Transcript of
Military Service Narrative
Richard Jaqua,
War of 1812
Transcribed by Dale A. Brown,
August 16, 2001
From a copy of the narrative reviewed at the National Archives and Records
Administration, Washington, DC
Pension Application file, original application #12005; soldier certification #18857;
bounty land warrant #104993-160-55
Original document handwritten in 6 pages; punctuation, capitalization, spelling, etc.,
endeavors to be true to original; brackets indicate indiscernible words
Transcript follows:
State of ohio, Seneca County p[?].
On this 20th day of April A.D. 1871 personally appeared before me, Jacob C. Milheim
Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, a court of Records for and within the said Seneca
County and state of Ohio. Richard Jaqua, aged Eighty four years on the 9th day of
April A.D. 1871, a resident of Seneca County and state of Ohio, who being by me duly
sworn according to law, affirms and says, that he is married, that his wife’s name
was Elizabeth Wiltza, near Brockville, then upper Canada, on the 11th day of October
in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and nine (A.D. 1809), that in the
1st day of January A.D.1813, you declarant came to the united states to make his
permanent home. That Declarant was born in Columbia County, New York state, and
was then taken by his father to Canada, where he remained until his return in
January 1813.
That in May A.D. 1814 he was enrolled as a member of a Company of Minute Men,
under command of Capt Ellis, That at this time declarant lived at Ellisburgh,
New York.
That said Company under said Captain, was under the Commandant at Sacketts Harbor,
and formed a part of a regiment of Minute Men under the command of Col Barney.
That declarant has forgotten the name of the Company or letter, or the number
[end of page 1] or designation of the Regiment, that the Commandant at Sackets
harbor was General Brown.
That he is the identical Richard Jaqua who served in said Company as aforesaid—
That during his connection with said Company he performed the following actual
service in the united states in said war.
That one Wolsey, who had command of a fleet belonging to the United states, had
put into the mouth of Sandy Creek and the brittish following after him That vicinity
[?], declarant was order to come to the assistance of the said Wolsey and save the
property of the United states. that he thereupon when to the assistance of said
Wolsey—and served during the whole of that day, that the Brittesh attacked the
United states forces, and were repulsed and taken prisoners—that during the fighting,
this declarant was guarding the property of the united States, consisting in part
of a cable, for a seventy four , clien[?] building at sacketts harbor, That declarant
helped to bury the dead on the field of battle.
That in June declarant was ordered into active service, and went with the Company
to Sacketts Harbor, N.Y. that after declarant had been there one day, he was taken
sick and by leave of the Capt. was permitted to return home, and continued sick
about two or three weeks. Before which time the company returned—that declarant
received full pay for the whole time the Company were so out about two weeks. [end of pg. 2]
That during that [crossed out] the summer of 1814, he was afterwards called into
active service of the united states two or three times and performed service each
time a day or two each time—this declarant cannot state exactly about the length of
time as he is now old and infirm.
That he remained in and continued as a member of said Company, and ready and willing
at all times to perform active service in said service of the united [] from said
May 1814 until the declaration of peace, in 1815.
That in October 1813, General Hampton, who was in Command of the United states
forces, then in the neighborhood of Frenches Mills on the St. Lawrence River,
desired to send a despatch to General Wilkerson who was then, lying above the
Thousand Islands in said River, and this declarant, in connection with one Ezra
Brown took said Despatch to said Wilkerson, that the said Despatch ordered said
Wilkerson to proceed down the river [?], to join said Hampton at some point.
That the channel in said Island was difficult and dangerous to ascertain, and was
only known to those who had used the same, and that after he took said Despatch to
said Wilkerson and delivered the same to him, That thereupon the said Wilkerson
employed this declarant and said Ezra Brown to pilot the fleet, or rather the said
Wilkerson’s Command on board of boats, through the said Thousand Islands. That the
time this declarant was so em-[end of pg 3] ployed in carrying said despatch and
piloting said fleet, was about four weeks, as near as declarant can now state--
That he served the full term of sixty days in the actual military service of united
states, in the said war of 1812.
That he served in said Company as aforesaid until the treaty of peace, When remained
away from his said residence and never received any certificate of discharge from
said serviced—and never saw his said Captain after that time, that he did not
demand any certificate of discharge, because he then thought the same was not
important as the war had closed,That he afterwards made an application for a land
warrant, to the pension office of the united states, on account of and for said
services and received therefore an land warrant for one hundred and sixty acres of land.
That he, at no time during the late rebellion against the authority of the united
states – adhered to the cause of the enemies of the Government, provi[d]ing him aid
or comfort, or exercise the functions of any office whatever under any authority or
pretended authority, in hostility to the united states, and that he will support the
Constitution of the United States, that he is not in receipt of a pension under
any previous act, that he makes this declaration for the purposes of being placed
on the pension roll of the united states, under [end of pg. 4] the provision of the
act approved February 14, 1871, and he hereby constitutes, and appoints with full
power of substitution and revocation, N.L. Brence [?] of Tiffin ohio, his true and
lawful attorney to prosecute his claim and obtain the pension certification that
may be issued, that his post office is at Melmore County of Seneca and state of
ohio, that his domicile or place of abode is Eden Township, Seneca County, ohio.
[signed] Richard Jaqua
Also personally appeared Martin J. Spitler and Samuel shade, both of Seneca County
ohio persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit and who by me
duly sworn, say, that they were present and saw Richard Jaqua, the claimant sign
his name to the foregoing declaration, that they have every reason to believe,
from the appearance of said clamant and their acquaintance with him that he is
the identical person he represents himself to be, that at no time during the
late rebellion against the authority of the united states did he adhere to the
cause of the enemies of the Government giving them aid or comfort and that the[y]
have no interest in the prosecution of this claim.
[signed] M.J.Spitler
Samuel Shade
above was subscribed before me this 20th day of [end of pg. 5] April A.D. 1871,
and I hereby certify that the contents of the above declaration and affidavits
were fully made known to the applicant and witnesses before swearing, including
the words Wiltza, and upper [] and [] and that I have no interests—direct or
indirect—[]the prosecution of this claim.
In testimony whereof witness my hand and seal of said Court the day and year aforesaid—
[signed] J.C. Millhime cl[]
End of transcript