Pension Application of Josiah Woods: R11831
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia Franklin County SS
on this 2nd day of November 1835 personally appeared before the county Court of Franklin county Josiah Woods Esq’r. a resident of said County of Franklin and state of Virginia aged seventy three years last March 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 7th 1832 This applicant says he was born in Charlotte county Virginia in March 1762 as appears by a family register which is still possessed[?] That he removed with his fathers family to Henry County now Franklin where he has since & now resides. That in the year 1781 he has forgot the month he was in Henry county drafted into a company of Militia for three months commanded by Capt. George Hairston and Ensign Corn & was marched to Guilford County North Carolina. A few days after the battle of Guilford [Guilford Courthouse, 15 Mar 1781] the company joined Gen’l Greens [sic: Nathanael Greene’s] army and were attached to Gen’l Lawsons [Robert Lawson’s] brigade in a regiment commanded by Colo [St. George] Tucker and Maj’r Halcum [sic: John Holcomb] they marched with the main army to Ramsey mill on Deep river. At Ramseys Mill they were attached to Colo Lee’s infantry [Lt. Col. Henry Lee’s Legion] and were marched to Cape Fear North Carolina and then he was discharged in writing this discharge he has long since lost or mislaid
In the summer or fall of said year 1781 he was again drafted in said County of Henry into a company of militia commanded by Swinfield Hill Capt. Hugh Woods Lieut’t and Wm. Woods Ensign – and were marched to various places finally to york town Va. where the company joined the main army commanded by His Excellency General Washington the company was attached to a regiment commanded by Colo Skipworth [sic: Henry Skipwith], and participated in the Siege of YorkTown [28 Sep - 19 Oct 1781]. after the surrender of Cornwallis this applicant and the company to which he belonged were discharged. the discharge was in writing this discharge he has also lost. This applicant expressly avers that the term for which he was drafted both times was three months and that he faithfully served the two tours as above stated – and was honorably discharged He has no documentary testimony – but George Ferguson & Lewis Davis [pension application S8280] two respectable men living in Franklin served both tours above with him & he refers to their Testimony to support this declaration
this applicant the last tour he served acted the whole tour as a Sergant to the company
This applicant is extensively known in the county in which he has resided having served as a member of the general assembly and long as a justice of the peace
this applicant relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any State.
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid [signed] J Woods
[Certified by Moses Greer, a clergyman, and Ro. T Woods.]
NOTE: A note in the file says the pension was “suspended Dec 37.” On 11 Feb 1854 Wiley P. Woods, son of Josiah Woods, deceased, assigned power of attorney to obtain any additional pension that may have been due.