Record of Pension Papers Which Were Sent to the United States Pension Department, Washington, D.C. by Soldiers of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 & Indian Wars Who Lived in Barren County Kentucky.

Compiled by Annie Walker Burns Bell 1933

On this 24th day of Sept. 1832, personally appeared in open court, before BENJAMIN MONROE, presiding Judge of the Barren Circuit Court WILLIAM PEERS, a resident of the county of Barren and state of Kentucky aged 74 years on the 11th day of Oct. 1832. Who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on this oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed on the 7th day of June 1832.

That he entered the service of the U.S. under the following named officers and served as hereinafter stated. In the year 1775 in the state of Va. in Louisa County were he then resided he enlisted as a private soldier under Capt. WM. WHITE for the term of two years and marched from there to Dumfries in the State of Maryland where he was inoculated for the Small Pox, marched from here to the Valley Forge from there to the Deleware River, thence to Brandywine, he was in the Battle of Brandywine and the Col. that commanded the regiment was by the name of McCLANIHAN after serveral fiers(?) by the troops, the Americans gave way and was formed again and renewed the fight but was eventually defeated. From the battle ground we marched near the valley forge where we made a stand again and at the Valley Forge he was discharged and received a ritten discharge signed by Gen. GATES after serving out his two years which discharge I have lost so that it cannot be found. In 1780 he entered the service of the United States as a Militia man under Capt. JOHN BYERS in Louisa County and state of Virginia and marched and Col. SPENCERS regiment which was in Gen. STEVEN's Brigade, throught part of Va. and into North Carolina and was in the Battle of Camden, Gen. GATES the commanding officer in that Battle, and marched from there to Guilford and was in that battle. Gen. GREEN had the command of the army in that battle he marched from there in persuit of th enemy to Charles Town here they took shipping. That he never received any discharge for that term of service and that he continued to reside in the County in Va. until he moved to Ky. where he now resides and that there is but one person now living that is known to him by whom he can prove his services as a regular soldier and taht is JOHN FOSTER and that there is no person known to him by whom he can prove his services as a Militia man, and that he has no documentary evidence of which he can prove his services by and 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 or territory. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
/s/ WILLIAM PEERS

STATE OF KY BARREN COUNTY: SCT
I, JOHN FOSTER, residing in the county of Barren and State of Ky. do hereby certify that I am ans was well acquainted with WILLIAM PEERS who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration did serve as a regular soldier as state in this declaration, subscribed and sworn to this 26th day of Sept. 1832
/s/ JOHN (X his mark) FOSTER
/s/ MAXIMILLIAN HALEY

And said court declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribe by the War Department that the above named applicatn was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he state, and the court further certifies that it appears to them, that JOHN FOSTER and MAXIMILAN HALEY who have signed the presiding certificate are resident of Barren County and are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.

I, RICHARD GARNETT, Clerk of the Circuit Court fot eh county and Circuit of Barren do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of WILLIAM PEERS for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office this 26th day of Sept. 1832.
/s/ RICHARD GARNETT, C.B.C.C.

STATE OF KENTUCKY COUNTY OF BARREN: SCT
Personally appeared before the undersigned an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said county, ELIZABETH PEERS, a resident of said county, aged seventy years past who being first duly sworn by men, according to law, doth, on her oath make the following statement as a supplement to her former declaration for a pension now made under the act of Congress passed during the first session of the 30th Congress granting pensions to certain widows of Revolutionary soldiers who were married prior to the year one thousand and eight hundred. That she is the widow of WILLIAM PEERS, who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution from Louisa County, Va. and who served as stated in her former declaration prepared by JAMES MURRELL, Esquire.

She state that she was married to WILLIAM PEERS by the name of ELIZABETH FREEMAN on the 23rd day of May, one thousand seven hundred and ninety nine in Louisa County, Va. and that said WILLIAM PEERS died on the 28th May 1833 in Barren Co., Ky. and that just previous to his death he made application for a pension and that soom after his death said pension was allowed and that she drew it. She states that she was married before the year 1800 to wit on the 23rd day of May 1799 and that she has not intermarried since his death but is now his widow.
/s/ ELIZABETH (Her X mark) PEERS

Sworn to and signed by making her mark before me this 12th April 1849.
/s/ W.D. HARLOW, J.P.

She also sends to the Pension Office a leaf from her Family Bible containing the record of the age of deceased husband WILLIAM PEERS and also the ages of her children
/s/ ELIZABETH (Her S mark) PEERS.

I certify that I am well acquainted with the above named declarant ELIZABETH PEERS and she is an old lade of truth and respectability and the above statement is entitled to full faith and credit and she is the reputed widow of WILLIAM PEERS. Given under my hand, this 12th April 1849
/s/ W.D. HARLOW, J.P.

STATE OF KENTUCKY COUNTY OF BARREN: SCT
Personally appeared before the undersigned an Acting Justice of the Peace in and for said county; THOMAS FREEMAN, BERRYMAN PEERS and SARAH B. FREEMAN who being first duly sworn, according to law, do, on their oaths, depose and say that they are well acquainted with the above declarant, ELIZABETH PEERS and that she is the identical widow of the late WILLIAM PEERS who died in Barren Co., Ky. on the 28th of May 1833 and that soon after his death the said ELIZABETH PEERS as his widow drew the pension up to the date of his death, and this affiant THOMAS FREEMAN, aged 66 and the brother of ELIZABETH PEERS the above declarant states that he was present when WILLIAM PEERS and his sister ELIZABETH were married in Louisa Co., Va. on the 23rd Day of May 1799 and that said WILLIAM PEERS died as above and that ELIZABETH PEERS is now his widow. And further say not.
/s/ THOMAS FREEMAN
/s/ BERRY (His X Mark) PEERS
/s/ SARAH B. (Her X Mark) FREEMAN

Sworn to and signed before me this 12th April 1849
/s/ W.D. HARLOW, J.P.

STATE OF KENTUCKY COUNTY OF BARREN: SCT
At a court begun and held in Glasgow in and for said county on the 21st day of May 1849 the following proceeding was had to wit: "This day was exhibited in open court the declaration of ELIZABETH PEERS for a pension, sworn to and subscribed before W.D. HARLOW, Esquire, who is known to this court to be now and was at the time of subscribing the same, an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said county duly commissioned and qualified accordingn to law, that all his official acts, as such, are entitled to full faith and credit and said proceeding before him is here by approved by this court and the foregoing signatures, purporting to be his, are genuine.

I, THOMAS J. HELM, Clerk of said court do certify that the foregoing is truly copied from the records in my office. In testimony whereof, I ahve hereunto affixed thte seal of office and hand the date aforesaid.
/s/ THOS. J. HELM, C.B.C.C.

STATE OF KENTUCKY COUNTY OF BARREN: SCT
I certify that this leaf of the Family Bible was out of Family Bible in the possession of ELIZABETH PEERS the reputed widow of WILLIAM PEERS deceased in my presence. Given under my hand this 12th day of April 1849.
/s/ W.D. HARLOW, J.P.B.C.

STATE OF KENTUCKY BARREN COUNTY, SCT.
Be it known that on this 24th day of March 1834, personally appeared in open court before the Judge of the Barren Circuit Court now sitting. ROBERT FREEMAN and GEORGE FREEMAN, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on their oath make the following statement. That they knew WILLIAM PEERS in his liftime, that they believed him to be 74 years of age on the 11th day of Oct. 1832, and that he was considered and had the reputation in the neighborhood where he resided to have beena soldeir o the Revolution, that he died, according to the best of their recollection on the 29th day of May 1833. They further state that ELIZABETH PEERS is the widow of said WILLIAM PEERS and that she is now living in the state and county aforesaid. Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
/s/ ROBERT FREEMAN
/s/ GEORGE (His X Mark) FREEMAN

We, JAMES LOCK, a clergyman, residing in the county of Barren, Ky. and ROBERT FREEMAN, residing int he same county, hereby certify that we were well acquainted with WILLIAM PEERS spoken of in the foregoing affidavit; that we believe him to have been 74 years of age on the 11th Oct. 1832, that he was reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resided to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
/s/ JAMES LOCK
/s/ ROBERT FREEMAN

Declaration of ELIZABETH PEERS, State of Kentucky Barren County Sct
On this the 8th day of Mary, 1845, personally appeared beofre me, JAMES MURRELL, a Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid, ELIZABETH PEERS, a resident of said county, aged 67, who being first duly sworn according to lwa, doth on her oath make the follwoing declaration in orde to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by the several Acts of Congress, passed 7th July 1838, 3rd March 1843, June 17th 1844, and in 1845, granting pensions and continuing pensions to certain widows. That she is the widow of WILLIAM PEERS who was a regular soldier in the army of the Revolution for four years and six months was in the service up to the close of the War in the yar 1781, was in the battles of Bunkers Hill, Gate's defeat and other battles (As he my said husband WM. PEERS) often informed me. She further declared that she was married to the said WILLIAM PEERS in the county of Louisa in the state of Virginia on the 23rd day of May 1799, that her said husband, WM. PEERS died on the 29th day of May 1833, in the county of Barren and state of Ky.
/s/ ELIZABETH (her X mark) PEERS

Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year first above written:
/s/ JAMES MURRELL, J.P.B.C.

STATE OF KENTUCY BARREN COUNTY, SCT.
This day, ROBERT WEST, a respectable citizen of said county and state came before me and made oath that ELIZABETH PEERS whose declaration is contained on the other side of this sheet is the widow of WILLIAM PEERS, late a resident of Barren County, who was a pensioner of the U.S. and died on the 29th May 1833, in Barren Co., Ky, said WILLIAM PEERS, received a pension form the U.S. up to the time of his death.
/s/ ROBERT WEST

Subscribed and sworn to this 8th day of May 1845, before me, JAMES MURRELL, J.P.B.C. Barren Co., SS. This day GEORGE DUKE and ELISHA DICKEY reputable citizen of Barren County, personally appeard before me and made oath that they are and have been acquainted with ELIZABETH PEERS, whose declaration is contained on the other side of this sheet for many years past, that she is the widow of WILLIAM PEERS who died in Barren County some years past.
/s/ GEORGE DUKE
/s/ E. DICKEY

STATE OF KENTUCKY: TRIGG COUNTY: SCT
I, WILLIAM ANDERSON, a resident of the county aforesaid, do certify that I was a soldier in the Revolution War, and that I was acquainted with WILLIAM PEERS, who was a soldier in Capt. THOMAS JOHNSTON's Company of the 9th Virginia Regiment during the Revolutionary War and that I saw said PEERS in service. Given under my hand this 13th March 1834.
/s/ WILLIAM ANDERSON

STATE OF KENTUCKY COUNT OF BARREN: SCT
This is to certify that I am well acquainted with the widow of WILLIAM PEERS, Mrs. ELIZABETH PEERS, whose declaration for a pension was sworn to and signed before me on the 12th day of April 1849 and that owing to her age and the informatities of odl age I believe that she could not have attended at the court house for the purpose of making her said declaration in open court without endangering her health and her safety. Given under my hand this 14th day of June 1849.
/s/ W.D. HARLOW J.P.

This is to certify that in the 24th day of May 1799, I joined in Holy Matrimony, WILLIAM PEERS and ELIZABETH FREEMAN. Given under my hand.
/s/ RICHARD POPE, State of Va., Louisa County, to wit: I, JOHN HUNTER, Clerk of the County Court of said county in said state, do hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the record of the marriage of WILLIAM PEERS and ELIZABETH FREEMAN as it exists in my office. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto put my hand and caused the public seal of said court to be hereto affixed this 28th day of June 1849.
/s/ JOHN HUNTER, Clerk of the County Court of the County of Louisa

Covering Jacket: KENTUCKY 26778 William Peers, deceased of Barren County who was a private in the company commanded by Capt. WILLIAMS of the regiment commanded by Col. McCLANAHAN in the Va. Line for 2 years. Inscribed on the Roll of Ky. at the rate of $80 per annum, to commence on the 4th March 1831. Certificate of pensions issued the 6th day of May 1834 and sent to Hn. C. Thompkins. H.R. Arreares to the 29th May 1833. $179.00. Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.

Covering Jacket: KENTUCKY Elizabeth Peers, widow of William Peers, who served in the Revolutionary War, Va. as a Private. Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of $80 per annum to commence on the 4th March 1848. Certificate of pensions issued the 4th day of Oct. 184(torn) and sent to M.D. Hendrick, Rumsey, Ky. Recorded on roll of Pensioners under Act July 29, 1848.