TRANSCRIPTION OF PENSION PAPERS OF JOHN VEST,
File S.15692 from NATIONAL ARCHIVES MILITARY RECORDS, 1993

Transcribed verbatim June 1993 by Sandra Lake Lassen

[Note: John Vest was awarded $20 per month pension as of 25 Feb. 1833, in
Russel Parish, Bedford Co., Virginia, his place of residence.]

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State of Virginia, County of Bedford S.S.
       On this 25th day of February 1833 personally appeared in open Court
before Ledewich McDavid, George Steptoe, William Leftwich Jr. and William
Perry Gentlemen Justices, the Court of Bedford County said sitting: the
same being a Court of record. John Vest a resident of the Parish of Russel
in the County aforesaid and State aforesaid aged Eighty two years who being
first duly sworn 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 entered the service of the United States under the following named
officers and served as herein stated.  His register which he has seen and
recollects but which is now mislaid states that he was born in the county
of Powhatan in the State of Virignia in the Year 1750: In the ninth year of
his age his father moved with him into the County of Brockingham in said
State where he lived about eleven Years from thence he moved into the
County now called Campbell then a part of the County of Bedford in said
state where he resided till he became of age and lived then through the
whole of the Revolutionary war.  In 1789 he became a citizen of Bedford
County or that part of it which now retains that name and has ever since &
does now reside there by his calculation he is now about Eighty Two Years
six months and seven days

The first call of Militia from the said County of Campbell then a part of
Bedford as aforesaid was to a tour of duty to the lead mines in Virginia to
protect and guard the works from the Tories, Indians and a number of
negroes that were taken in attempting to escape to Governor Dunmore from
their masters who after they were taken were sent to the lead mines and
employed in digging of ore to make lead to carry on the war, but who had to
be closely watched either the Tories, Indians or negroes set fire to the
furnace house and burnt four rafters in the roof before the fire could be
extinguished but with great difficulty the deponant and others saved the
house and utensils.  The same night a ferry boat and a large canoe which
was used in bringing the oar from the other side was lossed from the
landing set adrift and was no more found  In ths Tour of duty he enlisted
as a volunteer and thinks it was on the first day of august 1774 but if he
is mistaken as to the date of the Year he is quite certain it was the same
Year that the battle was fought at the falls of the Ohio against the
Indians.  He served in the company commanded by Captain William Leftwich
and Lieutenant Johnathan Richardson from the said County of Bedford now
Campbell.  From the Rendezvous the marched through the County now called
Franklin to the County in which the lead mines are situated then called
Fincastle now Wythe.  In their march through the mountains they were
divided and a part sent to the salt Peter works and he was one of these his
is at a loss to tell how long they remained at at the salt Peter works but
thinks it was about a month.  from thence they were called to the lead
mines under the circumstances above stated where they served the balance of
the tour.  He ever did and now believes they served three months fully and
not less than that period & he is and old man and ere long will stand
before the judge of quick and dead to answer for the deeds done in the body
and therefore cannst swear to a [    ] to gain a day if he were to lose a
month they were regularly relieved by another [  ] of men. on returning
home he remembers to have met Capt. Thomas Bedford and his company from
Bedford there on his way out to the falls of Ohio against the Indians and
that they lay at the Big Lick in the now County of Botetourt on the same
night.  This was in the month of October or November the same month in
which he was discharged and returned home.  The second time he was called
to go into service he was discharged as were the rest of the Company also
without marching from the place of Rendezvous where they had met with all
things proposed to march and were told that they had or would have credit
for a full tour of duty of three months he supposes as if they had actually
served it and and such was the common understanding in those days --

This call was to go to the Eastern shores of Virginia. He remembers that
Williston Talbot the forage master bought a load of flour for the use of
the army and the whole was condemned on his hands by Colonol Jeremiah 
Early
and Capt John Clayton.  It seems the enemy had left the place and the
company after being from home three days at the Rendezvous as aforesaid
were discharged.  He was occasionally called out against the Tories in the
neighborhood and remembers being on on a tour of five days in hunting them
at one time three days an other in guarding them and three days in waiting
the call of Genl Green

He then again in the year 1778 judging from all the circumstances he can
recollect while Patrick Henry was Governor of Virginia in the latter part
of the year but the month or day he cannot tell, he marched from Campbell
County, then Bedford as aforesaid under the command of Cap. John Talbot,
Lieutenant Thomas Holmes who was afterwards killed in the battle of
Guilford and Ensign Arthur Moseley.  The Company met at Hunters Tavern
passed Charlotte Cumberland The said Talbot was at that time a member of
the Legislature and went after his company was discharged from the army
into the House of Burgesses which was then sitting at Williamsburg.  In
this tour of duty he entered the service as a volunteer and marched under
the aforesaid officers first to Williamsburg in Va crossing James River at
Richmond and Manchester passed through Henrico, New Kent, Hanover &
remained at Williamsburg about six weeks as well as he can now remember
Col. Mason then had the command of the Regiment to which he was attached.
From Williamsburg he was marched to York Town where his company was
attached to the Regiment under the command of Col Lightfoot as well as he
can remember at this distant day.  He is unable to say how long he remained
here but is satisfied it was untill he was regularly discharged and feels
assured that the tour was one of not less than three months duration.  he
remembers that some of the men were tried at Williamsburg while he was
there for burning and otherwise injuring the the inclosure around park of
Governor Henry. In this tour he was at York Town when the British vessels
came in sight within the capes and cammanded the american Row Gallies from
about 9 oclock in the morning till near one hour by sun in the evening, it
was said one of the enemies vessels was very much damaged.  The land troops
were drawn up in a line of the shore in view of the enemy with as much
display as possible having the Colores unfurled drums beating,etc. when
after having anchored there for several days the enemy disappeared without
endeavouring to effect a landing.  There was no doubt at the time that they
would have landed but for the troops stationed at the place.  For this tour
of duty he received a written discharge but has lost or mislaid it and in
fact he never expected after receiving it to want it again.  He thinks the
discharge was obtained by his father for him from Cap. Talbot some time
after he returned from the Legislature of which he was a member as
aforesaid.  He recollects it was said that the discharge would have been
obtained at the expiration of the service but for the hurry of the Captain
to take his seat in the Legislature -

In about a Year after the expuration of this tour he was preparing to march
again upon another to York Town, had all things ready for actual service
his knapsack baggage etc. and had left home in the said County of Campbell
then Bedford as a militia man regularly drafted when at the rendezvous of
the militia at the head of [Ma_lies?] creek he got into conversation with
Col. James Callaway the commandant of the regiment and was told by him that
if he would go and catch one William Carver a deserter from Col.
Washington's core of horse and withal a noted Tory he would receive a
discharge from the whole time for which he had been drafted Col. Washington
had sent officers to Prince Edward Courthouse in Virginia authorized to
adverstise in the public Gazettes the names of all deserters from his core
and that if would come and deliver themselves up they should be pardoned
for the offense of desertion, which most if not all accepted but this
celebrated Carver.  This deponent understanding the proposition of the
Colonal thus made to him he accepted it and did so with the assurance that
if he caught Carver delivered him to the officers at Prince Edward
Courthouse as aforesaid obtained a receipt for him and got Captain Heaths
discharge who was Cap.of this deponents company he would be released from
the full tour.

He accepted the proposition at the time the more readily as he was in such
a situation with his family that he could not readily leave home.
Accordingly he went in pursuit of the said Carver as he had been requested
and was fortunate enough to apperhand him. then in pursuance of the
instructions received deliverd him to the proper officers in Prince Edward
County forty miles (he thinks, from where he apprehended him) obtained a
receipt for him and then afterward a discharge for the full time from
Captain Heath, which he has also lost.  on his return homeward he met the
company of Captain Heath on their way down at Cub Creek in the County of
Charlotte.  This was toward the fall of the Year he thinks or in the first
part of the fall, as least he remembers that the surrender of Cornwall's
took place soon after this and he should have been there also had he not
have been discharged in the manner as aforesaid - He has no documentary
evidence by which to prove his services but he refers to the affadavits of
John Hunter of County of Campbell and John Turner of the County of Bedford
to prove his services to the lead mines and the tour to Williamsburg York
Town etc. under Captain Talbot each of three months duration.  He has no
testimony by which to prove his other services and there is no one living
to whom he can have access to prove the same.  he perhaps could do it if he
was not too old and infirm to ride so far as he must necessarily to
ascertain the facts.  He has been made to procure the certificate of a
clergyman as the other individual as required by the act of congress simply
because there is no one living in the neighborhood that can testify to such
a belief.  this deponent having moved to Bedford in that part of it in
which he now lives subsequent to any of his services as aforesaid renders
it difficult to refer to any individual particularly as to the General
belief in the #neighborhood#  The distance is about 30 miles.

He makes the following answers to the interoggatories propounded by the war
department
To the lst Interrogatory, see body declaratiion for all answers
To the 2nd    The same
To the 3rd    The same
To the 4th    The same
To the 5th    The names of many of the officers am familiar with but few if
any of the regular officer were ever with me that I now remember
To the 6th Interrogatory - I did receive discharge for my services in each
case I believe and I think they were given by my Captain except when we
were all discharge in a body then I did not.  they are now lost

To the 7th Interrogatory see the body of the declaration for an answer The
whole of his #actual# services will amount to not less than six months and
eleven days and if he is paid for the other Tours when he was discharged as
stated he would be entitled to pay for not less than 12 months He hereby
relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the
present and declares that his name is never on the pension roll of the
agency of any State - sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in
open Court

                                              John Vest

We William S. Goggin and Joseph Wilson residing in the County of Bedford
hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John

[Compiler's note: document sent by Archives ends here; presumably there is
more, but the clerics send whatever they see fit.  Will order microfilm
version later and see what was left out!  To trade Vest info, contact
Sandra Lake Lassen, 1499 Lakeside Drive, West Jefferson, NC 28694 or email
slassen@infoave.net]


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