S.8814 Pension Application of Richard Lawrence

National Archives microfilm series M805, roll 516. Transcribed by Catherine N. Ball, Ph.D., 23 July 2007

Item 1: Card

New York, Lawrence, Richard S.8814

Item 2: pension record

[partial transcription] Maryland / Richard Lawrence / of Baltimore in the State of Maryland who was a Lieut. & Pvt in the Company commanded by Captain Richmough of the New York Troops

Notation: Dead / See letter to S. Young, Sept. 15 1837 / same Sept 25 1837

Item 3: Deposition of Richard Lawrence, 23 March 1833

State of Maryland

City of Baltimore

to wit

Nineteen years old he joined a Volunteer Company of Infantry (in the City of New York where he then resided) called the Fusiliers commanded by Captain Richmough, and served in said Company at the time the British armed ship the Asia fired into the City of New York, was also serving in said Company at the time Generals Washington and Lee passed through New York on their way to or near Boston, that he marched in and with the said Company to Kings Bridge and remained there some time as a Guard to protect the Cannon and other Munitions of war which had been removed from New York to that place for safety at the time of the firing into the City as before mentioned—that in the year 1777 he had occasion to go to Charleston South Carolina and while there Volunteered to and did assist in guarding that City by Night to prevent the Tories and Negroes from burning the place and at one time was the first to give the Alarm when a Negroe was detected in the Act of Setting fire to a House , who was afterwards burnt for this Crime, that some time afterwards he returned to the State of New York and joined as Volunteer some Regulars under the Command of Captains Drake and Lawrence, and while with them had a smart engagement at Hoboken with a Sloop belonging to the British. That in the year 1780 he obtained a Lieutenants Commission in the State Levies of New York in which Capacity he served Nine Months and during all the time was in active employment, during a part of it he was stationed with the American Army near the Heights above Dobs Ferry about twenty five Miles from New York, and was there Exposed to the fire of a British Armed Vessel while the Americans were building a Block House at that place, and while there he was several times dispatched with others to Reconnoitre the British at Kings Bridge for the

Purpose of giving information to the American Commander at West Point and once returning from thence his party was discovered by the British and fired on by two armed Vessels. that some time afterwards Captain Jon^a Lawrence and himself were ordered to proceed to and join a Regiment at Albany. Captain Lawrence started and left him (deponent) to collect an additional Number of Men which he did in a few days and then proceeded with them to Albany and there joined a Regiment of Infantry Commanded by Colonels Malcolm and Dubois, to which Regiment he remained attached, until his term of Service Expired, and was sent to several places on duty during the time. that afterwards he went to Philadelphia and in the year 1782 Settled in the City of Baltimore where he now resides, deponent further saith that at his Request the annexed Certificates signed by Jonathan Lawrence and Sam^l Ver [Verlin?] were written, and that the Commission hereto annexed is the Identical Commission herein before mentioned. he also says he is personally known to the Rev^d Mr William, Mr Isaac Causten, Generals Sam^l Smith and W^m M^cDonald the Hon^ble Henry Payson John Purviance Esq^r and many other Respectable Citizens of Baltimore. He hereby relinquishes every Claim whatsoever to a Pension or an Annuity except the present and he declares that his Name is not on the Pension Roll of an Agency in any state, Territory or District of this department upon his oath aforesaid further 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 wit For Nine Months as a Private in the Company under Captain Richmough, he served one Month under Drake

& Lawrence, and he served as a Lieutenant under and by Virtue of the annexed Commission Nine Months and for Such Service he claims a pension—

[signed] Rich^d Lawrence

Sworn and Subscribed to the day and year aforesaid –

We Stephen Williams a Clergyman residing in the City of Baltimore in the State of Maryland and Isaac Causten residing in the same place, Hereby Certify that we are well acquainted with Richard Lawrence who has subscribed and Sworn to the above declaration—that we believe him to Seventy Seven years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the Neighbourhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we Concur in that opinion—

[signed] Stephen Williams

         his

Isaac X Causten

         mark

Mr Causten being lame in the right hand is the cause of his making a mark

Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid

Interrogatories propounded by the said Judge to Richard Lawrence and his answers –

Answer –         I was born in the City of New York in the year 1756—

Question 2^nd    Have you any Record of your age and if so where is it

Answer            —I have not any record of my age

Question 3       Where were you living when called into the Service where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live

Answer            I lived in the City of New York at the time I entered into the Service, and Shortly after the war Settled in the City of Baltimore where I have Resided ever since

Question 4       How were you called into Service, were you drafted, did you Volunteer, or were you a Substitute, and if a Substitute for whom.

Answer            --I Volunteered and served as a Private in Cap^t Richmoughs Company, I was also a Volunteer in the Service under Captains Drake and Dubois, afterwards I served as Lieutenant in the State Levies of the State of New York in a Company Commanded by Capt Jonathan Lawrence, and was a part of the time of my Service attached to a Regiment Commanded by Colonels

Malcolm and Dubois at Albany.

Question 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 Circumstances of your Service –

Question 6^th.    did you ever Receive a discharge from the Service and f so by whom was it given and what has become of it, did you ever receive a Commission and if so by whom was it signed and what has become of it –

Answer--         when I first entered into the Service in a militia Company I served as long as the services of the Company were required and was then dismissed, subject to be called out again, when wanted, my service under Lawrence and Drake was very short it being a very temporary engagement, to reconnoitre the Enemy. I was soon dismissed. I received the annexed Commission, signed by George Clinton, then Governor of the State of New York

Question 7^th.    State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood, and who can testify as to your Character for Veracity and their belief of your services as a Soldier of the Revolution—

Page 6

Answer            I am acquainted with most of the old inhabitants of Baltimore among them are General S Smith General W^m M^cDonald, the Honb^l Henry Payson the Rev^d Mr Williams, Isaac Causten and John Purviance Esquire, any of whom can I verily believe testify as to my Character for Veracity and their belief of my Services as a Soldier of the Revolution—

[signed] Rich^d Lawrence

And the said Judge doth hereby declare his Opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories presented by the War department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states and the said Judge further Certifies that it appears to him that Stephen Williams who has signed the preceding Certificate is a Clergyman resident in the City of Baltimore, and that Isaac Causten who has also signed the same is a resident in said City and is a Credible person and that their statement is entitled to Credit – and the said Judge also – Certifies that the above named Applicant cannot from bodily infirmity attend the Court –

[signed] Henry Payson a Judge of

the Orphans Court of B.Cy.

I David M Perine Register of Wills for Baltimore County do Herby Certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings before the Hon^ble Henry Payson a Judge of the Orphans Court of Balt^o County in the matter of the application of Richard Lawrence for a pension

[seal] In Testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 23^rd day of March in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and thirty three

Test D. M. Perine Register of Wills for Baltimore County.

Item 4: envelope postmarked September, Baltimore

Item 5: letter from Samuel Young

Baltimore Sept. 12^th 1837

The Honorable J. L. Edwards Esquire

Commissioner of pensions

Washington

Sir,

I am requested by Doctor Lawrence, son of the late Richard Lawrence, a Lieut. of the Fusiliers, during the Revolutionary war, to inquire whether the documentary testimony produced on his behalf, is in your office, and whether it can be furnished to aid in an intended application to have the pension continued to his needy widow, and [to enable ...?] to ascertain, whether Bounty land is not [illegible].

            From your acquaintance with all the circumstances connected with this application, it is [to be?] presumed you can determine the probability of success in these contemplated proceedings, and your assistance in this subject will be deemed a peculiar favor conferred on [illegible].

Your most respectful

and Obt. Servt

Sam^l Young

Item 6: Summary page, not transcribed

NON-SELECTED RECORDS

Item 1. Lieutenant’s commission, State of New York; appointing “Richard Lawrence Gentleman” a Lieutenant of a “Company of the Levies for the Defence of the Frontiers of this State”. Signed George Clinton, dated 11 Sep 1780.

Item 2. “INVALID” card, not transcribed.

Item 3. Statement from John Lawrence dated 11 Feb 1833

I do Hereby Certify I am well Acquainted with the Applicant Richard Lawrence from my Youth in the Beginning of the Revolutionary War between America and England he enlisted under the Command of Cap^t Ritsemas Company was Called Fusiliers Served about Six months in the Year 1775 it was the same Time the Asias Sixty four fired on the City of New York and further he was assisting to Remove the Cannon from the Battery in the year 1780 he Received a Lieutenants Commission under the Command of Cap^t J Lawrence to go to the North of the State of New York and Served Nine Months one time at [illegible] and further he has served in Different [Posts?] one in particular in New Jersey in a Battle made prize of two Musketts one he Gave me

Sworn and Subscribed                        John Lawrence

Before me Adolphus L Mabie Justice

February 11^th 1833

I do hereby Certify I am well acquainted with the Applicant Richard Lawrence of Serving in the Revolutionary War between America and England and Acted as Lieutenant in the Year 1780 and further I have seen him under Arms and Doing Duty in New Jersey

Sworn and Subscribed                                                            his

Before me Adolphus L Mabie Justice                        Samuel X Ver [Verlen?]

February 11^th 1833                                                      mark

I am Personally acquainted with John Lawrence and Samuel Ver [Verlen?] I believe them to be men of Good Standing in society and can be Relied upon their Veracity

[signed] Adolphus L Mabie Justice

Item 4. Statement certifying a Justice of the Peace of Rockland County

Item 5. Envelope addressed to L. Edwards Esquire, Com. of Pensions, Washington. Postmarked Baltimore, September 22.

Item 6. Letter from Samuel Young.

The Honorable

J. L. Edwards Esquire

Com^r of Pensions

Sir

From the tenor of the communication I had the honor of receiving from you on the 18^th Inst I indulged a hope that the claim of Mrs. Lawrence to a continuance of the pension granted her Late Husband Richard Lawrence would be allowed to her. On proceeding to obtain the necessary documents prescribed by the regulations with which you were pleased to favor me I find that the marriage of Mrs Lawrence took place in the year 1804. I ask leave therefore to trouble you with the inquiry whether this circumstance will militate so far against the claim I purposed submitting to you, as to compel her to have recourse to Congress for a special act in her favor.

Very respectfully,

Your Most Obt. Servt,

Sam^l Young