Pension Application of Joseph Varner: W1762
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
On this 21st day of September 1820 personally appeared in Open Court (being a Court of Record for the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Virginia, Joseph Varner, aged sixty-two years resident in the County of Halifax aforesaid, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare, that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows, to wit, That he enlisted at Chesterfield Courthouse Virginia in the latter end of the year 1779 or first of the year 1780 under Colonel Davis during the War, that he marched from thence under command of Colonel Campbell to Guilford Courthouse on Continental establishment but to what particular Regiment he was attached, he does not now recollect, that after the battle of Eutaw Springs, he was transferred to the Infantry attached to Lee’s Legion where he continued until the end of the war, when he was discharged by General Greene in Charleston in June 1783 that he served upwards of three years that he was engaged in the battle at the White Bluff being then under the command of Colonel Lawrence, Colonel Lee being absent, as he saith in his original declaration made on the 17th day of April 1820– and I do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have never since that time by gift, sale or in any manner, disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with the intent thereby to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress, entitled an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land & naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War” passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities, contracts or debts, due to me nor have I any income other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed to wit, four head of Hogs worth seven dollars four head cattle worth twenty four dollars four chairs worth twelve shillings one Dutch oven & skittel worth nine shillings one table worth six shillings one half acre toll of land unimproved in the Town of Mendsville, a small village in the said County, worth thirty dollars. Joseph Varner. With which valuation the Court being satisfied; The declarant further states that he is by occupation a shoe maker & school master – that owing to debility and a wound which he received in battle during the War of the Revolution is unable to pursue either occupation constantly– That his family consists of himself & four others, to wit, Polly, his wife, about fifty years of age, Nancy a daughter about twenty one years of age, Polly another daughter about eighteen years of age, and Peggy another daughter about fourteen years of age; and that they are unable to contribute but little to their support. ~
Sworn to
and subscribed on the 21st day of September 1820 before the Superior Court of law
of
Declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress of the 29th July 1848
State of
On this 4th day of March Eighteen hundred and fifty, personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace, in and for the county aforesaid Molly Varner, a resident of the aforesaid County, in the State aforesaid, Aged Seventy Eight years, who being duly sworn according to law doth on he oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the act of Congress of the 29th July 1848
That she is the widow of Joseph Varner who was a private of the Militia, and who was a pensioner of the United States, and that she was married to the said Joseph Varner on the 7th day of October in the year One Thousand Seven hundred and Ninety – and that her husband the aforesaid Joseph Varner Died on the Second day of November 1848. That she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the second day of January 1800 to wit, at the time above stated. She further swears that she is now a widow and that she has never before made any application for a pension.
Sworn to and subscribed}
on the day and year} Molly her X mark Varner
above written, before me}
Thomas Pnn J. Peace
Married 7th October 1790 Joseph Vernor to Molly McKenney By Rev’d Henry Lester
NOTES:
A previous declaration by Varner is less detailed and therefore not transcribed here.
The Colonel Campbell under whom Varner fought was probably
Lt. Col. Richard Campbell, commander of the Virginia Brigade.