Military: Rev War: Pensions: Charles McLain - Centre County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Don Marsh. McClainExchange@mexia.com USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent. ____________________________________________________________ Rev War: Pensions: Charles McLain - Centre County, Pennsylvania Northumberland County, Pennsylvania Publication: The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol. XXVI, 1969-1970. Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia 19107 CHARLES McLAIN, aged 63, resident of Boggs Township, Centre County, on 30 April, 1818, personally appeared before JONATHAN WALKER, President Judge of 4th Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and being duly sworn, make the following declaration: That he enlisted in Nittany Valley, Centre County, in the company commanded by Captain WHITSEL (sic - WEITZEL), of the 1st company, 2nd Battalion of Pennsylvania troops under the command of colonel MILES. That he continued in the said Corps or in the service of the United States for one year and nine months, until discharged at Valley Forge in 1777.31 That he again soon after enlisted at Reading in Penn'a, in the company commanded by Captain HERD (sic - HEARD) of the second Troop 4th Reg't Light Dragoons;32 that he continued in the said Corps in the service of the United States, for and during the war, when he was discharged from service in Lancaster, Penn'a. That he was in the battles of Long Island, Monmouth, Stoney point, and the taking of Cornwallis, and received several wounds, and that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his country for his support. He has no other evidence, now in his power, of said service. /s/ CHARLES (X) McLAIN On 30 April 1818, ROLAND CURTIN before Judge WALKER deposeth that he is personally acquainted with CHARLES McLAIN, and that he is a man in whom full confidence may be placed on oath, and is of good character and now in reduced circumstances. /s/ ROLAND CURTIN (Dr. Wagner reports the following brief among the application papers.) "McCLANE, CHARLES: His name appears on a list of applicants for invalid pension 33 returned by the District Court for the District of Pennsylvania, submitted to the House of Representatives by the Secretary of War on 25 April 1794, and printed in the American State Papers, class 9, page 98. Rank: Private. reg't: 3d Pennsylvania. Disability: wounded in his left leg and thigh at the battle of Stoney Point, by two musket balls. When and where disabled: 16 July 1779, Stoney Point. Residence: Chester County, Penn'a. Remarks: Enlisted February 17, 1777, for the war. Evidence transmitted by the District Court complete." Pension granted 21 October 1818, at the rate of $8 per month, to begin on 30 April 1818, under the Act of 18 March 1818. (File: S 41857) On 28 August 1820, personally appeared in open Court of Common Pleas for Centre County, CHARLES McLAN, aged 68, resident of the Town of Milesborough, Centre County, who being duly sworn declares that on 30 September 1776,34 he enlisted for twenty-one months in Captain WEITZEL's company, was placed under Capt. JOHN ROBB and marched from Centre County, then Northumberland county, to Marcus Hook and from thence to New HYork, to the Long island, and was in the battle of Long Island35 where he was slightly wounded in several places, was taken prisoner on that day by the British, but made his escape the nxt night. He was also in the battle of Brandywine and in the battle of Germantown and several other small engagements, and was discharged on the first day of January 1778. He enlisted again in Captain HERD's company of Light Dragoons 36 and marched from Carlisle to Lancaster, and from Lancaster to Reading, and was not discharged until peace was made. He has a wife, aged and infirm, and five children who do not live with him, and are not in situations by which they could contribute to their support, and that he has no trade to pursue and is unable to support himself and wife by dayly labor. In pursuance of his declaration made before the Judge on 18 May 1818 (sic), he was placed on the pension list of which he received a certificate from the War Department, dated 21 October 1818, No. 4002, under the law of 18 March 1818. He has no property other than what is contained in the annexed schedule: (the schedule included one old house and lot of ground in Milesborough, some live stock, household furniture and implements, for a total value of $123.87.) I also receive a yearly pension of $40 from the State of Pennsylvania, in pursuance of an act of the Legislature passed 28 March, 1814. /s/ CHARLES(X) McLAIN NOTES: 30 While Dr. Wagner's transcript gives his age in 1818 as 63, it is given as 67 in the List of pensioners in Pennsylvania Archives, 3rd Series, XXIII, 502. 31 Col. Miles' Rifle Regiment was rained in the spring of 1776, the men enlisting to serve until 1 January 1778. As will be seen, McLAIN's memory was faulty with respect to his various enlistments and service. 32 This was STEPHEN MOYLAN's regiment of cavalry. As JOHN HEARD was commissioned 8 February, 1778, McLAIN's second enlistment must have been after that date, possibly 17 February 1778, rather than 1777, as given in the brief of service included with the application papers. Pennsylvania Archives, 2nd Series, XI, 128. McLAIN's name is not included on the one published roster, however. 33 See ibid., 754, where he is listed as CHARLES McLEAN, and 768, as McLAIN. 34 McLAIN could not have enlisted on this date if he was at the battle of Long Island, which was on 27 August 1776. 35 After the battle, the remnants of companies in MILES' and ATLEE's battalions were merged into the State Regiment of Foot, and served under Col. WALTER STEWART. Pennsylvania Archives, 2nd Series, X, 258-259, 275 36 MOYLAN's Dragoons was an independent organization. Precisely when or for how long McLAIN served with them is unkown, since no muster rolls have survived with his name entered. Inasmuch as he appears to have ended up with the third Pennsylvania Regiment, as given in the brief of service, he may have been transferred.