Pension Application of Henry and Fanny Simpkins Bishop: W5823

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

Virginia  Floyd County to Wit

            On this 15^th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices for Floyd County now sitting in open Court Henry Bishop Sen’r of the County of Floyd and State of Va aged 75 last April 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 7^th 1832. That he entered the service of the U States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated. He served his first Tour under Capt [Thomas] Burke whose Colo was Colo [William] Preston, he volunteered in the then County of Botetourt at present the County of Floyd and for a time [1777 - 1831] called Montgomery. he does not recollect the year he enlisted but he served for one month against the Indians. He next served under Capt Joseph Cloyd for the Term of one month and again fought against the Indians, Henry Patton was Cloyds Lieutenant, and Colo Preston commanded the whole force. He next served under Capt George Parris [sic: Pearis] but does not recollect the other Officers. He then served under Capt John Taylor all monthly Tours. He then enlisted under Capt John Mastin in the year 1779 against the Indians. Shelby was our General [Evan Shelby, then still Colonel]. He served for three months and during this Tour, they destroyed the Indian Village of Chicamogany [sic: villages under Cherokee chief Dragging Canoe on Chickamauga Creek in present Tennessee, April 1779] and drove off all their cattle and returned in the Summer of 1779, when he returned he was sent to the Lead Mines [in present Wythe County] in this State to guard there where he was found by Capt Parris who was going against the Tories, who took him along with him until he became sick, and unable to proceed further, when he was left. Abram Trigg was Colonel of this force. He afterwards served another Tour under Capt Israel Lorton on Walkers Creek [in present Giles or Bland County VA] and was again ordered out by Colo Preston to scout and guard the forts

He has no papers to show his discharges He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity whatever, and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of any agency in any state. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.    

Henry his X mark Bishop

NOTE: The pension certificate states that Bishop died 2 June 1839. On 18 Jan 1841 in Floyd County VA Fanny Bishop, 76, applied for a pension stating that she married Henry Bishop in May 1785. The file includes a copy of a bond signed by Henry Bishop and Peter Rife dated 23 May 1785 in Montgomery County VA for the marriage of Bishop to Fanny Simpkins, daughter of Daniel Simpkins. There is also a supporting statement from Bishop’s brother, Jacob, and another document by John Bishop, an heir of Henry Bishop.