Pension Application of James Kelso: S18068
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia
Rockbridge County SS
On this 31st day of December 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the County Court of Rockbridge in the state of Virginia now sitting, James Kelso now a resident of the County of Bath state aforesaid, seventy one years of age, 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 7th 1832.
That he was born in the year 1761, in that part of the County of Augusta, now Rockbridge, that he entered the service under the following named officers, that he was drafted & entered into the militia service on the 10th day of January 1781 under Col. John Bowyer & Captain James Buchannan, that during this term of Service, having marched to Fredericksburg & from thence crossing James River between Richmond & Williamsburg to Cabin Point [in Surry County], Smithfield & Portsmouth, that he was in no regular engagement, but was in several skirmishes with the British Scouting parties near Portsmouth, was discharged and returned home about the 20th 1781. 2nd That he entered the service again as a Volunteer at the time Col Tarlton marched with his Cavalry to Charlottesville [sic: Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, 4 June 1781]. That the company of volunteers to which he was attached met in the little town of Waynesborough in the County of Augusta & proceed thence to Charlottesville. That he has no recollection of the name of the commanding officers. he remained in the service at this time about one month. That he was again drafted in September 1781. & entered the militia service in a company commanded by Capt. Charles Campbell, & was marched from Rockbridge Count to Richmond & Williamsburg, there joined Washington’s Army, was under Washington during the Siege of York. After the capture of Cornwallis [19 Oct 1781], was detailed to guard the prisoners to Winchester in the County of Frederick State of Virginia; That he was discharged and returned home shortly before Christmas. That he received in no instance a written discharge.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to an Annuity or Pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any state.
Sworn to & subscribed in open Court on the 31st day of December 1832. James Kelso
Bath County}
State of Virginia} Sct.
On this 19 day of August 1833 personally appeared before me John Sloan a Justice of the Peace for s’d. County, James Kelso an applicant for a Pension, and a resident in said County, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following amendments to his Declaration for a Pension. To the first objection to his declaration, marked C[?] he answers, that having lived a great part of his life in the County of Rockbridge, and having a great deal of intercourse with the s’d County of Rockbridge, the friends of this applicant residing principally in s’d Rockbridge, and now residing himself near the Rockbridge line, he was under the impression, that his evidence was chiefly in s’d Rockbridge and therefore he applied in s’d County Rockbridge. But the objection he hopes to remove effectually by making these amendments to his declaration in the county of his present residence. — To the objection marked E he answers. In the first Tour of duty mentioned in his declaration he served from the Tenth day of January 1781. to the 20th of April 1781. Three months and Ten days. – In the 2nd Tour mentioned in his Declaration, he served one month– In the 3d and last Tour mentioned in his declaration, he was drafted for 3 months – and served out his Term. His services actually rendered during the revolutionary war amount to not less that seven months and Ten days, and for this he claims a Pension
quest 1st Where and in what year were you born? He was born in the County of Rockbridge Va. in the year 1761 the day and month he cannot recollect.
2 ques. Have you any record of your age? He has no record of his age now in his possession–
3rd ques. Where were you living when called into service &c. – He was living in s’d County of Rockbridge when called into service. Several years after the Revolution he removed to s’d County of Bath, where he now resides –
4th How were you called into service, were you drafted &c. he was drafted twice and volunteered once as mentioned in his Declaration–
5th ques. This ques he has answered in his declaration –
To the 6th ques. he answers that he never received a written discharge as he recollects, nor a commission, not having been above the grade of a Private –
7th ques. State the names of persons to whom &c. He refers to the Rev’d Samuel Brown & to Andrew McCauslen [sic: McCausland] of his own county of Bath, also William Gillaspie of s’d Bath County – also to John Frazier and Thos K. Walker of s’d Rockingham.
Rockbridge County}
State of Virginia}
On the 2d day of September 1833 personally appeared before me John T. McKee a justice of the peace for said County Wm McKee a resident of said County, who being first duly sworn deposeth and saith that James Kelso was a Revolutionary Soldier in the year 1781 that on the 15 day of September of that year the drafts from Rockbridge County rendezvoused in Lexington, and marched imediately to Yorktown that the said Jas. Kelso was one of the men drafted that altho’ s’d Kelso was not in the same company with the deponant yet being intimately acquainted with him he saw him at most daily, that said Kelso was in the company of Capt. Charles Campbell. That said Kelso was one of the guard who marched the prisoners after the surrender of Cornwallis to Winchester and that it was about the last of Nov’r of 1781 they came home.
This deponant farther saith that he has been well acquainted with said Jas Kelso before, during & since the revolutionary war, that he has always considered and esteemed him as a man of varacity – This deponant farther saith that he believes the declaration of said Kelso as nearly correct respecting his age from a comparison of the deponants age with his and farther this deponant saith not –