Pension Application of Matthew Farmer: S16790
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia Franklin County Sct On this 5 day of November 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the County Court of Franklin now seting Matthew Farmer, resident of Franklin County & State of Virginia aged by his register, 71 years born in Chesterfield County Va who lived in Halifax Va during the Revolutionary war and has since removed to Franklin Va 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 7th June 1832 – That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as is herein stated — That in 1780 he was drafted into a company in Halifax County Va where he then lived – commanded by Capt Joshua Powell – and marched to Portsmouth Va where he served three months, and was then discharged – his discharge he has long since lost, at Portsmouth he was attached to a regiment commanded by Colo Fleming, Gen’l Mulingburg [sic: Peter Muhlenberg] commanded the troops at Portsmouth during this tour this applicant served as orderly Sergant – In 1781 this applicant was called out and marched in a company commanded by Capt Fleming Bates from Halifax to Yorktown and was a soldier – in the seige of York – he was attached to the regiment commanded by the brave Colo Holt Richardson – he also assisted in taking the British prisoners to Nowlin’s [Noland’s] Ferry - on the Maryland line – after which he was discharged having been in service upwards of six months his discharge he has lost – for proof of the mentioned tours he refers to the evidence of Ensign Jno Bates here exhibited – This applicant is well acquainted with Thomas Davenport Esq’r of Hallifax member of Congress and Nath’l H Claiborne member of Congress from this District – and refers to them for his general character.
He has no documentary evidence He says that the whole time he was in service was upwards of six months as he verily believes He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid [signed] Matthew Farmer
NOTE: On 3 June 1834 Matthew Farmer applied to have his pension transferred to St. Charles County MO, stating that he had moved to Missouri because he “hoped when he moved to better his situation in life in this particular at least, to get good Land & more of it, and as he was now very old, to be the better able to live easier and make more with less labour.”