Allegheny County PA Archives Military Records.. Pension Records Of James Pearce, 1836 Ohio Records of Allegheny Co Revolutional War soldier File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Rebecca Hill USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. Pension Records Of James Pearce, Revolutionary War Soldier And Probable Brother Of John Pearce State of Ohio, Richland County On the 18th day of April 1836 personally appeared in open court before the court of Common Pleas of Richland County in the State of Ohio, JAMES PEARCE, a resident of Worthington Township, Richland County, aged 75 years who being first sworn according to law doth upon his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. "that I entered the service of the United States in the summer of 1778 and lived in what was then called Allegany County, Pennsylvania. The he was first drafted at the same time with ten others out of Captain Joseph Becket's Company of militia near the mouth of Pegean Creek in Allegany County, Pa. and ordered by our Captain to march to Pittsburgh and report ourselves there to some office there whose name I cannot recollect and I there performed a tour of one months service as a private in garrison but cannot remember the names of any of the officers who commanded the garrison except that I think the Colonel's name was Butler - no officer marched with us to Pittsburgh and we got no written discharge. I was again drafted from said Caption Becket's Company of Militia in the summer of 1779 and was marched with seven or eight others by Ensign Goudy of Captain Dehaven's Company Militia to what was called Teagard's Station on the old Pennsylvania road from Pittsburgh over the mountains through Hanna's Town now called Greensburg, after remaining about five days at Teagard's Station we were marched under Ensign Hugh Goudy to Walltours (?) station about three miles from Teagard's where there was a fort and a garrison and where I served the balance of the month under Ensign Hugh Goudy in a block house. There were a great many of the inhabitants of the surrounding country collected there. The day after I went to Teagard's station I was sent with Waller to guard Major Samuel Wilson of Hanna's Town and the next day about an hour after I left for Teagard's station Hanna's Town was burnt by the Indians. Teagard's Station was about 12 miles from Hanna's Town. The above tour of service was for one month which I served as a private. There was no higher officer at Waltour's station than Ensign Goudy. Major Samuel Wilson went from station to station supplying the places of those whose time expired with new drafts. I lived at the time of the above tour of service in Allegany County, Pa. There were no battles fought during said tour - no regular officers out with us - we got no written discharge and I have no documentary or other evidence to prove my service. I was again drafted from Capt. John Johnston's company of Militia being the same which Capt. Becket had commanded and on the first day of April 1781 or 1782 we commenced our march to the Moravian town on the Muskingum and on the road had a skirmish with the Indians on the Tuscarawas plains. The Company in which I served was commanded by Capt. Ogle under the command of Colonel Broadhead and I served in the Company as far as I can recollect, about two months, at the end of which we were discharged at the Island near Wheeling. During this expedition we burnt and destroyed the Moravian Town. I do not recollect the names of any of our other officers. There were no battles fought during the tour but the above skirmish. We received no written discharge and I have documentary evidence nor do I know of any witness to prove my service. I lived at the time of the above draft in Allegany County, Pa. and served out this tour as a private. I volunteered in the fall of the same year and joined the army that was rendezvousing at McIntosh, mouth of Big Beaver, preparatory to an excursion into Indian country. Which excursion was abandoned in consequence of a failure to obtain reinforcements. Whilst lying at the mouth of Big Beaver, I was employed in scouting about the country in search of Indians. I was under the immediate command of Capt. Brady. My Colonel's name I cannot recollect. I was out about one month as near as I can recollect, fought no battles, served as a private, lived in Allegany Co., Pa., got no written discharge and know of no documentary evidence or witnesses to prove my service. In the year 1783, I volunteered in four different expeditions in pursuit of Indians who committed outrages upon the frontier. My Captain's name was William Moore. Our Company was kept in constant readiness during that summer to pursue the bands of Indians who made frequent inroads upon the frontiers. Our officers stipulated with us that each of these volunteer tours should be equal to a tour of one month's service as a drafted militia man - and in pursuance of such stipulation I received from my Captain a credit for four months service on the militia rolls of Allegany County, Pa. The first of four tours I served as a volunteer, I went out in June under the command of Capt. William Moore who was then under the command of one Colonel Morton. We went up the Allegany River to an old Indian town called Kittanion (Kittaning) in pursuit of Indians till they crossed the river. We then returned to John Cabet's station. I served in this tour as near as I can recollect about three weeks. The second of said four tours, I went under Captain Moore up the Allegany River to the Tiskiminekis (?) or Kiskiminitas (?) and returned again to Cabet's station. In the third of said tours we again went up the Allegany as last above (?) to a creek called Bear Grass and returned again to Cabet's station. In the fourth of said tours we again went up the Allegany up to Broken Straw. In each of the said four tours, I served as a private under Capt. William Moore as pursuing Indians that had committed depredations upon the frontiers. In the second tour I served a near as I can recollect about three weeks. In the third about two weeks and in the fourth about a month - all these four tours were spent in the open field and we fought no battles. I performed all the aforesaid services as a private and received no written discharge...in all of said service there were no officers or troops belonging to the Continental establishment but were solely of the Militia. In all my service there was no fighting except the skirmish mentioned above. The general nature of my service was in assisting to protect the frontiers of the western counties of Pennsylvania from the depredations of the Indians. The said JAMES PEARCE in answer to the questions proposed by the Court as prescribed states as follows: I was born on the 14th day of October 1760. That the record of my age is lost, was born on the Potomac River near Conocheague. I lived, when called into service, in Allegany Co., Pa. When I was about 40 years of age, I removed to Columbiana County, Ohio and ten years after I removed to Richland County, Ohio where I have since resided. Was drafted three times and volunteered five times. There were no regular officers with the troops with which I served nor continental regiments and I cannot remember the numbers of the militia regiments. The general circumstances of my service are that I was employed in pursuing the Indians protecting the frontiers and in scouting. I never received a written discharge as it was not the practice of our Captain to give them. I never received a commission have always served as a private and never was a substitute. In may present neighborhood I am know to Barnabas Cummin, Jonathan Pearce and Lewis Pearce, Peter P. Pope and George Armentrout and the first three of them to their belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution. During the term of my service I was not employed in any civil pursuit. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court: James (X) Pearce his mark Jared Irwin, clerk We, Barnabas Cunnin, Jonathan Pearce and Lewis Pearce (the said Jonathan and Lewis being nephews to the said James Pearce) all reside in Richland County, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Pearce who has subscribed the above declaration. That we believe he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion and that there is no clergyman living in the immediate vicinity of said James Pearce. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court: Barnabas (x) Cunnin his mark Lewis Pearce Jonathan Pearce Jared Irwin, clerk PENSION REJECTED: due to serving less than 6 months in the Revolutionary War which was over in early 1783 Another set of papers were made in Dec. 2, 1837 James Pearce is now 77 years old First drafted in Capt. Joseph Becket's Company of militia near the mouth of Piqua Creek in Allegany Co., Pa., thinks Colonel's name was Butler. 1781 or 1782, April - "commenced our march to some Indian towns on the Muskingum. On the march had a skirmish with some indians on the Tuscarawas plains, killed seven of them, marched on to two Indian towns on the Muskingum called I think Coshocton and Newcomers Town where we killed ten or eleven warriors and destroyed their town, killed their cattle and destroyed their corn and took off a number of their horses" volunteered for four expeditions against Indians "who were frequently and indeed almost daily committing murders and depredations on the frontiers" "the general circumstances of his serv ice was in pursuing Indians - scouting, spying and protecting the frontier" He is know in his present neighborhood to Barnabas Cunning and John Hart who are now unwell and cannot attend court, also to Aaron Pearce and William earce; also George Armentrout and Peter P. Pope. Signed by Aaron Pearce and William Pearce. April 1838 - pension again rejected. Stated the last tours of duty were not during the Revolution, but were just hostilities with the Indians that lasted several years longer than the war. 19 Dec 1854 - Hon. W. D, Lindsley requested info. from the gov't on behalf of the heirs of James Pearce, deceased re: a pension for him. "the application was made for James Pearce, citizen of Ashland or possibly of Richland Co., as his children with whom he lived, resided in both counties. His services were rendered during the Revolution or old Indian wars, at which time he lived in Pennsylvania" NEVER RECEIVED A PENSION Transcribed from photocopies of the original pension records at the National Archives by Rebecca Hill, May 1994