Pension Application of Michael Burruss: S8111

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

State of Virginia}

Henry County}   SS.

            On this twenty fourth day of November 1832 personally appeared before me Thomas B Dundrew[?] a justice of the peace for Henry county Virginia Michael Burrus a resident of Henry county Virginia aged eighty one years who being first 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 7 1832:

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. his officers were Colonel Slaughter, General Muhlenburg [sic: Peter Muhlenberg], Major Welch, Capt Robt Pollard, Capt Bradley, Capt Simmons, & Capt Yancey. he does not now recollect the time when he entered the service but left it before the siege of York at Deep Spring  That he served three tours of three months each, General Mulhenburg, Slaughter  Murray (he thinks) were the field officers in the first tour, and Bradley was the captain under the second engagement. he thinks he had the same field officers  his capt was named Pollard. in the third Tour Marquis Lafayette was the general; Slaughter Col.  Simmerman marched us down from Culpeper as Caps and at the siege of York Capt Yancey took the command. he resided in Culpeper county Virginia when he entered the service. That he drafted for the first, second & third tours. that he was at Petersburg Virginia when attacked by General [Benedict] Arnold [25 April 1781]. we were commanded by Mulenburg and were driven out of the town. He marched in the first tour from Culpeper county Va to Richmond Va and having gone within a few miles of Richmond our officers learned that the enemy was not there and there not being any use for us we were marched back home. In the second tour we marched from Culpeper Va to Sandy point Va then on to Long bridge [sic: probably Great Bridge now in Chesapeake City] thence to the coal pits between Petersburg & Richmond, crossed James River at Tuckahoe Randolphs [i.e. at the Randolph plantation at Tuckahoe west of Richmond] thence to Richmond, Lafayette then joined us with 1500 men [29 April 1781]  leaving Lafayette at Richmond we went to Bottoms bridge [on the Chickahominy River east of Richmond], on the other side of the river the enemy was, from which they retired without fighting he thinks shipping[?]. from whence the company returned to Culpeper. In the third Tour we marched to Deep Spring near York Town where he took two deserters which entitled him to two discharges. He served with regular troops at Petersburg. He frequently saw Genl. Washington  Lafayette, Mulinburg, and many others. He lost his discharge and has now no documentary evidence but that now forwarded in support of his claim and he knows of no person other than that now forwarded in whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. 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. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.            Michael hisXmark Burrus

NOTE: The pension certificate was made out to “Michael Burns.”