tilman camper or kemper rev war pension application

Tilman and Dinah Camper / Kemper
Pension Number W 8573 Virginia

 

STATE OF KENTUCKY, FAYETTE COUNTY. October 22, 1832, before Thomas W Hickey, Circuit Judge, the above named soldier appeared, resident of Fayette County, aged 73, states that he entered the service of the U.S. under the following named officers, first enlisted under Captain Leonard Helm of Illinois regiment for six months in Fauquire Co, Va in 1778 where he then lived and marched to Red Stone and then joined General Clark's army and went by water to the Falls of the Ohio (now Louisville) then went to Illinois, thence took Gov. Rose Clark prisoner, this time six months expired. He then enlisted under Captain Bowman? of said regiment and went to a small fort this side of St. Louis. this was for 7 months. That we took that fort, then took post otherwise called Vincennes with Governor Hamilton and all his forces and then stayed the balance of my time and two and one-half months over to aid in holding the ports threatened with the Indians until more troops came, thence two tours and overtime taken to march back to Virginia occupied over 18 months. In the year 1780 he was drafted and marched under Captain Weaver of said Fauquire County Va, to Williamsburg and served two months and eight days besides the time occupied in returning home; which was about 150 miles. General Weeden commanded at Williamsburg and Col Churchill in the year 1781. He was drafted and marched under Captain Ball to Richmond Va and served there three months and returned home. Governor Stevens of Culpepper then commanded them. In the same year he was drafted under Captain Conway and marched again to Richmond and then went under General LeMarquis as we called him (LaFayette) than marched back to Williamsburg and served then 3 months.

 

     In the year 1786 he was drafted and marched under Capt. Bush against the Indians in Kentucky and served a few weeks and retuned home under General Logan. He went to Shewanee towns and took seven of them and killed a good many Indians. many of them, King Malinta and took 30 prisoners and brought them to Kentucky. This was after he moved to Fayette County Kentucky where he has ever since resided. That he has no written evidence in his possession, except the enclosed deed from Messrs Taylor Crogman and Terrall for land. He had a discharge and thinks he gave it to Henry A McCurry Esquire to aid him in getting some more public land which he was told he was entitled to and he has no doubt he will be found on the muster roll of the Illinois regiment - his whole services lasted about 27 months, at least more than two years besides the time of returning home.

 

     His widow, Dianah Camper aged 73 made her declaration for widow's pension in Fayette Co, KY, February 14-1837. States that she was married to said Tilman Camper, October 22-1779 in Fauquire Co, Va, while he was in the service of the U.S. That her maiden name was Hit, daughter of Peter Hit, that her husband Tilman Camper in Fayette Co, 12-3-1836, deceased. Ben J.D. Camper was a witness to her declaration. She was a neighbor to Thos. Rogers, on that date. Also one Levi Camper was a witness to her declaration. she states that the minister's name who married them was Parson Thompson in the county of Fauquire, Va. states that she knew her husband was out under General George Rogers Clark at the capture of the British fort in Illinois and the taking of Gov. Hamilton and also was out several times in the Virginia militia, during the Revolutionary War after their marriage but cannot remember names of his officers.

 

     The deposition of Nancy Marsh of Fayette Co, Ky, aged 43, states that she is the 9th child of Tilmon Camper, deceased and Dinah Camper, who signed and sworn to the foregoing declaration and that she was born on the __ day of March 1795 as she has always understood. From her deceased father's & mother's as well as from the family record kept by her deceased father and in the possession of her mother and states that her father died Dec 3-1836 and from her mother's family record as follows: 

 

Birth's:
Tilmon Kamper born 4-11-1759, Dinah Hitt his wife born 4-15-1764 were joined in wedlock 3-10-1779, that the above is copied direct from the family bible record with the exception of the dates, which are expressed in figures and as to the above marriage is viz: 10-22-1779. Subscribed and sworn to December 24-1838, by Nancy March, daughter of soldier and wife.

 

     In another deposition in Fayette Co, May 19-1839, she gives births of children as follows: Thomas Kemper son of Tilmon and Dinah wife born 9-19-1780, and so continued the register to include all the children down to Reuben Hitt Kamper born 3-19-1808, but in whose hand writing the register is in the deponent's will not undertake to say, although she is sensible that there is a discrepancy is the manner her father's name is spelled it being on the register Kamper and signed by her father Camper when he signed his own name.

 

     The deposition of Levi Kamper of Fayette Co, taken May 19-1839: Deponent at that time 30 years of age says that he is the son of Tilmon Camper and Dinah his wife, that even tho his father always wrote his name beginning with a "C" it was in the record written with a "K", and that all the family with the exception of his father, spelled the name with a "K".

 

Source: Records of Revolutionary War Pensions of Soldiers who Settled in Fayette County Kentucky

Annie Walker Burns, compiler, Washington DC, 1936

Copy held by the Kentucky Room, Lexington Public Library

Call number: R976.947 B4128r KY1936