SIMON LUCAS REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION,
GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
Transcription Contributed by: Gwen Bjorkman
S4576 Simon Lucas of Gloucester Co. in the State of New Jersey who was a private
in the company commanded by Captain Steenman of the regt. Commanded by Col.
Westcott, in the New Jersey line for 6 months - private.
Inscribed on the Roll of New Jersey, at the rate of 20 Dollars 0 cents per
annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 28th day of July 1838, and sent to J. C.
Smallwood, Esqr., Woodbury, N.J.
Arrears to the 4th of March 1838, $140.00. Semi-anl. Allowance ending 4 Septr
1838 10.00. Total $150.00
Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832. Recorded by G. F. Rhodes Clerk, Book E2,
Vol. 3, Page 144.
To the Honorable the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States - the
petition of Simon Lucas respectfully represents
That your petitioner is a native of Gallaway Township, Gloucester County in the
state of New Jersey, and has resided in that Township on the spot where he now
lives since he was ten years old. Your petitioner will be eighty two years old
on the seventh day of December 1832: and although, under the blessing of God, he
had hitherto been able to provide for himself by his own labour, now he is
admonished by his great age and feeble health that his ability to do so must
soon cease. Indeed, owing to a severe injury from a recent fall, he is now
unable to minister to his own wants and he therefore is induced to present his
claim for the benefits of the act of Congress passed on the 7th of June 1832,
entitled "An act supplementary to the "act for the relief of certain surviving
officers and soldiers of the revolution" to which your petitioner presumes the
following circumstances will entitle him.
During the war of the Revolution, your petitioner was drafted as a militia man
in the company of Capt. Zephaniah Steenman, forming part of the regiment of Col.
Richard Westcott, and served one month's tour of duty, under these officers at
Amboy. Your petitioner was absent from his home on this occasion from five to
six weeks.
He afterwards volunteered in the company of Capt. Joseph Estell, belonging to
the regiment of Col. Elijah Clark, and served a second tour of duty of one
month, under these officers; during which time your petitioner was in the battle
of Trenton. Your petitioner's brother was a Lieutenant in the same company, and
was wounded in a skirmish with the enemy at Petticoat bridge and he was
afterward killed near Gloucester. The troops being dismissed at the end of a
month, your petitioner returned home. But the services of the militia being
again invoked, your petitioner volunteered a second time under the same
officers, and served a third tour of one month in --------ad of the winter
during which time he was stationed at Somerset in New Jersey. This service being
over, your petitioner as before returned to his home.
Another appeal however was soon made to the militia of his native state and your
petitioner volunteered for a third time under the same captain, the regiment
being commanded by Col. Hilman, and the detachment by Genrl. Ellis. The troops
were stationed at Haddonfield; and on this occasion your petitioner continued in
the service for one month, at the expiration of which time, they were dismissed
and your petitioner returned to his home. But the presence of the enemy in
another direction soon called him again into the field.
It was rumoured that the British had fitted out an expedition to burn and
destroy the buildings and property at Chesnut Neck, near the head of Egg Harbour
bay, to which place a number of prizes taken by our privateers had been sent.
The militia of the country turned out to defend the spot, and repel the enemy:
your petitioner then acted as Lieutenant and was one of those who volunteered in
this service. Preparation was made to receive the enemy, and a fort was built on
the neck, in the construction of which your petitioner laboured with his
comrades. But orders were finally given (by whom your petitioner knows not) to
abandon the works and retreat into the country. This was done and the British
landed and burnt and destroyed the buildings and property. But after the enemy
had retired, it was still deemed necessary to maintain a guard at this post, and
your petitioner was frequently out on this duty.
On another occasion, the Militia were called out to drive a party of Refugees
from Tuckerton, and your petitioner, still holding the rank of Lieutenant, made
one of the number dispatched on this duty. But the Refugees had dispersed before
we reached the ground.
Your petitioner was also frequently charged with the duty of escorting to
Philadelphia, prisoners brought into Egg Harbour river by privateers and private
armed vessels. He has a distinct recollection of having performed this duty on
three different occasions he believes that he did it oftener but at this
distance of time, he cannot speak with confidence to more than three occasions
of this kind. Your petitioner has thus stated with as much accuracy as he is
able to do the prominent points and circumstances of his service both as a
private and a Lieutenant, in the militia during the Revolution. He was out as
above set forth full four months, perhaps a little more, as a private, and three
of those four months he was a volunteer. At this distance of time he is not able
to state with precision, the duration of each particular tour of duty which he
performed, in that irregular and desultory service, in which he was engaged as a
Lieutenant, some of the particulars of which he has given above; and intending
to be strictly conscientious in his representation, he has abstained from
attempting to state the length of time that he was out on each occasion.
He can say with confidence however, that his irregular duty in the whole,
exceeded two months and that his whole term of service exceeded six months. He
begs leave to add, that the above statement must not be regarded as embracing
the whole amount of duty rendered by your petitioner during the Revolution.
Feeling as he did, a deep interest in the struggle, he was always ready at a
moments notice, to render such services as might be in his power; and the
proximity of his residence to the theatre of the war, during a great part of the
contest, and the number of Refugees and Tories in that section of the country,
gave full and frequent opportunity for exertion and enterprise on the part of
every Whig in it. Under these circumstances, your petitioner was more or less
constantly on the alert, and by his activity and zeal, rendered himself
particularly obnoxious to the enemy. As an evidence of it, your petitioner will
mention, that his house was set on fire during his absence on duty by a party of
the enemy, headed by a Tory and Refugee, of the name of Joseph Mulliner, who
commanded a British boat well manned, and with which he did much mischief and
inspired terror, by making incursions into the country bordering on Egg Harbour
river. Your petitioner with a party of men, was in pursuit of him at the very
time he fired petitioner's house. He was afterwards taken prisoner, tried and
executed at Burlington.
Under these circumstances your petitioner prays, that you will be pleased to
direct such payment to be made to him, as he may be entitled to under the
provision so the act of the 7th of June 1832.
Simon Lucas
Personally came before me the subscriber presiding Judge of the Inferior court
of common pleas in and for the county of Gloucester, Simon Lucas, the above
named applicant and on his solemn oath said the above declaration and statement
is in all things Just and true according to the best of his knowledge and belief
and he further states he is old and infirm & unable to appear before the county
court, sworn before me the 28the day of November A. D. 1834.
John Clement
The undersigned citizens of the United States respectfully represent to the
Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.
That they are personally well acquainted with Simon Lucas of Galloway township
Gloucester County, State of new Jersey; many of them reside in the same
neighbourhood with him, and have known him all their lives. They take a peculiar
pleasure in bearing testimony to the fact, that he is a man of the most
exemplary life and piety, respected and beloved by all around him. He has long
been a prominent and highly useful member of the Methodist church in his
vicinity, and no one can be more esteemed than he is, for integrity and
uprightness of conduct. The most implicit reliance may be placed on his word.
The undersigned have read his petition addressed to the Secretary of the
Treasury praying for a pension, and they have no hesitation in saying, that it
may be received implicitly as the truth - because they are confident, that no
consideration, would induce him knowingly to depart from the truth, and because
also, it accords with the tradition of the neighbourhood and the recollection of
its oldest inhabitants, in relation to his Revolutionary career, according to
which, his heart and hand were devoted to the service of his country in the day
of trouble, and he is believed and understood to have given most of his time to
her service, when she needed it. He is now far advanced in life, and very feeble
in health and constitution; and the subscribers sincerely trust, that the prayer
of his petition will be granted, as they verily believe that his services to his
country justly entitle him to it.
John Wentz
Jesse Richards
Job Snick
A.H. Richards
Benjamin Hay
Thos. Richards
Maguire S. Powell
Thomas S. Richards
Joseph Heritage
John Cone
Mathias Cotner
David Southard
John Moore
Samuel P. Richards
William Smith
Michael Dougherty
William Montgomery
John Rogers
Benjamin Ford
B. W. Richards
Samuel Richards
Charles Peterson
Jos. Wiltse
Samuel B. Finch
Geo: Barrow
Richard C. Coke
Richard Higbee
Mahlon Johnson
John Richards
Thomas Baxter
John Shields
Joseph H. Peterson
Peter Johnson
William Birr
Josiah Ford
County of Gloucester County - State of New Jersey
Before me the Subscriber one of the Judges of the court of Common Pleas of said
County personally appeared Jesse Richards, Esq. And Thomas H. Richards
Whose names with others are set to the annexed and foregoing paper a
Certificate, addressed to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and
have been by me severally sworn or affirmed say, that they reside in the same
neighbourhood with Simon Lucas near the dividing line of Gloucester and
Burlington Counties in the State of New Jersey, and have known him all their
lives. They further say that the representation made in the foregoing paper a
Certificate to which their names are attached is correct and true as we verily
believe.--- Nov. 29th, 1834.
Sworn and subscribed before} Jesse Richards
the day and year aforesd} Thomas H. Richards
John Clement
I John C. Smallwood Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of
Gloucester in the State of New Jersey do hereby certify that John Clement
esquire before whom the foregoing proceedings and affidavit of Simon Lucas and
affidavit of Jesse Richards and Thomas H. Richards, were had and made was at the
doing thereof and still is Presiding judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas
of the said County, duly commissioned and qualified and that the signature of
the said John Clement subscribed to the said affidavits is genuine -
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set me hand and affixed the seal of the
said court this twenty Sixth day of January A.D. one thousand eight hundred and
thirty five.
Smallwood Clk
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New Jersey during the Revolution
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I recommend also Outwater's Militia. a New Jersey
Militia reenacting web page.
Web page created by Glenn
Valis. Transcription used by Permission. Last revision 05/29/08. All rights reserved