He was born in Prince George's County Maryland on the 18th day of January 1759 and when quite a child was taken by his father to Charles County Maryland. He lived there until he was, he thinks near about 19 or 20 years of age, when it was reported that Dunmore was coming up the Potomack River and he was called out with others to meet him, marched about 30 miles down the River, when news was brought that the vessells had gone down the river and sailed off & after about a weeks service on this duty he returned home & was discharged and went home with directions to await further orders. No written discharge was given, as it was from the beginning only an expedition gotten up for to meet the emergency. Samuel Smallwood was his captain, Elisha Smallwood,lieutenant. The other officers not remembered. He thinks there were two other companies but they were little together and he does not now remember their officers.
In the second year of the Revolutionary War he moved with his Father to Prince William County Virginia & shortly after he was called out in the militia of Virginia and marched down to Alexandria under Captain Peter Evans, Lieutenant William Jacobs, 2nd Leutenant William Peck & under Col. Henry Lee who commanded. He lay there for about two months during which time the British vessells lay in the Potomack just below Alexandria.
At the end of probably a week or so the vessells moved off down the river and the company of Captain Peter Evans followed after them by a very rapid march (the men running all the way) down to Mount Vernon, Genl. Washington's residence, a distance of about 9 miles. He lay there until midnight of the day on which he got to Mount Vernon when Captain Evans marched them to Genl. Washingtons mills which contained something like 400 barrells of flour, and which, it was feared, would be attacked by the enemy. While they lay at Mount Vernon the vessells had stopped on the opposite side of the river & burnt Col. Lyle's buildings. The vessells then moved off down the river & Captain Evans company followed on after. Their march was, however intercepted by a creek which he thinks was called Chappawampsick & while the company was marching around this creek the enemy burnt Brants buildings. When the Company had arrived at the head of the creek, orders were received from Col. Henry Lee that the enemys shipping had gone and for the company to return to Alexandria, which it did, the applicant among the rest. They lay at Alexandria for sometime to see if the vessells would return and were then discharged, receiving no written discharge & were marched home by his captain. He thinks this tour or term of service lasted about two months & a half.
The applicant cannot now specify all the particular periods of his service on the Potomack River. But as he lived near the river, he was continually on every alarm of the approach of vessells up the Potomac river, called upon to march to the river to watch the vessells. He thinks he can safely say he was two years in actual service of this kind upon the Potomack in the same Company above named and under the same officers above named.
He could, in fact safely say that he was in the service well on to three years. Sometimes he was out a week. Sometimes two weeks & sometimes 3 or 4, not being allowed to stay at home sometimes not more than a day or two & he cannot now remember that he was ever permitted, during the time, to stay at home for the space of one whole week, so that it may be said in fact that he was on service all the time, never being permitted to stay at home long enough to work a crop or do anything else for himself.
The company of Captain Evans was kept enrolled for that purpose and was subject to be called on at any moment that it might be demanded by circumstances.
It is impossible for the applicant now to relate every particular period which he spent in actual service of this kind, but he is confident he actually served 2 years if not 3.
He was drafted in the summer before Cornwallis was taken & marched down to Fredricksburgh on the Rappahannock River under Capt. Peter Evans, first Lieutenant Robert Overhaul, he thinks & 2nd Lieutenant Pur. Harrison & were commanded shore by Genl. Weedon & Major Armistead. While at Fredricksburgh, orders were received from Genl. Washington to clear out a road around the tidewater of Ockoquon river in order that the troops & baggage from the north might march along that road down to Little York where Cornwallis was besieged.
While he was engaged with the rest in cutting out the road, Genl. Washington & some other officers passed on to the Little York, and the baggage & troops came on after the road was finished. After they (the North Army) had gone on some days the applicant & company were marched down to Little York by Captain Evans and were stationed with the militia on the opposite side of York River from Little York, for the purpose, as was said, of preventing Cornwallis from escaping. He continued there until the surrender of Cornwallis, when he was marched home by his Capt. & discharged.
He does not remember having received a written discharge at any time. If he did it is now lost. In this last term of service he served out, within a few days, the tour for which he was drafted. He is now unable to say for what time they were drafted or how long their tour was. He has no Documentary Evidence, nor does he know of any person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his services.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency of any state.
In answer to the questions prescribed by the War Department he saieth that he was born in Prince George's County Maryland on the 18th day of January 1759 and raised in Charles County Maryland.
He has no record of his age except an old bible at home of his father in which it is set down. When first called out to meet Dunmore ho lived in Charles County Maryland afterward he lived all the time in Prince William Virginia. From that county he moved to Fauquier county where he lived 16 or 17 years. Thence he moved to Amherst and lived there near about 16 years. Thence he moved to Barren County KY where he has lived 15 years and still lives.
During the time he served on the Potomack River they were called out by Companies by orders, as the applicant thinks, from Col. Henry Lee. The tour of duty he served when Cornwallis was taken, he was drafted. He was so little with the Regular troops that he can not name the regular officers that he served with & continental Regiments. He will however name Genl. Weedon & Major Armistead.
He saw other officers at the Little York but cannot now remember them. The Regiment he does not now remember. He served on the Potomack River to guard the country against the enemy's shipping, helped to cut the road round the tidewater of Ockaquon River for the Northern troops & was on the opposite side of York River when Cornwallis capitulated. He does not remember ever to have received a written discharge, neither did he ever receive a commission. In answer to the 7th he would name: William Glover, Andrew Nuckolls, John Nichols, James Glover, John Glover, William Baily, Francis Scott, James Bennett Esqr., William Bennett, William Elliot, William Pursley, James Wood, Abner Wills, Saml. Marshall & Thomas Bransford, William N. Alexander, & he could name others.
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid. John Burch (His Mark) Mr. Andrew Nuckolls, a clergyman, residing in the county of Barren, Kentucky & William Glover, residing in the same county, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Burch who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration: that we believe him to be about 71, years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid. (Signed) Andrew Nuckolls Wm. Glover
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogations 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 Andrew Nuckolls, who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman residing in the county of Barren Kentucky. And that Wm. Glover, who has also signed the same, is a resident in the same county & that their statement is entitled to credit.
I, William Logan, Clerk of the County Court of Barren County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of John Burch for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my had and seal of office this 17th day of December 1832. W. Logan, Clerk
That she is now Seventy-one years old. That she was married to her aforesaid husband when she was in her seventeenth year By one Richard Majors in Louden County Virginia.
That she and her aforesaid husband had seven children the oldest one of which is Robert B. Burch and is now Fifty three years old.
That she has not a record of her marriage but she has a record of the ages of her children which is herewith presented.
That she and her aforesaid husband lived together as man and wife until his death which took place on the 1st day of March 1834 and that she is still a widow never having married since the death of her said Husband and she makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining a Pension under the act of Congress of the 2nd of February 1848 and .. believing that she is entitled to receive the same rate of Pension that her aforesaid Husband received she most respectively asks the Hon. Commissioner of Pensions to cause the allowance to be made and the certificate evidencing the same to be enclosed to her attorney Grant W. Gratin? of Frankfort Ky.
Sworn to and Subscribed before me the day and year above written (signed) W. N. Alexander JP (signed) Elizabeth Burch
I the just subscribed Justice do certify that the above declarant is personally known to me and knowing to be a lady of truth and respectability in whose statements the fullest faith and credit should be placed --and I do verily believe that she is the age she represents herself to be and to have been married at the time she has stated.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name on this the 13th day of November 1850 (signed) W. N. Alexander J.P.
On this the 13th day of November 1850 personally appeared before me William N. Alexander an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the County and State afsd, Robert B. Burch who after being first duly sworn according to Law dothe make the following statements Towit: That he is the Child of John Burch and Elizabeth Burch. That he was Fifty three years old on the 11th day of July last.
That his Father was a Pensioner of the United States under the act of Congress of 7th of June 1832 at the rate of Eighty Dollars per annum.
That he does verily believe that his aforesaid Father and Mother were married about the year of seventeen hundred and ninety six and that they lived together as man and wife until his father's death which took place on or about the 1st day of March 1834.
That he has three sisters and three brothers younger than himself. Viz Margaret H. Burch, Landon J. Burch, Anne Burch, Fanny P. Burch, William D. Burch and John Burch.
That he was married on the 21st day of May 1821 and is now a man of family and has only twelve children.
Further Deponent saith not.
Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and year afsd. (signed) W.N. Alexander, J.P. (signed) Robert B. Burch
I the just subscribed magistrate do certify that the above Declarant is a man of the first respectability unto all of whose statements the fullest faithe and credit should be given. I do further certify that he is personally known to me and is a farmer of this county and a man of family.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this day of November 1850. (signed) W.N. Alexander J.P.
Robert B. Burch was born July 11th 1797.
Margaret F. Burch was born June 21st 1799.
Landon J. Burch was born August 9th 1801.
Anne Burch was born September 30th 1803.
Fanny P. Burch was born December 19th 1806.
William D. Burch was born October 9th 1809.
John Burch was born February 12th 1816.