Pension Application of Abraham Goff: S39596
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia Sct.
At a Superior Court of Law held for Bedford County at the Courthouse the 14th day of September 1818.
Present, William Daniel Esq’r Judge.
Abraham Goff a free man of color in came into Court and made oath that he enlisted in the regular army of the United States during the revolutionary war in the month of January 1777 to the best of his recollection under Capt. Mayo Carrington of Cumberland County Virginia, that he served in the tenth old Virginia Regiment (so called) that he served regularly until 1780 when he was taken prisoner at Charleston in South Carolina [12 May 1780]. That afterwards he re-entered the service immediately on his return to Virginia and continued in the said service under Gen’l. Robert Lawson until the surrender of Cornwallis at York Town in Virginia [19 Oct 1781] immediately after the close of the war and that his discharge he believes is in the auditors office in Richmond Virginia and that from his reduced circumstances in life he needs the assistance of his country for support
Allen Taylor sworn in Court states that he has been acquainted with Abraham Goff for many years, and that he believes him to be in indigent circumstances and that he believes he needs the assistance of his country for support.
District of Virginia Sct
Bedford August Court 1820 on the 28th day of August 1820 personally appeared in Open Court being a Court of Record for the said County Abraham Goff aged Seventy Seven years resident in said County who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath declare that he served in the revolutionary war as follows in the Company of Capt Alexander Parker (but first enlisted under Capt. Mayo Carrington) in the 10th Olde Virginia Regiment under Col Richard Parker and served upwards of four years having enlisted in 1778 & served until Wallaces Surrender – date of original declaration September 1818 in the Superior Court of Law of Bedford County Number of the pension certificate 7516 date 12th March 1819 and I do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th March 1818 and that I have not since that time by Gift Sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities contracts or debts due to me nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed.
Schedule of property one pair trace chains cost $1.00
That he is by occupation a farmer and utterly unable from age and infirmity to pursue his labour one fourth of his time that he has four children living with him the oldest a daughter named Matilda aged 14 years Eley aged 12 Samuel aged 6 years Mary aged 3 years neither of Whom are Capable of assisting him much or to any advantage Sworn to and declared in open Court on the 28th day of August 1820 Abraham his X mark Goff