Pension Application of George Vineyard: S7794
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia} S.S.
Scott County} February 13th 1844
On this 13th day of February in the year 1844 personally appeared in open Court, said Court being a court of record for the County of Scott, and now sitting, George Vineyard a resident in said County and State aged 84 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 January [sic] 7th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated.
This applicant states that in the spring of the year 1777 (about the first of May) he volunteered under Captain David Cloyd or Hugh Bartley, but which of the two this applicant cannot now say but thinks it was Cloyd, and thinks they were both officers; this applicant resided at that time in the County of Rockbridge in the state of Virginia, in the same County in which the said David Cloyd then lived who is now dead; we marched from said County having rendezvoused in the neighbourhood of Lexington, to the County of Greenbrier in the state aforesaid to near a place called red stone, thence to a fort, this applicant thinks was called Donley’s fort [sic: Donnallys’ Fort near present Frankford WV], against the Indians; but when the company reached there the Indians had left there; this applicant remained there a short time and then marched through the country in various directions and returned home; this applicant was born the 21st of June 1759, being at the time he entered the service not quite 18 years of age and cannot tell the precise time of his service, but thinks it was not longer at that time than one month or perhaps not quite so long; this applicant cannot now recollect any further particulars of this tour; does not recollect any other officers; he received no written discharge.
This applicant further states, that he again volunteered under captain David Gray of the County of Rockbridge being the same County in which this applicant lived, in the fall of the year 1780 (about the first of October) he marched from said County having rendezvoused about a mile below Lexington to the City of Richmond, thence he marched through the country in various directions which this applicant cannot now describe to Petersburg. This applicant states that his company marched with another company of Militiamen under Captain James or William Hall from the same County; this applicant cannot now recollect any further particulars of this tour, he states that in this tour he served 3 months, he does not recollect any other officers, he received no discharge.
This applicant further states that he served another tour of three months under captain James Gilmer [sic: Gilmore] then of said County now dead as this applicant is informed, which this applicant thinks was also a volunteer company; this applicant cannot precisely state the time they left the county, but thinks about the last of July or first of August in the year 1781, he marched from said County to deep river church [sic: probably Deep Run Church] near Richmond, marched thence down the country in various directions, but the precise places through which this applicant marched, this applicant cannot at this time state, but thinks it was at or not far from Williamsburg that they joined other companys which this applicant thinks were commanded by General [Thomas] Nelson; and from that point they were marched under the directions of General Washington to Yorktown on york river where they joined a number of other companys and remained for sometime, at which place this applicant was taken sick and sent about twelve miles from the army to remain during his sickness, to a Hospital or in a different house as it was then full, and was confined for sometime, and was sick at the capture of Cornwallis [on 19 Oct 1781], and this applicant was there dismissed from service, and returned home from that place as soon as he could travel, having served in this tour three months, he received no discharge.
This applicant served in all seven months. This applicant knows of no man living by whom he can prove his services.
This applicant cannot state where he was born, but he emigrated to the county of Rockbridge in virginia at five years of age and remained there untill after the war of the revolution some years, and from there he removed to the County of Montgomery in said state, and from the last mentioned County to the County of Scott Virginia were this applicant now resides. This applicant states that he volunteered in the two first tours, and thinks he did the last, but will not say positively that he did, but of one thing this applicant is certain that he served as herein before stated, and was at york as before stated, either as a volunteer or as a militiaman; this applicant cannot be positive as to all the particulars of his tours on account of his age and his memory failing him at this time.
This applicant refers to the testimony of Elisha Martin and Lewis B. Dulaney Esqrs as evidence in his behalf.
This applicant hereby relinquishes all and every claim 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 above written. George Vineyard
State of Virginia}
Scott County} SS May 14th 1844
On this 14th day of May in the year 1844 personally appeared in open court, the same being a court of record in and for said County, George Vineyard a resident in said County and state aged 84 years, who being duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration as supplementary to his former declaration which is now filed in the war department or pension office of the United States, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed 7th June 1832, which is done for the purpose of assigning his reasons for not applying for a pension at an earlier period, and assigns the following as his reason; that he left the County of Rockbridge soon after the war of the revolution and moved about one hundred miles distant from that place, where this applicant procured a small farm and commenced farming for the purpose of producing a living for himself and family and as this applicant was afflicted with the Rheumattic pains which had followed him for many years; this applicant was scarcely ever from home, except actual necessity required it, and this applicant supposes it was from this cause that he was not informed of the passage of the law giving pensions to all persons who did actual service in the war of the revolution untill several years after its passage, and shortly after this applicant was informed of the fact that all Revolutionary soldiers were drawing pensions, this applicant tried to inform himself as to the law and applied to persons that this applicant supposed knew the law, who stated that he would have to prove his services by two witnesses who had served with him in the army unless sufficient evidence of his service could be found upon the rolls of the Virginia state troops; this applicant requested several persons to ascertain whether his name was on the rolls or not, and this applicant was informed that his name was not found enrolled, and as this applicant had not been in Rockbridge County for may years he did not know that he could certainly find the testimony that he was informed he was required to produce, as he did not know of any one who had served with him in the army; since he left said County, this applicant was not able on account of bodily infirmity to go in search of the suposed required proof, and not having a son living with him at that time, was not in a condition to employ competent persons to procure the testimony required without considerable inconvenience; therefore it was that this applicant defered his application hoping that he wood hear of or fall in with some of his revolutionary brethren who served with him in the army; this applicant becoming frail and unable to make a support any longer removed to the County of Scott in this state where he now lives with one of his children; when in conversation with a justice of the peace of said County about his helpless condition, and the difficulties he had undergone and relating his service in the war of the revolution, and his sickness and and treatment at yorktown, this applicant was asked by said Justice if he drew a pension, when this applicant informed him he did not, the justice then informed this applicant that he was entitled to and could if he would apply get a pension, and this applicant being informed by the said justice that if he did not know of any one living by whom he could prove his actual services, the testimony of the most respectable of his neighbours would be sufficient, this applicant concluded that if he could get the aid he was justly entitled to under the law it would be the means of rendering him more comfortable the remaining few days he had to live
George Vineyard
George Vineyard jun’r personally appeared in Court, and being duly sworn made oath that according to the best information he has, he is about fifty one years of age, that he lived with his father till about twenty five years of age, and that ever since he was old enough to recollect, he recollects of his father speaking of his services in the war of the revolution, and recollects of his father speaking about his trips against the Indians to Donleys Fort, and recollects of hearing his father tell about a corn house at the fort the end of which had been shot full of bullets; and recollects of his telling of two other trips, tours of three months each, and thinks the officers were Capts Grey and Gilmer, also recollects of his father telling about being sick at York Town, about the surrender of Cornwallis and the circumstances attending it, heard his father converse with old soldiers about the revolution, about the surrender of Cornwallis, and never heard his services disputed, and thinks it was the opinion of the people generally in the neighbourhood where his father lived that he had been in the war of the revolution; this deponant further states that by the request of his farther a letter was written to a gentleman in the County of Rockingham to know if there were any of his fathers papers in his possion by which my fathers services could be proved, and in answer to that letter it was stated that there was no doubt of his my fathers services int the war of the revolution, but their being no documents in his possession showing the service, he himself could not prove them, and this deponent would further state that it is the opinion of the people generally in the neighbourhood where his father now lives that he served in the war of the revolution.
George Vineyard jun’r