Pension application of William Keyser W3427 Kesiah (Keziah) Keyser f40VA
Transcribed by Will Graves rev'd 11/21/13
[p 12]
The Commonwealth of Virginia, Bath County to wit
On this 9th day of October 1832, personally appeared before the Justice of the County Court of Bath now sitting in Court in the State of Virginia, William Keyser, a resident of Bath County in the state aforesaid, aged seventy-seven years, who being first fully sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832. He states that he enlisted in the service of the United States in the regular army for a term of three years and served out a second term of three years. He enlisted in the County of Gloucester in the State of VA but the time of his enlistment he does not at this time recollect. He enlisted under Captain Thomas Baytop in Second Virginia State Regiment. He then marched to Hampton, NJ after he was inoculated for the small pocks [smallpox]. He afterward was marched to the Valley Forge where he joined the army under General Washington at which place he remained all winter. The next summer he was marched after the British and under the command of Colonel Charles Dabney. He overtook the British at Monmouth Church, and was in an engagement [Monmouth Courthouse, June 28, 1778] with the British one whole day and lay on his arms all night expecting to engage again on the next day, but on that night the British got on board their ships. He further states that he was in a skirmish1 with the British at Saw Mill River Bridge near Fort Montgomery under the command of Colonel Samuel Guess [?]2 and in that skirmish twenty-eight men and two officers were taken by the British. He further states he was in another engagement and was in front of the army in taking Stoney Point Fort [July 16, 1779] under the command of General Anthony Wayne at which engagement General Anthony Wayne received a small wound in his temple and then Colonel Feebocbier [sic, Christian Febiger] took the command. Colonel Flury [Lt. Col. Francois de Fleury] was the commander of the vanguard. He received no wounds. He states that he received a discharge in writing, which discharge was deposited in the Auditor's Office in Richmond, VA for the purpose of entitling him to draw his back pay. He states that he is known to William McClintic and Richard Brinkley who are his neighbors. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to pension or an annuity except the aforesaid and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid.
S/ Wm Keyser3
And the said William McClintic and Robert Brinkley here in Court state that they are well acquainted with William Keyser who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that they believe him to be seventy seven years of age that he is refuted and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after their investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states.
I, Charles L. Francisco, Clerk of the Court of Bath County aforesaid to hereby certify that the foregoing containing the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Keyser for a pension. In testimony whereof I have set my hand and seal of office this 12th day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two and 57th year of the commonwealth.
S/ Chs. L. Francisco
[On March 9, 1841, in Bath County Virginia, Keziah Keyser, widow, 76, filed for a widow's pension under the 1838 act stating that she is the widow of William Keyser, a revolutionary war pensioner at the rate of $80 per annum; that she married him in December 1783; that her husband died 'in the early part of December 1837.' She signed her application with her mark.]
[p 2: family record [spelling corrected]. p 14: certified by Fleming Key serve, son and executor of
William Keyser as being authentic family records:
Polley was [born] January 26, 1782
John was Born October 10, 1784
William was Born November 20, 1785
Elizabeth was Born October 13, 1787
C. A. [?] was Born May 30 [?], 1789
Cat was Born January 26, 1792
flemin [Fleming?] was Born January 26, 1794
David was Born July 30, 1796
Jeams [James?] was Born May 1, 1799
Salley was Born September 13, 1801
[separate page] [Note: apparently a different family, needs research]
Salley was Born February 22 – 1782 [last digit unclear]
Keturah was Born June 9, 1785
Elizabeth was Born December 25, 1787
Jean was Born May 6, 1789
William was Born October 22, 1792
Richd [Richard] was born May 23, 1795
[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $80 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for service as a private in the Virginia militia. His widow was pensioned in a like amount.]
_________
1 I have been unable to positively identify this engagement. Suggestions welcomed.
2 Again, I cannot positively identify the officer this veteran is attempting to identify. Suggestions welcomed.
3 This signature appears to me to be in handwriting identical to that of the document itself consequently, I do not believe it is the actual signature of the veteran.
http://revwarapps.org/w3427.pdf
