Selena Booker’s War of 1812 Pension Application

Pension Files, National Archives, Record Group 15.
Widow, Selena Booker, widow of Captain Richard Booker
Claim No. 15727
Act of March 9, 1878.
Certificate Number 11066, W.C.

Service Pensions – Widows Brief, Selena Booker, Powhatan County, Virginia, Application Files 15 April, 1878.

3rd Auditor Reports, “Rolls of Capt. Richard Booker’s Co., U.S. Vols., show that Capt. Richard Booker served from June 6th, 1813 to Aug. 17, 1813. The rolls of Capt. Bookers Co. For the following period are missing from the files Aug. To Feb. 7, 1813, length of service 73 days, admitted Nov. 7, 1878 to a pension of $8,00 per month from 9 March 1878.

Soldier died 26 Jan. 1853.

“Soldier received B. L. [Bounty Land] Warrant #21626 – 160 acres act. 1850, Adjutant Generals Reports.” Richard Booker was appointed 3rd Lt., 12th U.S. Inf., March 12, 1812 – 2nd Lt. March 30, 1813, 1st Lt. March 17, 1814. Dropped from the rolls in 1815 with the following remarks, “Has never reported himself under dated Malone Dec. 29, 1813, reports Richard Booker Capt., Richmond Vols. Ordered to Richmond to be mustered out–see Gardner which is quoted.

23 March, 1878

Claim of widow – Selena Booker, aged 80, Powhatan Co., widow of Richard Booker description of her husband, at the time of his enlistment, 21 or 22, lawyer, birth place: Richmond, 6 feet height, gray eyes, black hair. Richard married Selena Truman, November on 4, 1825 by Wm. Armstrong. Booker died at his residence in Powhatan Co., 26 Jan. 1853, since his discharge he had lived in Richmond and Powhatan & she lived in Cumberland, Manchester and Powhatan.

Dept. Of the Interior – Pension Office, 12 Oct. 1878 – requested to furnish official evidence for Booker, Capt. of Company of Volunteers org. At Richmond, Va., in December, 1812, and was attached to the 20th U.S. Infy. Mustered out at Malone, N.Y., Dec. 1813.

Selena and Richard had one son, William Booker, who died before he was grown.

Selena died 19 June 1885.

Filed by John K. Martin, Richmond, Va.,
State of Virginia
City of Richmond
On this 30 January 1852.

Personally appeared before me Harris R. Sutter, a notary public. Richard Booker, aged 62 years a resident of Powhatan Co. Declares that he is the indentical Richard Booker who was commissioned by President Madison on the 1st of December, 1812 as Captain of the Richmond-Washington Volunteers which was subsequently attached to the 20th Regt. Of United States Infantry-commanded by Col. Thomas Mann Randolph in the War with Great Britian declared 18 June 1812.

That his company volunteered at Richmond, Virginia on or about 1 December, 1812 for the term of twelve months and was honorably discharged by Major General Wilkinson by his General Orders Headquarters, Malone, N.Y., Dec. 29, 1813–the original order Booker has in his possession and wishes to retainas a momento of his service aforesaid. [See American State Papers, Military Affairs, Vol. 1, P. 422.]

To Hon. James S. Heath
July 5, 1852, Richmond.
From John K. Martin, stated Booker told him that after he returned from his Canada tour he attached himself to Capt. Harry Heth’s Troop of cavalry from Chesterfield & served a tour of duty of 3 months under him at Camp Holly in Porterfield’s Brigade in 1814 & was discharged 26 Nov. 1814.