PUBLIC "-//Library of Virginia//TEXT (US::Vi::vi03478::A Guide to the Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843)//EN" "vi03478.xml" A Guide to the Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843 Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions Laura Travis Library of Virginia © 2012 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved. Machine-readable finding aid derived from being created directly into EAD, created by Laura Travis, 30 April 2012 Description is in English A Guide to the Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843 A Collection in the Library of Virginia

Library of Virginia 2012 Library of Virginia staff; M. Long Library of Virginia Descriptive Summary The Library of Virginia Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843 Library of Virginia .15 cu. ft. (1 box) English Chesterfield County (Va.) Circuit Court Administrative Information Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843. Local government records collection, Chesterfield County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Chesterfield County.

Processing Information

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843 were removed from the Chesterfield County Court papers and processed by Library of Virginia staff. Declarations filed by former soldiers rather than their widows and heirs, ranging from 1818 to 1831, were reprocessed and indexed as a distinct unit by McKenzie Long.

Encoded by L. Travis: April 2012; updated by M. Long: December 2023.

Historical Information

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: Chesterfield County was named for Philip Dormer Stanhope, fourth earl of Chesterfield, Brtitish statesman and diplomat, and was formed from Henrico County in 1749. The county seat is Chesterfield Court House.

Scope and Content

Chesterfield County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843 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; 2nd Virginia Regiment; 2nd Virginia Regiment, Artillery; 4th Virginia Regiment; 5th Virginia Regiment; Virginia Continental Line, Artillery; Virginia Continental Line, Infantry; Virginia Light Dragoons; and the Virginia militia and Virginia Continental Line generally.

Applicants also reported serving in many units outside of Virginia, including the 3rd Maryland Regiment, 1st Battalion; Maryland Continental Line, Infantry; and the Pennsylvania Continental Line generally.

Applicants also gave accounts of being present during several military engagements, including the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Camden, Battle of Cowpens, Battle of Eutaw Springs, Battle of Forlorn Hope, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Battle of Monmouth, Battle of Paulus Hook, Battle of Stony Point, Battle of White Marsh, Siege of Ninety-Six, and Siege of Yorktown.

Significant materials in this collection include the pension declaration of a free Black soldier, Thomas Lively.

 Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

 Adjunct Descriptive Data Related Material

Additional Chesterfield County Court Records can be found on microfilm at The Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm."

Contents List Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843 .35 cubic feet (1 box)

Arranged chronologically.

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1818-1843