Pension Application of Richard Wonacott: R11773

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

 

State of Virginia}

Montgomery County} Towit

            On this second day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Judge of the Circuit Superior Court of law and chancery for Montgomery County now sitting Richard Wonicutt a resident of the County of Montgomery and state of Virginia aged eighty 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 Act of Congress passed June the 7th. 1832, that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. Henry Skippith [sic: Skipwith] was the name of his Colonel  Benjamin Alan he thinks was the name of his Lieutenant Colonel.    Epps was his Major. he served under three different Captains  Captain Dugate[?], Captain Perkins, and Captain Richard Alan  Cabbill and Benjamin Allen were the names of two of his Lieutenants  the names of the places he disremembers. he entered the service some time in the month of August 1772  he served in four different tours, he entered the first he thinks in November 1773, the second in November 1774, the third in January 1775. These three tours lasted six months each, the fourth in March 1776 as well as he recollects which was a tour of three months. he resided in Pennsylvania at the time he entered the service, the name of the County he has forgotten, he entered the service as a volunteer, he was engaged in the following named Battles, the battle of Long Island [27 Aug 1776], the battle of Guilford [Guilford Court House NC, 15 March 1781], and a small battle [word illegible] a scouting party at a place called the hundred [possibly Bermuda Hundred on the James River just below Richmond VA]. he marched from York[?] river about one hundred miles from New York City to fort Stephens near Portsmouth where he remained about four months, from there to old Cumberland Court house in Virginia where he remained about three months being placed as a guard over some prisoners and from Cumberland old Court house to the County of Buckingham in Virginia where he remained until the termination of the war. he served with a company of militia Commanded by Captain Evans, also in a Company of light Infantry commanded by Captain Cook, also a Company of militia Commanded by Captain Shelton [illegible word or abbreviation]. he only recollects the names of two regular officers Captain Anderson, and Captain Jordan  he never got a discharge from the service, he knows of no person living by whom he can prove his services, He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension 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 Rich’d. Wonicutt

 

State of Virginia, Montgomery County Sct

On this 16th day of June 1834 personally appeared before me John Gulls a Justice of the peace in and for the said county, Richard Wonicutt a resident of the said county of Montgomery aged about eighty two years, who upon his oath makes the following declaration by way of amendment or [word illegible] of his declaration made before the county court for Montgomery in the state of Virginia referenced on the 3d day of February 1834 in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States in the state of Pennsylvania the name of the county he cannot remember about the [date illegible] 1776 as a volunteer to serve no particular length of time, that he was to hold himself in readiness to march at a moments warning, that he volunteered under Captain [first name illegible] Evans, the name of the Lieutenant he has forgotten. [several words illegible] except to [word illegible] times a week for about six[?] weeks. they were then ordered to march and they marched to New York, from there to Long Island, thence to a placed called Piskiln or Pigskiln thence to Fort Stephens near Portsmouth where they remained about one month, they then marched to Cumberland old Court house in Virginia, this he thinks was in the month of January 1777, making a service of seven months. during the above named [word illegible] he was marched to the places above named under different officers the names of whom he cannot remember, his commander was to harass the British and to aid in defending the country whenever and wherever their service was wanting. He thinks in the month of January or February 1777 at Cumberland old court house he entered the service of the United States under Captain Dugate, Benjamin Allen was Lieutenant in the regiment commanded by Colo Henry Skipwith, he served three months in the Virginia militia. the command of Lieutenant was changed during this tour to Lieutenant Caldell[?], but Dugate remained his Captain  ___Epps was his Major. he served out this term of three months faithfully as a guard in guarding the Dutch prisoners [sic: probably Hessians captured at Trenton NJ on 26 Dec 1776] which were then at Cumberland old court house. he was then discharged and after having worked about in the neighbourhood as a common labourer in order to procure some clothing, he again entered the service in Cumberland he thinks in the month of June or July 1777 – under the following named officers, Henry Skipwith his Colo.  Benj. Allen Lieutenant  Colo. ___  Epps his Major and Rich’d Allen his Captain, to serve a tour of six months, they were marched to North Carolina, but on their way Captain Allen was taken sick and the command of Capt was assumed by ___ Perkins who continued to serve until Capt Allen recovered his health and undertook them again. this tour of six months was fully performed by this applicant, [several words illegible] discharged and returned to Cumberland [word illegible] Virginia. In the month of April as well as he can remember in the year 1778 he entered the service again in the county of Cumberland in the company under the same Colonel [several words illegible], ____ Perkins his captain the [word illegible] of the officers he has forgotten, he served in this tour of six months, he was marched through the county of Buckingham to the county of Albemarle, where he was engaged in guarding prisoners until his tour expired at which time he was again discharged & returned again to Cumberland. In the month of November 1778 he again entered the services in the said county of Cumberland under the same Colo – But under Captain Richard Allen, to serve another term of six months. he was marched to a place called the Hundred on James river to defend the encroachment of the British scouting parties where he remained until the said tour of six months expired and he again returned to Cumberland. He has now no recollection of having again entered the service, except a short time before the taking of Cornwallis – Capt Allen received orders to march to York Town, which orders he attempted to obey but on his way to that place he and his men, this applicant being one of them, met a party returning who informed him of the surrender of Cornwallis. they then returned home; From the foregoing statement it will be seen that this applicant served in all [word illegible] eight months, of which he is positive. It may [word illegible] from this statement and the one made in the former declaration that there are some discreppancies[?], but those discreppansies are entirely due to old age and consequent loss of memory and not from a [word illegible] to depart from the truth. the aggregate is the same although dates are a little different, [word illegible] it cannot be expected that [one or two words illegible] of the age of the applicant without education [three words illegible] no memorandum or register of those events can [several words illegible] give them in detail. Since his papers were returned the last time he has given the subject much reflection and the above are the results of his more mature deliberation. He was in the Battle of Long Island, Guilford and a small battle at the Hundred, and a skirmish with the British and Tories at the Piskiln or Pigskiln. he only received his discharge in writing one time given by Capt Stevens when he left his company at the Piskiln or Pigskiln, and one from Capt Perkins which was destroyed by fire. He can only recollect the name of two regular officers Capt Jordan & Capt Anderson

            Answers to Interrogatories

1st       I was born in the year 1752 in Linconshire [sic: Lincolnshire] in England.

2nd      I have no record of my age.

3rd       I lived in Pennsylvania ____ county, at the time I entered the service and lived since the revolution in Cumberland, Buckingham, Prince Edward, Amelia, Bedford & I now reside in Montgomery

4th       I first volunteered.

5th       I was acquainted with Capt Jordan & Capt Anderson who were I understood regular officers. The continental & militia regiments he cannot now state particularly, & for the general circumstances of his services reference is made to this declaration

6th       He received discharges from Capt Evans & Perkins which are destroyed by fire.

7th       The Rev. John G Creal and Mr. Thomas Ingles are persons of my neighbourhood who have testified as to my veracity and Mr. William Adams [two or three words illegible] of my neighbourhood who can also testify as to my veracity and his belief of my services.

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.

            [signed] Rich’d Wonacott