They were from Illinois! It took a little digging, but they were found. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/hlawquery.html I suspect that they served in the Mexican War (1846-48). An interesting fourth party in the petition was mentioned in the final bill - one W. T. Sherman. Perhaps William Tecumseh Sherman? Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1850-1851 THURSDAY, December 12, 1850. By Mr. Bissell: The petition of John Pate, David Pate, and William Pate, of the State of Illinois, praying for relief on account of back rations due them. Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1850-1851 TUESDAY, February 18, 1851. Mr. Ewing, from the same committee (Military Affairs), to whom were referred the petitions of John Pate for himself, David, and William Pate, W. T. Sherman, and of the officers and soldiers of the Georgia battalion in the late war with Mexico, made adverse reports thereon; which were severally laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. The Journals of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Confederate States of America also are on line at the site provided above. Joel

Joel, The David Pate referred to could very possibly be my great grandfather who I have been trying to trace for years. In the 1860 California census, David is shown as being 33 years old and born in Illinois. That puts his BOB about 1827 and makes him about 20 at the time of the Mexican War. He married Susan Mary Lassiter in 1857 in Arkansas. By 1860 they were in California and I have good information about him from 1860 to 1877. Family folklore has him killed by Indians in 1877 on a trip to Oregon in search of land to homestead. Since the 1830 and 1840 censuses only show heads of household, I have been unable to tie him to any family in Illinois. I have tried to identify the family by eliminating other children who were about 3 in Illinois in 1830, but was unsuccessful. Assuming that John, David and William were brothers, can anyone identify a family in Illinois to which they might belong? Can anyone suggest where John, David and/or William were between 1827 and 1857? I am excited about this information. Although it does not prove anything, it gives me some new hints as I continue my search for David. Jack ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joel Pate" <patej@nettally.com> To: <PATE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 3:36 PM Subject: [PATE] John, David, and William Pate - Petition to US House of Represenatatives > They were from Illinois! > > It took a little digging, but they were found. > > http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/hlawquery.html > > I suspect that they served in the Mexican War (1846-48). > > An interesting fourth party in the petition was mentioned in the final bill - one W. T. Sherman. Perhaps William Tecumseh Sherman? > > Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1850-1851 THURSDAY, December 12, 1850. > By Mr. Bissell: The petition of John Pate, David Pate, and William Pate, of the State of Illinois, praying for relief on account of back rations due them. > > Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1850-1851 TUESDAY, February 18, 1851. > Mr. Ewing, from the same committee (Military Affairs), to whom were referred the petitions of John Pate for himself, David, and William Pate, W. T. Sherman, and of the officers and soldiers of the Georgia battalion in the late war with Mexico, made adverse reports thereon; which were severally laid on the table, and ordered to be printed. > > The Journals of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Confederate States of America also are on line at the site provided above. > > Joel >