Pension Application of John Roe: S39045
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia to wit,
At a Court held for the County of Botetourt on Tuesday the 12th day of January 1819
John Roe (a free man of Colour) an inhabitant of this county & citizen of this Commonwealth, personally appeared in this court being a Court of Record and made Oath that he enlisted with Colo. [Christian] Febiger as a soldier in the 2d Virginia Regiment on Continental establishment in the Army of the Revolution, in the Spring of the year 1778 and that he continued in said service to the end of said War, when he was discharged by Gen’l. [Daniel] Morgan which discharge he has lost, and that from his indigent circumstances together with his great age he needs the assistance of his Country for support
An affidavit of Daniel Verser Certified by the Court of Nottoway County respecting the s’d services of said Roe was produced in court which will accompany this statement, all of which is ordered to be certified –
At a Court held for Nottoway County the fifth day of November 1818
Daniel Verrer this day appeared in Court and being first sworn, deposed as follows – “That John Roe (a free man of colour) was a Soldier in General [William] Woodford’s Brigade in the years 1778 & 1779 and that he thinks he enlisted during the War, as he continued in the Army until the capture of Cornwallis at York [19 Oct 1781]
Virginia Botetourt County Viz
On this 8th day of August 1820. personally appeared John Roe, a free man of colour aged about 61 years, in open Court, being a Court of record for the said county, which proceeds according to the course of the common Law, with a jurisdiction unlimited in point of amount keeping a record of its proceedings and having the power of fine and imprisonment And the said John Roe, being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following Declaration, in order to obtain the provision made by the Act of Congress of the 18th March 1818 and the 1st May 1820 – That he the said John Roe in the Spring of the year 1778 enlisted as a private soldier for the term of the War in the State of New Jersey in the Company Commanded by Captain William Taylor attached to the Reg’t Commanded by Colo Fabeger, in the Virginia line on Continental establishment. That he continued to serve in the s’d corps until the end of the war, when he was discharged at Winchester in Virginia. That he was at the battle of Monmouth [28 June 1778] where he was wounded. That he was also at the storming of Stoney Point [sic: Stony Point NY, 15 July 1779], and at the Seige of York. That at the time of his enlistment he received the bounty as a soldier, that he rec’d pay as a soldier and the arms as such. That on the 12th day of Jany 1819 he made a Declaration before the said County court of Botetourt in order to obtain a pension, which Declaration was ret’d from the war office – and with the certificate therein refered to accompanies this Declaration That he has no other evidence now in his power of his said services. And in pursuance of the Act of 1st of May 1820 he solemnly swears, that he was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that he has not since that time by gift, sale, or in any other manner disposed of his property or any part thereof, with intent to diminish it, so as thereby to bring himself within the provision of the Act of Congress entitled an Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land & Naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war passed on the 18th day of March 1818– And that he has not nor has any person in trust for him any property or securities, contracts or Debts due to him, nor has he any income or Estate whatsoever. He also solemnly swears that the only Occupation he has is that of washing cloathes, & that by reason of his age & infirmities, he is unable to gain a support by his Labour, and depends in a great measure for subsistance upon Private Charity – he has no family whatever – neither wife nor children
Schedule
I have nothing but the cloathes on my back John his X mark Roe