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Moses Woosley application for Revolutionary War pension

Moses Woosley

Revolutionary War pension application

What follows are several documents that are part of the file for Moses Woosley, who originally applied for a Revolutionary War pension in 1832 and was awarded one in March 1834.

State of Virginia, To Wit:

On this Third day of September 1832 personally appeared before me John L Jennings a Justice of the peace in Halifax County, Moses Woosley, a resident of said county and state aforesaid, aged Seventy four 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 enlisted in the Army of the United States to the best of his recollection in the month of December 1776 or in the month of January 1777 for Three years with Ensign Samuel Jones in the County of Amelia in the State of Virginia and was attached to Captain James Foster's Company and marched to Dumfriese where we formed the 15th Virginia Regiment under Col. Mason, at that place we were enocculated with the Small Pox and remained there untill we became well, and them marched through Alexandria Georgetown to Baltimore and from thence to Philadelphia, and from there to the best of my recollection to the White Plains in the State of New York where we joined the Main Army under Genl. Washington. I was transfered to Capt. Gray's Company and was under the command of Col. Ennis in Genl. Woodford's Brigade and I was with them in the battle of Germantown and at Stoney Point on the north River and I was in many skirmishes during of the three years that I served under this enlistment. I was discharged on the first day of January 1780 at Philadelphia and came home with Richardson Booker, who was discharged with me at the same time, after which I served three tours of duty in the militia service. I was at the siege of qb in the battle near Camden when Genl. Gates was defeated, and was present when lord Cornwallis surrendered himself and his Army to Genl. Washington. My discharges are lost and cannot be found. I have no documentary evidence and know of no living person that was in service with me that I can prove it by --

I was born in the County of Buckingham in the State of Virginia in the year 1758-the record of which is yet in my posession. I lived in Amelia County Va. when I entered the service of the United States. After I was discharged from the service I came to the County of Halifax and have lived in that county ever since.

I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and I declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Sworn to, and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

John L. Jennings, J.P.

I John S. Jennings a Justice of the peace in the County of Halifax and State of Virginia do hereby declare from my acquaintance with the above named applicant, that it is my opinion & belief that he was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he stated. And I further declare my opion that from bodily infirmity he is not able to appear before the Court of the County in which he resides. Given under my hand this 3rd day of September 1832.

I Samuel Williams, clerk of the Court of the County of Halifax in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify that John L. Jennings before whom the foregoing declaration of Moses Woosley was made, was at the time an acting Justice of the Peace of said county and that his ____________ in testimony ___ hereof. I have hereunto subscribed my name and have affixed the seal of said County at my office this 31st day of January, 1833.

You will note that in the last affidavit there were several words that were ineligible to me.

I also have a War Department Pension Office letter, dated May 9, 1833, apparently to Moses Woosley, that asks for him to address some objections to the application before a pension can be approved. It appears the Pension Office objected to the uncertain date he enlisted. The letter is from J.L. Edwards, commissioner of pensions.

Another document looks like a receipt for a pension payment. "Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 80 Dollars per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834." He was paid two years' worth of pension and a semiannual payment, totaling $200. Recorded by Nath. Rice, Clerk, Book E, Vol. 6, Page 31.

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