Pension Application of John Bell S16640
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia } to wit
County of Augusta }
On this 22 day of December 1834 personally appeared in open court, before James Bell, Jacob Long, Joseph Brown and John Christian Justices of the Court of Augusta County, now sitting, John Bell, a resident of the Long Glade in the said County of Augusta, in the state of Virginia, aged seventy nine 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, & served as herein stated.
In the latter part of September or first of October in the year 1780, he was called out, as
an ensign, to perform a three months Tour of duty, under Cap. Thomas Smith. The company rendesvouzed at Col. Esam’s in the said County of Augusta, & marched from thence, by the way of Charlottesville, to Richmond, & encamped a short distance, perhaps about a mile, below that city, where they remained until discharged, which was at the end of three months, or within a very few days of that period, – the tour being considered as a three month’s one. There were no regular troops, so far as he can recollect, at that place. This applicant is very old & infirm, & his memory has much failed. He cannot recollect the name of the Lieut. of the Company to which he was attached, or any of the Field Officers who commanded at the camp near Richmond.
Early in the month of January 1781, Francis Bell, the brother of this applicant, was drafted for a military tour of three months, but thinking his brother too young to bear the fatigues of a campaign, this applicant took his place as a substitute, as a private soldier, & served the tour for him. The company to which this applicant was attached was commanded by Cap. Joseph Patterson; his subalterns were Lieut. Andrew Anderson & Ensign James Poage. They also rendezvoused at the said Col. Esam’s & marched from thence through Charlottesville &
Richmond to Portsmouth, where they encamped at the Dismal Swamp & remained there & in the
neighborhood thereof until some time in the month of the succeeding April, when he was discharged, having served fully, or rather more than, three months. He does not recollect the number of the Regiment to which he belonged, but it was commanded by Col. Sampson Mathews & Lieut. Col. William Bowyer. He thinks there were some regular troops there, but does not remember the names of any of the officers commanding them. He was in some small skirmishes during this tour, about the Dismal Swamps.
In the month of June (as well as he can recollect) in the same year (viz 1781) he was again called out, as an Ensign, for a tour stated to be for twenty days, and served as such in a company commanded by Cap. John Dickey, in which Robert Campbell was Lieut. This company rendezvoused at the same place (viz. Col. Esam’s) & marched from thence, by the way of Charlottesville, Hanover &c, to James Town, & was engaged in the Battle that was fought at that place [Green Springs Plantation, 6 Jul] & also in some other little skirmishes. He does not recollect the names of any of the Field Officers who commanded him, except Col. Wm. Bowyer.
There were numerous regular soldiers there, under the command of Gen’l. Lafayette.
After serving at least Twenty days, he was discharged & returned home. He never, at any time, received a written discharge.
Interrogatories propounded by the court.
1. Where & in what year were you born?
Ans’r. I was born on the Long Glade, in the County of Augusta, in the State of Virginia, in the month of September 1755.
2. Have you any record of your age, & if so, where is it?
Ans’r. I have a transcript of the register of my age, in my possession, taken from the original in my Father’s Bible.
3. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, & where do you now live?
Ans’r. On the Long Glade, in the County of Augusta & State of Virginia.
4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?
Ans’r. I have answered this question in my declaration.
5. State the names of some of the Regular Officers, who were with the troops where you served; such Continental & Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service.
Ans’r. I have already stated all that I can recollect on those subjects.
6. Did you ever receive a commission, & if so, by whom was it signed, & what has become of it?
Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, & if so, by whom was it given, & what has become of it?
Ans’r. I had a Commission as Ensign, but it has either been lost, or so mislaid that I am unable to find it; I do not recollect by whom it was signed. I never received a written discharge from the service.
7 . State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, & who can testify as to your character for veracity & their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.
Ans’r. I would refer to Majr. Samuel Bell, Francis Gardner, Doct. James Allen, Majr. John Crawford [pension application R2472], Rev. John Henderson & Joseph Cowan.
This applicant farther states that he knows of no other persons who can prove his services, than those whose affidavits are hereunto annexed, Viz. Samuel Bell, John Crawford, James Allen & Francis Gardner.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, & declares that his name is is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any state.
Sworn to & subscribed, the day & year aforesaid.
[signed] John Bell
Augusta County, to wit,
This day Doct James Allen seventy one year old last March, personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace for the County aforesaid & made oath That on or about the 6 day of Jany. 1781, he rendevoused in the County of Augusta, marched from thence to Portsmouth & performed a tour of three months duty in the service; that John Bell, the afsd applicant [one or two illegible words] in the annexed declaration was with him during this same time & served the same tour. This affiant has known the said John Bell almost from his (this affiants) infancy, & can cheerfully say that the sd. John Bell is a man of strict veracity & integrity & that his statements may be fully relied on.
Given under my hand the 22 day of Dec’r. 1834. Wm Young
Augusta County, to wit,
This day Francis Gardner aged Seventy three years past personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace for the County of Augusta & made oath that in the year 1781 he performed a tour of duty in company with John Bell, the applicant for a pension in the annexed Declaration, at Portsmouth in the state of Virginia, & that they served fully three months & were discharged.
This affiant also has [illegible word] that the said John Bell was at James Town on [one or two illegible words] Tour. This affiant has long [illegible word] the said John Bell, & cheerfully unites with the foregoing affiant, in saying that he is a man of strict integrity & veracity, & that his statements may be implicitly relied on.
Given under my had the 22 day of Dec’r 1834.
Wm Young
[Samuel Bell, pension application W12267, deposed that he had served the tour at Richmond with John Bell, and that his brothers had been with John Bell at Jamestown].
https://revwarapps.org/s16640.pdf
