Pension Application of David Crawford W76 Margaret Crawford VA
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris.
State of Tennessee } on this the 1st day of Aprile 1846 Personally appeared before me Coffee County } James Dean one of the acting justices of the peace in and for said County Mrs Margaret Crawford a resident of said county aged seventy eight years who being first dewly sworn according to Law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the acts of Congress passed July the 7th 1838 August 23rd 1842 March 3rd 1843 and June 17th 1844 entitled an act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows That she is the widow of David Crawford deceased who was a regular soldier of the Virginia line in the Continential service of the united states in the war of the revolution that her husband the said David Crawford entered the service as an enlisted continential soldier sometime in the Summer or fall of the year seventeen hundred & seventy seven for a tour of three years under General Washington and as well as she recollects his Colonels name was Mathis [possibly George Mathews]. That at the time he entered the service he lived in Rockbridge County virginia and was marched with Washington across into the state of Pennsylvenia where stayed through the winter of 1777 this declarent does not recollect all the country through which he was marched but understood from him that during the time he was out this tour he was at the battle of Brandywine in september [11th] 1777 and at Mud island [probably siege of Fort Mifflin on Mud Island, 10 Oct - 10 Nov 1777] he was stationed a while and he was also at the battle of Stony point [storming of Stony Point Fort, 16 Jul 1779] That he continued in service untill the expiration of the said three years and returned home in the year 1780 – this declarent further states that after he returned home in 1780 that he again entered the service as a militiaman and served one or two tours but declarent cannot recollect the particulars of this service but that he was at the battle of Guilford in 1781 [Guilford Courthouse NC, 15 Mar 1781] and was under General Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] that she thinks his Captains name was Johnson when he was in the regular service but does not recollect the names of any of his officers whilst in the militia She farther declares that she was married to the said David Crawford on the 8th day of July seventeen hundred and ninety that her husband the aforesaid David Crawford died the 23 day of May one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to first day of January seventeen hundred and ninety four, Viz, at the time above stated She farther states that the annexed family records showing the dates of her marriage and the births of her children is the genuine records as kept by her husband And the larger one of which is in her husbands own hand writing and the annexed letter from Green Clay in relation to his bounty Land was received by her husband the said David Crawford and by her kept to the present day that she has no other documentary or record in support of her claim that previous to her marrying the said David Crawford her name was Margaret Guthrie that they were married at the time above stated in abbyville [sic: Abbeville] district south Carolina that since the death of her husband the said David Crawford she has not intermarried but still remains his widow
Margaret herXmark Crawford
Sir, you had better apply to Zacher Johnsons’s Executors, for I hear he is dead, to know what Johnson did with the land warrant, for there was no deficulty that could prevent him from giting out the Warrant & if he did git it out he got it located. & the land is save, I have no doubt. if you can hear of it in that way send by some person to serch the land office of Virginia to know whether the warrant did Issue & to whom; then apply at Colo. Rich’d Andersons [Richard Anderson’s] Office, who had the Bussiness to do for the Continental line, there you’ll find where it is located – & go & settle on the land – & bring suit against any one in whose name it may now stand conveyed, if to any one; if not you will be at home.
This all the advice I am able to give you, from the information you have stated. yr real & all old Soldiers Friend. Green Clay.
Feb’y, 20th 1810.
NOTE: Part of the family record mentioned in the application and transcribed below is on the back of the title page of a New Testament dated 1793. The title page is inscribed “David Crawford His Book,” and the words “By His MAJESTY’S Special Command” and “His MAJESTY’S” are marked out.
David Crawford and Margret Guthrie Was maried July the 8, 1790. Ginne Meclon Crawford Was born May the 22: 1793: Robert Crawford was born february the 28: 1795: Joseph Crawford was born December the 9: 1797: David Crawford was born June the 12 1800 Margret Crawford was born July the 6 1804 and Died november the 24 1806 aged 2 yers and 4 months and 18 Days
On the title page of a smaller New Testament dated 1786 is written “Alexander Gibbs Keith[?] was born 1823 Alexander Gibbs was born the year of our Lord 1823.” On the back of this page is written “Joseph Crawford” and what appears to be illegible birth records.
http://revwarapps.org/w76.pdf
