Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 11277, for Nathaniel Raney, Virginia

Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
VA   

Raney, Nathaniel, 
or Rainey


NUMBER
S. 11277
carded

CONTENTS

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(left side corner torn off)
aid at Treasury, 
t 6yh April, 1838,
Sept. 1839 to 5 Ma
1940. Agent notified 14th
1846.

(right side)
23,408
Virginia
Nathaniel Raney 
of Dinwiddie in the State of Va who was a pri in the --- commanded by Captain --- of the Regt commanded by Col Gakin in the Va line for 11 months

Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 36 Dollars 66 Cent per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 17 day of Jan: 34 and sent J. C. rump Dinwiddie CH - Va

Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1833 - 91.65
Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 Mar 34  18.33
$109.98

Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.

Recorded by N Rice Clerk
Book E Vol. (illegible) Page 30

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TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
SECOND COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE,
Dec. 30, 1845.
Sir:
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An Act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," and the third section of the Act of August 23, 1842, extending
the time within which pensioners may receive their pensions from the pension agents, the son of Nathaniel Rainey, decd., a Pensioner on the Roll of the Richmond Va Agency, at the rate of Thirty Six Dollars and 66 Cents per annum, under the law of the 7th June 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 4th of Sept. 1839 to the 5th March 1840.
Respectfully, yours,
Albion K. Parris
Comptroller.

To the COMMISSIONER OF PENSIONS,
Present.

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15415
Nathaniel Raney
2 M'ch 1833
Obj. 4.5.14.
RAA 280
Admd as a private
11 months $36.66

Hon M Alexander 
HR
26 Augt 33

J. R Crump
Dinwiddie Co

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BRIEF in the case of Nathaniel Raney County of Dinwiddie in the State of Virginia
(Act 7th June, 1832.)

1. Was the declaration made before a Xourt or a Judge? Court

2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?

3. How old is he? 68 y

4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.

(heading) Period.
Called out In 1780 & continued to serve with short intensity until the surrender of Cornwallis 1781

(heading) Duration of Service.
Years, Months, Days.
about 13 weeks 
3
3
3
3
7

(heading) Rank.
As a 
private

Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.
Col Gaskin
Capt Frederick Dixon
Thos (illegible) John 
Powell John Massend

5. In what battles was he engaged? Not any

6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Brunswick Co Virginia

7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? a living witness as to about lg months

8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? No

I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Chas (illegible faded) Examining Clerk.
24th Feby1833

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15415
Nathaniel Rainey's
Declaration &c

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State of Virginia
& County of Dinwiddie Sct
On this 17th day of September 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the County Court of Dinwiddie County now sitting Nathaniel Raney at present a resident of the County and State aforesaid aged sixty eight July 26th. 1832 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 sometime in the year 1780 under the command of Capt Frederick Dixon who commanded a company of militia called into the service of the United States, who marched to Cabin Point and joined the army commanded by Mulenghburg and was attached to the Regt commanded by Colo Gaskins, he served first a tour of about thirteen weeks, and continued to serve with short intervals until the surrender of Cornwallis in October 1781. That Capt Dixon having since, he was not commanded by Capt Thomas Newson, afterwards by Capt John Powell, and lastly for two short tours under Capt John Masenburg, and while on one of the latter tours was in an action at & near the Town of Petersburg; he was frequently called out to perform military duty and was under the command of the last named Captain until sometime in the month of November 1781 at which time the militia was generally discharged. That he was born in the county of Sussex, Va, removed to the County of Brunswick Va where he remained for about thirty years and has been a resident of the county of Dinwiddie aforesaid, for the last

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ten or eleven years. That he never received any written discharge, and has no documentary evidence of his services, but can prove by Thomas Wilkinson (who a part of the time was the mess mate of the declarant and who served with him in the different tours for about nine months: He the said Nathaniel Raney hereby relinquishes 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 & year aforesaid
Nathan Rainey his X mark

I Thomas Wilkinson a resident of Dinwiddie County do hereby certify that I have heard the above Declaration read & that all that portion of it which recites services as having been within my knowledge is perfectly true, & I have no doubt that the whole were rendered as stated tho' I have no personal knowledge of them.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
[signed] Thos Wilkinson

We Isham E Hargrave, a clergyman residing in the County of Dinwiddie in the State of Virginia and [illegible] a planter resident of Brunswick County, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Nathl. Rainey who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 68 years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood in which he resides to have been a soldier in the revolution, that we concur in

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that opinion. Sworn & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Isham E Hargrave
Wm Gee

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter & after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier & served as he states. And the Court further certifies that Isham E. Hargrave who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman resident of Dinwiddie County & is a credible respectable person to whose statements full credit is due. And that Thomas Wilkinson Wm Gee who has also signed the certificates above is a resident as they state & are credible respectable persons that their statement is entitled to credit.

I John P. Crump Clerk of the County Court of Dinwiddie County. do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Nathaniel Rainey for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of my office this 17th day of September in the year 1832.
J. P. Crump C.D.C.

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In reply to your request of blank received blank for a statement of the military history of Nathaniel Raney a soldier of the Revolutionary war you will find below the desired information as contained in his application for pension on file in this bureau. S. File 11277

Dates of Enlistment or Appointment
1. 1780
2. Until Nov 1781

Length of Service
1. 14 months 3 weeks

Rank
Pri

Officers under whom service was rendered
Captain
Frederick Dixon
Thomas Newcome
John Powell
John Massenburg
James Vaughn

Colonel
Gaskins and Meriwether

State
VA

Battles engaged in - Pittsburgh, siege of Yorktown & surrender of Cornwallis

Residence of soldier at enlistment - Brunswick Co Va
Date of application for pension - Sept 17, 1832 - Allowed
Residence at date of application - Dunwiddie Co Va
Age at date of application - B - July 26, 1764, Sussex Co Va
Remarks - for date of death & name of person to whom arrears of his pension paid, apply to the Aud.

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[left hand page]

11277
Revwar
INVALID. 
File No. 11,277
Nathaniel Raney [Rainey]
Priv Rev War
Act: June 7" 1832
Index- Vol. A, Page 309

[Arrangement of 1870.]

[right hand page]
1922 Jan. 19 Hist to Mrs. Henry J. Baker, letter in S. File 39,386Joseph Cros. 
1914 Dec. 18 Hist. to Hon. Henry T Rainey letter in S 32462 John Raney.

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[Amended Declaration page 1]

[State] of Virginia, 
Dinwiddie County Ss
 
Personally appeared before me the undersigned  Justice of the Peace for the County aforesaid Nathaniel Rainey [Raney] who being first duly sworn deposeth & saith in addition to his former Declaration and amendment thereto, and in explanation of the general statement therein, that in the year 1780, (he finds it impossible to recal [recall] to his memory the precise date, but from its having been very cold at the time & early in the year, he thinks it was January), 

he was drafted as a militiaman of Sussex County [Virginia] to go on a tour of duty under Capt. Fredk [Frederick] Dixon the lieutenant was named Levi Rochelle- he cannot remember the name of the Ensign & the reason he apprehends of his recollection of the Lieutenant is that during the tour Capt. [Fred] Dixon died & the company was for sometime commanded by the Lieutenant.

The company first marched to Cabin Point in Surry County [Virginia], where it joined the troops & was attached to the Ret [regiment] commanded by Colo. [Thomas] Gaskins. the 
entire body of troops there being under the command of Genl. Muhlenberg [Peter Muhlenberg]. That he was kept in service on that tour a little more than thirteen weeks.

He recollects that there was great complaint among the Soldiers at this being kept in service longer than the ordinary tour which was then three months, but it was said to be occasioned by their not being relieved by [illegible] in due time & the enemy being during the time in James River, often shipping up and down.

From Cabin Point [Virginia] during this tour the company was moved backwards & forwards as occasion required and was at Mackey's Mill [Virginia], and Suffolk [Virginia] which were the principal places of rendezvous during that tour. 

That after he had been at home about two or three weeks from this tour Cap. Thomas Newsum of the neighborhood raised a volunteer company principally of young men and this declarant volunteered with them & performed a tour of three months under him as a volunteer.

They first went to Bab's old field [Babb's Old Field near Petersburg, Virginia] not far from Sleepy Hole ferry [Virginia] on Nansemond River, and were during the tour occasionally at

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[Amended Declaration page 2]

Sleepy Hole, Suffolk, and the Long bridge [page torn off]  very well that his Major was named  Declau [page torn off] little Frenchman but he has no recollection of any Colonel being with them.

Baron von Steuben [Baron Wilhelm von Steuben] was now & then  where they were and he supposed that the detachment was under his command.
It was during this tour that there was a skirmish with the enemy at the Long Bridge but this company did not participate in it. When it was believed the British were about to land there the company was ordered there but did not arrive until after the engagement was over.

At the end of the 3 months he was discharged at Bab's {Babb's] Old Field [Virginia]. He should have added that on the first tour, he was discharged at Mackey's Mill [Mackie's Mill, Virginia]. He does not recollect ever to have received any written discharges in there or other occasions when discharged from the service.  He has an instinct recollection of having had a paper which he supposes was a discharge given him afterwards at Sussex court House but if he is correct in this it has been long time lost as he can not now find any such paper as a discharge.

that within a very few days after his return home from this second discharge 
 Captain [illegible] Powell's company to which he regularly belonged (having gone the [illegible] immediately preceding as a volunteer) was by regular routine of draft called into service and he again went in that as a private as on all other occasions - the lieutenant was Jas. Geo - the Ensign was Ned Powell a brother of the Captain 

The company was again marched to Bab's Old Field [Babb''s Old Field, Virginia] but remained there but a short time, & were moved to Smithfield [Virginia] thence to [illegible] Thence to Portsmouth & again to Smithfield. 

The enemy during this time were up & down the River & in various waters & frequently committing depredations in the neighborhood of Norfolk, which occasioned the company to be called to Portsmouth [Virginia] the Major this time was named Newell, & the troops were commanded by Baron Steuben [Baron Wilhelm von Steuben] he does not

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[Amended Declaration page 3] 
[upper left corner torn off]

[missing word] the Colo. [colonel]  of his regiment - he served on that occasion in three months and was discharged at Smithfield [Virginia]. 

In March 1781 he was drafted to a tour of duty which he performed under Capt. John Massenburg - the company rendezvoused at Surry old Court House [Virginia] - and to Petersburg [Virginia] & sometimes at Chesterfield court House [Va] & the coal pits which are in the latter County, which county adjoins Petersburg 

His Colonel in that occasion was named [David] Meriwether & there was a Major for part of the time to his regt [regiment] named Duval, who however was very injued [injured] & left the service soon after either dismissed or injured he does not know which 

Baron Steben [Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben] was again in command. During this tour it was that Phillips [British General William Phillips] & [Benedict] Arnold came to Petersburg [Virginia] & the engagement occurred there in which this declarant was. [Battle of Petersburg, Virginia 1781]. 

His Capt. [John] Massenburg there had both of his thighs broken by a ball in the action.  He served on this occasion also three months and was discharged at Warebottom Church [Ware Bottom Church] in Chesterfield County [Virginia] 

That in the fall of 1781 he served his only remaining tour as a volunteer under Capt James Vaughan (not under Massenburg twice as was by mistake written in [illegible words]) who raised a company in Sussex [Virginia] that Thomas Wilkinson was his lieutenant, & he thinks his ensign (who came from Greenville [South Carolina]) was named Sills.

That on this occasion the company marched direct to Jamestown [Virginia] where they lay most of the time- & from thence to York [Yorktown, Virginia] where it took part in the Seige. That Col. [Thomas] Gaskins again commanded his Regt [regiment] & the same Major Dedarum held command in it. 

He recollects Genl. Lafayette [Marquis de Lafayette] & Washington [General George Washington] there most distinctly. He was present at the surrender of Cornwallis [General Charles Lord Cornwallis] & afterwards was detailed to guard some of the prisoners to Fredericksburg [Virginia] under the immediate orders of Baron Stuben [Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben] who went with the party to Fredericksburg where the militia were all discharged, those of the prisoners who did not take the oath (as many did)

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[Amended Declaration page 4]

being there left under the exclusive care of the [page torn off] He can not recollect how long he served on the [page torn off] but recollect that his full three months tour was not entirely out, but he is confident that he was in service at least two month & an half.

He states that he was not engaged in any civil pursuit during these periods. He finds from a  detail of each tour separately that in all he served fourteen months and three weeks.

The Declarant deems it due to himself to explain that his former affidavit stating that he had in all served not less than eleven months was made under these circumstances - he  was asked "how long he had served in all" & admonished by Genl. Broadnax who prepared the affidavit for him as he did this to be more to be within the time & in a hasty general recollection - without waiting to count up the period of each tour, & all them together he said not less than eleven months knowing that to be within bounds & wishing if he errd [erred] at all that it should be on the safe side. But in setting out each tour separately as in this affidavit his memory has become refreshed & he affirms its truth before his great creator.

Sworn to & subscribed this 25th day of Nov. 1833.
Nathaniel Raney [his mark] X

Given under my hand this day & year aforesaid
Edwd Pohnson [hand drawn seal]

J.J. P. Grump Clerk in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify

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that Edward Johnson is a magistrate as above, and that the foregoing signatures purporting to be him, are genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of Office and subscribed my name this 6th day of December 1833 in the 58th year of our Independence.
W. Crump C.P.C.

[illegible seal attached]

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State of Virginia Dinwiddie Co 

Personally appeared before me the undersigned a justice of the peace for the said county Nathaniel Raney who being first duly sworn deposeth and saith in addition to his former declaration hereto appended that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of this service but according to the best of his recollection he served in all not less than eleven months as a private in the revolutionary war. from the defeat of memory aforesaid he cannot designate more particularly than he has done the previous periods of the war in which his services were rendered - that he has no record of his age but from the earliest information believes it [illegible] that is born 26 July what he has stated. That before the cause above mentioned he finds himself now unable to state the name of any other regular officers or to describe any other continental or militia regiments with whom he was in service - nor an he refer to any other persons in his present neighborhood to testify in his behalf than those whose evidence has already been taken by the court.

Nathaniel Raney
His X Mark

Sworn to and subscribed this 29th day of May 1833.

And the undersigned justice do hereby certify that the aforesaid affidavit was taken before me in due form and also that Thomas Wilkinson and Wm Gee witnesses whose testimony are appended to the applicant's declaration are credible respectable witnesses whose testimony is entitled to credit.

Given under my hand this day & year aforesaid.

Edwd Johnson - JP

I J P Crump clerk of the county court of Dinwiddie County do certify that Edward Johnson is a

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magistrate as above and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of office and subscribed my name this 7th day of June 1833.

J P Crump - C D C

SEAL

This is to certify that Wm Gee living in Brunswick County and Thomas Wilkinson a resident of Dinwiddie are both persons of respectable standing and whose oaths may be fully relied upon. Given under my hand and seal this 25th day of November 1833.

Edwd Johnson - JP

Nath'l Raney