Person:John Wright (370)

Pension application of John Wright W6588 Elizabeth f61VA
Transcribed by Will Graves 10/19/11

[f 10]
State of Virginia County of Allegheny to wit:
On this 16th day of September 1833 personally appeared in open Court, before the
Justices of the County Court of Allegheny now sitting John Wright a resident of said County and State of Virginia, aged 76 years next November who being first duly sworn doth on his oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated. That in the year 1778 he enlisted as a private Soldier, in a company commanded by Captain Burleigh, for the term of three years – Among the other officers of his company was John Taylor Lieutenant – Nathan Mills first Sergeant – that said Company belonged to the 3rd Virginia Regiment on Continental establishment commanded by Colonel Taylor, the Regiment assembled at Orange Court-House in the month of October 1778 and marched from thence to Baltimore – not far from this last named place they joined a body of men under the command of General Mathews and were marched to General Washington's Army then near Philadelphia – soon afterwards they were marched to a place called Stony Point where the British had landed, and the place was taken by the Americans – At this time they were in a Division of the Army under the command of General Wayne [Anthony Wayne]. After the Battle at Stony Point [July 16, 1779] he was in several skirmishes, and he continued in the service until after the Siege of York (he was at the Siege of York) [October 1781] and soon afterwards he was discharged. He was in the service upwards of three years – he had enlisted for that period of time; but was not discharged for some time after that time had expired – he was in the service however not less than three years – At the time he enlisted he was a resident of Orange County Virginia. That he has lost his certificate of Discharge and can obtain no other evidence of his services except the affidavit of Thomas Landers1 herewith transmitted. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and he 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.
S/ John Wright, X his mark

State of Virginia Allegheny County, to wit:
This day personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the County Court
aforesaid Thomas Landers, and made oath that he served with the above named John Wright in the Revolutionary War, that he knew him to be in the service upwards of two years, but cannot say how long he had been in the service before he knew him.
S/ Thomas Landers, X his mark

[f p. 32]
Virginia Allegheny County Court November Term 1833
On this 18th day of November 1833 personally appeared before the Justices of the
County Court of said County in open Court being a Court of record John Wright a resident of said County in the State aforesaid aged 77 years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832, that he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year 1778, with Captain Garland Burleigh and served in the 3rd Virginia Regiment of the Continental line under the following named officers, to wit: Colonel Taylor Commandant of the said Regiment, the name of the Major he has forgotten, Garland Burleigh Captain and John Taylor first Lieutenant, Charles Porter 2nd Lieutenant and Nathan Mills first Sergeant; He enlisted for the term of 3 years. He resided in the County of Orange in the State of Virginia at the time of his enlistment. He enlisted on the 10th day of October 1778 as well as his memory now serves him and was discharged in the latter part of November 1781 having served several weeks longer than the term of his enlistment. Immediately after he enlisted he was marched to Richmond in the State of Virginia where he remained 8 or 10 days, from Richmond he was marched to Little York in the same State where he remained about one month watching the movements of the enemy whose ships were then lying in the Chesapeake Bay. From Little York he was marched to the North and joined the Army under the command of General Washington. The first engagement he was and was at Stony Point in the State of New York in which Battle his Captain was wounded and returned home to the County of Orange in the State of Virginia where he died, he remained with the American Army in the North until the summer of 1781, during which time he was in frequent skirmishes with the enemy. In the summer of 1781 he was marched with the Division of the Army commanded by Generals Lafayette & Wayne to York Town in the State of Virginia during the march the Army to which he was attached came within sight of the Enemy's Cavalry commanded by Tarleton, in the County of Louisa, but no engagement took place, the enemy being unwilling to risqué [risk] a Battle. Sometime like one month after he arrived at York Town the American Commander in Chief, the immortal Washington arrived and soon compelled Cornwallis the British General then lying with his Army in York Town to surrender to the American forces – He was at York Town during the Siege and after the surrender was detained to guard the British Prisoners from York Town to Winchester Virginia where he arrived in October 1781 and was there detained by the orders of the Commander in Chief until the last of November following, having served a little upwards of one month beyond the period of his enlistment the precise number of days he was detained beyond the term of his enlistment (from a defect of memory) he cannot say. He was detained at Winchester until the British prisoners there were placed under a guard of Militia drafted in the State of Virginia for that purpose when he was discharged. After Captain Burleigh left the company as above stated, George Waugh took the Command in the place of Burleigh and
retained the command until their discharge at Winchester. He received a written discharge from Colonel Taylor at Winchester which he has since lost. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity but the present and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency of the State of Virginia.
S/ John Wright, X his mark

[f p 4: On February 13, 1845 in Rockbridge County Virginia, Elizabeth Wright, 79 years last Christmas, made application for a widow's pension under the 1838 act as the widow of John Wright a revolutionary war pensioner; that she married him October 5, 1789 in the house of her father William Walker in Goochland County Virginia; that they were married by the Reverend George Morris, a Baptist clergyman who resided in the adjoining County of Fluvanna and accompanied John Wright for the purpose of performing said service; that her husband was then a resident of Fluvanna County Virginia; that she has no record of her marriage her father's Bible having been sold after his death; that her husband died in Rockbridge County at the house of David Little on May 26, 1836; and that she remains a widow. She made her application while living at the house of her son-in-law Henry Frazier. She signed her application with her mark.]

[f p 14: On February 26, 1845 in Albemarle County Virginia, Mary Humphries gave testimony that she is the sister of Elizabeth Wright, the widow of John Wright, a revolutionary war pensioner; that her sister Elizabeth Walker, now Elizabeth Wright, married John Wright in Goochland County about the first of October 1789 at the house of their father, William Walker; that affiant was then about 12 or 13 years old; that the wedding was performed by George Morris of Fluvanna County who came to their father's house with John Wright who also then lived in Fluvanna County.]

[f p 21: On October 18, 1845 in Allegheny County Virginia, Nancy Bird, gave testimony that she is the oldest child of John and Elizabeth Wright; that her father was a pensioner of the United States and is now dead and her mother is still alive and resides in rock Ridge County Virginia and is an applicant for a pension. That she, affiant, has no record of her age and is without education. She had a brother Lewis Wright who was drafted in the service in the last war with Great Britain [the war of 1812] and served for some time he was drafted towards the close of the war; said Lewis was the 3rd child of her mother and father and is now dead. Affiant believes herself to be 52 or possibly 53 years of age. She signed her affidavit with her mark.]

[f p 16: On April 5, 1847 in Rockbridge County Virginia, Samuel Ebbert gave testimony that he was acquainted with John and Elizabeth Wright; that Elizabeth Wright was an applicant for a pension at the time of her death; that she died in the month of March 1846 and was survived by the following children and heirs: Nancy Bird [or Byrd], wife of Thomas Bird [Byrd] of Allegheny County Virginia, Fanny Fraser [or Frazier] wife of Samuel Fraser [Frazier] of Rockbridge County Virginia, Eliza Fraser [or Frazier] wife of Henry Fraser [Frazier] of Rockbridge County Virginia, Maria Thomas wife of William Thomas of Bath County Virginia, Matilda McFarland wife of Anderson McFarland and Patsy Gillespie wife of __ Gillespie.]
[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $80 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for 2 months service as a private in the Virginia Continental line.]

____________________
¹ FPA W3831

http://revwarapps.org/w6588.pdf

There were four John Wrights in the Botetourt/Alleghany/Rockbridge area who are difficult to separate. The first was 1836 (year of death) John Wright of Rockbridge County, Virginia, (place of death); the second was John Wright (Alleghany County); the third was John Wright, son of 1793 Peter Wright of Botetourt County, Virginia; and the fourth was John Wright (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania).

1836 John Wright of Rockbridge County was a Revolutionary War veteran and served in Captain Burleigh's Company, 3rd Virginia Regiment. His pension application and his widow's pension application in File W 6588 provide a signficant amount of information about them. 1836 John Wright was born in November 1757, resided in 1778 at Orange County, Virginia, resided on Oct 5, 1789, at Fluvanna County, Virginia, married Elizabeth Walker on Oct 5, 1789, at Goochland County, Virginia, and resided on Sep 16, 1833, at Alleghany County, Virginia, and died on May 25, 1836, at Rockbridge County, Virginia. 1836 John Wright and Elizabeth (Walker) Wright had the following children:

1. Nancy (Wright) Byrd or Bird, born in about 1792 or 1796 at Virginia,
2. Fanny (Wright) Frazier, married Samuel Frazier on Jan 8, 1822, at Rockbridge County, Virginia,
3. Lewis Wright, served in the War of 1812,
4. Elizabeth (Wright) Frazier, born between 1800 & 1810 and married Henry Frazier or Fraser on Jan 20, 1825, at Alleghany County, Virginia,
5. Maria (Wright) Thomas, married William Thomas on Dec 27, 1832, at Alleghany County, Virginia,
6. Martha (Wright) Gillespie, born c. 1808 and married Alexander Gillespie on Dec 22, 1825, at Alleghany County, Virginia, and
7. Matilda (Wright) McFarland, married Andrew McFarland.

Based on personal property tax lists, deeds, and land tax lists, 1836 John Wright was also resident from 1818 to 1821 at Botetourt County, Virginia, from 1822 to 1834 at Alleghany County, Virginia, and from 1833 to 1836 at Rockbridge County, Virginia. He may have resided prior to 1818 in Botetourt County, but I believe the tax records for that county for that period relate to other John Wrights discussed below. If that is correct, I would much appreciate any documentation others may have to show where 1836 John Wright lived from 1789 until 1818. My suspicion is
Fluvanna County, based on his residence there in 1789, but I do not as yet have documentation to confirm that.

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/VAALLEGH/2003-05/1051974010