State of Kentucky Bracken County St?
On the 19th day of May in the year 1834 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the County Court in and for the County of Bracken in the State of Kentucky.
Bartholomew Taylor resident of the county and the state aforesaid aged seventy nine years on the 17th day of February last past who being first duly 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 a volunteer private militiaman in the latter part of the Summer in the year 1778 to the best of his recollection in the County of Smmersett and State of Maryland in which last named county he then resided under the following named officers Joseph Venabler Captain, Benjamin Venabler Lieutenant, Isma Baily Major, and was marched to Nanticoke River in said County of Sommersett, the object of which as the declarant understood was to prevent the enemy from passing up said River and destroying the cattle of the inhabitants on and adjacent to said river. The British and Tories as the declarant understood had a short time previous been at a town on said River called Viana and took grain there deposited and killed by cannon shot one American, this declarant then remained in actual service at least one month.
The next spring following the declarant again volunteered in the service aforesaid in the County of Sommersett was then marched to the Town of Princess Ann, the County Seat of said County of Sommersett and commanded by the above named Captain Baily, and Col George Deshield, the object of the last named service was to disperse the Tories who had at that time occasioned considerable alarm and guard such of them as was and should be taken. The declarant then remained in actual service not less than three weeks.
The next year following the declarant again volunteered in the service as aforesaid as a Militiaman in said County of Sommersett and was then marched upon Wicommico River in said County below the town of Salsberry. The object of which was to prevent the enemy from passing up said River to said Town. He was then commanded by Major William Stewart, no other office recollected, and remained in actual service at that time not less than two weeks. Soon after some Militia were surrounded and taken by the British or Tories or both at a place called the Lower Terry on said River in said County of Sommersett, but were not retained as prisoners.
The declarant was the next year to the best of his recollection a volunteer in the Militia of said last named County and marched to the said Town of Salsberry to reell Tories that were there said to be embodied, many of whom were taken. He was then commanded by Lieutenant John Weatherly no other officer recollected, and remained in actual service at that time not less than two weeks.
The declarant further states that after the period last named he volunteered in the service aforesaid every year during the War, and some years more than once but to state how long he was in actual service each time and to what point he was marched, except that he was not marched out of said County of Sommersett in which his services were altogether required upon the aforesaid Rivers and to oppose the British and Tories, or to name the officers by whom he was commanded, is altogether impracticable, owing the laps of time since those services were rendered, the multi foresaid times the declarant volunteered and rendered services as a Militia Man, the various officers by who he was commanded, and his having kept no account or memorandum thereof, together with his loss of memory resulting from old age, the declarant can in truth say and doth say that he actually rendered service as Volunteer Militia Man in the County of Sommersett, State of Maryland in the United States Troops during the Revolutionary War, for a period of not less than six months. He further declares he has no documentory evidence of his said services nor does he now know of any person now by whom he can prove said services many part thereof.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or anuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Questions proposed by the Court and the answers to them.
1st Where and in what year were you born?
Answer: I was born in Sommersett County, State of Maryland on the 17th Feby 1755
2nd Have you any record of your age, and if so where is it?
Ans: I had a record of my age, but do not know where it is at present. My children have married and left me, and suppose some one of them has the record.
3rd Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live?
Answer: I lived in the County of Sommersett aforesaid when called in to the service and lived in said County until the year 1796 and until I moved to Bracken County Kentucky where I have lived ever since and where I now live.
4th How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitue, and if a substitute for whom?
Answer: I volunteered my service at all times when in the service and served as a private soldier.
5th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served, such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service?
Answer: I am inable at this time to name more of the officers or more of the general circumstances of my service than already stated in the body of my declaration.
6th Did you receive a discharge from the service, and if so by whom was it give, and what has become of it?
Answer: I have no recollection of having received a discharge from the service.
7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for varacity and their belief of your services as a Soldier of the Revolution
Answer: I am known in my present neighborhood to the Reverend Thomas P Thomas and John King who can testify to my character for varacity and to their belief of my serves as a Soldier of the Revolution
Sworn to and subscribed this day and year first aforesaid
Personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the County Court in and for the County of Bracken aforesaid Bartholomew Taylor who being sworn deposeth and saith that by reason of od age, the laps of memory and other causes as stated in the body of this his declaration, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than six months as stated in the body of his declaration, as a volunteer and private soldier and for such services I claim a pension. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first aforesaid.
The reverand Thoms P Thomas and John King ministers of the gospel of the Baptist denomination, residing in the County of Bracken, Kentucky hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Bartholomew Taylor, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration. That we believe him to be seventy nine years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concis????
This is a transcription and I may have made a few mistakes. I didn’t correct the spelling in the declaration, so anything that is in the declaration is as exact as I could make it.