Pension application of John Mead S38210 f12VA
Transcribed by Will Graves 5/19/13
Virginia SS
On this 8th day of July in the year 1818 before me the subscriber one of the Judges of the General Court for the State of Virginia personally appeared John Mead age 65 years resident in the County of Augusta in the State aforesaid who being by me first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late act of Congress entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War. That he the said John Mead enlisted for the term of eighteen months on the __ day of __ in the year 1775 in the State of Virginia in the Company commanded by Captain Adam Wallace of the 14th Regiment in the Line of the State of Virginia on Continental establishment that he served during the term of his enlistment aforesaid & again enlisted in the Company commanded by Captain Beal [perhaps Robert Beall] who belonged to the 7th Regiment of North Carolina Troops on Continental establishment during the War. That he continued in the Army until he was taken a prisoner at the siege of Charlestown [Charleston, May 12, 1780] – That he had previously served in the siege of Savannah [September 16-October 19, 1779, was in the battle at St. John's Island & many other engagements of minor note – That he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his Country for support –
Sworn to before me the day & year first above written.
S/ Arch: Stuart
John Mead lived in my neighborhood when he enlisted & although I was not present being very young at the time I have no doubt of the fact – I have lately conversed with him about his second enlistment he informs me he enlisted in North Carolina with a Virginia officer & now believes he did belong to the Virginia line when he was captured he is an ignorant man & may have made a mistake in his declaration but if he never had enlisted a 2nd time he is entitled to a pension from his first enlistment having served out his time & being now a pauper.
S/ Arch: Stuart
Rockbridge County to wit
This day John Reardon1 personally appeared before me John Alexander a Justice of the Peace for the aforesaid County and made oath that John Mead entered into the regular service under Captain Adam Wallace of the 14th Regiment Virginia line, that he the said Mead remained in the service about twelve months and was then transferred to Colonel Heath's [William Heth] Regiment.
Given under my hand this 24th day of June 1819.
S/ John Alexander
State of Virginia Augusta County to wit
On this 26th day of June in the year 1820 in open Court being a court of record for the County of Augusta (in which proceedings are had according to the course of the common law, which has unlimited jurisdiction, within the said County in civil suits, has the power of fine and imprisonment and has all its proceedings duly registered) personally appeared John Mead aged
about 68 years, a resident in the said County of Augusta who being first duly sworn according to
law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary war as follows viz. he was enlisted by Ensign Robert Lear [?]2; in Staunton, in the County of Augusta, in the year 1776 he was then marched to Fredericksburg and attached to the 3rd Virginia Regiment on Continental establishment under the command of Colonel William Heath in the Brigade of General Charles Scott; He was afterwards marched to the South and continued in the regular service from the time of his enlistment aforesaid, till the siege of Charleston in South Carolina, when he was taken by the British and confined a prisoner for about 12 months: – That he has heretofore made his declaration under the act of Congress of the 18th of March 1818 and been placed on the pension list under that Act – that the date of his declaration is not recollected by him, the certificate Hal of a bad date of the 8th day of July 1818 and is not numbered unless these figures there written on the 2nd Page of the Sheet represent the number – to wit 16019 – and the said John Mead in Open Court: as aforesaid did solemnly swear that he was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that he has not since that time by gift, sale or in any manner whatever disposed of his property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to
diminish it as to bring himself within the provision of an act of Congress entitled “an act to
provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the
revolutionary war” passed on the 18th day of March 1818, and that he has not nor has any person
in trust for me any property, or securities, contracts or debts due to him nor has he any income
other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by him subscribed – He further
made oath in open court as aforesaid that his occupation is that of a ditcher and well digger, but that he is too old and infirm as to be incapable of hard labor and altogether unable to earn a support for himself and can only be supported by public or private charity, that he has no family neither wife nor children they being all dead; –
The Schedule above referred to is in the following words – to wit, Schedule of the property of
John Mead "One horse about twenty-one years of age and about fifteen hands high"
"Some small debts due to me not amounting to five dollars."
S/ John Mead
[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $8 per month commencing July 8, 1818 for service as a
private for 7 years in the Virginia Continental line.]
________
1 John Reardon S38330
2 though the first letter looks more like a "S" than "L", other names in the document
starting with "S" appear as follows: Stanton. I have been unable to identify the officer named by the veteran as ever "Lear" or "Sear.
http://revwarapps.org/s38210.pdf
