Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4312, John Griffin, N.C.

SERVICE
NUMBER
N. 6
Griffin, John Jane
P. # 312
CONTENTS

Revolutionary Claims.
1992 944
[ A. ]
Form of a Declaration to be made by the Officers.
For the purpose of obtaining the benefits of an act, entitled "An act for the relief of certain surviving Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Revolution," approved on the 15th of May, 1828, I, John Griffin  late of the County of Gibson , and now, in the county of Maury , in the State of Tennessee , do hereby declare that I was an officer in the Continental Line of the Army of the Revolution, and served as such* to the time when the arrangement of the Army provided by the Resolves of Congress of the 3rd. and 21st. of October, 1780, was carried into effect; and that I was reduced under that arrangement, at which period I was a Captain in the South regiment of the North Carolina line.
And I also declare, that I afterwards received certificates (commonly called commutation certificates) for a sum equal to the amount of five years' full pay; which sum was offered by the resolve of Congress, of the 22d of March, 1783, instead of the half pay for life, to which I was entitled under the resolve of the 21st of October, 1780.
And I do further declare, that I have received of the United States as a pensioner since the 3d day of March, 1826, any thing . And I do further declare that the commission under which I acted as above stated, has long since been lost or mislaid.
Witness my hand, this 22nd day of December , in the year 1828
Subscribed & sworn to before me a Justice of the Peace in & for Maury County, Tenn. Alec. Johnson J.P.
Before me, Alexander Johnson , a Justice of the Peace in the county of Maury , in the State of Tennessee , personally appeared, this day, Benjamin Reynolds and Jonathan J. Hunt , of the said county, who did severally make oath that Captain John Griffin , by whom the foregoing declaration was subscribed, is generally reputed and believed to have been an officer in the Army of the Revolution, in manner as therein stated.
Witness my hand, this 22nd day of December , in the year 1828
Alec. Johnson J.P.
Ben. Reynolds Jonathan J. Hunt
Thomas Jefferson Porter Clerk of the Court
of the county of Maury , in the State of Tennessee
do hereby certify, that Alexander Johnson , before whom the foregoing affidavits were sworn, was, at the time, an acting justice of the peace, and duly empowered to administer oaths. in said county.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the said Court, this 22nd day of December 1828
[ L.S. ]
Th. Jefferson Porter
* Here insert, To the end of the war, or, (as the case may be,) to the time when the arrangement of the Army provided by the resolves of Congress of the 3rd and 21st of October, 1780, was carried into effect; and that I was reduced under that arrangement.
† Here insert, The sum of _____ dollars, paid to me by the agent for paying pensions in the State of _____ . If the claimant has not been a pensioner, this part of the declaration may be omitted.
‡ A Justice of the Peace, or other magistrate duly empowered to administer oaths, as the case may be.

2012-000000000000000000
Oct. 13, 1853
Daughter of Jane Griffin, widow of John, Gibson co., Tenn
Act 138
Must be Org
G W Talbot Esq Spring Creek Madison Co Tenn

State of Tennessee                      § County of Gibson                      § II.
On This third day of August, A.D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty Three personally appeared before me, The undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, within and for the County and State aforesaid, Margaret Pruitt, who being duly sworn according to law, doth, on her oath declare, That she is the daughter of John Griffin, who entered the army during the Revolutionary war as a private and before its termination was promoted to the Station of Captain, That he lived at or near Hillsboro, in the State of North Carolina, previous to his enlistment. She further declares, That her father, the aforesaid John Griffin, died in the county of Maury in the State of Tennessee, in about the year A. D. 1829, leaving a widow, Jane Griffin, who remained a widow until her death, which transpired in 1840, That her father the said John Griffin was married to her mother the said Jane Griffin, in the year A. D. 1783. She further declares that her mother the said Jane Griffin, died in the county of Gibson in the year 1840, leaving six heirs, five of whom are now living, to wit, Hough, Celia, Elizabeth, Margaret, Libby, who have fully authorized the said Margaret Pruitt, formerly Margaret Griffin to apply for the pension money due their father for his services in the Revolutionary war, and for the amount due their mother, the said, Jane Griffin,

She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the benefit of the act of Congress, passed March 18th, 1818, for herself and her brother Hugh Griffin, and sisters Celia, Elizabeth, Liby, her
Margaret Pruitt mark.
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written. And I hereby certify that the said Margaret Pruitt is a truthful woman and her testimony is entitled to credit.
Geo. W. Mee Co. B J. P. for Gibson county
State of Tennessee } Gibson county }
On this third day of August, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace, within and for the county and State aforesaid, George B. Clement, William Clement, two good and creditable witnesses, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on their oaths declare, that they are personally acquainted with Margaret Pruitt, who lives in Gibson county, in the State of Tennessee, and that she is the daughter of John Griffin, who died in Maury county in the state of Tennessee, in the year A. D. 1829, leaving a widow, Jane Griffin, who

died in Gibson county, in the State of Tennessee, in the year A. D. 1840, not having married since the death of John Griffin. They further declare that the said John Griffin, during his life recognized the said Jane Griffin as his Wife, and that they were so considered in the community where they lived, and that the said Jane Griffin left five heirs, to wit Margaret Pruitt, Hugh Griffin, Celia Cunningham, Elizabeth Hamilton, Lucy Hamilton, who are now living, and they believed him to have been in the Revolutionary War.
William Clement
George B Clement
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written. And I hereby certify that the above affidavit was taken before the said Margaret Pruitt.
W. W. Price (Seal) J.P. for Gibson county
State of Tennessee, County of Gibson } ss.
On this third day of August, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace for the county and State aforesaid, David P. Hamilton, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that he was personally acquainted with John Griffin, and that he made his acquaintance in the year 1815, and that he was in indigent circumstances, from that time to his death.

which was in the year 1829, and that his widow the said Jane Griffin died in the year 1840. David P. Hamilton
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above written. And I hereby certify that David P. Hamilton, is a good and creditable witness, and that this affidavit was taken in the presence of Margaret Pruit.
Geo. W. Mee Esq. A.P. for gibron county
State of Connecticut, I James A. M c Dearmon clerk of the county court Hartford County of said county do hereby certify that John W. Ince Esquire whose signature appears to the foregoing certifica- tes is now and was at the date thereof an acting Justice of the peace in and for said County, duly com- missioned and qualified according to law and that each signature purporting to be his are genuine. Given under my hand at my office in Hartford this 30 th day of Septem r 1883 J. A. M c Dearmon

No 15,163
Jane Griffin, do
ma. of John,
July 7, 1838.
Jenn
G. W. Talbot,
Spring Creek,
Jenn.
or

State of Tennessee County of Decatur ss.
On this first day of May A.D. One Thousand eight hundred and fifty four, personally appeared before the Court , of the County of Gibson in the State of Tennessee, holden at Trenton, in said County, Sibella Hamilton, a resident of County and State aforesaid, aged forty-eight years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth, on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit the benefit of the provision, made by the act of Congress, passed July 7 th 1838, entitled "An Act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows," That she is the daughter of Jane Griffin, who was the widow of John Griffin, who was for many years a private soldier in the Revolutionary war, and that he was under the command of, or at any rate served in company, with a certain Col. Sytle , who was an older man than himself, and they resided at the time of entering the service in the County of Orange in the State of North Carolina, and that after the aforesaid John Griffin had served in this capacity, for a considerable length of time, he was promoted to the grade of Captain of New Series, in the year 1778, and continued in actual service as such, till the close of said war, but declarant does not know whether he at any time, occupied any intermediate grade between that of private and Captain or not. Said soldier oftentimes stated that he entered the service before he attained his majority and served in all not less than seven years (if recollection is correct). Said declarant further states that she is not

in possession of documentary evidence in support of the claim, but that her said father John Griffin did have a Discharge or Commission, which he placed in the hands of a certain Orr in Vincent, for the purpose of getting land, but which it is believed he never received, but it is not known whether said Discharge or Commission is still in existence or not, (Further steps however will be taken to ascertain the facts in the case) and she must therefore refer to, and rely upon the proofs afforded by the records of War Department and the muster rolls. That her father the said John removed from the State of North Carolina to the State of Tennessee in the year 1809, and died in the County of Maury in said State in the month of November in the year 1831, and that a short time previous thereto, he commenced the preparation of papers in order to get a pension, but was taken sick and died without obtaining any thing, and she does not know whether those papers were forwarded to the Pension Office or not, but will expect to receive the benefit thereof if they were sent up, and are filed in that Office. She further declares that her Mother the said Jane, widow of the aforesaid John Griffin, was married to her said husband in the County of Orange in the State of North Carolina in the year 1790 or 1791, or before that time and that her Mother the aforesaid Jane, died in the County of Gibson in the State of Tennessee in the month of October in the year 1840 and that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the first day of January, seventeen hundred and ninety four, viz, at the time above stated.

She further swears that the aforesaid Jane her mother remained a widow from the death of her said husband John Griffin, until her own death, and that she never made any application for a pension, except an informal one by Margaret Pruitt sometime perhaps in the month of August 1833, the reply to which by Commissioner of Pensions is dated on the 24 th October 1833. Said declarant furthermore declares that her only surviving brother Hugh Griffin is four sixty years of age, and that there were two other brothers (now dead) who were both older than Hugh, and that her only surviving Sisters; children of the aforesaid Jane and John Griffin, are Selah Cunningham aged fifty seven years, Elizabeth B. Hamilton, aged fifty five years and Margaret Pruitt, aged fifty two years, and that by com- mon consent she makes this declaration for the joint benefit of her brother the said Hugh Griffin, and her several Sisters already mentioned, as well as herself, for the purpose of obtaining the arrears of pension to which her mother the said Jane Griffin may have been entitled under the act of the 7 th July 1838. She states further that she has no record evidence by which to prove the marriage and date thereof, of her said father and mother, and she must therefore rely upon the oral testimony of respectable per- sons to establish these facts, and the identity of her brother, Sisters and herself.
Sibella her X Hamilton M c R
Sworn to and subscribed in open court on the day and year above written,

and S, G. W. Rains, Clerk of the County Court in the said County of Gibson and State of Tennessee, do hereby certify that Sibella Hamilton whose name appears to the foregoing declaration is a good and credible witness and that satisfactory evidence has been exhibited before said Court, that Hugh Griffin, Sarah Cunningham, Elizabeth B. Hamilton, Margaret Pruitt and the said Sibella Hamilton, are the only surviving children of the late Jane Griffin, who was the widow of Captain John Griffin who said he served in the Revolutionary war, and that he was regarded as such, and so regarded by his acquaintance, that the aforesaid John and Jane Griffin were known to live together as husband and wife, and regarded as such, and so regarded by the community until the year 1831 when the said John died and that the aforesaid Jane remained a widow from the death of her said husband till the time of her own death which occurred in the month of October in the year 1840. The said Court finds its belief upon the above facts from the statements made by William Clement who claims to be sixty six years of age, and George B. Rust and forty eight years, and Calvin C. Clement and both years, all residents of our said County of Gibson in the State of Tennessee and persons entitled to credit, all of whom were introduced and sworn in due form of law in open Court, and who said their own ages were matters of record and that they were well acquainted with the aforesaid parties, the said Calvin C. Clement on his part states that he knows the date of the death of the said Jane Griffin from the date of his own marriage which is recorded on record, and moreover that he made the Coffin in which she was buried. The above named William Clement also stated that he often heard Captain Griffin say

That he was married immediately after the close of the Revolutionary war, and that he had delivered his discharge to the said Orin Vincent for the purpose of getting land, service pay, and pension, and that he afterwards heard Vincent say that he had all Captain Griffin's old Revolutionary papers, and from the fact that he had his said discharge, he would be able to get those claims.
I further certify that the words (or before that time) after the figures 1791, were all interlined as well as that of the word (four) after Sixty in reference to the age of Hugh Griffin was also interlined before assignment. And that the said Court fully concurs in the belief of the above facts as set forth.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and by order of said Court affixed the Official Seal of said County at Office in Trenton on this 1 st day of May A.D. 1854.
E. M. Rains, clk

26 Oct 1829.
1017.
Dear Sir I have met with a old soldier belonging to the fourth Regiment and was of on taking the command of a company in that campaign this & Rosemont by West Schuyler was Captain In the Continental Line till the term of his service was Ended the troops was raised by act of assembly of north Carolina by volunteer to fill up the broken Regiments in Genl Washington's army to the north all things were got ready for a march we marched into the state of Virginia some distance to a place called Petersburg came to our field officers not to march now further that way till orders from him we take there the orders came back the orders directed our field officers to join Genl Summers army at Charleton then named was Col Blackston and Col Lytel an agn Dickson major Nelson major Donough who this is all the field officers we had then with the army William D Blower
Given to day to this 12 Day September
1829 acting Justice of the peace in the Country of Gipton westmore District John Thornton a young hand J.P.

4312 P. O. _____
Sam Griffin Service: _____
REJECTED
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____ _____ _____
Re-enlisted: _____ _____ _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____ _____ _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

John Griffin - Capt N. Car. line -
Vern Columbia
Many do Ten
Ref File no 4312
OK
Evidence insufficient act 1828.

aw Rej
*
4312

John Griffin 942 1424-2345-3213
Rec 20 Aug 1829
315
(Revolutionary claim.)
Plant Grove P. O. Aug 10th 1829
Honorable Samuel D. Ingham, Secretary of the Treasury Washington City.

Tennessee, Maury County, August 10 th . 1828.
Honorable Land. S. Ingham.
Sir,
I exceedingly regret that my age, bodily infirmities, & indigence circumstances should have all combined to make it necessary that my application to your department to be placed on the pension list, (owing to the difficulty of obtaining the requisite evidence,) is likely to cause some trouble to the department over which you preside.
Your communication of the 30 th May last has been received some time since. In that communication you kindly say, that if I request it you will cause to be prepared & transmitted to me, a list taken from the papers which have been received at your department under the above mentioned act, of the names & residence of such of such officers of the line & Res t to which I represent myself to have belonged, as are known to be now living."

Your compliance with this kind promise is now respectfully asked with as little delay as practicable. I had obtained the affidavit of Captain Edmund Gamble, of the light horse, who is since dead; which affidavit was out of my possession, or so mislaid when I sent on my other papers, under the instructions of Mr. Rush, your predecessor, that I would not then send it on. I have hopes of being able to recover that paper, by sending to the Western District of this State. I know of the name & residence of one other officer who knew of my services, a Captain William Lytle, who lives in Rutherford County in this State. I have been to see him: but unfortunately from extreme age, his mind is entirely gone, so that he is incapable of recollecting any past event correctly, or doing any kind of business.
It will be seen from my other papers on file with you, that my services as Captain was rendered in the 4th. Regiment of the North Carolina line.

If you have the names & places of Residence of any living officers, or privates of that Regiment on file, please transmit me a list by mail, and the favor will be gratefully received. Such list may enable me to add one more at least. Witness to my Identity, & the fact of my having performed the Services set forth in my declaration, as I have hopes of getting the mislaid affidavit & statement of Captain Gamble.
Respectfully your obedt Servant John Griffin
P.S. Direct to pleasant Grove, Allegheny County, Penn a
1840

1829 9461 REVOLUTIONARY CLAIMS.
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
29 January 1829
John Griffin of _____ in the County of Maury — in the State of Tennessee has applied to the Secretary of the Treasury for the benefits of the act, entitled "An Act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the army of the Revolution," approved on the 15th of May, 1828. He states that he was as an officer on the Continental line, and served as such until reduced under the resolves of the 21 st Oct 1780,
at which period he was a Captain in the Fourth regiment of the N Carolina line; and that he received commutation certificates for the five years full pay granted by the re- solve of 22 March, 1783; and, further, that he has received as a pensioner since the 3d of March, 1826, nothing dollars, paid to him by the agent in the State of _____
The Third Auditor is requested to report how far these several statements are corroborated by the records in his office.
By order of the Secretary, W. Dickins,
TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
THIRD AUDITOR'S OFFICE,
3 rd February 1829
does not It appears by the records in this office, that final settlement certificates have been issued for the commutation of five years full pay to John Griffin - Captain in the North Carolina line, amounting to  not dollars.
It further appears that John Griffin - not is now on the pension list of the any — agency, and has been since the 3 rd March 1826  at the rate of  per month.
The Revolutionary records in this Office furnish no information whatever in relation to the services of Captain John Griffin of the North Carolina line -
Peter Hagner And

War Department Bounty Land Office
29 May 1829.
The records of this Office does not show the name of Jn o Griffin a Capt d of the N o Carolina line - or does it appear that a Land Warrant have issued for him -
C. Pepper

Spring Creek May 3 rd 1834.
Hon. S. P. Waldo Sir
Please find the declaration of the late Jane Griffin widow of John by her daughter Sibella Hamilton for arrears of Pension, to which she may have been entitled at her death.
Proof as to the date of the marriage of Captain John Griffin and his wife Jane will be furnished in due time.
Very Respectfully L. Jayne
for Genl. Saltonstall
We forwarded the declaration of Sarah Dugle about a month since by her daughter Sally Davis for arrears to which her mother may have been entitled as the widow of John Dugle, and not having received an acknowledgement of its reception fear that it may have been missent.
Respectfully L. Jayne.

P.S. You will perceive that the Clerk for the County Court of Gibson County Tennessee is not as competent in his Office as it regards attaching papers together with ribbon as we hope he will be after more experience. He has but lately been elected and inducted into Office. Being a clever man and the choice of the People we must put up with him.
Z. H.