Pension Application of Mahlon Coombs S42659
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Ohio Licking County SS.
On this first day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Twenty three, personally appeared in open court of common pleas holden in New Ark [Newark] for the county of Licking and State of Ohio, being a court of record proceeding according to the course of the common Law and jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount, and keeping a record of its proceedings Mahlon Coombs aged sixty four years resident in Licking County aforesaid, who being duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provisions made by the acts of Congress of the 18th of March AD 1818 and first of May AD 1820, to provide for certain persons engaged in the Land and Naval service of the united states in the Revolutionary War – viz. That he was enlisted a Loudon [sic: Loudoun] County in the State of Virginia, according to the best of deponents recollection in the fall of the year 1781 in a company commanded by Captain Fegan or Fergan, in the regiment Commanded by Col Stephens of the Virginia line, on the continental establishment [see endnote] for the Term of One year as deponent now believes, that he continued to serve in the said corps in the service of the united states until after the taking of Cornwallis at Little York in Virginia [19 Oct 1781] – That shortly after the Surrender of Cornwallis he was honorably discharged from the service – That owing to the manner in which the troops were discharged at that time he received no written discharge – there was a general discharge of the soldiers at the time and a great many did not receive written discharges. He was engaged in the taking of Cornwallis but was in no other battles during the Term of his service. He further states he is now in very reduced and needy Circumstances in life and by reason of age and infirmity needs the assistance of his Country for support. And that he hath now no other evidence in his power of his said services, Except the deposition of Israel Coombs and Joseph Coombs herewith exhibited A. & B. – And further I the said Mahlon Coombs do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th of March 1818 & that I have not since that time by gift, sale, or in any manner disposed of my property, or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself withing the provisions of an act entitled an act to provide for certain person engaged in the land & naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War passed on the 18th day of March AD 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or Securities Contracts or debts due to me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed. Mahlon hisXmark Combs
Schedule of property
1 Cow – 1 Lot of hogs – 10 Gallon kettle – Dutch oven – 1 small pot, looking glass, Trunk, double trees, churn, pine table, Hackle, meat Tub, axe, drawing knife, 40 Bushells Corn, 5 bushels potatoes, Old spinning wheel, Shovel plough, Bedstead, and Bed & bedding. Mahlon hisXmark Coombs
The State of Ohio } SS.
Perry County }
Israel; Combs of full age being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he well knows that Mahlon Combs enlisted in Captain Daniel Feegan’s company, Col. Stephen’s Regiment Virginia line in the service of the United States on continental establishment some time during the Revolutionary War and in the winter season. Deponent does not know the term of his enlistment but knows that that said Mahlon Combs served out the term of his enlistment and served more than one year and was honorably discharged.
Deponent knows that Mahlon Combs aforesaid was at the Surrender of Cornwallis, at least he has been always so informed and Deponent saw said Mahlon Combs guarding the prisoners taken at Cornwallis’s surrender on their march to Frederick town in the state of Maryland. And further this deponent saith not.
[15 Oct 1823] Israel hisXmark Combs
State of Ohio } SS
Wayne County } On the eighth day of October anno Domini 1823 personally before me the
subscriber One of the Justices of the peace in and for said County came Joseph Combs a resident Citizen of the County of Wayne aforesaid, who on his solemn Oath doth depose & say that he well remembers that Mahlon Combs (a brother of this deponent, who now resides in Licking County in this State) enlisted at Israel Lacy’s tavern in Loudon County near Leesburgh Virginia some time in the Winter of A.D. 1780 in a Company Commanded by Captain Daniel Fergan in the Regiment Commanded by Colo. Stephens of the Virginia line then in the service of the United States on the Continental establishment, and further this deponent saith that to his knowledge the said Mahlon Combs continued to serve in said Corps in the service of the United States for upwards of ten months — And further this deponent saith that from the information he obtained from the Officers who commanded him and from others, he verily believes that the said Mahlon Combs was a soldier in the service afores’d and present at the time of the Surrender of Lord Cornwallis and further this deponent saith not —
Joseph hisXmark Combs
NOTES:
I could not identify the captain or colonel claimed by Coombs to have been in the Continental Line. There were, however, a Capt. Daniel Feagan of the Loudoun County Militia and Gen. Edward Stevens of the Virginia Militia. If Coombs did serve in the militia rather than the Continental service, he would not have been eligible for a pension under the 1818 and 1820 acts.
A letter in the file indicates that Mahlon Coombs lived with his son in Illinois from the fall of 1830 until the fall of 1832.