Pension
Application of Magdalen, widow of Matthew Harvey: W19681
Transcribed and
annotated by C. Leon Harris
State
of Virginia, Bottetourt [sic: Botetourt] County S.S.
On
this 3rd day of April 1841, before me James B. Wilson, a Justice of
the peace, in and for said County personally appeared Mrs. Magdalen Harvey
Aged 67 years a respectable resident of said County, 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 7,
1838, Entitled “An Act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows: That
she is the widow of Mathew Harvey dec’d. of said county, who was a private of
Cavalry in Lee’s Legion in the revolutionary war; and as well as declarant
recollects, her husband Mathew Harvey dec’d. enlisted under Capt. Lee
himself, afterwards Col. or Gen’l. Lee) and she further understood from her
dec’d. husband, that he served 4 or 5 years in the Revolutionary war, and fully
to its end; but for any further information as to her husband services, she
will have to refer the Commissioner of pensions to the records and documents in
the War departments in Washington, and the Auditors office in Richmond.
And she the said Magdalen Harvey
further declares, that she was married to the said Mathew Harvey on the
18th day of August 1788 — and that her husband, the aforesaid Mathew
Harvey died on the 20th day of Sep’r. 1823; that she was not
married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the Marriage took place
previous to the 1st day of January 1794, Viz: at the time above
stated; as will more fully appear from the proof annexed: and that she has
remained a widow ever since the death of her husband as above stated to the
present time; her maiden name being Hawkins. Magdalen Harvey
State
of Virginia, Bedford County SS.
On
this 7th day of May 1841, before me John W. Holt a justice of the
peace in and for said county, personally appeared Mrs. Sarah Mitchell a
respectable widow of said county who being first duly sworn according to law,
doth on her oath say –: That she is 71 years old; and that in August 1788 she
was present and saw Mathew Harvey dec’d of the County of Bottetourt,
and her sister Magdalen Hawkins (now Harvey) married by the Rev’d Jno
Heath at the house of Mr. Robert Harvey’s (deponents step Father) on Catawba
Creek about 2 miles from Fincastle, in Bottetourt Co. Va. That said Mathew
Harvey, and Ro. Harvey were brothers – this Elder Ro. Harvey married
dep. [sic: deponent’s] mother – and Mathew the younger as aforesaid dep.
sister. That the Harvey family of Bottetourt, Ro, Wm, Ja’s,
and Mathew all came from the head of Elk in the state of Maryland – Ro.
Harvey she understood was in the service (Revo?) in Maryland before he came
to Bott. which was during the war. That Mathew Harvey dec’d. (who
married Magdalen Hawkins) has from time to time told dep. and mentioned
it in company, that he enlisted in the state of Maryland in Lee’s Legion at
about 16 years old – (and was attached to Cap. Michael Rudolphs company) – that
he ran away from his master to whom he was bound to do so – and that Gen’l. Lee
told him he was too young, and that he had better go back to his mother and
that said Harvey told her he served through the whole of the Revo’y. war to the
end – was a prisoner at one time on board a British prison ship – and was
exchanged at Yorktown, Va. the most of his time being rendered in the South;
and that this Harvey has frequently told of his having his horse shot down, and
fell on him in which situation he hid himself behind the horse from being shot
by a wounded Tory British soldier, untill his Cavalry got relief [word
illegible]. That about the close of the Revo’y. war the aforesaid Mathew Harvey
came to Bottetourt Co. on foot with a knapsack on his back in company with
Dav’d Fosbier a German – but that Ro. Harvey, Wm. and Jas. came previously –
Robert first of all. That the four brothers were at the Battle of Guilford
[Guilford Courthouse, 15 March 1781] – the 3 latter as drafted men. – and that
Wm was killed at said Battle, and that James Harvey was also at the Battle of
Yorktown Va.
And
further that the said Mathew Harvey went to school in Bottetourt one
year immediately after he came from Maryland was discharged from service
– and then commenced merchandizing, by which he accumulated a vast deal of
property – and was a very wealthy man at the time of his death – which was in
the year 1823. That his present widow Magdalen Harvey has remained
unmarried ever since the death of her husband as aforesaid to the present time
– and is the widow of said Mathew Harvey dec’d. Deponant also understood
Harvey to say that Col. Watts of said Co – and Jude [sic: Judge?] Peter
Johnson of Abington [sic: Abingdon] Va. was also in said Legion – and that she
has heard Harvey say that he knew Francis Gray (in the Revo’y. war)
Agents father; and moreover that she has heard said Harvey, and Henry
Bowyer of Bottetourt – who was an officer in Lees or [Lt. Col. William]
Washingtons horse – talk for hours at a time together about their Revo’y.
Services – and that Henry Bowyer aforesaid distinctly recognized Mathew
Harvey aforesaid as having been in the service as aforesaid in Lees Legion
in the Revo’y. war. That it was Capt. Egleston [sic: Eggleston] who shot the
wounded Tory, and saved Harvey’s life – Harvey being then on foot
– met a Tory on horse back with a bag of provisions for Talton’s [sic: Lt. Col.
Banastre Tarleton’s] Army – captured him and took his horse for himself &c.
Test
[signed] Martha Campbell [signed]
Sarah Mitchell
NOTES:
Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee
enlisted as a Captain under George Washington in April 1775 and remained in
that rank until early in 1778. Washington’s army, including Capt. Lee, was at
Head of Elk MD (now Elkton) when the British army landed there on 28 Aug 1777
to begin the campaign against Philadelphia. Harvey may have enlisted
with Lee during that period. Because of the brilliant performance of his Legion
in New Jersey and elsewhere, Lee was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel. In the spring of 1781 Lee’s Legion was sent to the Carolinas to aid
the southern army under Gen. Nathanael Greene. (To his lasting chagrin Lee
never attained the rank of general during the Revolutionary War, but President
Washington did make him a major general during the Whiskey Rebellion. His son,
Robert Edward, has eclipsed him in history.)