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            Southern Campaign of the American Revolution

             Pension Application of  John Shaffer

             National Pension Number S3899

             Transcribed by:  Constance S. Springs

 

             State of Tennessee

             Sullivan County    Circuit Court September Term 1832

 

                         On this 29th September 1832 personally ap

                         peared in open Court before the Honorable Edward

                         Scott Judge    now holding the Circuit Court for

                         said County.  John Shaffer a resident citizen of the County

                         of Washington and State of Virginia aged age seventy

                        six years past who having first duly sworn according

                         to Law doth on his oath make the following declara

                         tion in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress

                         passed June 7th 1832.  That he entered the Service of the

                         United States under the following named officers and

                         served as herein stated.  That at the time he entered the

                         service he was a citizen of Shenandoah County

                         in the State of Virginia, and was drafted sometime in the year

                         before Cornwallis surrendered.the precise time not rec-

                         collected and placed under the command of Captain

                         Jacob Benewit and was marched to Woodstock or Millers

                          town in said county and state, and verbally discharged

                         after being in the service about two months After ward again

                         drafted in the same county and state and during the same

                         year and marched under Captain Lawrence Snapp to

                         Fredericksburg where he was placed under the command

                         of Captain Joseph Hawkins. He remained in Fredericks

                          burg nearly three months, and was discharged, but had

                          lost his discharge.  That he was again drafted for three

                          months, while he was still a resident of said county

                          and state can not remember the year or month

                          so precisely as to state it with any degree of correct-

                          ness.  He was, on this occasion, placed under the com-

                          mand of Captain All, whose company joined the army

                          under the command of General Stephens, near Williams

                          burg /and with his/  army went to Yorktown.  Before their arri  

                          val at Yorktown affiant had become sick , and was so

                          dangerously ill that in about two weeks after his arr

                          ival at Yorktown, he was placed in the Hospital

                          and received a discharge from the Physician of the Hos

                          pital a few days before the surrender of Cornwallis,

                          This discharge was also lost  Affiant served in actually

                          on this occasion about five months and the

                          whole period of his service was about ten months.

                          His age is such that his recollection has become

                          so deficient as to render him unable to state names

                          and dates with that accuracy he would desire.

                         

            

                      He was born in Burks County, Pennsylvania on the

                    10th June 1755 and emigrated to Virginia while a boy

                     He lived in Shenandoah until after peace was made

                     and then moved to Wythe, where he lived about twenty

                     years and then came to Washington County, Virginia within

                     one mile of Sullivan County, Tennessee where he has resided

                     Insert:(His reason for making this declaration in Tennessee

                                 Court is that he is acquainted here   that Blountville

                                 13 miles nearer to him than Abingdon in Virginia)        

                    ever since, afficiant has a record of his age at home

                     but did not know that any inquiry would be made

                     concerning it.

                     He had no docummentary evidence by

                     which to establish the truth of his claim and knows

                     of no person whose testimony he can procure; who

                     can testify to his service.  He believes that his

                     name is not on the pension roll of the agency

                     of any state to his knowledge.

 

                     Sworn to and subscribed in open

                     Court the day & year aforesaid  -----------Jo (illigible) Shaffer 

                                                            Wm Anderson Clk.