Pension Application of Philip Harless: R4613
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia}
Giles County} SS
On this 22d day of March 1834 personly appeared before me Robert M Hutchison a Justice of the peace in and for the County of Giles and State aforesaid Philip Harliss a resident of said county aged Seventy Three years who being first sworn according to Law doth on his Oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the act of Congress passed the 7th June 1832
That is the spring of 1777 he entered the servis of the United States to secure against the Indians – and the nature of his servises – the authority by which he was called out was as herein stated
That in the county of Bottetourt [sic: Botetourt] Virginia in that part that is now the County of Montgomary [sic: Montgomery] he volunteered under the command Captain Floyd and served from the 1st of April 1777 until the first of October of the same year – That he was stationed in a garrison situated at Smithsfied [sic: Smithfield near present Blacksburg] or as was some times called Prestons station on a tributary stream of New river [Stroubles Creek] in the county of Bottetourt Virginia in that part that is now Montgomery
That there was a number of soldiers stationed in this garrison for its defence in case it should be attacted by Indians and to prevent them from passing higher up New river to commit their depredations on the Inhabitants along the new settlements in Western Virginia
That he recollects of nothing serious happening this season – Just frequent record of Indians lurking about through the countary
That again in the spring of 1778 he volunteered and served in the same garrison from the first of April untill the first of October in the same year under the command of the same Captain Floid [sic] and Col [William] Preston was there part of the time also That he recollects of a party of Indians visiting the countary but retreated without doing much mischief except stole and conveyed away some horses
That in the spring of 1779 he volunteered under the command of Captain John Lucas [pension application W5468] and served from the 1st of April untill the first of October
That he took the Oath of fidelity as an Indian Spy to be engaged against the Indians and was stationed in a garrison situated on Sinking Creek a tributary stream of New river in that part of Bottetourt County that is now Giles
That the nature of his servises was to aid in guarding The Fort to spy after the Indians and to perform any services for the protection of the Inhabitants along the new settlements
That he again in the springs of 1780 & 81 volunteered to serve from early in the spring untill late in the fall of each year say from the first of April untill the first of October
That he served these two last named towers in the same garrison last named situated on sinking creek – That during the years 1799 80 & 81 the depredation of the Indians committed on the frontier Inhabitants was such that he recollects that there was a call for men from some of the eastern counties to come to their aid that there was Thirty or Forty men drafted he thinks from Franklin County [formed from Henry and Bedford counties in 1786] and was stationed in Forts along New river
That he recollects where and while he served some of the Circumstances that occured was – the killing of some of Lybrooks and Mckindsy sic: McKinsie or McKenzie] families – The taken into captivity the daughter of [blank] Chapman That parities of Indians was frequent discovered by the spyes lurking through the countary. That he recollects of a party of Indians commiting murder on some of the Inhabitants and that a part of the men from the garrison where he was stationed persued after the Indians to rescue a prisoner and persued on untill some of them become bearfooted and was compelled to make Mocquinsans [sic: moccasins] out of raw Deerskins That he served as above stated under the command of Capt Floyd and Capt Lucas with an embodied corps That he followed no civil persuit – That he witness and endured the perilous scense of Indian Warfare during nearly all of the Revolutionary War
That he can support his Declaration by testamony Ferdenan and Daniel Harless [pension applications R4612 and R4611] and Martin Lucas who all served with me in garrison
[Answers to numbered interrogatories prescribed by the War Department:]
1st I was Born in the County of Bottetourt in the year 1760 or 61 – 2d I have no record of my age but that I was past 16 at the commencement of the Revolutionary War – 3d I was living in Bottetourt Virginia in that part that is now Montgomery – since the year 1779 I have lived in the same place – then the county of Bottetourt now Giles
4th Volunteered – 5th the years 1777 & 78 Col Preston and Captain Floyd after 78 – Captain Lucas
6th I never received a written discharge
7th The Rev Isaac Scott and Robert W Dennison [or Dennis] can testify to my character for Varasity &c
he hereby relinqishes every claim to a pension or an annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any state
sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Philip hisXmark Harless