Robert Humble
Affidavit of Revolutionary War Service
On this 8th day of November, 1832, personally appeared in open court before
the Justices of the County Court of Woodford County now sitting, Robert
Humble a resident citizen of said County and state age seventy eight 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 Act of Congress
of 1828, of the Act passed the 7th day of June, 1832, as his case may appear
to the Honorable Secretary of War To Wit; I Robert Humble, seventy eight years
of age do hereby solemnly declare that I was a resident citizen of the United
States in the year 1777 and took the oath of allegiance to the United States
(tho I was born in England) and in the month of February, 1777, I enlisted in
the City of Philadelphia where I then resided, in Capt. Harman Stouts Company
of the 10th Pennsylvania Regt of the Continental Line commanded at that time
by Col. Adam Houbly (or Hubly) for three years or during the war and I then
marched up the Delaware and crossed it at Trenton to ___ bbletown Gap in
New Jersey where I joined my Regiment, the Brittish having then retreated to
New Brunswick and from there I went with some wounded men to the Hospital at
Morristown where I was stationed as a steward to draw provisions for the sick
about three months. I then joined my Regiment in Pennsylvania and in September
I was engaged in the Battle of Brandywine [11 Sep 1777] where my regiment
constituted part of the front line on the left and after the battle we retreated
to Chester and thence to the Valley Forge where we built hastily and staid
all winter where we suffered almost every hardship and deprivation, but previous
to this time, about the first of October, we made an attack upon the Brittish
Army who had occupied Germantown [4 Oct 1777] and I was engaged in that battle
and Gen'l Wayne was our General and then we took up our quarters in the
winter at Valley Forge where I was made a Sergeant and in the Spring of 1778,
I was engaged as provost guard very often between Germantown and Philadelphia,
and when the Brittish evacuated Philadelphia, we were ordered to persue them,
but previous to our marching, Col. Morgan had the privilige of selecting from
our regiment such of the men as he pleased to reinforce his Rifle Regiment
and I was selected as one. The name of my Captain I cannot recollect, but I
marched in Col. Morgan's Regiment and was in his line at the Battle of
Monmouth [20 Jun 1778] - (previous to this time I was with Gen'l Wayne at Paoli
[20 Sep 1777] when the Brittish attacked us in the night and killed many of
our men. This was not long after the Battle of Brandywine) After the Battle
of Monmouth I again joined my old Company and regiment and we then returned
toward the ________ Plains and Morristown where we remained some time, and
the winter of 1778-79 we lay at the Millstone ______ in New Jersey and in
the Spring we were stationed near Morristown, and about the 1st of July Capt.
Stout resigned and returned home he being sickly and he was succeeded by his
Lieutenant Jacob Stake and we marched with Gen'l Wayne about the middle of
July against Stoney Point [16 Jul 1779] on the Hudson River, we marched in
the night through the hills and ravines and marched on the beach and reached
the gate before we were discovered and we stormed the place, and we again in
a short time returned toward Morristown and the winter of 1779-80, we lay at
the Mill Stone, Elizabeth and other places watching the motions of the enemy
and in 1781, I continued in the service and when Gen'l Washington collected
the Army to march against Lord Cornwalis I marched with him to Little York
previous to this I have omitted to state that Col. Humbly resigned or
left the Regiment at Valley Forge and he was succeeded by Col. Neville and he
was succeeded by Col. Humpton, or Humton who was my Colonel of the 10th
Pennsylvania at the siege of York where I aided in capturing Lord Cornwalis,
and the balance of the War I was marched back into Pennsylvania and my
Regiment was discharged at the close of the War near Carlisle. The reason
why there was a change in my Colonels was as I understand by consolidating
the Regiments. I hereby solemnly swear that I acted as a Sergeant in my
Company from the time of my appointment at Valley Forge the winter of 1777-78,
until the end of the war when I was discharged from Capt. Stake's Company
of the 10th Regiment of Pennsylvania in the Continental Line when the whole
Regiment was discharged and I acted as a faithful soldier until I was then
discharged. I further state that I have long since lost my discharge and
have no documentary evidence of my service and I do not know of any person
whom I can prove my service except Stephen Shelton and Isaac Folley both of
whom saw me while in the Army. I further state that soon after the Act of
1818, was passed I made application for a pension, but I returned too much
property and on that account I was refused, and when the Act of 1828 was
passed I again applied but having no person who could aid me my evidence of
my service was deemed insufficiant and I now again make application when
worn down age and debility hoping that I have discovered evidence sufficiant
to entitle me to a pension as I solemnly swear that I enlisted in the Army
in February, 1777, and served until the war ended and having engaged in all
the battles I have named, my enlistment was for three years or during the
war and I faithfully continued the war and was finally discharged in the
Spring of 1782 when my regiment was discharged. I further relinguish all
claim to any pension from the United States, or County except the present
and I am not now a pensioner of the United States or any state. After the
war closed I moved to Caroline County Virginia where I married and in the
year 1810, I removed to Kentucky, Woodford County where I now live.
[He was in KY as early as 1805, when he gave written consent to his dau.
Betsy's marriage to Martin Dearinger.]
Witness my hand this 8th day of November, 1832.
/s/Robert Humble Woodford County viz.)
This day Mr. Ahmid Rucker a clergyman residing in said county and S.M. Sellers residing in the same County, do hereby certify that we are well aquainted with Robert Humble who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration and we believe him to be of the age he has stated and that he is respected and beloved in the
neighborhood in which he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution
and concur in this opinion, and we further certify that the said Humble is
a respectable citizen and a person of veracity.
Witness our hands this 8th day of November 1832.
/s/Ahmid Rucker
/s/S.M. Sellers
And the said Court does hereby declare their
opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and ______ the interrogatories
prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a
Revolutionary soldier and served as he states and the Court further
certifies that it appears to them that Ahmid Rucker, who has signed the
preceding Certification, is a Clergyman.
STATE OF KENTUCKY )
FRANKLIN COUNTY )
I, James W. Batchelor, Notary Public in and for the County and State
aforesaid do certify that satisfactory proof was this day exhibited to me.
That Robert Humble a Pensioner under the Act of Congress passed 7th June 1832,
at the rate of Eighty Dollars per annum, died on the 26th day of March 1840,
and left Ann Humble his widow, who died on the 8th day of February 1841, and
left Nancy Mathews and Abigail Dougherty, who are her only living children.
In testimony whereof I hereto affix my official Seal and subscribe my name this
12th day of November 1851.
/s/Jas. W. Batchelor
Notary Public,
Franklin County, Kentucky