Pension Application of William Arthur: S6528
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia Bedford County S.S.
On this 25th day of February 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Bedford now sitting William Arthur a resident of Virginia in the County of Bedford aged Seventy one years the 14th day of November last 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 June the 7th 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein after stated. That on the [blank space] day of April 1780 he enlisted under Cap. Jesse Herd in the County of Bedford & State of Virginia who commanded a Troop of Cavalry for Six Months. That he was marched through the County against the Tories until about the 1st day July when he was marched to the Hawfields upon Haw River in North Carolina, where he was stationed some short time. that he was from thence marched on toward ninety six [sic: Ninety-Six SC] (the place he enlisted first to go to): That he was met before he got to ninety six and turned back, and was marched to Henry Courthouse in Virginia where he was discharged. That he has no documentary evidence nor does he know of any person now living who served with him or knows any thing about it, except James Maxey, who was then about 14 years old who remembers his marching under Captain Herd & whose affidavit is hereto annexed & respectfully referred to.
The next Tour he served was one of Three months in the Militia. That he was drafted he thinks in the latter part of the year 1780 in the County of Bedford and marched under Cap. John Trigg to Petersburg a distance of 150 miles and from thence to Cabbin point [sic: Cabin Point in Surry County] and from thence to Portsmouth and from thence to Gregory’s Camp in North Carolina where he was stationed a short time and then marched back again to Portsmouth and was then marched about the Country watching General [Benedict] Arnold who was said to be in Long Bridge fort [sic: probably the fort at Great Bridge on Elizabeth River], and then marched back again to North Carolina and back again across the Dismal Swamp to Prince George Courthouse where he was discharged. The commanding officers were Major Decloughman Colonel Meriweather & Genl. Mulenburg [sic: Peter Muhlenberg]. That he has no documentary evidence but can prove the service of this Tour by Isaac Cundiff and Capt. Samuel Wilks whose affidavit is hereto annexed and respectfully referred to. That on [blank space] day of May 1781 he was again drafted in the Militia for a Tour of Three months under the command of Lieutenant Preston Gilbert and Ensign William Buford to guard the Magazines in New London then Bedford County Court House [now in Campbell County]. That an information being received that the Brittish was at the Point of fork on James River, where for the safety of the magazine it was hid by waggon loads in the woods at different places and guarded and then removed to Crows ferry in Botetourt County where he remained some time & then again removed to New London, where he was stationed till his term of service expired and was discharged. That he has no documentary evidence and knows of no living witness that he can prove the service of this Tour by except Isaac Cundiff who was in said tour and served with him the whole time and to whose affidavit he respectfully refers. 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. William Arthur
The following is the answers to the several Interrogatories propounded by the Court before whom the foregoing declaration was sworn and subscribed
Answer to Question 1st~ I was born and raised in the County of Bedford and State of Virginia on the 14th November 1762
2~ I have a record of my age as kept by my parents now in my possession.
3rd~ I lived in the County of Bedford when called into the service each time & have resided in said County in the State of Virginia ever since
4 & 5th~ Answered as stated in the declaration ~
6th~ If ever I received a discharge for any of the Tours I served they are lost or mislaid, as they were deemed of no value after the term of service expired and I took no care of them
7th~ I refer you to William Leftwich a minister of the gospel and to Pleasant Preston who resides in my neighbourhood & with whom I am well acquainted
NOTE: A document in the file states that William Arthur died 9 July 1847, and the pension was paid to that date to Susan H. Arthur, his only child.