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Pension of Reuben Sammons (Transcribed
from handwritten records on the National Archives microfilm - WGS) District of New Jersey Sussex County
On this 16th day of August, at a Session began at
Newton, on the third Tuesday of August, of the term of August,
in the year of our LORD, one thousand eight hundred and
twenty, personally appeared in open Court before the Judges of the
inferior Court of Common Pleas of the County of Sussex and State of
New Jersey, the said Court of Common Pleas, being a Court of record
in the said County, being a Court constituted and established by the
Laws of the State of New Jersey, as a Court of record, having a
Seal, with power to fine and imprison, and an unlimited jurisdiction
in civil cases, and whose Judgments are only reversible by writ of
error at common law, Reuben Sammons, or otherwise called Simmons, of
the age of Sixty one years, or thereabouts, resident in the township
of Frankford,, in the County of Sussex and State of New Jersey, who
being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath declare
that he served in the Revolutionary War, as follows – 1st.
He enlisted and served in the Company of Captain William
Hellams [or Helms?] of the second New Jersey Regiment under the
command of Col. Dehart about the first May in the year of our LORD,
one thousand seven hundred and eighty, or eighty one, for during the
Revolutionary War as aforesaid, he remained in the Company commanded
by Captain William Hellams until after the taking of Cornwallis,
then he was transferred into Capt. Bowman’s Company of New Jersey
Infantry,, and remained in his Company, untill the Regiment
aforesaid was broken, then he was transferred into Capt.
Mitchell’s company of New Jersey Light Infantry, and remained in
said Company, until the close of the war, and was discharged at
Snake Hills in the State of New York in June, in the year of our
LORD, one thousand, seven hundred and eighty three.
That on the twenty fourth day of August, in the year of our
LORD, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, he applied for a
Pension, at the rate of eight dollars per month, he being a private
in the army, as aforesaid on the first day of October, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nineteen obtained a
Certificate under the hand and Seal of J.C. Calhoun, Secretary of
War of the United States, and numbered 15340.
And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident, citizen of the
United States, on the eighteenth day of March AD
one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
And that I have not since that time, by gift, sale, or in any
manner disposed of my property or any part thereof, with intent
thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions
of an Act of Congress entitled “an Act to provide for certain
persons engaged in the Land & Naval Service of the United
States, in the Revolutionary War,” passed on the 18th
day of March AD 1818. And
that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me any property, or
securities, or contracts, or debts due to me, nor have I any income
other than what is contained in the Schedule hereunto annexed, and
by me subscribed. And
this deponent further saith that he hath no known trade or
profession, but is a common Labourer, and that he is not able by
that or any other ocupation to procure for himself a sufficient
support. That he has no
family, neither wife nor children.
And that he is old and infirm and incapable of supporting
himself without the assistance of the Government, except by public
or private charity. his Sworn
to in open Court and declared
Reuben X Simmons
the 16th day of August, AD 1820 mark Gab. H. Ford otherwise called Reuben Sammons Schedule of Property Real Estate Personal Property none none Sworn & Subscribed in open Court his the sixteenth day of August AD 1820 Reuben X Simmons Gab. H. Ford mark otherwise called Reuben Sammons I, Ephriam Green, [word unclear] Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas aforesaid do hereby Certify that the foregoing Oath and the Schedule thereto annexed, are truly copies from the records of the said Court In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the Seal of said Court, on this thirtieth day of August, AD 1820 E. Green Clerk of the Court
for the County of Sussex aforesaid State of New Jersey Sussex County On this twenty fourth day of August 1819 before me the Subscriber one of the Judges of the court of Common Pleas in and for the Said County Personally appeared Reuben Sammons otherwise called Simons aged about sixty years & resident in the Said County who being by me first sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provisions made by the Late Act of Congress entitled “an act to provide for certain Persons engaged in the Land & Naval Service of the United States in the revolutionary war[“] that he Reuben Sammons Inlisted in the said county of Sussex in the State of New Jersey in the company commanded by Captain William Helms in the [2nd?] New Jersey Regiment commanded by Col. Dehart on or about the first of May 1781 in the Revolutionary War. That he served in the said company untill after the taking Cornwallis at York Town and his return to Morris Town New Jersey when he was transferred to Captain Bowman’s Company after which the [2nd?] Regiment was broken and he was transferred to Captain Mitchels company of Lite infantry & the New Jersey brigade. That he continued in the Service of the United States untill about the first of June 1783 when he was discharged from service as Newburgh [word unclear] in the State of New York. That he was at the taking of Cornwallis at York Town. And that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his country for support and that he has no other evidence but what is herewith sent now in his [word unclear] of his said Service. his Sworn to & subscribed before me John X Sammons the day and year aforesaid mark I John Gustin Judge as aforesaid do certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the Said Ruben Sammons did serve in the revolutionary war as stated in the preceding declaration against the common enemy and to my knowledge he is in Reduced Circumstances & needs the assistance of this country for support and I now transmit the proceedings and testimony taken [word unclear] before me to the Secretary of War pursuant to the depution of the aforesaid Act of Congress given under my hand & the Seal of the Said Court the 24th day of August 1819
John Gustin [[****Note:
The text clearly says John vice Reuben.
Since a later document shows that Reuben moved to Greenbrier
County, Virginia it is probable that he is related to John Sammons
who was also born in Sussex County and moved to Greenbrier County
after the war. It is
possible to speculate that if indeed they were brothers John might
have been in Sussex County at the time and accompanying Reuben and
Judge Gustin accidentally filled in John’s name, rather than
Reuben’s. Again,
strictly wild speculation.]] [NB: File contains the poor copy of an envelope with a postmark of Greenbrier Co. VA, addressed to the War Department in Washington. The envelope appears to have the following notation probably inscribed by a clerk as a record of action: Reuben Sammons’ or Simmons’ application for transfer to Virginia Transferred 29 June 1821 The following is probably the enclosure of the letter: To the Secretary of War or to the War Department I have herewith enclosed to you my application for a transfer of my pension claim from New Jersey to Virginia. You will do me a very particular favour if you will decree an account of my Transfer as soon as possible so I can dray my pension in Virginia against the 11th of September next as I cannot get necessaries here untill I get an act. Of my transfer as people do not like to trust me on account of my pension certificate being payable in Jersey. Your attention will confer a very great favour on an old Revolutionary Soldier. You will plase to direct the Transfer to my self or to Lewes Steward, Clerk of Greenbrier County. I am Yr Very Hl. Servt. Reuben Sammons or Simmons County of Greenbrier On this fifteenth day of May 182 3 , before me, the subscriber, a Justice of the Peace for the said county of Greenbrier personally appeared Ruben Samons or Simons who, on his oath, declares that he is the same person who formerly belonged to the company commanded by Captain Wm Hellams , in the regiment commanded by Colonel Dehart in the service of the United States; that his name was placed on the pension roll of the state of New Jersey from whence he has lately removed; that he now resides in the state (district, or territory) of Virginia where he intends to remain and wishes his pension to be there payable, in future. his Reuben X Samons or Simons Sworn and subscribed to, before mark me, the day and year aforesaid James Withrow Note: The oath to be taken before a duly qualified magistrate, whose official character and signature must be properly authenticated State of Virginia
Greenbrier County
I Lewis Stuart, Clerk of the Court for Greenbrier County
aforesaid do hereby certify that James Withrow Esquire before whom
the foregoing instrument of writing appears to have been sworn to by
Reuben Samons or Simons was at that time an acting Justice of the
Peace, and is at this time, in and for the County aforesaid duly
commissioned and qualified and that full faith and credit is and
ought to be given to all his official acts as well as Courts of
Justice
In witness thereof I have herein set my hand and caused the
seal
the forty fifty
Lewis Stuart Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Luzerne County
On this twentieth day of August AD 1819 personally came
before me Jesse Fell one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas
in and for said County of Luzerne in the eleventh Judicial district
in the said Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Benjamin Bidlock of
Kingston Township in the County aforesaid to me well known and of
good & reputable character who being by me duly sworn according
to law doth depose and say that he this deponent was a Sergeant in
Capt. William Helms Company in the 2nd New Jersey Regmt. Commanded by Col. Dehart in the New Jersey line in the
service of the United States in the Revolutionary War.
That deponent was with a recruiting party about the first of
May AD 1781 when they enlisted the Applicant Reuben Sammons
(sometimes called Simmons) into the said company.
That this deponent was well acquainted with said Sammons and
well recollects the said Reuben Sammons served as a private soldier
in said Capt. Helms company from the time enlisted about the first
of May 1781 untill about the first of June 1783.
And further saith not. Sworn Subscribed & Declared
Benjamin Bidlock before me this 20th day of
August 1819
Jesse Fell
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