Military:Service record of Stephen Westcott: War of 1812

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_____________________________________________

Surname: WESTCOTT
First: Stephen
DOB: about 1783-1785 in Maryland or Virginia (shown both ways on papers
filed for bounty)
DOD: March 17, 1863
Military Service: Served as a Private in Captain Valentine Giesey's Co. of
PA Militia (Brownsville Blues); discharged February 25, 1815
Contents of Bounty Land File: copies acquired through a Military search at
the National Archives; from the Bounty Land Pension file for STEPHEN
WESTCOTT, a resident of Fayette county, following his service in the War of
1812
Dates of Service: June 1812 - February 1815

[Document #1:  A nice copy of a really old and ornate looking form, which
has a fancy border and header design, and which appears to have been folded
into
fourth's many times:]

BROWNSVILLE BLUES
Headquarters,
Annapolis, February 25th, 1815

By virtue of a General Order from the Commanding Officer of the 4th & 10th
Military Districts, he has, in the most honourable manner, discharged the
Company of Volunteers from Pennsylvania, under my command, and who had so
patriotically came forward and offered their services in defence of their
Country, for six months.  It gives the Commanding Officer of the Company
pleasure to find, that the Men whom he had the honour to command, have
conducted themselves with that soldier-like conduct and behaviour, as not
only to give satisfaction to himself, but to the Citizens of Annapolis, in
aid of whom they came forward, in times of danger, to guard against a
rapacious and an invading Foe. -- Therefore, in obedience to the orders I
have received from the Commanding Officer of the Districts aforesaid, I do
hereby honourably discharge from the service of the United States, STEPHEN
WESTCOTT a Private as a Volunteer of the Brownsville Blues of Pennsylvania,
he having conducted himself as a good and faithful citizen and soldier.

Valentine Geesey, Captain

[Document #2: From NARA records received this date, and in reference to
applicants from Fayette county for Bounty Land awards:]

JAMES E. HEATH, Esq.                     Uniontown, Penn.
Sir,
Enclosed, please find five applications for bounty land under the late Act
Of Congress.  I hope you will give them your earliest possible attention.
The applicants are, STEPHEN WESTCOT, JOHN EMERSON, HENRY HUTCHISON, STEWART
SPEERS, and SAMUEL JOBES.
I have the honor to be Your Obedient Servant
J. K. EWING"
[Note:  While this paper is not dated, the others in the packet run from
1850-1855.  The bounty land that was granted was for 40 acres.]


[Document #3: Handwritten; copies from the National Archives:]

State of Pennsylvania
Fayette county

On this 29th day of November A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty,
personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace within and for the
county & State aforesaid STEPHEN WESTCOAT, aged about seventy years, a
resident of said county & State aforesaid, who being duly sworn according to
law declares that he is the Identical person who was a private in the
company commanded by Capt. Valentine Giesey, which said company was attached
by orders of General Winfield Scott to the 1st Regiment Maryland
Malitia[sic] commanded by Co. JOHN RAGAN Junr [?Jr.] and served in the war
with Great Britain declared by the United States on the 18th day of June
1812, that he volunteered his services with said company called the
Brownsville Blues, to the State of Pennsylvania, and marched from
Brownsville, PA under the orders of SIMON LAYDEN the then Governor thereof,
on or about the 8th day of November 1814, that upon the arrival of the said
company at Hagers Town, Md, in the latter part of said month of November
1814, they were received into the service of the United States, were ordered
to march to Baltimore, and thence to Annapolis, Md. where he continued in
actual service in said war until the 25th day of February 1815 and was
honorably discharged in Annapolis on the said 25th day of February 1815 and
reached his home on the 13th day of March 1815 as will appear by his
original certificate of discharge herewith presented or by the muster rolls
of said company.  He makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the
bounty land to which he may be entitled under the Act, granting bounty land
to certain Officers and soldiers who have been engaged in the Military
Service of the United States, passed September 28th A. D. 1850.

signed:  STEPHEN (made his mark) WESTCOAT

Sworn and subscribed before me the day and year above written, and I hereby
certify that I believe the said STEPHEN WESTCOAT to be the identical man who
served as aforesaid and that he is of the age above stated.

Signed JAMES MARTIN, J. P,   and STEPHEN (made his mark) WESTCOAT

[Notes of researcher: [STEPHEN WESTCOTT was born abt. 1790 in Maryland, and
he is the husband of SARAH HAGERTY, b. Ireland 1790.  Both were early
residents of the state and Fayette County.  Stephen Westcott/Westcoat and
his wife Sara are found buried in the Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Fayette City,
Fayette County, PA.  The mother of Sarah Hagerty Westcott is Mary Hagerty, a
resident of Franklin Twp., Fayette Co. since before 1808.  Mary Hagerty is
buried in the Little Redstone Methodist Episcopal Church, Washington Twp.,
Fayette County, PA.  During their lives together, Stephen and Sarah were
found on census records to be living in Washington and Jefferson Twp., of
Fayette County.]