PENSION FILE #S.42628: John Bodine of Warren County, Ohio
Item: Declaration. This is a several-page handwritten letter.
The abstract I already had of this pension file basically gives most of the genealogical info that can be gleaned from it. I went through the file's contents myself and did not really find anything new. His signature does appear to be on a couple of documents.
He applied on December 24, 1825 from Warren Co., OH. He was 61 and his wife was about 65. They had ten children: Abraham, Hannah, Ann, John, William, Catherine, Margaret, Polly, Peter, and Lydia. The wording is a little hard to figure out about the children being of age, but it seems to say that all their children are of age and moved away, except for Polly who was still living with them. That's what I make of it anyway. The language in the file does not match the abstract very well. Jane's father is Abraham Marlatt, Sr. A copy of his will is included in the pension files.
Note: In his will (of 1799), Abraham Marlatt calls Elizabeth Bodine (his granddaughter) the "natural daughter" of Jane Bodine. I wonder if this means that Jane was a second wife of John Bodine and their other kids were from his first wife. So Elizabeth could be Mary ("Polly") Bodine who was possibly born in 1799. John and Jane then had a few more children after Abraham had made his will. This is just a guess.
End of pension file info that I looked at.
Some of the information on this family came from Cynthia Clark Hill and Joan Pirl. Some more detailed information came from Brett M. Bodine's homepage at "www.familytreemaker.com" homepages section.
Another resource for this family is a typescript called "A Partial History of the Bodine Family and Marlatt Family of Fountain County, Indiana," compiled by Katherine Glascock Cory and Mildred Bodine Douglass for members of the allied Families - 1974. It is some thirty pages, and covers John Bodine, born 1744, died Sept. 2, 1822, his wife Jane Marlatt and their children. It then lists only the descendents of William Bodine and his wife Rebecca. Then there is a Marlatt section also. It was prepared for an upcoming family reunion in August of that year. It is available from the Veedersburg Library in Veedersburg, Indiana.
There is some information about this family in the article "John Bodine: Two Revolutionary War Soldiers," Ohio Genealogical Society Report, 35:1, 1995, pp. 39-40. This was written by John Hale Stutesman (305 Spruce St, San Francisco, CA 94118). This article seems like it is pretty well researched. It discusses two John Bodines who have similar backgrounds. They both fought in the Revolutionary War, both enlisted in Virginia, and both later moved to Ohio. The article calls one the "elder" and the other the "younger." It does not say that they were related. From what I gather, there is no evidence to say the younger John Bodine (born in 1765) was the son of the elder John Bodine (born about 1744). I think such a connection should be avoided unless it can be proven.
From the Stutesman article, we learn that in 1781, this John Bodine enlisted in the Virginia State Regiment commanded by Colonel Joseph Crockett. In 1782, John enlisted as a dragoon in the "Legion" of Continental Cavalry and Infantry. This was commanded by the French volunteer, the Marquis fe la Rouerie, also known as "Armand." Armand was commissioned Brigadier General of Calvary at the same time as "Light Horse Harry" Lee who was the father of the famous confederate, General Robert E. Lee. John Bodine was enumerated in Federal Census of Franklin Township, Warren County, Ohio in 1830. He was a Revolutionary War Veteran.
Note from Dave Bodine: I found some interesting information about the legion command by Armand. This comes from a site on the history of Loudoun County, Virginia:
The German Palatines who had immigrated to Loudoun County had settled a town called Lovettsville at the northern most point of the county near the Potomic River directly across from Brunswick, MD. The memories of their repression in their former homeland caused them to become intensely loyal to the cause of freedom, and it is said that almost every man of military age volunteered without hesitation. Because a vast number did not speak English, most signed on to serve in Armand's Legion, recruited by authority of Congress during the summer of 1777 when it commissioned the French nobleman, Charles Trefin Armand, Marquis de la Rouaire, as a Colonel in the American Army. Fluent in French, German, and English, he was the ideal canidate to command the German born ranks, and reportedly was highly respected and loved by the men under his command. This legion, with it's ranks of Loudoun County soldiers, saw action in a number of battles, including the Seige at York. - End of info on Armand's legion. This new info might seem to point in the direction of John Bodine being one of the German Palatine immigrants, or possibly related to one.
The Stutesman article also says that, under oath, John provided a lot of information about his family. Quoting the article, "He married Jane Marlatt, a daughter of Abraham Marlatt of Berkeley County, Virginia. (Her brother, Abraham, had served with Bodine in Armand's legion.) He listed his ten living children and described in pitiful detail his sad situation in 1825. He was counted in the 1830 Census of Franklin Township, Warren County, Ohio, and he died there January 26, 1834, according to a Warren County Court record (Journal #7, p. 85)."
For this John Bodine, see Pension File #42628 in the National Archives.
I later contacted John Stutesman and he sent me some new information on this family. It is copied below:
John Bodine was barely 15 when he enlisted in an American rebel outfit, unnamed in his pension application. Probably he was then living in Berkeley County, Virginia, and it is very likely that he was kin to, perhaps a son of, the elder John Bodine who joined a rifle company of Berkeley County in 1775 and later served in General Washington's Life Guards.
The frontier of Virginia, now Berkeley County, West Virginia, was first settled by New Jersey adventurers, Indian traders, such as the VAN METRE family. (John Van Metre of Somerset County, New Jersey married a Sarah Bodine) My guess is that the Bodines of New Jersey, pioneer generations out of Staten Island, came south into Virginia, in that movement. Marlatt's father came that way in the 1750's.
John & Jane (Marlatt) Bodine were married about 1785 probably in Berkeley County, Virginia. My first record of them is in the 1787 personal property tax of Berkeley County, naming "John Bodigne". Of course, this may NOT be the man who married Jane Marlatt, but it is likely.
In February 1796 "Richard Bardine" joined Abraham and Richard Marlatt to place a notice in the local newspaper protesting some actions by Abraham Marlatt Senr. As you may have noted in your life, newspaper reports can be misleading, so I am personally satisfied that "Richard Bardine" was in fact John Bodine, a son-in-law of Marlatt, acting with his brothers-in-law against the senior man.
In April 1799 Abraham Marlatt (Senr.) made his will in Berkeley County bequeathing "all my estate both real and personal" to "my daughter Jane Bodine" (Berkeley C. Va. Will Book 4 p338; probated 20 March 1810).
In December 1809 "John Bodine" was surety for the marriage of Jacob Miller to Hannah Bodine of Berkeley County. This was a daughter. The 1810 census of Berkeley County counted "John Bodine" at the head of a small household.
In September 1818 "John Bodine Senr. and Jane his wife of Berkeley County, Virginia", he signing his name, Jane making her 'X', sold the 123 acres inherited from Jane's father. (I have considerable detail of this transaction which I will share with you if you are interested.)
The Bodines promptly decamped for new land in Warren Co. Ohio, where "Jno. Bodine" appeared in the 1820 census in Franklin Township. He applied from there in 1825 for a pension as a veteran of the War of the American Revolution, and his service was attested by his brother-in-law Marlatt.
John Bodine died there 26 January 1834. Widow Jane relinquished her right to administration. (Sadly, no obituary can be found today.) Jane died before 1860, probably in the home of some child.
You have seen the data on the children of John & Jane Bodine in my article. I can add:
son John was born 26 August 1795 and died 22 Nov 1846 in Berkeley Co., Virginia
daughter Margaret was born 26 Jan 1797 and married Andrew STOUP (not Stout) in 1818 in Warren Co., Ohio. She died there 11 Feb 1863.
End of new info from John Stutesman.
I had some dates for his children's birth years, but I think these must have been someone's best guesses. I have put my own best guesses based on the order of children in the pension file (if it is the same as in Stutesman's article), and William's known birth date. These could be way off.
There is a slight possibility that these Bodines are related to the Bodines from Edgar County, Illinois. I only say that because Edgar County is right across the state border from Fountain County, Indiana. However, since the Edgar County Bodines were Catholics, I would doubt that they were related to the non-Catholic Fountain County Bodines.
I wonder if this John Bodine is not related to the Abraham Bodine born about 1692 on Staten Island, New York. This is only a guess, but maybe this John could be Abraham's grandson or some other close relation. My notes say that on July 18, 1722, Abraham Bodine bought sixty acres of land on Ambrose Brook from Elizabeth Merlatt. Ambrose Brook comes between the present towns of Stelton and Metuchen in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Both Abraham and Elizabeth Merlatt are described as being from Piscataway (East Jersey Surveyor's Association, Book AB5, folio 433). Piscataway is in Somerset County, close to the border of Middlesex County. This shows a relationship between the Bodines and the Merlatts in New Jersey. Since this John married a Merlatt, he could be related somehow to the Abraham back in New Jersey. I do have a John Bodine, possible son of John Bodine and Vemmete Voorhees (and grandson of the Abraham above) in my data. I don't have any children or a wife for him. He was born about 1760. Again this is only a guess and needs to have solid proof.
There is a slight possibility that this John could be the son of the John Bodine who was born about 1741 and died in Wayne County, Ohio on December 24, 1836. That John is buried in a cemetery there in East Union Township. That John may have had a son, John, who was born about 1764. (And I do not have a wife or children for him, either.) This would basically match the birth year of this John, husband of Jane Marlatt. Again, this is only a wild hypothesis at this point and would need solid proof.
The following info comes from a manuscript by Stan Ball (ssssball@aol.com):
On 23 Sept. 1818, the Deed of John Bodine Sr. and Jane (X) his wife of Berkeley County to Joseph Granthan of same. For $5400. 123 acres 1 rood 38 ˝ square poles adjoining Adam Strayer's line, William Covenhover's, Philip Carnine's, Jacob Vandoren's lines. Jane Bodine is the daughter of Abraham Marlatt, Sr. and sister of Abraham, Jr. We also found from the a deed of Covenhovener neighbors to Abraham and Nancy Marlatt. "Between Abraham Marlatt Senior and Nancy his wife of Berkeley Co. Va. to Joseph Manner of same place. For $383.00 the said Abraham Marlatt, Junior have granted and sold a tract of land on the East side of Opeckon Creek, being part of a larger tract, said land adjoining William Rush and corner to Abraham Junior and Cowenhovers line, containing 20 acres and one quarter and 7 poles.
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Between 1820 and 1823 Joseph Cownover moves his family from Berkeley County Virginia to Wayne County Indiana. A record found pertaining to a Pension Claim for John Bodine, husband of Jane Marlatt, on 6 April 1823: "Wayne Co., Indiana Joseph Cownover declares he was brought up in Berkeley Co., Va., and resided there nine years after he arrived at the age of maturity. Joseph Granthan was considered to be in affluent circumstances but in 1821 his circumstances began to be considered precarious and soon after he was considred to be insolvent. Cownover left Virginia in Oct. 1826."
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On 26 May 1826 while living in Wayne County, Indiana, Abraham Marlatt declared in a pension application for John Bodine, husband of his sister, Jane Marlatt, that he had known John Bodine of Warren County, Ohio, formerly of Berkeley County, Virginia, since about 1782. Bodine was in the company of Capt. Bern [?] in the corps of Col. Arming. They were discharged at the same time at York, Pa., in the fall of 1783 and returned to Virginia in company. John Bodine had married Abraham's sister Jane. (See Revolutionary Pension application of John Bodine)
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John Bodine
Husband of Jane Marlatt, daughter of Abraham
Transcript Summary of Revolutionary War Pension File for John Bodine of Virginia:
BODINE, John. S. 42628
24 Dec. 1825. Warren Co., Ohio. John Bodine of said county, aged 61 in September next, declares he enlisted for the war about the last of 1780 or beginning of 1781 and about March following by th special interference of Capt. John Kearney he was transferred to Capt. Kearney's company in the Virginia State Regiment of Col. Joseph Crocket. He served one year until the term of the soldier whose place he had taken by the exchange expired and he was discharged.
He enlisted again about 28 March 1782 in Berkeley Co., Va., in the Independent Corps or Leagion of Gen. Armond for three years and was in the company of Captains Lee-Bart and Breva. He was dischanged about 4 Nov. 1783 at Little York, Pa.
He owns a mare, two beds and bedding, tub, knives and forks, plates and dishes, axe, pair of horse gears, two kettles, pot, five sheep, six old chairs, corner cupboard, saddle.
He did not make an earlier application because he could support himself and his family with the means he had acquired in the prime of life. Since 1818 he has sold 120 acres in Berkeley Co., Va., to Joseph Grantam for $5400 in June 1818 (paid only $3468) and in Dec. 1818 he purchased a farm of 100 acres of Jacob Fox in Warren Co., Ohio, for $1000 specie. The balance of $1400 was to have been paid in 1821 but owing to failure of Grantam and the depreciation in the price of property, he was unable to meet the payment. A suit was brought and judgment obtained, but no property being found, a suit in Chancery was about to be commenced to sell the interest in the farm. He agreed to surrender his interest in the discharge of the judgment. The money received in Virginia was expended in paying debts and legacies; the land in Virginia was a legacy bequeahed by Abraham Marlatt, my wife's father, one third to her absolute and the balance to her children. A part of the legacies were purchaed by him previous to the sale; the last legacy pair was in 1821 to Peter Bodine, which was discharged by giving a wagon and two horses.
His wife Jane Bodine is about 65 and his ten children are Abraham, Hannah, Ann, John, William, Catharine, Margaret, Polly, Peter, and Lydia. All except Polly, who is of age, live with him.
23 Sept. 1818. Deed of John Bodine Sr. and Jane (X) his wife of Berkeley County to Joseph Granthan of same. For $5400. 123 acres 1 rood 38 ˝ square poles adjoining Adam Strayer's line, William Covenhover's, Philip Carnine's, Jacob Vandoren's lines.
11 Jan 1819. Deed of Jacob (X) Fox of Warren Co., Ohio, to John Bodine of same. For $2400. 90 acres, part of West ˝ of Section 28, Township 3, Range 4.
6 April 1799. Will of Abraham (A M) Morlatt, Sr. of Berkeley Co., Va. To sons Abraham Morlatt and Richard Morlatt who have received their full shares, 5 shillings each. To daughter Jane Bodine and her children all my estate. My granddaughter Elizabeth, the natural daughter of my daughter Jane, shall have L50. Adrian Wynkoop, Jacob Vandoren and Henry Bedinger, executors. Witnesses: John Blackford, Jacob Long, Henry Bedinger. Proved 20 March 1810.
3 June 1822. Warren Co., Ind. Jacob Fox brings suit to recover $1508.39 from John Bodine. Returned by Shefiff; no goods, chattles, lands or renements found whereon to levy.
26 May 1826. Wayne Co., Ind. Abraham (X) Marlatt of said county declares he has known John Bodine of Warren Co., Ohio, formerly of Berkeley Co., Va., since about 1782. Bodine was in the company of Capt. Breno [?] in the corps of Col. Armong. They were discharged at the same time at York, Pa., in the fall of 1783 and returned to Virginia in company.
15 June 1826. Warren Co., Ohio. John Bodine declares Michael Moors who served with him in Armand's corps removed to Kentucky.
18 Aug. 1826. Warren Co., Ohio. Peter Bodine declares he went to Virginia with his father John Bodine in the fall of 1822 to collect the balance of money due in the sale of land to Joseph Grantham. He detained them in Berkeley County two months on various pretexes but then informed them he was unable to pay. Grantham is totally insolvent.
6 Oct. 1826. Warren Co., Ohio. John (X) Sagasur, aged about 60, declares his father and the father of John Bodine lived within half a mile of each other in Virginia. He saw John Bodine in service at least twice. It was said he was with some French Troops.
[Concerning the info above, I wrote to Stan Ball and he sent me some stuff that I am pasting below (paragraphs beginning with a "*"). It doesn't mention any Sagasur's, but the land described below could very well be that mentioned by John Sagasur above. *A review of the notes taken in addition to those previously sent indicate that the land that Abraham Marlatt Sr. purchased was from the Fairfax Grants of 1763 and 1766 given to Moses Keywood. This land was described by Abraham Sr. as being located 3 miles from Martinsburg and 7 miles from Shepherdstown on the east side of Opequin Creek. The Keywood Grant describes the land in "metes and bounds" which is near impossible to locate since the trees died and the rocks were moved. It does include some owners of adjacent property which indicates that the families Beller, Williams, Van Meter, Chaplin, Newland, Burdine, Linder and Cowenhover lived in the vicinity. *The closest name to Bodine was John Burdine in the 1766 grant. *In 1772 John Covenhoven Sr. purchased 324 acres in Berkeley County for 350 Virginia Pounds from a John and Ann Borden. This also could be another spelling of Bodine. *The grandson of John Covenhoven, Joseph, married Mary Marlatt, the daughter of Abraham Jr and Ann Linder. John Covenhoven was born and married in Middlesex NJ and migrated to Virginia via Pennsylvania and Maryland sometime between 1752 and 1771.]
6 April 1827. Wayne Co., Ind. Joseph Cownover declares he was brought up in Berkeley Co., Va., and resied there nine years after he arrived at the age of maturity. Joseph Granthan was considered to be in affluent circumstances but in 1821 his circumstances began to be considered precarious and soom after he was considred to be insolvent. Cownover left Virginia in Oct. 1826.
5 Dec. 1827. Warren Co., Ohio. John Bodine declares his wife was entitled to only one-eleventh of the land left her by her father since she has ten children living. He bought shares of some but has been unable to pay equal proportions to the young;er children.
14 June 1827. Martinsburg Gazette & Public Advetiser, contains a list of the accounts of the Overseers of the Poor of Berkeley County, 1826-27, and an extensive list of delingquent taxpayers (including Joseph Grantham). In addition to the various advertisements of land and articles for sale there is one obituary: "Departed this life, on Wednesday the 6th inst. At the house of Doct. Newman in Romney, Mr. George Porterfield, jun. Of Berkeley. This gentleman had for twelve months past laboured under the most distressing alienation of mind, in consequence of a diseased state of the liver…..
John Bodine of Warren Co., Ohio, private in the company of Capt. Lee-Bart in the regiment of Col. Armand in the Virginia Line one year from 1782 to 4 Nov. 1783, was placed on the Ohio pension roll at $8 per month from 15 Dec. 1827 under the Acts of 1818 and 1820. Certidicate [no number shown] was issued 22 Dec. 1827.
Notes on Pension Application of John Bodine:
Capt. Lee-Bart is actually Capt. LeBrun de Bellecoeur, a Frenchman. Abraham Marlatt, brother of Jane (Marlatt) Bodine enlisted in Winchester, Virginia, during a recruiting drive by Armand at that time.
The Joseph Cownover who gave a deposition on 6 April 1827 is the son-in-law of Abraham Marlatt having married Abraham's daughter Mary. Joseph's daughter Lydia is my great-grandmother.
I do not know why the obituary of George Porterfield was included in the application.
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End of info from Stan Ball.
There is a John Bodine listed on the 1820 and 1830 Censuses of Franklin Township, Warren County, Ohio (pages 212 and 196).
In the book Ohio Wills and Estates to 1850: An Index, by Carol Willsey Bell, C.G., there is a reference to the will or estate papers for a John Bodine in Warren County. The date of the papers is 1834. The references given are "ed1/2 p56,wb5 p 621,bx65#15np". These should be investigated to see if they have any genealogical info.
In the book mentioned above, there is also a will or estate for a William Bodine in Warren County from the year 1847. References given are "ed1 p183,wbB p5,bx31". This could be a relative of John's.
A source that mentions the Bodine and Marlatt families comes from "First Settlers of Ye Plantations of Piscataway and Woodsridge Olde East New Jersey," part 4 , page 190. Included there is an article called "The Early Settlers of Somerset County NJ." This article lists early settlers, mostly of Dutch extraction, who arrived from Long Island between 1681 and 1699. It can be found on the Internet at:
"http://www.rootsweb.com/~njsomers/early-settlers-1681-1699.htm".
It is maintained by Heather Joens DeGeorge. This site refers to Josias Merlet. Surnames mentioned include Bodine, Fonteyn, Jansen, Merlet, Van Nest, and Voorhees.
Here is some info about a William Marts that could apply to this John Bodine. It shows that veterans from the Revolutionary War were migrating to the Warren County, Ohio area.
RW Pension Application (S-2724) Warren Co., OH, 3 Oct 1832
William MARTS of Hamilton Twp., Warren Co., OH, aged 68 years, 10 months, entered the service in (Amwall) (sic) Twp., Hunterdon Co., NJ in May 1780, being about 16 years old, under Capt. Philip SNOOK; he served 18 days.
He re-entered the service about 20 Jun 1780, under Ensign Peter ROCKAFELLOW. Abner HICKSON, Peter SNOOK, William HERDER, John RUDMAN, John BORDINE/BODINE, Samuel CORWIN, Amos SUTTON, Samuel DANBURY and William BELL/BULL, a foreigner, were all engaged at the same time.
In Jan., 1781, he enlisted in Capt. David SMALLEY's company. In Sep., 1780, he was under Capt. RANDOLPH of the VA Line. Abner HICKSON hired a substitute named George REED. He was discharged 1 Jan 1781.
On 15 Jul 1781, he was attached to Capt. Ralph GUILD's company, and was discharged at the end of Oct., 1781; he lost his discharge on 4 Nov 1791 at St. CLAIR's defeat where he lost everything in the world.
By the 1830 census, William was living in Warren Co., OH. He was enumerated in the Hamilton Twp. census as William MARTZ and in his household were one male 60-70 yrs.; one female 30-40 yrs.; and one female 60-70 yrs.
The will of William Marts, of Hamilton Twp., Warren Co., OH, signed 10 Sep 1842, & pro. 4 Nov 1844, named executor Peter W. SNOOK. The widow was Elizabeth Marts and the heir was son-in-law James HIXSON. A notation to the will abstract states Wm. was a Col. late of Montgomery Co., IN.
James HIXSON and Abigail MARTS married in Hunterdon Co., NJ, 9 Sep 1807. Peter W. SNOOK was the grandson of John (3) SNOOK, Jr.
End of info about William Marts.
