John Buford Rev. War Pension App., 1835 - Bedford Co. VA [National Archives] State of Virginia Bedford County to Witness: On the 27th day of July 1835 personally appeared before the Court of Bedford now sitting, John Buford a resident of the County of Bedford aged Seventy Seven years who being first sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by the act of congress passed the 7th day of June 1823. Viz That in February 1776 he thinks about the 10th he enlisted under Capt. Grosse Youngge in the County of Bedford to serve a tour of two years & rendezvoused at New London a few days and was marched from thence to Williamsburg under Sergeant William Canada as a guard to a Waggon load with ammunition that he remained in Williamsburg one or two weeks until Capt Youngge & Lieutenant Isham Talbot and Joseph Enly & Ensign Barnabas Arthur arrived .... with the balance of the Company that he marched from thence to Portsmouth principally under the command of Major Josiah Parker and remained at Portsmouth until the 10th day of August when he Swapped places with a man by the name of Stewart who was marching to the Cherokee Towns that he marched from Portsmouth and joined Capt. James Bufords Company in the County of Bedford where he remained until the Colo Came and which was early in September that he marched from thence to Long Island on Holston River under the Command of Colo Charles Lewis from Albemarle County & Major Igleen Lieutenants Jacob Early & William Ruthven & Ensign John Fields that in this Tour he acted as Sergeant & James Trainer as Orderly Sergeant. That he was marched from Long Island about the 1st of October to the Cherokee Towns upon the Tennessee River under the Command of Colo Wm Christer, that he remained at the Cherokee Towns of a week or two and that he returned home in the last days of November 1776 that he was engaged in the Service of these Tours as a private in the 1st about six months & 10 days and the last as a Sergeant 3 month & 20 days that he has no written discharge and never had any that he had a Certificate from Capt. Youngge Certify to the exchange between himself & Stewart but has mislaid it. He refers to the affidavit of Edward Hancock & James Fields for the Service of these Tours that the next tour he Served he enlisted in early part of June 1778 under Capt. Samuel Campbell in the County of Bedford that he was marched to the County of Greenbrier where he was Commanded by Colo. Samuel Lewis that he was mostly in Service at Benluois fort and was engaged as a Spy 28 days that he was discharged about the First of November & that he thinks on that very day that William Fromhill was the ensign & he thinks John Phelps was the Lieutenant. He was engaged in the Service of this tour about four Months as a private and 28 days as a Spy. He received no written discharge for this tour and knows of no person Living that Served the whole of this tour with him and refers to the affidavit of Pleasant Preston for the Service of this tour The next tour he Served he went as a Substitute for Wegman St. Clair that he was marched from the County of Bedford under the Command of Capt. John Otey Lieutenant George Dooley on the 16th day of January 1781 from the County of Bedford to Petersburg when he remained a day or two from thence he marched to Calieu point from thence he was marched to a place near Portsmouth & Camped Capt Otey Joined the infantry with his Company and was Commanded by Major Deck, Generals Parker, & Muhlenburg but was principally Commanded by general Parker he marched then to . . . . . the Great Bridge upon the South branch under Capt Otey & Lieutenant George Dooley who took a boat below the great Bridge from the Brittish that he was marched to Petersburg and discharged on the 15th day of April 1871 he was engaged in the Service of this Tour three months that he received no written discharged but can prove the Service of this tour by Capt Williamson Arthur & Isaac Cardiff who Served at the Same Time with him whose affidavit is hereto Annexed That the next tour he Served he was drafted to serve a tour of six Weeks that about the 10th day of May in the year 1781 he marched from New London then in Bedford County in Capt Alex.r Cumming's Company under the Command of Lieutenant or Ensign Charlton Doggette That he joined Capt Cumming about Prince Edward Courthouse That he marched from thence to the County of Hanover in General Lawsons brigade & joined the main army Commanded by Lafayette & Wayne where he remained with the 5th of July Major Durnell was one of the Commanding Officers who was wounded on the fourth of July by accident that he has no written evidence of this Tour nor does he know of any living Witness that he Can prove it by he was engaged in the Service of this tour one month & twenty days: That he does not received a pension nor never has of any description whatever for Services to the United States or any other, and hereby relinquishes all Claim to any other but the present: Answer to Question 1st: I was born either in the County of Orange of Culpeper in the State of Virginia on the 13th day of October 1757 Answer to Question 2nd: I have now no register of my age my Parents had it registered in a Bible which is now destroyed Question 3, 4, 5, & 6th: Answered in the declaration I refer to William Seftwich a minister of the gospel and Thos Preston Matthew Pate Pleasant Preston D. Saunders & B. Preston who are acquainted with me and as to their belief in my having Served in the Army &c: John Buford State of Virginia Bedford County to Wit We William Seftwich a Clergyman and Thos. Preston Matthew Pate Pleasant Preston Davis Saunders & Bowker Preston having appeared in Open Court in the County Aforementioned and make Oath that we are all well acquainted with John Buford who has Signed and Sworn to the foregoing declaration that he is reputed an believed in his neighborhood to have been a Soldier of the Revolutionary War that he is a man of good Character and fair standing in Society and on whose integrity and Veracity full reliance Ought to be placed. Wm Seftwich Thomas Preston Matthews Pate J.P. Pleasant Preston David Saunders B. Preston State of Virginia Bedford County to Wit: The affidavit of Isaac Cundiff aged Seventy four years Sweareth that Some time in the month of January 1781 he marched from the County of Bedford under Capt John Wigg to Serve a tour of duty in the Revolutionary War and that at the same time John Buford Marched under Capt John Otey to near Portsmouth That the Brittish was in possession of Portsmouth and that the Company Commanded by Otey as well as that Commanded by Wigg was Stationed or Camped between Suffolk and Portsmouth near the great Bridges on the South Branch of Elizabeth River that he well recollects Seeing John Buford frequently while engaged in the Service of this tour also recollects the taking of a boat by Capt. Otey Company from the British And the Aforesaid Buford and myself returned to the County of Bedford together we Served a three months tour and further saith not. Sworn & Subscribed before } me a Justice of the peace } Isaac Cundiff for the County Aforesaid } this 25th day of July 1835 } Samuel Hancock J.P. Bedford County State of Virginia to Wit: I hereby Certify that Isaac Cundiff who has Sworn and Subscribed to the above Affidavit is from his appearance Seventy four years old and that he is a man on whose testimony full reliance Ought to be placed Given under my hand this 25th day of July 1835 Saml. Hancock J.P. Bedford County State of Virginia to Wit} The affidavit of James Fields aged Forty Seven years Sheweth that Some time after the Laws of 1818 had passed granting pension to revolutionary Soldiers Reece Morgan formerly of the County of Bedford now deceased told him frequently that he had Served a Tour of duty with John Buford under the Command of Capt. James Buford that they marched together against the Indians and that he the Said Morgan wished to have gotten the Said Bufords affidavit to have aided in getting a pension and further Saith not. Sworn and Subscribed before} me a Justice of the peace for } James Field the County aforesaid this } 25th day of July 1835 } Saml. Hancock J.P. State of Virginia Bedford County to Wit } The affidavit of Pleasant Preston aged thirty one years Sheweth that he had frequently heard his father Stephen Preston now deceased Say that himself and John Buford had Served a Tour against the Indians together that does not recollect his Saying who was the officer or what was the length of tour and further Saith not. Sworn & Subscribed before me Pleasant Preston a Justice of the peace for the County aforesaid this 25th day of July 1835 Samuel Hancock J.P. Bedford County State of Virginia to Wit: I hereby Certify that James Field who has Sworn and Subscribed to one of the above affidavits is from his appearance forty Seven years old and that I believe him to be Such and that he is a man on whose testimony the utmost reliance Ought to be placed also I believe pleasant Preston who has Sworn and Subscribed to the Other Certificate is the age Set forth in Said Certificate and on whose testimony full reliance ought to be placed Given under my hand this 25th day of July 1835 Samuel Hancock J.P. - State of Virginia } Bedford County } The affidavit of William Arthur aged Seventy three years Sheweth that Some time in the month of January 1781 he marched from the County of Bedford under the Command of Capt John Figg to Serve a tour of duty in the revolutionary war that at the same time John Buford marched under Capt John Otey to Portsmouth that the Brittish was in possession of Portsmouth & that the Company Commanded by Otey as well as that Commanded by Wigg was Stationed or Camped between Suffolk & Portsmouth near the great Bridge on the South branch of Elizabeth River that he was present when the prisoners taken by Capt Oteys Company from a boat were brought and he recollected Seeing the Said John Buford frequently while in the Service & on the day they were discharged that this was a tour of three months and further Saith not. Sworn & Subscribed before } me a Justice of the peace } Wm. Arthur for the County aforesaid } this 25 day of July 1835 } Bowker Preston J. P. Bedford County } Sate of Virginia } I dohereby Certify that William Arthur who has Sworn and Subscribed to the above Affidavit is from his appearance Seventy three years of age and that he is a man on whose testimony reliance ought to be placed. Given under my hand this 25 day of August 1835 Bowker Preston J.P. State of Virginia } Bedford County to Wit} The affidavit of Edward Hancock Aged Eighty years Shewith that in the month of January 1776 he enlisted under Capt Gross Scruggs as a Soldier in the revolutionary army to Serve a tour of two years that he marched from the County of Bedford in the month of March that John Buford also enlisted & marched in the Same Company to Williamsburg from thence to Portsmouth that they were there together in the Same Company the length of time he does not remember but recollects it was Several Months that the Said Buford as he understood swapped his tour in Scruggs Company & went against the Cherokee Indians under James Buford and further Saith not: Sworn & Subscribed before me } a Justice of the peace for the } Edward Hancock County aforesaid this 25th } day of 1835 } Bowker Preston J.P. I dohereby Certify that I am well acquainted with Edward Hancock who has Sworn and Subscribed to the above Affidavit that from my Personal Knowledge and his appearance I believe him to be eighty years of age an that he is a man in whose integrity I& veracity full reliance ought to be placed: Given under my hand this 25 day of July 1835. J.B. Preston J.P. And the Court dohereby declare their opinion after the investigation of this matter and after putting the interrogations prescribed by the War Department; that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states. Also the Court doth further certify that it appears to them that William Seftwich who hath signed the same is a Clergyman resident in the said County, and that Thomas Preston, Matthew Pate, Pleasant Preston, David Saunders and Bowker Preston who hath also signed the same, are residents of said County, are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit. I Robert O. Mitchell Clerk of the County Court of Bedford in the State of Virginia, dohereby certify that the foregoing contains a true copy of the original proceedings of the said County in the matter of the application of John Bedford for a pension. And I dofurther certify that Samuel Hancock & Bowker Preston Esqrs. whose names are affixed to the foregoing certificate are acting Justices of the Peace in and for said County duly Commissioned and qualified according to law. In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and affixed the Seal of (SEAL) said Court, at Office, the 10th day of August 1835 in the 60th Year of American Independence. Rob. Mitchell [National Archives] VIRGINIA 30.474 ============================== JOHN BUFORD of Bedford Co. in the State of Virginia who was a Pr. & Sergt. in the company commanded by Captain Scrugs of the Regt. commanded by Col. Lewis, in the Va. State troops for 15 Mos. & 18 days Pr. 52.00 3 2/3 " Sergt. 18.3 $ 70.3. ============================== Inscribed in the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 70 Dollars 33 Cents per an. to commence on the 4th day of March 1831 ============================== Certificate of Pension issued the 12th day of March 1836 and sent [illegible] ============================== Arrears to the 4th of March '36 336.65 Semi-ani allowance ending 4 Sep '36 35.16 ====== $ 391.81 ====== Revolutionary Claim Act June 7, 1832 Recorded by D. Brown Clerk Book 6, Vol 69, Page 4 Submitted by Jim Brown **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. 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