Pension Application of Leonard Helms: S38021

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

 

Virginia, to wit,

            At a Court held for the County of Botetourt the 12th day of May 1818

            Leonard Helms an inhabitant of this County and a citizen of the State of Virginia appeared before this court, being a Court of record, and made oath, that he served a soldier [sic] in the army of the United States in the war of the revolution for upwards of four years, that he Enlisted with Capt. John Gilkeron who belonged to the Virginia line, on Continental establishment – that part of the afores’d period, he thinks, he was in the 4th Virg’a Regiment commanded by Colo. Gaskins, which Regiment he thinks was under the command of Baron Stuben [sic: von Steuben] – That the last of his services was perform’d at New London [now in Campbell County] in Virginia  in the character of a Soldier guarding a Magazine at that place, and that he never received a Discharge and finally that from his reduced circumstances in life he needs the assistance of his Country.

            James Breckinridge personally appeared in court and made oath, that he has known the aforesaid Leonard Helms many years, he now lives on his land in a most helpless & precipitous condition– He is blind & otherwise very infirm

            Peter Batchelor [see pension application S37704] also made oath, that about the close of the war of the revolution, say in the spring of the year 1783 he met with the aforesaid Leonard Helms in the service of the United States at New London in the State of Virginia – the said Batchelor being then in the same service, acting in the capacity of a Sergeant commanding & Guarding of a Magazine at that place, that he said Batchelor knew said Helms to be in the afores’d service from the spring of the afores’d year till the month of September he thinks, of that year when the Guard was discharged. he understood then from said Helms that he had then been in sd service for some time.

 

Virginia

            Botetourt County, to wit,

            On this 11th day of September 1820 personally appeared in open Court being a Court of Record – which proceeds according to the course of the common Law, keeping a records of its proceedings, and having a discretionary power of fine & imprisonment– Leonard Helms, aged 62 years, resident of this County, who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath declare, that he enlisted (at what time he cannot now recollect) under a Captain Gilkison of the 4th Regiment Virginia line on Continental Establishment– that he served four years & some months in said Company & Service — And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States of America on the 18th March 1818 – and that I have not since that time, by Gift, Sale, or in any other manner disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with an intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of the Act of Congress of the 18th March 1818 entitled an act for the provision of certain persons engaged in the Land & Naval Service of the United States of America during the revolutionary war and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any Property Securities Contracts or Debts due to me, nor have I any income other than is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me Subscribed

Schedule — One Cow  Six Shoats & 2 [two words illegible]  Six old chairs  One table  One Doz. Plates  6 knives & forks  Six Cups & Saucers  2 pots  & 1 oven — That he is utterly incapable of working & entirely blind, that he has a wife 45 years of age, the Children living with him & requires the aid of his Country for his support

 

NOTES:

            The surname in the file is spelled variously as Helms, Helm, Elm, and Ellam.

            A typed summary in the file gives the date of death as 23 Dec 1824.