Pension Application of Benjamin Cleaver R2039
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Kentucky
Grayson County S.S.
On this 24 day of September 1832 Personally appeared in th open court before Joseph Boone, Benedict Carrico & William Patterson the court of Grayson County State of Kentucky now sitting Benjamin Cleaver a resident of Grayson County and State of Kentucky aged 81 years who being first sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benifit of the act of congress passed June 7th 1832, That he entered the service of the United States in the following manner. In 1774 in the Spring of the year he lived in Tigers Valey in the State of Virginia on the Monongahala river [sic: Tygart Valley in present West Virginia on a branch of Monongahela River now named Tygart Valley River] the indians became troublesome supposed to have been excited by the British, The people forted That he was appointed Sergeant and himself and others who were detailed for that purpose was ordered to guard the forts and Fronteers of Tigers valey in this summer he was in service in guarding the forts about 4 or 5 months and in the latter part of the summer he was called on & volunteered to go out on Dunmores [Royal Governor Lord Dunmore’s] Campaign against the Indians, and marched to the mouth of the Big Canhaway [sic: Kanawha River] where they had a battle with the Indians [Battle of Point Pleasant, 10 Oct 1774], that he travelled about 300 miles on this campaign and was in service about 4 months, and on the next year 1775 the Indians still being troublesome being excited by the British he entered the service again under the command of Captain Friend and was stationed in Tigers Valey to guard the forts and Fronteers of Tigers valey & built another fort all under orders from the government this season he was in service during the Spring and Summer, he was also in service of the united states during the summer seasons of the years 1776, 1777 & 1778 in guarding the forts and Fronteers of Tigers valey all under orders from the government or state of virginia and at one time went to guard Beef Cattle from Tigers valey on towards Pittsburg [Fort Pitt at Pittsburgh] the cattle was intended for the army of the revolution at this time he was gone about one month. In the year 1779 he moved to the country near the falls of the Ohio River [at present Louisville KY] and in 1781 he was ordered by Gen’l. [George Rogers] Clark to assist in guarding and building forts at the falls of the Ohio River at this time he was in service about 15 days. In 1782 he went on a Campaign against northern Indians he went under Captain Davis and was himself sergeant this campaign was under the command of Gen’l. Clark. They went to the Shawnee Towns and burnt several of the towns [Piqua, Standing Stone, etc., 10 Nov], had some skirmishing and took 14 prisoners, he was 3 months in service on this campaign
Questions propounded by the court to the applicant:
Question 1st. where and in what year were you born –
Answer. I was born on 29th day of January 1751 in the State of Maryland
2nd Question – Have you any record of your age and if so where is it.
Answer I have none my age was recorded in my fathers Bible and it was burnt in his house.
3rd Question where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live?
Answer: At the time I was called into service I lived in Tigers Valey in the state of virginia and and moved to the settlement of Kentucky in 1779 and settled in that part which is now Nelson County. I now live in Grayson County State of Kentucky at which place I have lived 16 years.
4th Question State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served and such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service –
Answer the officers under whom I served were those already stated and the general circumstance of my service was as I have before stated in this declaration
5 Question did you ever receive a discharge from the th service Answer – no I did not 6th Question State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution –
answer. Uriah Pertle, James Bentle, William Ewing, John Jamison, Peter Fulkerson, John Fulkerson, Charles Wortham, John Cunningham, William C. Wortham –
That he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service except the evidence of William Cleaver [pension application S30331] whose affidavit is here filed in Court
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 to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid [signed] Benjamin Cleaver
State of Kentucky
Grayson County Sct
On this 27th day of May 1833 Personally appeared in open court before the Court of Grayson County being a Court of Record Benjamin Cleaver who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his Oath make the following statement in order to amend his Declaration for a pension under the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That in the year 1774 he entered the service of the united states in the militia of Virginia under Captain Friend, and his services was the guarding Forts and the Frontiers in Tigers Valey in Virginia and was in service at least four months. That in the latter part of the summer in the year 1774 he volunteered and went on a Campaign to the mouth of Kenhaway against the northern Indians on this Campaign he was under Captain Lewis [John Lewis of Botetourt County] in a Regiment commanded by Colonel [Charles] Lewis of the Virginia Militia and was called Dunmores Campaign. That he marched to the mouth of Big Kenhaway where they had a battle with the Indians, on this campaign he served at least 4 months, that in 1775 he was in service of the united states is assisting to drive Cattle for the army from Tigers Valey towards Pittsburg and was in service 30 days that he does not recollect the names of the officers he was under in this service it was under orders from the government – that in 1779 he removed to the falls of Ohio, and in the year 1781 he was ordered by Gen’l. Clark to assist in guarding and building forts at the falls of Ohio River at this time he was in the sevice of the United States at least 15 days. That in the year 1782 he volunteered under Captain Davis and went on a Campaign under Gen’l. Clark against the northern Indians on this campaign he was a Sergeant, they went to the Shawnee towns towards Detroit and burnt several of the towns, had some skirmishing & took 14 prisoners he was three months in service on this campaign for which he claims a pension
That he has no documentary evidence except the Deposition of William Cleaver which is hereto annexed as a part of this amended Declaration, he further states he was in a scout in 1788 against the indians under Captain Wilson in the militia of virginia [signed] Benjamin Cleaver
State of Kentucky
Grayson County Sct
The affidavit of William Cleaver taken at the Town of Leitchfield Grayson County Kentucky on the 27th day of May 1833
This Deponent being in the 72nd year of his age and first duly sworn saith that he has been acquainted with Benjamin Cleaver ever since he was a boy and that he knows the said Benjamin Cleaver lived in Tigers Valey on the Monongahala River in the State of Virginia in time of the revolutionary war he knows the said Benjamin Cleaver was in the service of the Untied States in the Revolutionary War, that he knows of the said Benjamin Cleaver guarding forts and the Frontier in Tigers Valey in the year 1774 that he knows of the said Benjamin Cleaver going on Dunmores campaign in 1774 that he moved with the said Benjamin Cleaver to the Kentucky settlement in the year 1779 that he knows of the said Benjamin Cleaver being called by Gen’l. Clark to guard and assist in building Forts at the falls of the Ohio River in the year 1781. That he knows of the said Benjamin Cleaver going as a sergent under Captain Davis on Gen’l. Clarks Campaign against the northern Indians in the year 1782 and that he was in service three months on this Campaign This deponent was on the same campaign and in the same company with the said Benjamin Cleaver William Cleaver.
NOTE: Benjamin Cleaver’s claim for a pension was denied because the Pension Office did not think he had adequately proved service of at least six months under military authority during the Revolutionary War, considered by the Pension Office to have been 19 Apr 1775 - 22 Apr 1783. The service claimed by Benjamin Cleaver during this period was virtually identical to that of William Cleaver (pension application S30331), who received a pension for 10 months service. Note, however, that in his amended declaration Benjamin Cleaver failed to include his service in 1776, 1777, and 1778.
On 4 March 1853 Charles C. Cleaver, one of the heirs and administrator of the estate of Benjamin Cleaver, assigned power of attorney to obtain any benefits for the service of Benjamin Cleaver
http://revwarapps.org/r2039.pdf
