Sue Winter and Bill Schleicher, two longtime patrons of the David Library, recently shared some of their insight on doing research in the Revolutionary War pension records we have here. The Pension Records are one of the richest resources we have - and that is saying a lot since we have over 700 collections and 10,000 reels of microfilm. The Pension Records contain data on every soldier who filed a pension with the federal government. Many include narratives of their time in the war. Previously, Kimberly Hess shared the fascinating story of Elizabeth Poole, which she had found in the records.

It pays to cast your nets widely in the Revolutionary War pension files.
Happy is the family historian who finds an ancestor's pension file record. But even if your ancestor never applied for a pension, you may not be completely out of luck. And, if you're fortunate enough to have found a pension file, there may still be more to discover.

Applicants for a pension often sought the testimony of those still living with whom they had served in order to substantiate their claim. If you were the descendant of Christy Little, imagine how happy you would be to find this statement of your ancestor in the pension file of Hezekiah Jones: "Once a returning when the Americans retreated from Stony Point, there was such a hurry or bustle in getting the baggage loaded and off, a going down a steep hill Hezekiah Jones wagon run one wheel over a rock and upset, and drug Jones some distance under it. (Little) expected he would be killed, but hearing Jones hallow stoped his team and went to him and helped him up and put to right again. Jones happened not to be much hurt, save one finger. He and Jones had often slept together when empty in one of their wagons and when loaded under their wagon. They carted from the Commissary Store at Pittstown to Trenton and Germantown Pa and other places where the army lay or was stationed." (Christy Little testifying for Hezekiah Jones R 5702)

One veteran in testifying for another may mention other names. Peter Pettey of the Sussex County NJ Militia recollected that while serving at Woodbridge in the fall of 1777, "he and Joe Mountain ran a foot race for a barrel of cider. Joe accused David Vliet of helping Pettey and Mountain and Pettey were about to fight over it when the company Capt. John Pettey came up and stopped the fight and told Vliet that it would not do for him to fight as he was an officer" (Ensign). (Peter Pettey testifying for David Vliet W4369)

Officers, especially as the rank gets higher, tended to be older than the average age of the men, and so fewer of them lived long enough to apply for a pension. Nevertheless, the names of officers are frequently mentioned in the files of those who served under them. In recalling his own service, Jacob Johnson stated that "He shot a Hessian that was in the act of stabbing Major Stout and saved his life. The Major offered him (illegible) as a bounty next morning but he declined taking it." (Jacob Johnson W796) In his pension file application, Robert Carhart reported that at the Battle of Monmouth, "Major Growendyke then commanded us and we marched backward and forward until near 11 o'clock, when Major Growendyke climbed a chestnut tree to see where the army was." (Robert Carhart W 3941)

Sometimes we learn about places. Lamington New Jersey was considered far enough from the theater of war that many refugees made it their home. Nevertheless, Edmond Arrowsmith recalled “Twice he was driven from his home ("at the North Branch," "at Lambinton") by the British marching through the place." (Edmond Arrowsmith S12006)
Sometimes people recalled things that happened after the revolution. The descendants of Elizabeth Handler would love to find her statement that "She does not recollect the year that they removed to Pennsylvania but that she recollects distinctly as she and her father's family were on the way from New Jersey, they met a company of soldiers who had been to western Pennsylvania to put down the Whisky Insurrection. They met them at a town called Strawsburgh. At that time she was 15 years old." (Elizabeth Handler for William Hunt R542)

Unfortunately there is no index to all the names mentioned in the pension files. In lieu of that, you can compile a list of men who served in the same company as your ancestor, and check to see which ones may have had pension applications. Even if you don't find your ancestor mentioned, you may learn little known facts about the skirmishes and events, which they experienced. Start with the National Archives files of Muster Rolls on microfilm.
Submitted by Sue Winter and Bill Schleicher





Have something you want to share? A research question, a research find, or a personal story about the Library? Email Patrick Spero at spero@dlar.org

Labels: genealogy, patrons perspective, pension records, research

Last summer, Maria Fisher came to hear former David Library fellow John Fea talk about his book, The Way of Improvement Leads Home: Philip Fithian Vickers and the Rural Enlightenment in Early America. Maria just finished reading the book and wanted to share her perspective with others.

Last summer there was a lecture at the David Library featuring John Fea and his book, "The Way of Improvement Leads Home." It was not as well attended as some of the other lectures maybe because it was held in July. I just wanted to recommend this book for those who may have missed out. It's about Philip Vickers Fithian's life and rural enlightenment in Early America. One gets the sense of how radical and important the changes were in that period of history through the life and mind of an ordinary man. In addition, it's a beautiful story. It comes at a perfect time as many Americans seem to be losing touch with what makes us uniquely American.

Maria Fisher

Don't forget the David Library's final lecture on December 6 at 3PM, where Pulitzer Prize winning historian Edwin Burrows will talk about his latest book.

Have something you want to share? A research question, a research find, or a personal story about the Library? Email Patrick Spero at spero@dlar.org

Labels: books, patrons perspective

One of our patrons sent me the fascinating story of Elizabeth Poole, which she unearthed doing research at the David Library. The Pension Records she used hold countless stories of long forgotten patriots - and in this case, the story of one remarkable woman.

I was fortunate to make a discovery at the David Library about 24 years ago when I began doing genealogical research. With the help of a librarian, I located the widow's pension application for my fifth great-grandmother, Elizabeth Stillwagon, which she made when she was 84 years old. This document suddenly brought to life Elizabeth and her husband, Peter, in ways that other documents could not. Because of the events in their lives during and after the Revolution, Elizabeth did not have documents to prove her marriage and did not know anyone alive who could prove her husband's service during the war. To apply for a pension, she told her story in great detail under oath.

Elizabeth Poole lived in Philadelphia when she married a German immigrant named Peter Stillwagon in March 1773. Around the time of the Declaration of Independence, Peter enlisted in the patriot army under Captain Fleming, and almost two weeks later Elizabeth gave birth to their first child, Daniel. Peter was marched to New Jersey, where Elizabeth must have spent the war. At some point during his five years of service, Peter was captured by the British and marched to New York, where he was imprisoned at the Sugar House for 23 months. A source in DAR Library files suggests that Peter and other soldiers were trying to warn the militia in Shrewsbury of a British landing at Eatontown when Tories fired on them and captured them.

While Peter was engaged in the large war, Elizabeth experienced the "small war" that engulfed New Jersey. As an 84-year-old woman, she recalled that "after her husband was taken prisoner the British troops came to her house and destroyed what they could find, even the clothing of her children after being treated so meanly by the British soldiers when they were at her house she became alarmed for her own safety" and moved in with a neighbor. The British returned and burned her house down. In an interesting brush with larger historical figures, General Forman moved Elizabeth into housing with the wife or widow of Captain Joshua Huddy.

Other records indicate that Peter survived his war experience, and Elizabeth bore thirteen children in New Jersey, of whom nine survived. The family moved to Connellsville in Fayette County, Pennsylvania after 1800 and lived what must have been a comparatively peaceful life on the frontier. Peter died in 1831, but Elizabeth lived until 1854 when she was found "burned to a crisp," having died at home while smoking her pipe at approximately 100 years old.

Have something you want to share? A research question, a research find, or a personal story about the Library? Email Patrick Spero at spero@dlar.org

Labels: patrons perspective, research, women