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Facts and Events
Records of Thomas Witten in Augusta County, VA
From Chalkley's Augusta County Records:
- Vol. 2 - Maxwell vs. Pickens, &c.--O. S. 129; N. S. 45--Bill, 1807. Orator is James Maxwell of Tazewell County. In 1772 orator went from Botetourt, where he lived, to present Tazewell County to make a settlement. It was then a wilderness. He was in company with Samuel Walker. Found a tract with some improvements, viz: The foundation of a cabin, some rails split and some trees deadened. That night they fell in with a party of hunters, among them Uriah Stone, who claimed to have made the improvement, and orator purchased it, and the same year moved his family there and lived until 1784. In that time two of his daughters were killed by the Indians. William Ingles set up claim to the land and devised it to his daughter Rhoda, who married Bird Smith. Thomas Peery deposes in Tazewell County in 1809, that in 1772, when deponent went to that country, James Maxwell had made improvements on the lands and had corn growing in May. In 1781 or '82 Indians murdered two of Maxwell's daughters and Maxwell removed his family. James Peery deposes that he went to Tazewell with Major Maxwell. John Peery deposes that John Tollett movedfrom Georgia to New River. Thomas Witten deposes that he was on the land in 1771. Samuel Walker is about to remove out of the country and William Wynne is aged and infirm in 1807. Mathias Harman deposes, 1809 that when he first came to this country the land in dispute was called Ingles's Crabb orchard and there was an old improvement on it. This was in 1760. Henry Marrs deposes that he first knew Maxwell on the land in 1773 or 1774. About three weeks after murder of Maxwell's daughters, two of Robert Moffitt's sons were taken prisoners by Indians, and about a week after that the family of Capt. Thomas Inglis was taken out of Burk's Garden by Indians and depredations were committed until 1793. Daniel Harman, Sr., deposes 22d June, 1809, that about 49 years ago he was on a hunting expedition and camped on the land in dispute and took shelter in a small cabin built there, said to be Inglis's. Col. Inglis did not himself make the settlement, but it was made by his uncle, John Inglis. Joseph Hix deposes as above, that 44 years ago Col. Wm. Inglis told him that the land was his and he claimed it under his uncle, John Ingles. Lawrence Murry deposes as above, that 33 years ago he was in Wright's Valley at Uriah Stone's cabin. William Cecil deposes as above, that in or about 1771 he, in company with his brother and father, was on the disputed land. Deed dated 24th September, 1805, by John Tollett and Margaret of Tazewell County to Thomas Pickens: 200 acres by survey in 1753 part of Loyal Company's grant. Recorded in Tazewell, 24th September, 1805. (Note: the William Cecil listed in this record was the brother-in-law of Thomas Witten).
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. :
- Witten, Thomas - born 1/1753; entered service 1776 in Tazewell County, Virginia, where he resided, as ensign in Virginia regiment; received Pension there in 1832; William Cecil & Nancy Cecil made affidavit there then; Joseph Oney made affidavit there then he served with soldier in same Revolutionary War company per County court clerk John Crockett; Joseph Draper made affidavit there in 1833; soldier died 10/6/1841; query letter in file 1921 from descendant Mrs. J.K. Ball, Princeton, Mercer County, Indiana says soldier b. 1756 Maryland & married Eleanor Cecil; query letter in file 1925 from Judge Samuel W. Witten of Washington, D.C.; query letter in file 1909 from Reverend Charles D. Bulla, Alexandria, Virginia states his daughter Ruth was a descendant of soldier. F-S6407, R2622.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tobler, Paul - e-mail: tobler@@omniglobal.net. Tobler, Paul. (Descendants of Thomas Witten, unpublished).
- Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.
Pension Application of Thomas Witten S6407 VA
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 10 Jan 2015.
State of Virginia
Tazewell County to wit
On this 15th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open court before the County Court of Tazewell County in the state of Virginia, now sitting Thomas Witten a resident of Tazewell County and State of Virginia aged Eighty years in the month of January 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 7th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That he was Ensign, regularly Commissioned, and belonged to the company commanded by Captain Thomas Mastin, and Lieutenant James Maxwell when he first entered the service in the early in the month of June in the year 1776 and was attached to the state Regiment [sic: Montgomery County Militia] commanded by Col William Preston, and Major Walter Crockett, who was afterwards promoted to the appointment of a Colonel. That the duty which as Ensign aforesaid during the remainder of the year 1776 which devolved upon the said Thomas Witten, and the company to which he belonged, was to perform frequent scouting expeditions as Indian spies, to defend the western frontier of Virginia lying along the Valley of Clinch river from the head waters of Blue Stone [Bluestone] river to the forks of Clinch river within the now limits of Russell County in the state aforesaid, from the massacres of the Indians by whom the whole western border was then infested. That he resided in the now county of Tazewell in the state of Virginia, then perhaps Montgomery. That he does not now remember whether he was drafted or not, but thinks, that he was called out by an order of the commanding officer Col William Preston. That he was engaged in no general battle, or engagement, during his scouting expeditions in the year 1776, but partook in several little skirmishes, and was an eye witness to some of the many instances of inhuman butchery and massacre committed upon the frontier families within the range of his marches.
That none of the regular soldiers were quartered in the western frontier for the protection and defence of the settlers, but that the militia was occasionally drafted and sent to the relief of the frontier from the then counties of Montgomery and Washington embracing all that section of Country now comprised in the counties of Lee, Scott, Russell, Tazewell, Giles, Grayson, Monroe &c &c. The said Thomas Witten further states, that he continued to act as an Ensign as aforesaid untill the close of the revolutionary war.
That he thinks he was engaged as an Indian spy aforesaid fully six months in each year, and the balance of each year were permitted by their commanding officers to return to their families, and remain at home during the winters of each year from the year 1776 until the termination of the revolutionary war, when the Indians ceased to annoy and murder the settlers upon the said frontier. That he does not now know what has become of his commission as Ensign, but thinks upon resigning, he surrendered it to his commanding officer, so that it is not now in his power to produce it. That he knows of three persons now living who can testify to his service aforesaid, by William Cecil [pension application R1823], Nancy Cecil, and Joseph Oney [S8909].
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Virginia Tazewell County to wit:
On this 19th day of June 1833 and in addition to the foregoing declaration, on his oath administered in due form, saith, that his original commission as ensign as mentioned in the foregoing declaration is lost. That the said commission was granted by what was then called a Committee of Safety, & signed by said committee constitued by a convention of Delegates for the counties and corporations in the Colony of Virginia, held in Richmond in July 1775. That he first entered the service as a minute man, provided b an ordinance of said convention, on the 5th day of June 1776. That in that year he continued in active service as an Ensign until about the first of December. that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively to the length of his service, but he does know certainly that he served as an ensign more than six months in each year for seven years commencing in June 1776 and for which service he claims a pension.
Sworn to and subscribed in open court this 19th day of June 1833.
NOTE: A note on the pension certificate states that Witten died on 6 Oct 1841.
http://revwarapps.org/s6407.pdf
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