52 Ancestors - INDEPENDENT: The Last Act

This week all across America, we are celebrating Independence Day, the 4^th of July. As a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), I am grateful for the men and women who aided in securing independence for America. The patriot through whom I joined DAR was the subject of my post last year, William Jordan. But I have other patriots just as worthy. How many? You might be surprised to learn that most women’s patriots are a 5X or 6X great-grandparent. Everyone has 128 5X great-grandparents and 256 6X great-grandparents. That’s a whole lot of patriot potential.

I have not begun to find all of my possibilities. However, one in particular piques my interest: Samuel Hosier, a 5X great-grandfather on my father’s side. Records indicate Samuel Hosier was a native of Virginia living in Princess Anne County (present day Virginia Beach) and Nansemond County (present day Suffolk).

Samuel Hosier is a verified patriot listed in the DAR database, but there is a note in red beside his name, alerting Registrars and applicants to a potential problem. Apparently there might have been 2 men named Samuel Hosier living in the same area. War records for Samuel Hosier contradict each other suggesting they belonged to two different men, or possibly records are missing that might explain the contradiction.

LAST ACT

A potential patriot is always judged by his LAST ACT. DAR does not appreciate deserters if desertion was a soldier’s LAST ACT. Desertion always sounds bad, conjuring up visions of traitors and turncoats. However, temporary desertion was common as men returned home to take care of family business, plant or harvest crops, or escape the horrible conditions of camp and battlefields. Some deserted in order to take advantage of enlistment bonuses - desert one day, enlist the next for money in the pocket.

from Fold3

So what was Samuel Hosier’s last act? On Fold3, there are 6 Compiled Service Records showing him as a deserter from the 15^th Virginia Regiment from June to August 1777. Yet, his heirs were able to receive a bounty land warrant. The warrants were a promise of free land to encourage men to serve in the military. After the war, the certificates were issued to veterans or their heirs as a reward for service. Since the Hosier heirs were successful in their claim, Samuel’s service in the war was recognized. If we are dealing with just ONE Samuel Hosier, then desertion was NOT his last act.

PENSION APPLICATION

Two men or the same man? Maybe the pension application will provide an answer. Samuel was about 84 years old in 1839 when he got around to applying for a pension under the Act of 7 June 1832 which extended benefits of full pay for life to all officers and enlisted men who had served at least two years in the Continental Line, militia, navy, or marines.

Typically the application required a declaration from the soldier stating where he was born, where he lived, when and where he enlisted or was drafted, officers under whom he served, the dates he served, and what he did during his service. In addition, affidavits from those who knew the applicant and served along with him were required. Samuel’s declaration is mentioned in a letter from his lawyer and in the affidavit of fellow soldier and silversmith John Murphy, but the actual document itself is not included on Ancestry nor on Fold3. I can glean from the other documents that Samuel claims to have served about three years between 1776 and 1781. He had been an orderly sergeant. His job was to keep a daily record of the orders handed down through the ranks. The book was an account of military operations, troop movements, courts-martial, disciplinary actions, and so forth. The orderly sergeant read the orders aloud to junior officers and enlisted men each day.

While Samuel apparently kept detailed notes as a soldier in his 20s, he could not or did not provide enough details in his 80s to qualify for a pension. Rejection letters from the pension commissioner in February and again in July 1840 offered the same reason: failure to comply. Not only did the commissioner want the details about tours of duty and officers’ names, but also he wanted to know why Samuel waited so darn long to apply for a pension.

I love Samuel’s honesty in his response:

US Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files 1800-1900, Ancestry

“I never had much notion of ever making applycation but having become disable to do bodily labor and understanding I was Entitle to Receive a pension is the only reason that I have to State.”

A WORD FROM JOHN MURPHY

Affidavit of John Murphy to support claim of Samuel Hosier

John Murphy did little to advance Samuel’s claim. He said they served together off and on, that they were sometimes in different companies going in different directions, but that he had no doubt Samuel’s declaration was correct and that Samuel had been a good soldier. No specific details. Samuel's claim for a pension remained rejected.

To be fair, Samuel was not a good witness for John Murphy’s pension application either. As Murphy stated, Samuel Hosier was bedridden and hampered by failing memory. Murphy’s only other witness was his brother James. Apparently the pension board was skeptical of family members vouching for one another. Ultimately, Murphy’s claim was rejected as well.

 

Declaration and deposition of John Murphy in his claim for a pension
from Fold3

THE LAST ACT AT LAST

Obviously deserting the army was NOT Samuel Hosier’s last act as evidenced by DAR’s recognition of his service and verification as a true patriot. Without definitive proof of his role as orderly sergeant, however, DAR credited him with service as a Private in the Continental Line. He was also credited with Patriotic Service for paying the Supply Tax of 1783, two years after his tour of duty as a soldier. A portion of the personal property tax and land tax went to support the war effort, thus qualifying Samuel Hosier for a spot among DAR’s finest.

Amy Johnson Crow continues to challenge genealogy bloggers and non-bloggers alike to think about our ancestors and share a story or photo about them. The challenge is “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.”

Wendy

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