Frederick County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1835

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

Summary

Extent:
.15 cu. ft. (1 box)
Creator:
Frederick County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

Frederick County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1835, 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 in this series reported to have served in various Virginia military units, including the 1st Virginia Regiment, Cavalry; 3rd Virginia Regiment; 4th Virginia Regiment; 7th Virginia Regiment; 8th Virginia Regiment; Virginia Rifle Company; Virginia Light Dragoons; and the Virginia Continental Line and Virginia militia generally.

Applicants also reported serving in many units outside of Virginia, including the 2nd Maryland Regiment; 2nd North Carolina Regiment; 4th Pennsylvania Regiment; 1st South Carolina Regiment, Grenadier Company; Connecticut Continental Line; Massachusetts Continental Line; Pennsylvania Continental Line; Pennsylvania militia; New Jersey militia; and the French Army in the American service.

Applicants also gave accounts of being present during several military engagements, including Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Camden, Battle of Eutaw Springs, Battle of Fort Moultrie, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Battle of Great Bridge, Battle of Long Island, Battle of Monmouth, Battle of Paolie, Battle of Stony Point, Siege of Charleston, Siege of Norfolk, Siege of Savannah, and Siege of Ninety-Six.

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: Frederick County was was named in honor of Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales and eldest son of King George II. It was formed from Orange County by a statute of 1738 that stipulated that when the population was large enough the new county government would begin to function. The county court first met on 11 November 1743. Part of Augusta County was added in 1754. The county seat is the city of Winchester.

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

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series I: Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1820-1835, arranged chronologically.
Physical location:
Library of Virginia