Scott County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1832-1844

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Scott County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1832-1844. Local government records collection, Scott County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Summary

Extent:
.15 cu. ft. (1 box)
Creator:
Scott County (Va.) Circuit Court
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Scott County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1832-1844. Local government records collection, Scott County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.

Background

Scope and content:

Scott County (Va.) Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1832-1844, primarily record the declarations of individuals seeking to obtain Revolutionary War pensions provided by various acts of Congress. The applicants present detailed testimony of their time of service during the Revolutionary War. Information found in the declarations include date and location applicants entered into service, names of military companies they served in, names of military commanders they served under, names of fellow soldiers they served with, length of service, their age, and their place of birth. The predominant portion of the declarations are narratives of their tours of duty during the Revolutionary War with emphasis on battles they fought. The declarations also include affidavits from witnesses who could verify information provided by applicants.

Applicants in this series reported to have served in various military units, including the Albemarle Barracks Guards; Goochland County militia; Louisa County militia; North Carolina militia; North Carolina militia, Foot Company; Pittsylvania County militia; Washington County militia; Virginia Rifle Company; and the United States Service in general.

Applicants also gave accounts of being present during several military engagements, including the Battle of Eutaw Springs, Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Battle of Gwynn's Island, and Siege of Yorktown.

Notable records in this collection include pension papers for William Stewart, a soldier who extensively discussed the treatment of British troops taken prisoner by American forces Battle of King's Mountain, including executions and as sources to spread false information to British officers; Richard Standly, a captain of a company of men dedicated to "hunting out deserters" from the American forces; and John England, a soldier who gave a detailed account of the Siege of Yorktown and the process of "running the gauntlet", but also recounted several provably false stories of his time as a guard at the Albemarle Barracks.

Also included was a declaration of Thomas Gray, a soldier who did not serve during the Revolutionary War but instead enlisted after the war in a United States company that was dedicated to driving American Indian groups out of Russell County to make way for US settlement. He argued that this service was an extension of the Revolution, because American Indians living in the county had sided with the British.

Biographical / historical:

Context for Record Type: In 1818, Congress passed the first of three major Revolutionary War pension acts. The act granted lifetime pensions to all men who had served as regular army soldiers in the Continental Line and who could demonstrate financial need. Prior to the passage of this act, pensions had been restricted to former soldiers who were no longer able to support themselves due to injuries sustained while in service. The second act, passed by Congress in 1820, required applicants to provide more concrete evidence of this financial need in the form of a certified inventory of his property and income. They also had to include an account of all members of the applicant's family, including their health and ability to contribute to household income. In 1832, the third act extended pension benefits to include soldiers who had served in the state troops or militia. Congress also passed a related act in 1836 granting pensions to the widows and orphans of Revolutionary War veterans.

Locality History: Scott County was named for Winfield Scott, a native of Virginia, in recognition of his victories during the War of 1812; he was later commanding general of the American army during the war with Mexico, 1846-1848. It was formed from Lee, Russell, and Washington Counties by a statute adopted on 24 November 1814. The county court first met on 14 February 1815. The county seat is Gate City.

Acquisition information:
These records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Scott County.
Processing information:

Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1832-1844, were removed from the Scott County Court papers and processed by G. Crawford. Declarations were reprocessed and indexed by M. Long.

Encoded by G. Crawford: March 2012; updated by M. Long: July 2024.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series I: Declarations for Revolutionary War Pensions, 1832-1844, arranged chronologically.

Arranged chronologically.

Physical location:
Library of Virginia