Pension Application of Robert Bell: S8065

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

State of Virginia: Montgomery County Sct.

On this 5th day of August in the year 1833 personally appeared in open court, before the Justices of the county of Montgomery now sitting, Robert Bell, Sr. a resident of the said county and state aged 74 years last Christmas, 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 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he has been a resident of this county since he was three years old; He was drafted his first tour (the year or month he cannot recollect) but believes that it was about one year after the war was declared, and served one month under Aaron Scagg who was the commanding officer and a Sergeant. We were marched to Blue stone [sic: Bluestone river] where we were stationed to guard Mases and McGuire’s stations from the [word illegible] of the Indians; Scaggs was an officer, we had no regular encounter with the Indians, but had to drive them off, and repel them frequently. About three months after this service he was called out again to guard the same station and served another month under Colo [William] Preston and Mace Tacey who was our Sergeant. He cannot recollect the month or the year this tour was served but knows that it was warm weather we had no regular battle with the Indians during this tour, but guarded the station as in the first. His third tour the applicant served he was drafted by Captain Burnes [sic: probably James Burns], and served one month during which time we were marched against the Tories at Buffalo pond and from there to Collin’s store mill in Wythe (at that day Fincastle county)  from the mill we went to the Lead mines [near Fort Chiswell]. The applicant cannot recollect the year and month he served, but knows it was after the two first tours as stated by him. He was then Drafted again and served under Abram Trigg who was the Captain and marched to the Mulberry fields on the Big Adkin [sic: now Wilkesboro in Wilkes County NC on the Yadkin River] from there to the Shallow ford down the Big Adkin where we had a Battle with the Tories [14 Oct 1780]. We carried the wounded from the shallow ford to the Moravian Town [Bethabara at present Winston Salem] & left them there under Physicians. Joseph Cloyd was our Major and Preston our Colonel. This applicant served during this tour one month and a half. He cannot recollect the year or month but knows it was after his tour to the lead mines. He was then drafted by Capt. Burnes and Colo. Preston. we were marched to the Moravian Town & from there to Guilford court house, and from thence to High rock ford of Haw river [Rockingham County NC] and from there to the Big Adkin, and from there home. we had no battle during this tour, Preston himself was with us, and we served one month and a half; He cannot now at this day recollect the precise time he entered the service in any of his tours, but he knows that he served as he has above stated. 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 state; Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

            Robert his X mark Bell