With permission from C. Leon Harris.
Pension Application of Jacob Gowen: S32273
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Illinois}
Vermillion [sic: Vermilion] County} SS.
On this fifth day of March AD 1834 personally appeared before the County
Commissioners Court, the same being a court of Record, in and for Vermillion County and State
of Illinois, Jacob Gowen a resident of said county of Vermillion and state of Illinois aged Seventy
two years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following
declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed
the 7 of June 1832
That he entered into the army of the Revolution, towit the Virginia Militia troops, in the
month of July AD 1780 with & served under, the following named officers towit James Lyon
Colonel, [obscured but appears to be Eliphaz] Shelton Captain, John Wells Lieutenant. That he
entered the said service in Henry County, state of Virginia, and marched up the country to what
was called Big Dan river, and from there he marched with said company & Regiment to Kill-
Kennon’s Iron Works – and from there to New River, and continued said Service ranging from
one point to another to guard the country & protect it from the invasion of the Tories – that
during said Service the said Regiment and company, of which this deponent was one, they drove
the Tories from the country – that they captured some of the tories, & the remainder of them
fled from that section of country, as deponent believes. That some time late in the fall or first of
the winter said Gowen & company were discharged, that he was in said Service about four
months. That said Gowen was discharged near the head of Dan River in the said state of
Virginia.
Deponent further states that in the year 1781, in the Summer of that year he believes, he
again entered the Army as a substitute for John Berry under the following named officers towit
Capt Owen Ruble [or Rubell], commanded the company, in the Regiment commanded by Col.
John Waller, that said Service was in the militia, and that he entered the army aforesaid in Henry County Virginia, that deponent marched with the company & troops aforesaid to the butter wood [probably Butterwood] spring, to Petersburg, and continued our march and crossed James River, at James Town, from thence to Williamsburg and from thence to York Town.
That deponent & company & Regiment aforesaid joined the army at said Town of York,
which said army of the Revolutionary war was there & there commanded by General Washington in person. Deponent further says that he continued in the service aforesaid and assisted as before stated at the Battle & Seige at York untill Lord Cornwallis surrendered [19 Oct 1781] – that said deponent laboured with the soldiers in making entrenchments several nights, &
assisted to convey timber & material for the breast works, and was at the surrender of the
british army, as before stated Deponent further says that he continued in said service from the
time he left home in Henry County untill he returned, and was gone upwards of four months.
I was born in Henry County and State of Virginia in the year 1762.
I have no record of my age at this time, I once had but is lost by time and accident.
I was living in Henry County, Virginia, when I was called into service both times, & after
the Revolutionary war, I removed to Kentucky & lived there about thirty years. from there I
removed to Vincennes & lived there seven years, & now reside in Vermillion County State of
Illinois.
I was called into service by volunteering the first time, that is in 1780 – and upon the
second trip in 1781 I entered as a substitute for John Berry. That in the two terms I was in the
service about eight months.
I received a discharge from the Service, but it is lost by time and accident.
I am known to Asahel L Risley, Dan W Beckwith, & James Parmer who reside in my
neighbourhood, and who can testify as to my veracity, and their belief of my services as a soldier
of the Revolution.
The only persons of whom I have any knowledge that can prove my services in the
Revolutionary war that I know of, who are now living, are Richard Barns of Hendrix County state of Indiana, and John Watson of Russell County State of Virginia and whose deposition I inclose with this application as part of the same.
I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, and
the said Jacob Gowen hereby declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in
any state Jacob hisXmark Gowen
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