York-Washington County PA Archives Military Records.....Proudfoot, James October 1, 1833 Revwar - Pension ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/fayette/ ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com September 3, 2006, 10:38 pm Pension Application Of James Proudfoot, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll #__, Application #S22450 Washington County, Pennsylvania, October 1st, 1833, James Proudfoot, a resident of Hanover Township in the County of Washington, PA, aged 73 years on the 8th day of November next: “I first entered the service on the 22nd day of September, 1777 when we rendezvoused at Peach Bottom Ferry on the Susquehanna River in the state of Pennsylvania. My company was commanded by Captain John Travis and Lieutenant William Reed, and Thomas Dickson, ensign. We had 3 companies in the battalion which was commanded by Major _____ Vanasdal?. From our place of rendezvous we were marched up the Susquehanna to Reed’s Ferry, where we left the river and marched across the country to Lancaster, where those of our battalion who were destitute were supplied with arms. From Lancaster we marched northeast until we joined General Potter’s brigade, the day after the Battle of Germantown, which occurred on the 4th day of October.” “From Germantown we were marched from place to place between the Delaware and the Schuylkill Rivers until finally we were marched across the Schuylkill River to the west bank of said river, where we were employed as scouts to prevent the British and Tories from carrying supplies into Philadelphia, which was at the time, occupied by the King’s forces under Sir William Howe. We remained in this service until the term of service for which the company was called out had expired, when we were marched toward home, but we were dismissed before we had ___ at the length, and every man permitted to take his own road. On this occasion, I served two months and was in no regular engagement during the whole time.” “The second time I was also out two months. On this occasion I entered the service about the 1st of October 1781 under Captain James Edgar by whom the company was marched to Camp Security about 5 miles below Little York on the Susquehanna Road from York to Lancaster. At Camp Security, we joined several other companies under a major whose name I have forgotten. We remained at the camp for the two full months for which we had been drafted, guarding the prisoners (about 400 in number) who had been captured in the defeat of General Burgoyne. No incident worthy of mention occurred while we were in camp, except that we had a glorious day of rejoicing when we had the news of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, which occurred on the 19th day of October, 1781.When our term of service expired, the company was marched out of camp and dismissed and every man took his own road homewards.” “In the 1st week of September 1782, I was again drafted for 2 months. On this occasion we rendezvoused at Little York in York County, PA under Captain Thomas Clingen? From York we marched to Carlisle where we drew our provisions and ammunition. We were fitted out for an expedition against the hostile Indians west of the Allegheny. We understood that we were destined for the Plains of Sandusky. From Carlisle we were marched to Cumberland in Maryland (then Fort Cumberland) by the way of Shipper’s Bay and Chambersburg along what was called Braddock’s Road. From Cumberland, we pursued the same road to a little town at the foot of the Laurel Hill now called Uniontown. We went direct to Fort Pitt (now Pittsburg). From thence we marched up the Monongahela to the mouth of the creek, which is about two miles below Braddock’s Field. We remained encamped at the mouth of ?Turtle’s Creek until we were discharged, when every man was permitted to take his own road home. On this occasion, I served two months and 1 week. The reason we did not proceed to Sandusky Plains as we expected was that we received a proclamation from Philadelphia stating that preliminary articles of peace had been adopted between the colonies and mother country.” I was born on the 8th day of November, 1760, in Nottingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, at which place I lived with my father, I am informed, until I was 4 years old when he removed to Hopewell Township, in York County in the same state at which place I lived until I was 27 years of age. I have a record of my age in my father’s large family Bible which is now in my possession. On each and every occasion when I entered the service, I lived in Hopewell Township in York County, PA. I lived in York County until the year 1787, in November of which year I came to Washington County, PA and settled on the farm where I now live.” “The first term of my service I was a volunteer, being only 17 years of age, I was not liable to a draft. On the 2nd and 3rd occasions when I entered the service, I was drafted. For the 1st and 2nd time I was out in the service, I received no written discharge, but for the 3rd term I did receive a written discharge which was given and signed by Captain Thomas Clingen, which I lost some 40 or 50 years since. I did not consider it of any importance and consequently took no care of it. The only officers in the regular service with whom I was acquainted were Colonel Hartley, Captain Greer, and Lieutenant John Knox.” Washington County, PA, 6th day of April, 1855, James Proudfoot, aged 95 years: “…Declares that he is the identical James Proudfoot who was a private in the company of Captain John Travis, in that regiment of Pennsylvania militia commanded by General Potter in the Revolutionary War. That he was drafted in York County, PA on or about the 22nd day of September, 1777 for the term of 2 months. That he performed two months service in the year 1781 under Captain Edgar guarding the prisoners taken under General Burgoyne. That he also performed 2 months service under Captain Clingen in 1782…” etc. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb