Who was a private in the company commanded by Captain Buckner of the Reg’t commanded by Col. Durkey in the VA line for 8 mo and 24 days
Inscribed on the roll of Kentucky at the rate of 29 dollars 30 cents per annum to commence on the 4th day of March 1834.
Certificate of Pension issued the 12th day of Apr 1833 and ? Thomas Haynes Princeton KY
Recorded by Daniel Boyd Clerk Book E Vol 7 Page 10
State of Kentucky Caldwell County
On this 20th day of August 1832 personally appeared in open court before James C Weller, Morton N Rucker and William Lander Esqrs justices of the county court of said county & state now sitting Major Groom a resident of said county & state, aged 69 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 7th 1832: That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated: That at about the age of seventeen and in the year 1780 as he now believes in the county of Orange State of Virginia he was drafted in the militia of that state for the purpose of guarding the prisoners taken at the capture of Burgoyne who were confined at the Barracks in Albermarle County, Virginia – that while in this service which was the term of six weeks he was under Captain Buckner – that two companys of regulars were in the same service one of which was commanded by Capt Burley and several militia companys – that these prisoners were confined in the interior to keep them out of reach, and to prevent a recapture. That a short time afterwards he was again drafted from the same county ?? ?? same purpose, and again stood his tour of six weeks and was again discharged, or he was relieved by other drafts. That not long after this time he ws again drafted from the same county under Colonel Dark & Lieutenant Gabl Poindexter (his capt’s name is not remembered) that they joined the Regt at Richmond and proceeded to Cabbin Point; thence to Petersberg, thence to Richmond again, which marching and countermarching was to meet the movements of the Brittish then in the country and a further object was to guard James River & to prevent the enemy’s vessels coming up that river. The expedition was for two months, after which he was again discharged. That in a short time he was again called out under Col. Matthews to guard York River and the lower part of the country – that they marched first to Williamsburg and to several other points, that were thought – to be in danger – that an engagement at Jamestown was confidently expected at that time, but the enemy ret??d for the time and did not – appear – that he was out in this tour for two months and was again discharged – that not long afterwards sometime in 1787 as well as he remembers he was again drafted to go to York – that two companys were drafted from his county and rendezvoused at Williamsburg and from there marched to Yorktown and there joined Gen. Washington, who was besieging Cornwallis at that place. The enemy had built a battery on a small creek a small distance from the town and annoyed much annoyed our men digging intrenchments – this ruk? Ran into the river below the town – the battery was ab??oned in a short time as rifle men approached under cover within gun shot and compelled them to retreat. The American army was posted on both sides the river and the French fleet was below the town, so that the town was completely surrounded. Washington’s plan was to intrench himself and so advance by degrees, to protect his men from the enemy’s fire and in about ten days our batterys were raised. And we returned the fire – the first battery was raised below the town and the firing continued without intermission until Cornwallis surrounded both the ports of Yorktown and Gloucester point, which was about the 18th of October 1787 – that he served in this expedition, two months and was discharged, making in all, eight months of his service as a soldier in the revolution. In this siege Governor Nilson commanded the Virginia militia as well as he remembers. He knows of no person now living who served with him in either of the campaigns – they may be in Virginia, but there is no one in this country that he knows of – He states that he was born in Orange County Virginia, but the precise time he does not know. According to the custom of the country, when an infant he was christened at church and his age and name registered – that his parents failed to get this register before the war and then it was impossible and the record was lost – that from his best information he was about the age of seventeen when he was first drafted into service – that he received discharges from his services but – they are worn out and lost – that lived in Virginia for many years after the war, and moved to this county where he has lived for the last 13 years. He hereby relinquishes his 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 whatever.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
[signed] Major Groom
We Timothy McMann a clergyman and Lawson Robertson and Buford Lewis residing in the county of Caldwell State of Kentucky hereby certify that we are all acquainted with Major Groom who has sworn to & subscribed the above declaration, that we believe to be at least sixty nine years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
[signed by the listed men]
[a letter in 1939 from a researcher, Littleton Groom, asks for the records of “my great grandfather, Major Groom, who was granted a pension….Major Groom had an older brother, John Groom, who was also in the Revolutionary War, having lost a leg in the war….”]
No comments:
Post a Comment