Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements

 

Pension Application of Fiatt and Susannah Coffman Wisong: W8305

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

 

Virginia At a Court held at the Courthouse for the County of Botetourt on Tuesday the 14th day of May 1833

            On this 14th day of May 1833 Fiatt Wisong comes into Court and makes and swears to the following Declaration for the purpose of obtaining a pension under the act of Congress approved on the 7th of June 1832 that he was born in the neighborhood of York in the State of Pensylvania [sic] after living for some time in that place he removed to Shepherdstown then in the County of Berkly and State of Virginia [see note below]  that he was then drafted to serve in a Militia regiment Commanded by Col. Morrow  that he continued in that service for the space of five months  that his Captain was Josiah Swearingen and Isaac Johns was the Lieutenant of the Company in which he served  after marching to Fort McIntosh at present in the State of Ohio he became associated with the Army under the command of General McIntosh  that from thence they were marched to Muskingham [sic: Muskingum River] and there built a fort and from there he was marched to Fort McIntosh where he was discharged  he would state that during the period he was associated with the regular army he remembers to have seen Gen’l McIntosh and Colo. Richard Campbell afterwards killed at the Eutaw Spring [sic: Battle of Eutaw Springs SC, 8 Sep 1781]  that shortly after his return to Shepherdstown to wit in the following Spring he removed from that place to the Town of Fincastle in the County of Botetourt and State of Virginia  in the Fall following to wit in 1781 he was again drafted and marched under the orders of Captain Joseph Looney  Lieutenant [James] Tosh (his name of Baptism not recollected) and Ensign William McClenahan to Bottoms Bridge a few miles below Richmond  that after being joined by other Troops he was march to York Town and was present at the Siege of that place and after the event of the Siege he was discharged. (In this service he was employed for the Term of three months). He of course remembers that at that time the army was commanded by General Washington  he also remembers that Gen’l. Lay Fayette [sic: Lafayette] was present and had a command in the army whilst he was in the service he remembers that Gen’l. [Anthony] Wayne was also in Command in Virginia, and, that Gen’l. William Campbell of the Virginia Militia was in the same service but was not at the Siege whether by time or accident lost both of his discharges. his house was burnt some years ago whether the discharges were burnt on that occasion or has been decayed by time or lost by accident he is unable to say he had long since lost every prospect of being remembered by his Country and consequently had no motive for preserving the evidence of his services He knows of no person by whom he can prove his services the time has been so long that if any still survive they are probably dispersed in various parts the country. The said Fiatt Wisong says that he has never received any pensions from either the Federal Government or the Government of Virginia and he renounces all claim to any provision for him by pension except the present he says he is now in his seventy-eight year and was consequently born in the year 1754 the said Fiatt says he never served as an officer and that his neighbors amongst others are Samuel Kinnerly, Col. William Anderson John Moore[?]  Henry Wais[?] & the Rev’d. Absalom Dempsey [two words illegible] 1781 he has constantly resided in Botetourt County Virginia

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Fiatt his + mark Wison

 

NOTES:

            Shepherdstown is now in Jefferson County WV. Berkeley County was formed from Jefferson in 1772.

            Gen. Lachlan McIntosh commanded the Western Department of the Continental Army from 1778 until the spring of 1779. Fort McIntosh was in Pennsylvania about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. It and the fort that Wisong helped build on Muskingum River now in Ohio were to help protect settlers along the Ohio River from Indians.

 

 

State of Virginia}

Botetourt County} Ss.

            On this 14th day of February, 1853, personally appeared before the County Court of Record of the County and State aforesaid, Mrs. Susannah Wisong, a resident of the County of Botetourt and State of Virginia, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed February 4, 1853. That she is the widow of Fayett or Fiatt Wisong, who was a pensioner under the act of Congress approved on the 7th of June, 1832, and drew twenty six dollars and sixty-six cents per annum.

            She further declares that she was married to the said Fayett or Fiatt Wisong, in the County of Botetourt, and State of Virginia, on the 28th day of March, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, (1816); that her name before her marriage was Susannah Coffman, and that her husband, the aforesaid Fayett or Fiatt Wisong died in Botetourt County, Virginia, on the 4th day of August, A.D. 1837. – She further swears that she has remained a widow since her husbands death, and was on the 4th of February, 1853, a widow, and has never before made application for a pension.

            Sworn to and subscribed on the day}              Susana her + mark Wisong

and year above written, in open Court}

 

State of Virginia}

County of Botetourt}  Ss.

            On this 28th day of March, A.D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five personally appeared before me, a Notary Public, within and for the County and State aforesaid, Mrs. Susannah Wisong, aged 67 years, a resident of Botetourt County, in the State of Virginia, who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is the widow of Fiatt Wisong dec’d. who was a private in the Revolutionary War and a Pensioner of the United States until the day of his death; that her said husband enlisted in Botetourt County, Virginia, but that she does not know now the dates of his service; she also states that her said husband was honorably discharged, and that said discharge is now on file at Washington, D.C. She further states that she is now a Pensioner under the 2nd section of the act of February 3, 1853, and she refers to her declaration filed under that act, for proof of her marriage and husband’s death, as well as his services. (Refer to page 131 – Vol. a) under act. 1853.) She further states that she was married to the said Fiatt Wisong, in Fincastle, Va., on the 28th day of March A.D. 1816 by one John Helms, a Methodist Preacher, and that her name before her said marriage was Susannah Coffman; that her said husband died at Botetourt County, Va. on the [blank] day of [blank] A.D. and that she is now a widow.

            She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which she may be entitled under the act approved March 3, 1855.

            Susannah her + mark Wisong