Pension Application of John and Sarah Spencer: W3884
Transcribed by C. Leon Harris
State of
on this fifteenth day of March 1838 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the County Court of Patrick county and State aforesd now siting John Spencer of the county aforesaid aged seventy years who being first duly sworn doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832
that he entered the service of the United States he believes in the year 1780 in place of William Black as a substitute for said Black for a three months tour in the county of Surry North Carolina that in consequence of dotage and loss of memory he cannot recollect the name of his Captains name but recollects that he served under Major McRoberts that he was stationed at Salisbury in North Carolina employed in guarding the prisoners and tories who had been previously taken and confined in the jail and guard House that he was kept there untill the prisoners were removed from there into Virginia Henry County where this applicant was discharged which said discharge is lost the next tour of service this applicant performed was as a substitute for Bartlett Reynolds that he entered the army of the United States in this capacity in the county of Henry state of Virginia his father having moved to that county now the county of Patrick. he served this tour under Captain Haman Critz in the year 1781 as well as he recollects he was marched on to Pamunky River where he joined the army he does not recollect who was the commanding officer of the army but recollects that the above mentioned McRoberts was in company taking care of the Military Stores there was about twelve thousand men in the army he says when he first joined it they was march down the James River the army still marching untill his three month tour was at an end when he was discharged and from thence he returned home this applicant states that his last discharge was signed by Capt Critz and is lost he further states that he was discharged a short time before the surrender of Cornwallis that he has no documentary evidence of service and that he knows of no person by whom he can [illegible] services he states that he was bourn in the County of Henrico in the state of Virginia but has no record of his age but from the best information he can get he is seventy years of age that he lived in the county of Surry North Carolina when he entered the service the first time and in the county of Henry state of Virginia when he entered the service the second time that he now resides in the county of Patrick state of Virginia and has resided near the same place ever since the Revolutionary war.
he hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any state sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid John his X mark Spencer
State of
County of Patrick} five, personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace within and for the County and State aforesaid Sarah Spencer, aged 90 years a resident of the County of Patrick in the State of Virginia who being duly sworn according to law declares that she is the widow of John Spencer Sr Deceased who was a Revolutionary pensioner of the United States for the Military Services set forth and established by evidence now on file in the pension office at Washington to which reference is made. She further states that she was married to said John Spencer Sr Deceased in the County of Patrick in the State of Virginia on or about the 10th day of June AD 1783 by one John Numan, Minister of the Gospel and that her name before her said marriage was Sarah Linch and that her said husband died at his own House in the County of Patrick on or about the 20th day of December AD 1842. She here asks leave to refer to her declaration set forth and established by [word illegible] now on file in the pension office at Washington to which the [two words illegible] to take reference Bearing date on or about the day of [blank] AD 18 [blank] to which Declaration and proof she had particularly –
requests Leave to take reference in order to show everything relative to her case. She makes this Declaration for the purpose of obtaining the amount of Bounty Land to which she may be entitled under the act of Congress approved March 3d 1855 granting bounty land and additional bounty land to certain officers and soldiers and widows of Revolutionary Soldiers who have been engaged in the Military service of the United States – She further declares that she has never applied for nor made application for Bounty Land under this nor any other act of Congress and that she is now a widow and that she hereby authorizes John P. Carter to record said warrant as her attorney. Sarah my X mark Spencer
NOTE:
The minister’s return by John Newman for the marriage of
John Spencer and Sarah Lynch was filed in