Pittsylvania County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1845

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Pittsylvania County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1845. Local government records collection, Pittsylvania County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Summary

Extent:
.45 cu. ft. (1 box)
Creator:
Pittsylvania County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Pittsylvania County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1845. Local government records collection, Pittsylvania County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Pittsylvania County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1845, primarily record the declarations of individuals seeking to obtain Revolutionary War pensions provided by various acts of Congress. The applicants present detailed testimony of their time of service during the Revolutionary War. Information found in the declarations include date and location applicants entered into service, names of military companies they served in, names of military commanders they served under, names of fellow soldiers they served with, length of service, their age, and their place of birth. The predominant portion of the declarations are narratives of their tours of duty during the Revolutionary War with emphasis on battles they fought. The declarations also include affidavits from witnesses who could verify information provided by applicants.

Applicants also reported serving in many units outside of Virginia, including the 3rd Battalion of Virginia Troops; 3rd Regiment Virginia militia; 4th Regiment Virginia militia; 1st Virginia Regiment; 1st Virginia Regiment, Artillery Company; 1st Virginia Light Horse Regiment; 3rd Virginia Regiment; 3rd Virginia Regiment of Light Dragoons; 4th Virginia Regiment; 5th Virginia Regiment, Infantry; 6th Virginia Regiment; 9th Virginia Regiment; 15th Virginia Regiment; Alexandria militia; Amelia County militia; Amelia County militia, Cavalry; Bedford County militia; Carolina County militia; Charlotte County militia; Chesterfield County militia; Cumberland County militia; Dinwiddie County militia; Halifax County militia; Henry County militia; Loudoun County militia; Mecklenburg County militia; Pittsylvania County militia; and the Virginia Continental Line, Viriginia militia, Virginia Minutemen, and Virginia State Legion in general.

Applicants also reported serving in many units outside of Virginia, including the vessel the General Washington; 3rd Georgia Regiment; 4th North Carolina Regiment; North Carolina Continental Line; American Galleys; Baggage Guard; Company of Riflemen; Regiment of Artillery; 16th Regiment in Washington's Brigade; North Carolina militia; and the Southern Army at Peytonsburg and the cavalry of the Continental Service in general.

Applicants also gave accounts of being present during several military engagements, including the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Brier Creek, Battle of Camden, Battle of Cowpens, Battle of Eutaw Springs, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Battle of Gwynn's Island, Battle of Jamestown, Battle of Longbridge, Battle of Monmouth, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Stone Camp, and the Siege of Yorktown.

Notable records in this collection include pension papers for James Hopkins, a soldier who attempted to desert following the Battle of Camden due to poor living conditions and faced a Court of Inquiry; William Dove, a naval soldier who spent the war sailing back and forth to various European allies, most notably France, Spain, and Holland; and Avery Mustain, a soldier involved in a campaign against the Cherokee nation in what is now the state of Tennessee, wherein he describes efforts by the military to prevent the Cherokee people from returning to their territory through large scale destruction of their homes and agriculture.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type: In 1818, Congress passed the first of three major Revolutionary War pension acts. The act granted lifetime pensions to all men who had served as regular army soldiers in the Continental Line and who could demonstrate financial need. Prior to the passage of this act, pensions had been restricted to former soldiers who were no longer able to support themselves due to injuries sustained while in service. The second act, passed by Congress in 1820, required applicants to provide more concrete evidence of this financial need in the form of a certified inventory of his property and income. They also had to include an account of all members of the applicant's family, including their health and ability to contribute to household income. In 1832, the third act extended pension benefits to include soldiers who had served in the state troops or militia. Congress also passed a related act in 1836 granting pensions to the widows and orphans of Revolutionary War veterans.

Locality History: Pittsylvania County was named in honor of William Pitt, earl of Chatham, a great English statesman. It was formed from Halifax County in 1766.

Acquisition information:
These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Pittsylvania County.
Processing information:

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1845, were removed from the Pittsylvania County Court papers and processed by G. Crawford. Declarations filed by former soldiers rather than their widows and heirs, ranging from 1820 to 1833, were reprocessed and indexed as a distinct unit by M. Long.

Encoded by G. Crawford: August 2017; updated by M. Long: July 2024.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series I: Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1845, arranged chronologically.
Physical location:
Library of Virginia