Military Service Pension Records:
Pension Application of Samuel Barksdale W18568
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 9 June 2011.
State of Virginia
At a Court held for Albemarle County the 2 day of October 1832.
On this second day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the County Court of Albemarle now setting Samuel Barksdale a resident of said County and State aged Seventy three years on the 25 day of October next, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 1832.
That he was born in the County of Albemarle State of Virginia on the 25 day of October 1759, that he has the family register of his birth. That he entered the service in the Revolution and marched with the first militia which marched from the said County of Albemarle he thinks about the early part of the year 1776 that Capt Robert Harris commanded the Company Nicholas Lewis was the Colonel – we marched first to Williamsburg where we staid a few weeks and marched to Hampton where we served out our tour (he thinks it was two months) and were verbally discharged. he does not now recollect however getting any written discharge. He came home then. After the troops of Burgoynes army [captured at Saratoga] were ordered from the Albemarle Barracks [left 20 Feb 1781], he was again drafted in the Militia and marched as a Guard with said troops as far as the County of Rockingham Virginia – he thinks there took the place of a menonist [sic: Mennonite] (name forgotten) and as a substitute served a tour of six months. He marched from Rockingham County to Richmond from thence, after drawing arms, to Jamestown where he crossed the James River, one Rice was the Captain, he does not remember the Colonels name. From James town they marched down in the neighbourhood of Norfork [sic: Norfolk], and the long bridge [Great Bridge], and remained in service in that part of Virginia till the said time of six months was out, when they returned to Richmond where they were discharged. He came home. He remained but a very short time, when as there had been no requisition in his absence and he was informed by Colo. Reuben Lindsay Colonel Commandant of the County that the lot had fallen on him to serve a tour of eighteen months in the Regular Service – one man out of every fifteen were drawn. He marched under one Captain [William Lewis] Lovely & Colo. Davis [William Davies]. The Colonel was afterwards arrested and lost his sword for a time. The troops marched to the South of James river under Baron Steuben they were stationed some short time at the Point of Fork in Fluvanna County and on the approach of Tarlton [sic: Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s Legion] & Cornwallis they crossed the James river again. Tarlton & Simcoes Cavalry [sic: Tarleton’s Cavalry and John Simcoe’s troops, 6 Jun 1781] were in sight when they got across the river. They then marched in a Southern direction as far as the Staunton river and then back as far as the County of Hanover where they joined the main army, he was there taken sick at Dandridges old field in Hanover County and was unable to march with the army which moved down toward Yorktown. Being too sick to proceed he was brought home and after recovering he rejoined the same company & Regiment at Cumberland old Court house after the surrender of Cornwallis at York town [19 Oct 1781]. He then continued in the service until the eighteen months expired – a part of the Regiment marched to the Southern Army some time after he rejoined the army at Cumberland old Courthouse. He had the small pox at the time with many others, and was detained on that account. He remained at Cumberland old Courthouse under the command of Colo. Freebecker [sic: Christian Febiger] till discharged. He has no documents or papers but can prove the service of eighteen months by Jesse Lewis [pension application S5680] who resides in this county & served with him. He can prove the tour of two months by James Dunn [S8359] of same County. he hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Samuel Barksdale
Thereupon the following interrogatories were propounded to the applicant by the court.
1 Where and in what year were you born?
A I was born in Albemarle County State of Virginia in 1759
2 Have you any record of your age and if so where is it
A I have a record of my age in my family Bible at home
3 Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, & where do you now live
A When called into service I lived in Albemarle County Virginia where I have lived ever since the Revolution & where I now live
4 How were you called into service – were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute, & ifa substitute for whom?
A I was drafted, & once took the place of a menonist as I have stated.
5 State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served, such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service.
A I don’t now remember more than I have already stated in my declaration
6 Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so by whom was it given, & what has become of it?
A I have no recollection of having gotten any written discharge.
State of Virginia, Albemarle County Sct:
Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the peace for the said county, Samuel Barksdale, who being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades, viz. For the year 1776 – he served a tour of two months as stated in his declaration heretofore filed
– He stated therein that this service was in the early part of 1776 – He cannot positively swear as to the months, but recollects it was during moderately cold weather, and he is inclined to believe it was in the months of March and April. If he is required to swear positively as to the months & precise dates, he cannot do so, without doing violence to his consience. He served as a private this tour
– When Burgoyne’s troops were removed from the neighborhood of Charlottesville, viz: The Albemarle Barracks, to Maryland, this affiant was drafted as a private in the militia to guard them – He marched with the last division of these troops, as one of the Bullock guard, as far as Rockingham County
– In Rockingham, on the march, he was discharged just before Christmas 1780
– He then became the substitute as stated in his declaration of a man who was drafted on a six months tour, marched from Rockingham on the tour, which must have included parts of the months of December 1780 – January, February, March, April & May 1781 – about half of this tour he served as Quarter Master Sergeant
– Immediately after his return, in the Spring of 1781 he was informed that the lot had fallen him to serve a tour of Eighteen months. This he thinks commenced about June 1781 – the reason, he supposes, why his name is not on the roll of 18 months men, is that the lots were cast during his absence on the 6 months tour, & when he returned, being informed that the lot had fallen on him, he repaired to join the army as stated in his declaration. he refers to the evidence of Jesse Lewis & Jonathan Barksdale accompanying his declaration to prove the service for 18 months. He served as a Sergeant the greater part of this tour & for some time as Sergeant Major and for this service he claims a pension
Given under my hand & seal this 27 April 1833
NOTES:
A size roll of noncommissioned officers and privates compiled at Powhatan Courthouse lists the following: Samuel Barksdale/ age 22/ height 5’ 9”/ brown hair/ grey eyes/ fair complexion/ planter/ born and residing in Albemarle County where he was drafted for 18 months on 20 Mar 1781.
On 5 Nov 1832 Jonathan Barksdale stated that he knew of Samuel Barksdale’s serving as a substitute and as an 18-month’s man.
On 3 Dec 1842 Jemima Barksdale applied for a pension stating that she married Samuel Barksdale
on 31 Mar 1793, and he died 20 June 1842. In the file is a copy of a bond signed on 28 Mar 1793 by Samuel Barksdale and Francis Taliaferro for the marriage of Barksdale to Jemima Wingfield. There is also a copy of the marriage return by Benjamin Burger
