Person:Jacob Meek (3)

War Pension Application

Jacob Meek's Pension Application The State of Indiana) Wayne Co. ) On this 31st day of August 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Judges of the Wayne Circuit Court the same being a Court of Record possessing covenial common Law and Chancery jurisdiction now sitting, Jacob Meek, a resident of the County of Wayne State of Indiana aged seventy seven years in March last, 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. I entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated to wit. In the first part of May in the year 1775 or 1776 1 volunteered (I then being a resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania) in the company of Captain John Stinson of the Pennsylvania militia and continued in the service in his company for about three months during which time we marched to Wheeling in Virginia and built a (Reserve at Fort Wheeling) fort at the end of three months left the company of John Stinson and entered as a volunteer in the company of Captain Hugh Stinson of the Virginia militia and I continued in his company until about Christmas of the same year when I (with others) was ordered home to make preparations for another campaign. But I was taken sick and was unable to march and did not serve any longer under those engagements. Sometimes in the fore part of the summer of the year 1779 perhaps for I cannot recollect the date certainly now I was drafted to protect the frontiers against the Indians, and served under Captain Ralph Cherry of the Pennsylvania militia and was stationed in my own neighborhood at the will of Captain Cherry I served about three months and was discharged sometime in the fall of the year though I cannot recollect the particular date. During the time I was in the company of Captain Cherry the 13th Regiment of Virginia Regulars were stationed at Port Pitt to protect the frontiers the Regiment was Commanded by Colonel John Gibson. I know several of the Captains in the Regiment one by the name, Robert Bell one by the name of Robert Dance and one Captain Steele. My memory is so much imparied that I cannot now recollect particular dates and cannot recollect whether any of the principal events of the Revolution happened whilst I was in the service I received regular discharges from each of the officers that I served under but have lost them through the lapse of time. I do not know of any person at this time whose testimony I can procure who can testify to my service as herein before stated. ) His Subscribed, sworn to in open court 31 ) Jacob Meek August 1832 Sam Hannah let R. ) Mark Question lst. by the court. Where and in what year were you born. Answer. I was born in Elkridge in the State of Maryland near Baltimore in the year 1755, but in what county I was born I do not know at this time. Question 2. Have you any record of your age. Ans. I have no Record of my age and only state my age and truth from the information of my father. Quest. 3rd. How were you called into service were you drafted did you volunteer or were you a substitute. Ans. I have stated as fully as now can heretofore in this declaration. Quest. 4 where were you living when called into service where have you lived since the Revolutionary war and where do you now live. Answer. I resided as heretofore stated in the State of Pennsylvania after the Revolutionary war I removed to the state of Kentucky and resided about eighteen or nineteen years in the Counties of Shelby & Henry from then I removed to Wayne County now State of Indiana where I have resided about twenty five years where I now reside. Quest. #5 State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served such continental and militia Regiments as you can recollect and the General circumstances of your service. I cannot state more particularly than I have hereto fore done except that I recollect that I recollect the name of Colonel William Crawford who commanded the militia t Fort Wheeling while we were stationed there. Quest. #6. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution. Ans.Beale Boller, Esq. a member of the Court. James Jesse Bink. P. ?Bingebo and Aquilla Beck can testify at my characters for truth and veracity. State of Indiana We, Harlan Robbins, a Clergyman Wayne County resideing within said county of Wayne and John Whitehead a citizen residing in the same county certify that we are well acquainted with Jacob Meek who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing Declaration State of Indiana) Wayne County ) Be it remembered that on the 3rd day of April A.D. 1830 personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for said County Jacob Meek aged seventy seven years who being by me 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. To with: I entered the service of the United States at Westmoreland County- Pennsylvania on the first day of April 1776 a private volunteer under the Command of Capt. John Stinson and served under his orders about three months. I then volunteered as a private in a company of volunteers commanded by Capt. Hugh Stinson and served under him for more than five months more and was discharged an Christmas Day 1776 after having served without intermission under the above named officers under two engage-ments from the Ist day of April 1776 until the 25th day of December of the same year, making eight months and twenty five days actual service as a private volunteer. Afterwards in the year 1779 1 served as a private militiaman under the Command of Capt. Ralph Cherry of Westmoreland County, PA for three months and for such service I claim a pension. I hereby relinguish every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of any Agency in any State and further I wish to make and do hereby make this deposition and amendment to my original declaration for a pension and pray that the same may be incorporated therin and made a part of the same. Sworn to and subscribed before) his me this 3rd day of April ) Jacob Meek A.D.1833 ) mark Joseph Curtis, J.P. War Department Pension office The evidence in support of your claim under the act of June 7, 1832 had been examed and the papers here herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules and the subjointed notes you will redily preceive that objections exist which must be removed before a pension can be allowed. The rules and the regulations will show what is necessary to be done. Those points to which your attention is more particularly directed you will find marked in the margin with a brace. You will when you return your papers to this Department send this printed letter with them, and you will by complying with this request greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim. Statement showing the service of Jacob Meek Wayne County Indiana Period Served Date Rank Officer Age Place of abode Proof Vol. Priv. 1775 or 1776 - - 3- - Private Capt. Stinson 77 years Westmoreland Co. Pennsylvania Traditionary evident & Clergyman's certificate. ? certificate credible papers correct. Vol. Not stated Private Capt. H. Stinson Draft Summer 1779 about 3- - Private Capt. Ralph Cherry It appears by a subsequent amended statement that applicate serviced 8 mo. 25 days

                    3 mo. 0 days

Making 11 mo. 25 days J. L. Edwards, Commissioner of Pensions Jan. 9, 1933 Jacob Meek S.16480 Mr. P. F. Eulmer 100 Main St., Room 1 Aurora, Illinois Dear Sir: Reference is made to your letter in which you request information in regard to Jacob Meek, a soldier of the War of the Revolution. The data furnished herein were obatined from the papers on file in pension claim, S.16480, based upon the Revolutionary War Service of Jacob Meek. He was born in March, 1755 on Elkridge Maryland, near Baltimore, the names of his parents are not given. While residing in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Jacob Meek enlisted April 1, 1776 -and served as a private in Captain John Stinson's company of Pennsylvania militia, and helped to build Fort Wheeling; after three months service, he enlisted in Captain Hugh Stinson's company of Virginia militia and served as a private six months and twenty-five days, and was discharged on Christmas Day, 1776. He enlisted in the summer of 1779 and served three months as private in Captain Ralph Cherry's company of Pennsylvania troops. After the Revolution, Jacob Meek moved to Kentucky and lived there eighteen or nineteen years in the counties of Shelby and Henry. He was allowed pension on his application executed Aug. 31, 1832, then a resident of Wayne County, Indiana. There are no data relative to his family In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, the name of person paid and possibly the date of death of the pensioner, Jacob Meek, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, Washington, D. C. citing all of the following data: Jacob Meek Certificate number 13604 Issued May 29, 1833 Rate $39.00 per annum To commence March 4, 1831 Act of June 7, 1832 Indiana Agency. Very truly yours A. D. Hiller Assistant to Administrator

Biography

The Palladium, Richmond, Indiana June 15, 1942 Richmond 1840-1942: Jacob Meek Helped in Clearing Much of Wayne County Land When the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated a marker on the grave of Jacob Meek, south of Richmond, Mrs. W.W. Garr, one of his descendants, president of the Wayne County Historical Society, read the following account of this old pioneer. Jacob Meek was born in Elkridge, Md., near Baltimore, in 1755. His father and grandfather were born in Lincolnshire, Eng. He was one of a large family, and while he was residing in Westmoreland county, Pa., he enlisted Apr. 1, 1776, and served as a private in Capt. John Stinson’s company of Pennsylvania militia. He helped to build Fort Wheeling. After three months service he enlisted again in Capt. Hugh Stinson’s company and served as a private until discharged Christmas day, 1776. He enlisted in the summer of 1779 and served three months as a private in Capt. Ralph Cherry’s Pennsylvania company. He was allowed a pension on his application executed Aug. 31, 1832, when he was living in Wayne county. After the Revolution he moved to Kentucky and lived 18 or 19 years in Shelby and Henry counties. He married Nancy Marcus in Pennsylvania. They had five children. In the fall of 1806 he arrived in Wayne county with Hugh Cull and others who brought their families from Kentucky. He settled on the west side of the river and joined the Kentucky settlement, so called, along Big Elkhorn. His son, Jeremiah Lee, in the spring of 1807 went with a party to Lawrenceburg in quest of breadstuff. They were gone seven days. They returned with a supply sufficient to last till fall. Living conditions were extremely hard in Wayne County when Jacob Meek brought his family here. The houses were of logs; the food cooked over the open fire places; the family clothed in homespun and, at first, wild game provided the food. Geese were raised for their feathers with which the settlers filled their bed ticks. Corn was an early article of food as were hominy and johnny cake. Weeds from the forest furnished the greens and tea was made of sassafras, beech leaf, sycamore chips and other herbs. Jacob Meek did his part in developing the wilderness he found here. Through the marriage of his children became related to many of the early families. He and Hugh Cull, a Methodist minister, conducted the first Methodist service in Wayne county. When his wife died she was the oldest Methodist in the county. In 1812 Governor Harrison visited this county for the purpose of warning the citizens against the Indians and having them prepare for the war. Thirty or 40 Indians were present when he reviewed the militia on Beeler’s farm. Among the blockhouses erected in the county was that of Meek’s on the east bank of the Whitewater. Jacob Meek was on a committee to adjust the accounts of the overseer of the poor at the first court held in 1811, and Jeremiah Meek his nephew, was one of the judges. Jeremiah Lee Meek, his son is buried in Elkhorn cemetery. He was my great-grandfather and was born in Pennsylvania in 1780. William, another son, married Patsey Holman, daughter of George Holman and brother-in-law of Richard Rue; Effie married William Grimes and Patsy married Elijah Fisher. According to the Richmond Jefferson, May 23, 1840, Jacob Meek died at his residence in Wayne township, aged 93 years, and was buried in the little cemetery on what was then the Minor farm. His grave is on a little bluff along a stream in a grove of trees. There is an iron fence around his grave which has the headstone provided by the government for all Revolutionary soldiers. The farm now owned by Daniel V. Lashley

Obituary

Palladium, Richmond, Indiana May 23, 1840 A Revolutionary Patriot Gone. - Died, - In the vicinity of this city, on Saturday evening, the 16th instant, Jacob Meek, aged 93 years. Mr. Meek was probably the oldest man in the county. He was born in the year 1747, in the state of Maryland, and served throughout the revolutionary war: believing that “To fight In a just cause, and for his country’s glory, Is the best office of the best of men.” After the close of the revolution, he emigrated to the western part of the State of Pennsylvania, enduring the privations incident to the settlement of that country, which was at that time almost an unbroken wilderness. After remaining there a few years, he moved to Kentucky. Here again he met the savage foe, and assisted in defending the helpless and dependent pioneers from the revengeful and murderous Indians—participating in many of those scenes which gave to Kentucky the appalling title of the ‘dark and bloody ground.’ Peace and safety in a measure restored to the settlements in that State, he again penetrated the then ‘far west,’ and located in this county, – thirty-three years ago – long before such a place as the city of Richmond now is was thought of. Here again, although he had passed beyond the number of years generally allotted to mankind, he contributed his part to the defense of the frontier. The life of Mr. Meek was one of eventfulness. Born before the revolution, he saw and felt the usurpations of a foreign government upon free born American citizens - joined heart and hand with those patriots who determined to repel the tyrannical measures attempted to be imposed upon the citizens of the colonies - fought by the side of Washington and his illustrious compeers - participated in several bloody and severely contested battles, and finally saw the arms of freedom victorious and peace restored to his country. He as seen that country which in his youth was an unbroken wilderness and the abode of savages, transformed into highly cultivated fields and flourishing cities and villages. In short, he has seen the fruition of all the sanguine hopes that animated the minds of those who broke the yoke of British tyranny, and established our government upon the sacred principles of equal liberty and justice to all men. 'His course is done - his errand done,’ and his spirit has joined those of the immortal dead of other days. DIED - In the county Henry in the State of Kentucky about six weeks since, Basil Meek, a brother of the above aged one hundred and nine years. He was also a patriot of the revolution.