Floyd county and state of Virginia

On this 20^th day of August 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the peace for said county now sitting John Banks a resident of the said county of Floyd and state aforesaid aged seventy four years on the 25 of November in the year 1831. who being first duly sworn according to law doth make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed the 7^th of June 1832. That he entered the army of the revolution as a soldier in militia of the state of New Jersey and did nine separate and distinct towers [sic: tours] of duty The first tower was under Captain Archibald Morfitt under Colo Joseph Ellis. This tower was but for one month and during this month he was in a skirmish on Staten Island having passed over from Pearth Amboy and returned after the Enterprise. This was in the month of September in the year 1776. The second tower was for one month but which from circumstances was protracted for six weeks it was under Capt Joseph Levis and Colo Hilman and General Pickens one of the New Jersey malitia and was in Bucks County and the State of Pennsylvania [sic: Pennsylvania] and saw Genl Washington when he crossed the river at Trenton on his retreat from the north, and was during that tower at the taking of the Hestions [sic: Hessians] on the 25^th of December in the year 1776 at Trenton and on the 2^nd of January 1777 he was at a canonade of Trenton by the British forces and on the 3 of Jany 1777 was at Princeton under the command of Genl Washington and with the same officers last mentioned of the malitia. The Third Tower was under Capt. John Smith for the period of six months in the publick service Colo Bodo Otto was the commander of the redgmt. he commenced his tower on the 1^st day of April 1777. and ended it the last of September of that year. And during that time was principally occupied on the Delaware river. The 4^th tower was in the month of October of the same year and was for one month under Capt David Paul and the said Bodo Otto as Colo This service was on the Delaware river and the applicant was in many skirmishes and canonades with the British. The 5 tower was under his former Captain Archibald Morfitt and the said Colo Bodo Otto and was for the like period of a month. The 6^th was under Capt Andrew Barn’s in the early part of the year 1778 and under ~~Colo Hilman~~ Bodo Otto. He served as previously & canonading still took place along the Delaware river. The 7 tower was under Capt John Cogens for one month and on the 9^th of March in the year 1778. was taken prisoner by the British as was his Captain Cogens and was taken to the city of Philadelphia and detained a prisoner for three months in said city and declared by their provost papers to be a prisoner of war. And on the 17^th day of June in the same year was carried by water a prisoner to New York. The British were then about to evacuate Philadelphia and did so the next day. on the 19^th day of July he was regularly and duly exchange and returned to the state of New Jersey and county of Glocester his residence[?] and from which county he had always entered the service. The 8^th tower was in October of the same year under his father Capt Richard Banks and Colo Proctor of the Continental artilery who was sent to protect the salt works on the sea shore in New Jersey and was for the term of one month. During all this period he [page torn] in Glocester County and state of New Jersey and all the above towers of service was as a volunteer except the one under Capt Levis and the one under his Father Capt Richard Banks. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or anuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension role of the agent of any state whatsoever.

Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid [signed] John Banks

We Wm Goodson Clerk of the court for Floyd county and George Shelor, residents of the same county hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Banks who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be 74 years old, 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

sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid [signed] Wm Goodson, George Shelor

Floyd county and state of Virginia

On this 19^th day of March 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the peace for said county now sitting John Banks a resident of the said county of Floyd and state aforesaid aged seventy-four years on the 25 of November 1831. who being first duly sworn according to law doth make the following as an amendment of his declaration of the 20 of August last year in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed the 7 of June 1832. That he entered the army of the revolution as a soldier in the malitia of the state of New Jersey and did the following separate and complete towers of duty. The first tower was under Captain Archibald Morfitt and Colo Joseph Ellis and the time of said tower was one calendar month and during the time he was in a skirmish on Staten Island. Having passed over from Perth Amboy and returned again after the enterprise to the Jersey Shore. This was in the month of September in the year 1776. The second tower was for one calendar month but by the exigency of the service [word illegible] was protracted for six weeks it was under Captain Joseph Levis and Colo Hilman & General Deckinson [sic: Philemon Dickinson] all of the New Jersey Malitia and the troops were marched from New Jersey and crossed the river We were into Buck’s County and state of Pennsylvania when the troops met Genl Washington when he passed the river at Trenton on his return from the North and during this tower the applicant was at the taking of the Hession’s on the 26 of December in the year 1776. at Trenton and on the 2^nd day of January 1777 he was at a canonade of Trenton by the British forces and on the 3d January was at Princetown under the command of Genl Washington and the same officers above referred to of the malitia. The Third tower was under Capt John Smith for the period of six months in the publick service engaged in building Chevaux De Frise [spiked barrels] on the Delaware to destroy the British shipping in this river. this tower was commenced on the 1^st day of April 1777 and ended on the last of September of that year, and during that time the applicant was principally occupied with the troops on the Delaware river. The fourth tower was in the month of October of the same year and was for one calendar month under Captain David Paul and the said Colo Bodo Otto for the said county of Gloster & state of New Jersey. The service was confined to the Delaware river and the applicant was in many skirmishes and canonading with the British in defending the state from their forces. The fifth Tower was under his former Captain Archibald Morfitt, and his former Colo Bodo Otto and was for the period of one calender month the service was on the Delaware river as formerly and in the defense of New Jersey. The sixth tower was under Capt. Andrew Barne’s in the early part of the year 1778. and Colo Bodo Otto for the term of one calendar month it was in like skirmishes on the delaware and in New Jersey and canonading. The 7^th tower was under Capt. John Cozen’s for one calendar month and about the period at which the above expired the applicant and his captain were on the 9^th of March 1778. taken prisoners by the British and carried to Philadelphia and detained a prisoner for three months in said city and declared by their provost Judges to be a prisoner of war on the 7^th of June 1778. the applicant was carried by water a prisoner by the British from Philadelphia to the City of New York. The British were then about to evacuate Philadelphia and did so the next morning after the applicants departure on the 17^th of July he was regularly & duly exchanged and returned to the state of New Jersey having been a prisoner for four months & 9 days and to the county of Gloucester all the towers above related and declared was in the capacity of a militia man from Glocester County & state of New Jersey. His last tower was in October of the year 1778 and was for one calendar month under the applicant’s father as a captain of malitia and Colo Proctor of the continental artillery who had the command of a party to protect the salt works on the sea shore of New Jersey during this last tower of one month the applicant served in the capasity of a Sargent, having been appointed one by his father. All the other towers was as a private and volunteer except the one in which he served under Capt Levis and the last as a serjent when he was drafted or detailed for said duty. the whole of these towers was under the direction of Govenor William Livingston, then the Govenor of New Jersey and the troop’s were regulated by or through him The applicant from the remoteness of his present residence from New Jersey and the great Lapse of time has no person by whom he can prove his services or service or who is acquainted with him there. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pensean or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension role of the agent of any state whatever Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid before the court above name being a court of record. [signed] John Banks

We Michael Howry a clergyman residing in the county of Floyd & state aforesaid and George Shelor a resident of said county hereby certify on oath that we are well acquainted with John Banks who has subscribed and sworn to the above amended declaration. That we believe him to be 74 years old at the time stated in the declaration. That he is reputed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.

Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid [signed] Michael Howry, George Shelor

State of Virginia}

County of Patrick} On this 30^th day of March AD one thousand eight hundred and fifty five personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace within and for the County and State aforesaid Mary Banks aged 86 years a resident of the County of Patrick in the State of Virginia who being duly sworn according to law declares that she is the widow of John Banks Deceased who was a revolutionary pensioner for the Military Services set forth and established by evidence now on file in the Pension office at Washington to which reference is made. She further states that she was married to the said John Banks Deceased in the County of Patrick on or about the 10^th day of September AD. 1830 by one John Conner a minister of the gospel and that her name before her said marriage was Mary Adams and that her said Husband died at Thomas Banks in the County of Floyd in the State of Virginia. She here before to her own declaration sets forth and established by evidence now on file in the pension office at Washington to which reference is made bearing the date on or about the 20^th day of January AD. 1854 to which declaration and [word illegible] she here particularly requests [word illegible] to take reference in order to show everything relative to her case. She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the Bounty land to which she may be entitled under the act of Congress approved the March the 2d 1855 granting Bounty land and Rationed Bounty Bounty land to certain officers and soldiers and widows of revolutionary soldiers who have been engaged in the Military service of the United States. and she hereby authorises John P. Carter to secure said warrant as her Attorney.

Mary her X mark Banks

NOTES: The file includes a copy of the marriage return for John Banks and Mary Adams showing the date of marriage as 8 Sep 1829. Also in the file is a document dated 17 April 1852 and signed by Thomas Banks of Floyd County, son of John Banks, giving the date of his father’s death as 30 Aug 1850 and listing the other surviving children as “Ruth who married George Shelor, Polly Banks, William Banks.” Mary Adams Banks was their stepmother.