Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 808, Jacob Covert, New Jersey

SERVICE
NUMBER
New Jersey
Covert, Jacob
S. 808
CONTENTS
carded

M o 338 New Jersey Jacob Coverts
Midshipman in the State of N. Jersey who was a private in the Co. H. commanded by Captain Dabcock of the Regt. commanded by Col. Phillips in the N. Jersey line for 20 Mos.
Inscribed on the Roll of N. Jersey at the rate of 66 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 17 day of Aug. 1832 and with Mr. Randolph M c . Patent
Arrears to the 4th of Ma ch 1831 $132.33 Semest. allowance ending Sep r 31 33.33 $166.66
Recorded by { Revolutionary Claim, } P. C. Culey Act June 7, 1832. } Clerk, Book 6 Vol. 3 Page 105
99

State of New Jersey Middlesex County ss: On this twenty second day of August Eighteen hundred and thirty two before me John S. Vandike one of — the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Middlesex and State of New Jersey personally appeared Jacob Covert a resident of the town- ship of South Brunswick in the said County of Middlesex, aged seven- ty seven last May, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following decla- ration in order to obtain the bene- fit of the act of Congress June 1832 - that he entered the service of the United States under the follow- ing named officers and served as herein stated.
He was born in the month of May 1755 in the township of Franklin in the County of Somerset and State of New Jersey - he has no record of his age, tho' it was recorded in the fami- ly bible, which is not now to be found - he was living with his mas- ter Abraham Prokass in the town- ship of Hillsborough in the said Coun- ty of Somerset when he entered the service and he has since the revo- lutionary war lived in the Counties of Somerset and Middlesex and now lives with one of his daughters in the said township of South Brunswick

He entered the service in the month of June 1776 in the company of Cap- tain Joseph Bracken. It was during a general alarm and it was said that Sterling and Sullivan were to be prisoners on Long Island. He en- tered for five months. Their Colonel was Phillips. They marched to Powder Hook by the way of the bridge - and went across to the city of New York and returned the same night and went to Burgher point. During this service of five months he went with the company up the Hudson River - and he was at the battle of White Plains the battle was pretty hot. General Washington was there - he was also on Long Island tho' not in the bat- tle. He continued to serve the five months out and was discharged in the month of December. His time was up - and he does not know that any formal discharge was given. He remained home during the win- ter and then entered the company of Captain Cornelius Dobb as a volun- teer and marched to Elizabeth town - and remained there one month and the applicant was as often as four or five months doing milita- ry duty as a militia man at Eliza- beth town during the revolutionary war - one month under Captain Quick at New York. General Putnam

went up the Hudson with them - He thinks that he did duty as a soldier in the revolutionary war at least twelve months - He has no documen- tary evidence of his service - and he refuses to let Henry Foust to prove a part of his service - and to William Bicknell and Thomas Foust for his character for truth and for the reputa- tion of the neighbourhood, that he served as a soldier of the revolution. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity ex- cept the present and declares, that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me John P. Vandylke one of the judges of the inferior court of common pleas in and for the county of Middlesex.
C. Jacob Lovett
Henry Foust aged seventy six years - being duly sworn on his oath saith that he is well acquainted with Sa- rah Lovett, who has sworn to and sub- scribed the foregoing declaration - that he recollects, that in the year 1776 in the month of December he thinks, that the said Sarah Lovett returned home after the five months service and it was said and believed then, that the said Sarah Lovett had performed the whole tour of five

months - that the said deponent served with the said Jacob Lovett one month at Elizabeth town in 1778 - as a militia man - and the said Jacob Lovett is reputed and believed to have served, as a soldier in the revolutiona- ry war - the time the deponent can not tell - and that he has never heard any thing said against Jacob Lovett as a man of truth -
known to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me John J. Vandike one of the judges of the inferior court of common pleas in and for the county of Middlesex
Henry Fourth
William Bicknell and Thomas Fort  a residents in the township of Great Windsor in the county of Middlesex, being duly sworn on their oaths saiths. that they are well acquaint- ed with Jacob Lovett who has sworn to and subscribed the foregoing decla- ration - that we believe him to be seven- ty seven years of age - that he is re- puted and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a sol- dier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion - and that the said Jacob Lovett is a man of truth -
known to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid before me John J. Vandike one of the judges of the inferior court of common pleas in and for the county of Middlesex
William Bicknell Thomas Fort

and I John S. Vandike, judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Middlesex and State of New Jersey do hereby declare my opinions, after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states - and I do further certify, that the said Jacob Covert, the applicant, cannot from bodily infirmity attend the Court and I do further certify, that it ap- pears to me, that William Bricken and Thomas Fort, who have signed and sworn to the certificate and statement afore- said - and Henry Fort, who has been examined as a witness before me are entitled to credit.
John S. Vandike
I, J. S. Vandike Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Middlesex, do hereby certify, that John S. Vandike Esquire is one of the judges of the said Court of Common Pleas (being a court of re- cord) and that the signature en- grossed to the foregoing proceedings is

the matter of the application of said Court for a pension is his genuine signature.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of the said Court this 24 th day of August A.D. Eighteen hundred & thirty two.
H. S. Vanandelen Clerk
John J. Vanandelen
[Faint, mirrored text from the reverse side of the page, likely bleed-through from the original document.]

Supplemental Declaration of Jacob Lovat an applicant for a pension named in paper number No 6616 State of New Jersey
Middlesex county ss Personally appeared before the Subscribers one of the Justices of the Peace in & for said county, of Middlesex Jacob Lovat who being duly sworn deposes & states that by reason of old age & the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively to the precise length of all his services but to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below & always in the grade of a private. He entered into the service by enlisting in the five months' service in June 1776 under Captain Babcock & Col Phillips and served out the full term of five months marching to Paulsboro where he gave birth to his child. The other places in the manner detailed in his original declaration. In the Spring of 1777 he entered the service again as a volunteer in the company commanded by Capt Lott & served a term of one month at Elizabeth Town. In the same year 1777 he served again at least two months in two terms of a month each under Capt Lott along the Millstone. In the year 1778 his company being clapped he performed his regular tours & was out not less than three terms of a month each in this year. Of these terms two were performed under Capt Lott and one term under Capt Quick - he was generally on the east side of the Raritan & near by that section of country. He was however in New Jersey with the militia at the time of the invasion of the state from Philadelphia by the British just before the Battle of Monmouth & felt briskest as the enemy advanced was not at the Battle of Monmouth. In 1779 was out again and performed his regular tours & was out not less than three four terms of a month each principally at Elizabeth Town, Newark, Woodbridge and on that station. The first & second of these terms were under Capt Bairs - the third under Capt Quick & the fourth under Capt Gullerson. In the year 1780 he performed at least three terms of a month each on the same station - viz, two terms of a month
5
2
3
4
3 2(?)

each under Capt Lott - one term of a month under Capt Van Duzen in the order they are stated. Was ordered to Springfield but did not reach there in the time of the latter.
3 In 1781 he was ordered out again served three terms of a month each on the same station - the first term under Capt Lott - the second term under Capt Van Duzen the third term under Capt Lott. He was afterwards out occasionally throughout the war always performing his regular terms & in June he did much more service than he has specified. His memory is frail and but from the distinct remembrance that he was clapped across most of the war - that his company did their full share of duty and that he was never missing when his turn came he could not have made out his figures as well as he has done. I never put down any terms at once. He is perfectly clear & conscientious in the time he has specified I would be safe in stating the aggregate of all his services as more than two years instead of one. In consequence of frequent changes of his place of residence & being a poor obscure man has no personal acquaintance with any clergyman & therefore no clergyman could testify to an acquaintance with him as no one is such acquainted with him to his knowledge. For these services he asks & hopes to receive some compensation. Given to subscribers this 31 st July A.D. 1833 before Mr - Peter D. Pennycuick Justice of the Peace
J COGLOVE
I Nicholas Booraem Clerk of the Superior Court of Common Pleas of the county of Middlesex State of New Jersey do hereby certify that the annexed papers contain the original of supplemental declaration of Jacob Louis vs applicant for a pension & I further certify that Peter D. Pennycuick is a Justice of the Peace of said county duly

Resolutions Whereby his signature to the previous subscribed declaration is given.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this thirty first day of July, A.D. 1853
N. Morrison Clerk
[Faint mirrored text from the reverse side of the page]

Jacob Lovut bbib
Adm 20 mo. per Feb. 66
James M. Randolph N Bunk

New War
INVALID.
am
File No.
808
Jacob Bovert
No. N. J. Line
Act:
June 7, 1832.
Index:—Vol.
2
, Page
71
[Arrangement of 1870.]
✓

6616. Jacob Covert
adm d
James Randolph A Bunk

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Jacob Covert which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yes III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? yes V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? yes no VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yes VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? yes

XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? no
XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? no
XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?
XIV. † If the applicant has produced a witness or witnesses as to his service, has the magistrate who administered the oath certified that he, she, or they are persons of credibility? yes
Has the official character and signature of the magistrate been certified by the proper officer under his seal of office? yes
XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service? yes
XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct?
not properly attached - otherwise correct
XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?
EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
“Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. 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: For _____ year _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____. For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension.”

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which the applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable.
QUERE XIV.  Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
QUERE XVI.  Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticated the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the end of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

Mrs: Lucy Middlesex County application of Jacob Lovett for pension under act of June 1822
N o 6616.
James Randolph Drum M c