Widow's War of 1812 Pension Application of Mrs. John Kinchen, Livingston Parish, La. Submitted for the Louisiana USGenWeb Archives, Military Resources by Donald W. Johnson File prepared by D. N. Pardue ................................................................................. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Soldier: Kinchen, John Widow: Kinchen, Mary D. Service: Pri Capt. D. Cleavland's Company, Miss. Militia Wid. Orig. # 32401 Wid. BH? # 18761 Bounty Land Warrants: 92790-160-55 Enl.: January 6, 1815 Dis.: February 5, 1815 Residence of Soldier: July 8, 1844 = Date of Death, Livingston Co. (sic), La. Residence of Widow: 1878 = Springfield (Livingston Co. Louisiana) Maiden name of Widow: Mary D. Raby Marriage of Soldier and Widow: August 17, 1818, East Feliciana, La. Death of Soldier: July 8, 1844, Springfield, Louisiana Death of Widow, May 3, 1884, Springfield, La. **No statement from soldier apears with papers. Yet reasonably he participated in the great victory under Gen. Jackson, Jany 8, 1815, his brief service having earned that. Exr. (signed) MMS 1.22.19 ------ SERVICE PENSION, WAR OF 1812, WIDOW'S BRIEF Claim No: 32.401 Act of : March 9, 1878 Mary D. Kinchen, widow of John Kinchen, Rank Private; Captain Smith; Regiment Militia; State Mississippi. Post Office: Springfield, Parish of Livingston, State of La. Attorney: Claimant, P.O. same as above. Application filed Oct. 7, 1878. Alleged Service: Soldier was drafted on or about Dec. 1814. Served about 21 days, honorably discharged. Record evidence of service: 3" Auditor reports John Kinchen served in Capt. Cleavlands' Co. from 6 Jan. to 5 Feb. 1815. Parol evidence of service : [blank] Length of service: 31 days Proof of identity: Identifying witnesses S.D. Simms and J.W. Traylor swore to identity of claimant before a proper court. General facts correspond. Proof of loyalty: [blank] Admitted Feb. 4, 1879, to a pension of EIGHT DOLLARS per month from March 9, 1878 the date of the act. No pension previously applied for. [signed] W. Hickoke, Pension Searcher Bounty Land claim: 92790-160-55 issued [signed] N.E. Robins, Bounty Land Searcher [signed} Joseph E. Haydin, Examiner Approved Feb. 6th, 1879. ------ SUMMARY OF PROOF MARRIAGE Date: 17 Aug. 1818, of John Kinchen to Mary D. Raby, affidavits of chaimant and S.W. Kinchen and A.B. Kinchen, in B.L. who swear to cohabitation, before proper court. Proof as to capacity to marry: No legal barrier. Death of soldier: Date 8 July 1844. Affidavits of claimant, and A.B. Kinchen and A.W. Kinchen, also S.D. Simms, all before a proper court. Widowhood: Non re-marriage alleged by claimant, and sworn to by A.W. Kinchen and S.D. Simms, before a proper court. INCIDENTAL MATTER Claimant received B.L. --------- WAR OF 1812 CLAIM OF WIDOW FOR SERVICE PENSION Under the provisions of Sections 4736 to 4740, (inclsive) Revised Statutes and the Act of March 9th, 1878. N.B. - All the blank spaces in this form must be carefully filled up in accordance with the instructions on the back hereof; and from the best information possessed, or obtainable, by the applicant. STATE OF LOUISIANA COUNTY OF LIVINGSTON On this Twenty ninth day of August, A.D. one thousand eight hundred and Seventy eight, personally appeared before me, John Settoon, Justice of the Peace in and for the 6th Ward, County and State aforesaid, (1) Mrs. Mary D. Kinchen, aged 80 years, a resident of Springfield, in the State of Louisiana, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is the widow of (2) John Kinchen deceased, who was the identical (3) John Kinchen who served under the name of (4) John Kinchen as a (5) Private in the company commanded by Captain [blank], in the Regiment of [blank] commanded by [blank], in the war of 1812; that her said husband (6) was drafted at Pike County, Mississippi, on or about the [blank] day of December, A.D. 1814, for the term of the war, and continued in actual service in said war for the term of (7) about 21 days, and whose services terminated, by reason of (8) an honorable dis- charge, at [blank], on the [blank] day of [blank], A.D. [blank]. She further states that the following is a full description of her said husband at the time of his enlistment, viz: (9) age at time of enlistment 30 years. Occupation School Teacher. Birth Place North Carolina. Height 5 10/12 ft. Col of Hair Black. Complection Flo (?). She further states that she was married to the said John Kinchen, at the city (or town) of [blank], in the county of East Feliciana, and in the State of Louisiana, on the 17th day of August, A.D. 1818 by one (10) Harrison, who was (11) magistrate; and that her name before her said marriage was Mary D. Raby; and she further states that (12) herself nor her said husband, John Kinchen had written of them been previously married and that her said husband (13) John Kinchen, died at Springfield, in the State of Louisiana, on the 9th day of July, A.D. 1844, and that she has not again married; and she further declares that the following have been the places of residence of herself and her said husband since the date of his discharge from the Army, viz: (14) the Parishes of East Feliciana and Livingston in the State of Louisiana. She makes this declaration for the purpose of ob- taining the pension to which she may be entitled under Sections 4736 to 4740, (inclusive), Revised Statues, and the Act of March 9th, 1878, and hereby appoints [blank] of [blank] her true and lawful attorney, to prosecute her claim; and she further declares that she has heretofore made no application for (15) service pension but made application and received Warrant for Land pension, (date & c not known), and that her residence is No. [blank], [blank] street, city (or town) of Springfield, county of Livingston, State of Livingston, and that her post office address is Spring- field, La. [signed] Mary D. Kinchen Attest: S.D. Simms [his signature] J.W. Traylor [his signature] Personally appeared Sylvester D. Simms, aged 58 years, of [blank] street, in Springfield, La. and James W. Traylor, aged 49 years, residing at No. [blank] street in Springfield, La., persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who, being duly sworn, say that they have known the said Mary D. Kinchen for 40 years and 40 years, respectively; that they were present and saw her sign her name (or make her mark) to the foregoing declara- tion; that they have every reason to believe, from the appearance of said claimant and their acquaintance with her, that she is the identical person she represents herself to be; and they further say that they are able to identify her as the person who was the wife of the identical (16) John Kinchen who rendered the service alleged in the above aplication (in the company of Captain [blank] in the regiment of [blank], in the war of 1812) by the following named facts and circumstances, viz: (17) That they became acquainted with the said Mrs. Mary D. Kinchen previous to the death of her husband (John Kinchen) and that they have no interest in the prosecution of this claim. S.D. Simms [his signature] J.W. Traylor [his signature] Sworn to and subscribe before me this 29th day of August, A.D. 1878; and I hereby certify that the contents of the above declaration &c, were fully made known and explained to the applicant and witnesses before swearing, including the words "the same being a court of record withinand for the decd." erased, and the words "Justice of the Peace in and for the 6th Ward" added; and that I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim. John Settoon [his signature] Justice of the Peace (Official character) [Handwritten at bottom]: I Mary D kinchen do Solemenly Swear (or affirm) that I am unable to travel to make application before a court of record by reason of infirmity of age and by reason of be- ing domiciliated (3) thirty miles from Said court of record in the parish of Livingston State of Louisiana. Sworn to and Subscribed before me this 29th day of August AD 1878 John Settoon J.P. [his signature] Mary D Kinchen [her signature]