Francis Boggs Pension Application
Date 2011/3/9 0:10:00 | Topic: Military History
| The following is a transcription of Francis Boggs pension application taken from the National Archives and Records Administration publication M804, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, pension number: R. 985. This claim was ultimately rejected for lack of proof of service, and "independent contemporary evidence adverse to his claim."
State of Virginia }
Nicholas County }
On the 4 day of October 1833 personally appeared before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the said County of Nicholas and State of Virginia Francis Boggs a resident of the said County of Nicholas and State of Virginia Age Seventy nine years 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 that he entered the service of the united states and served under the following named officers as herein stated That in the year 1776 on the first day of March in County of Greenbriar and State of Virginia declarant volunteered for a tour of twelve months as an indian spy and was placed under the command of Captain Matthew Arbuckle Subaltern officers names not reccollected Declarant was marched from the County and State aforesaid to the mouth of the great kanhawa river passing by the mouth of new river declarant was stationed at the mouth of Great Kanhawa where Point Pleasant now stands in obediance to orders from Capt Arbuckle declarant states he was engaged in spying by regular tours the country bordering on the ohio from the mouth of great kanhawa to the mouth of the little kanhawa and from the mouth of great kanhawa down the ohio to Big Sandy river thence up Sandy and accross the country to great kanhawa again declarrant states that the indians made frequent inroads by way of kanhawa and sandy rivers into the frontier settlements of greenbriar county virginia therefore the spys were constantly on the alert Declarant was then discharged by his said Captain Matthew Arbuckle at the mouth of the great kanhawa river having served twelve months as an indian spy a private soldier declarant remained a short time at the station at the mouth of great kanhawa river untill the first day of May in the year 1777 declarrant again volunteered for a tour of twelve month as an indian spy at the mouth of great kanhawa river and was placed under the command of Captain Zera Combs of Greenbriar County Virginia Subaltern officers names not reccollected declarant was engaged during this time in Spying and watching the indian war paths on the waters of great kanhawa big sandy river little kanhawa the head waters of Jackson river the frontiers of Greenbriar County Virginia and many other places declarrant cannot reccollect the county being nearly in a state of nature declarrant suffered much from hunger and fatigue traversing an almost trackless wilderness declarrant was ever ready and willing to obey the orders of his officers and to execute them with despatch all hazards declarrant was then discharged by his said Zera Combs at a placce called Strouds Glades declarant thinks at that time in Greenbriar County Virginia now in Nicholas County Virginia having served twelve months an Indian Spy a private soldier declarant has no documentary evidence whereby he can prove his service this terminated declarrant Service he hereby relinquishes Every Claim watever to a pennsion or annuity except the present and he delares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
his
Francis X Boggs {seal}
mark
to the several interagatories prescribed by the war department declarrant answers as follows
1. I was Borned in the county of Chester State of Pensylvania in the year 1754
2. My age is recorded in my fathers Bible which shows me to be borned in the year 1754
3 When Call in to service I was living in the County of Greenbrier state of Virginia and since the revolution I have lived in Greenbriar and Kanhaway County Va I now live in the County of Nicholas state of Virginia on Big Elk River
4 My servis was those of a volunter soldier as an indian spy
5 during my tours of service I saw and became aquainted with Capt Matthew Arbuckle who I understood was a regular officer I also saw Capt Combs and Capt Mosesman if declarrant ever saw any continnental Regiment he states the he does not recollect them
6 my discharges were signed by the officers under whome I served but they are all lost or mislayed
7 I am known to John Givens Jr and William Boggs who can testify to my character my age and as to their belief of my having been a soldier of the revolution
Subscribed and sworn to the day and year aforesaid
his
Francis X Boggs
mark
We John Given Jr and William Boggs residing in the County of Nicholas and State of virginis hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Francis Boggs who has Subcribed and Sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be Seventy nine years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
John Given Jr
William Boggs
and I the said Justice of the peace do hereby declare my opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states And I the Said Justice further Certify that it appears to me that John Given Jr and William Boggs who have signed the preceeding certificate are creditable persons and that their statement is entitled to credit and I the said Justice further Certify that there is no Clergyman residing in the neighborhood of the above named applicant and that he from bodily infirmity is unable to travel to the court house of the said County of Nicholas from whence he lives thirty five miles and I the Said Justice further Certify that the forgoing contains the original Proceedings of my Self in the matter of the application of Francis Boggs for a pension
In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this 4 day of October 1833
Wm Given {seal}
I Samuel Price Clerk of the Court of Nicholas County do hereby certify that William Given who has signed the preceding certificate is a Justice of the peace in and for the Said County of Nicholas and that his offical Acts is Permitted to Credit in testimony where of I have hereunto set my hand and Seal of office this 8th Day of October 1833 & in the 58th year from foundation
Samuel Price
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