Moved by the promise of independence, countless men across the colonies stepped forward for our emergent nation during the Revolutionary War. Some rushed to enlist, eager to support the cause and fight for a new future. Others, like John Barnes, found themselves drawn into the conflict through a draft. Whether by choice or by duty, Patriots’ participation formed the backbone of the Continental forces in a shared struggle for liberty.
To mark the United States’ 250th birthday, the Daughters of the American Revolution has joined forces with America250, the nationwide commemoration of our country’s semiquincentennial, to pay tribute to Revolutionary War Patriots. As part of the celebration, I’ll be sharing the stories of those laid to rest in Delaware County, with help from Kathi Hirons Kesterson -the regent of the Paul Revere Chapter of Muncie’s DAR– over the next several Fridays.
John Barnes was born in November 1757 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Later, he moved to Delaware1. At about nineteen years old, Barnes was drafted into service in a call to arms that came six months before the pivotal Battle of Brandywine. That clash, fought in September 1777, was no ordinary skirmish; it was the largest engagement of the entire American Revolution! More troops were involved than in any other battle of the war2.
At Brandywine, Barnes served under a General Rumsie3 and Colonel Henry Hollingsworth4. Sixty-one years later, at the age of eighty, Barnes looked back on his youthful service with the vivid, if at times puzzling, phrasing typical of his era. As he testified for his pension, his words carried the weight of memory shaped by the passage of time:
“The British come on us at the head of Elk and fired on us and wounded our Colonel ??? Colonel Hollinsworth ^ in the mouth and we was stationed at Koocheres Bridge and they come on us from three diffrant directions and fired on us and we returned the fire and after four or five Rounds when I was wounded on the right arm and at that time we had orders to retreat5.”
After seven months of service6, Captain Isaac Lewis issued Barnes a formal discharge as a tangible acknowledgment of his role in the Revolution. In the years that followed, Barnes’s life became a journey across a growing nation. He left Delaware for Pittsburgh, where he spent roughly a decade before pushing farther west to Randolph County, Indiana. About sixteen years later, his travels brought him to his final home in Delaware County7.
Unfortunately, record-keeping in the early 1800s left much to be desired. By the time that Barnes applied for his pension, his discharge papers had vanished. His testimony captured the loss in unvarnished language: “I cannot tel I have losed it I esepect in moving about for it has been so long I did not think it would even be of any use to me8.”
Elderly veterans like John Barnes poured their youth into the Revolution, only to discover decades later that the evidence of their sacrifice had faded. Even more challenging was the simple passage of time- few of Barnes’s fellow soldiers were still alive to vouch for his service! When asked if anyone could testify on his behalf, Barnes could only respond with resignation:
“their is none living to my knowledge that can testafy to my servis but their are some to wit Lily Bonns and James Hodge can tel of hearing others tel of my being in the [missing] together Job Swain Saml Swain and John Marshall who can give testamony with regard to the truth and verasity of myself when on oath9.”
Barnes’s pension testimony is a fragile link to a distant, tumultuous past. His unpolished words offer a rare glimpse into the mind of an aging Patriot recalling events that shaped a nation. They reveal both his personal struggle to piece together memories after decades of movement and loss, and the broader reality faced by countless Revolutionary veterans. For many, their youthful service had faded into history, leaving only fragile recollections to speak for them. Unfortunately, Barnes’ pension application was rejected10.
John Barnes’s story reminds us that the Revolution was shaped not only by grand strategies and famous leaders, but by ordinary men whose names rarely appear in history books. His faded memories bridge centuries, revealing the reality behind the struggle for independence. Although no trace of his discharge papers, death date, or burial site remains, we know he found eternal rest somewhere in Delaware County. Today, his is one of six cenotaphs at Beech Grove Cemetery that honor our Revolutionary War Patriots.
Sources Cited
1 Beeson, C. (1964). Revolutionary War Soldiers Buried in Delaware County. Daughters of the American Revolution. Paul Revere Chapter [Boston]. Book.
2 Harris, M. (2014). Brandywine. Savas Beatie [El Dorado Hils]. Book.
3 (See footnote 1)
4 Nagengast, L. (2023, June 16). History Matters’ Hollingsworth descendants continue to honor the family’s Delaware legacy. Delaware Public Media [Dover]. Web. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
5 Delaware County, Indiana, Probate Packet 00004, John Barnes Papers – Interview by Samuel Collier, likely c. 1835 (time of pension laws passing); housed at Carnegie Library, Muncie, Indiana. Scanned and transcribed by Kathryn Kesterson July, 2025.
6 (See footnote 4).
7 (See footnote 4).
8 (See footnote 4).
9 Revolutionary War Pensions, 1800–1900; case file of John Barnes (Maryland and Delaware service), pension no. R.520; NARA microfilm publication M804, roll 0148; Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.; digital image, Fold3 (www.fold3.com: accessed 11 Oct 2025).
10 (See footnote 9).
I wonder how common it might have been for destitute old men to lie about Revolutionary War service back then. It must have been a problem if the government demanded more proof than the veteran’s testimony.
Without the benefit of much research, I bet it was fairly common. Fortunately for the memory of guys like Barnes, we have tools to verify service that they didn’t have access to.
Excellent question — and the short answer is: No, it was not common and it was not easy for Revolutionary War veterans to get a pension. Veterans had to prove their service—often 40–50 years after the Revolution. And, remember the War of 1812 had taken place in the meantime. (Example: John Barnes of Delaware County, Indiana, was denied because he could not prove six months of service, even though he served and was drafted.) The 1832 Act improved access—but not for everyone. Getting a pension was often a long, humiliating, and uncertain process. Veterans had to relive their service, gather fading memories, and convince skeptical bureaucrats that they were both honorable soldiers and honest men in need. The following link is great resource to explain the multiple pension acts.
https://mosaicnc.org/revolutionary-pensions/history