Pension Application of John and Ellen Till Wason (Wasson): W1007
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia
Rockbridge County September 3rd 1832
On this 3rd day of September in the year 1832 personally appeared in open Court, before the Court of said County now sitting, being a Court of Record, John Wason a resident of said County & State, 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 is a Native of Pennsylvania and is in his 92nd year. That age and its infirmities have much impaired all his faculties of mind & body & disqualifies him for a full & connected account of his Revolutionary Services – he states, however, that in the fall of 1777, as he thinks, he was drafted as a Militia man in the County of Berkley [sic: Berkeley] and State of Virginia. that he marched under the command of Capt. Evans, in a Regiment commanded by a Col. Campbell to different points in Virginia and subsequently to Pennsylvania. That he was in the Battle at Brandywine [11 Sep 1777]. That he remained in the army of the United States for some considerable time after that Battle, and returned to his residence in Virginia in the Spring of 1779. That is, in the spring, first after the fall when he was drafted. This applicant further states that altho’ the draft was but for three months, yet that he remained for nearly, if not quite 6 months.
He also states that shortly after his return home in Berkley County Virginia, he removed to Augusta County and had been there but a little while, when he marched under Capt. Tate to the assistance of Gen’l. [Nathanael] Greene. That he was in the Battle of Guildford [Guilford Courthouse, 15 Mar 1781]. that Tate’s company was discharged generally some short time after that Battle, in consequence as was supposed of its having suffered excessively in bringing on the Gen’l. engagement at that place , not more than 20 or 25 men having survived, that after his Company was discharged he returned to his residence in Augusta, having been gone, in all, from 6 weeks to two months.
This applicant states that his two tours of Revolutionary service, amounted together to about 7 and a half or 8 months.
He has never gotten a pension, and hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever 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 & year above written John hisXmark Wason
Rockbridge County}
State of Virginia} to wit
On this 4th day of June 1833. personally appeared in open Court, before the justices of the County Court of Rockbridge, John McLane & David Wasson Heirs of John Wasson Dec’d of the County of Rockbridge, an applicant for a pension under the late act of Congress, and dec’d on the 20th day of September 1832, who being first duly sworn deposeth and saith, that John Wasson of the s’d County of Rockbridge, who made application to the Department on the 3rd day of September 1832 for a Pension under the late act of Congress, for a pension, departed this life on the 20th of September 1832. They further state that they only claim for the s’d. John Wasson, for the Term of seven and one half months viz seven months & Fifteen days). And give the following answers to the the questions marked as not answered. Namely questions 2nd & 3rd.
2nd question. Have you any record of your age &c.
They state that s’d John Wasson, to their knowledge has left no record of his age, except in the memory of individuals – and we believe him at the time of his death to have been in his 92nd or 93rd year of his age at his death.
3rd. Where were you living when called into service – &c.
He (the s’d John Wasson was living in Augusta Va, when called into service – since the Revolution he has lived in s’d Rockbridge County and where he continued to reside untill the time of his death.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year above written [signed] John Mclain David Wason
NOTE: On 18 May 1853 Ellen Wason, 75, applied for a pension stating that as Ellen Till she married John Wason in Rockbridge County on or about 23 Feb 1809, and he died 22 Sep 1832. On 3 Apr 1855 she gave her age as about 80 when she applied for bounty land.