Pension Application of Edward Rutledge: S6032

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

State of Virginia  Montgomery County Sc.

On this 3rd day of September 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the court of Montgomery county, now sitting Edward Rutledge a resident of said county and state, aged 70 years on the 10th of March 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 7th 1832; That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated in the county of Augusta in the State of Virginia, in the latter part of January 1781 (as well as recollected) he with other militia volunteered his services to guard the Prisoners taken at the Battle of the Cowpens [on 17 Jan 1781], and for this purpose marched toward North Carolina & took charge of the prisoners aforesaid and marched towards Winchester in Virginia to the Eastern border of Rockingham county, where having met another guard dispatched to take charge of the Prisoners they were surrendered to them and he and the other volunteers were discharged after having been in service three weeks, he was marched under Capt. Francis Long, Joseph Long was Lieutenant  there was no officer from Augusta above a Captain. Again in April 1781 the applicant entered the service in Augusta county Virginia as a volunteer for a tour of three months and under the command of Colo. Huggart [sic: Thomas Hughart], Major Andrew Hamilton and Capt. Francis Long, he marched to the general rendezvous in Augusta at a place called Waynesborough [sic: Waynesboro] and from there to Charlottesville in Albemarle in Virginia, he with the other forces hung upon the rear of Tarltons [sic: Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s] troop until he arrived at Richmond after being in the vicinity of Richmond a short time and maneuvering about in the country around for some time to prevent the depredation of Predatory parties of the enemy, we went to old James Town where we remained a few days, and along with the forces under Gen’l. [Anthony] Wayne, had a sharp skirmish with the enemy [6 July 1781]. We went then to Burnt Ordinary where we remained a few days and had another skirmish with a British foraging party, we went from there to the vicinity of Williamsburg,  at this time the British army lay in Williamsburg. [Peter] Muhlenburg or [Daniel] Morgan (not remembered which) commanded as General; Colo. Huggard having gone home, the command of both of the regiments to which the applicant belonged devolved upon Maj’r Hamilton,  we were here discharged, having completed the tour for three months,  this applicant immediately returned home, and after having been there about two weeks only, he again entered the service as a volunteer under the same Capt. Long for another tour of three months and was immediately marched to York in Virginia. the applicant belonged at the siege of York, to the regiment commanded by Colo. [Samuel] Vance,  in this latter service he continued until the 19th day of October 1781 when Cornwallis surrendered, after which time, with others he was detailed to guard the prisoners to Winchester in Virginia, where having served out at least his three months term, he was discharged,  he has no further evidence in his power of his services. 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 and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.            [signed] Edw’d Rutledge