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[SAR Sunburst]

ABRAHAM MAY



Born: 1762, Virginia

Died: 1840.

Burial Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene Co., Indiana. Goverment Marker.

THIS IS IN QUESTION January 5, 2005


Service: While living in Tigers Valley, Virgina., he volunteerd for 3 months
as private under Capt SCOTT, Lt. MAXWELL

Drafted in 1781 for 6 months as private under Capt CUNNINGHAM, Lt BIDDINGER
Gen MORGAN. Marched through Winccchester to Williamsburg to Richmond

Pension: Claim S 17562

Abraham May (1762 - 17 JAN 1844) Wife: Martha Henson
Buried: Bloomfield Cemetery,
Greene Co., Indiana (Government Marker)

Son of Jacob (James) May who was in Ashe Co., NC by 1790.

May, Abram 517562

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passedJune 7th A.D. 1832 by Abraham May.

State of Indiana County of Monroe 5 5.5.

On the 8th day of October 1832 formally appeared in open court before the Judge of circuit court of said county of Monroe, The same being a court of records and having general criminal and civil jurisdiction now sitting. Abraham May, a resident of Greene County, adjoining the said county of Monroe, aged seventy 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, passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States, as well as he now remembers about three years after the commencement of the Revolutionary War (The year he does not remember, being very frail and his memory much impaired) under the following named officers, and served as herein stated: He entered the service as a volunteer under Capt. Scott of the Virginia Militia for the time of three months, and was during that time marching to, and stationed at West's fort on the west fork of the Monongahela river, in order to guard west portion of the western frontier. His Lieutenants name Maxwell____ His (declarants) residence in valley about forty miles fromWest's fort in said State of Virginia, but he does not recollect the county in which he lived, or who their that said of that country was then organized it was a frontier County, and but few families there, and there as, the greater part of that perilous period in forts at the end of the period above set forth during which time he was in actual service, to wit three months. He received a discharge in writing by his commanding showing that he had honorably served his tour according to his engagement. His discharge has long since lost and has now no documentary proof of his said service. Nor does he know of any living witnesses by whom he can prove his said tour of duty except the testimony hereto amended of two of his younger brothers. He further states that the service was performed in the fall of the year. In the spring of the year, he thinks, in the month of April 1781, the declarant, was drafted and entered the service of the U.S. a drafted militia man, for the time of six months in the Virginia militia from Hampshire county under Captain Cunningham, but the command soon dissolved There was a Lieutenant B. J. Duncan under whom we joined a command declarant had been drafted before he was able to volunteer and never having reached Richmond that Cornwallis was taken. This declarant, after having taken the advice of the respectable citizens as to what he should do and being advised that, as his time had expired he might with properly return home, he accordingly did so -- but he expressly declares, that he faithfully served the whole of the said tour of duty. He has no discriminatory proof of this service and is compelled to rely upon the statement which he makes of his services, and herein submit, together with the corroborating testimony that accompanies this declaration. For the following interrogations this declarant submits the following answers:


1. When and in what year were you born?

Answer. In the lower part of Virginia in 1762.


2. Have you any record of your age?

Answer. My age is recorded in the German Language in a testament which my brother now possesses -- having received it from my father in his lifetime. I know of no other record of my age.


3. Where have you lived since the revolution?

Answer. Twenty odd years in N. Carolina, 15 years in Kentucky --- four years in Illinois, two years in Tennessee & four years in Indiana. To the fourth question in the directions from the Secretary of War, it will that the declarant --- for the first three months tour was a volunteer appears and for the six months tour, he was drafted. This declarant states that he is not able to name any of the officers of the regular army with whom he served. He is of German extraction and was at that time but illy acquainted with the English language. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name on the pension role of the agency of any state in the union and he has never applied for any pension before the present is sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid


signed
his
Abraham (X) May

mark

/ May, Abram S17562 Also appeared in open court, William May, brother of the above applicant aged 62 years --- and states upon oath first duly administered, that he remembers the time of his brother Abraham May's second tour of duty --- Set forth in the above declaration --- and further says that his said brother was drafted and entered the service as he above states --- and was about (as his applicant always understood) with the army during the time of between six or seven months, but he was no doubt of the service of said six months tour by his brother as he has declared --- the first tour this afficant was to young to remember and further says not.

Signed and sworn to in Open Court on the day & year first afore said by his

(signed) Wm
(X) May

mark

Also appeared Jacob May aged about 66 years states upon oath as aforesaid that he knows of the departure of his brother Abraham May for the army as he has stated in the above declarations in both tours that he was absent the time that he has mentioned and that although his --- was not himself in the army he has no doubt that his brother performed both tours as he has stated first three months --- the second of six months. He states that he has every reason to believe that his brother was out in the service of the U.S. during the time he has mentioned, that he has, that any others of the volunteers whom he knows to leave their home for the army, performed their Sworn to and submitted the date first aforesaid

signed Jacob May

(He was able to sign his name)

also attached are oaths as to the credibility of the three May brothers. signed Leroy Mayfield, a minister of the Gospel William Moore Other signatures: A. Kinney, probate judge S.R. Seall, advocate judge Abram Boshwk, ofs?????????

Submitted by: Lawrence May January 6, 2005



Married: Martha _________

Children:

Other Information on January 4, 2005:

I received a correspondence forwarded to me which was sent by you to Lawrence May concerning the burial place of Abraham May, Rev. Soldier. I do not know if you have received a reply to your query, but I will tell you what I have been able to discover from my research. I am a descendant of Abraham May of Monroe and Greene Counties, IN.

Abraham May was born 1762 and died 7 June 1840, Newton County, Missouri. His widow, Martha Henson May applied for Rev. widow's pension on 26 June 1844, Newton Co., MO in which she states that her husband, Abraham May died 7 June 1840, Newton Co., MO. The family had moved to Newton Co., MO shortly before he died.

>From these papers, I believe that Abraham May was actually buried in Newton Co., MO, where the family continued to reside from many years thereafter. I do not believe that his body was returned to IN for burial.

As for the Cemetery book which states that Abraham May was buried in Bloomfield Cem., I believe this information is incorrect. It was probably given by someone who had not read the widow pension papers filed by Martha Henson May, widow of Abraham May. However, many researchers continue to believe that Abraham was buried in IN, even after seeing Martha's pension applications filed in Newton Co., MO.

This is all I can tell you from the information I have at this time.

Dianne Ladd
Bakersfield, CA
DLadd623@aol.com


Directions to GRANDVIEW CEMETERY:

Indiana War Graves Index - Daniel Guthrie Chapter SAR, Bedford, Indiana SAR
The Indiana State Society SAR Homepage