Pension Application of John Alverson: S5236

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

 

            Virginia

At a Circuit Superior Court of Law & Chancery held at the Court house for the County of Botetourt on Friday the 7th day of September 1832–

            On this 7th day of September 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Hon’ble Hiram[?] Taylor Judge of the Superior Court of Law & Chancery for said County John Alverson a resident of said County aged about seventy five years and being first duly sworn doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed on the 7th day of June 1832 – that he was born in the County of Culpepper [sic: Culpeper] in the State of Virginia in the year 1757 as he believes  that he Volunteered and entered the service under Captain Henry Hill of Culpepper and from there was marched to meet and take charge of the prisoners taken at the defeat of Burgoine [sic: John Burgoyne at Saratoga NY 17 Oct 1777] and when he met them guarded them to Albemarle Barracks where he remained including the time he was marching with said prisoners three months  he does not recollect precisely the year (he states that he is illiterate and cannot remember the number of the Regiment or all its officers but states that Colo. James Taylor [sic: more likely Col. Francis Taylor] was the Colo. under whose command he was at Albemarle Barracks  he was discharged and returned to Culpepper where he remained some three or four months and was then drafted into service under the command of Capt. Slaughter and that Col. Barbour had the command of the Regiment to which he was attached and that he marched from thence to join the army under the command of General [Anthony] Wayne where he remained another three months and was again discharged  this applicant is so utterly unacquainted with the Geography of the country that he cannot state particularly what town or places he marched through during the tour. This applicant states that he remained at home but a short time until he was again drafted and entered the service under Captain Ambrose Bohanan about the 1st of May 1781 – from Culpepper Court house from whence from whence [sic] he was marched to Mobbin Hills [sic: Malvern Hill near Richmond] to head quarters where he joined the main army under the immediate command of General Washington  from whence this applicant was marched towards York Town with the main army but before his arrival at York was taken sick and placed in the Hospital at St. Peters Church in New Kent County where he remained until the 11th of August 1781 when on account of his ill health he obtained leave of absence for the recovery of his health which is evidenced by the written permit of Lieu’t. Livington S. herewith exhibited  this applicant states that he served three months this tour  he states that he has no documentary evidence except that above stated that he has no register of his age, that if he ever had a written discharge or discharges he has lost them, that he removed from Culpepper in the year 1783 to Botetourt County where he has remained ever since and now resides,  states that during the nine months he served he was not in any battle with the enemy  This applicant does not know any person living by whom he can prove his service  he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any state whatever – Sworn to and subscribed in open Court      Signed John his X mark Alverson

 

[copy of leave of absence]

New Kent County August 11th 1781

            “John Alverson has leave of absence to return home for the recovery of his health. Signed Lieu’t Livington S.