Pension Application of Thomas Goodson: S6901
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Floyd County Court and}
State of Virginia} To Wit
On this 17th day of December 1832 personally appeared in Open Court before the Justices of the peace for the said County now sitting Thomas Goodson a resident of the said County of Floyd and State aforesaid aged seventy seven 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 provision made by the act of Congress passed the 7th of June 1832.
That he enlisted in the army of the United States in the year 1776 as well as he can remember in the County of Botetourt and State of Virginia and served in the 7th Virginia Regiment on Continental establishment for eleven months. He had enlisted to serve for two years but having become sickly, he obtained a sick furlough and returned home after the lapse of eleven months where he lay sick. Some time after recovering his health he hired a substitute to take his place in the ranks and who did take it in consequence of which he received his discharge from Capt. Thomas Bowyer in Botetourt County Virginia in the early part of the year 1777. The 7th Regiment aforesaid was at the time he entered the service Commanded by Colonel [William] Dangerfield, afterwards by Colo. [William] Crawford and at a still later period by Colo. [Alexander] McClanahan. Nelson was the name of his Major, and Posey the name of his Captain and under the Command of Brigadier General Lewis during his first service of eleven months as stated before he was in several cannonades in driving [Royal Governor] Dunmore from Guinns Island [sic: Gwynn’s Island in Jan 1777]– a short time after receiving his discharge from the Regular service he had the promise of a Lieutenants commission by Major Thomas Quirk, and was three or four months engaged in recruiting his quota of men, and was also employed by said Major Quirk in managing a Pack Horse company and marched as far as Fort Chizzel [sic: Fort Chiswell in present Wythe County VA] he lay there six weeks the troops had gone on. He then returned home and entered the Militia Service, in the County of Botetourt and State of Virginia, in a Company commanded by Capt. Joshua Wilson as an Orderly Sergeant. This company in obedience to orders, marched to Pitts fort on Sinking Creek in the North Western part of said County of Botetourt [now in Craig County] to man the Fort and keep off the Indians. In this Service he continued only five weeks. He was marched under the command of Colo. Charles Lynch, Capt. Samuel Easom being his Captain to the Lead Mines [at Fort Chiswell], now in the County of Wythe, where he remained in service making frequent excursions in the surrounding Country to keep down the Tories, four months. In all this Service he was a Volunteer and acted as an Orderly Sergeant. Whilst in the Service he received the Commission of a lieutenant. He cannot recollect in what year – (having lost his Commission) which lay idle in his pack some short time before the Battle of Guilford [sic: Battle of Guilford Court House NC on 15 March 1781] when he went into active Service, and though not in that Battle he was in two preceding skirmishes. He was in a foraging party when the main Battle was fought after returning from this excursion in the South embracing a term of two months and remaining at home some time he was ordered on to York Town to operate against Cornwallis in 1781 where he continued in service three months or more as a first Lieutenant until after the surrender of Cornwallis [on 19 Oct 1781]. while at this latter place he commanded the advance guard and took one of the enemys redoubts. after this he was Honorably dismissed from the service at York Town (except that it was made his duty to attend the Sick and Baggage Waggon on their return to Botetourt County. at York Town he belonged to the Company of Capt. John Lewis. The Colonel was Samuel Lewis. Gen’l. [Peter] Muhlenburg was the Commander of the Division. He hereby relinquishes all claim whatsoever to any other pension or annuity whatsoever, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any State or Territory whatsoever
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year above written [signed] Thomas Goodson
[A printed form with filled-in parts indicated by italics]
State of Virginia }
County of Floyd }SS:
Be it known, that on this 24th day of April, A. D. eighteen hundred and fifty two, before the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid, personally appeared Wm Goodson, a resident of said County, and made oath according to law, that he is the son of Thomas Goodson deceased late of said county who was a pensioner under the act of the 7th June 1832 at the rate of $141.66 per annum that he died in said county on the 3rd day of September 1837 – and left no widow, but the following children Wm Goodson Elizabeth Goodson Polly Sandifer John Goodson.
that he is directly interested, as aforesaid, as a claimant, and makes this affidavit for the purpose of obtaining such increase of Pension as may be due under any of the Laws, Regulations, or decisions that have been or may hereafter be adopted. The said Affiant further declares that he hereby constitutes and appoints JOHN K. MARTIN, of the City of Richmond and State of Virginia, to be Attorney and Agent to prosecute said claim, and power of substitution, to examine all papers and documents in relation to it, and to do all things necessary and lawful in the premises; except drawing the money, which will be hereafter provided for.
[signed] William Goodson
Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid, before me, [signed] Thos. Banks J. Peace}
NOTE: Goodson’s declaration was supported by a statement signed by Joseph Howard and George Shelor. A typed summary states that Thomas Goodson died in Floyd County VA on 3 Sept. 1837; that his wife, not named here, died 5 Feb 1837; and that there were six children.