Pension Application of James Slaton W9655
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 17 Dec 2011.
State of Tennessee } Ss
Bedford County }
On this 14 day of August in the year 1832 personally appeared before John B. Armstrong, John L. Neil and Samuel Phillips Esqr’s. Justices appointed to hold the Court of Pleas & Quarter sessions for the County and State aforesaid for the year 1832 – James Slaton, a citizen of and resident in the county aforesaid and State of Tennessee aged about seventy three 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 June 7 1832. Deponent states he volunteered in the service of his Country in the year [blank] under Capt Bibb [probably Richard Bibb] of the Virginia Militia and served one month as guard about Williamsburg and York Town, at the time he entered the service of his Country he was living in Goochland County State of Virginia and entered the service at Goochland Court House and was marched to Williamsburg at which place we acted as a guard for a short time and were marched to York Town where we remained a short time, returned to Williamsburg from which place we were marched back to Goochland County and discharged – there were no field officers in command on this service, as there was but one company, and deponent supposes the Captain rec’d. his orders from Gov’r. Patrick Henry [6 Jul 1776 - Jun 1779] while at Williamsburg as the deponent was on guard at the House of the Gov’r. several times while at said Town and while at York Town he supposes the Captain rec’d. his orders from Gen’l. Mason who lived in or at York Town while said company were on duty at that place.
Deponent does not recollect the names of the officers in said Company except Capt. Bibb and Obediah Smith who he believes was Ensign in said company. He states that he does not know of any person now living by whom he could prove the above service. He further states that he again entered the service of his country in the year 1780 in the Virginia line at Chesterfield Barracks in the State of Virginia as a substitute to clear a class of fifteen or sixteen men from a draft of eighteen months service six months of which term expired before he was mustered into actual service at said Barracks. [See endnote.] He was mustered into service in Capt. Harrison’s company who he says gave him a certificate that his term of service would expire in twelve months by which certificate he was at the expiration of said term of twelve months discharged from the service of his country. He further states that there was no General officer in command at said barracks at the time he entered the service. Col. Davis [sic: William Davies] he believes was highest in command at that time. Deponent further states that a party were ordered from said Barracks to march as he understood to Suffolk against a part of the British called the Queens Rangers and that he was with the said Party in Capt. Harrison’s company and that they marched through Petersburg in Virginia, that they passed Cabbin Point [sic: Cabin Point on James River in Surry County] and encamped at Mackeys Mills, where they remained a short time – at which place he believes they were under General Mulinburg [sic: Peter Muhlenberg]. From which place a detachment of men were sent on towards Suffolk – and that he was with said detachment and in Capt. Harrison’s company on arriving near Suffolk in the evening we encamped with special orders to make as little noise as possible, which induced said deponent to believe that the enemy were supposed to be in the neighbourhood, and that during the night several guns were fired in the neighbourhood, which produced some alarm in camp – and that in the morning a file of men, under the command of a Sarjeant, as he believes, found several of our guns and accoutrements setting against a tree, and on examination in camp it was ascertained that five of our men (viz) two brothers by the name of Prater, Hughs, and Snider and the names of the other not recollected [see endnote] who he believes the officers in command thought had deserted to the enemy and given them item of our approach, which circumstance said deponent believes caused them to retreat back to Mackey’s Mills, from which place they marched back to Chesterfield Barracks – where they remained during the winter. He the said Slaton further states that he was with General Steuban [sic: Baron von Steuben] when he retreated from Chesterfield Barracks up James River towards the mountains crossing James River as he believes at Carter’s Ferry [at present Cartersville]. He states that he was at that time in Capt. Lovely’s [William Lewis Lovely’s] company. The troops retreated up James River to the Forks where they crossed one prong of said River into a little town called, as he believes, Pointy Fork [sic: Point of Fork at the confluence of James and Rivanna Rivers], and that the retreat was continued up the South Fork of said River, some distance and that they returned into said Town in the Forks of James River; that they crossed the South Fork at James River, at or very shortly after we crossed the River we discovered the British troops entering the Town we had just left. the British fired one field Piece at our army and killed a mare from under officer, who he believes was a Captain – our troops were marched on the opposite side of a hill from which place men were dispatched to sink the boats in order to prevent the British from crossing in pursuit, in which party, he the said Slaton went, and assisted in sinking the boats.
From which place the American troops retreated through several Counties in Virginia and crossed Staunton River a Ferry, called as he believes Coles’ Ferry. – Where they encamped for some time. He further states that the troops recrossed Staunton River and retraced their retreat march some distance, about time as said deponent believes Gen’l. Steuban left said troops and did not as he believes rejoin the said troops afterwards. He further states that they were under the command of Col. [Thomas] Gaskins after the departure of Gen’l. Steuban until we met Gen’l. [Anthony] Wayne and his army who assumed command over the troops to which said deponent was attached. The junction of these troops was as said deponent believes affected in the upper end of Hanover County near the residence of a noted character in them days Col. [William] Dandridge. The said deponent further states that after marching through the Country for some time that he was near Capt. Fitzpatrick’s markee at the time he was shot by one of our own soldiers, by the name of Grant, as he believes [see endnote], and acted as a guard around the person of Grant at the time he was conveyed to the gallas to be hung for said offence and that he saw him hung.
Said Slaton further states that he continued with the army under the command of General Wayne until General Wayne marched a part of his command to James Town where he was informed and believes a battle was fought between General Wayne’s troops and the troops or apart of the troops under the command of Lord Cornwallis [Battle of Green Springs Plantation, 6 Jul 1781] at which time deponent was left under the Command of Col. Gaskins – left near Coles ferry on the Chickamahominy [sic: Chickahominy] river – where they remained but a few days. the day of the Battle at James Town the troops with which said deponent was left were ordered to James Town to coopperate in the Battle but were too late in their movements and met the American troops on their retreat from said battle ground and that the two detachments retreated together some distance. He further states that he continued under the command of Gen’l. Wayne until he marched his troops nearer the British army again, at which time he was seperated from him and did not fall under his immediate any more, but was marched by Col. Gaskins to Pamunkey River near the Town of Newcastle [now Old Church] and which place he states he was legally discharged agreeably to the certificate he had rec’d. from Capt Harrison on entering the service of his Country – this was in the year 1781 and his discharge was signed Capt. Lovely and to the best of his recollection he signed his name William Lewis Lovely. His discharge was also signed by Col. Gaskin, who he thinks signed his name Lewis Gaskins. His discharge was dated in 1781 but he cannot recollect the month or day of the month, but is confident that it was between the battle at James Town and the time that Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the American Army [19 Oct 1781]. The great length of time that has elapsed since the above service was performed I cannot now recollect the name of number of the Regiment to which I belonged – Col. Gaskins was the Col. in command and he believes Maj’r. Polson [sic: John Poulson] belonged to said Regm’t. he does not recollect the names of any other regular officers but those that have been named in the foregoing statement. He also states that his Discharge and certificate were placed in the hands of a man whose name he believes was Jenkins, who resided in the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, who represented that he was going to the Town of Richmond in said State, to whom deponent confided said papers for the purpose of drawing his wages for the above term of service, and on the return of said Jenkins he said he could not draw any thing and that he had lost said papers, since which time deponent has not seen said Papers nor does he know that they have ever been found, nor has he ever drawn any compensation for the said term of service. the Slaton further states that at the time of entering the service of his country that he was measured and a particular description taken of him, which he supposes has been preserved. He does not know of any person now living by whom he could from the above term of service [illegible word] except John Sladyen [pension application S14476] of Henderson County and State of Kentucky, whose affidavit is herewith forwarded. the said deponent further states that owing to the great lapse of time, the frailty of memory and bodily infirmities may cause some of the circumstances detailed in the foregoing statement to be named out of their proper order, as he has kept no record to assist in the proper arrangement of so many circumstances and he wishes here to state that he does not recollect whether Capt. Kirkpatrick was shot before the battle at JamesTown or not although in giving a detail of the circumstances above he believes it was, but is not certain, and there may be some other inacuracies of a similar kind.
I James Slaton do hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension roll in any any agency of any State in the United States —
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid [signed] James Slaton
Where and in what year were you born.
Answer, I have been informed that I was born in the County of Louisa in the State of virginia and from the best information I have was born about the year 1759.
Have you any record of your age; and if so where is it.
Answer, I have no such record Where were you living when called into the service of your Country where have you lived since the Revolutionary war and where do you now live.
Answer, in the County of Goochland in the State of Virginia several years in Madison Lincoln and Garrett Counties in the State of Kentucky, from thence I removed to the County of Bedford in the State of Tennessee, thence to the State of Missouri in the County of Cape Jerido [sic: Cape Girardeau], from which place I returned to the County of Bedford in the State of Tennessee where I now reside State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.
Answer, Capt. Matt Martin, John Scott Esq’r. Col. Jonathan Webster, Edmond Hord Esq’r. John Tillman, Maj’r. James Walker, Mead Haile, Maj’r. Shaw, and Col. Samuel Mitchell
State of Kentucky } Sct
Henderson County }
This day [23 Apr 1832] personally appeared before William R Abbott and Robert Smith acting
Justices of the peace for the county aforesaid John Slayden, a citizen of said county aged about seventy three years and made oath, that he was during the Revolutionary ware, personally acquainted with James Slaton, who he believes to have been about the same age with himself and who he is informed and believes now lives in Bedford County state of Tennessee, that the said John Sladyen was a soldier among the eighteen months men of the Virginia line of the army of the Revolution, and was for some time stationed at Chesterfield Barracks in Virginia under the command of Baron Steuban, and that he was there acquainted, with and knew the said James Slaton, to be a soldier among the said eighteen months men, but does not recollect to which company or Regiment the said James Slaton belonged.
[signed] John Slayden
NOTES: A size roll compiled at Chesterfield Courthouse after 1 Sep 1780 includes the following: James Slaton/ age 20/ height 5’ 10½”/ silversmith/ born and residing in Goochland County VA/ brown hair/ gray eyes/ fair complexion/ enlisted 19 Aug 1780 for one year.
Another size roll of noncommissioned officers and privates also taken at Chesterfield Courthouse lists the following: James Slaydon/ age 20/ height 5’ 10¾”/ light-brown hair/ grey eyes/ dark complexion/silver smith/ born and residing in Goochland County where he entered service for one year on 19 Aug 1780 and was sized on 18 Mar 1781.
Under state law each militia company not otherwise engaged was divided into classes of 15 men each, with each class providing one man for 18-months service in the Continental line.
The Chesterfield Courthouse size roll lists two soldiers named Praytor and one named Snider,
and they are presumably three of the five who were thought to have deserted to the British. Several soldiers named Hughs or Hughes are on the roll. Archibald Praytor was 25 and 6’ 2½” with brown hair, and Jonathan Praytor was 22 and 6’ ½” with light brown hair. Both were tanners born in Pittsylvania County and residing in Henry County, and both had blue eyes and fair complexion. Both enlisted on 11 Sep 1780 for 18 months. Frederick Snider was 18, 5’ 9”, a hatter born in Lancaster County PA and residing in Montgomery County VA, with light hair, gray eyes, and fair complexion. He enlisted on 11 Sep 1780 for 18 months and is noted on the size roll as having deserted.
Capt. Abraham Kirkpatrick was shot at Bottoms Bridge on 8 Aug 1781 by Pvt. James Grant, who
suspected Kirkpatrick of having an affair with his wife. Kirkpatrick lost his left eye but served until the end of the war.
On 5 July 1847 Martha Slaton, 82, of Howard County MO, applied for a pension stating that she married James Slaton on 23 Apr 1782, and he died in Bedford County TN on 19 Apr 1833. A record of the marriage shows that James Slaton married Martha Pigg in Pittsylvania County VA. John Jackson made a supporting deposition. On 14 July 1855 Prior M. Jackson, administrator of the estate of Martha Slaton, who died on 31 Oct 1849, applied for the pension that James Slaton never collected. He listed her surviving children as follows: Susan Jackson, 69; Mary Golston, 67; Elizabeth Adams, 63; Saroah Short, 59; and Rachael Baker, 57.
http://revwarapps.org/w9655.pdf
