HENRY WIGGINTON - REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION RECORD
Contributed by John Glenn (ljglenn1122@juno.com) 4/12/06
Service - VA Henry Wigginton Number S. 31483
Kentucky 29593
Henry Wigginton
Bourbon Co. in the State of Kentucky
who was a Private in the company commanded
by Captain Trammel of the Regt. commanded
by Col Summers in the Virginia mil.
line for 6 months
Inscribed on the Roll of Kentucky
at the rate of 20 Dollars ¾ Cents per annum
to commence on the 4th day of March 1834
Certificate of Pension issued the 19th day of Dec.
1834 and sent to Hon. Robt. Johnson H.R.
Arrears to the 4th of Sept. 1834 $70.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 March 1835 $10.00 $80.00
Recorded by D. Brown Clerk,
Book E 2 Vol. 7 Page 51 (57?)
reported to agent
23 May 35
Letter to Hon. John Chambers
2 June 1838
Paid at the Treasury under
the act of the 6 April
1838 from 4 Sept 1835 to the
4 Sept 1837.¾ Agent
notified 13 June 1838.
Letter to Hon. G. Davis 13 Aug. (?) 21
Feb. 1844
Dead
Paid as above from 4 March
to 4 Sep 1842. Agt. notified
24 April 1844
State of Kentucky
On this ¾ day of May 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the County Court for Bourbon County in the State aforesd. Henry Wigginton a resident of sd. County aged seventy seven years who being first sworn according to law doth on his part make the following declaration in order to attain the benefit of the provisions of (the act of?) Congress passed June 7 1832.
That in the spring of the year 1776 I was drafted to serve a tour of four months as a private soldier in the Militia. That I was drafted in Loudoun County State of Virginia and served out my tour for (?) Captain Robert Freyer’s Company of Virginia militia. That Capt. Freyer’s Company belonged to the Battalion commanded by Major Cox. The Regiment was commanded by Col. Levin Powell. Was marched from Loudoun to Alexandria in Fairfax County, Virginia where we stayed the greater part of the time which we served. When at Alexandria we were principally employed in building breastworks of gray sod(?) to protect the town from the Cannon of the Enemy. At the expiration of the time for which I was drafted I was discharged at Alexandria I received a written discharge but it has been long since lost and I do not know where it is. In July 1781 I was again drafted to serve a tour of four months as a private soldier in the Virginia militia. I was drafted in Loudoun County State of Virginia and served out my tour in Capt. Sampson Trammel’s Company of Virginia Militia, which belonged to the Battalion commanded by Major Thomas Respass. The Regiment was commanded first by Col. George Summers until we marched to Head Quarters at a place called Mobbin(?) Hills near Richmond Virginia where we joined the main army. We were there put under the command of Col. Meriweather who commanded the Regiment of regulars. We then marched from that place to Williamsburgh & from there towards York Town in Virginia. I was discharged after having served out my tour at [part of line missing] near the place called the drinking Springs within about twelve miles of York Town. I was discharged on the 13th of October 1781 and Cornwallis surrendered on the 19th of the same month. I received a written discharge but have lost it long ago & I do not know where it is and I know of no living witness in this State from whom I can prove my services in the last mentioned tour and I know of none by whom I can prove my services in the first Tour except Thomas Rogers of Bourbon County who can prove sd. services if they are living. I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension except the present and I declare that my name is not on the pension Rolls of any agency in any State.
The following questions were propounded by the Court 1st Where and what year were you born? 2nd Have you any Record of your age? 3rd Where were you living when you were called into the service, where have you lived ever since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live? 4th How were you called into the service, were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute for whom? 5th State the names of the Regular officers who were with the Troops where you served and such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the General circumstances of your services? 6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and where was it given and what has become of it? State the names of the persons to whom you are known in your neighborhood and who can certify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.
To the first question I answered that I was born the same year of Braddocks defeat, To wit on the 19th of Nov. 1755 in Loudoun County, Virginia. To the second I answered that the time of my birth was recorded in my father’s family Bible from which I had it transcribed into my own Bible. To the 3rd I answered that I was living in Loudoun County State of Virginia when I was called into the service. Since the Revolutionary war I lived in the same County until I came to Bourbon County, Kentucky in the year 1788 where I have resided ever since. To the 4th I answered that I was drafted and was not a substitute. To the 5th I answered that General ¾ Stevens, Col. Meriweather, and Col. Matthews (?) were with the troops where I served. To the 6th I answered that I received a written discharge at the expiration of each Term of service but I do not recollect by whom I was discharged but I suppose I was discharged each time by my Captain. To the seventh I answered that I was known to Peter Clarkson & John Hedges [other names crossed out, including the Reverend Lewis Corbin, Samuel Muir, Percy Griffith, Nicholas Warfield] who can testify as to my character for veracity and their belief of my services as a soldier of the Revolution.
Sworn to and declared the day and year aforesaid
his
Henry X Wigginton
mark
And the Court doth certify that Peter Clarkson and John Hedges two respectable persons came into personally into Court and certified that from their acquaintance with the above mentioned Henry Wigginton they believe him to be at least seventy-seven years of age and that they believe from information he was a soldier of the Revolution.
Sworn to and subscribed day on the day and year aforesaid.
Peter Clarkson
John Hedges
I Thomas Rogers of Bourbon County State of Kentucky do certify that in the hear 1776 I served a tour as a private soldier in the Virginia militia That I served in the company of Capt. Radican. That I was drafted for four months and served until I was discharged a short time before the expiration of the Term. That during the time of my service I frequently saw Henry Wigginton now of Bourbon County, Kentucky, and I know that sd. Wigginton served as a private soldier in Capt. Robert Fryer’s company during the time that I served and that we both served in the army of the Revolution in the war with Great Britain until we were regularly discharged.
Signed and sworn to this in open Court this 3rd day of Sept. 1833.
Thomas Rogers
I Spencer Buchanan of Bourbon County Kentucky do certify that in the year Lord Cornwallis surrendered I resided in Loudon County Virginia. That Henry Wigginton and myself both mustered in Capt Sampson Trammel’s Company and the Company was arranged in three classes every class being compelled to do militia duty. I am satisfied that every person who belonged to the Company was called upon to do militia duty in the army of the revolution, and I have always understood from the conversation of the neighborhood that sd. Wigginton served a tour in the Virginia militia in the war of the Revolution.
Signed and sworn to in open Court this 3rd day of Sept 1833
Spencer Buchanan
WAR DEPARTMENT
Pension Office
Sir:
The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of cour case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The rules and the regulations will show what is necessary to be done.…
A Statement, showing the Service of Henry Wigginton
Period|Years|Months|Days |Rank |Name & rank of |Age at present, |Proof by which
|Field officers |and place of |the declaration
|under whom |abode when |is supported
|he served |he entered
|the service
1776 4 Pe. Capt. Fryer 77 Traditionary &
Col. Powell Va two witnesses
1781 4 “ Capt. Trammel None of the
Col. Simmons witnesses
certified by the
court to be
credible, see
note …
[Note is not included in file. This last remark may refer to earlier witnesses.]
I am respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J. L. Edwards,
Commissioner of Pensions
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
No. 31483 BUREAU OF PENSIONS
In reply to your request of ¾¾, received ¾¾, for a statement of the military history of Henry Wigginton, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, you will find below the desired information as contained in his (or his widow’s) application for pension on file in this Bureau.
Dates of |Length of |Rank |Officers Under Whom Service Was Rendered |State
Enlistment |Service Captain Colonel
1776 4 months Private Richard Fryer Levin Powell Va
1781 4 months Sampson Trammell {George Simmons
{____Meriweather
Battles engaged in none stated
Residence of soldier at enlistment Loudoun County, Va
Date of application for pension Sept. 4 ’33. His cl.[aim?] was al[lowed?]
Residence at date of application Bourbon County, Ky.
Age at date of application born Nov.19, 1755 in Loudoun Co. Va
died Sept. 4, 1842
Remarks There is no data on file as to his family.
There is no bounty land claim on file.
Respectfully
Commissioner
