Pension Application of Joel Leftwich: S8830
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia & County of Campbell
On this 8th day of October 1832 Personally appeared before the Court of the County of Campbell & State aforesaid Joel Leftwich A resident of the County & State aforesaid Aged Seventy one years the 22nd of last November who being first duly Sworn according to Law doth on his Oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832. That when a boy about Sixteen years old he enlisted in the County of Bedford & State aforesaid some time in the Winter 1776 - 77 with Captain Alexander Cummins in the Army of the United States who had enlisted part of a Company for three years beginning the first day of August 1776 and had marched them to Head Quarters & returned to Bedford on Recruiting Service & he [two words illegible] & that he Contracted with said Capt. that his term of service would Expire in the first day of Aug’st. 1777 [sic: 1779] with those he had previously Enlisted – He set out with the Capt. & five other Recruits for the Continental Army about the tenth of March & on the way was inoculated for the small Pox in Baltimore & joined the Revolutionary Army near Middlebrook in new Jersey early in May 1777 & was attached to the first Regiment in the Virginia line under Continental establishment Commanded according to the best of his recollection at different times by Colonels [Richard] Parker, [John] Green & Hendrick & annexed to Gen’. Muhlenburg’s [sic: Peter Muhlenberg’s] Brigade. That he was in the baggage guard at the time of the Battle at Brandywine [11 Sep 1777] but was in the Battle at German Town [sic: Germantown, 4 Oct 1777] where the Reg’t. to which he was attached sustained Considerable losses. Shortly after which the 1st Reg’t., to which he was attached was detached from the Brigade & stationed at Fort Mifflin (commonly called mud Island Fort at that time) About five weeks [illegible word] to an almost daily Cannonade & Bombardment & the fire was [illegible word] returned from the Fort but not with much effect on either side the distance being too far. at length the Reg’t was relieved by another Reg’t. in Consequence of being kept so long on continual hard duty & stationed in the neighbourhood within a few miles with the general impression that they were immediately to return with others but in a few days after the Relief the Enemy either [illegible word] the Chevaux de frise or sliped by with their large man of war Ships in such force that the Fort was Evacuated & taken possession of by the Enemy. [See note below.] immediately after which the first Reg’t. joined the Brigade & the Army shortly after went into winter Quarters at Valley Forge in Huts of their own building. he further states that he was in no other Battle while attached to the Regular Army & that his term of service having expired he was Honorably discharged on the first day of Aug’st 1779 at [illegible] in new Jersey & that his discharge was signed thus JPG Muhlenburg B. G. but has been lost or mislaid & that he has not seen it for many years. He also states that he volunteered his service as a Substitute for Joseph Dickinson some time in May or June 1790 & joined a Company of Militia In New London Bedford County [now in Campbell County] commanded by Capt. Thomas Leftwich in the service of the United States & was appointed Orderly Serjeant of the same & marched to Hillsborough in North Carolina the gen’l rendezvous of the Virginia Militia in that Campaign where the Troops were Organized into Regiments which formed a brigade Commanded by Gen’l. [Edward] Stevens & Capt Leftwich’s Company was attached to a Reg’t the number of which he does not recollect but was Commanded by Col’el [George] Stubblefield or Thomas forming a part of the Brigade the Militia commenced their march for the Southern Army about the last of July or first of Aug’st & joined the Regular Army at Rudgeleys Mills [sic: Rugeley’s Mill] in South Carolina about two days before Gates’s Defeat near Camden where he had the mortification to witness the most shameful & disastrous Battle that occured during the Revolutionary War the whole of the Ordinance Military Stores & Baggage being taken by the Enemy. the American Army apparently being struck with a panick were completely routed & [illegible word] to flight after which the Militia retreated in a scattered irregular manner in Sqads & detachments to Hillsborough the assigned Rendezvous where they generally joined their respective Companies & Regiments. [See note below.] A considerable number continued their retreat untill they got home. The Militia being partially reorganized were destitute of all kind of Camp Equipage [several words illegible] & frequently without provision & such was the general distress & privation that the Troops deserted in an unprecedented manner. he states that every man belonging to Capt. Leftwich’s Company except the commissioned officers [several illegible words] Private & himself deserted the commissioned officers consequently became supernumeraries & were discharged & the other Serjeants, Privates & himself were attached to [two or three illegible words] Company of the same Reg’t. shortly after which the Troops marched to New Garden [near present Greensboro NC] where they were stationed several weeks In the mean time Colo. James Callaway commanding the Militia in Bedford County took effectual measures to collect the [one or two illegible words] troops that deserted & sent them on to camp with a commission for Joel Leftwich [one or two illegible words] Serjeant in Capt. Thomas Leftwich’s late company of Militia in the United States service with a deserted Captain Captain to take command of them but the commanding Gen’l. did not think proper to [illegible word] them to serve the remainder of the Tour as common[?] Militia & they were sent home in order to be reorganized & to serve Eight month agreeable to the regulations of the Law at that time relating to Militia Deserters [see note below] he states that he continued regularly at his post untill about the last of October or first of November when his term of service having expired he was Honorably discharged in North Carolina. the name of the person he does not recollect neither does he at present know whether his Discharge was signed by the Gen’l. or Colo. having been lost many years — He further states that some time in February 1781 he Contracted with John Hook[?] a Merchant of Bedford County to serve a Tour of duty for him as a substitute in a Company of Militia in the service for the United States under the command of Capt. Bowen Price then stationed at New London Bedford County & was appointed Orderly Serjeant of said company which was shortly after attached to a Reg’t. of Militia commanded by Colo. Charles Lynch of Bedford which marched immediately for North Carolina after a few days march Lieutenant John Ferquaman[?] who was attached to Capt. Price’s Company was taken sick & unfit for duty & either resigned his commission or was Discharged. A vacancy having occurred in the company he states that Nicholas Welch Ensign in said company was promoted to a Lieutenant & that he himself was promoted to an Ensign & acted as such in the Battle at Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina [15 March 1781] – the line of Battle being formed a demand was made on Colo. Lynch for a Detachment of fifty of his best Riflemen to flank the Enemy the Colo. called for volunteers he immediately stepped forward with the number required which detachment was commanded by Major John Callaway of Colo. Lynch’s Reg’t. & after giving the Enemys left Flank four or five destructive fires the Major ordered a Retreat & when within about one Hundred yards of the Reg’t. in crossing a steep hollow he got his left ankle badly Sprained & under normal circumstances would not have been able to have borne an ounce of weight on it. but such was the necessity that he stumbled up to the Reg’t. by which time the fire had just commenced from Colo. Lynch’s Reg’t. & believing that his ankle was dislocated & that he should be a cripple for life if he did not have it put in place immediately while the wound was fresh he applied to Lieutenant Benjamin Rice of Capt. Moon’s Company to pull his ankle in place & after several hard pulls the Lieut. [illegible word] he could do no more but not being satisfied & still thinking that his ankle was out of joint he applied to Abram Sharp a strong resolute Soldier of his acquaintance to pull it again but without effect & after consulting several of the Officers relative to his Cripled situation they unanimously advised him to retire the best way he could & he did so & was soon [illegible word] by three [illegible word] of the North Carolina mounted Riflemen & gave one of them five Hundred Dollars Continental Money to let him ride behind him to [illegible, but probably should be Troublesome] Iron works ten or Twelve miles distant to which place the Baggage had been previously sent & at which place the Troops [four illegible words] within a day or two after the Battle not being able to walk a step & being considered a Cripple for Months he hastily procured a Horse to ride home & Colo. Lynch discharged Thomas Hamilton a Soldier in Capt. Price’s Company to attend & aid him in getting home – he also says that being promoted when in actual service he did not receive a commission but that his appointment as Ensign was announced to the Troops & that he Ranked, did Duty, & was Discharged as such: & he believes his Discharge was signed by Colo Lynch but he has not seen it for many years — he hereby relinquishes Every claim whatever to a Pension or annuity except the present & he declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of any agency in any State Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid Joel Leftwich
Question by the Court: Where were you born and in what year?
Answer: I was born on the 22nd. of November 1760
Question by the Court. Have you any record of your age, and if so where is it?
Answer. I have no record of my age, but am informed by my elderly brothers & sisters that there was a record of my age.
Question by the Court. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolutionary war and where do you live now?
Answer. I was living when called into service in the County of Bedford, I have lived since the revolutionary war in the County of Bedford until about five years ago when I moved to the County of Campbell, and now live in the said County of Campbell.
Question by the Court: How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute
I volunteered as a regular soldier in the revolutionary war at one time and served as a substitute two other times
Question by the Court. State the names of some of the regular officers who were they the troops when you served; was such Continental and Militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service?
Answer. Generals Washington, Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] and Muhlenburg, Continental and Militia and for further particulars reference may be had to my declaration
Question by the Court. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, if so by whom was it given and what has become of it?
Answer I did receive several; by Genl Muhlenburg in one instance and the others I do not recollect by whom they were given, and my discharges have been lost and I have not seen them for many years.
Question by the Court. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of our Service as a revolutionary Soldier?
Answer. Major Joane [sic: John] Otey, Judge Wm Daniel and Christopher Anthony.
Question by the Court. Had you ever a Commision and if so by whom was it signed and what has become of it
Answer. I had no Commision during the revolutionary war but was appointed an ensign when in actual service and acted as such and my appointment announced to the Troops by the Commanding Officer and acted as such until I was honorably discharged.
NOTES:
The British bombardment of Fort Mifflin on Mud Island in the Delaware River near Philadelphia began on 10 Nov 1777 under the command of Gen. Sir William Howe. After stiff resistance the American defenders were compelled to set fire to the fort and abandon it on the night of 15 Nov. In spite of a chevaux-de-frise (spike-studded logs) the British were soon able to navigate the river.
The impression given by Leftwich’s account of the Battle of Camden, where Gen. Horatio Gates was defeated on 16 Aug 1780, may be misleading. The Virginia Militia on the left were the first to flee in panic, exposing the North Carolina Militia in the middle, most of whom also fled. Some of the North Carolinians did remain to fight, together with the Continental troops from Maryland and Delaware. Virginia militiamen who deserted in this battle were required to serve an additional tour of eight months.
A typed summary states that Joel Leftwich died 20 April 1848.