Pension application ofWilliam McGuire1 BLWt1522-200 f18VA
Transcribed by Will Graves 5/2/13
[p 8]
I do with the advice of Council hereby certify that William McGuire is continued on the list of Pensioners with his former allowance commencing the first day of January 1801.
Given under my hand as Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia at Richmond this 23rd day of January 1802.
S/ Saml. Coleman S/ Jas. Monroe [James Monroe]
[p 2]
"On the statement of Invalid pensioners paid at the Virginia agency whose residence could not be ascertained by reason of the destruction of papers in the War Department in 1814, and who have not been paid since that date. (List published in 1835 volume 2 page 27) appears the name William McGuire Lieutenant $200 annual allowance."
AW2 Nov. 15 1921
[p 3]
Virginia Frederick County Sct.
Personally appeared before the Subscriber a Justice of the Peace for said County Captain Segismund Stribling3 who was an officer in the Virginia line on Continental establishment during the Revolutionary War & made oath upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God that he is well acquainted with William McGuire who was a Lieutenant in the first Regiment of Artillery in the Revolutionary War that they both belong to the southern Army under the command of Major General Nathaniel Green [Nathanael Greene] and were amongst the troops engaged in the Action on the 8th of September 1781 at the Eutaw Springs in South Carolina & on that they this said McGuire received a ball which shattered the bone of his left thigh and was made a prisoner of War & in consequence of the British being as he supposes unable to carry him off he was left upon parole he draws the conclusion of their being unable to carry him off from the circumstance of their having left a number of wounded British soldiers at the Eutaw Springs as well as wounded American soldiers who were made prisoners, at what time the said McGuire was exchanged this Deponent knows not, but he is satisfied the said McGuire belonged to the American Army till peace was proclaimed & the Army regularly disbanded.
1 Disability pension BLWt1522-300 Lieut. Issued Aug. 25, 1789, No Papers
2 Initials of the person who made the note
3 Sigismond (Sigismund) Stribling BLWt2066-300
Given under my hand the 10th day of November 1808.
S/ Elijah Littler
[p 12]
Winchester November 11th, 1808
Dear Sir/ Will you pardon me for imposing on you a piece of business which I hope you will not find very troublesome, I suppose that I am one of those who (by a law of the last session of Congress) may upon application to the Secretary of War attended by proper certificates be placed upon the United States Pension list, I have obtained such proof of the claim as I hope will be satisfactory, and a reference to the Army accounts settled by a Mr. Dunscomb at the City of Richmond will show my name & rank & the corroborative of Captain Stribling's affidavit which is in closed with the Certificate of the then Governor of Virginia dated the 23rd of January 1802 of my being continued on the State Pension list, & also Doctor Conrad's of his having examined my wound & my entire disability to gain a livelihood by manual labor & I can say truly as my age increases so increases the inconveniences which I labor under & no longer than last summer an exfoliation took place, Captain Stribling could not say in his affidavit the time when I was exchanged but I believe myself that I remained a prisoner till all on each side were liberated if otherwise I was not informed of it, I remained in service till the end of the war as will appear by Captain Stribling's affidavit & by my count in Mr. Dunscomb's books which will show a settlement up to the time of disbanding the Army, the late Governor's certificate will require no support, and as to the other Gentlemen you can vouch for the respectability of their characters; I have made efforts to procure a copy of the Act of the State Legislature placing myself with others upon the State Pension list but without effect, it is a private law & therefore not contained in the Revisals [?]. If I have not adopted the proper means to satisfy the Secretary at War upon the subject, will you be so good as to inform me the line of conduct I should pursue to effect that purpose – if it is not necessary that Mr. Monroe's certificate should remain in the Secretary's office I would be glad to have it returned, I shall remain at this place till I hear from you which I hope will be as soon as you can obtain information on this business. I am extremely angry is to return to my family & am fearful that I may have bad weather to cross the mountain with my best wishes for your health & welfare I am
Dear Sir With great Respect &c
Your Obedient Servant
S/ Wm McGuire
[to] Majr. Holmes
[p 10]
Virginia Frederick County, to wit,
Personally appeared Captain Segismund Stribling before the subscriber a Justice of the peace in & for said County & made oath upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God that he is well acquainted with William McGuire who was a Lieutenant in the first Regiment of Artillery during the Revolutionary war that they the said Stribling and McGuire were both in the action of the Eutaw Springs in South Carolina on the eight day of September 1781 & that Action the said McGuire received a shot in the left thigh which fractured the bone and at the same time was made prisoner & afterwards paroled & he the said Stribling believes remained a prisoner on parole during the continuance of the war –
Given under my hand this 25th day of October 1809
Signed & acknowledged before me the day above written
S/ Elijah Littler S/ Sigismond Stribling
Capt. 8 Virginia Regt.
[p 7]
I do certify that I have this day examined the wound of William McGuire which appears to be occasioned by a gunshot attend [attended] with a fracture above the knee in the left 5 and am satisfied in consequence of said wound he is entirely unable to gain a livelihood by manual labor.
Given under my hand this 10th of November 1808 S/ Edw. Conrad
[p 6]
I do certify that I have examined the wound of Colonel William McGuire which appears to have been produced by a musket ball attendant with a fracture of the thigh bone in consequence of which he is in my opinion incapacitated to procure a subsistence by manual labor.
S/ Edw. Conrad, M. D. [Edward Conrad]
Winchester October 24th, 1809
________________________________________________________________
[From bounty land records in the Library of Virginia]
I do hereby certify that Lieutenant William McGuire of the first Regiment of Artillery entered the service the 25th of November 1780 and continued until the conclusion of the war.
S/ Dan Morgan Brig. Genl.
February 14th 1783
Sir/
Pleas to issue a Land warrant for my proportion of Land as you will see by the within certificate I am entitled to.
January 31st, 84 S/ Wm McGuire
_____________________________________________________
[From pension records in the Library of Virginia] 117 page file labeled "McGuire, William (lieutenant) also White, Robert see also Boush, Goodrich White, Robert"
[Notes: Veteran was first pensioned by the State of Virginia in January 1787 at age 23 at the rate of sixty pounds per annum by order of Governor Randolph. The Sheriff of Frederick County VA was ordered to pay the veteran eight pounds per annum in 1788. The Sheriff of Frederick County VA ordered to pay veteran 120 pounds for the pension due him for 1789 & 1790 in April Court 1791. His pension was continued in 1791 by order of Gov. James Wood. The papers contained between p 14 and p 113 of the file reflect the routine administration and receipt of the pension up through the year 1820. Page 116, certificate made by the administrator of the estate of William McGuire that he died November 24, 1820. Veteran was living in Jefferson County VA at the time of his death. On September 18, 1820, the veteran signed the last of the powers of attorney authorizing his attorney to receive the pension due him in 1820 and signed his name as follows:
http://revwarapps.org/blwt1522-300.pdf
