Person:Rachel Smith (67)

Revolutionary Widow's Pension

On 21 Oct 1843 in Campbell County, Tennessee, Rachel filed for a Revolutionary War widow's pension for her late husband's service:^S1

State of Tennessee, Campbell County

On this 21st day of October 1843 personally appeared before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace for said County and State aforesaid Mrs. Rachel Hatfield a resident of said County, aged eighty years who first being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July 4th 1836 and the Joint Resolution of July 7th 1838. That she is the widow of Joseph Hatfield who was a private and an Indian spy in the Viginia Militia in the war of the Revolution. That her husband the aforesaid Joseph Hatfield entered the service in the County of Russell in the state of Virginia under Col. Chrisman and served two campaigns of six months each the names of his captains she has forgotten this service took place before her marriage. She was married to her Husband the said Joseph Hatfield on the 28th of October 1779 by L. Worley Esqr. After the marriage her husband was called out to defend the frontier and was marshalled in to service under Captain Thompson at a place called the New Gardain in Russell County Virginia and was in the service from March until November but the intermission in this Campaign he served as an Indian spy. The next Campaign was under Captain Dickison and was mounted to Blackmorus fort ws in the capasity a part of his time at the fort as an Indian spy the of [?] the time her husband was in this service she is ___[?]___ to say he was called under Captain Scott at different times and was considered one of the best woodsmen in the western frontier. She further declares that taking into account the year her husband Joseph Hatfield served before the marriage and the time after the marriage it ___[?]___ three years and at least one half the time as an Indian Spy. She further declared that she has not kept a family record of the births of her children owning to her husband being no scribe and she is a widow at this time and that her husband the aforesaid Joseph Hatfield departed this life August 26th 1832.

Rachel [her X mark] Hatfield

Sworn and subscribed before me the day and year before written.

Allen McDonald

J. Peace

10 Oct 1843

Jane Smith, wife of Rachel's brother, Eli, resident of Campbell County, Tennessee, age 78, declared that she was present "when Joseph Hatfield and Rachel Smith were joined in wedlock."

16 Oct 1843

Andrew Smith, Rachel's brother, age 74, declared that he attended the wedding of Joseph Hatfield and Rachel Smith in the fall of 1779 and knows that Joseph was in the Revolution.

4 Nov 1843

Richard Crabtree, age 78, also a Revolutionary War pensioner, declared that Joseph Hatfield served under Capts. Thomas, Scott, and Campbell for a period of over three years, before and after his marriage. He also stated that Hatfield was "one of the best spys and Woodsmen in the whole western country."

4 April 1854

William Hansard, age 90, resident of Morgan County, Tennessee, testifies that he was not in the service but knows of Joseph Hatfield's service as he was a "close neighbor to said Joseph Hatfield in Russell County, Virginia." He declared Joseph served as a spy for two tours of three months each in the company of Capt. Thompson, one tour of three onths under Capt. Scott, three tours of three months each under Capt. William Campbell, two tours of three months each and several tours of 4-6 weeks each under Capt. Lyles, and one tour of three months under Capt. Sevier. In all these he performed as an Indian spy between the years 1778 and 1782, and further declared that "Joseph Hatfield was such an excellent Indian Spy, he was always chosen by the Officers in all their expeditions against the Indians." Mrs. Margaret Hansard, age 91, also declared Joseph Hatfield served as an Indian spy on the Virginia frontier between 1778 and 1782.

17 Jan 1855

Rachel Hatfield repeated the bulk of her testimony, as given in 1843.

On 17 Mar 1861, her grandson, Sampson Reed, administrator for the estate of Rachel Smith, wrote to the Commissioner of Pensions from Huntsville, Tennessee, stating that Rachel had died and had left a small amount due on her pension "from Mar. 4 until May 19, 1858." Rachel had been receiving $80/year, the last payment dated 1 June 1854 from the pension office agency in Nashville.

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In the 1850 census, Rachel was living with her widowed son-in-law, Isaac Reed.

1.   Hatfield, Rachel (Smith). Revolutionary War Widow's Pension Application.
2. ↑ Find A Grave.

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