Military: Rev War: Pension Application, William BROWN, 1832: Fairfield Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Kathleen Brown. Kathlee141@aol.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ Pension Papers File for William BROWN of the Ligonier Valley who died in 1837. William BROWN was the son of James and Nancy BROWN of Fairfield Township. His wife was Hannah TAYLOR. The following items were recorded as photocopied from the microfilms available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Those names marked with (*) have comments at the bottom of the item which offer clarifying information. Item 1. File 22661 1914-Hist to Alice C. Truby. Revolution Letter in P. F. 22,284 Robt INVALID Hanna File No. 22,661 William BROWN Priv. Rev. War Act: June 7th, 1832 Vol: 2 Page 50 Item 2. Greensburgh, Penna My Dear Sir, Enclosed are the declarations of Andrew HASLET* and William BROWN which I have the honor to forward you by request - After they have been acted upon be pleased to communicate the result - Yours with much affection, Joseph I. YOUNG June 16th, 1833 [*Research Note: Andrew HASLET of Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County was the stepfather of Hannah BEACH, the wife of William BROWN's youngest son, Thomas BROWN.] Item 3. State of Pennsylvania Westmoreland County On this twenty seventh day of May AD 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Honorable John YOUNG and his associated judges of the Court of Common Pleas now sitting William BROWN a resident of Fairfield Township in the County of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania aged seventy years or more, who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated - This declarant states that he was about seventeen or eighteen years old when he first entered the service of the United States and was then drafted at Fort Ligonier in Westmoreland County and state aforesaid for a tour of two months in what was called the "Squaw Campaign" under the command of Captain James CLARK or Captain Samuel SHANNON which of the two this declarant cannot now recollect - by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he is unable to state the date and all the particulars of this service - He states that he at present only recollects of leaving Fort Ligonier for Pittsburgh and there for the Indian Towns where we found but one Indian and Squaw whom we killed and then returned back to Pittsburgh where this declarant was discharged. This declarant was again drafted at Fort Ligonier for another term of two months as he thinks under the command of Captain SHANNON or CLARK - This declarant cannot recollect the month or year of this tour. He was marched to Pittsburgh then to Wheeling. The particulars he cannot recollect. They returned to Pittsburgh where this declarant was discharged and then returned to his home near Fort Ligonier. This declarant was always a private. This declarant enlisted in a company commanded by Matthew JACK for the term of six months. This said company was attached to Colonel BRODHEAD's Regiment. This declarant cannot recollect the year or month when he enlisted but that he was marched from Hannahstown to Pittsburgh then to Fort Kittaning then back to Pittsburgh where they joined the Army commanded by Colonel BRODHEAD. They were marched to Fort Kittaning, thence up the Allegheny River. This declarant cannot now recollect the nature of this service or any thing further respecting it. This declarant received a written discharge at Pittsburgh as he believes from Captain Matthew JACK. He also states that he believes his discharge was a written one which he received when on the Squaw Campaign as on the Wheeling Campaign. He further states that he had lost them how or when he does not now recollect - He never at that time deemed them to be of any importance. He again states that he was drafted and served a tour of two months at WALLACES Fort under the command of Lieutenant MOORE. It was about the time that Hannahstown was burned by the Indians. He cannot now recollect the month or year or the particulars of this service, except that he and Lieutenant MOORE were the only persons that knew the way from WALLACES Fort to Colonel or General HANDS Fort to which place this declarant had to go twice a week until he showed the way to others. The distance was eighteen miles. He again was drafted and served at MCCARNEY's Fort* at or after the close of the Revolutionary War another term of two months under the command of Sergeant MCCURDY - Colonel HENRY commanded the Fort - The Indians were very troublesome on the frontier when he served this his last tour. He cannot recollect of receiving a discharge in writing from the officers for the two last tours, but he remembers that he received nothing for the two last tour services [sic]. He claims a pension for one year and two months service to wit two months under SHANNON or CLARK in the Squaw Campaign, two months as he thinks under SHANNON on the Wheeling Campaign, six months under Captain JACK, two months at Fort WALLACE, and two months at MCCARNEY's Fort - making in all fourteen months. This declarant owns these facts to be true and states that he has no documentary evidence to establish them, and that he knows of no persons whose testimony can procure who can testify to the service except Captain Matthew JACK who had testified to a part of the same and whose testimony is here within exhibited to the court. I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension rolls of the agency of any state. The interrogatories presecribed by the war department follow with their answers. [*Research Note: McCARTNEY's Fort or Blockhouse was erected in the latter years of the Revolution in what is now Buffington Twp., Indiana County, PA. From C. Hale Sipe, The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania, 1929.] Item 4. 1st Where and in what year were you born? Answer - In the county of Derry in Ireland - don't remember the year - My memory as well as sight is nearly gone. 2nd Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? Answer - Never had any, but think I am between seventy and seventy four years of age or thereabouts. 3rd Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live? Answer - In the Ligonier Valley in Westmoreland County of State of Penna and have lived there since, and yet live there. 4th How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom? Answer - This question fully answered in the foregoing declaration. 5th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served, such continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service? Answer - The answer to this question is stated as fully as this declarant can recollect in his foregoing declaration. 6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given and what has become of it? Answer - The answer to this will be found in the foregoing declaration. 7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and good behaviour, your service as a soldier in the Revolution. Answer - His Honor Judge POLLOCK, Peter TOSH, Robert(?) BLAIR, Robert PIPER, Alexander BLAIR, Reverend Samuel SWAN, and Colonel Jacob D. MATTHIOT. Sworn to subscribed this day and year aforesaid Randal McLaughlin, Proth. his William BROWN mark Item 5. Pennsylvania Westmoreland County Captain Mathew JACK a soldier of the Revolution and person of credibility on his oath declares that he knew William BROWN in the Revolutionary War and still is acquainted with him. He enlisted in a company of Rangers (commanded by this deposant) in the Spring of 1779 - for the term of six months - Accompanied deposant on BRODHEAD Campaign - Served out his time faithfully and was honourably discharged. This Company of Rangers deposant raised by order of Genl MACINTOSH, then person commanding at Pittsburgh. Sworn and subscribed this 25th day of February, 1833. Before me Daniel McKOWN. Matthew JACK* [*Research Note: From the pension application papers of Captain Matthew JACK is this account of the BRODHEAD Campaign: "...[Matthew JACK] then returned home and remained until sometime in February (1779) when he received orders to Raise a company of Rangers which he did immediately and placed them in different stations on the frontier. Genl BRODHEAD took the Command of declarant's company and a number of others and in the month of June 1779 declarant with his company joined the troops at Kittaning town on the Allegheny, where they raised a fort. Colonel BAYARD also had a command and Col GIBONS and Lieutenant Col CAMPBELL accompanied the expeditions. From Kittaning the army under the command of General BRODHEAD marched up the Allegheny River destroyed the Munsey Towns and after several skirmishes with the Indians returned to Pittsburgh in the month of November 1779 where the declarant was discharged with the other troops."] Item 6 This declarant gives as a reason of his having a clergyman to the following certificate the distance that the only clergyman who is well acquainted with him from the County town and the interference of duties which prevent such attendance - We William OGDEN and Hugh HAMMILL both residing in Fairfield Township Westmoreland County and State of Pennsylvania hereby certify that we are acquainted with William BROWN who had subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy years of age or thereabouts, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier in the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. - Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid- William OGDEN, Hugh HAMILL Randal McLaughlin, Prt.