MILITARY: Garrett McQUILLEN Pension, 1840, 1860, Antis Township, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Alan Schroeder Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _________________________________________ "Petition of Garrett McQuillen of Antis Township, Huntingdon County for a pension and gratuity" RG-7. House File. 64th Session-1, 1840 (Military Pensions). Pennsylvania State Archives (Harrisburg, PA) 1776 To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met - The Petition of Garrett McQuillen, a resident of Antis Township in the County of Huntingdon respectfully represents - That he entered the service of the United States and served under the following named officers as herein after stated to wit, That late in the spring or early in the summer of 1776 he enlisted as a private in Capt. Walter Alexander's Company of the "Maryland Flying Camp" attached to a Militia Reg't commanded by Col. Hollingsworth and served four months in said Company, That he enlisted in said Company near the Head of Elk River in Cecil County Maryland and was marched from thence into the State of New York where he was in and with the Army at the Battle of the White Plains, though not actually engaged, and continued in said company in New York until the fall of 1776 when his four months term of service having expired he was discharged. A short time after I was thus discharged, I came to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and there in the 25th day of December 1776 (I recollect the date because it was on a Christmas night) I enlisted in the Pennsylvania Line and continued in service therein until about three weeks after the Revolt of the Pennsylvania Line at Morristown New Jersey in January 1781, and during said service in the Pennsylvania Line I was actively engaged in the Battles of Brandywine and Monmouth besides several skirmishes. While in service in the Pennsylvania Line as before stated I was first placed and served in Captain Robert Gray's company belonging to the 13th Reg't commanded by Col. John Patton and so continued to be until after the Battle of Brandywine - After that battle I was commanded by Capt. Finley of the 13th Reg't , the Major was John Murray. The Lieut. Col. was Lewis Farmer and Col. Walter Stewart was then appointed to the command of said Reg't by whom I was commanded until after the Battle of Monmouth after which the 13th and 2nd Reg't of Pennsylvania Line having been very much thinned in the battle were consolidated and called the 2nd Reg't the command of which was given to my Col. Walter Stewart. During all the time I was in the Pennsylvania Line I was attached to Gen'l Anthony Wagner's Brigade - The 13th and 2nd Reg't Pennsylvania Line under Gen'l Wayne were the advance which commenced the Battle of Monmouth. We fought that day in our shirt sleeves, without our knapsacks, having before the action been ordered at Rocky Ridge four miles this side of the Battleground to strip off our coats and knapsacks, which we left there in a great pile under a guard - My Reg't the 13th was three times engaged and three times retreated during that day and were again brought into the line. I remained with the American army during the whole winter it lay encamped at Valley Forge and suffered greatly from hunger and cold during that winter - I continued uninterruptedly in service in Pennsylvania Line from 25 Dec. 1776 until about three weeks after the revolt at Morristown in January 1781 and can truly and safely say that during my period of service of four years and upwards in the Pennsylvania Line I was not absent a single day without the special permission of my officers and that the whole time I was thus absent did not amount to more than between six and seven weeks. I was not engaged in said Revolt at Morristown having for a while before had a very severe bile on one of my knees and a few days previous to the revolt having obtained a furlough from my Major John Murray to go to the residence of an uncle I had living about three miles from Morristown and remain there until the bile on my knee would get well - at the expiration of about three weeks after that revolt I returned to the Army and on application was regularly discharged by my Colonel Walter Stewart, That the effect and consequence of the cold and hardship I underwent while laying at Valley Forge and subsequently in the service was a swelling of my limbs and one of my hip joints subsequently became stiff and has so remained from shortly after I was last discharged as aforesaid so that for the last fifty years I have been a cripple and walked with great difficulty - I received written discharges as well from the "Maryland Flying Camp" as the Pennsylvania Line as before stated but both were burned when my house and all my other papers and effects were burnt in Mifflin County about forty-three years ago - I was born in Ireland on the 19th day of February 1757, am now eighty three years old and poor and indigent and unable to work or support myself - I therefore pray that a gratuity and pension may be granted to me for my services aforesaid - And I will pray etc. Garrett McQuillen x his mark Huntingdon County Before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace of said county of Huntingdon personally appeared the above named Garrett McQuillen who being duly sworn doth depose and say that the facts and matters and things set forth and stated in his foregoing petition are correct and true to the best of his knowledge and belief. Sworn and subscribed before me this third day of March AD 1840. Garrett McQuillen x his mark John Owens Huntingdon County Before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said County personally appeared William Galbreith and David Garrett Esq. citizens residing in the said county of Huntingdon who being duly sworn do depose and say that they are acquainted with Garrett McQuillan the before named petitioner who resides in Antis Township Huntingdon County that his reputation for truth and veracity is good and in their opinion he is worth of credit and his statements entitled to credit, that he is reputed to have been a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and that he is poor and indigent. Sworn and subscribed before me this fifth day of March 1840. John Owens (signed) Wm. Galbraith/ David Garrett We the undersigned two Justices of the Peace of the said County of Huntingdon do hereby certify that we are acquainted with William Galbraith and David Garrett Esqrs. the above deponents that they are respectable citizens and worthy of credit. Witness our hands and seals this fifth day of March 1840. John Owens / James Thomson (handwritten on cover sheet) not granted Bell March 9, 1860 Pn & Gratuity Executed March 14 Gratuity and Annuity (signed) Strohm To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania no General Assembly met. The Petition of Elizabeth McQuillen Respectfully Represents: That she is now about seventy five years of age and is the widow and relict of Garrett McQuillen deceased who was a pensioner according to the laws of Pennsylvania and drew a pension of forty dollars per annum from the same, that her husband the said Garrett McQuillen died on the fifth day of August last past, that she assumed the widow of him the said Garrett McQuillen deceased and stands in much need of the County of the said State; that she was married to the said Garrett McQuillen deceased in the year of AD 1786 or 1787 by the Rev'd in the County of Lancaster in the State aforesaid. Your petitioner therefore prays your Honourable ( ) to grant her a pension, And as in duty covered will even pray. Elizabeth McQuillen x her mark Witness present John Owens James Clarke Huntingdon County Before me the subscriber one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the said county of Huntingdon personally appeared Elizabeth McQuillen the above named petitioner and being duly sworn according to law deposeth and saith that the facts set forth in the above petition are correct and true to the best of her knowledge and beliefs. Elizabeth McQuillen x her mark Sworn and subscribed this 25th day of February AD 1845 before me, John Owens Huntingdon County Before me the subscriber one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the said County of Huntingdon personally appeared Adam Weight a respectable citizen of the said countyand being duly sworn according to law deposeth and saith that he was personally acquainted with Garrett McQuillen deceased and Elizabeth McQuillen his wife the ( ) petitioner for thirty four or thirty five years last past and that during said time they lived together as husband and wife and raise a family of twelve or thirteen children and continued to live together as such until the death of the said Garrett McQuillen that he died on the fifth day of August late past. Adam Weight Sworn and subscribed this 25th day of February AD 1845 before me, John Owens Huntingdon County Before me the subscriber one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the said County of Huntingdon personally appeared James Clarke, esquire and Adam Weight who being severally sworn according to law doth severally depose and say viz. the said James Clarke that he has been personally acquainted with Garrett McQuillen deceased and Elizabeth McQuillen the within petitioness for twenty years last past and viz. the said Adam Weight that he has been personally acquainted with Garrett McQuillen deceased and Elizabeth McQuillen the within petitioness for thirty four or thirty five years last past and each of them do severally say that they always believed the said Elizabeth McQuillen said petitioness to be the wife of the said Garrett McQuillen deceased and hat it was a matter they never ( ) disputed or called into question in the neighborhood where they lived during said time. That each of them do further say that the said Elizabeth McQuillen still remained to this present time the reputed widow of the said Garrett McQuillen deceased and that she is a very poor and in indigent circumstances and has much need of aid. James Clarke / Adam Weight Sworn to and subscribed this 25th day of February AD 1845 before me, John Owens