Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 12403, William Byrd, N.C. Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Nb.
Byrd, William
S 12403
Va.
Born in N.C.
carded
CONTENTS

Virginia 23.991
William Byrd
of Portsmouth Co. in the State of Va. who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain Wells of the Light commanded by Col Parker in the Virginia line for
8 Mo 20 00 2
N.C. and Va. Records completed July 24th 35
Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 20 Dollars 00 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 13 th day of Nov and sent to A. D. Wells, Suffolk, Va.
Arrears to the 4th of Mar 34. $ 80.00 Semi-ant. allowance ending Sept 13.33
$ 93 33
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by J. S. Ferguson Clerk, Book C — Vol. 62 Page 4

In Nansemond County Court 10 th June 1833. Virginia County of Nansemond Sc.
On this 16 th day of June 1833 personally appeared in open Court before Josiah Riddick Edward R. Hunter Wm H. Godwin and Hugh H. Kelly the Court of Nansemond County now sitting William Byrd a resident of Nansemond County and State aforesaid aged 70 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 7, 1832. He says that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he entered as a militia-man on his own account on the day of February 1781 under Captain Dempsey Cook Lieutenant Wm. White and served 3 months at the north west landing in Norfolk County Va James Blunt Colonel, and Josiah Parker Colonel, and others were there. - Isaac Gregory was the General, and thereupon he was then discharged, and the paper he received (which he supposes was his discharge, he threw away) and he very shortly thereafter enlisted under one Captain William Walton in the regular army (June or July) Lieutenant Ensign and that he served from that time until the close of the Revolutionary war. That upon his hearing of peace, he now thinks he was near the mountains (he does not recollect whether on the North Carolina, or Virginia side, that he had been marched about from the time of his enlistment and had never been embodied. That he does not now recollect the countries through which he marched, that in consequence of not having been embodied, he now has

no recollection of any of the regular officers, save Captain Walton, that he has no documentary evidence, that he knows of no one by whom he can prove this, that he has no discharge (if ever he had one it is lost,) that he was born in Bertie County, North Carolina, that he has no record of his age, that he has lived in Nansemond County, Virginia, ever since the year 1780, that he has stated all he knows about the matter, further he cannot recollect. 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.
(Signed.)
William Byrd
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
Virginia, Nansemond County, ss.
I, John T. Kilby, Clerk of the County Court of Nansemond in the State of Virginia, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy as taken from the records of my office.
In Testimony and faith whereof I hereunto subscribe my name and cause the seal of my County to be affixed this 15 th day of June 1833.
John T. Kilby Clk

State of Virginia, } County of Nansemond, } p:
I, William Byrd, of the aforesaid County and State, aged Seventy-one years, being duly sworn according to law , doth, on my oath, make the following amended declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832. —
That by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory, I cannot swear positively as to the precise length of my service during the Revolutionary War; but according to the best of my recollection I served during that war a period not less than eight months, and for which service I claim a pension. — That I first entered the service of the United States in the month of February 1781, in Norfolk County, Virginia, under the Command of Capt: Dempsey Cook, and served a term of three months at the North West landing in said County — General Isaac Gregory, Colonels Josiah Packer and James Blunt were the field officers who commanded — and that I was stationed at the North West

landing during the whole term of that engagement. — That in June or July of the same year, (1781,) I again entered the service of the United States, under Capt: William Walton in the County of Bertie, North Carolina, and continued in service under the command of that Officer until December 1781, when I was discharged. — That whilst I was under the command of Capt: Walton, we marched in a South west direction through the intermediate country between Bertie, N. Carolina and the Blue Ridge of Mountains — and we were near the Mountains when we received news of the battle of York, which, to the best of my recollection, we received about the middle of the month of November, and in twelve or fifteen days afterwards, we were discharged. — That I received a written discharge but it has been lost or mislaid — and that I was not engaged in any civil pursuit during the performance of this service. — That I said in my original declaration, (made in open Court on the 10 th day of June 1833, and now filed in the pension Office,) that I served

under Capt: Walton to the end of the war; by which I meant, until we received news of the battle of York, which virtually ended the war: — I also said in the same declaration, that I never was embodied ; by which I meant, that I never was encamped or stationed with any Army or body of such Troops during the time I served in Capt: Walton's Company. — Sworn to and subscribed this 28 day of April — 1834.
William Byrd
We Hardy Crop and Washington Smith residing in the County of Nansemond and State of Virginia, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Byrd, who has in our presence subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration; that we believe him to be seventy-one years of age; that he is respected and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. — Sworn to and subscribed This 28 th day of April 1834.
Hardy Crop J.P.
W. Smith

State of Virginia, County of Nansemond ss:
Personally appeared before the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid, William Byrd, subscriber to the foregoing declaration, and made oath to the truth and correctness of the same: and I hereby declare it as my opinion, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states. — And I further certify, that Hardy Cropp and Washington Smith — who have before me subscribed and sworn to the preceding certificate are residents of Nansemond County and are highly credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit. — Given under my hand & seal as a Justice of the Peace this 28 th day of April 1834.
Dempsey Langstern
State of Virginia, County of Nansemond ss:
I, John T. Kilby, Clerk of the County Court of Nansemond, do hereby certify, that Dempsey Langstern whose name is subscribed to the above certificate, is a Justice of the Peace in & for the County of Nansemond, duly commissioned, qualified & authorized to act as such, and that the signature purporting to be his is genuine. — I also certify that Hardy Cropp whose name is subscribed to the within certificate is also an acting Justice of the Peace in & for the aforesaid County, and that the signature purporting to be his is genuine —
In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name and cause the seal of my County to be affixed this 2 nd day of May 1834. John T. Kilby Clerk.

information as contained in his (or his widow's) application for pension on file in this Bureau.
William Byrd S.F. 12403
   DATES OF ENLISTMENT OR APPOINTMENT. LENGTH OF SERVICE. RANK. OFFICERS UNDER WHOM SERVICE WAS RENDERED. STATE.   CAPTAIN. COLONEL.     Feb'y 1781 3 mos Dempsey Cook James Blunt Va   June or July 1781 Dec. 1781 William Walton Josiah Parker N.C.  
Battles engaged in, _____
Residence of soldier at enlistment, enlisted in Norfolk Co. Va
Date of application for pension, June 10. 1883. His el. al.
Residence at date of application, Hammond Co. Va
Age at date of application, 70 yrs. He was born in Bertie Co. N.C. and lived in Hammond Co. Va. since 1786
Remarks: No data as to family.
Very respectfully,
Commissioner.

1831
Richard D. Webb Esq. Suffolk Va.

Raleigh 1 st May 1834.
Richard D. Webb Esq. te
Sir
Your letter of the 23 rd Ultimo was received a few days past, since which I have carefully examined the musterrolls of the continental line of this State in the revolutionary war for the name of William Byrd, and also for the name of Elisha Parker, but have not been able to find either of them thereon. I find in a book or list of settlements of the Army accounts, that William Bird was allowed for his services in the line aforesaid the sum of twenty pounds eight shillings and eight pence (£20.8.8) by a Board of Commissioners that sat in Halifax in the years 1783 & 1784. This may have some weight with the Commissioner of Pensions, although his name does not appear on the rolls here. I am entitled to small compensations for such services, but too small to ask it by mail, as the postage would amount to more than the fees.
Very respectfully
Your Obt. Servt.
W. Hill

Ms. 396
William Byrd
Adm 8 Months
R. L. Webb
Suffolk
Va
Disbursed Sub 29 Oct 1832 to
John S. Ruffin Esq.
Suffolk Co
Va

Suffolk, Nansemond County, Virginia
May 5 th 1834.
Honble. J. L. Edwards;
Sir: — I have the honor to enclose you herewith the amended declaration of William Byrd for a pension — The old manumission — The old man has been confined to his house ever since he made his declaration in June last, and has not been able to come to this place, (he lives about twenty five miles off,) to make any amended declaration until very lately. —
In your letter of the 29 th October 1833, to John T. Kilby Esq., Clerk of our County Court, you say, "The declaration of William Byrd has been examined and suspended. The statement of the applicant carries with it but very little, if any, evidence of his ever having served at all in the Army of the U. States — So far from that he says that he had never been embodied, that he does not now recollect the Counties through which he passed in consequence of his not having been embodied — has no recollection of any regular officers, save Captain Walton, And yet he says that he enlisted" &c: — I have been to the Clerk's Office and examined Mr. Byrd's original declaration made in open Court, and find that he does not say in the Copy which is filed there, or in that which is spread upon the record, what he is represented to have said in your

letter also before alluded to. — That part of Mr. Byrd's declaration filed in our Clerk's Office reads thus, — "that he had been marched about "from the time of his enlistment, and had never "been embodied; that he does not now recollect "the counties through which he marched; that "in consequence of not having been embodied, he "now has no recollection of any regular Officers "save Capt. Walton"; &c. — You will readily perceive, that the difference in punctuation , makes a material difference in the sense & meaning of this part of his declaration.
This old man is universally believed in that part of the County where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution — and the two individuals who have signed a certificate in this amended declaration sent herewith, are gentlemen of high standing and respectability — One of them, (Harvey Crop,) is an acting Justice of the Peace; and the other, (Washington Smith,) was a Justice of the Peace before he was appointed Post Master at Somerton, in this County. —
I hope that this amended declaration, together with the certificate of the Justice and the other two gentlemen, Harvey Crop & Washington Smith Esqrs. (and more can be had if necessary,) will be satisfactory to the department, that William Byrd was a Revolutionary soldier and

lived at least as long as he states. I have the honor to be, Your obt. Servant, Rich. D. Webb.
P.S.
I have this moment received a letter from Mr. Hill Esq. Secy. of State of N. Carolina upon the subject of William Byrd's revolutionary services — Mr. Hill says his name is not upon the roll but that he has been "allowed £20.8.8 for his services in the line aforesaid".
I enclose the letter from Mr. Hill herewith. Your obt. Servant, Rich. D. Webb.

Department of Interior, Pension Bureau,
Rev War mark
Gentlemen
Will you be good enough to send me at your Early Convenience — any records you may have of service of Robert Hove — of Wm Byrd
A Mrs. Hughes entered the Deeds Society of D.A.R. on the service of Wm Byrd.
The name of his wife & date of marriage would be on his Pension Certificate.
Yours very truly Olivia G. Moses (Mrs. John Moses) 229 W. State St. Freeport — N.Y.
Jan. 3, 1919.

W m  Byrd — of North Carolina, Pension for Rev. Service
(page 132- Census of Pensions, Nancemond Co., Va. 1840.
Please send me pension Certificate for W m Byrd .
His son - Solomon Byrd married Nancy Britton.
Their son - Elijah Byrd married Agnes S. Hankins.
Their dau. Cornelia Byrd married Rev. Lewis Lohman.
Over

Mt. 856-1100
Robert Howe of North Carolina Col. 2 nd N. C. Rep. Sept. 1, 1775 - Brig. Gen. Continental Army. March 1, 1776. Major Gen. Oct. 1, 1777. died - Nov. 1785.
Born & died in Brunswick Co. North Carolina.
Is there any record of him in the Pension Office. -

Stumped and ret'd Hartsville S.C. Feb. 23-15 on stump slope Rev. F.W. Commissioner of Pensions Washington D.C.
Dear Sirs: If you have any record of William Byrd who was a Rev- olutionary soldier, who was from Hampden Co., Virginia will you please send to me. Any thing you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Yours Truly Mrs L. B. Stephenson

Redrawn
12.403
✓ INVALID.
File No. 12,403
William Byrd Rev. Rev. War
Act: June 7 th 1832
Index:—Vol. A , Page 55
[Arrangement of 1870.]
1911 Oct 7 Hist. to Nannie E. Hogan, Va. Letter in L.F. Goss John Harris. 1915 Aug. 3 Hist. to Mrs. E.B. Stephenson, V.M. 1919 Jan 13 Hist. to Mrs. John Moses (Oliver G.)