Pension Application of John Crookshanks S39384 VA
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris.
Virginia
Greenbrier County (to wit)
At a Court Continued & held for this County of Greenbrier on the 24th Day of June 1818
On the 23d day of June in the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred & Eighteen personally appeared before the County Court of Greenbrier the same being a Court of Record John Crookshanks aged sixty five years next January Resident in the County of Greenbrier State Aforesaid who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his Oath make the following Declaration in Order to Obtain the provisions made by the late Act of Congress Entitled “An act to provide for Certain persons engaged in the land & naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war”
That the said John Crookshanks Enlisted in the County of Augusta in the state of Va. in a Company of musquetry commanded by Capt John Sims [sic: John Symmes] of the tenth Virginia Reg’t. commanded by Col. Stephens [sic: Edward Stevens] in the year of Our Lord seventeen hundred & seventy six for three years that he continued to serve in s’d. corpse for three years & that he was in the Battle of Brandywine [11 Sep 1777] & Germantown [4 Oct 1777] & that after his said three years had expired he enlisted in the legion commanded by Col. Henry Lee to serve during said revolutionary war & that while he belonged to said legion he was in the Battle of George Town [Georgetown SC, 24-25 Jan 1781] & Guildford [sic: Guilford Courthouse NC, 15 Mar 1781] where he was wounded in the right leg just below the knee & that he was then put into an hospital at Guildford Courthouse where he remained some time & then was taken to Charlott [sic: Charlotte] in North Carolina , from thence after some time he was taken to Camden South Carolina & then went to the head quarters of General Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] in South Carolina where he was discharged from service by the said General Green in the year 1782 that he has lost said discharge That he is now a pensioner of the United States as will appear by a reference to his certificate of pension signed by W. Eusits which he prays may be considered as part of this his statement
War Department
I hereby certify that by an Act of Congress bearing date the 27th day of April 1810 John Crookshanks now residing in the state of Virginia was placed on the pension List of the U States at the Rate of two Dollars and fifty Cents per month to Commence on the twentieth day of December Eighteen hundred and nine
Given under my hand at the war Office of the United States the 24th day of January 1811
W Eustis
And that he has no other evidence now in his power of said service and that the pension now allowed him is not sufficient to support him & that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his Country for support & that he doth hereby relinquish the pension heretofore allowed him made to receive the benefit of the provision of the law herein before in part recited Greenbrier County Court }
October Term 1820 }
Virginia Greenbrier County to Wit,
On this 24th day October 1820 personally appeared in Open Court being a Court of Record for the County of Greenbrier aforesaid constituted such by an act of the General assembly of Virginia, John Crookshanks Aged 66 years resident in said County of Greenbrier who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his Oath declare that he served in the revolutionary War as follows, that the said John Crookshanks enlisted in the County of Augusta in the State of Virginia in a Company of musquetry command by Capt. john Sims of the tenth Virginia Regiment in the year 1776 for three years that he was in the Battles of Brandy Wine and German Town and after his three years had expired he enlisted in the Legion commanded by Colo. Henry Lee to serve during said Revolutionary War and that while belonging to said Legion was in the Battles of George Town and Guilford where he was wounded in his right leg, just below the knee, the 4th of June 1818 he made his original declaration before the County Court of Greenbrier which has been transmitted to the department of War, and thereupon a pension certificate was issued to him bearing date the 1st day of December 1818 No. 4719 and I do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress entitled “an act to provide for certain person engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War” passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed. All the property which I own is as follows one bay Mare, very old, two other Mares, eight or nine years old; ten head of sheap, two yearling cattle, two ovens & hooks, two kettles, one pair of hooks two old coffee pots, one tea kettle one old broken skillett, three chairs, one reed, one pair of gears two spinning wheels, one big wheel, two old water vessels, a shot gun, five old water bucketts, two dishes, six bowls, fifteen spoons, eleven knives & forks, one candle stick, one tea pot, one log chain, two old broken shovels, a bar shear plough, gears three clevises, three hoes, five augers, two chessels one gouge, a drawing knife, one reel, and one small trunk, four scythes, two sickles, one saddle, six tin cups, one pepper box, two pitch forks, one dung fork, one coffee mill, one flat Iron, one keg, two pint bottles, one churn, one strainer, four bridles, one cuting box & knife, two hammers, pincers, nippers, two knives, fifteen old links, one pair of wool cards one curry comb, one mustard box, two axes, two snuffers, one Iron wedge, one griddle. My family consists of a wife who is fifty three years of age unable to labour in consequence of rumatic pains, and four daughters, Elizabeth 27 years of age, Catherine 17, Hester 12 & Nancy six years of age, two of whom are able to contribute to their support, also three boys, Alexander, 17 years old, William fifteen, & George one year old, two of whom are able to assist in some degree in working to our support. I am a farmer aged 66 – owns no land and unable to support my self in consequence of a wound received in the Battle of Guilford Court House, below my left knee. I therefore from old age and inability am unable to contribute to my or my familys support. John Crookshanks
