MADISON COUNTY, VA - MILITARY - Captain Mark Finks, Revolultionary War Pension Application ----¤¤¤---- Mark Finks R3551 Va p 1 Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 State of Virginia, Madison County On this 27th day of February in the year 1834, personally appeared in open Court, before the Court of the County now sitting, John Finks son of Mark Finks of said County and State; and represents to said Court that his father Capt. Mark Finks was born on the 1st day of July 1744, as appears by the family record now in possession of the family of the said Mark Finks, that he is in his ninetieth year, and from old age his mind has been completely destroyed. That he has been informed by living persons that his father served repeated tours of duty as an officer in the Revolutionary War from the then County of Culpeper, now Madison County, and further that the Militia service of the said Mark Finks as an officer is of universal notoriety in his neighbourhood. That he was born and raised within the limits of the County of Madison, and that he has ever continued to reside there; That he is not on the pension Roll or Agency of any state And that he the said John Finks makes this representation to the Court on the part of his Father who is now living, that he may receive the benefit of the law of Congress of the 7th of June 1832; And from the best information that he can obtain by living witnesses, he believes that his father rendered at least six months service as an officer in the War of the Revolution from the testimony of the following persons to wit, John Creal, Jacob Aylor, Thomas Jones, William Yowell and William Taylor living witnesses Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. John Finks p 2 I Thomas Jones of Rappahannock County (late Culpeper County) State of Virginia do hereby certify I served a tour of duty in the militia from the County of Culpeper, in the war of the Revolution, with Capt. Mark Finks, who was at the time an Ensign and belonged to the compamy of which I was a private Sworn and subscribed the day and year as aforesaid his Tho x Jones mark I Jacob Aylor of the County of Madison and State of Virginia, aged eighty five years, do hereby certify that as I was on my return from the Revolutionary service, I met Capt. Mark Finks on his way to the Army and James Murray Lieu tenant under him. I met him at the Ground Squirrel bridge near Richmond Given under my hand this 26th day of February 1834 his Jacob x Aylor mark Virginia Madison County to wit; I Alexander H Simms a Justice of the Peace in and for said County and State, do hereby certify that I attended at the house of Jacob Aylor of said County aged eighty five years, who from bodily infirmity is quite unable to attend of the County And duly qualified him to the foregoing affidavit agreeable to law. Given under my hand this 26th day of February 1834 Alexr H. Simms I William Yowell of the County of Madison and State of Virginia, aged seventy two years, do hereby certify, that Capt. Mark Finks served a tour in the war of the Revolution with me that he acted as Capt. during the said tour and I distinctly recollect that the said Capt. Mark Finks requested of me to act as his servant, which I however did not do. The commanding Officers under whom we served during this tour were Cols James Slaughter p 3 Slaughter, and Major Henry Hill. I do further certify that I have lived in the neighbourhood of Capt. Mark Finks during the last fifty years, that he is ninety years of age and that he is now deprived of his mental faculties from old age, and that he is now living. Given under my hand this 26th day of February 1834 his William x Yowell mark Virginia Madison County to wit; I Alexander H. Simms a Justice of the Peace in and for the County do hereby certify that William Yowell of the aforesaid County personally appeared before me at my house, and was duly qualified to the above affidavit agreeable to law, And I do further certify that the aforesaid William Yowell from age and bodily infirmity is unable to attend the Court of said County Given under my hand this 26th day of February 1834 Alexr H. Simms I William Taylor of the County of Madison and State of Virginia, aged eighty years, do hereby certify that I knew Captain Mark Finks in the War of the Revolution; that Capt. Finks was the commanding Officer of the Company, whilst the company to which I belonged continued under the same command. I further certify that I have lived in the same neighbourhood with Capt. Finks for fifty years past; I believe he is ninety years of age, and that he is now deprived of his mental faculties from old age, and that he is now living Given under my hand this 26th day of February 1834 Wm Taylor State of Virginia Madison County to wit; I Alexander H. Simms a Justice of the Peace in and for said County do hereby certify p 4 that I attended at the house of William Taylor of said County, age eighty years, who from bodily infirmity is unable to attend the court of said County, having been deprived of his eye sight by bodily decay; and duly qualified him to the foregoing affidavit according to law Given under my hand this 26th day of February 1834. Alexr H. Simms And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter and upon interrogating the witnesses who have testified to the service of the said Mark Finks as contained in the foregoing certificates that he was an officer in the Revolutionary War, and that he served six months as such. And the Court further declares it has the most satisfactory evidence that the said Mark Finks is living and is in his ninetieth year and has been deprived of his mental faculties for some time past, and has been deprived of his mental faculties for some time past, and the Court further declares that the testimony of the several persons are in their opinion to be relied upon, they being persons of respectability. I Belfield Cave Clerk of the Court of Madison County do hereby certify that Seal the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of John Finks for his father Mark Finks In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this 7th day of March in the year 1834 Belfield Cave, CMC 30165 Mark Finks, decd Va Hon. J. M. Patton p 5 Virginia Madison County S J I do hereby certify that I attended at the residene of Maj. Dennis Crow an old and infirm man aged seventy eight years, who I know to be respectable and of undoubted veracity, and who being first, duly qualified, agreeable to law, made oath before me to the following facts: to wit: that he was raised from a child in the neighbourhood of Capt. Mark Finks of the County of Madison, then Culpeper County, that he was acquainted with said Finks from his youth, that the said Mark Finks was a Captain of the Militia previous to the American Revolution, that he the said Dennis Crow enlisted in the 3rd Virginia Regt. in Continental establishment, and after the term of his enlistment had expired he returned home, that he was drafted after his return from the Continental Army for a tour of duty, the detachment was detailed from the Regt. at Culpeper Court House and Capt. Mark Finks and Capt Elijah Kirtley's were the company officers in command, that the detachment was marched from thence for Richmond Va, and at the Ground Squirrel bridge near Richmond we were met by Col James Barbour with orders for us to return home which we did to the best of my recollection, the detachment was out about two weeks, and Capt Finks was in command of his company during the time it was out, on this service. That he was again drafted for a tour of duty which he recollects was in the spring of the year 1781 from the then County of Culpeper and which tour was denominated the running tour; that Capt. Mark Finks was in that tour as a Captain and in Command of a Company. Col. James Barbour the Commandant of the Regiment, that the service rendered in this tour was in the lower part of Virginia, that the Regt. never gained any other Command; that it was kept continually on the march from Williamsburgh from thence to Norfolk, Suffolk and through that part of Virginia, then invaded or hindered by the enemy. That Capt. Mark Finks continued in the command of his Company during the whole of the tour which was two months, and that after the discharge of the Regt. that he returned home in company with Capt. Mark Finks in whose neighbourhood he lived. Given under my hand this 23rd day of May 1834. Alexr H. Simms p 6 State of Virginia Madison County This day the undersigned Justice of the Peace in and for the county aforesaid, attended at the house of William Yowell Senr. of said County who is from bodily infirmity unable to attend the Court of this County, and who being first sworn according to law, states upon oath, that he was born near where he now lives and raised, that he has all his life been acquainted with Capt. Mark Finks of the County of Madison (then Culpeper County) that when he came of age to be placed upon the muster roll, that said Finks was then a Captain of Militia, which was during the Revolutionary War, that he knows by is own knowledge that said Finks was in service as Captain during the said War of the Revolution, on tour of duty, which, he thinks was not more than two months, but knows that it was not less than two months, that he the said Yowell was with Capt. Finks this tour, that the detachment he thinks mustered at Culpeper Court House, and then marched to Fredg. Va and joined the Regt. commanded by Col. John Slaughter and from thence marched and joined the main Army under Command of Genl. Muelenburgh below Petersburgh Virginia shortly after the enemy made his appearance in the neighbourhood of where we lay, and our army retreated towards Petersburgh at which place we had an engagement, that Capt. Finks was then in Command of his Company upon that occasion, and the said Yowell further states that it is his opinion that Capt. Finks was in Service other times as he was a Captain at the Commencement of the Revolution, the length of the war and the frequency of calls upon the militia. I the undersigned Justice of the Peace do hereby certify that William Yowell is in my opinion a man of veracity and of good character, and the said Yowell further states that he does not remember the year or time of the year when this service was performed. Given under my hand this 23rd day of May 1834 Alexr H. Simms p 7 Virginia Madison County to wit I do hereby certify that I attended at the residence of Ann Grayson of the said county, aged sixty four years who being first duly qualified according to law, did on her oath say, that she lived as neighbour to Capt. Mark Finks during the revolutionary war that she distinctly recollected that in the year 1780, Capt. Mark Finks was called on to go in the service, that he went as the Commander of a company and Richard Dicken went as Lieutenant under him, she distinctly recollects the above circumstances in consequence of her mother's being called out to assist in fixing off Capt. Finks in consequence of his wifes being sick at the time. She farther states that Capt. Finks was gone for three months in this tour And I the undersigned do certify that in my opinion the above named Ann Grayson is a woman of truth and respectability and that the utmost confidence ought to be placed in what she says Given under my hand and seal this 8th day of September 1834. Alexr H. Simms J.P State of Virginia to wit I Belfield Cave Clerk of the County Court of Madison in the State Seal aforesaid, do hereby certify, that Alexander H. Sims before whom the foregoing affidavits of William Yowell Senr. Dennis Crow and Ann Grayson have been taken, is an acting Justice of the peace in and p 8 for said county, and that the signatures pur porting to be his, certifying said affidavits, are his genuine signatures. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name and affixed the seal of my office this 10 th day of September in the year 1834. Belfield Cave, CMC 30165 Mark Finks decd Va Act 7 June 32 p 9 I John Finks of the County of Madison and State of Virginia do hereby certify that Mark Finks my father departed this life on the 7th day of May 1834 leaving a widow who is still living; her name is Eve Finks. I hereby further certify that I have reason to believe that Mark Finks was a Captain in the Militia Service during the War of the Revolution and that under the Law of the United States of the 7th of June 1832 he is entitled to pay from the 4th of March 1831 to the 7th of May 1834 Given under my hand this 8th day of Oct. 1834. John Finks Virginia Madison County To Wit. This day John Finks made oath before me to the Truth of the above Certificate to which he signed his name. Given under my hand this 8th day of October 1834. Wm Finks Virginia, S L I Belfield Cave, clerk of the Court of Madison County, certify that Seal William Finks, is a magistrate as above, and thar the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of office and subscribed my name, this 8th day of October in the year 1834 Belfield Cave CMC p 10 Washington City 7th April 1835 Dear Sir Enclosed I forward you the Commission of Mark Finks, as Captain of Militia of the State of Virginia, his Commission bears date on the 15th day of July 1780. Upon the receipt of your letter requiring proof of the fact of said Finks being a Commissioned Officer, I informed his son Jno Finks of the requirement of the department, who upon the examination of his father's papers found his Commission. I should have sent it on at an earlier date but expecting to have it within my convenience to hand it to you in person, I retained it for that purpose, I however for the want of time having arrived here this evening and leaving to night have concluded to enclose it to you, with the request that you will act upon the Case as soon as convenient. My impression is that proof of service in this case, of six months or more is made evident p 11 by the testamony of respectable witnesses. If the anoyment of the stages will permit I will call at the Pension Office on my return from the North which will be on Saturday next. With Sentiments of Esteem Your Obd Servt Wm Walden Envelope addressed: Col. Jas. L Edwards Commissioner of Pensions p 12 Woodville Rappahannock County Va Augst 18th 1835 Col. James L. Edwards Dear Sir, Upon my return from Washington City I informed Mr John Finks of the rejection of the claim that he had prefered to your Office as the attorney or agent of Capt. Mark Finks of Madison County Va. for a pension for military services rendered during the Revolutionary War, he expressed a wish to have the papers returned to him and particularly the Commission of his father now on file in your office as the claim was rejected, I promised him to write to you and inform you of his wish expressing a belief that you would have them sent to him or the Commission particularly; he did not state to me his reason, though I infered that he wished the Commission as an evidence of the character of his father during that eventfull struggle. If agreeable to the regulations of your Office, you will please forward to my address the papers required by Finks to whom I will hand them. Very Respectfully Yr Obd Servt Wm Walden Envelope addressed: Woodville Va August 19 Col. J. L. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions Washington City *** Additional notes discussing the pension application rejection not typed. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Fay E. Collins faycollins@sprintmail.com ___________________________________________________________________