Revolutionary War
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Revolutionary War Pension Applications
James McDade
Revolutionary War Pension Application VA S38193 VA No. 7181
My maternal 5th great grandfather.
Revolutionary War pension claim S 38192 No. 7181
James McDade
State of Virginia
Mason County
On this 19th day of August 1818 in open Court before me this subscriber presiding Judge of the said Court of Mason County personally appears James McDade aged sixty nine years (to the best of his belief) resident in said county and state who being by me first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provisions made by the late act of Congress entitled and act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary War that he the said James McDade in the spring following the battle of Trenton enlisted in Hampshire County State of Virginia in the Company commanded by Captain William Voss of the 12 Virginia Regt commanded by Col. Wood of Gen Scotts Brigade that he continued to serve in the said service the full term of three years following when he was discharged at Philadelphia in Pennsylvania after which he substituted in the place of Uriah Gandy for eighteen months which he served under Capt David Williams of said County of Hampshire --- a foresaid who served under Col Campbell to the southerd from which service he was discharged at Salsbury North Carolina --- --- which discharges is lost that he was in the battles of Brandywine Germantown and Monmouth and some skirmishes in the first term of service and then second term of service he was in the battles of Eutaw Springs where he received a Bayonet wound threw (through) the body and a sword wound in the --- and at Camden battle he received a bullete (bullet) wound at the ankle which fractured the bone and stiffen’d his legg (leg) to this day and that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his Country for support and that he is unable to perform manual labour.
Signed with his Mark: James McDade
Sworn to and declared before me this day of year aforesaid – J. John Henderson
I John Henderson a Judge --- aforesaid do certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the said James McDade did serve in the revolutionary War as stated in the proceding declaration against the Common --- and thus he is in Indigent circumstances unable to perform manual labour for sustenance and absolutely stands in need of the support of his country. I now transmit the proceeding --- testimony taken and had before me to the secretary for the department of war pursuant to the Directions of the aforementioned act of Congress this 19th August in 1818 – signed John Henderson.
Also signed by William Sterrill, clerk of the court for Mason County.
Mason County (VA)
On this twenty seventh day of September in the year eighteen hundred and twenty personally appeared before the superior court of law for said county of Mason being a court of record proceeding according to the course of common law with the jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount James McDade aged seventy one years to the best of his belief, resident of said county of Mason, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath declare that he served in the revolutionary war as follows; that in the spring following the battle of Trenton he enlisted in Hampshire County, state of Virginia in the company commanded by Captn William Voss of the 12th Virginia Regiment commanded by Col. Wood of General Scott’s brigade that this declarant continued in said service for the term of three years next following when he was discharged at Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania after which discharge he enlisted in place of Uriah Gandy for the eighteen months and served under Captain David Williams of the County of Hampshire and in the Regiment commanded by Col. Campbell. From this last service after performing the same he was discharged at Sallisbury in North Carolina – That to entitle himself to a pension under the acts of Congress in such cases made and ___ he made a declaration in pursuance of said acts on the nineteenth day of August in the year eighteen hundred & eighteen.
That under and by virtue of said acts & declaration he was placed in the list of revolutionary pensioners of the United States and his name inscribed on the pension list Roll of the Virginia agency as more fully appears by his certificate of pensions Number 7187 and dates the 5th of March 1819.
And the said James McDade do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818, and that I have not since that time by gift, sale or on any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof, with intent thereby to diminish it so as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war, passed on the eighteenth of March 1818, and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property or securities, contracts or debts due to me, nor have any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed and which schedule contains one horse, three cows and one heifer, one feather bed and bedding, one light bed and covering, one oven, one pot, one kettle, six head of sheep and perhaps about twelve head of hogs.
The declarant also states that with the aid of his children he cultivates a small piece of ground but is unable to much of the manual part of said labour himself. That his family consists of himself, his wife and three children one of whom is nearly of age and a son who is infirm. The second is a boy aged about sixteen years and small of his age __there is a daughter aged fourteen in July last.
Schedule of the property herein before mentioned given in by said James McDade and __with the values thereof as nearly as could be ascertained by disinterested testimony.
Viz One horses of the value of $30
Three cows of the value of $30
One heifer of the value of $7
One feather bed and bedding of value of $15
One light bed and bedding of the value of $5
One pot of the value of $1
One oven of the value of $2
One Kettle of the value of $2.50
Six head of sheep of the value of $10
About twelve head of hogs of the value of $12. (Total) $114.50
Signed James McDade (His Mark)
Sworn to and declared on the 27th day of September 1820 in open court.
(William Sterritt certified as clerk of Mason County superior court of law on 13 Sept 1820. And also wrote a note requesting that the Secretary of the war department “will have the goodness to give to this declaration as early an attention as practicable”)
From: Dept of Interior, Bureau of Pensions Washington D C March 30 1916 in response to a request for the military history of James McDade
Spring 1777 three years, rank private, Captain William Vause, Colonel Wood 12 VA.
Discharged at Philadelphia
Enlisted for 18 months Captain David Williams, Colonel Campbell – dischared at Salisburry, NC.
He sustained gunshot wound of ankle at Camden, and bayonet wound of body and sword wound of wrist at Eutaw Springs.
Battles engaged in: Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Camden and Eutaw Springs.
Residence of soldier at enlistment: Hampshire Co., VA
Date of application for pension: Aug 19, 1818. His claim was allowed.
Residence at date of application: Mason Co., VA
Age at date of application: sixty-nine years
Remarks: Sept 1820 he referred to his wife; a son nearly of age; son about 16 years old; and daughter 14 years last July, but did not state their names.
Signed G M Saltzgaber, Commissioner
James McDade received a pension in the amount of $96 per year beginning on March 5, 1819 in Mason County, Virginia. He received a total of $1435.09 and died on July 30, 1833 at age 86.
Revolutionary War Pension Application: VA S16734 VA 27888
My maternal 5th great grandfather.
State of Virginia, Northumberland County.
On this 11th day of August 1834, personally appeared in open court George Connolly, a soldier of the Revolution, aged 72 years, who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the pension made by the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. That he enlisted for 3 years in April, 1779 in the town of Fredericksburg, Virginia, under one Capt. Lovely and received the bounty of the said Capt. Lovely. That he stayed there with the other soldiers who had enlisted about 2 weeks, was then marched to Richmond
Virginia and there joined the 4th Regiment commanded by Col. William Davis, where he stayed a few days and was then marched to the coal mines in Henrico County where he stayed four months. The British then came into Richmond where he with the troops was marched to give them battle. When they got to Richmond, the British had gone down the River to their shipping. Our troops pursued them by land down the river, but did not overtake them; they were marched back to Richmond and stayed a few days, after which they were marched to Chesterfield Court House where they wintered and stayed in
all six months.
From there the troops were marched to Petersburg and where they stayed four months, and in April 1781, according to expectation the Enemy appeared across the creek opposite of them and commenced firing upon our Army which had found access then along the street upon the opposite side of the creek after firing 23 rounds himself fell wounded both in his arm and his leg, the scars are now upon him. Our Army were compelled to retreat leaving him and John Johnson and about 18 others prisoners. They were taken by the British and carried on board their shipping, where the ball that
lodged in his leg was extracted by one of their surgeons. They were then sent on to New York and put in the Hospital there, and upon his getting well was confined in close prison with about 300 other American prisoners, where we stayed until Clinton evacuated the town, and as he supposed, went to England, which movement was subsequent to Cornwallis' defeat at Yorktown in Oct 1781 and at which place (New York) he was in the Hospital and prison together seven months.
When the prisoners were set at liberty I went home having been in the service or in confinement of the enemy from the time of my enlistment to discharge as a private. He doth hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and any agency in any state except the present.
Lewis County Court on this 31st day of March 1838 before me the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for the said County of Lewis personally appeared George Connolly who on his oath declares that he is the same person who formerly belonged to the Company commanded by Captain Lovely in the Regiment commanded by Col. Davis in the service of the United States that his name was placed on the pension roll of the State of Virginia that he resided in Kenhawa County in the said state of Virginia at the time he was placed on the pension list. From whence he has lately removed to Lewis
County in said state of Virginia where he intends to remain and wishes his pension to be there payable in future.The reasons of signed for changing his residence from Kenhawa County to Lewis County are as follows: That the said George Connolly is now old and infirm and has lately lost his wife, and was compelled to break up housekeeping, in consequence of which he removed to Lewis County to live with his daughter.
State of Virginia Richmond County
George Connolly received $80 per year beginning on March 4, 1831.
Click HERE
for a full transcription of George Connolly's pension application.
Henry Taylor Franks
Application for Revolutionary War pension PA S8522
My paternal 6th great grandfather.
On June 25, 1834 Henry Franks made application for a pension in Washington County, Ohio. When asked by the court he answered that he was born in Piscataway in the State of Maryland in the year 1751. He said in pension application "I served, the nature of our service being the protection of the frontier settlers from the barbarities of the Indians."
He said he lived on Big Whitely River about 20 miles from Beeson Town on the Monongahela River in what is now Greene Co PA in Rev War period. At the time, this area was part of Virginia. Henry Franks first volunteered in the spring of 1775 for Rev War service. He said he lived about 7 years near Clines Fort. (from "The Ten Mile Country & Its Pioneers") Cline's Fort was where Jacob Cline, a Virginia justice, built his cabin about 1775 on Muddy Creek. on the Monongahela; next in the state of MD about 25 miles from Cumberland about 7 years; next about 21
years in Hampshire Co, VA; next in Ohio County VA; from thence he removed to Washington Co, OH where he had resided for 19 years.
Spring 1775 - Entered service of United States as a volunteer at his residence on Big Whiteley, about 20 miles from Beeson Town, on the Monongahela River, State of PA. Served under Captain John Minor.Marched to Gerrard's Fort where he served in garrison and on scout for the term of three months for which term he had volunteered
June 1776 - Entered service as a volunteer under Captain Jesse Pigman for three months & served part of the time at Ft Pitt.
Application for Revolutionary War Pension VA S5364
My paternal 6th great grandfather.
State of Virginia Tyler County to wit: On this 10th day of June 1833, personally appeared in open Court before Robert Gorrell; William Bond; John D. Wells; & James G. West, Justices of the Peace, constituting the County Court of Tyler County, now sitting. Richard Dotson, a resident of said County and State of Virginia, aged 81 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832, that he was born in Frederick County (now Shenandoah) State of
Virginia and continued to reside there until he was about 20 years of age, he then removed to Greene County State of Pennsylvania, that in the year 1774 he served a tour of duty under Lord Dunmore against the western Indians, that he marched to Fort Charlotte near the place where Chillicothe now stands, in the State of Ohio, from whence he returned to his place of residence in the State of Pennsylvania where he continued to live until after the close of the Revolutionary war, that in the spring of the year 1777 he entered the service of the United States as a volunteer Indian Spy
under Captain John Minor and served six months of that year, that in the years 1778 & 79, he also served the United States six months each year as an Indian Spy under Captain John Minor entering the service in the spring and leaving in the fall, making in all he served as an Indian Spy the term of eighteen months or more that services consisted in watching movements of the Indians examining their trails and giving information of their approach to the settlements that he principally served in Greene and adjoining Counties, that his headquarters were at Jenkinses Fort in said
County of Greene and Jarard Fort about three miles from the former that the said Captain John Minor was the commandant of these stations, that in the summer of 1777 or 8 he and four of his companions had a skirmish with about the same number of Indians, that one of his party (to wit) John Nichols was killed and one of the Indians was also killed by Richard Hall. This skirmish took place near Jarard Fort on Big Whiteley and that he has no recollection of having received a discharge. He further says that after the close of the Revolution he returned to Shenandoah County, Virginia after
remaining there a few years (the precise number he cannot recollect) he removed to Landon (Loudon) County, Virginia and continued there about two years, from Landon (Loudon) he removed to Hampshire Co., Va, where he lived about six years from thence he removed to Wood Co, Va, since which time he has continued to reside alternately in Wood and Tyler Counties until the present time that he now lives in said County of Tyler. He further says he has a record of his age and that he was born on the 23rd day of October 1752.
April 17, 1847 last Rev War pension payment made. $30 for 6 months pension from 4th day of September 1846 to 4th day of March 1847.
My paternal 5th great grandfather.
During Rev War he was advanced from Captain of the militia to Lt. Col of Washington Co, PA 1st Battalion, March 28, 1781 and served until 1782. Feb 4, 1782, he was appointed, elected and commissioned to 2nd Bat., PA, militia was serving in Btn 2nd, May 7, 1783 and July 7, 1784
Pension applications of soldiers who served under him document his Revolutionary War Service. He served on the Committee of Observation for that part of Augusta County that lies on the west side of Laurel Hill at Pittsburgh, chosen the 16th day of May, 1775. Militia. Records show he went out on tours of duty at other times with his son Henry III.
Henry Enoch was given a certificate for 400 acres of land for service in the Revolutionary War by the Commissioner of Unpatented Lands of Virginia in 1783. On April 7, 1789, he received a surveyed patent for 350 acres of land on the Little Kanawha River in Harrison County Virginia, now Wirt County, signed by Governor Beverly Randolph.
Jacob Jones
My paternal 6th great grandfather.
A record of the Revolutionary service of Jacob Jones shows he was an Ensign in the services of the Rangers of the Frontier of Westmorland County, Pennsylvania and Monongahela County Virginia. For a time he was a member of Captain Nicholas Shinn's company. Pennsylvania archives show he received payment for at least 4 different expeditions, and also depreciation pay as a Continental Soldier in Pennsylvania. Other records show he was also considered a part of the Quota from Virginia and received depreciation pay in Richmond Virginia.
The Virginia State Library Report 1911-1912, page 167, gives Jacob Jones as enlisted from Virginia. This quotes Revolutionary Army Vol 4 page 28 from four volumes of misc. manuscript matter concerning the Revolutionary War in the Library of Congress. The New York Historical Society Collection 1915 Page 640 names Jacob Jones of Virginia among those enlisted for the duration of the war and among those 'settled'. According to family tradition, he was a frontier soldier until end of war. About 1794 he obtained a grant of land near Knottsville, Tyler County,
Virginia for his services, according to family tradition.
Joseph Cheuvront
My maternal 6th great grandfather.
Although he did not apply for a pension, he penned the following words: "In the year 1781 at the siege of Yorktown God delivered me from all tormenting fear, and gave me two seals to my ministry. " And in an excerpt from a letter written by Isaac Robbins to Bishop Asbury, 1813, concerning the death of the Reverend Lasley Matthews, he (Matthews) dated his turning to God in the fall that Cornwallis was taken, "through the instrumentality of Brother Joseph Cheuvront, who used to carry a Bible in his pocket and read to him and converse with him pertaining to the
kingdom of God."
William 'Grandfather Billy' McClung
My maternal 6th great grandfather.
He died 18 Jan 1833 and is buried in the Otter Creek cemetery, one mile west of Meadow Bluff, WV. A monument was placed there in 1968. Although I have no record of a pension application, the monument on his grave states: Virginia; ensign, Virginia Militia, Revolutionary War. In 1777 the Claims Record of Virginia, William turned in the following claim: "bacon sold to Capt. Arbuckle."
My maternal 7th great grandfather.
No record of a pension, but he and his family were involved in the Revolutionary War. John Justus Hinkle, his sons, and his sons-in-law participated actively in the defense of the frontier during the Revolutionary War and furnished supplies for the Continental forces. The Hinkle Fort farm became the headquarters and training grounds of the North Fork Battalion. During the Revolutionary War, Hinkle's Fort became the only outpost in Pendleton County for the patriot forces. John Justus Henckel, Sr. had been officially recognized for his services as commander of the fort and in
furnishing supplies to the troops (detachments of the Virginia Militia) quartered there. The fort was headquarters and training grounds for the North Fork Military Company which had been organized by settlers early in the Revolutionary War and whose first captains were son-in-laws and sons of John Justus Henckel, Sr. After the Revolutionary War and when danger of Indian raids was past, the fort was torn down and some of the timbers used to build a large house on the site.
John Dewees
My paternal 4th great grandfather
His service is recorded in the Delaware Archives, specifically on
a muster roll dated 12 April 1776 at Dover Delaware. Private John Dewees
in barracks under Col John Haslett's Regiment, Capt
Jonathan Caldwell's Company Another site shows the uniform he would
have worn and describes it as: This regiment was the best uniformed and equipped in the army of 1776.
Their dress was a short blue jacket, faced and lined with red; a white waistcoat and buckskin breeches; white knit stockings with short black canvas gaiters or spatterdashes. The buttons were of pewter for the men, and gilt for the officers, marked "D B" for "Delaware Battalion."
They wore small round caps of black jacked leather, with a high peak in front on which was painted in gilt: Liberty and Independence and Delaware Regiment, as shown in drawing. The crest is that of Delaware, "a full rigged ship," and within the center scroll "a sheaf of wheat," as on the paper money issued by Delaware in 1776. A short red feather plume was worn on the left side of the cap above the leather cockade, by the officers and men when on parade.
[REFERENCES: Delaware ,Archives, Military, vol. I ( 19 11 ) ; William G. Whiteley, "The Revolutionary Soldiers of Delaware," in No. XIV of Papers of the Historical Society of Delaware (1896); "Diary of Captain Thomas Rodney," in Papers of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, no. VIII (1888).
And a photo
of this uniform
John Lockhart
My maternal 6th great grandfather
He enlisted in the company of Captain Henry Heth/Heath 28 Dec 1777. John House, in writing about the Pioneers of Wood County, said that the grandson of John Lockhart (Jr) reported that his grandfather had served in 1777 in Henry Heth's company as a private. Since John Lockhart Jr would have only been age 11, it is believed that he was referring to his great grandfather, John Sr. A muster roll of Capt. Henry Heth’s company shows they were stationed at Fort Pitt on 5 April 1778 and John Lockhart is on the rolls. By 1779 Heth's company had merged with the troops of Captain O'Hara's company. and General Lachlan McIntosh said that their services were no longer needed for protection from the Indians because of the new forts that had been built. From 1781 to 1783 John Lockhart served in Captain Uriah Springer's Company of the 7th Virginia Regiment commanded by Colonel John Gibson's Frontier Detachment. There are 38 muster rolls or payroll records for John during those years. He is showing at Fort Pitt on the last muster roll for June 1783.
War of 1812
John Greathouse
My maternal 3rd great grandfather.
John Greathouse made application for land grant for service in War of 1812
From National Archives:
State of Virginia
County of Roane
On this 4th day of August AD one thousand eight hundred and fifty six personally appeared before me, John W Cain, justice of the peace within and for the county and State aforesaid John Greathouse aged seventy-four years, a resident the Roane County in the state of Virginia who being duly sworn according to law declares that he is the identical John Greathouse named in the within and the accompanying discharge of the date of the 29th of August 1814 and hereto admits he was drafted soldier according to general orders in the company commanded by Mathew McKown of the 4th regiment of
the Virginia militia commanded by General Porter in the war of 1812 that he was drafted in the county of Mason sometime in May in the year 1814 for the term of three months and continued in actual service in said war for the term of three months and was honorably discharged at Norfolk on the 29th day of August AD 1814 as will appear by my discharge herewith annexed. He makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the Bounty land to which he may be entitled under the act granting Bounty land to certain officers and Soldiers who have been engaged in the military service of the
United States passed September 28th 1850 and the amendatory act thereunto belonging never having received or knowing that he is entitled under any former act of Congress.
Civil War
Hiram S. Dotson
My paternal great great grandfather.
Hiram Dotson served two years in the Union army, enlisting in Aug. 1862, in the 14th West Virginia Infantry, and received discharge for disability. Mansfield, Spencer and Perry, the three older sons, were all Union soldiers. Civil War record: Pvt. Co G 14th Reg VA Infantry. Mustered in Sept 13, 1862 at Ellenboro, VA for 3 years. From Ritchie County, Clay District. July and August 1863 AWOL, but honorably discharged at Petersburg VA, Oct 26 1863 by special order # 479 hardship. From the 1890 "Special Schedule - Surviving Soldiers, Sailors and Marines and
Widows" for the Civil War, in WV, Hiram is showing as having incurred 'throat disease' as disability; also shows date of enlistment as 2 Aug 1862 and date of discharge as 15 Nov 1863.
