Pension Application of Nathan Ratliff: S17034
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia, Montgomery County to wit
On this 1st day of July 1833, personally appeared before the county court of Montgomery, Nathan Ratliff, a resident of the state of Virginia and county aforesaid, aged 71 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by an act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he entered the service the last of May or first of June in the year 1778 when a youth and served for the term of one month as a private under Capt. Joshua Wilson, and William Hungate was his Lieutenant, against the Indians. Colonel [William] Preston at the time acted as Colonel in Montgomery aforesaid. That he then entered the service about the latter part of June or the first of July in the year 1780 under Captain Abram Trigg, afterwards General Trigg. Preston was still the acting Colonel, in the county and we were marched to the Shallow ford of the Adkin [sic: Yadkin River] in North Carolina where we had a skirmish with the Tories and defeated them [on 14 Oct 1780]. Colonel [Joseph] Cloyd acted as our Major and was the commander of the force. Preston remained at home during both these tours. The two tours together amounted to eight months your applicant served. Your applicant resided in the county of Montgomery at the time he entered the service & has remained a resident there ever since, he has no documentary evidence of his service, except the accompanying affidavits. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity whatever, except the present, and declares that his name is not on the Pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Nathan (his M mark) Ratliff
[Excerpt from a printed form entitled “A Statement, showing the service of Nathan Ratliff in the Militia of Virginia” from the War Department Pension Office, evidently an amendment to the above:]
Period Duration Rank Field officers Proof
1780 1 [months] Private Col. Hugh Crockett Daniel Howell
Capt. Joshua Wilson Floyd County Va
Lieut Wm. Hungate Henry Bishop
1780 2 Private Colo. Wm Preston Thomas Ally
1780 3 Private P. Dan[?], Trigg Capt. John Duncan Sr
volunteer Maj’r J Cloyd Floyd County Va
Capt. Abram Trigg & Henry Bishop
& Thomas Ally
John Duncan Sr Floyd Cty Va
1781 2 Private Capt George Pearis John Duncan Sr
8 months & Lieut Sam’l McGee
This claimant states that the first months service rendered as stated in the above tabular form was rendered in an expedition against the Indians on the frontier of Virginia
His second tour was performed against the Tories in Montgomery Va
His third tour was performed against the British & Tories in North Carolina and in which tour this declarant was at the Battle of the Shallow Ford in which the American forces gained the Victory
His fourth tour was performed against the Indians in Montgomery County Virginia —
Virginia Montgomery County Sc. This day Nathan Ratliff the above named person solemnly affirmed before me a Justice of the Peace for said County that the statement by him made in the above tabular form is correct. Given under my hand Aug 12 1834 [signed] Robt Gardner