Isaac Perkins: Revolutionary War Pension Application File, Part 9

"Battle of Eutaw Springs," engraved abt. 1859
South Carolina, September 8, 1781
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Update: The North Carolina Continentals

The last section I read of this book was Chapter 18, Eutaw Springs.

There seems to have been several changes in command for the 2nd North Carolina Regiment. I'm hoping to find another source that can elaborate on where these men were during the battle and what their contributions were. Till then, I'll have to set my notes next to the reading and see if I can make any connections.

Nearing the end of this file

We've come to the last few documents of Isaac Perkins' pension file. One might think that this is the end; however, it is just the beginning. After the documents are transcribed, in order for them to be purposeful in building Perkins' story line, they must be abstracted and the details put into a chronology.

But first, let's take a look at the last three images in the record set.

927.

Isaac Perkins: Image 33/35
www.Fold3.com

REVOLUTIONARY CLAIM.

Under the act, entitled, "An Act for the relief of certain surviving Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Revolution," approved 15 May 1828.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT

24 Dec 1828

The annex paper relating to the claim of Isaac Perkins under the abovementioned act, is respectfully referred to the Secretary of War, with a request that he will be pleased to cause me to be informed whether it appears, by any records in the War Department, that the Claimant has received, or is entitled to receive, the bounty in land granted by Congress for service in the Continental Line of the Army of the Revolution.

R. Rush

The Hon. Secretary of War

War Depart.

Bounty Land Office

The records of this office to not show that Isaac Perkins of the North Carolina line ever received or is entitled to bounty land in the United States.

Robert Taylor

27 Decr 1828

Isaac Perkins: Image 34/34
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For the purpose of obtaining the benefit of an "Act for the relief of certain surviving officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Revolution" approved on the 15th May 1828. I Isaac Perkins of the County of Craven and the State of North Carolina do hereby declare that I enlisted in the Continental line of the Army of the Revolution for three years or and for and during the war and continued in its Service until its termination; at which period I was a private in Captain Clement Hall's company in the second regiment of the North Carolina line.--- And I also declare and that I afterwards or was entitled to under a resolve of Congress passed the 15th May 1778.---And I further declare that I was not on the 15th day of March 1828 on the Pension List of the United States.

Sworn to before me                                                  his

Geo. A. Hall, J.P.                                             Isaac   X   Perkins

                                                                                     mark

Before me Geo. A. Hall, a Justice of the Peace of the County of Craven and State of North Carolina personally appeared Thomas H. Daves and John R. Good of the Said County who did Severally make oath that Isaac Perkins by whom the forgoing declarations was Subscribed is generally reputed & believed to have been a private in the Army of the Revolution in manner as therein stated.----

Witness my hand this ninth day of August 1828.

Isaac Perkins: Image 35/35
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Geo. A. Hall, J.P.

[Handwritten on the back of the preceding document]

I James G. Stanly Clerk of the Court of the County of Craven in the State of North Carolina do certify that George A. Hall Esq before whom the foregoing affidavits were sworn was at the time a Justice of the Peace and duly empowered to administer oaths. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said Court this 13th day of August One t in the year One thousand eight hundred and twenty eight.

J.G. Stanly C.C.

****

I suppose it would have been more beneficial time-wise for me to have abstracted each record immediately after transcribing it. Hindsight, they say, is always 20/20. So my next task will be to go back over the documents and abstract them. And once that is completed, I will begin a chronology of Isaac Perkins' life events.

Isaac Perkins: Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Application File, Part 10

In Summary: Abstracts of Isaac Perkins' Pension File

Part 1:
Isaac Perkins: Image 1/35: Cover page

• N.C., File: S41953

Image 2/35: Isaac Perkins: Service Record

• Enlisted 16 May 1777/8 for a 3-year term (2 sources with conflicting year of enlistment)
• Officers: Captain Stevenson and Colonel Sheppard; Captain Clement Hall and Colonel John Patton
• Private, 2nd Regiment, North Carolina line
• On N.C. Roll: Pension: $8 per month, beginning 9 June 1818
• Certificate of Pension: 30 Nov 1818
• Amount due on 4 Mar 1830: $18.06
• Died May 23, 1830

Muster Roll: Captain Clement Hall's 2nd North Carolina Battalion

• Served at White Plains, New York
• Line 20: "Isaac Purkins": enlisted 16 May '77, term: 3 years
• Served with Martin Black: line 21: enlisted 16 May '77, term: 3 years
• Served with Isaac Carter: line 47: enlisted poss. 28 Oct '76
• Served with John Carter: line 62; enlisted poss. 1 Jan 1777: tern: "1", for the duration of the war

Part 2:

• Quantitative estate appraisal
• Land Deed: Contained within the pension file, a handwritten transcription from the original handwritten copy found at Craven County Register of Deeds
• Isaac Perkins Estate File (1834), 10 pages, FamilySearch.org

Part 3:

• Served 10th North Carolina Regiment under Captain Silas Sears
• 1777: Marched to Valley Forge, PA
• Redistribution of soldiers moved him into the 2nd Regiment under Colonel Patten and Captain Clement Hall
• Served with 2nd Regiment in its Northern Campaign
• Marched to Charleston, SC and taken prisoner
• Escaped and served in NC militia till end of war
• Served a total of over three years, no discharge given
• Comrade at arms: Osborne Clark
• Referred to his wife, Deborah, age 66 in the year 1829

Part 4:

• 
  

Part 5:

• Land Indenture: From Isaac Perkins to his brother-in-law, Isaac Carter
• For the sum of $50.00
• South Side Neuse River, at Head of Handcock's Creek
• 150 Acres
• Originally granted to Perkins by patent

Part 6:

Part 7:

Part 8:

Part 9:

Part 10:

Part 11:

___________________

Isaac Perkins: Revolutionary War Pension Application File, Part 8

Update: The North Carolina Continentals

To date I am half-way through reading Chapter 17: South Carolina, 1781. The author provides interesting details of military communications and actions, as well as the day-to-day effects of this prolonged war on our North Carolina troops, fighting outside of their state boundaries. It explores their inner conflicts of service to country vs. the needs of their families at home, especially during planting and harvesting seasons, which counted significantly in the continuous rate of desertion.

We are coming near to the close of Isaac Perkins' pension application file. Today we'll be examining a collection of communications which causes questions to arise in regard to the identities of several of those who contributed documentation in the attempt to restore Perkins' name to the pension list.

As we view the lapse of time just represented here--September 1828-December 1829--we can only imagine the mounting frustration this man and his family experienced in his attempts to receive the gratuity which was rightly his under law.

Newbern Decr 21st 1829

Isaac Perkins: Image 26/35
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Sir

I have the honor herewith again to enclose for the further examination of the Department, the documents of Isaac Perkins, attached with every explanation

required & instructions of the 24th [        ], which I hope may receive your Approbation, flattere'd in this by the very

benevolent and Speedy attention paid to the claims of the poor Old Soldier when presented under date of 18th [         ], but unfortunately proving informal then, as deficient in the requirements now furnished And permit me, to claim for him your attention to the circumstance, for his not making his application after the present form sooner, that he was led to believe by the parties attached to his Schedule, with their Attestations, was the proper requisite to be transmitted to the department, and which he had expected had been Sent on by some of his friends here, (with whom he found it on hand at the date of his present application which is most respectfully submitted

With great respect,
Your Obed't Servant,
Sam Gerock

Hon.
the Secretary
of War
United States

Isaac Perkins: Image 27/35
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Office of Revolutionary Pensions
Treasury Department

Isaac Perkins: Image 28/35
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H.R. Decr 23 1828

Sir,

Some time ago I forwarded from Newbern N. C. applications under the act of the last Session (relative to soldiers of the Revolution who had served till the close of the War) on behalf of Michael Ellis _______ Perkins _______ Thomas x________ King. -----

Have the goodness to let me know the [            ] of these applications. -----

Respectfully [   ]
Jn H Bryan



Commentary: Who was Jn H. Bryan?

A Google search led me to The Southern Historical Collection's holding, Bryan Family Papers 1704-1940. The abstract reads as follows:

Bryan and related...families of New Bern, N.C., and vicinity. Prominent family members included John Heritage Bryan (1798-1870), congressman and lawyer of New Bern and Raleigh, N. C. .... [1]

Newbern Novr 18th 1829

Isaac Perkins: Image 29/35
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Sir

I have the honor to enclose for the consideration of the Department, the Declaration and the Schedule annexed of Isaac Perkins, a Negro Man, an Old Soldier of the Revolutionary Army in Order to be restored to the Pension List, the Decision of his appeal may be addressed to me for his information and is Respectfully submitted,----

With great respect

Your Obed't Servant

Saml Gerock

Honr
The Secretary
of War
United States

Isaac Perkins: Image 30/35
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927.

Revolutionary Claims.

Under the act entitled, "An act for the relief of certain surviving Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Revolution," approved 15 May 1828.

Treasury Department
5 Jany 1829

The annexed paper, relating to the claim of Isaac Perkins under the abovementioned act, is respectfully referred to the Secretary of War, with a request that he will be pleased to cause me to be informed whether a discharge, and, if so, what discharge, was received at the War Department, from the claimant, on an application stated to have been heretofore made for him by a pension.

Richard Rush [signature]

The Hon. Secretary of War

Letters from the War Department [  ] January 1829.

Commentary: Who was Richard Rush?

From the appearance of this signature directly above the title, "The Hon. Secretary of War," I had first imagined that Richard Rush held that office at the time this document was generated. I'm glad, however, that I followed my instinct and Googled "U S secretary of war January 1829 Richard Rush," because the information I found showed that he was, in fact, not the Secretary of War, but served

from 1825 to 1829 as secretary of the treasury during the presidency of John Quincy Adams. [2]

By clicking the link John Quincy Adams Front Page, the list of cabinet members found on the lower right side of the page reveals that James Barbour held the title of Secretary of War from 1825-1828, and that Peter B. Porter had served that office from 1828-1829. [3]

Isaac Perkins: Image 31/35
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897.                927.
Ref. Pension Office [Handwritten]

TREASURY DEPARTMENT
Sept. 2, 1828

Isaac Perkins, of            in the County of

Craven, in the State of No Carolina, has applied to the Secretary of the Treasury for the benefits of the act, entitled "An Act for the relief of certain surviving officers and soldiers of the Revolution," approved 15th of May 1828. He states that he enlisted in the Continental line of the army of the Revolution, for and during the war, and continued until its termination, at which period he was a Private in captain Hall's company, in the Second regiment of the No Carolina line; and that he received a certificate for the reward of eighty dollars, provided by the resolve of the 15th of May 1778; and further, that he was not on the 15th day of May, 1828, on the pension list of the United States, and that he has received as a pensioner since the 3rd of

March, 1826, nothing.

The Third Auditor is requested to report how far the several statements are corroborated by the records in his office.

By order of the Secretary
A. Dickens 


TREASURY DEPARTMENT
THIRD AUDITOR'S OFFICE,
9 September 1828

It further appears that Isaac Perkins is not now on the pension list of any agency, and has not been so since 3 March 1826.

The name of Isaac Perkins cannot be found among those of the North Carolina line, to whom Certificates for the gratuity of Eighty Dollars were issued.

Peter Hagner, Auditor


Commentary: Who was A. Dickens?

By Googling the name, "A. Dickens," I located several transcriptions for other documents bearing the above highlighted quote, and one other bearing the additional initial, "F. A. Dickens." Next, I searched, "F. A. Dickens office of the treasury 1828," and discovered numerous PDFs including the terms, "By order of the Secretary," "Treasury Department," "1828," and "F. A. Dickens." Scrolling down just below the PDFs, I found "Francis Asbury Dickens Papers: 1729-1934." Reading the abstract, I found some perplexing information:

Fanny was employed by the Confederate Treasury Department in 1862, at Richmond, and, in 1863, she moved to....1828, land grant of John Forsyth, Governor of Georgia.....March, May 1865, oaths of allegiance and amnesty of F.A. Dickens.

By reading the collection overview of the Francis Asbury Dickens Papers, I learned that he had served as an agent for the U. S. War and Treasury departments, and as a Washington D.C. lawyer, "specializing in government claims....against the U. S. government, particularly pension claims lodged by veterans of various wars." He was the son of Asbury Dickens, and had married Margaret Harvie Randolph: "Fanny," as referred to above, was their daughter, Frances Dickens: the second of five children. [4]

Commentary: Who was Peter Hagner, Auditor?

When in doubt of deciphering the correct spelling of a signature, I have found it always best to approximate the spelling in a Google search. Originally, I searched for what appeared to me to be "Peter Hagman;" but, the results brought up an immediate correction of "Peter Hagner, Auditor." As with F. A. Dickens, I located an entry for "Peter Hagner Papers, 1730-1940. --UNC Chapel Hill Libraries." The first sentence of the collection abstract was very intriguing:

Peter Hagner (1772-1850), native of Pennsylvania, known as the "watchdog of the Treasury," was a clerk in the accounting office of the United States War Department, 1793-1817, and third auditor of the United States Treasury, 1817-1849. [5] 

Isaac Perkins: Image 32/35
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897. Isaac Perkins
I. Perkins
recd 2 Sept. 1828
[       ] same day





Commentary: Non-chronological order of dated materials

If you look closely, you will note that although these documents have been placed in this order, they present themselves non-chronologically:

Image 26/35: 21 Dec 1829: from claimant;
Image 27/35: no date;
Image 28/35: 23 Dec 1828;
Image 29/35: 18 Nov 1829;
Image 30/35: 5 Jan 1829;
Image 31/35: 2 Sep 1828;
Image 32/35: 2 Sep 1828.

One theory is that they were placed in the file randomly. Another might be that they represent the various attempts by the various individuals and department officials, crossing paths over time. At this point, I am not certain of the reasoning; so, for now I will just make a mental note of it and move on.

Next time we will examine the final three records contained in the pension file of Isaac Perkins.

Sources

[1] Bryan Family, "Collection No.: 00096; Collection Title: Bryan Family Papers, 1704-1940," in UNC University Libraries, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Southern Historical Collection at the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library (http://www2.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/b/Bryan_Family.html : available 8 July 2014).

[2] Margaret A. Hogan, consulting editor, "Richard Rush (1825-1829): Secretary of the Treasury," in Miller Center, University of Virginia. American President: A Reference Resource  (http://millercenter.org/president/jqadams/essays/cabinet/170 : available 8 July 2014).

[3] Margaret A. Hogan, consulting editor, "American President: John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)," in Miller Center, University of Virginia.  American President: A Reference Resource (http://millercenter.org/president/jqadams : available 8 July 2014).

[4] Francis Asbury Dickens, "Collection No.: 00218; Collection Title: Francis Asbury Dickins Papers, 1729-1934," in UNC University Libraries, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Southern Historical Collection at the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library (http://www2.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/d/Dickins,Francis_Asbury.html : available 8 July 2014).

[5] Peter Hagner, "Collection No.: 03117; Collection Title: Peter Hagner Papers, 1730-1940," in UNC University Libraries, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Southern Historical Collection at the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library (http://www2.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/h/Hagner,Peter.html : available 8 July 2014).

Isaac Perkins: Revolutionary War Pension Application File: Part 7

Update: The North Carolina Continentals

Chapter 6, Valley Forge, 1777-1778

Washington and Lafayette
at Valley Forge, Wikipedia

This chapter brings to light some answers to questions I had formed from working with a member of the North Carolina Society of the Sons of the American Revolution who had contacted me about participating in the Forgotten Patriots project.

In regards to military service in the 10th North Carolina Battalion under the command of Captain Abraham Sheppard, he had mentioned that late in the war the records were ill-kept and many who were not under the direct command of Capt. Sheppard were, in fact, lumped together with other soldiers, leaving it to us these two-hundred thirty-odd years later to sort out. Chapter 6 helped with the sorting.

The problems seemed to start with the recruiting officers in Abraham Sheppard's Tenth Regiment who recruited "bodies" to fill the ranks who were often too sickly to fight. Signing bonuses of twenty shillings for each officer to meet his enlistment quota did not help in selecting the most fit men for the task. Their deadline for signing on three hundred men was July 1, 1777. His orders were to march them north to meet up with Washington as soon as the ranks were full. Rankin states,

Sheppard's record-keeping was so sloppy that it was not only difficult to determine just how many men had been enlisted but equally hard to ascertain the actual number in camp with him....Although Sheppard was supposed to march directly to Richmond to await further orders from Caswell, by October 6, he had moved no farther than the Roanoke River, two miles from Halifax. Sheppard...left his troops encamped on the banks of the river and returned to his home in Dobbs County....When Sheppard finally began his march he was forced to leave forty-seven behind who were too ill to take the rigors of a long march. [1]

Note below that Isaac Perkins recalls his commander to be Col. Benjamin Sheppard, perhaps from a faulty memory.

There had been two rather shocking revelations. Benjamin Sheppard, paymaster of the Tenth, and Alexander Outlaw, the quartermaster, were declared unworthy of holding office when they were suspected of counterfeiting. [2]

The conditions of the regiment continued to cause delays, chiefly due to illness.

...by mid-February...it was little more than a skeleton unit; in addition to the 47 left behind at the beginning of the march, 118 men had deserted along the route....A large number had fallen ill, and 20 had died and had been buried in shallow graves along the way....Only six men died as a result of the [smallpox] inoculation, but a much larger number were lost as a result of the measles epidemic that swept through camp....The unit was soon to fade into obscurity as a result of continued desertions. [3]

At that point, the remaining men of the Tenth Regiment were divided up between the First and the Second Regiments.

Transcription of Declaration of Petition for Pension

Isaac Perkins Image 23/35

Declaration

In Order to be restored to the Pension list under the Act of first March 1823 Craven County [      ]

On the 12th day of November 1829, personally appeared, in Open Court of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions of the County of Craven and the State of North Carolina, being a Court of Records which proceeds according to the Course of the Common Laws with a jurisdiction unlimitted in [power] of A[         ] and Keeping & Record of its proceeding Isaac Perkins a resident of aforesaid County aged Seventy three years who being first duly

sworn according to Law, doth make Oath to the following declaration in Order to obtain the provision made by Congress of 18th March 1818 and 1st May 1820. That he the said Isaac

Perkins, enlisted for the term of Three Years about the Month of May 1778 in the State of No Carolina in the Company commanded by Capt [Silas] Stevenson in the tenth Regiment, Commanded by Col Benj Sheppard in the Line of the State of

No Carolina on the Continental Establishment that he continued to serve under different changes of the Corps and captured at Charleston until discharged in the State of No Carolina by Col Patton. That his name has been placed on the Pension list & dropped therefrom on account of his property

And in pursuance of the Act of 1st May 1820 I do solemnly swear That I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the

Isaac Perkins Image 24/35

18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gifts sale or in any manner disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with which thereby so to diminish it, or to bring myself  within the provision 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, ha[- - ]ed on the 18th day of March 1818, and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for my, any property, or securities, contracts, or debts due to me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto An nexed, and by me Subscribed, My Occupation being that of a Farmer, and my ability to pursue in very uncertain. Owing to my great bodily infirmity under which I labor, my family now consists of myself and my wife Deborah who is now Sixty Six years Old and not able to support herself. The changes of my property since 18th March 1818 Are as follows: I sold 150 Acres of Land for forty dollr part of which have ever been paid me and used towards my support, along with some of my Stock being heretofore able to support myself by my labour Is the reason I did not apply sooner to be restored to the pension List. The number of my pension Certificate granted on the 30th Novr 1818 is [5]66.

Sworn to and declared on the 12th day of Novr 1829.

                                                           his
attest James G Stanly          Isaac     X   Perkins
                                                         mark

Isaac Perkins Image 25/35

Con.
Pen. to Con.   28 Dec                           1829---

Recd from S Gerock
             Newbern, N.C.
             28 Dec 1829

Sources

[1] Rankin, pp. 129, 130, 131.
[2] Rankin, p. 133.
[3] Rankin, p. 138.