of my Office this 25 th day of May 1833

The Amended Declaration of John Decker to his original Declaration for a Pension under the act of Congress of the 7 th June 1832 to wit
Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in Ohio Grayson County in the State of Kentucky John Decker who being duly sworn deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below and in the following grades, in the year 1776 I served as a Private in the Militia of the State of Virginia the term of three months in guarding the Magazine on Roan Oak River in Macklenburg County in the State of Virginia and that he served under Captain Monroe Maj. Montgomery and Colonel Munford - That in the year 1780 he served six months in the Militia of Virginia in guarding Portsmouth on the Appomattox River in the State of Virginia and was under the Command of Captain Anderson & Genl. Burrell, that he knows he served one month at the Town of Stone in Virginia under Captain John Homes but cannot recollect the year positively but thinks it was in the year 1779 That since the filing his Original Declaration

he has procured the affidavits of William Decker & Henry Decker proving his services which is hereto annexed as part hereof - That the reason of his not procuring the clergyman to certify in his Original Declaration agree- ably to the regulations of the War department was that there was no clergyman in the neighbourhood and he was not acquainted with any near having been stone blind for five years. John his Decker mark May 25 th 1833
State of Kentucky Grayson County set I William C Northam a Justice of the Peace in & for the County Court of the County aforesaid do certify that on this day John Decker personally appeared before me and subscribed and made oath to the above and foregoing amended Declaration for a Pension Given under my hand this 25 th day of May 1833 William C Northam a Justice of the Peace for Grayson County
State of Kentucky Grayson County set I Jack Thomas Clerk of the County Court for the County aforesaid do hereby

Certify that William G Northam who has signed the foregoing Certificate is and was at the time of signing the same a Justice of the peace in the said County duly Commissioned and qualified as such, and that his signature is in his proper hand writing, to whom Official acts due faith and credit is due
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Affixed my Seal of Office This 25 th day of May 1833
Jack Thomas, C.B.

John Decker
from - private 10 months 4, 5, 6, 12, 20
$ 33.33 100. $ 33.33 100
J. Thomas

BRIEF in the case of John Decker county of Wayson in the State of Kentucky (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 84  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days.     In 17 Drafted " 17 3 months Private Gen. Capt Monroe, Col Munford.   " 6 " Capt A. Anderson. Gen Byrnes   " Not mentioned. " Capt Geo Holmes. Lt Sarke   Various other times Not stated precisely " None mentioned  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Mockenbung Co Va  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditional evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Traditional  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? Correct 
X  Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
T. Waugh Examining Clerk.
Feb 16 th / 1833

File
September 24, 1926
Mr. Othniel Hitch 905 City Trust Building Corner Market & Delaware Sts., Indianapolis, Indiana
Sir:
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim S. 30380 it appears that John Decker was born October 21, 1752 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
While a resident of Mecklenburg County, Virginia, he enlisted in 1776 and served three months as a private in Captain Monroe's Company, Colonel Munford's Virginia Reg- iment.
He enlisted in 1777 and served one month as a private in Captain John Homes' Virginia Company.
He enlisted in 1780 and served six months as a private in Captain Anderson's Virginia Company. He also served other tours, one in the fall of 1781, his entire service amounting to over one year.
Soon after the Revolution he moved to Georgia and lived
I spelled it thus as there are families in Ga who spell them names that way & I could not verify any other spelling.

there about eighteen years, thence to Mercer County, thence to Grayson County, Kentucky where he was allowed pension on his application executed September 24, 1832.
It is not stated whether he was ever married.
Respectfully,
John Decker, Jr. Allen Decker Henry Decker Wm Decker } all of his vicinity in 1832 & 1833 E. W. MORGAN Acting Commissioner.
Wm Decker } 1833      Acting Commissioner. I did not use the statement that Wm Decker who made the affidavit was Father of John as their ages would not permit. I think the person who wrote it, misunderstood Henry Decker & that the word Father should have been brother . There is a claim for pens. by Wm Decker wh. I think is that same man & too young to be John's father —

June 3.
↑ Litchfield Ky May 27 free
James L. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions War Office Washington City

Othniel Hitch
Attorney
905 CITY TRUST BUILDING CORNER MARKET AND DELAWARE STREETS
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
August 27th 1926.
Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.
In Re: John Decker. Soldier of Revolution. Va.
Dear Sir:-
Please advise me if your office will furnish me with information concerning John Decker, Revolutionary soldier as reported by your office, or rather the Sec. of War in Pension Roll 3, Ky 97. Apparently reported Mch. 4th 1834 from Grayson Co. Kentucky.
The reason for this request is: my great-grandfather, Lt. Col. Luke Decker at the Battle of Tippecanoe, and one of the framers of the present Constitution of Indiana, was the son of John Decker, who formerly lived in Virginia, and what I believe was Hampshire Co. I am endeavoring to trace my ancestry and the information is therefore essential.
Will you please advise if the records disclose where he enlisted, the dates, his family, the place where the pension was first sent, the various removals and such other data as may be of importance.
In case your office will not furnish me this information kindly suggest whom or from what source I can obtain the above.
Thanking you I am,
Yours truly,
Othniel Hitch
Acus -

30380 Pay INVALID.
Sept. 24 th 1926 - Hich to Othniel Hitch - Sent thru desk of Mr. Walter Johnson, Dist. office, P.M. Bureau. M.M.F. inquirer's letter wh. was addressed to Mr. J - returned to him (m.f.)
File No. 30380
John Decker Rev Mr
Act: June 1 st 32
Index: - Vol. 2 , Page 109
[Arrangement of 1870.]