Virginia document pertaining to Jeremiah Moles VAS1802
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
[From Library of Virginia Legislative Petitions Digital Collection/ Patrick County]
At a Court Holden for Patrick County at the Courthouse on Thursday the 11 day of December 1823
Jeremiah Moles sen’r. personally appeared in Open Court aged seventy six years, resident in the said County of Patrick Virginia and being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late act of Congress entitled “an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and Naval service of the united states in the revolutionary War. that in the fall of the year 1775 he enlisted in the service of the united States in the Company [raised in Culpeper and Orange counties] Commanded by Captain Joseph Crockett of the Virginia Regiment with whom he served 12 months. that the said Regiment was Commanded by Colo Dangerfield [sic: William Daingerfield]. that during his enlistment aforesaid he was at the siege of Gwinns Island [sic: Gwynn Island, 8-10 Jul 1776] that at the expiration of the aforesaid 12 months he was discharged and a written discharge furnished him signed by the said Capt J. Crockett which discharge was lost by reason of the burning of his house. that he was afterwards during the Revolutionary War in the Militia service from 4 to 5 years successively under the Commands of Colos. [Robert] Goode and [Ralph] Falkner and some other commandants whose names and the numbers of whose Regiment he has forgotten. that he was in an engagm’t at Sudbereys near the Town of Manchester in Virg’a [sic: Sudbury’s 3 mi NW of Chesterfield, 23 May 1781]. that he was afterwards in an engagement near Petersburg in Va. under Colo Falkner & that he acted in the Capacity of Waggoner in the American Army at Gates Defeat near Camden So. Ca. [defeat of Gen. Horatio Gates, 16 Aug 1780] and that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his Country for support. that he has not one species of property of whatsoever description and that he has no other evidence now in his power of his said services Richard Thomas esquire came into Court and after being duly sworn according to law states that he is a neighbour of the above named Jeremiah Moles. that he has no visible property and beleives he is not worth one dollar. that he is very old and certainly dependent upon the bounty of the County and the Charity of Individuals for his bread. all which is ordered to be Certified to the Secretary for the Department of War
In testimony whereof I Abram Staples Clerk of the County Court of Patrick have hereunto set my hand and affixed the public seal of my office at the said Office this 2d day of January in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred twenty five and of the Commonwealth the 48th
A. Staples C.P.C.
A schedule of Jeremiah Moles Sen’r Property residing in the County of Patrick Virginia
1 Old Feather bed and Furniture appraised to }
1 Washing tub. 1 Bee Stand 1 Lot Pewter & knives } $6.05
1 Meat Tub. 1 Old Hhd [hogshead]. 1 Vinegar Cask }
The above Schedule Sworn to this 30th Jan’y 1822 before me Jesse Corn Justice of the Peace for the aforsaid County.
(Signed) Jesse Corn
We John Slaughter George Lackey & Thomas Baker having met and appraised the above Mentioned property and believe it be worth only Six Dollars and five Cents in actual Cash agreeable to the average of our several oppinnions
[signed] John Slaughter, George Lackey, Thomas Baker
Sworn to before me Jesse Corn J.P/ 30th Janury 1822
Virginia Wythe County Sct
This day Jeremiah Moles (whom I well remember) has applied to me for a certificate of his enlistment and services as a soldier in the war of the revolution – I was then a first Lieutenat in Captain Joseph Crocketts company of the Seventh Virginia Regiment. He was enlisted in the fall of the year 1775 and was in the service at the Siege of Gwinn’s Island on the succeeding campaign where he was discharged. S’d 7th Regiment was commanded by Colonal Dangerfield and the whole of the troops at that station was commanded by Brigadier General [Andrew] Lewis
[Robert Sayers BLWt351-300]
[Certified 30 Dec 1822]
To the Legislature of Virginia
The petition of Jeremiah Moles of the County of Patrick Humbly represents that he served from 18 months to two years in the War of the Revolution as will be seen by reference to the accompanying documents, that although his discharge is lost he has abundant proof of his service as will be seen by reference to the affidavit of Colo R. Sawyer, yet his application at the City of Washington for a pension under the act of Congress of 1818 has been rejected and he has been advised to apply to your Honble body for that releif which he Humbly thinks his Country ought to give him; in the absence of possitive proof of the particular nature of his service, occasioned by the hand of time and the loss of his discharge by fire many years since, he finds himself with no subterfuge to which to resort for support but the known liberality and magninimity for which your Honbl. body is characterized. it is then in distress [undeciphered word] most keen and [one or two undeciphered words] residing with starvation & nakedness stareing him in the face that he makes this last appeal to the bounty of that Country for which 40 years ago he fought & bled. is it possible that this appeal will be in Vain. is it possible that the representatives of a free people will turn loose upon the Cold & Heartless Charity of this friendless World a poor old Veteran 77 years of age very infirm with no House to shelter him or friend to protect him. is it possible that this appeal will be made in vain & your petitioner suffered to sink into his grave in wretchedness & misery Your petitioner avers that he subsist now & has for some years back upon the small pittance of $15 given him by the County of which he is an Inhabitant & the bounty of a few Individuals whose patience is exhausted with an almost extinguished hope that the Government will take your petitioner off their hands your petitioner prays therefore that yr Honble body will give him such releif as in your wisdom you shall deem meet
& in duty bound he will ever pray &c
Jeremiah Moles/ Nov 1824
Dec’r 3d
1824 laid on table
Jan’y 13th ref’d to Claims
1825
Jan’y 14 Laid on table
“ 15 Rejected
“ 17 Reported
NOTE: Moles’s 1822 application was not found among the federal files.
http://revwarapps.org/VAS1802.pdf
