Pension application of Robert McKay S16956 f25VA
Transcribed by Will Graves 5/4/13
State of Indiana County of Jefferson: SS
On this 2nd day of September personally appeared in open court before the court of Jefferson County Indiana now sitting Robert McKay a resident of said County of Jefferson and State aforesaid aged seventy-three years the twelfth day of February last who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, Captain William Jennings for the first and second tours, Captain George Prince for the third tour and served as follows to wit being a resident of Shenandoah County Virginia during the whole period of his service he volunteered for the first tour in October 1779 and served three months under Captain Jennings as aforesaid and obtained therefore a full and Honorable discharge. The service of this tour was the guarding of the prisoners at Albemarle barracks where on their arrival they found about 30 men guarding 900 prisoners; he also volunteered in October 1780 under Captain William Jennings as aforesaid and served three months and obtained a like discharge. In this tour he was employed in watching the movements of the British near Fredericksburg Virginia. The third tour was under Captain George Prince as above stated in the year 1781. It was a tour of three months also or near that time they were volunteers the [indecipherable word]. That on the march to York town they were informed of the surrender of Cornwallis [October 19, 1781] and ordered to turn back, in all nine months. The whole of his service was in the militia of Virginia. In the first tour he joined no Regiment as he believes but was under the command of General Muhlenberg [Peter Muhlenberg]. He does not recollect to have joined any Regiment were to have been under any General officer during the second tour. The service was detached. The third tour he does not recollect the name of the Colonel but believes his company joined a Regiment. He has no papers to prove the aforesaid service, the discharges being lost. He was not in any battle & knows of no person by whom he can prove any portion of said service. He relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
S/ Robert McKay, X his mark
[Samuel Bellamy, a clergyman, and John Gale gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
Interrogatories propounded to the above named applicant by the Court aforesaid, in open Court.
1. Where and in what year were you born?
Ans. I was born in the year 1760 in the County of Shenandoah and State of Virginia
2. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it.
Ans. I have none, but I give my age as it has been communicated to me by my mother.
3. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the
Revolutionary War, and where do you now live?
Ans. I lived in the County of Shenandoah when called into service – and continued to reside there until I was 50 years of age; I then moved from Shenandoah to Indiana where I have lived ever since & where I now live.
4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute & if a substitute, for whom?
Ans. I volunteered in all the tours I served.
5. State the names of some of the Regular officers, who were with the troops where you served, such Continental and militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services.
Ans. I do not now recollect the name of any officer of rank other than Colonel John Netherton General Muhlenberg. He General Muhlenberg sometimes preached to us, was an Episcopalian.
At the expiration of my 2nd tour, I was discharged at Fredericksburg by order of General Wheadon [probably George Weedon] as well as I recollect.
6. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given, and what has become of it?
Answer. I did receive a written discharge signed by Colonel John Netherton as well as I recollect, but, it is lost or destroyed by time or accident.
7. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution. Ans. Samuel Bellamy and John E Gale and William Cotton & Nathaniel Cotton and others.
[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $30 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for service as a private for 9 months in the Virginia militia.]
