Pension Application of Thomas Hackworth S31115 VA
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 26 Oct 2014.
State of Virginia }
County of Bedford } S.S.
On this 27th day of May 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Bedford County now sitting the same being a court of record, Thomas Hackworth a resident of the said county and State of Virginia aged Seventy years on the 11th day of April last 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 the 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated. In the month of March 1781 the day he cannot recollect he entered the service under the command of Captain Alexander Cummins and Lieutenant Conrod Speece as a militia man drafted to serve; he marched from his residence in Bedford County to New London in the same County [now in Campbell County] for the purpose of guarding the magazine which was there. That he remained here in actual service being engaged in no civil employment three months and not less than three months as a private soldier when he was regularly discharged in the first part of the month of June of the same year as well as he can now remember, but by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he is unable to state with certainty in any case when he left or when he entered the service. He received his discharge for the Tour from Captain Cummings [sic] but it is now lost or mislaid as he took no particular pains to preserve it after the war was over. In the latter part of July or the first of August of the year 1781 he was again drafted as a militia man from Bedford County and marched under the command of Captain John Trigg to York Town in Virginia by the way of Prince Edward County and Petersburg, crossed James River at James Town. He believes he was attached to the Regiment commanded by Colo [St. George] Tucker, but he does not know the number of the regiment. Gen’l. Washington and Gen’l. Lafayette were the chief commanders at this place. He was at the seige of York during the whole time [28 Sep - 19 Oct 1781] and served a tour of three months duty and not less than three months during which time he was engaged in no civil employment. He was discharged on the 20th of October 1781 by order of General [Robert] Lawson who had the command of the Brigade to which his regiment was attached. he however received his discharge from the hands of Capt John Trigg it is now lost or mislaid, he though had it many years after he received it. after he was discharged he was employed a month in guarding the prisoners taken on the surrender of Cornwallis and marched from York Town with them to Winchester in Virginia when after serving a month and not less than a month in this engagement He was discharged and returned home. He did not receive a discharge for this part of his services; he was in the capacity of a private Soldier in every instance of his service. He has no documentary evidence to prove his services but refers to the testimony of John Arthur [pension application W5635] accompanying this declaration and by whom the services for two tours of six months is proven. He was born in the County of Bedford in the State of Virginia on the 11th day of April 1763 as appears by a record herewith exhibited. He resided at the time he entered the service in the County of Bedford and State of Virginia and now resides there. He is known in his present neighbourhood to William Leftwich and Nickodemus Leftwich who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his service as a soldier of the Revolution.
He makes the following to the several interrogatories prescribed by the war department.
To the 1st he answers– In the County of Bedford on the 11th of April 1763.
To the 2nd he answers– I have [a record of birth] & it accompanies this declaration.
To the 3rd he answers– In the County of Bedford in the State of Virginia.
To the 4th he answers– I was drafted as a Malitia man.
To the 5th he answers– They are mentioned in the body of my Declaration.
To the 6th he answers– See the body of the Declaration for an answer.
To the 7th he answers– see the body of the Declaration for an answer.
The whole of his services will amount to not less than seven months to wit not less than three months he was in service at New London under Captain Cummings, not less than three months at York Town under Captain Trigg, and not less that one month in carrying prisoners to Winchester &c. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any State. Subscribed and sworn to this day and year aforesaid in open court Thomas hisXmark Hackworth
NOTE: On 20 June 1842 Thomas Hackworth applied to have his pension transferred to Kentucky, having moved to Greenup County for the following reason: “That being old and infirm and his children having all removed to the State of Kentucky, he thought fit to also remove to Greenup County & State of Kentucky whither he removed five years ago, November last past.” On an application for bounty land dated 23 April 1855 in Greenup County KY Thomas Hackworth ws said to be 94.
http://revwarapps.org/s31115.pdf
