Pension Application of Francis Wood: S18290
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia}
Bedford County} SS
On this 23d day of September 1832 personally appeared in open court before the court of Bedford County, now sitting, Francis Wood, a resident of Russell parish in the County of Bedford & state of Virginia, aged 70 years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed 7 June 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated. That sometime in November 1780. (he cannot recollect the day of the month) he volunteered into the service of the United States in Amherst County Virginia, where he then resided, under the command of Capt. Charles Christian Lieut James Grikom & Ensign Elijah Christian, and served a tour of three months The company marched from said county through Buckingham to Richmond where they were stationed one or two weeks. From Richmond they were marched to Williamsburg & patrolled & reconnoitred between that place & Yorktown until the last of January 1781, when his term having expired he was discharged at Williamsburg by Capt Christian, but has lost or mislaid his discharge. He cannot recollect that he had any field officers, nor that he served with any regular officers or regular or militia Regiments or companies – he was but sixteen years old when he served this tour, and thinks it probable his memory may not retain names, dates, & circumstances faithfully. He thinks that his company never joined any regiment but acted as a mere scouting party during the whole time – He has no documentary evidence, nor does he know any person living by whom he can prove his services.
Immediately after the expiration of the above tour, to wit, in February 1781, he again volunteered into the service of the United States in Amherst county Virginia, under Capt Benjamin Rucker, and marched as a guard to the lower part of Amherst County to keep some prisoners captured by Gen’l. Morgan at the Cowpens [Daniel Morgan at Cowpens SC, 17 Jan 1781]. He was engaged in this tour at least one week, when he was discharged by Col Meridith, Col of the County. had no written discharge. He had no other officers, either field or company, except Capt. Rucker. There were no regular officers, or continental or militia regiments or companies with the troops who consisted of merely a guard. Cornwallis, it was said about this time was marching into Virginia to recapture the said prisoners – who were delivered to the lower battalion of Amherst militia, & we discharged. He knows no person living by whom he can prove his services this tour.
On the next day after he returned home from the tour last above mentioned, to wit, in the month of Feb. 1781, he again volunteered into the service of the United States, in Amherst County under Capt. James Franklin, & Ensign William Christian, he cannot recollect the Lieutenant. He served this tour three months. His field officers were Colo Peter Rose & Gabriel Penn, and Maj [illegible], who went with him from Amherst. They rendezvoused at Stoballs Ferry in Amherst County & marched from thence to Prince Edward Court house, and to Danes[?] Ferry on Dan River, and thro the upper part of North Carolina to Guilford N. Carolina where they arrived during the battle of Guilford [Battle of Guilford Courthouse, 15 March 1781], but too late to participate in the engagement. After the battle they joined the army commanded by Gen’l. Green [sic: Nathanael Greene], and were attached to Gen’l. [Robert] Lawson’s Brigade. They were marched to Deep River in N. Carolina in pursuit of the British commanded by Cornwallis. After remaining a few days, marching about, they returned thro Hillsborough to Virginia & were regularly discharged by Gen’l Lawson but had no written discharge. Of the regular officers who served with him, he recollects the names of Gen’l Green, Gen’l Morgan [sic: see note below], Colos [William] Washington & [Henry] Lee. There were regular continental regiments, but he cannot recollect their number, or their officers, except Col. Washinton’s horse. He recollects three companies of militia, one commanded by Capt. James Ballard – one by James Franklin – & one by Capt. Young [sic: Younger] Landrum. There were other militia regiments & companies. Of the militia officers, he recollects Gen’ls Lawson & [Edward] Stevens – Col. [Charles] Lynch of Bedford Co. Va. – Col. Holcombe [sic: John Holcomb] of Charlotte – Capt. Joel Leftwich of Bedford. He has no documentary evidence – he refers to the affidavit of William Turner.
In August 1781 – cannot recollect the day – he again volunteered into the service of the United States – in Amherst County, under Capt. John Stewart, Lieut. Charles Edes, & ensign Bartlett Edes – and marched thro Albemarle, Fluvanna, Hanover, & Williamsburg to Yorktown – & joined the army commanded by Gen’l Washington – & continued in the service at least three months, & three weeks. His field officers were Gen’ls LaFayette, & [Anthony] Wayne, & Col. [St. George] Tucker. He was in the whole siege of York & was present when the surrender took place. After the surrender he was detached as a guard under Col. [Samuel] Vance & his company officers aforesaid to guard the British prisoners to Fredericktown in Maryland where they delivered them to another guard & were discharged by Col Vance at Fredericktown the last of December 1781 – received no written discharge – of the regular officers he recollects Gen’ls Washington, La Fayette, Wayne, Lee [see note below], [Benjamin] Lincoln, Col. Tucker – Capt. White, who was killed, Gov. [Thomas] Nelson was there. He refers to the affidavit of same Franklin.
He has no documentary evidence of his services either tour.
1 – He was born in Charlotte County Virginia, he thinks, the 4th April 1763— 2 never had any register of his age — 3. Lived in Amherst County Va. when called into service, where he lived till some time between 1790 & 1800, when he moved to Bedford where he has lived ever since & now lives — 4. Called into service in the manner stated in the declaration — 5 & 6. He has answered in his declaration. — 7 John Sharp Jr. & Charles Wood are persons to whom he is known in his neighborhood, who can testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a revolutionary soldier.
He has been unable to find a clergyman, who can conscientiously make the certificate as there are none living in his neighborhood.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.
[signed] Francis Wood
NOTE: Gen. Daniel Morgan retired just after the battle of Cowpens and was not present during the Guilford Courthouse campaign. Col. Henry Lee was not at Yorktown, and no other Col. Lee is known to have been there.