Pension Application of Asa Hall: S6945

            Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

Virginia

            At a Court held for Montgomery County at the courthouse on Monday the 3rd day of January 1821.

            On this 3rd day of January 1821 personally appeared in open court being a court of monthly session for the county of Montgomery and made a court of record by the law of the state that created it, which proceeds according to the course of common & state laws, with a Jurisdiction unlimited in amount and keeping a record of its proceedings Asa Hall aged seventy two years, and a resident of the said county, who being duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provisions made by the act of Congress of the 18th March 1818 and the 1st of May 1820, that he the said Asa Hall enlisted for “during the pleasure of Congress,” on the 2nd of March 1776 in the county of Duchess [Dutchess] and state of New York, and was commanded by Captain Nathan Pearce, who having shortly retired from service, he was put under the command of Captain Palding in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Richmond, and in consequence of the loss of so many men from the regiment at Long Island [27 Aug 1776], White Plains [28 Oct 1776], Stoney Point [sic: 15 July 1779], I served but nine months and five days, up to the 8th of December following when he was discharged. That he then on the 1st of July 1777 enlisted under Captain John Sallisbury for three months in the regiment commanded by Colonel Fornass, (he thinks) when after the taking of Burgoyne [second Battle at Saratoga 7 Oct 1777] he was discharged from a service of five rather than three months; That his discharge is lost, and that he has in a living brother Jesse Hall the only witness in his knowledge to corroborate his statement, and must rely upon the records of the war department for the enrollment of his name, and the force of his own and his brothers oaths; and in pursuance of the act of Congress of the 1st of May 1820, I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th of March 1818, and that I have not since that time by gift, sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part of it, with intent thereby so to diminish it, as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress entitled “an act to provide for certain persons, engaged in the land and naval service of the United States during the revolutionary war” passed on the 18th of March 1818, and that I have not nor has any person for me, in trust, any property, or securities contracts or debts due to me, nor have I any income at all, but that which is derived by my labour on a poor bit of land on and amid the steep mountains, which at sale, but for the improvements of houses, [one or two words illegible] of my own labour, as affording shelter, and inferior grassland enclosed, would scarcely command perhaps more that fifty or sixty dollars. That my age and poverty is such, that as my service entitles me to the provisions of the aforesaid acts of Congress, I shall add the following schedule of my personal property, and throw myself on the Justice of my country for my future support, at this time altogether insufficient for my comfortable subsistence. Schedule of the personal estate of Asa Hall, is as follows to wit. one mare and colt $55: three cows and two calves $24: seven head of sheep $5: five head hogs $5: in the aggregate $89:   Asa his X  mark Hall

 

            State of Virginia       } S.S.

            Montgomery County}

On this 30th day of April A.D. 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Judge of the Circuit superior court of law and chancery for the County of Montgomery aforesaid now sitting, Asa Hall a resident of the said county and state, aged seventy four years last June, who being first sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832.

            That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated– That he on the 2nd of March 1776, in the county of Dutchess & State of New York, enlisted in the service of the United States, to continue in such service during the pleasure of Congress, and was enlisted and commanded by Captain Nathan Pierce, who having shortly retired from service this applicant was put under the command of Captain Balding in the regiment commanded by Colonel Richisson. In consequence of the loss of many of our men at Long Island & White Plains [“and Stony Point” lined through], in which action applicant participated, he served but nine months and five days, up to the 8th of December following the time of his enlistment, at which latter period he was discharged, at the monument[?] near the Peakskiln mountain [Peekskill Mountains] – That he afterwards on the 1st day of July 1777 in the county of Albany and State of New York enlisted under Captain John Salisbury for three months in the regiment commanded by Colonel Forness (he thinks).

He was at the taking of Burgoyne, under General Gates, and was continued in the service not three but four & a half months, up to the 15th December, according to his best recollection – That he has lost his discharges & has no documentary evidence of his service, and has been able to procure no other evidence of his service, except what accompanies this declaration.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Marker for Asa Hall

            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Asa his X mark Hall