Thomas Bingham to Thomas Jefferson, 7 October 1816
From Thomas Bingham
Anville, Lebanon County, Octr 7th 1816.
May it please Your Excellency,
The writer of this was a Soldier in the Army of the United States, was enlisted under the command of Captain Evans & Lieutenant Luthar Scott in the 2nd Corps of heavy Artillery on the 5th day of February 1813 and remained in the Service until the 18th day of August 1815. I made application for my discharge to Major Nourse who got my papers and retains them until the present. I was under the necessity of applying to the Civil Authority for the same—before I could obtain it, and after a Severe examination & strict scrutiny they could not find that I was enlisted for a longer term than five years or during the War. I served for nine Months under the Command of Major Robert Deau Topographical Engineer, returned1 from the Pea patch to Fort Mifflin2 where I did duty until I obtained my clearance from the Civil Authority.—Major Robert Deau can and will certify for my good behaviour during the time I was under his Command. I never received more than one payment during the term of my Service. there remains due to me fifteen months and eighteen days pay due to me from the United States.—My reliance & confidence is placed in your3 Excellency that you will exert your influence in behalf of a poor Soldier who has a wife and Small family to support I have the honor4 to be
Thomas Bingham.
RC (MHi); addressed: “His Excellency Thomas Jefferson Esquire late President of the United States City of Washington,” with the last word canceled by a postmaster and replaced with “Milton V”; franked; postmarked Annville, 8 Oct., and Washington, 11 Oct.; endorsed by TJ as received 16 Oct. 1816 and so recorded in SJL.
Thomas Bingham (ca. 1774–1851) was born in County Down, Ireland, and immigrated with three of his brothers to New York City in 1793. By 1801 he had moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he married and started a family. Bingham relocated by 1808 to Annville in Lebanon County, and he lived there until at least 1830. He was still trying as late as 1844 to obtain $121.06 due him for his service as a private in the War of 1812. In his last years Bingham resided in Philadelphia County (Theodore A. Bingham, comp., The Bingham Family in the United States [1927], 813, 828–9; , 39:449 [23 Feb. 1844]; U.S. House of Representatives, 28th Cong., 1st sess., H.R. 397 [7 June 1844]; DNA: RG 29, CS, Pa., Annville, 1820, 1830, Philadelphia Co., 1850).
major robert deau was Isaac Roberdeau.
1. Manuscript: “rturnd.”
2. Preceding three words interlined.
3. Manuscript: “yur.”
4. Manuscript: “hononor.”
Index Entries
- Army, U.S.; payment of soldiers in search
- Bingham, Thomas; identified search
- Bingham, Thomas; letter from search
- Bingham, Thomas; War of1812service of search
- Evans, Frederick; as U.S. Army officer search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation to search
- Nourse, Charles J.; as U.S. Army officer search
- patronage; letters of application and recommendation to TJ search
- Roberdeau, Isaac; as U.S. Army officer search
- Scott, Luther; as U.S. Army officer search