Pension Application of William Miner (Minor): S11070
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia}
County of Bedford} Sct.
On this 26th day of March 1834 personally appeared in open Court before the Court of Bedford County now sitting the same being a Court of record William Miner a resident of said County in the State of Virginia aged upwards of 81 years 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 Seventh 1832– That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. In the year 1777 in the month of January he thinks but the day of the month or the precise time he can not now remember by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he was drafted as a militia man from the County of King William in Virginia where he then resided, and marched from there under the command of Captain James Martin Lieutenant Ambrose Lipscomb and ensign John Pemberton, to Williamsburg then the seat of Government, and at the time that Patrick Henry was Governor of the State [6 July 1776 - 1 June 1779]. He does not know that he was attached to any particular Regiment. He was he believes under the direction and control of the Governor himself, the troops were kept there as a guard and to watch the movements of the British who were constantly expected to land at that place. He remembers at Williamsburg among others the names of Captain’s Henly & Johnson. There was no engagement with the enemy this tour and after having served out his tour which was one of three months and not less he was discharged. He does not remember from whom he received his discharge but thinks it was given by the Governor himself to the men generally. The discharge was not written. He cannot remember the month or day when he was discharged for the reason before stated either in this tour or any others. It was however he believes in this instance in the Spring of the year 1777 – In the Spring of that year following the last tour, or in the winter of that year [sic: probably 1781], but the day or the month of the year or the year itself with exact certainty he cannot now remember for the reasons before stated he was again drafted as a militia man from the same County (where he then also resided) under the command of Captain Robert Drait[?], John King first Lieutenant, Richard King 2nd Lieutenant, and Nathaniel Fox Ensign. He marched from the County aforesaid under the said officers until they came within 6 or 7 miles of Williamsburg where they were stopped by the captains orders when Colo. Holt Richardson came who directed the captain to remain there with his men until he went to and returned from Williamsburg. They were then ordered toward Coles Ferry to cross over from James City [County] into Charles City [County], and after crossing Chickahominy River to go to Sandy point on James River, from thence they crossed and joined General Muhlenburgs [sic: Peter Muhlenberg’s] army which was then down the River coming from towards Norfolk. The Ensign crossed with the men of whom this declarant was one, the others refused to cross and returned home. After crossing the river at this place where it was said to be three miles wide Ensign Fox with his Sixteen men went on down the river and joined Genl. Muhlenburgs army. They then turned back up the river with the army until they came to Appomatox river; at this place the British who had been advancing up the River divided, the larger vessels continued in James River whilst the small craft went up in the direction of Petersburg. these could be seen by the Americans at intervals where the situation would admit of it. The American forces continued to advance up the river also until the British under [William] Phillips and [Benedict] Arnold finally landed near Petersburg. everything was there made ready for action on the part of the americans and each man had his place assigned him. [Battle of Petersburg, 25 April 1781] Ensign Fox and his men were all put with the light infantry while engaged. Ensign Fox was placed on the left of the infantry and this declarant under Lieutenant House on the right. Fox’s party first engaged the British but retreated after a few fires. This declarant and his party were the next to engage them and they had been commanded by Colo. [Alexander] Dick to stand until the British advanced within 60 yards of them and then to fire twice before they retreated which was done accordingly. The British returned a brisk and severe fire. the balls of the Enemy passed often near the head of this declarant and could be distinctly heard. whilst the party to which this declarant was attached retreated it kept up a fire upon the British until it joined the main line when a general engagement took place, but finally the americans were compelled to retreat. Colo. Dick at the head of the american force crossed the bridge and then took it up in order to prevent the British from crossing in pursuit. they however continued firing across the river with their cannons which was returned by the americans. the firing was very destructive to the houses The americans even after they had retreated across the River had several of their number killed. This declarant believed at the time of the onset made by his party in that engagement that he killed a man in the British line and he still believes so. After firing a while across the river the americans were ordered to retreat and accordingly they went from there to Chesterfield Court house, from thence to the Coal Pitts and then they marched up the river to Randolph Ferry where they crossed. from there they marched down the river to Richmond where this declarant again met with the rest of the Company who had refused to cross at Sandy point. The British in the meantime had gotten up the Bridge again at Petersburg and had come on as far as Manchester with their army. This declarant was then put under Colo. Holt Richardson and the British and americans continuing on opposite sides of this river went up and down it again without however coming to an engagement. This declarant was finally discharged. He received no written discharge that he now remembers. he thinks it was a mere verbal discharge from the captain. He served this tour he believes four months but he will say for certainty that he served not less that three months. He was a private in all his services, at no time during the service was he in any civil employment.
In the course of a year or so after the expiration of the last mentioned tour [sic: certainly before the British surrender on 19 Oct 1781], in warm weather but the month or day or date of the year he cannot now remember for the reasons before stated, he was drafted again as a militia man from from the same County where he then also resided, under Captain Peter Richardson, Giles Raines Lieutenant, and William Boywell Ensign. They were called out in this instance to protect and guard the County against the expected invasion of the British. This was highly necessary, that part of the County being much exposed, lying as it did between the Pamunky [sic: Pamunkey] and Mattaponiy [sic: Mattaponi] Rivers which at their junction formed York River where the British vessels could come up and where it was constantly expected the British would land. He continued in this service and marched from one point of the County to another, where there was most danger apprehended until he was finally discharged at the expiration of this term which was three months duration and not less. He thinks in this instance he merely received a verbal discharge from the Captain as he believes was the custom at the time. He was in no engagement during this tour. He saw or became acquainted with but four Soldiers or officers this tour except those, who marched with him.
In the year 1781 as he believes, at least it was in the same year that Cornwallis surrendered at York Town during the summer of that year but the month or day he cannot now remember for the reasons before stated, this declarant was again drafted as a militia man from the same County where he then resided and marched thence under the command of Captain James Wade and other officers, whose names he has now forgotten except Thomas Newcolis was an orderly Sergeant they marched from the County aforesaid to King & Queen through Gloucester County and joined the army or a part of it under Colonel John Taylor, from there they marched into Middlesex County through various parts of the adjacent County and after a time joined the army under General [George] Weedon. He remembers also Colo William Campbell who held some command, the number of the regiment to which he was attached he does not remember if he ever knew but Colo. John Page of Gloucester was Colonel of the regiment and James Baytoss[?] either the Lieutenant Colonel or Major of the same. Cornwallis was then in York Town. The troops this declarant was with were kept almost constantly moving from one point of the County to the other and seldom remained long in one place, they regulated their movements by those of the enemy and generally went where there was considered to be the most danger. He remembers they remained a while at Hubbards old field, Ware Church [near Gloucester] and Gloucester Courthouse, it was said at that time that the British were about to make a continued attack some where near that point and hence the great preparation which was made. The enemy in a short time however were completely put down at York Town, and this declarant was finally discharged in a few weeks after the Surrender of Cornwallis without being in any engagement that tour. The day or the month he was discharged he cannot now remember. He received this tour he thinks a written discharge from Colo. Baytoss but it is now lost or mislaid. He saw many of the British prisoners after the surrender of Cornwallis. He served during this tour three months and not less. The whole of his services will amount to not less than Twelve months or one year. Throughout the whole of his services he was a private Soldier, and during the time of his service was in no civil employment. He was born in the County of King and Queen on the 29th day of August 1752 as appeared by a register of his fathers, that register is now lost or mislaid. He lived in that County till he thinks he was 23 years old when he moved into King William County in Va. where he resided during the war and while serving. In 1789 he moved into the County of Bedford where he has resided ever since and where he now resides. He has no documentary evidence by which to prove his services or any part thereof nor does he know of any person now living by whom he can prove the same except his brother Threesivolus Miner whom he met with in several different tours, and who was a Soldier at the same time. Though he and this declarant were under different officers and marched from different Counties, he also refers to William J. Walkers affidavit as circumstantially proving his services. Having lived in the County of King William during the war and then afterwards moved to the County of Bedford where he was a Stranger renders it extremely difficult to meet with persons who know any thing of his services except by report this being the case his reputation in the County as a soldier is the more difficult to establish according to the rules of the War department. There are many person in the County who believe he was a soldier as stated. Owing to these circumstances it is the more difficult to procure the certificate of a clergyman. Having removed into the County of Bedford a stranger after the war from a very distant County away from all his fellow Soldiers he hopes will be a sufficient reason for his not being readily enabled to furnish the particular kind of presumptive evidence which the law requires when to be had.
He makes the following answers to the several interrogatories prescribed by the war department Viz.
To the first Interrogatory he answers– In the County of King & Queen in the State of Virginia in the year 1752 on the 29th day of August.
To the second he answers– I had in my fathers register a record of my age but it is now lost or mislaid.
To the Third he answers– [When called into service he lived] In the County of King William in Virginia and have lived since the war in the County of Bedford and now live there.
To the fourth, fifth & sixth he answers– see the body of the Declaration for an answer.
To the Seventh he answers– I refer to Reuben Parker, James Otey, William Calvert, John Vest and William Whitton as persons to whom I am known in my present neighbourhood and who can testify to my character for veracity and their belief of my services as a Soldier of the revolution.
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 any agency in any State –
William Miner
NOTE: The following from the pension application of Threesivolus Miner (S16968) provides additional details:
Bedford County to wit
This day [24 Feb 1834] William Miner came before me a Justice of the peace for the County aforesaid and made oath that during the War of the Revolution whilst he was himself a Soldier in the american army he remembers to have seen Threesivolus Miner also in the service as a Soldier, he saw him at Middlesex where he was under the command of one Hoskins. He also saw the said Threesivolus Miner at Sowell’s ordinary in Gloucester County where were the head quarters of that part of the army. The said Thresivolus Miner was there discharging the duties of a Soldier, awhile before Cornwallis’s surrender. He accidentally met with the said Threesivolus Miner on one or two other occasions in the service when they were both performing duties as Soldiers. They were however in different companies under different commands and resided in different Counties. How long the said Threesivolus Miner served he does not know. [signed] Wm Miner