Person:Thomas Bell (81)

Military Service

American Revolutionary War Veteran

Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 1, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Bell, Thomas - entered service 1781 in Berkeley County, Virginia; born 7/25/1756 [s/b 2/25/1756] on Rock Creek in Maryland which [is now] in Washington, D.C.; granted Pension 1833 in Washington, D.C.; granted Pension 1833 in Washington County, Tennessee; died 3/30/1837; married 2/22/1783 to Mary Edwards, Berkeley County, Virginia; widow died 8/6/1839; surviving children in 1854: Brooks H. abt. age 60 (resided in Washington County, TN); query letter in file in 1919 fro great great great granddaughter Mrs. R. C. Howard, Greeneville, TN, states son was born Iredell County, North Carolina, & had other children John & Jake, & son Brooks was a War of 1812 soldier. R207.

1.   Find A Grave.

   Thomas Bell
   Birth 25 Feb 1756
   Frederick County, Maryland, USA
   Death 30 Mar 1837 (aged 81)
   Burial Broyles Cemetery
   Washington County, Tennessee, USA
   
   Revolutionary War Soldier
   
   Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots
   View Record
   Name Thomas Bell
   Cemetery Broyles Cem
   Location Washington Co TN 24
   
   https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166704014/thomas-bell

2.   Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.

   Pension Application of Thomas Bell S2972
   Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
   
   State of Tennessee }
   Washington County }
   Declaration of Thomas Bell for Pension under the act of congress passed June 7 1832.
   Be it remembered that on the seventh day of November 1833 personally appeared before me William Gilleyland one of the acting Justices of the peace in and for the County aforesaid Thomas Bell aged seventy nine years against the 25 day of February next, who from age & bodily infirmity is unable to attend at the seat of Justice in order to perfect his claim to a pension, and being desirous of availing himself to the provisions of the act of Congress passed the 7 June 1832 made & subscribed the following declaration to wit that he was born in the State of Maryland (now District of Columbia) on Rock Creek 25th day of February 1756 and was raised there, tho he has no record of his age, but believes the foregoing traditionary account is correct. That his father removed to Barkley [sic: Berkeley] County Virginia where he said declarent resided when he entered the service of the Country in the Revolutionary war. That being liable to military duty in the State & County aforesaid he volunteered in the Barkley Militia to intercept Cornwallis when on his march to Virginia & enrolled himself in the 1 of May 1781 & rendezvoused at Shepherds Town [Shepherdstown] under Cap’n Beddinger [possibly George Michael Bedinger, pension application W2992] of Col Darks [sic: William Darke’s] command, and after lying in Fredericksburgh falmouth & Williamsburgh [sic: Fredericksburg, Falmouth, and Williamsburg] on the watch for Cornwallis was finally marched under Capn Moore when Beddenger resigned and served his three months & again volunteered under Capn Moore for the seige & was marched to York Town and found there the main army under G’l. Washington and was in the seige & surrender of Cornwallis [28 Sep- 19 Oct 1781], and again volunteered under his former officers Cap’n. Moore & Col Dark to guard the french Army on their return as far as New york where the British reinforcement was collected, & after continuing on said march to Boston, where the French took shipping, the army to which he belonged then returned and was discharged by Capn Moore, & was in the three several engagements as a volunteer militia man in service from the 1 of May 1781 to the last of March 1782 when he returned home haveing been in active service ten months, lacking a few days, not more than ten days. that his discharges given him by Capn Moore have been lost many years ago, and he has now no documentary evidence, nor does he know of any person living by whom he can prove actual service, seeing that he removed shortly after the war & has been seperated from all old acquaintances & company ever since, but states that Samuel Mauk and Michael Copp are persons known to him & he to them by whom he can establish reputation of his said service. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the roll of the agency of any state, that there is no minister of the Gospel in his vicinity by whom he can establish the facts required by the regulations of the War Dept. That from age and bodily infirmity he is rendered unable to travel to the seat of Justice of said County in order to have made out his pension claim.
   [Signed] Thomas [his X mark] Bell
   
   NOTE: On 1 May 1854 Brooks H. Bell of Washington County applied on behalf of himself and three surviving siblings for the pension that would have been due their mother, Mary Bell, had she known to apply. He stated that his parents, Thomas Bell and Mary Edwards, were married in Berkeley County on 22 Feb 1783, that Thomas Bell died on 30 March 1837, and Mary Bell died on 6 Aug 1839. The other children were Joseph E. Bell of Greene County TN; Andrew Bell of Washington County; and Rebecca Bell of Washington County.
   
   https://revwarapps.org/s2972.pdf

3.   USGenweb Archives.

   PRIVATE THOMAS BELL
   Captain Bedinger's Company,
   Berkeley (Virginia) Militia
   
   Private Thomas Bell enlisted on May 1, 1781, at age 25, in Captain Bedinger's
   Company, Berkeley (Virginia) Militia, which was under the command of Colonel
   Darke. The company later served under Captain Moore, after the resignation of
   Capt. Bedinger. A resident of Berkeley County, Virginia (now West Virginia),
   Private Bell volunteered in the militia- initially for a three-month term-which
   was formed to intercept Cornwallis as he marched into Virginia. Over the next
   three months, the militia was present in Fredericksburg, Falmouth, and
   Williamsburg. After reenlisting for another three month term, Private Bell and
   his militia were marched to Yorktown, where the unit was merged into the main
   Continental army under the command of Gen. George Washington. Private Bell and
   others in his unit served in the siege of Yorktown and were present at the
   surrender of British General Cornwallis. He volunteered once again for duty
   after the surrender, and it appears from the records that he was present in New
   York, where British reinforcements were collected, and later in Boston to assist
   the French army. He served until March, 1782. In November 7, 1833, Private Bell
   petitioned for and received a pension for his service, while he was living in
   Washington County , Tennessee. The pension provided him with a $20.00 annual
   allowance, $60.00 of which was received. (From United States Archives records
   from microfilm.)
   
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/berkeley/military/revwar/pensions/bell-t.txt