Transcript:Revolutionary War Pension Application of John Ellis

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Pension application of John Ellis, #S32234

State of Illinois, County of Union

On this day, the (30th) day of October A.D. 1833, personally appeared in open court before the Hon. T. C. Browne, Judge of the third judicial, John Ellis, a resident of said county and state aforesaid, aged 98, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath made the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June A.D. 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

That he was born in Frederick County, Virginia, on the 9th day of March 1733, but has not record of his age, although he believes it to be on record in the Cunnigan Chappel [sic, Cunningham Chapel], Frederick County, Virginia. He resided in said county till sometime in the year 1760, when he removed to Augusta County, Virginia (since called Greenbriar), in which county, in the year 1773, by appointment of General Andrew Lewis, he entered into the Indian spy service, for which he was to receive one dollar per day (but has never received any amount) and remained in that service until the Declaration of Independence of the United States in 1776.

The Shawnee Indians annoyed the settlements in Greenbrier and his services could not well be dispensed with, nor on that momentous occasion was unwilling to fight in the cause of freedom and continued his services under the command of Colonel Samuel Brown, Captain John Cook, Lieut. John McNeal, Ensign John Day, stationed at Ellis' Fort, situated in Greenbrier County in the Little Levels and served as spy to said fort during the Revolutionary and Indian War. In service he was engaged in several skirmishes with the Shawnee Indians. That he never saw many of the regular officers of the Revolution, owing entirely to his being so far removed from the hostile British and American Armies, having been engaged solely as an Indian spy, no British Army, during the Revolution, having crossed to that Allegheny Mountains. But, recollects to have seen General Washington, Brigadier General Morgan, and Col. Zachariah Morgan. He further states, that being engaged in the spy service at the time of the Declaration of Independence, he dates his entry into the service of the United States on the 4th day of July 1776, under the before mentioned officers, concluded his service at the end of the Revolutionary War, some time in the month of November 1783, when he left the service, but was frequently called on afterwards to defend the frontiers of Virginia against the Indians for the term of two years afterwards, when the Indians ceases to annoy the settlements.

That in the year 1776 he served 12 months, in the year 1777 he served 12 month, in the year 1778 he served 12 months, in the year 1779 he served 12 month, in the year 1780 he served 12 months, in the year 1781 he served 12 months, in the year 1782 he served 12 month, in the year 1783 he served 10 months, as an Indian spy, making in all seven years and 10 months.

That when he quit the service of the United States, he did not receive a discharge, nor can he now state the precise cause of his not receiving one, except the death of General Lewis. That he continued to live in Greenbrier County, Virginia, after the close of the war, fourteen or fifteen years, when he removed to East Tennessee, where he resided six years and moved to Kentucky, where he resided six years, and moved from Kentucky to West Tennessee, where he resided 32 years, from which last place he moved to Gallatin County, Illinois, where I resided one year, from which last place he moved to Union County, Illinois. where he is now resident.

He further states that he knows of no one whom he can prove his service in the Revolutionary War who is now living. He hereby relinquishes and claim to any pension or annuity whatever, except the present, and declares that his name is not on any pension roll of any agency of any state.

Sworn and subscribed the day and year last aforesaid.

Signed/ John Ellis

Signed/ W. David, Clerk

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as Indian spy as he states.

I Winstead Davie clerk of the circuit court of Union County State of Illinois, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of an application of John Ellis for a pension.

Interrogatories

1st: Where and in what year were you born? Answer: I was born in Frederick County, Virginia, in the year A. D. 1735

2nd: Have you any record of your age? Answer: I have in my possession no record of my age. It is on record in the Bible of Cunnigan Chappel [sic, Cunningham Chapel], Frederick County, Virginia.

3rd: Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where you now live? Answer: When I was called into service, I lived in Greenbriar County, Virginia; since that time, I have lived in East Tennessee, Kentucky, West Tennessee, and now live in Union County, State of Illinois.

4th: How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute, and if a substitute, for whom? Answer: I volunteered at the request of General A. Lewis

5th: State some of the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you served, such continental and militia regulars as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service. Answer: The officers I served under were the officers of Ellis Station, viz.: Colonel Samuel Brown. Captain John Cook, Lieutenant John McNeal, Ensign John Day. I entered the service at the request of General Lewis, being represented to him as an expert woodsman. I accordingly did so and was employed in scouting through the backwoods of Virginia and was employed several times in carrying dispatches to the backwoods stations.

6th: Did you ever receive a discharge from service? Answer: I never received any discharge from service. General A. Lewis died before the close of the war. I did not know who to apply to, nor did I then think that it would ever be necessary for me to have a discharge for the purpose of establishing my claims as pensioner. I then little dreamed of want, such as age and infirmity produces. I quit the service when the hostilities ceased.

7th: Name the persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, who can testify as to your character, your veracity, and their belief as to your service as a soldier in the Revolutionary War as an Indian spy. Answer: Daniel Spence, a clergyman, George Hunsaker, a citizen of said county and state, also Joseph Edwards, whom I knew in East Tennessee 35 years ago with many others.