Pension Application of John Redd: S18174
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia}
Henry County Sct.}
On this 14th day of October 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the County Court of Henry now sitting John Redd, a resident of said County of Henry aged seventy eight 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 7th June 1832.
That he was born in the County of Orange in the State of Virginia in the month of October 1755 as appears from the Record of his age now in his possession, and removed to the County of Henry (then Pittsylvania County) in the month of March 1774. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That in the month of July 1776. he marched with a company of Militia commanded by Capt. Joseph Martin from the County of Henry (then Pittsylvania) as an Orderly Sergeant, to the long Islands of Holston [at present Kingsport TN], where they were joined by various other companies, the whole under the command of Colo. William Christian. that in the month of October following, the army, (after having erected a fort, Store houses &c. on Holston) marched against the Cherokee Indians, and after destroying seven of their Towns and much of their stock & provisions returned to the fort on Holston in the month of November following. This declarant continued in the service as Orderly Sergeant in this expedition five months. That about the 1st of December following the Army was disbanded with the exception of four or five hundred men who were enlisted to remain upon the frontier until peace should be concluded with the Indians. this declarant again enlisted and received from Colo. Anthony Bledsoe then in Command the appointment of Sergeant Major in which office he served for seven months, and was discharged with the Army after the conclusion of peace with the Indians in the latter part of the month of July 1777. [The Treaty of Long Island was signed 20 July 1777.] He then returned to the County of Henry and was Commissioned an Ensign in a Company of Militia Commanded by Capt. Brice Hairston [sic: probably Brice Martin]. That in the Summer of 1780 he was in the service one month as an Ensign having been called into the service with Capt Martins Company and marched against the Tories who had assembled at a place called the Hollow near the head of Dan & Arrarat Rivers [sic: Ararat River in present Patrick County]. That early in the year 1781 this declarant then a Lieutenant in Capt Brice Martins Company, marched with his company and others under the Command of Colo James Lyon to join Genl. Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] on Dan River, but before they reached Greens Army, Lyon himself deserted, and most of the troops returned to their homes, & the remnant of the troops amongst whom was this declarant after being in the service for one month, were discharged by Genl Green, in consequence of the large disproportion of officers. About the first of the Summer 1781. this declarant received a letter from William McCraw quarter master at Peytonsburg [in Pittsylvania County] appointing him Waggon master with directions to take charge of a Brigade of Waggons then employed in the transportation of ammunition and other public stores for Greens Army, that he was employed in this service three months and presumes he probably belonged to the Army during that period, as he drew his pay and rations regularly, and was subjected to the Army regulations. That in the month of September 1781 he resigned his appointment of Waggon Master, and proceeded to York Town (which he reached the morning after the Commencement of the Siege [on 28 Sep 1781]) and reported himself to Major George Waller the commandant of the Henry Militia who assigned him a Lieutenants command. that he remained in the service one month at York and was discharged with the other troops from Henry. This declarant further states that he was regularly discharged from the service at the different periods named, and that he was commiss’d both as Ensign & Lieutenant as before stated. that he does not now recollect by whom his discharge or his commissions were signed, they having long since lost or destroyed as of no value. That he is acquainted with Genl. John Dillard, Colo. Joseph Martin, Colo Patrick H. Fontaine, George Hairston Esq. and the members of the County Court generally, having himself been a member of the Court for the last forty years, and now the presiding Justice. That he has resided in the County of Henry since the Revolutionary war — That 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 and that he has no documentary evidence of his service. [signed] John Redd