Person:William Saunders (45)

Military Service

American Revolutionary War Veteran

Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 5, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Saunders, William - Virginia Sea service, entered service in 1778 as Lieutenant in Virginia navy; later appointed Captain of schooner Adventure; died 1/1/1797; only surviving child Elizabeth Murray, a widow, granted Pension arrears due father in 1850 when residing in Fredericksburg, Virginia, per County Justice of the Peace William Warren & County Court Clerk James Chew; William Murray (no kinship given) then was administrator of sailor's estate, resided in Fredericksburg, Virginia, per county Justice of the Peace R.B. Semple; sailor's grandson mentioned but not named resided in then Westmoreland County, Virginia, & Fredericksburg, Virginia; Reuben Saunders (no kinship given) then resided in King & Queen County, Virginia; Ann & Abraham Murray (no kinship given) resided then in Westmoreland County, Virginia; query letter in file says sailor entered service in Caroline County, Virginia, & married Sarah Jones; query letter in file in 1927 from descendant Miss Margaret S. Brown, Washington, D.C. F-R89,k R2123

Records

Capt. William Saunders and his brother, Ceeley Saunders are mentioned in the Revolutionary War Service Pension file of Revolutionary War soldier James Jennings:

And many, many others in other ships; for there were three in company, viz., the Dragon, Tempest& Tartar, Wm Saunders [William Saunders] commanded the Tartar; and Cenly Saunders (Celey or Ceeley Saunders) his brother commanded the Tempest – Our Ship the Dragon had 160 men when they left Fredericksburg as they told me, and further this affiant saith not.

1.   Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.

   Pension Application of William Saunders R89
   Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 10 Nov 2011.
   
   Petition of the heirs of William Saunders, Captain in the State Navy, for Bounty Land (additional) William Saunders entered the service April 1 1776, as 1 Lieutenant in the st st Navy. He continued in service as Commander of the Schooner Adventure, Manly [sic: Manley] Galley &c to the end of the war.
   He was reported by a board of Officers in 1784 as having served to the end of the war. He received, 4,666 acres of Land. His heirs are entitled to Bounty Land for his services, from April 1st, 1776, to the end of the war, and the quantity received should be that allowed to a Major in the Land Service, deducting 4,666 acres. Respectfully submitted/ John H Smith Com. &c To his Excellency Gov Floyd March 19th, 1834.
   [Copy certified 4 Feb 1850.]
   [The following was certified on 5 Feb 1850 as a copy of “a paper to be found in 1st Vol of papers concerning the State Navy.” Letter-number combinations in brackets designate pension applications.]
   List of Officers of the State Navy agreeable to the arrangement 13th May 1784.
   James Barron Commo[dor]e Commissioned July 3rd 80.
   Richard Barron [R5] Capt “ Jan’y 76.
   Thomas Lilly Capt “ Jan’y 76.
   Richard Taylor [S25873] Capt
   Celey Saunders D[itt]o Dead
   Edward Travis [R103] D’o Dead
   Willis Wilson [R109] D’o
   James Markham [R72] D’o
   Wright Westcott [R106] D’o Dead
   Eliott [George Elliott R38] D’o
   John Harris [R41] D’o Dead
   William Saunders [R89] Lieut
   Gray [Robert Gray?] D’o Dead Black list
   Thomas Chandler [R24] D’o D’o
   William Steel [William Steele R96] D’o
   Wm. H Parker [William H. Parker R82] D’o
   NOTES: William Saunders is listed as Captain in “A List of necessaries wanting out of the public store, for the Officers on board the Ship Tartar – for two months, from 25th Nov’r. 1779 to 25th Jany 1780,” a transcription of which is in the pension application of Thomas Bonnewell (R10).
   A document in the file states that William Saunders died “first of January, 1797.”
   On 23 Jan 1850 Elizabeth Murray of Fredericksburg VA appointed Reuben Saunders as attorney to obtain “any balance of half pay, Commutation or interest that may be due, either from the state of Virginia, or the United States, or both, on account of the Revolutionary services of [her] Father, William Saunders.” On 11 Mar 1850 William Murray, administrator of William Saunders, appointed Reuben Saunders of King and Queen County as attorney to obtain “any half pay, commutation, and interest that may be due, particularly under the act of 5th July 1832.” A letter in the file states that Elizabeth Murray was the only surviving child of William Saunders, and that William Murray was a grandson.
   
   - this William Saunders appears to have had children after 1797, so it appears unlikely that this date of death was accurate.
   
   http://revwarapps.org/r89.5.pdf

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).

   http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/18806049/person/20489604164?ssrc=&ml_rpos=14