Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 6203, for Josiah Taylor, Virginia

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va.
Taylor, Josiah
S. 6203
CONTENTS
carded
/

Virginia
3674
Josiah Taylor
of Chesterfield in the State of Virginia who was a Private in the Compy. commanded by Captain Haskins of the Regt commanded by Col. Mercer in the Virginia line for 6 1/2 months from 1780
Death not shown on A. B.
Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 21 Dollars 66 Cents per annum, to commence on the 14th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 29 th day of Dec 33 and sent to R. W. Fleming, Chesterfield Co. Va
  Arrears to 4th of Sept 1832  32.49    Pension allowance ending 4 Mar: 33  10.83     $43.32  
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Nathan Rice Clerk, Book D Vol. 7 Page 121-

Reo War
6203
INVALID.
File No. 6203
Asiah Taylor Reo War
Act: June 1 st '32
Index:—Vol. M , Page 369
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Josiah Taylor va
for 1780. prime 6 1/2 months. $21.66 160
Washington
To the Agent of the Pension Office

Chestfield Court House December 5th. 1832.
Sir,
Herewith are returned the original Declarations of Aaron Haskins, Edward Baps, John Condrey, W m McAlhaff, & W m Hill, made under the late pension Law of Congress, with the additional affidavit in regard to the length of their service required by the War Department, & other vouchers which I hope will be found to obviate all objection. In the new proceeding on Mr. Condrey's case, it will be perceived that an affidavit was prepared for Major Aaron Haskins which has not been signed & sworn to by him. On going to Maj. Haskins's he was found to be extremely ill, & it was considered improper to harass him more than was absolutely necessary. The new certificate is merely an amplification of the one he had already made, & was intended to remove the objection, "that it did not appear that the witness was of such an age as to have personal knowledge of the facts stated by him". But as it is clearly proved by other witnesses, that Major Haskins was a soldier of the Revolution and that his age is sufficient for him to have known the facts to which he deposes, I suppose that objection is sufficiently removed.
Apprehending that the same objection might exist in the case of Josiah Taylor, & remembering that the Clergyman's certificate did not accompany his Declaration, I have procured that, with other proofs which is herewith transmitted & requested to be attached to her Declaration, on which no report has been yet received, & to be considered as a part of it. If any doubt can be entertained of the respectability of the witnesses & parties, W m S. Archer Esq. is requested to be consulted, as he is acquainted with most, if not all of them.
As a very brief examination will ascertain whether the objection is satisfactorily removed, and the new requisitions complied with, I hope these cases will not be put at the foot of the Docket, to await another calling. If they are immediately disposed of, I would be glad of an answer, directed to Peter Ponder Esq. Clerk of this Court, or to myself at this place, mailed in Washington on Tuesday, or Wednesday next, so as to be received by our next week's post.

I am most respectfully, Yours &c
R. W. Flournoy

9802 Josiah Taylor's Declaration P
1832 August 22. Sworn to P

I, Edmund Lockett, a resident of the County of Chesterfield and State of Virginia, do hereby certify, that I am well acquainted with Josiah Taylor, who has sworn to and subscribed to the foregoing declaration, and can testify that he, said deponent served as he has stated, in the war in the volunteer service down to about Smithfield, but being in different companies, he and  we  the said deponent were separated during the war, but finally were discharged at Petersburg on the same day, and I have no doubt that he served during the whole war. I know moreover, that the company to which he belonged was also called out at the time of Arnold's invasion in the winter of 1781, and I have no doubt, from many minute circumstances, I have heard him mention, that he served during that war as he states. I have also often understood, and from my knowledge of Mr. Taylor and of the circumstances of situation of this part of the country, during the latter part of the Revolution, which was continually invaded or threatened with invasion, I have no doubt, he served several other wars, fully as long as he has stated.
Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid.
Edm. Lockett
Virginia: Chesterfield circuit Superior court of Law & Chancery aforesaid.
And the said court do hereby declare its opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories presented by the near Department, that Josiah Taylor the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And the court further certifies, that it appears that Edmund Lockett who has signed the proceeding certificate is a resident of the county of Chesterfield and is a creditable person, and that his statement is entitled to credit.
I, Parker Poindexter clerk of the circuit Superior court of Law and Chancery for Chesterfield county, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court, in the matter of the application of Josiah Taylor for a Pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this first day of September anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and thirty two & in the 57th year of our Independence.
Parker Poindexter

State of Virginia, County of Chesterfield 2 nd
On this 22 nd day of Aug t 1832, personally appeared in open courts before the Judge of the Circuit Superior Court of Law & Chancery, of said County now sitting Josiah Taylor resident of the county of Chesterfield in State aforesaid aged forty years on the 28 th day of this present month (August) 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 7 th 1832,
That he the said Josiah Taylor entered the service of the United States as a volunteer under General Washington as captain, the Subalterns not recollected, some time in Oct r 1780, (so well as his recollection serves him) he then was marched to Coddington's, Smithfield, Mackay's mills & to where the Army then lay (he believes) that General Murlingburg was the Commanding officer, & that James Monroe & Mercer were Col o & Lieutenant Col o and Robert Good from the county of Chesterfield was Major, after being marched about through some of them lower Counties we were marched up to Petersburg where we were discharged some time about the turn of the year 1780, in every few days after his return home it was ascertained that the Army was moving up the river towards Richmond, which point they actually reached & there plundered & burnt the warehouses on Manchester; on hearing of their approach, we were again called out to meet them, in the war Taylor thinks he was commanded Capt. Thos. Woodridge and he continued in the service of his country only a short space but the precise time not recollected. & he believes was discharged at the town of Manchester in the county of Chesterfield, sometime in the latter end of February or the first of March 1781. he was again called in his own time and was mustered into service at or near Good's bridge on the Appomattox river he was then marched to Semiridge Courthouse & after some short stay he was marched to Petersburg & there discharged, but the length of the tour he cannot recollect, so well as he recollects David Patterson was Captain & Robert Good the field officer, sometime early in the month of April he substituted in the place of Gibson Flournoy for the balance of his tour, he joined the Army at Blackwater & from there they marched to Petersburg, where he remained in the neighborhood until after the battle at Petersburg, the Right - end to which he was attached was planted on the top of the hill in order to secure the main army that was engaged in case it was necessary, after the Battle at Petersburg he was marched to Chesterfield Courthouse from there to the coal mines & from thence to James River at Tuckahoe ferry where the Army crossed over the river and then to Richmond where we met General Lafayette, (as was stated, General of the soldiers) we were marched about for some time from place to place, till we reached Wilton & from there to Petersburg on a detached party & from there again to Wilton & there discharged, (Blackman Mosely as captain), sometime in the month of July following he was called to take his own turn in the service (immediately after the return of Cornwallis's Army down the river from the point of fort) he thinks (so well as his recollection serves him) that he was mustered into service at Chesterfield Courthouse under Captain Keith. Keith was marched on to new castle where they drew their arms & accoutrements, from there he was marched to West Point where they crossed the York river &

and from thence to the Gloucester County opposite Little York where Cornwallis and his Army was stationed, where the said Taylor remained until sometime in September at which time he was discharged near Achurch about six miles above Gloucester Town.
The whole of the foregoing service was performed in the militia of this Commonwealth.
In the first tour mentioned, when this Declarant went down under Capt. Cradock, to Cape Point, Mackay's Mills and the neighborhood of Smithfield, he served two months.
In the second under Capt. H. Woodbridge in Chesterfield, about Manchester & he served at least two weeks, Col. Robert Watkins commanded the Regiment, as well as the time.
In the third when he started to go on the Southern Campaign under Captain David Patterson, he served also as long as two weeks.
In the fourth, when he went as a substitute for Gibson Thompson, under Capt. Blackmon Moseley, and entered the army at Blackwater, I was discharged at Wilton, he served at least six weeks, and he thinks seven or eight.
In the last, when he went under Capt. Hill, to York River & to Gloucester, he served two months, and his field officers were Colonel Taylor and Maj. Campbell. Having served in all at least six months, & a half, if not more.
That he does not remember to have served with any regular troops or under any regular officers, except General Muhlenburg, Baron Steuben and General Lafayette, and that he was under the command of another General at Gloucester, a very short time whose name he cannot now recollect. That he never received any written discharge, and has no documentary evidence of his service, but that there are several persons now living, who can testify to it.
That he was born in the County of Chesterfield and state of Virginia, the 28 th day of August 1762, as he has always understood but has no record of his age except a memorandum he has found in an old book in his possession, corresponding with the above date and that he has always resided in the same.
He 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.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Josiah Taylor

State of Virginia, Chesterfield County, ss.
Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the peace in the County & State of said Josiah Taylor, who being duly sworn, doth, on his oath, make the following statement, viz, "That from old age & the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service for the United States in the Revolutionary War, but according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades, viz: For six months & a half he served as a private in the Virginia Militia in the United States service during the Revolution, & for said service he claims a pension."
That he does not certainly know that he can prove the testimony of any Clergyman, proving the reputation of his services as none reside in his neighborhood, but he supposes the positive evidence of Capt. Edmund Lockhart & the traditional evidence of the other witnesses will be sufficient. That he could mention many persons who could testify to his veracity, & their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution, but supposes it will only be necessary to mention Capt. Edmund Lockhart, late high sheriff of this County & James & Richard Elam esquires, the former of whom has frequently represented the County in the General Assembly, & the latter is, & has for many years been Commissioner of the Revenue in the same. Recollects no Regular officers except General Muhlenburg & Baron Steuben."
Josiah Taylor
Subscribed & sworn to before me this 4th. day of December 1832.
William G. P.
We, Charles Forsee, a Clergyman, & James Elam & Richard Elam, all residents of the County of Chesterfield & State of Virginia, certify that we are, & have for many years, been well acquainted with the abovenamed Josiah Taylor, & believe him to be about seventy years of age, that he is respected & believed in his neighborhood to have been a soldier of the Revolution, that we concur in that opinion & have never heard it doubted, & that he is a very respectable & credible man. We are also well acquainted with Capt. Edmund Lockhart, whom we believe to be upwards of seventy years old & to have been a soldier of the Revolution; that he is a highly respectable & veracious man, & his statement entitled to the fullest credit.
Charles Forsee J. S. Elam Richard Elam
Subscribed & sworn to before me, the 4th. day of December 1832
William Goodrich J. P.

I, William Good, Jr., a Justice of the Peace for the county of Bedford State of Virginia, do hereby certify that Charles Forsee, James Elam & Richard Elam, who have subscribed the foregoing certificate, this day, made oath before me of the truth of the same: & I further certify, that the said Charles Forsee is a resident clergyman in the county aforesaid & that they are all highly credible men, & their statement entitled to full confidence; given under my hand this 24th. of December 1832.
William Good Jr.
Virginia; Bedford county to wit; I, Jesse Poinder, Clerk of the county and of Bedford do hereby certify that William G. Elam esq. whose name is subscribed to the foregoing affidavit of Josiah Taylor in relation to his application for a pension, and William Good Jr. whose name is also subscribed to the affidavit of Charles Forsee, James Elam and Richard Elam, in relation to the said application and his own certificate in relation thereto, are and even at the time of signing the same acting Justices of the Peace in and for the county aforesaid duly commissioned and qualified as such, and that their signatures thereto subscribed are genuine. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of Office this 5th. day of December Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, and in the 57th year of our Independence.
Jesse Poinder Clerk