Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 6737, Willian Bridgwater, Va.
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State ofVirginia   County of Nelson
At a Court of Monthly Session held for Nelson County at the Court
On this 22nd day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Court
before the Court of the County of Nelson, now sitting William Bridgwater a resident of the County of Nelson and State of Virginia aged seventy five years the 29th day of
June last past, who being first duly sworn according to law 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 as a Militiaman
in the County of Henrico and State of Virginia, under Captain James Price not
long to the best of his recollection after the commencement of the revolution, - that they marched to Richmond in the said County and State at which place he served a
tour of three months as guard to the Magazine - he has no recollection of any other Officers stationed there, - after the expiration of the said three months he was discharged and went home. 
the next time he was drafted was sometime after perhaps a year of this however he is not very certain, but he recollects the cause, as he was then informed, of the requisition, it was owing to an invasion of Richmond by the enemy commanded, by one Lessley who committed some spoilations of minor importance
after which it was said the said enemy's troops left Richmond in consequence of which be the said Bridgewater was marched to an old field in King William County called King William Old field where he joined some other troops the names of the commanders not recollected - there he stayed a few days when they recrossed Samunica[?] River to Holts Forge where they joined other troops and stayed for a short time,- from thence they marched to old Williamsburg where they were stationed till the expiration of his tour which was three months when he was discharged and went home; the name of the Captain under which he served this last tour was John Brooks - he can't recollect the names of any other officers- he says he was on one other occasion ordered out as a guard to guard some wagons from Richmond to the barracks near Charlottesville in Albemarle County Virginia which service he performed under one Charles Price who had the command of the guard which tour was performed in about twenty days, and he was one other time ordered out as a guard to guard some prisoner from Richmond to the Barracks near Stanton in Augusta County Virginia, which service he performed in about twenty five days - the next tour he performed was as follows: in the last of June or first of July 178? in the County of Henrico Virginia a company was drafted the command of which devolved on Captain John Brooks at which time the said Bridgewater was absent from
Henrico, that being his place of residence: upon his arrival home which was a day ┃
or two after, found that some of his connections and many of his acquaintance was gone - he followed on a short distance below Richmond where he overtook the
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Company and offered to volunteer and was received by Captain Brooks as such, from
thence they marched several days with other troops down James River to Menses ferry
where he and a part of the troops crossed James River under the command of Colonel
Matthews to the best of his recollection, the balance keeping on the north side of
James River: after crossing he marched down the south side until they got opposite
old James Town and there recrossed to old James Town on French boats: and from thence marched to old Williamsburg, where they were stationed with the main army
where he first saw General Lafayette, - other officers that he now recollects to have ┃
seen the was General Lawson whose Brigade he was attached to and General Stevens
and General Nelson, and there in the main street of Williamsburg it being on
Washington arrival from the north he saw General Lafayette and General Washington meet and it was a meeting ever to be remembered by those who witnessed it; this meeting to the best of his recollection took place on a Wednesday, after
which General Washington stayed in Williamsburg until the evening of the
next day, where it was said he went to old James Town, and took water,- from thence ┃
to the mouth of York River where it was said the French fleet was lying and on ┃
the following Wednesday he returned to Williamsburg and on the Saturday 
following they received orders to march to York he having meanwhile been 
detached as a sergeant to General Nelson's Guard; the line of march was taken ┃
up for York on Saturday the French army in front. - on Sunday evening the
French took Pigeon Hill, - he then being one of Genl. Nelson's Guard he was
not in the fortification but was employed in carrying letters from the Generals [illegible] ┃
 to others and performed such other duty as required by the General: he says
he being stationed at the Generals [illegible] which was perhaps a quarter of a
mile South of the enemy breast works at the foot of a small ridge which
concealed the enemy movements from him, and near the top of said ridge a little
on the south side was our fortification,- in this situation he stayed until the
surrender of the enemy which was about a week after his tour of three months
expired; and the reason why he did not leave the army at the expiration of his
tour was because he was told by Captain William Carter (who had meanwhile ┃
taken the place of Captain John Brooks who from sickness or some other cause
had left the army at Williamsburg) that the enemy would be compelled to surrender
in a few days, which was the case, - he then being [illegible] for cloths and his tour having
expired about a week he set out for home leaving the enemy and York in
possession of our army
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Questions by the Court
1st. Where and in what year were you born
Answer. I was born as I have been told by my parents in the County of Henrico and
according to my father's record of my age I was born June the 29th 1757
Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?
I have one, and it is now in my possession
where were you living when called into service; where have you lived
and
Answer
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