Pension Application of Nicholas Smith W8732
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
[Punctuation partly corrected.]
State of Kentucky – Henry County Sct.
On this 3 . day of December 1832 personally appeared in open court before rd the Justices now seting & holding a court for the county of Henry & state of Kentucky – being a court of record – Nicholas Smith a resident of the county of Henry and state of Kentucky aforesaid aged seventy three years on the 4th day of June last passed – who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benifit of the act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832 —
That he entered the service of the united states under the following named officers & served as herein stated – Towit under Capt. James Barnett & Col. [Marquis] Calmes – lieutenant C. Heskil & P. Heskil [probably Hiskill] & insign [sic: Ensign] Merideth Hilman. That he entered the service in the month of Sept. 1777 & served three months. That he resided in the county of Fredrick [sic: Frederick] in the state of Virginia when he entered the service – that he served in the militia, as a volunter (private). That he was Born on the 4th day of June 1759 in Germany on the river Rine [sic: Rhine] & came over to american in the year 1762 & 1772 he came to the state of Virginia Fredrick county and that he came to Kentucky in 1785 & has lived ever since where he now lives in Henry county. That his farther had a record of his age which he has often seen it & in which it is recorded that he was born on the 4th June 1759. The record is now lost.
That he joined his company immediately before the Battle of Germantown [4 Oct 1777] but did not join the main army until the Battle was over – it was near Germantown where he joined the troops – afterwards the troops marched through Germantown & Hogshead of liquer was roled out for the army – the americans had the advantage. Gen’l. Washington commanded the army then left Germantown, marched four or five miles & encamped near a place called Whitemarsh or wet marsh. That he was then sent out on a scouting party & was gone about 20 days. That he was at the rising sun [Rising Sun Tavern], while scouting – about two miles from Philidilphia [sic: Philadelphia], at that time the British had possession of the city. That he continued with the army after he was done scouting in the neighborhood of Germantown until he was discharged – before which time the British left Philidelphia [sic: 18 Jun 1778].
He was discharged verbally by Capt. Barnett in the month of December 1777 but from old age & the consequent loss of memory does not reccollect the day of the month in which he entered the service or on which he was discharge but that he reccollects that he volunteered for & served three months.
That in the month of July 1781 he again volunteered in the Virginia malitia for three months & served three months under Capt. Marquis Calmes [pension application S12674]. Col Dark [sic: William Darke] and Lieutenant [Benjamin] Combs. That he joined the army at New Kent court house in the state of Virginia. Commanded by Gen’l. Washington & marched from New Kent to ruffins ferry on Permonkey river [sic: on Pamunkey River near Sweet Hall] & from thence to Moblins Hills below Richmond [sic: Malvern Hill 15 mi SE of Richmond] – from Ruffins ferry he was sent on a scouting party & joined the army at Moblins Hills about ten or fifteen miles below Richmond, where he was discharged by his Capt Calmes verbally this was a few days before Cornwallis was taken [19 Oct 1781]. That he was discharged in October, but on accounted of old age, loss of memory & the great lenghth of time he has forgoten the day of the month on which he entered & was discharged – but well reccollects that he volunteered for & served three as a private.
That is 1781 before he served the last mentioned Tour he served a tour as a volunteer private ganst the torys for fifteen days under Capt. McCormick on the South Branch of Potomack [sic: Potomac River]. The Torys gave themselves up, among whom were Mace, [John] Claypole & Blake – this was near Bunkly courthouse [sic: Berkeley Courthouse, now in West Virginia]. Gen’l. [Daniel] Morgan commanded.
That he is well known to Lewis Neil [Lewis Neill, pension application S31276] & John Jones & Lewis Neil residents of Henry county & his neighbors who will certify that his character for varacity is good & that they believe that He served as a revolutionary soldier.
That he has no documentary evidence of his service & that he knows of no person, whose testamony he can procure by whom he can prove his services except Lewis Neil who can prove them as far as appears from his following affidavit. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension list of the agency of any state. Sworn to & subscribed the day & year af[oresai]d
[signed] Nicolas Smith
NOTE: On 19 Aug 1844 Mary Smith, 79, applied for a pension stating that she married Nicholas Smith in 1783, and he died 31 Dec 1838. Thomas Jones, 80, deposed that he had been present at the wedding, and that Nicholas and Mary Smith subsequently raised a large family. John Blakemore (pension application S30871) deposed that after a visit to Fort Pitt around 1783 he returned to Frederick County to find that Nicholas Smith had married Mary Jones, daughter of Stephen Jones. Blakemore further stated that his own sister had married a brother of Mary Jones. On 3 May 1845 Mary Jones applied again, giving her age as 81 and the time of the marriage as Aug 1783.
http://revwarapps.org/w8732.pdf
