Pension Application of William Boyd S8084
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia: At a court held for Albemarle County 4 February, 1833.
On this 4 day of February, 1833, personally appeared in open th court, before the county court of Albemarle, now sitting (being a court of record) William Boyd, a resident in the said county & state of Va. aged about 76 years who being 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 U. States under the following named Officers, and served as hereinafter stated: That he entered the service at the time Patrick Henry was Governor of Va. [5 Jul 1776 - 1 Jun 1779] the particular year he does not recollect, but thinks it was in the year 1777. It was in the fall of the year when he entered the service, the Company was commanded by Capt. Haden, & Major Geo.
Thompson [George Thompson] was the Major. – that he lived in Louisa at the time. The company to which he belonged, together with another company were marched under Maj. Thompson to the town of Williamsb’g in Va. where they remained a considerable time when they were discharged after having served out the tour. That he was with the said troops from the commencement to the end of the same – and served as a volunteer.
2d. Tour – that he served a second tour in the year, he thinks, 1778. He marched under Capt. Hughes to the town of New Castle [now Old Church] in Hanover after serving about four weeks – he was discharged in the County of Hanover. In this second he was drafted.
3d. Tour – He entered a third tour in the service, he thinks, in 1779 under Capt. Lee – Major McGill & Colo. [Benjamin] Harrison were officers in the Regiment. He served the whole of this tour, & entered as a volunteer: He was discharged at Petersburg in Virginia.
4th. Tour – That he entered the service the 4th time in the year 1781, in the month of May, being drafted as a militia-man. He marched under Capt. Philips [possibly Richard Phillips] to Richmond, and joined the Regiment at Mayo’s hill near Richmond. Maj. [William] Boyce was an officer in the said Regiment – the said Regiment was then marched to oppose Lord Cornwallis who was about to cross James River. The Regiment went as far as the Malvern hill [15 mi SE of Richmond]. From thence they crossed the Rapid Ann [sic: Rapidan River], & then recrossed the same river at Racoon ford [sic: Raccoon Ford, 6 Jun] & came into the County of Albemarle. Gen’l. Wayne [Anthony Wayne on 10 June] had in the meantime united with the said Regiment a number of Regulars & commanded the forces [sic: under Gen. Lafayette]. The troops were then marched into Hanover and after some stay, went to Richmond, after Lord Cornwallis had left it. They then marched to James Town, where an engagement took place with the enemy [Battle of Green Springs Plantation, 6 Jul], in which Lafayette had the command. After the battle the troops came up to Richmond when Gen’l. [William] Campbell took the command, at which last mentioned place, the said William Boyd was discharged, having served two months.
5th – He then volunteered as an express in August 1781 & continued till January 1782, in service. His service as an express was confined to the state of Virginia. — Also that he has no documentary evidence & that he knows of no person by whom he can prove the whole of his services. – He has obtained the affidavit of Solomon Wood as to the fact of his being a revolutionary soldier, to which he refers [not
found; possibly Solomon Wood who filed pension application S18668]. the certificate of his services as express was sold to Maj. Forsyth.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State Sworn to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid – William Boyd
The Court then propounded the following interrogatories, which, with their answers are below.
1. Where and in what year were you born?
Ans. In the County of Hanover, and I believe in the year 1756 or 1757.
2 . Have you any record of d your age? & if so, where is it?
Ans. I have no record of my age.
3d. Where were you living when called into Service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war,
& where do you now live?
Ans. In the County of Louisa when called into Service, & since the Revol War I have lived in the County of Albemarle, where I now reside.
4th. How were you called into service? were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? & if a substitute, for whom?
Ans. I volunteered in some of the tours, & in the others I was drafted, as set forth in the body of the foregoing declaration.
5th. State the names of some of the Regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such continental & militia Regiments as you can recollect, & the general circumstances of your Service?
Answer. I refer to the names & Regiments mentioned in the foregoing statement, for an answer to this interrogatory.
6th. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service? & if so, by whom was it given, & what has become of it?
Answer. I never recieved a written discharge, but was discharged with my company.
7th. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood & who can testify as to your character for veracity, & their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution?
Answer. Wm. B. Harris, Wm. Leake, Francis B. Hart, Isaac Paul, James Hart, Nath’l. Garland, Ab’m. Hestand & to my neighbours generally.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid Wm. Boyd
Albemarle County, Virginia.
This day William Boyd, personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the peace for the said County who being duly sworn, deposeth & saith that by reason of old age, and 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 no less than the periods mentioned below and in the following grades months
First tour 1777 two months 2
2nd. d’o in 1778 one month 1
3 d’o 1779 two months 2
4 d’o in 1781 two months 2
5 d’o 1781 five months & a half 5½
12½
That in the four first tours, he served as as a private, & in the last as an express That he served with embodied corps called into service by competent authority, and that he was either in the field or garrison or riding as express, & for that time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit. Given under my hand and seal this 3rd. day of August 1833 J. W. Gantt
Albemarle County. viz.
This day the foregoing named William Boyd personally appeared before the undersigned a justice of the peace for the said County, & made oath that from his advanced age and loss of memory he cannot undertake to state with absolute certainty the names of all the Colonels under whom he served.
But according to the best of his recollection Col. Reuben Lindsey [sic: Reuben Lindsay] commanded the regiment to which he was attached in the year 1781 – while riding as express as stated in his declaration he was under the orders of Major Claiborne. That Col [David] Mason had the command in the first tour.
He believes Col. [William] White commanded the the second, and Col. Harrison the 3rd tour as stated in his declaration.
Given under my hand & seal this 3rd day of August 1833. J. W. Gantt
http://revwarapps.org/s8084.pdf
