Elijah Stout - Part 2

In 1834, Elijah Stout applied for a pension for his service in the Revolutionary War. The application had to be submitted through an appearance in court, where his testimony was then sent in by an officer of the court. The government required evidence that he actually served in this war if he was to be eligible for a pension. These papers are stored at the National Archives (Pension File #8751). In the previous post, it is shown why we know that this is our Elijah Stout.

Here is some of what he said in his application:

"..he entered the army of the United States the day after the battle of Princeton, as a private, and was in service this time one month and was a resident at that time of Hunterdon Co, New Jersey... He entered the service again after the above service as a volunteer in a company the officers of which he has forgotten. The major of his company was Cornelious Stout, the Colonel was Chambers, the company's rendezvous was at Ringgold's Tavern in Hunterdon and marched from there to Old Raritan River some 17 miles from Brunswick as near as he can now remember. He was on service this time one month and 4 days. He was in no battle. He again entered the service of the United States in perhaps the summer afterwards, volunteering as a private in a company raised in the same county...the company marched to Golders Creek at the houses of William and Rogers Larison in Hopewell he thinks. He was on service this time one month..."

The testimony goes on to list a total of 7 or 8 periods of service, specifically mentioning Hunterdon, Elizabethtown, Springfield, Monmouth, Peterson's Mountain, Steel's Gap, Scotch Plains, and Trenton. He was once a substitute in place of Roger Grant. You can see from this account what may be already known, the Revolutionary War army was not terribly organized. Soldiers commonly came and went on their own timetable, and companies of soldiers were organized and disbanded on many occasions.

The application says that he was born in Hunterdon County New Jersey in March 1761. He moved to Fayette Co, Kentucky "about the time of St. Clairs Defeat" [1791] and has lived there ever since, except a short time in Woodford Co. He lived in the same neighborhood as Col. H. Beard, Joseph Beard, and William Atchison.

The papers also include statements from George G. Boone and Samuel Taul. These men said that they knew Elijah and believed him to be a soldier of the Revolution.

On August 13, 1838, Anna re-applied for her pension as Elijah's widow. She was 72 years old, and said that her and Elijah were married in Amwell Co, New Jersey on November 19, 1783 (there is no Amwell County, but there is an East Amwell Township, in Hunterdon County, N.J.). These papers say that Elijah died on May 27, 1838.

A special "Thank You" to Carrie Hoffman for the sketch of a typical soldier of the Revolution!