Pension Application of David Stephens: R10111

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

State of Virginia  Patrick County SS

            On this 13th day of November 1840 personally appeared in open court before the County Court of Patrick County now sitting David Stephens a resident of Patrick County and State of Virginia aged seventy six 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 7th 1832–  That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein after stated  That this applicant volunteered in the County of Pittsylvania on Cascade[?] Creek in the State of Virginia in the month of April in the year 1781  he was [word illegible] under the command of Capt. Hutchins or Hudgins at Sandy river in said County of Pittsylvania where said Hutchins Company [word illegible] in a day or two after [several words illegible], and marched off with said company immediately to the point on Dan river where Danville now stands and marched from there towards Jamestown  [the rest illegible, except for the following phrases: “at a place called Broken[?] ferry then” “Old James Town in” “he was at this place under Genl Stephens and hearing of the surrender… the battle of Little York this declarant marched on by a forced march crossing James river to Little York where this applicant joined Genl Washington” “witnessed when Lord Cornwallis surrendered his sword to Genl Washington”  “This declarant during the march from Dan river was frequently sent out after… he was frequently employed in foraging for the army  that duty… almost constantly on account of his being a boy not more than seventeen years of age and on account his diminutive size. This affiants opportunity of getting acquainted particularly with the officers…”]

This affiant enlisted with Capt. Cleveland the day before the surrender of Lord Cornwallis in Virginia was for and during the War but his services not being longer required in the State of Virginia after the [word illegible] terminated, he was permitted to return home which he did, and reached home in Pittsylvania the 27th or 8th day of October 1781. This affiant did not receive his discharge his Captain having promised to [rest illegible]