Robert English, Wythe County, Virginia - Rev. War Pension Application Surnames: English ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Posted by Patrick O'Kelley on Mon, 08 Mar 1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ National Archives and Records Administration General Reference Branch (NNRG-P) 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20408 Robert L. English Pension File #R3354 State of Virginia Wythe County "On the 11th day of March in the year of our Lord 1839 personally appeared before the County Court of Wythe County, Robert English, a resident of said County; and State of Virginia, aged eighty-six years on the 17th day of this month, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832." "That about the commencement of the year 1775, being a minuteman, of a Rifle Company, in the County of Cumberland, and State of Pennsylvania, he marched as a volunteer to Boston in the State of Massachusetts, was in the Battle of Bunker Hill; the Officers remembered are General Putnam, Commander. Colonel not now remembered. Michael Crayson (?) was his Captain." "After serving in the neighborhood of Boston in Massachusetts, was marching to New York and being one of the guard of the baggage wagons, the whole were taken by a force of British Tories, the night following the Capture he made his escape and returned home, having escaped from the enemy. He had no discharge: he was in the service about seventeen months after getting home to Cumberland County, Pennsylvania." "He removed to Frederick County, Maryland when in the year 1776, as well as he remembered, he enlisted in the Maryland Line under Captain Henry Harman. Was recruiting Sergeant, the number of the Regiment not remembered. Field Officers remembered General Bill, Colonel Henry Shyock (?), and Major Crush. When the Company was enlisted they marched to Baltimore where they were equipped and armed, thence they marched to Philadelphia thence by Trenton to New York, from New York they were driven by the British forces, and removed to Kings Bridge went up the North River. Was in the Battle of White Plains. After which battle crossed the River at the Fish Kills, and marched to Fort Lee, situated on the North side of the North River, and opposite to Fort Washington. Then crossed the river again to Fort Washington which was taken the same day by British and Hessians. Colonel Cadwallader and Magan (?) commanding the Americans." "He remained a prisoner of war in the British prison in New York from the time of the Surrender of Fort Washington until the June following. (The time of the escape being June by the fact that Rye was in bloom.) When he effected his escape and returned home to Maryland. He had no discharge having made his escape as a prisoner of war. His term of service had expired before he escaped from Fort Lee back to Fort Washington. The Regiment had set out for Philadelphia there to be discharged, but were recalled and sent as before stated to Fort Washington and captured. He was in the service and prisoner of war one year and eleven months, as near as he can remember." "He removed from Frederick County, Maryland to Botetourt County in Virginia. About the first of March 1781 he substituted in the Militia, Officer remembered, Colonel Lynch, (he was not of the same party or command) Captain George Hairston (?), and Captain and Major Waller, his Major. He went from Henry County, Virginia to which County he had moved from Botetourt; they marched to North Carolina and he was in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in same month (March) after this battle the militia dispersed and went home. He was in the service six weeks." "He shortly after substituted in a Light Horse Company called the Flying Camp under Captain Ayre Buckner (or Buckler) of Pittsylvania. The service performed by this troop was in the nature of a guard against the depredations of the British and Tory scouting parties: he was in the service six weeks." "He again substituted and marched to Little York, was present during the siege, and when Cornwallis. Officers remembered at Little York under whom he immediately served Colonel John Rentfro (?) and Captain Swingfield (?). He was in the service six weeks. After the capture of Cornwallis he removed to Fort Chiswell in Montgomery County and settled." "He also states that he went as a volunteer to the Illinois. They rafted (?) down the Tennessee, burnt the towns and destroyed the property of the Chickamauga Indians on that river and then proceeded on to the Illinois and was at the taking of the Port on the Kaskakia River. His Officers were Colonel John Montgomery and Captain Thomas Quirk; service undertaken for a year but the time employed was about 8 months." "To sum up he was forty months in the regular service and prisoner of war. Eighteen weeks a substitute in the Virginia Militia serving in North Carolina, Virginia, and at Yorktown and eight months with the Illinois Battalion the service undertaken was for a year. In all four years and four months." "He kindly relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or amenity except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state." "Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first above written." Robert English # (His Mark) And the said court(?) of county(?) declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he stated. Jonathan Matthew(?) Clerk of the Court of Wythe County aforesaid do hereby certify that this foregoing contains the original offerings(?) of the (?) Court in the matter of the application of Robert English for a pension. In Testimony whereof I have herein(?) my hand and seal of officer this 12th day of March 1839. Jo. Mathiews(?) etc, etc.