John Rainsberger

From John's Revolutionary War Pension Files (cf. photo attachments):

State of Ohio

Carroll County Court of Common Pleas at August Term 1834

On this nineteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & thirty-four personally appeared before the Court of Common Please of Said County John Rainsburg a Resident of Orange Township in Said County aged Seventy-Five years, who being duly Swarn according to law, doth on his Oath make the following declara-tion, in order to obtain the benefits of the pension made by the act of Congress, entitled an “Act for the relief of the Surviving Officers and Soldiers of the Revolution” & an “act supple-mentary thereto passed June 7th 1832”.

That he was ordered into service as a Militia Man in the year 1776 & Served in the Regiment of Maryland Militia, under the following Officers Capt. Ludowick Camp, Colonel Baker Johnston, Major Miller – That he remained in service three months at that time – At this time he resided in Frerick Town, Frederick County, Maryland – He marched then into New Jersey & was engaged in party near New Brunswick in that Fall – He was dis-charged from that tour of duty in March 1777 – He again was drafted, at the same place where he continued to reside, Frederick Town, & marched in the Company commanded by Capt. Frazier, in the Same Regiment commanded by Major Miller & Baker Johnston – Marched to the Neighborhood of Philadelphia, & was in the battle of German Town in Pennsylvania. He remained in Service three months also at this time, & left the Service about the middle of November being discharged near German Town.

He knew Genl. Smallwood & Col. Weltner of the “Dutch Battalion” in Regular Service. He was again drafted from the Same place to guard the Prisoners Sent up to Frederick Town & remained in the Service a third time & hired Thomas Woolford to complete his touer of duty, as evidence of which he encloses a certificate of his Lieut. Henry Brim – He has no other documentary evidence in his possession. He also hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, & he declares that his name is not pension now of any agency in any State – I know of know person by which he can prove his Service.

Swarn to & Subsribed the day and year first aforesaid

                                                       his

John x Rainsburg

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And the Said Court do hereby enclose their opinion, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary Soldier, & Served as he dates.

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The Court also propounded the following interrogatories to the afore named applicant:

1. Where & in what year were you born?

Answer – I was born in Frederick County in Maryland in the year 1759 – month of January.

2. Have you any record of your age, & where is it?

A. I have a record & it is at my house in Orange Township in Said County.

3. Where were you living when called into Service; where have you lived since the Revo-lutionary War, & where do you now live?

A. At Frederick Town, Md. – when called into Service. Continued to live there twelve years after I was discharged – Then removed to Redstone Settlement in Pennsylvania – Staid there about three years, & then came to Ohio, where I now reside as is aforesaid.

4. How were you called into Service? Were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a Sub-stitute?

A. The first time there was a call made & the whole Battalion was ordered out en masse. The second & third time I was drafted.

5. State the names of some of the regular of-ficers, who were with the troops where you served – such Continental & Milita Regi-ments as you recollect, & the general circum-stances of your Services.

A. Capt. Michael Bayer – Capt. Feister – Capt. Charles Baltzel – Colonel Weltner & General Smallwooder. Of the Continental Re-giments I remember the “Dutch Battalion”. He remembers the Battles of Brandy Wine & Germantown.

7. Rate the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, & who can testify as to your character for veracity, & their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.

A. Revd. Dewalt Rothacker, Judge George Davis, and Thomas Thorley.

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                                      John	 x   Rainsburgh

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We Dewalt Rothacker, a clergyman residing in Carroll County, And George Davis, & Thomas Thor-ley residing in the same County & in the neighborhood of John Rainsburgh hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with John Rainsburgh, who has sub-scribed & swarn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy-five years of age – That he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a solider of the Revolution, & that we concur in that opinion.

Swarn & Subscribed this

20th August A.D. 1834