Pension Application of Samuel Shumate: S15646
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia}
Henry County} SS.
On this 1th day of November 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the county court of said county now sitting Samuel Shumate a resident of Henry county and state of Virginia 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 June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That in his first tour he served under Major Pickett [possibly Martin Pickett], and Colonel Thomas Marshall, in the same tour his captain was Samuel Blackwell, and his lieutenants were John and James Hathaway. In his second tour his colonel was Elias Edmunds, his captain was James Wynn and afterwards Len Sharp [possibly Sinsfield Sharp] his first lieutenant was named Connaway [possibly Thomas Conway] these are all the field & company officers which he now recollects. he does not recollect the precise time when he first entered the service, but he recollects that immediately after joining, his company proceeded to head quarters and arrived there he thinks the morning after the battle of Germantown (4th Oct 1777) the second tour commenced shortly before the siege of York in Virginia [28 Sep 1781] at which he was drafted for three months during both of his terms of service, but served a little over that period. at the time of being drafted he resided in Fauquier county Virginia he was drafted for both periods of service, as before stated he was at the siege of York In the first tour he started under the company officers aforesaid and Major Pickets from Fauquier court house Va and went on into the State of Maryland (there being 4 companies along) when the single men were ordered to proceed on the march & the married men to return home. he being a single man proceeded and they went thro’ York Lancaster [in Pennsylvania], to head quarters a few miles from Germantown where he remained until his time was out In the second tour he started from the same place under the aforesaid officers and went on into Fredericksburg, the Bowling green [in Caroline County] Williamsburg &c to Yorktown where he was during the siege, after which he went near to Winchester along with the British prisoners, where barracks were prepared for their custody – after the war ended he returned home. In the first tour he acted with the 3d Virginia regiment under Col Marshall whom they fell in with at head quarters. In the second tour General Washington with numerous continental regiments acted with him. That he frequently saw General Washington, Lafayette, and various others. That he has no documentary evidence in support of his claim and knows of no person whose testimony will avail him except that of James Smoot whose affidavit is hereto annexed. 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.
Samuel hisXmark Shumate