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Facts and Events
Robert Wilson was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia
__________________________
- 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. 6, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :
Wilson, Robert, born in Augusta County, Virginia; moved very young to Botetourt County, Virginia, where entered service abt. 1779 in Virginia company; entered service 1780 in Virginia Regiment; moved in 1825 to Monroe County, Virginia, where granted Pension in 1833 abt. age 72 per County Justices of the Peace Hugh Caperton, Richard Klar, William McDaniel, John Hinchman & Samuel Clark, & County Court Clerk John Hutchison; John Herbert made affidavit there then that he served in Revolutionary War with soldier in 1780 in same company, per county Justice of the Peace William Humphrey; Pension Office determined in 1835 that soldier served less than 6 months, & name dropped from Pension rolls; query letter in file in 1937 from great granddaughter Mrs. W.G. Johnston of Berwind, Indiana. F-S6433, R2609.
References
- Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.
Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters
Pension Application of Robert Wilson S6433
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia At a Court held for the County of Monroe at the Court House on monday the
21st day of January 1833
State of Virginia } SS.
Monroe County }
Robert Wilson now an Inhabitant of the County aforesaid being this day in open Court at the January Term held for the County aforesaid it being a court of record, having been duly sworn, in order to obtain the benifit of the pension act passed June 7th 1832, upon his oath makes the following Declaration statement. He says that he is about 72 years of age, though he cannot recollect the exact year in which he was born, as the register of his age was destroyed in the burning of his house in which it was; that he was born in Augusta County in Va. but removed, very young, into Botetourt County where he was till, as he thinks, he was twenty two years of age, when he was drafted to defend the lead mines in the western part of the state [at Fort Chiswell in present Wythe County] from an attack which it was believed was meditated against them by the tories and the enemy; the company in which he was drafted was under the command of Lieutenant Grimes, but that they did not go all the way to the mines, having been ordered back when they had arrived near the New River. He does not know the exact time of his service in this tour, but does not think that it was more than a month. He does not recollect the year in which this happened but thinks it was about two years before the capture of Cornwallis [19 Oct 1781].
He further says that the fall before the capture of Cornwallis he volunteered under James Robertson Captain, James Leatherdale Lieut and Alexander Smiley ensign – that after they had left Fincastle that Major David Campbell overtook them about the Moravian Towns [Salem and others in North Carolina] and commanded them and the march beyond the Catawba river,
whence Gen. [Daniel] Morgan asumed the command afterwards they commenced a return
towards Virginia and at the Island Ford on the Adkin river [sic: Trading Ford on Yadkin River, 4-5 Feb 1781] they had a skirmish with the British one evening after sun down, in which it was said by deserters that thirty six of the enemy were killed and wounded, and that two of their men Johnson & Dehart were killed and John Allen was taken prisoner but make his escape that night, a man named Hart was wounded and Capt Handey [sic: Alexander Handly] was taken prisoner and died on his way round by water to Yorktown.
He says that he was not in any other action but was sometimes closely pursued by the
enemy. He says that during this campaign Morgan resigned and returned home. He says that his company was within two days march of the army at the battle of the Cowpens [17 Jan 1781]. He says, they were with the line in the edge of S. Carolina and in N. Carolina. the time of service he thinks was five months. He served out the whole time from November to April – that is November 1780 until April 1781, but did not procure a discharge for the most of the officers were sick.
He hereby relinquishes all claim to every other pension or reward whatsoever. He has
within two years lost the use of this right shoulder and is incapable of making any exertion for his support Robert hisXmark Wilson
I John Herbert do certify that I was in the service of the old Revolutionary War; that to the best of my recollection I started in November 1780 and returned in April 1781. I was a volunteer in the company of Capt Alexander Handly, and recollect of Robert Wilson, that now lives on Polls Creek being in the service the same time in the Company of Capt. Robison a volunteer; and we were under the command of Maj’r David Campbell who took command of us at the Maravian Town as we went out; and we had one skirmish with the British on the other side of the Adkin river on the third day of February 1781. We lost our clothing in the battle. We got our discharge before our time was out. We had volunteered to go to South Carolina.
Given under my hand this 19th of January 1833
[The following report is by District Attorney Washington G. Singleton who investigated many pensioners from present West Virginia. For details see the pension application of David W. Sleeth
(S6111) and the endnote.]
Robert Wilson – 6 mo. Va. Militia
I the undersigned Robert Wilson in pursuance of the requisition of the Secretary of War make the following redeclaration of my services as a soldier in the war of the Revo. to Wit.
I think I am near about 75 or 76 yrs. old. am a native of augusty [sic: Augusta] County, Va. lived in Bottetort during the war. moved to Monroe 10 years ago – almost 3 weeks before the christmas of 1780 I volunteered I think for a [illegible word] 4 or 5 mos. Joined Capt James Roberts company marched to join Gen’l. Morgans army in South Carolina. on the way fell in with Major Campbell was attached to his command Joined Genl. Morgan on his retreat 3 or 4 days after the Battle of the Cowpens. – we marched to Yadkin river then to Guilford and then to Dan River. at the last mentioned place Genl Morgan left us. I think he took no troops with him I think he quit the army [see endnote] – dont recollect who commanded the army after morgan left. at Dan River I was discharged and went home. I went home about the middle of April. I [illegible word] that I was in service about 5 months and so told Mr. Preston who wrote my Declaration. – In addition to the above I was some 3 or 4 days against the tories
In Witness of all which I hereto subscribe my name
September[?] 7, 1835. Robert hisXmark Wilson
Witness Jno W Kelly
NOTES: For additional details of the skirmish at Trading Ford, see the pension application of John Hewitt (W2618). After his brilliant victory at Cowpens and successfully eluding Cornwallis, Daniel Morgan retired from service to recover from severe “rheumatism” – probably arthritis.
A letter from the Pension Office dated 21 Oct 1835 states that Wilson was dropped from the pension roll because he did not serve six months, the minimum required for a pension.
http://revwarapps.org/s6433.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).
Virginia Pension Roll of 1835
Report from the Secretary of War
In relation to the Pension Establishment Of the United States 1835
ROBERT WILSON
MONROE COUNTY
PRIVATE
VIRGINIA MILITIA
$20.00 ANNUAL ALLOWANCE
$ AMOUNT RECEIVED
MAY 27, 1833 PENSION STARTED
AGE 74
- Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
ROBERT WILSON was born ca 1756-57 in Augusta County, Virginia of a family of Scot-Irish, and died in Braxton County, West Virginia. He married ca 1789 in West Virginia to Susan ----. Robert came from a family with a many of daughters and he had many daughters and one son. As a youth, his family moved to Botetourt County, Virginia. Family tradition says he enlisted in the Revolutionary War in 1776 and served under Lt. Grimes in Virginia. He did enlist in November 1780 and served in Capt. James Robertson's Company under Major Campbell in Virginia. They were in a skirmish at Island Ford on the Yadkin River. Robert's total service was listed as 5 months, 3 to 5 days. He was allowed a pension, claim No. 6433 on his application of Jan 21, 1833, but his name was dropped because of time served . (To receive a pension, one had to have served 6 months.) He lived at on time in Monroe County, Virginia, but he settled in Braxton County near the Cross Land Roads. References: "The Descendents of Isaac Rose and their Connection to Patrick Murphy Descendents", Compiled by Elizabeth (Wiggins) Sanders, "Descendents of Patrick Murphy" by Don Norman, "Early Kanawha County Marriages, 1794-1826, Part II, p 10, "National Archives Pension Records", "Biography of McHenry County Citizens, 1903" p 897.
Children of Robert Wilson and Susan ----
1. Sally Wilson, b 1794, WV
2. Fanny Wilson, b 1798, WV
3. LOUISA WILSON, b 26 Dec 1789 Greenbriar Co, WV
d 14 May 1854 Braxton Co, WV
4. Melinda Wilson, b 26 May 1798, WV
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=cutlip02&id=I6938
- United States. 1820 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M33).
1820 United States Federal Census
Name: Robert Wilson
Home in 1820 (City, County, State): Botetourt, Virginia
Enumeration Date: August 7, 1820
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 15: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 18: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over: 1 [b. 1775 or before]
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over: 1 [b. 1775 or before]
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 3
Free White Persons - Under 16: 3
Free White Persons - Over 25: 2
Total Free White Persons: 7
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 7
- United States. 1830 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M19).
1830 United States Federal Census
Name: Robert Wilson
Home in 1830 (City, County, State): Monroe, Virginia
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 70 thru 79: 1 [b. bet. 1751-1760]
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 50 thru 59: 1 [b. bet. 1771-1780]
Free White Persons - Under 20: 2
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 6
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 6
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