Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 6,950, Palser Hammer, Pa. Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Pa. Va.
Hammer, Palser
S. 6,950
carded
CONTENTS

6290-
Virginia
Palser Hoamer
of Pendleton - in the State of Va. - who was a Pvt. - in the Comp y commanded by Captain Life - of the Reg t commanded by _____ in the Pa. A line for 9 months from 1776 -
Pa. and Va. June 15, 1904 Records completed.
Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 30 - Dollars _____ Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 2 nd day of Feby: 1833 and Sub Hon: 178m McCoy: St: R: -
Arrears to the 4th of Sept: 1832. 45- Semi-ant. allowance ending Mar: 33. 15-
$60.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Nathan Rice Clerk, Book (D Vol. 7 Page 123-

Palser Hammar
Declaration —
Recorded Book N o 10
Page 503
Examined
Thyge Olf

State of Virginia } ss. County of Pendleton }
On this 6th day of February 1833, personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the County Court of Pendleton County now sitting Palsur Hammer a resident of the said County aged 78 Years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7. 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named Officers, and served as is herein stated.
Sometime in the month of June or July in the year 1776 he the said Palsur Hammer volunteered and served a tour of two months in the Pennsylvania Militia, in the 1 st Battalion of the Philadelphia Troop, (he being at that time a resident of the City of Philadelphia) as a private in the Company of Captain Life, and Lieutenant Keoffer. During this tour he was marched from Philadelphia to Trenton N. Jersey; from thence to Princeton, from Princeton to Brunswick, and from thence to Elizabethtown point where they were encamped until the expiration of their term of service, when he was discharged, having served two months, and not having been engaged in any battle during that tour. — In the month of December in the same year (1776) he volunteered again, and served as a private in the same Battalion of the Philadelphia Militia in the Company of Captain Keoffer and Lieut. Shaffer, and continued in service two months. Near the close of the year aforesaid they were marched from Philadelphia and on the night of the 26th of December crossed the Delaware River to Trenton where he assisted in making prisoners of the Hessian Troops stationed in that place. On the 2 nd day of January 1777 the British Army made an ineffectual attempt to retake Trenton, and on the succeeding night the American Army after having kindled large fires in their camp, marched under cover of the darkness, to Princeton, where they surprized and captured the British Troops in that place. Here the said Hammer was engaged in both the above mentioned Battles at Trenton and Princeton. After the taking of Princeton he was marched to Pluckemin, and from thence to Morristown, where he was discharged after

the expiration of his two months term of service. We cannot now remember the names of any of the officers of the Regular soldiers, with whom he served, except the Commander in Chief General Washington, whom he saw frequently. —
Having afterwards removed to, and become an inhabitant of Virginia he was drafted from the (then) county of Augusta (now Pendleton) and served a tour of three months, against the Indians, on the Waters of the Monongahela in said State, as a private in the Company of Militia Commanded by Capt Robert Davis. After having served out the three months, he was discharged and returned home; and soon , The last mentioned tour was performed during the year 1778. Afterwards in the summer of 1781 he was again drafted from Augusta County Va. and served a fourth tour of two or three months, against the British, in the lower part of said State, as a private in the Company of Captain David Givins. During this tour he was marched from home by the way of Staunton, Charlottesville &c. to Richmond, where, or near which place he was placed under the Command of the French General Lafayette — and was marched up, and down, and across the lower part of the State of Virginia, and underwent much fatigue from hard marching and want of provisions, and after having faithfully served out his term of service of at least two months, he was discharged. In all the four tours aforesaid he is positively certain that he served at least nine months, and probably ten. He has no documentary evidence of his service, and does not know of any living witnesses by whom he can prove any of his services, except the tour of three months on the Waters of the Monongahela. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the Agency of any State.
Sworn and subscribed, on the day and year aforesaid. —
his Palmer Hammer Mark

We Zebulon Dyer - and Zachariah Monroe residents of the County of Pendleton, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Palsur Hamner who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration, that we believe him to be 78 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
Z Dyer
his
Zachariah T Monroe Mark
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named Applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states, and that Zebulon Dyer & Zachariah Monroe who has also signed the same are residents in the County of Pendleton, and are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit — Virginia Pendleton County Set
I Zebulon Dyer Clerk of the Court of said County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Palsur Hamner for a pension —
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this 8 th day of February 1833 and in the 57 th year of the Commonwealth —
Z Dyer

Reuben
6950
INVALID.
File No. 6950
Ralser Zimmer
Pri after war
Act: June 14 th 39
Index:—Vol. 1 st , Page 160
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Virginia Pendleton County to wit on this 7 th day of November 1832. Michael Hoover came before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace and made oath, that during the Revo- lutionary war in the year 1778 he served a three months Tour of Duty as a militiaman with Palser Hammer, on the waters of the Monon- gahela, that they were both in the same Company, which was commanded by Capt Robert Davis & Levi Francis Erick, and at the time they performed said service what is now Pendleton County was a part of Augusta County
his
Michael M Hoover
Mark
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day & year first written above
Wm Miley or Justice of the peace
and the said
Virginia Pendleton County to wit
I Zebulon Dyer Clerk of the County aforesaid do hereby certify that William Miley before whom the above Affidavit of Michael Hoover appears to have been taken is a Justice of the peace in and for said County and duly Commissioned and sworn, and that his signature is genuine and that due faith and credit ought to be given to all his Official acts as such
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the said County at the Court house this 8 th day of February 1833. and in the 57 th year of the Commonwealth -
Z Dyer

WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pension Office,
23. February 1833
SIR :
I return herewith the papers in support of the claims of the persons whose names are hereto annexed.
These papers are in several respects defective. Each case is accompanied by a brief. The objections are contained in the negative answers, in red ink, given to the questions.
Particular attention should be paid to the accompanying regulations and to the explanatory notes subjoined to the brief.
The extraordinary press of business in this office, arising from the great number of claims under the act of June 7, 1832, has hitherto prevented us from attending to the applications sent by you. The investigation of the cases presented under this law has been difficult and laborious, and notwithstanding the greatest exertions have been made by this Department, an earlier attention to your business has been found impracticable.
The brief has been prepared to meet all cases, and thus to save the excessive labor which would otherwise be imposed upon the office, and which would consume so much time as to render the delay two fold greater than it now is in the investigation of claims and writing letters. Each case is considered correct in all respects except in relation to those questions to which a negative answer is affixed. No other alteration or addition will be required.
I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. L. Edwards
Hon Mr. Mc Coy Ho of Rep
Palmer Harmer

J. L. Edwards Esq.
Pension office
McCoy

Feby 16 th 1833
Sir, enclosed you will find Palser Hamner's Declaration for a pension under the late law of Congress
Respectfully y r
W. L. S t
W. Milroy
J. L. Edwards Esq r

Palser Harmer
Va
9 mo:
$30 per am
at Ed:
for am
McCoy

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Palser Harmer 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? No VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? No 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? Citizens  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's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service? yes If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? No Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? 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? yes  XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? 1. 2. 6. 7. 
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 each 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. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
† 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 authenticates 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 ends 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.
☞ In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.