Jacob Meek's Pension Application

The State of Indiana)
Wayne Co.             )

On this 31st day of August 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Judges of the Wayne Circuit Court the same being a Court of Record possessing covenial common Law and Chancery jurisdiction now sitting, Jacob Meek, a resident of the County of Wayne State of Indiana aged seventy seven years in March last, 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 7, 1832. I entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated to wit. In the first part of May in the year 1775 or 1776 1 volunteered (I then being a resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania) in the company of Captain John Stinson of the Pennsylvania militia and continued in the service in his company for about three months during which time we marched to Wheeling in Virginia and built a (Reserve at Fort Wheeling) fort at the end of three months left the campny of John Stinson and entered as a volunteer in the company of Captain Hugh Stinson of the Virginia militia and I continued in his company until about Christmas of the same year when I (with others) was ordered home to make preparations for another campaign. But I was taken sick and was unable to march and did not serve any longer under those engagements.

Sometimes in the fore part of the summer of the year 1779 perhaps for I cannot recollect the date certainly now I was drafted to protect the frontiers against the Indians, and served under Captain Ralph Cherry of the Pennsylvania militia and was stationed in my own neighborhood at the will of Captain Cherry I served about three months and was discharged sometime in the fall of the year though I cannot recollect the particular date. During the time I was in the company of Captain Cherry the 13th Regiment of Virginia Regulars were stationed at Port Pitt to protect the frontiers the Regiment was Commanded by Colonel John Gibson. I know several of the Captains in the Regiment one by the name, Robert Bell one by the name of Robert Dance and one Captain Steele. My memory is so much imparied that I cannot now recollect particular dates and cannot recollect whether any of the principal events of the Revolution happened whilst I was in the service I received regular discharges from each of the officers that I served under but have lost them through the lapse of time. I do not know of any person at this time whose testimony I can procure who can testify to my

service as herein before stated.             )                    His
Subscribed, sworn to in open court 31 )              Jacob Meek
August 1832 Sam Hannah let R.          )                    Mark

Question lst. by the court. Where and in what year were you born. Answer. I was born in Elkridge in the State of Maryland near Baltimore in the year 1755, but in what county I was born I do not know at this time.

Question 2. Have you any record of your age. Ans. I have no Record of my age and only state my age and truth from the information of my father.

Quest. 3rd. How were you called into service were you drafted did you volunteer or were you a substitute. Ans. I have stated as fully as now can heretofore in this declaration.

Quest. 4 where were you living when called into service where have you lived since the Revolutionary war and where do you now live. Answer. I resided as heretofore stated in the State of Pennysylvania after the Revolutionary war I removed to the state of Kentucky and resided about eighteen or nineteen years in the Counties of Shelby & Henry from then I removed to Wayne County now State of INdiana where I have resided about twenty five years where I now reside.

Quest. #5 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 cir-cumstances of your service. I cannot state more particularly than I have hereto fore done except that I recollect that I recollect the name of Colonel William Crawford who commanded the militia t Fort Wheeling while we were stationed there.

Quest. #6. 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 their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution. Ans.Beale Boller, Esq. a member of the Court. James Jesse Bink. P. ?Bingebo and Aquilla Beck can testify at my characters for truth and veracity.

State of Indiana We, Harlan Robbins, a Clergyman Wayne County resideing within said county of Wayne and John Whitehead a citizen residing in the same county certify that we are well acquainted with Jacob Meek who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing Declaration

State of Indiana)
Wayne County )

Be it remembered that on the 3rd day of April A.D. 1830 personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for said County Jacob Meek aged seventy seven years who being by me duly sworn, deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below and in the following grades. To with: I entered the service of the United States at Westmoreland County- Pennsylvania on the first day of April 1776 a private volunteer under the Command of Capt. John Stinson and served under his orders about three months. I then volunteered as a private in a company of volunteers commanded by Capt. Hugh Stinson and served under him for more than five months more and was discharged an Christmas Day 1776 after having served without intermission under the above named officers under two engage-ments from the Ist day of April 1776 until the 25th day of December of the same year, making eight months and twenty five days actual service as a private volunteer. Afterwards in the year 1779 1 served as a private militiaman under the Command of Capt. Ralph Cherry of Westmoreland County, PA for three months and for such service I claim a pension. I hereby relinguish every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of any Agency in any State and further I wish to make and do hereby make this deposition and amendment to my original declaration for a pension and pray that the same may be incorporated therin and made a part of the same.

Sworn to and subscribed before )                     his
me this 3rd day of April              )             Jacob Meek
A.D.1833                                  )                    mark
Joseph Curtis, J.P.


War Department
Pension office

The evidence in support of your claim under the act of June 7, 1832 had been examed and the papers here herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules and the subjointed notes you will redily preceive that objections exist which must be removed before a pension can be allowed. The rules and the regulations will show what is necessary to be done. Those points to which your attention is more particularly directed you will find marked in the margin with a brace. You will when you return your papers to this Department send this printed letter with them, and you will by complying with this request greatly facilitate the investi-gation of your claim.

Statement showing the service of Jacob Meek Wayne County Indiana

Period Served Date Rank Officer Age
Place of abode
Proof
Vol. Priv. 1775
or
1776
- - 3- - Private Capt. Stinson 77 years
Westmoreland Co.
Pennsylvania
Traditionary evident
& Clergyman's certificate.
? certificate credible
papers correct.
Vol. Not stated Private Capt. H. Stinson
Draft Summer 1779 about 3- - Private Capt. Ralph Cherry

It appears by a subsequent amended statement that applicate
serviced         8 mo. 25 days
                     3 mo. 0 days
Making       11 mo. 25 days

J. L. Edwards,
Commissioner of Pensions


Jan. 9, 1933
Jacob Meek S.16480

Mr. P. F. Eulmer
100 Main St., Room 1
Aurora, Illinsois

Dear Sir: Reference is made to your letter in which you request information in regard to Jacob Meek, a soldier of the War of the Revolution. The data furnished herein were obatined from the papers on file in pension claim, S.16480, based upon the Revolutionary War Service of Jacob Meek. He was born in March, 1755 on Elkridge Maryland, near Baltimore, the names of his parents are not given. While residing in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Jacob Meek enlisted April 1, 1776 -and served as a private in Captain John Stinson's company of Pennsylvania militia, and helped to build Fort Wheeling; after three months service, he entlisted in Captain Hugh Stinson's company of Virginia militia and served as a private six months and twenty-five days, and was discharged on Christmas Day, 1776. He enlisted in the summer of 1779 and served three months as private in Captain Ralph Cherry's company of Pennsylvania troops. After the Revolution, Jacob Meek moved to Kentucky and lived there eighteen or nineteen years in the counties of Shelby and Henry. He was allowed pension on his application executed Aug. 31, 1832, then a resident of Wayne County, Indiana. There are no data relative to his family

In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, the name of person paid and possibly the date of death of the pensioner, Jacob Meek, you should apply to The Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, Washington, D. C. citing all of the following data:

Jacob Meek
Certificate numeber 13604
Issued May 29, 1833
Rate $39.00 per annum
To commence March 4, 1831
Act of June 7, 1832
Indiana Agency.

Very truly yours

A. D. Hiller
Assistant to Administrator


This document was transcribed by another person. however, I have seen a copy of the pension file and this appears to be a reasonable version. Chris 1/15/99

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Created 10 Mar 2000 by Christopher A. Meek