Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 8715, Matthew Hight, Va.

SERVICE
NUMBER
Va
Wight, Matthew
S. 8715-
CONTENTS
carded

Virginia 16.619-
Matthew Hight
of Nelson in the State of Va who was a priv in the Compy commanded by Captain Rucker of the _____ commanded by _____ in the _____ Va line for 7 1/2 months
Inscribed on the Roll of Virginia at the rate of 25 Dollars _____ Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 9 day of Sept 32 and sub John Thompson Jr. Amherst - Va
Arrears to the 4th of Sept 1833 62.50 Semi-ann. allowance ending Mar 34 12.50
$75.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Nath. Rice Clerk, Book E Vol. 6 Page 14
Paid at the Treasury under the Act of the 6 th April 1838, from 4 th Sept 1837 to 4 March 1838 age notified 29. April 1839.
Paid as above from Sept 4 th 1840 to March 4 th 1841. Agent notified April 18 th 1842

26. 330
Savings as private F'm. $2000.
John Thompson Jr Sinhart Va.

State of Virginia. Nelson County Court.
On this 23 rd day of April 1833 personally appeared in Open Court, before the Justices of Nelson County, now sitting: Matthew Knight, a resident of the said County and State of Virginia, aged sixty years, the 10 th day of March last, 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 the 7 th day of June 1832. - That he entered the service of the United States under the follow- ing named Officers and served as herein stated. That in the year 1779 then being a resident of the County of Amherst, he joined a Militia Company or detachment ordered on a tour of duty to the Barracks in the County of Albemarle Virginia, where he marched as a private soldier and served between thirty and forty days under the command of Capt. Rucker and Lieut. Cleave. That some time in the year 1780 being in the County of Pittsylvania in the state of Virginia, he volunteered and joined a Company commanded by a Capt. Williams that the said Company marched to Hillsborough in North Carolina, where it was attached to the 3 rd Virginia Regiment of Infantry and placed under the command of Genl. Stephens from the said State. That the Regimental Officers were Lieut. Frutkin and Major Hubbard. That his said Company set out on their march for Hillsborough some time about the first June 1780 and remained at that place thirty or forty days when Genl. Gates with his army of Regular troops and Militia passed through that place on their march to the South. That some short time after this Genl. Stephens with his Corps to which he declared was attached as aforesaid, marched with his army crossing the Rappahannock River and over the Cheraw Hills to South Carolina, and there joined the army of Genl. Gates at a place called Guilford Mills. Orders were then received from the Commander of the United forces, to be ready to take up the line of march at 10 O'Clock at night. That accordingly at that hour the forces were paraded and moved onward to Camden, with the intention as he was afterwards informed, of surprising the enemy. That after marching about 10 miles, the advance of Genl. Gates' army met and had a small skirmish with the advance of the enemy's army, who had unexpectedly met, both parties having set out from their respective encampments to surprise the other. That the advance of our army was forced by the enemy's advance to give way, when our army was formed in order of battle across a road, awaiting an attack, or awaiting for day light to give battle. That accordingly when day light appeared a general engagement took place between the two armies, which was sustained on our part but a short time when our line broke, and retreated to a swamp, where we were pursued by the enemy and many were killed, wounded and taken prisoners. That he the declarant, with one or two others concealed themselves in a swamp until the night time of the day of the battle, when they escaped from the swamp and made their way to Salisbury, which they did by traveling principally

in the night time to avoid destruction from the Tories. That at Salisbury he joined some Officers and some other soldiers who like himself had shared in the defeat aforesaid, and after remaining a short time at the last named place, then were on a march back to Hillsborough where he was taken sick and remained so until he was discharged the last of November 1780. That he served in this town at least five and a half months. That in the year 1781 he was detached from the Militia of the County of Amherst, to aid in guarding some British prisoners through the County of Amherst, they were prisoners taken at the Cowpens. That he was eight or ten days engaged in this service. That he is entirely confident that he served in the three towns aforesaid some months. That he has no documentary evidence to sustain his said Claims nor does he know that there is a single witness living at this time by whom he could prove them. 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.
Interrogations propounded by the Court to the declarant, and his answers thereto 1 st . Where and in what year were you born. Answer as appears by the Old family Bible, which I have seen, I was born in the County of Nansemond Virginia, on the 18 th March 1765. 2 d . Have you any record of your age, and if so where is it? Answer I have no record of my age, but I have seen the Old family Bible, but do not know in whose possession it now is. 3 d . Where were you living when called into service, and where have you lived since? - Answer. I lived in the County of Amherst when called on to start the first tour was on a visit to a relation in the County of Pittsylvania (Co ty ) where I volunteered in the second tour and was living in Amherst County when called upon the third tour - Since the Revolutionary war I have continued to live near the same place, originally Amherst County but by a subdivision of the County it is now Nelson County (Va.) 4 th . How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute, and if a substitute, for whom? - Answer I was a substitute the first tour for James Bitt, who had been drafted to perform that tour in a militia Company. The second tour I volunteered, and the last I was drafted or detached 5 th . State the names of the Regular Officers who were with the Troop where you served, such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service. Answer. I have stated in the body of my declaration as much as I will recollect on this subject, and to which I refer. 6 th . Did you ever receive a written discharge from the service for your said services. Answer. My impression is that I received written discharges from the two first tours of duty signed by the Captains of my respective Companies, but if I did they have been lost in the great lapse of time 7 th . State the names of persons in your neighbourhood, who can testify to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution. Answer. There is no resident Clergyman in my neighbourhood, but I refer to Mr. Bright

and Edmund Brasfield who have known me well for many years, and who will so certify. - Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Matthew Knight, late of the County of Nelson County, and Edmund Brasfield of Amherst County, both the near neighbours of Matthew Knight, do certify that we are well acquainted with Matthew Knight, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be 70 years of age as he states, and that he is reputed in his neighbourhood to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. We are further of opinion that the said Knight is a man of veracity, subscribed and sworn to this day and date aforesaid.
Joseph Knight Edmund Brasfield
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogations prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states, and the said Court further certifies that it appears to them that there is no resident clergyman in the neighbourhood of the said applicant, and that Edmund Brasfield of Amherst County and Joseph Knight of Nelson County, and both near neighbours of Matthew Knight, who have subscribed and sworn to the foregoing Certificate, are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
A copy of the record.
In testimony whereof, I Spotswood H. Land, Clerk of the said Court, do hereunto set my hand, and affix the seal of my Office this 31st day of May 1833, and in the 57th year of the Commonwealth.
Sp. H. Land.

Rechar
8715
INVALID.
File No. 8715
Matthew Wright Brn Brn War
Act: June 7th 1832
Index:—Vol. 1st , Page 169
[Arrangement of 1870.]

TREASURY DEPARTMENT,
Second Comptroller's Office,
March 23 d , 1842.
Sir:
Under the date 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," Matthew Knight , a Pensioner on the Roll of the Richmond, Va. Agency, at the rate of Twenty five Dollars and  Cents her annum, under the law of the 7 th June 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 4 th of Sept. 1840, to the 1 st March 1841.
Respectfully, yours,
Almon L. Ladd Comptroller.
To the Commissioner of Pensions,
Present.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
Second Comptroller's Office, April 15 th , 1839.
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," Matthew Hight, ————— a Pensioner on the Roll of the Richmond, Va., Agency, at the rate of Twenty five Dollars and _____ Cents per annum, under the law of the 7 th June, 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 4 th of Sept., 1837, to the 4 th March, 1838.
Respectfully, yours,
Wilson B. Purdie Comptroller.
To the Commissioner of Pensions, Present.