From: KyArchives [archives@genrecords.org] Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:16 PM To: Ky-Footsteps Subject: Bell.John.Revwar.1834.Nelson.MILITARY-Pension Rev. War Pension For John Bell Revwar Nelson County KyArchives Military Pension Rev. War Pension For John Bell Transcription: John BELL RW pension Penn BELL, John W.9348 Margaret Kentucky John BELL of Nelson in the State of Kentucky who was an Ensign in the com commanded by Captain TALBERT of the 8th commanded by Col GLASCOCK in the Pennsylvania line for 2 years Ensign see papers within Innscribed on the Roll of Kentucky at the rate of 240 Dollars Cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March 1834 Certificate of Pension issued the 2nd day of May 1834 and Adam BELL Bloomfield Ky Arrears to the 4th March $720.00 Semi-anl allowance ___ 120.00 $840.00 Revolutionary Claim Act June 7, 1832 Recorded by Dan BOYD Clerk Book D Vol 9 Page 32 Kentucky Margaret BELL widow of John BELL who served in the Revolutionary war as an Ensign Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of 240 Dollars Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March 1848 Certificate of Pension issued the Eighth day of March 1851 & sent to T. S. J. TRABUE Recorded on the Roll of Pensioners under act ____ary 2, 1848, Page 220 Vol 3 Brief in the case of John BELL County of Nelson in the State of Kentucky (Act 7th June, 1832) 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? justice of the peace 2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity? It does 3. How old is he? 82 4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed 1 tour in 17 yr _______ Vol 1 & believes _____ 4 months as a private Cap T. TORBERT Lt LAGAN Spring 1777 vol 2 months as an Ensign Capt. ALEXANDER '78 in fall 2 months Ensign same Capt again 2 months Ensign Cap GLASCOCK "" 2 months do Capt Jno McDONALD 5. In what battles was he engaged. none mentioned 6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Cumberland Co., Penn 7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence or by the rolls? 2 living witnesses - traditionary evidence 8. Are the papers defective as to form, or authentication? and if so, in what respect? There is not a seal attached to the Clerk's certificate. I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned. T. WAUGH Examining Clerk The Hon C. A. WIKLIFFE certifies that he saw the clerk sign his name. State of Kentucky County of Nelson Sct On this 28th day of Sep August 1832 personally appeared before me Thomas DUNCAN a justice of the peace in & for the County aforesaid John BELL a resident in the county & state aforesaid aged 82 years, who first being 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 7th 1832. That he entered the service under the following named officers & served as herein stated, I first entered the service in a volunteer company (as aforesaid for 2 months) commanded by Captain Thomas TOLBERT David LOGAN 1st Lieutenant James THOMPSON Lieutenant & James WILSON Ensign in Cumberland County State of Pennsylvania we set out from Tuscarara valley from whence we marched to Carlisle the County Town where we found two other companies one commanded by Capt John M. HATTEN, the other by Captain CLARK, the whole commanded by Colonel WATT we then marched to Lancaster, thence to Philadelphia, from thence by water to Trentown, Then by land to New York, just before the Battle of Cony Island we were stationed at the mouth of amboy near a Battery whilst there stationed several Brittish _____ passed up by the Battery. There was heavy firing from the shipping as they passed several of our Tents were destroyed by the shot from the shipping, The Battery also fired at the shipping we were then moved from amboy to Bargaintown about three miles from the Citty & guarded the house where WASHINGTON was stationed. I don’t positively know how long we stayed at Bargain my impression is we left there in Nov and reach home in the same month where we were dismissed I believe I had no written discharge at that time I received pay for my service, but the amount I rec'd I don’t recollect nor do I remember the ____ for which I received payment, my impression is I served 4 In the Spring of 1777 on the Juniatta river in the County of Cumberland which was then a frontier I found a volunteer company in the militia commanded by Captain ALEXANDER & Lieutenant Robert MIANS & myself Ensign. I don't recollect from whence (under commission by proper authority, my impression is) we received communications, But I well recollect we were acting under the authority of the State of Pennsylvania, my commission was burnt in my house some years after. The object of our service were to guard the frontier from the Indians and four settlements from the Torys they both being very Troublesome at the time. The first tour against the Indians was to guard the lead mines where we were continued two months during the time we Scouted around the lead mines, to Franktown & for some distance around that place. The officer The fort at the lead mines were sometimes commanded by Gen Robt DOE of Philadelphia, sometimes by Major CLIZGGE & sometimes by Major M. HATTEN my ---- 2 terms was performed in the Fall of 1778 we were ordered out to the lead mines for two months, Company commanded again by Capn ALEXANDER The Lieutenant I don't recollect I was Ensign again the tour, our Service was the same as before, guarding the lead mines & reconnoitering the country around that place & around Franklin Co each of the before mentioned tours I served over two months but how much longer I don’t recollect, my 3rd Tour was to Kishacoquilas ? valley to secure the frontier for the safety of the Inhabitants this Tour was again for two months I was Ensign again on this expedition, Robert SAMUEL Captain I beli eve a man by the name of GLASSOCK was Lieutenant, when our company arrived at the valley the company was divided each officer took a part I ______ with my command from Hugh MASTURE to Gen POTTERS I was again longer than two months on this expedition. My 4th expedition against the Indians was some time after I cant say the year we were ordered out, I again was Ensign, John McDONALD Captain, Major McHATTEN and John WAKEFIELD Lieutenant Major McHATTEN & Col BUCKHAMMON were along in command, our whole company of officers & soldiers were 126 men. In this expedition we crossed the Alleganey mountains to a place called the clear fields, the company of spies which were in front of the main body were attacked by the Indians near the clear fields & several men of the spies company fell Robt NELSON & William BROTHERTON with whom I was acquainted were two of the number on our return home we took Jacob HACE and two others all Tories. I first entered the house of HACE, who was notoriously known we took them on to Franktown & left them with the Commanding officers at Franktown, this expedition was performed in two months or a little more. Now I with it understood that when I was at home I was at fort smith Sometimes called Fort defiance wh ich I assisted in building and generally had the command after it was built, holding my commission as Ensign, nearly the whole of my time was taken up in guarding this fort, reconnoitering and ______ as a spie this country around except the Several expeditions before named, until the end of the War. I believe that two tours of my time were taken up in the Service of my Country from the Commencement to the end of the Revolutionary War acting always as an Ensign, except the first Tour to New York, although I acted as a militia officer my Service was nearly constantly required. To relate every Scout, every expedition and the different descriptions of Service which I performed from the Commencement to the end of the War is out of my power to do at this time. Ques by Justice. Where were you born and in what year. Ans I was born in Ireland in Virginia 1750 Quest by same, Have you any record of your age Ans I have none But I well recollect my age as told me when a Boy Quest by same Where were you living when call'd into the service. Where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live? Ans. I lived in Cumberland County in the State of Pennsylvania, when first call'd into the Service, as before stated. In the year 1788 I moved with my Family to the State of Kentucky & settled in that part of Jefferson County now Nelson County, about the year 1792. I moved to Fayette County & settled near Lexington where I lived untill the year 1809 or 1810. I then moved ____ to Nelson County & settled on the waters of Ash creek where I am now living, near the town of Bloomfield 4th quest by same. How were you call'd into the Service, were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a Substitute, if a Substitute, from whom Ans I first volunteered & served as I have before said, as a private to New York, on my return from the expedition at New York I was chosen Ensign in a Company was Commissioned & served as a spie with scouting parties & as a ranger as I have before stated in my declaration already made out. 5th Did you ever receive a Commission & if so, by whom was it signed, & what has become of it. Ans I had an Ensigns Commission, and acted under it, But don’t recollect by whom it was signed it was burnt with my house in the year 1792 as I before have said. 6th Quest by same State the name of persons to whom you are known in your own neighbourhood who can testify as to your character for veracity & their belief as to your Service as a Soldier in the Revolution Ans I will name several Richard K CALVERT Esq Captain Henry RUSSELL, James HUSTON the Reverand D. John BARRISS or any others of my neighbours, the aforesaid Deponant John BELL further states that he has no documentary evidence & that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure to testify to his Service. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State John BELL The foregoing declaration was taken down by the undersigned from the mouth of the deponent & I have no hesitation in saying I believe that his infirmity is such that he can not attend Court, the foregoing declaration was also subscribed & sworn to before me day and date in the caption, given under my hand and Seal this 38th day of August 1832 Thomas DUNCAN [seal] Justice of the peace of Nelson County Ky We Spencer CLAK Clergyman & Richard K. CALVERT & John DAVIS all citizens of Nelson County in the Town of Bloomfield, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John BELL who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 82 years of age from his appearance. That he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion, we further state from our knowledge [ends here] State of Kentucky ______ On this 27th day of July in the year 1833 personally appeared before the undersigned a justice of the peace in & for the County of Nelson and State of Kentucky John BELL in order to make a _____ and an amended declaration to that made by him the 28th August 1832 before Thomas DUNCAN Esq a justice of the peace in and for Nelson Co., KY The said John BELL being again _____ _____. That the first tour of duty stated in his former declaration was performed on the ________ service as a _____, _______ _____ believes and feels confident he was in the service at that time four months. He states that in the year 1777 the precise day he cannot remember, but will say it was in the middle of the spring season, He was attached to a volunteer company as stated in his former declaration was commissioned as Ensign by the Authority of the State of Pennsylvania. That as Ensign in the service of the government he did and performed the military duty stated in his said declaration during the Revolutionary War That in his said declaration he has given the best _______ of the nature of the service and the principal officers which the frailty of his memory at this time will enable him to give. This affiant further states that when he speaks of being at home at Fort Smith as his said declaration and continuing there he did not mean to be understood as saying he was discharged from ____ duty as the ______ he was while there doing Military duty guarding the frontiers and ___ as a spye. This affiant can state and does hereby state with confidence that his whole service as Ensign in the service of his Country as aforesaid in the Revolutionary War was two years and three months. This affiant well numerates the periods he served at Fort Smith and the country around as _____ of the several _______ particularly named in his former declaration. In the latter part of February first of March we built the fort aforesaid by orders of Col BOHANNON and Cap McHATTON & that time previous to _______ the ___ _____ I received my commission as Ensign as before stated ____ ________ to then Fort in July as stated in my former declaration. I __________ at the Fort doing duty as a militia officer in the service of the country until the 15th December following viz Decmb 1777. From that time until the last of February 1778 I was not in the public service. On the first of March I was again called into the service as Ensign to guard the ______ country around against the hostile Indians and the Tories and was there in service ____ months. In March 1779 I was again called into service & for the same purpose and as Ensign served that year seven months. I performed a variety of service not particularly enumerated in my former and ____ declaration. I was a considerable length of time in the military service as a ____ guarding ______ to a place called the beg Island in the Susquehana River and several times to the ___________ other places and I again confidently state that as Ensign in the Militia of Pennsylvania, during the Revolutionary war in the years before enumerated I served the full time of two years and three months signed John BELL I, Richard K. CALVERT Justice of the peace ____ Nelson County Ky do certify that John BELL did on the day stated before me make oath upon the Holy Evangelist of God that the facts stated as ____ in the foregoing amended declaration and ___ _______ of his knowledge ____ belief given ____ under my hand this 27 day of July 1833. Richd K. CALVERT jus Pc N Co Ky I know that R. K. CALVERT is a justice of the peace of Nelson County C. WICKLIFFE State of Kentucky Nelson County On this the 19th day of May 1840 personally appeared before me Headon E. STONE an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid Mrs. Margaret BELL ____ _____ of County eight years and after being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed the 7th day of July 1838 Entitled An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows towit that she is the widow of John BELL who was an Ensign in the war of the Revolution and served in the state of Pennsylvania and was in service she thinks two years and some months commanding as an Ensign and she thinks he did some service as a private. She further declares that while her said husbands commanded as said Ensign, a Part of the time she thinks Captain ALEXANDERS and Lieutenant MEANS were Company officers. She thinks that Genl Robt DOE and Major McHATTON was also officers in company with her sai d husband a part of the time and Capt John McDONALD and Colonel BUCKANON she thinks were officers a part of the time and the service of her said husband commanding as ensign was principally against the Indians, and a part of the service was _____ she thinks at the lead mines Franktown and Fort Smith. She further declares that her said husband received a Pension under the act of 7th of June 1832, an account of the aforsd Service and to the ______ composing the matter of the application of her said husband for the said Pension, the declarant refers for a full history of the service of her husband in the said war, the character of the same and the officers with whom it was performed together with such facts as an essential in the investigation of her claim she further declares that her said husband resided in Cumberland County Pennsylvania when he entered the service and was a volunteer _______ she thinks and she also states that her said husband resided in Cumberland County Pennsyl vania until he removed to Kentucky and continues to reside in Kentucky until his death which took place in the County of Nelson State of Kentucky on the 9th day of November 1840. and that previous to his death he received his pension regularly under the act of the 7th June 1832. She further declares that her said husband resided in Nelson County at the time of his death and has resided there for many years previous to his death and the amount of Pension received by her husband was at the rate of $240 per annum. She further declares that she has no documentary evidence in support of her claim and refers to the deposition of James HUSTON filed with the Declaration or application of her said husband for his Pension as it ( said deposition contains a statement of ____ proof of her marriage with her said husband. She further declares that she was married to the said John BELL she thinks in February Seventeen Hundred and Eighty six and that he departed this live 9th day of November 1840 that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place prior to the first day of January 1794 (viz) at the time above stated She further declares that she has not intermarried since the death of her said husband on the day and year aforesaid before me Margaret [X] BELL Hardin E. STONE J Peace I the just subscribed magistrate hereby certify that there are two _______ and interlimitions in the foregoing declaration which was done before signed. I also certify that the above declarant is by reason as_____ and dibility wholly procated from appearing in open Court. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand day and year aforesaid Hardin E. STONE J Peace I certify that the above declarent is my mother and is the widow of my Father John BELL and she has not married since his death which took place on the 9th day of November 1840. I also certify that my Father afsd was a Revolutionary Pensioner of the United States at the rate of $240 per annum under the act of 7 June 1832 on the Kentucky roll Adam BELL Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day & year afsd I certify that affiant is a man of much respectability Hardin B. STONE J Peace February 13, 1935 John BELL - W.9348 BA-J/AWF Miss Marie Underwood 443 Marengo Avenue Forest Park, Illinois Dear Madam: The Revolutionary War record of John BELL which follows was obtained from the papers on file in pension claim, W. 9348, based upon his military service in that war. John BELL was born in the year 1750 in Ireland. The names of his parents are not given. While residing in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania John BELL volunteered and served four months as a private in Captain Thomas TARBUTT'S company, in Colonel WATTS' Pennsylvania regiment; marched from Tuscarara Valley to Philadelphia, thence by water to Trenton and from there to New York, reaching there just before the battle of Long Island. He was chosen ensign in the spring of 1777 and served on various tours under Captains ALEXANDER, Robert SAMUEL, John McDONALD, Major McHATTON, and Colonel BUCKHANNEN. He was a part of the time stationed at Fort Smith guarding the frontier against Indians and Tories and was out in many scouting expeditions. He served until the close of the war, his service as ensign amounted to two years and three months. John BELL moved in 1788, with his family to Jefferson County, Kentucky, in 1782 moved to Fayette County, Kentucky near Lexington, and in 1809 or 1810 moved to Nelson County, Kentucky, to the "Waters of Ash Creek" near Bloomfield. He was allowed pension on his application executed August 28, 1833, then living near Bloomfield in Nelson County, Kentucky. The soldier, John BELL, married in February, 1788 in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Margaret, whose maiden name is not stated. He died November 9, 1840 in Nelson County, Kentucky. His widow, Margaret BELL, was allowed pension on her application executed May 19, 1843, then aged "upwards" of seventy-eight years and living in Nelson County, Kentucky. Their son, Adam BELL, gave his address in 1834, Bloomfield, Nelson County, Kentucky, and in 1843, he made affidavit in that county; his age is not shown, and there is no further reference to children. Mrs. Jane RUSSLE (Rusel), sister of the widow, Margaret BELL, was aged about seventy-six years in 1843, and testified at that time at the house of Samuel RUSSLE (Rusel) in Nelson County, Kentucky. There are no further data in this claim relative to family. Very truly yours A. D. HILLER Executive Assistant to the Administrator Submitted by: Patricia O'Connor p-oconnor@att. net This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/kyfiles/