Pension Application of Elizabeth Coleman Crow, widow of John Crow: W18978

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

 

State of Virginia. Montgomery County Ss.

On this 9th day of August 1839 personally appeared before the Justices of the county Court of Montgomery Mrs. Elizabeth Crow a resident of Blacksburg in the county aforesaid aged about 82 years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 7th 1838 entitled “An act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows.” That she is the widow of John Crow, who was a soldier in the army of the revolution. That in or about the year 1776, as well as she can remember, the said John Crow entered the service of the United States in the county of Culpepper [sic: Culpeper], in the state of Virginia under Captain Thornton, she is under the impression that it was a Rifle company, but in this she may be mistaken; the regiment was commanded by General Morgan [see note below]. she is not prepared to state the day or month or even the year with precision, but thinks it was in the year 1776. his engagement was to serve two years, which he fully discharged, and afterwards returned home, she is not prepared to state through what part of the country he was marched, but has understood that he was marched into Canada and in through North Carolina, she has also understood that he was at the taking of Burgoyne. After his first engagement was completed & he had returned home he was again drafted, and served another tour but under what officers and the particulars of which she is unable to state; she has no documentary evidence to establish the services of her husband, unless it is in the War office, where she thinks it probable his name will be found enrolled. She is under the impression that he was drafted both tours.

She further declares that she was married to the said John Crow on the [blank] day of April 1779, that her husband the aforesaid John Crow died on the 2nd day of March 1798, that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first day of January seventeen hundred and ninety four viz. at the time above stated, and that she has not been subsequently married since his death.            Elizabeth her X mark Crow

 

NOTES:

            Late in 1775 Daniel Morgan led a rifle company into Canada under the command of Col. Benedict Arnold, who joined forces with Gen. Richard Montgomery. After Arnold was wounded and Montgomery killed at Québec on 31 Dec 1775, Morgan assumed command and was compelled to surrender his troops. After his release and promotion to Colonel, Morgan and his riflemen were instrumental in capturing the British army commanded by John Burgoyne at Saratoga NY on 17 Oct 1777. Morgan was eventually promoted to Brigadier General and was active in North Carolina in January and February of 1781.

            In the file is a copy of a bond signed by John and Dennis Crow on 9 April 1779 in Culpeper County for the marriage of John Crow to Betty Coleman, “spinster daughter” of Wyatt Coleman. There is also a supporting statement dated 7 May 1839 from Ann Potts, formerly Ann Coleman, age about 63, stating that she witnessed the marriage of Elizabeth Coleman, who was the second of eight children, with herself being the youngest.