Pension Application of John and Mary Parsons Midkiff: W3852

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

State of Virginia & County of Patrick Ss.

            On this 11th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the Court of Patrick now sitting, John Midkiff a resident of the County of Patrick, and State of Virginia aged seventy years the 11th day of March 1832 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  That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as hereinafter stated. He was drafted under Captain Spencer Shelton for a three months tour he thinks in August 1780 he being then a resident of Pittsylvania County Virginia and march’d in that company as soon as it was organized to Halifax Courthouse Virginia and stayed there some time waiting for further orders, and afterwards was marched into Granville or Caswell County of the State of North Carolina, and after remaining there some time he was discharged. the precise time he was in actual service during this tour he does not remember. In January 1781 he volunteered in the company of Riflemen commanded by Captain Thomas Smith in the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia  That he immediately marched in the said company and joined the Continental army in the State of North Carolina, and was attached to the Infantry in the corps of Col. Henry Lee, that he was engaged in a battle with the enemy at a place called Whitsals Mills [sic: Wetzel’s Mill NC] on Haw river. Colo. Campbell from Holstein Virginia [sic: William Campbell from Holston in Washington County VA] and Colo. Williams [sic: possibly Joseph Williams of the NC Militia] of North Carolina commanded. Also Colo. Morgan [sic: see note below] & Colo. Washington [sic: William Washington] of the Continental Army. The Americans retreated with some inconsiderable loss. How long he remain’d in service during that tour he does not exactly recollect (having lost his discharge) but is under the impression that he returned home some time in the month of March in that year – Some time in the month of August 1781 he was drafted in the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia in a Company commanded by Capt. Charles Hudgins and immediately marched in this said Company to Yorktown Virginia, and joined the Continental troops, Capt Hudgins then returned home, and he was put under the command of Captain William Dix and attached to the Regiment commanded by Colo. Field Mereweather. and remained here during the siege, and after the taking of Lord CornWallace [sic: Cornwallis] he was detached to the Regiment who had charge of the prisoners and marched as far as Williamsburg Virginia and was there discharged on account of bad health by Maj’r. Wood Jones. which discharge is herewith exhibited ~ and bears the date the 24th Oct 1781. He had no personal acquaintance with any of the Continental officers commanding at York Town, but frequently saw General Washington and Gen’l. Lafayette who were pointed out to him by some persons who knew them, and he frequently saw many other officers of the Continental line but does not now remember their names. He cannot say the precise time he served in all but believes it was not less that eight months. He has no documentary evidence, save the discharge abovementioned, or verbal evidence within his reach to prove his services. He was born in the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia according to the Register of his parents on the 11th day of March 1762 and resided in that County till April 1823 when he removed to the County of Patrick where he now lives ~

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or 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 and year aforesaid ~          [signed] John medkiff

NOTE: Midkiff implied that a Col. Morgan, presumably meaning Daniel Morgan, was at Wetzel’s Mill, but in early Feb 1781 Morgan had retired to recover his health.

State of Virginia – Patrick County SS.

            On this 16th day of May 1841 personally appeared before the county court of Patrick County State of Virginia Mary Midkiff a resident of the county of Patrick and State of Virginia aged 77 years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the Act of Congress passed July 4, 1836: That she is the widow of John Midkiff who was a private in the army of the Revolution and that her said husband as she is informed and believes entered the service of the United States… [details of husband’s service quoted from his declaration above] …which discharge was transmitted to the War office with the declaration of her said husband dated on the 11th day October 1832 from a copy of which this affiant has made the forgoing statement she being very old and infirm & consequently having lost her memory to a great extent. This affiant believes that her said husband forwarded an additional declaration to the War department in which he stated the length of his service more definitely that this affiant finds in the declaration from the foregoing statement [two words illegible] & this asks that it may be referred to. This affiant would further state that her husbands warrant upon which he drew his pension during his life time has been mislaid or lost. She has no documentary evidence that she can procure in addition to the accompanying– She further declares that she was married to the said John Midkiff on the 10th day of September in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty two in the county of Pittsylvania State of Virginia that her husband the aforesaid John Midkiff died on the eighteenth day of July in the year 1839, and that she has remained a widow ever since that period, as can more fully appear by reference to the proof hereunto annexed.

Virginia Pittsylvania County Court Clerk’s Office SS.

When married              Parties names                                      By whom married

Seventeen hundred     John Midkiff with Mary Parsons           John Bailey

& eighty two

Sept tenth

A summary from the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions states that Mary Parsons Midkiff was the daughter of Joseph Parsons.