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Facts and Events
Military Service
- American Revolutionary War Veteran
Revolutionary War Pension Information
Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 4, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :
Riffee, Jacob - born 6/3/1761 in Culpeper County, Virginia where he entered service in Virginia Regiment as Indian Spy; granted Pension 1833 in Harrison County, Virginia, resided in Booth Creek Settlement per witnesses Eli & William Martin, County Justice of the Peace Joseph J. Winter, & County Court Clerk David Davisson; soldier referred in 1833 to brother mentioned but not named of Rockingham County, Virginia; soldier's name was dropped from Pension rolls in 1835, when Pension Office determined his service was less than 6 months. F-S9066, R2046.
References
- Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
- Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.
Pension Application of Jacob Riffee S9066
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia }
County of Harrison } SS
On this 7 day of October in the year 1833 personally appeared before me the Subscriber one of the Commonwealth Justices of the peace in and for the said County of Harrison Jacob Riffee, a resident of Booth Creek Settlement in Harrison County and State of Virginia aged 72
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 act of Congress passed June 7 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served
as herein stated viz.
In Culpeper County in the State of Virginia in the month of July 1777 he was drafted as a private for three months and placed in a Company of Militia commanded by Capt Ferguson, and was marched to Richmond Va from thence to Williamsburg where he was stationed in a Regiment commanded by Col. Alcock and during his stay seen none of the Enemy under English officers, was in no engagement, was chiefly engaged in counteracting the Tories and disaffected, and in doing some work to put the place in a posture of defence against the British. Served his term of three months out, and was then discharged towards the latter end of October 1777.
In Rockingham County in the State of Virginia in the month of April in the year 1779 [sic]
he volunteered as a private Militia man in a company commanded by Capt. Abraham Bowman and marched from Rockingham to Fort Pitt in the State of Pennsylvania, from thence down on the Ohio River under command of Col. George R. Clark in Boats and Canoes to a place some distance before the falls of Ohio [at present Louisville KY] where there stood two burnt Brick Chimney here halted and concealed the Boats &c to keep them out of the hands of the Savages.
Sank some of the Boats, then marched by land to the Illinois River, thence to a Fort which he
believes was called Kaskaskias [sic: Kaskaskia] arrived here in the night, took it by surprise,
without the loss of much blood, this was he believes in the fall of 1779 [sic: 4 Jul 1778].
Declarant was stationed at this Fort untill Spring, was employed in fortifying the Fort and in
Spying through the adjacent Countrey for Indians. Some of the Militia under Col. Clark proceeded toward the Mississippi or Wabash River, and early in the Spring of 1780 [sic] Declarant was ordered to march to a Fort [Fort Sackville at Vincennes] on the Wabash River, and soon afterwards [25 Feb 1779] was in a battle fought by Col. Clark and a British officer named
[Henry] Hamilton, who commanded the English French [sic] and Indians. This battle lasted one
whole day and night, some of the French and Indians were killed, and the place taken with many
prisoners and some Virginia Militia under Capt. [Leonard] Helm retaken from the Enemy.
remained stationed at this fort, which he believes was called St Vincent untill the fall of 1780
[sic] he believes in September and was then discharged by Capt Bowman the man under whom he served during the whole campaign, and returned to Culpeper County Virginia the place of his
residence where he arrived in October or the first of Nov 1780 [sic] having served as a private 18 months
In Culpeper County in the state of Virginia in March 1781 he volunteered under Capt Duncan as a private for the term of three months and marched to Richmond Va remained here untill some time in the month of April under the command of said Duncan in a Regiment commanded by Col Stricker[?], then marched to James Town, and was here stationed untill histerm of service expired, and was there discharged having served three months
Then in Culpeper County in the State of Virginia in June 1781 was drafted for one month and marched to Charlottesville under Col Knowles, was met by the Enemy under Col Tarlton [sic:
Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton], retreated to the Blue Ridge, then advanced to Charlottesville, found that the enemy had destroyed the public buildings there besides destroying a large amount of property of every description [4 Jun 1781] and had marched toward Richmond Virginia.
Declarant served six weeks and was discharged and returned to his residence.
Again in the same County of Culpeper in the State of Virginia about the Middle of July in
the year 1781 he substituted for David Burnett in a company of Virginia Militia commanded by
Capt Francis Nall, in a Regiment commanded by Col. Alcock, was marched to Richmond Va.
arrived there about the first of August from thence marched to New Kent Court House there
joined the Army commanded by Marquis LaFayette and was here attached to Col Waggoners Regiment of Virginia Militia in Gen’l. [George] Weedon’s Brigade and marched with the main Army in pursuit of the enemy under Lord Cornwallis untill he took a stand at yorktown.
remained with the besieging Army under Gen’l Washington untill the British Army surrendered
which he thinks was towards the latter end of Oct’r [19 ] 1781 he was then detailed as one of the guard to conduct the prisoners to the Winchester Barracks; was there discharged he thinks
about the first of November 1781 having served three months more making in all not less than
27 months served as a private. When on the march to Illinois, he seen Col. Broadhead [sic: Daniel Brodhead] command at Fort Pitt (now Pittsburg) at Illinois seen Col. Clark, Capt Helm and many other officers whose names have escaped his memory, which has become very frail. At Richmond Va. he seen Gen’l. [William] Campbell who commanded there. At York Town he knew Gen’l Washington, [Anthony] Wayne, LaFayette, Weedon &c &c he was born in Culpeper County in the State of Virginia on the 3 day of June 1761.
He has no documentary evidence and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services. He hereby 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
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Jacob Riffee
[The following report is by District Attorney Washington G. Singleton who investigated many
pensioners from Harrison, Lewis, and other counties of present Western Virginia. For details see
pension application S6111 of David W. Sleeth.]
Jacob Riffee – draws $80— on the 18 July the pensioner made the following statement – that during the war of the revolution a company of men were drafted in Culpepper County for 3 months and marched under Capt. Furgeson to Jeremain[?] and were then discharged haveing been in service one month only. that he was a private in that company. – After that tour he served a nother tour of 3 months under Frank Nawls below Richmond at a place called the “Morbin Hills” [sic: Malvern Hill 15 mi SE of Richmond] this tour expired shortly before the Capture of Cornwallis and his army.
– and with this his revolutionary services ended – before either of the above tours was performed he was a Minute Man five or six months but was not called into service.
Johnson F. Neulan & James H Bennett wrote his Declaration – they came to his home some three or four times & finally pursuaded him he was Entitled, told them the same he here tells. – by Contract he was to let them have all the back draw [$200, the amount due from the beginning of the pension act to the first payment].
In Witness that the forgoing statement contains the truth & the whole truth I hereto
subscribe my name the 18 July 1834
Jacob Riffee
Witness Nathan Goff [Pension Agent at Clarksburg]
A Copy W. G Singleton Nov. 20, 1834
http://revwarapps.org/s9066.pdf
- The Pension Roll of 1835: Report from the Secretary of War, in Obedience to Resolutions of the Senate of the 5th and 30th of June, 1834, and the 3d of March, 1835, in Relation to the Pension Establishment of the United States. (Washington, District of Columbia: Duff Green, 1835).
Name Jacob Riffee
Rank Indian spy
Age 73
Birth Year abt 1758
Pension Enrollment Date 4 Mar 1831
Residence Place Harrison, Virginia, USA
Service Description Virginia militia
- American Genealogical - Biographical Index. (Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut, United States|Middletown, Connecticut: Godfrey Memorial Library).
Name Jacob Reiff
Birth Date 1760-1769
Birth Place Virginia, USA
Volume 144
Page number 209
Reference Heads of Fams. At the First U.s. Census. Va. By U.s. Bureau of the Census. Washington, 1908. (189p.): 110
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