Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 31.528, Thomas Ashbrook, Va.
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SERVICE Va.
Ashbrook, Thomas 
NUMBER S. 31528
CONTENTS [left blank]
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29,818
Thomas Ashbrook's
Pension Declaration
from 1781 pri [private]
15 month
$50.

Ewing House Reps
[crossed out: D.R. Eckols Spencer Ja]
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[Declaration page 1]

State of Indiana
Owen County Sst
Owen Probate Court 
February term 1834

On this 10th day of February 1834 personally appeared in open Court before the Honourable John Dunn Sole Judge of the Probate Court of said County (said Court being a Court of record and now sitting) Thomas Ashbrook a resident of said County, aged seventy six years, 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 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated to wit that he volunteered in the company commanded by Captain Edward McCarty, John Vandever Lieutenant and a man commonly called Cutbullet Ensign of said county, the Colonel who commanded was by name of Dark, [William Darke] the second rifle Regiment as well  as applicant recollects; 

the General was by the name of Mathews; that said company was raised in Hampshire County 
Virginia on the South branch of the Potomac River, that the time he so entered the service as aforesaid was about the 20th day of June 1781

That the term for which he so entered the service as aforesaid was three months, that they marched across the Potomac [river] to near the state line between N. Carolina & Virginia, during their march he recollects the bridges were burnt across some small rivers he thinks one was called Dan River another Buncum [Bumcombe], and from thence to near Williamsburg to a place called "Bottoms Bridge" three quarters of a mile from the town aforesaid when they were rendezvoused, till the term of service expired. 

and the term of service being out, the officers of the company solicited earnestly that we should not return home but stay and defend the Country from the enemy as that soldiers at this time were scare [scarce] and the demand great, and accordingly the company remained under the command aforesaid for an indefinite period as applicant believes.
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[Declaration page 2]

That we remained at this place four or five weeks, from whence they were marched by Genl.  Mathews in the night to a place called Allen's Ornery [Allen's Ordinary] for the avowed purpose of taking a small British piqueting [picquet], the number that was taken to this place was three hundred as applicant believes.

that they were halted in the lane and permitted to set down in plattoons [platoons] on their heels in the fence corners, when and where the British Light Horse came on us and Mathews came riding back and as he passed said to us "fight them boys to the 17 generation"
we jumped over the fence on either side of the road, and many of us fired on the light horse who pursued Mathews, fifteen of our numbers was killed and some wounded, 

after this Col. Dark [William Darke] succeeded to the command of the company in the place of Mathews, on the side of the lane on which applicant was a Peach Orchard that Allen's Ornary [Allen's Ordinary] aforesaid was about six or seven miles from Yorktown, that they were marched after this by the Governor of Va. [Virginia], by the name he thinks of Nelson 
[Thomas Nelson]  to near the River nearer to Yorktown, from which place they commenced the works for the battle at that place which was soon after, that he was in the battle of York town from the beginning to the end. [Battle of Yorktown, Virginia Oct. 1781]. Thereof that while he was here and during the battle he saw three ships blow up, two in the evening and one in the morning- 

That after the battle they were marched in the direction of home, forming a part of the guard, guarding the prisoners down to near Winchester [Va] to the Barracks in Bartley [Berkeley] County where they were discharged, that is this second period he served three months making in all in the service six months as a volunteer, that the regular soldiers came to them at "Bottoms Bridge" here in mentioned.

That in one or two days after the discharge  last aforesaid he again entered the service as a substitute for one John Been (alias Bein) in the company of Capt. Voss, Lieut. Geo Bell [George Bell] at the Barracks, this term of the service was three months, the company last aforesaid remained here to guard the prisoners and in which applicant remained till his tour was out and he was again discharged, his discharges received the two tours above described were lost about thirty years since.