PENSION APPLICATION OF MATTHEW HIGHT, NELSON COUNTY, VA Contributor: Bob McKinney, Tompkinsvill, KY -------------------------------------------- STATE OF VIRGINIA, NELSON COUNTY COURT On the 22 day of April, 1833 personally appeared in April court before the Justices of Nelson County, now sitting: Matthew Hight, a resident of the said county and State of Virginia, Aged seventy years the 10th day of March last. Who first being duly sworn according to the law, Doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th day of June 1832. That he entered the service of the United States. That in the year 1779, he being a resident of the County of Amherst he joined a Militia Company ________ -orders on a tour of duty to the Barracks in the County of Albemarle Virginia where he marched as a private soldier and served between sixty and forty days under the command of Capt. Rucker(?) and _____. That some time in the year 1780 being in the County of Pittsylvania in the state of Virginia he Volunteered and joined a company commanded by Capt. Williams. That the said company marched to Hillsborough in North Carolinia, where it was attached to the 3rd Virginia Regiment of Infantry and placed under the command of Gen'l Stephens from the said state. That the said regimental officers learned General Faulkner and Major Stuffard(?). That the said Company set out on their march for Hillsborough some time about the first of June 1780 and remained at that place thirty of forty days where Gen'l Gates with his army of Regular Troops and militia passed through that place on their way to the south. That some short time after this Gen'l Stephens with his corps to which the declarent was attached as aforesaid, Marched with his army crossing the Pedee River and the Chickasaw hills to South Carolina, and there Joined the Army of Gen'l Gates at a place called Gesly's Mills. Orders were there received from the commander of the United Forces to be ready to take up the line of march at 10:00 O'clock at night. That accordingly, at that hour the forces were paraded and moved toward Camden(?) with the intentions as he was afterwards informed of suprising the enemy. That after marching about 12 miles, the advance of Gen'l Gates army __?__ and had a skirmish with the advanced of the enemy's army, who had unexpectedly met. Both parties having set out from their respective encampments to suprise the other. That the march of our army was formed in order of battle across a road, awaiting our attack, or awaiting for day light to give battle. That accordingly when day light appeared a general engagement took place between the two armies, which be as __?__ on our part but a short time when our line broke and retreated to a swamp, where we were pursued by the enemy and many were killed, or wounded and taken prisoner. That he, the declarent, with one or two others concealed themselves in a swamp until the night time of the day of the battle, when they escaped from the swamp and made their wait to Salisbury which they did by traveling principally in the night time to avoid destruction from the Tories. That at Salisbury he joined some officers and some other soldiers who like himself had shared in the defeat aforesaid and after remaining a short time at the last named place were marched back to Hillsborough where he was taken sick and remained so until he was discharged the last of November 1780. That he served in this tour at least five and a half months. That in the year 1781 he was detached from the militia of the county of Amherst to aid in guarding some British prisoners through the County of Amherst. They were prisoners taken at the Cowpens. That he was eight or ten days engaged in this service. That he is entirely confident that he served in the three tours aforesaid seven months. That he has no documentary evidence to sustain his claims nor does he know that there is a single person living at this time by whom he could prove them. He here by relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Investigations proposed by the court to the declarent and his assures there to 1st. Where and in what year were born? Answer. As appears by the old family Bible, which I have seen I was born in the County of Hanover Virginia on the 10th day of March 1763. 2nd. Do you have any record of your age and where is it? Answer. I have no record of my age, but I have seen the old family Bible, but do not know in whose possession it now is. 3rd. Where were you living when called into service and where have you lived since? Answer. I lived in the County of Amherst when called to serve the first tour. Was on a visit to a relation in the County of Pittsylvania (Va) where I volunteered in the second tour, and was living in Amherst County when called for the third tour. Since the Revolutionary War I have continued to live near the same place, originally Amherst County but by subdivision of the County it is now in Nelson County (Va). 4th. How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute, and if you were a substitute for whom? Answer. I was a substitute the first time for James Bibb, who had been drafted to perform that tour in a militia company. The second tour I volunteered and the last tour I was drafted of detached. 5th. State the names of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served. Such Continental and Militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service. Answer. I have stated in the body of my declaration as much as I will recollect on this subject and to which I refer. 6th. Did you receive a written discharge from the service for your said services? Answer. My impression is that I received a written discharge from the first two tours of duty signed by the Captains of my respective companies, but if I did they have been lost in the great lapse of time. 7th. State the names of persons in your neighborhood who can testify to your character for __?__ and their belief or your services as a soldier of the Revolution. Answer. There is no resident Clergyman in my neighborhood, but I refer you to Jese Wright and Edmund Massie who have known me well for many years and who will so certify---- Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Matthew Hight by Jese Wright of Nelson Co. and Edmund Massie of Amherst County both near neighbors of Matthew Hight so certify there for all well aquaitnted with Matthew Hight who has subscribed and sworn to the above declarations, That they believe him to be 70 years of age as he states, and that he is reputed in his neighborhood to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. We are further of opinion that the said Matthew Hight is a man of vivacity. Subscribed to and sworn to this day and date aforesaid. Jese Wright Edmund Massie --------------------------------------- Personal data of Matthew Hight: Matthew Hight was born 10 Mar 1763, in Hanover County Virginia and was married to Nancy ??? on 7 Aug 1785. Matthew has at least 5 children, maybe one more, the sure children are John, b. 1787; Jane, b abt 1800; William, b. 23 Aug 1802; Maria, b. 14 Jun 1803; and Luci b. 15 Feb 1808. Matthew appears on the 1850 Nelson County, Va. census in the home of Jane Hight Camden with the spelling of Matthew Hite. I have no information on Matthew's parents, but I do know Matthew had a brother who moved to Casey County, Ky. and applied for a pension from there. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************