Stories from the Pension Files
Since June 2023, thousands of Citizen Archivist volunteers have transcribed the pension files of Revolutionary War veterans. We’ve uncovered interesting stories that give battlefield stories, sightings of famous generals, a glimpse of life in the 18th century, and more. You can help us uncover more stories by transcribing and tagging Revolutionary War pension files. Did you find a surprising or intriguing story? An unexpected artifact? Let us know in our survey!
- Click on the linked name in the story to go to the page where this anecdote is found in the pension file or click on View the pension file to start on page one.
- This is an ongoing project where we will be adding new stories frequently. New stories will be to the top of this list. If you are looking for a particular name, you can search the page by clicking Ctrl + F and enter the name
| Last Name | First Name | Story from the Pension | View the pension file |
| Hall | Amos |
Amos Hall served in General Benedict Arnold's life guard for three years. he was present when Arnold saddled his horse and fled to the enemy. |
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54760741 |
| Davis | Stephen B. | Stephen B. Davis was only 55 when he applied for his pension, but was having trouble working full time as a nail maker. His 9 acres of rocky land, log house, and nail shop were mortgaged for $200, which was more than the property was worth. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54389466 |
| Covenhoven | Abraham | Abraham Covenhoven and fellow soldiers marched to Princeton but left their fires lit to deceive the British. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54310661 |
| Hitt | Dennis |
Dennis Hitt's widow Abigail Hitt explains that he was away from home and on duty most of the time except during the winter. He was not home to gather the crops in haying and harvesting all but one season during the war. |
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54888944 |
| Gannon | William | William Gannon's stand out memory was about corn. He was detached to go to Colonel Wade's farm to bring corn for the Army. About 300 bushels were pulled and husked. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54637289 |
| Daniel | Richard | Richard Daniel had to hire or buy a horse for $60 so he could get home after he was wounded at Guilford Courthouse. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54367765 |
| Stevens | Levi | Levi Stevens enlisted with the understanding that he would only fight within the state of Maryland. He ended up fighting in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/144261527 |
| Deming | Julius | Julius Deming was in charge of supplying the entire Army under General Washington for fresh beef and mutton while on York Island. He details his work as a purchasing commissary. He was required to keep a suitable number of beef cattle on the island in case of emergency, hire and pay the catchers for killing the cattle, to weigh and deliver the quarters of beef, to sell the hides, and to take care of and dispose of the tallow. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54410888 |
| Chambers | Cuff | At the start of the Revolution, Cuff (Blanchard) Chambers was enslaved by Samuel Blanchard of Dover, Massachusetts. He was in the Battle of Bunker Hill and due to his service he was given his freedom. After he was freed, he assumed his mother's name of Chambers. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54186185 |
| Burr | Aaron | Eliza Burr's application for a widow's pension was rejected because she divorced Aaron Burr for infidelity. The divorce was finalized the day Burr died. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54118158 |
| Hudspeth | Carter | Carter Hudspeth survived the Battle of Briar Creek where Americans were massacred. He did this by swimming in the river, where he lost all army ammunition and clothing except his hat. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54951160 |
| Woodruff | Samuel | Samuel Woodruff "had the pleasure" of seeing General Washington and General Lafayette at the Battle of White Plains. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/111772342 |
| Harrison | William | William Harrison was inoculated at Valley Forge, fought at the Battles of Germantown, Brandywine, and Monmouth. At the Pee Dee River, a British officer wounded him in the head with a sword, and he was shot in the leg at the Battle of Guildford Courthouse. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54808706 |
| Hubbell | Richard | Richard Hubbell's father was captured at Fort Washington and died while a prisoner in 1777. In 1782, he joined up at 16, along with a twin brother. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54947604 |
| Sullivan | Barnabas | Barnabas Sullivan was taken prisoner by the British and held for a year and a half, set free in an exchange, later had small pox at Valley Forge, and was at Battle of Monmouth. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/144283838 |
| Odiorne | Samuel | Samuel Odiorne served under John Paul Jones. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196320673 |
| Bentey | Francis | Francis Bentey was a French Citizen who lived in France and volunteered to fight in the French Fleet. Remained in America (New York) after the war. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/53955780 |
| Bowers | George | George Bowers served for six years and three months and during this time he fought at Battle of Monmouth. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54021773 |
| Anglea | William | William Anglea served under General George Washington and later was very sick with the mumps. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/53828011 |
| Horn | Frederick | Frederick Horn was a POW for five and half years. His original account is in German, an English translation is provided. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54922589 |
| Hickman | Jacob | Jacob Hickman got to go home every other week to tend to his farm and crops. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54864327 |
| Harvey | Thomas | Thomas Harvey gives a complete list of belongings, totaling $14.58. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54814684 |
| Howell | Jonathan | Jonathan Howell fought at the battles of Princeton, Monmouth, Trenton, encamped at Valley Forge, fought at "Little York", and served under Lafayette. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54941147 |
| Gannett | Deborah | Deborah Gannett served under the name Robert Shurtliff for upwards of two years. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54636851 |
| De Forest | Samuel | Samuel De Forest recounts hearing the Declaration of Independence being read. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54405642 |
| Frazier | Alexander | Alexander Frazier was a sailor who was taken prisoner by the British for 13 months. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54610711 |
| Gilman | Anthony | Anthony Gilman, a "man of Colour" enlisted as a fifer, was taken by the British as a prisoner and then sold as a slave. After about 1 1/2 years he was able to escape. He was in the battles of Harlem Heights and Monmouth. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54674932 |
| Harvey | Edward | Edward Harvey was in the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Guilford Courthouse, Camden and the Eutaw Springs. He was injured at the Battle of Brandywine and Eutaw Springs. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54814361 |
| Jordan | John | John Jordan was on board a prison ship for more than three months after the fall of Savannah. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/144088204 |
| Cory | Abraham | Abraham Cory worked in the Wagon Department as a blacksmith. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54305417 |
| Herrick | Martin | Martin Herrick was ship's surgeon on a ship named Tyrannicide. He was also at the Battle Bunker Hill. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54858270 |
| Hubbell | Abijah | Abijah Hubbell served as a substitute for his father. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54947433 |
| Hull | Prince | Prince Hull engaged at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Additionally, the Daughters of the American Revolution's publication Forgotten Patriots lists him as an African American soldier. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54957524 |
| Holsart | John | John Holsart was excused from duty for two months to help his father in boiling salt. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54912640 |
| Hopkins | David | David Hopkins was given the command of a troop of Horse in the 4th Regiment of Light Dragoons by General Washington on January 21, 1777. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54920048 |
| Gillespie | Andrew | Andrew Gillespie's uncle furnished him with a horse and he volunteered as a Post Rider to carry dispatches from his officer to the printing office. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54671302 |
| Britton | James | James Britton was in a scouting party on the morning of the Battle of Monmouth and was fired upon by a party of British and Hessians. After the battle at Monmouth Courthouse he saw General Washington pass by. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54054416 |
| Harrison | James | James Harrison recounts that he witnessed the death of Cornstalk, the Shawanee Indian King, and his son Ellenepsico, and two of his warriors, Red Hawk and Petallo. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54806319 |
| Decker | Samuel | Samuel Decker's widow was still waiting for her pension. She is over 99 years old and her only living child is 78 and it is expected that she will not live much longer. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54404113 |
| Harborn | Joseph | While on a prison boat in Philadelphia, Joseph Harborn saw the dead being removed from the boat and being buried in the sand. He also served under Captain Stephen Decatur, Sr. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54789195 |
| Howland | David | David Howland, a formerly enslaved man, was known by several last names, including his father's first name and his former enslaver's last name. He preferred Howland. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54942185 |
| Howard | Stephen | Stephen Howard was in service 4 years, wounded and captured at Battle of Camden (SC). He was held on a prison boat, then pressed into the British Navy for 16 years. He married his wife during that time in Kingston, Jamaica. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54937968 |
| Hood | Charles | Charles Hood was a "free man of colour" who fought in the Battle of Eutaw Springs and the Siege of Charleston. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54915807 |
| Jackson | Abednego | Abednego Jackson, an African American soldier, fought at the Battle of Princeton and he will never forget the roaring cannon, which remained in his ears for a long time afterwards. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/144042307 |
| Viers | Benjamin | Benjamin Viers never received a wound despite fighting in the battles of Germantown, Brandywine, Monmouth, and "Little York." He frequently saw General Green and General George Washington, who he distinctly remembers. the Daughters of the American Revolution's' publication Forgotten Patriots identifies Benjamin Viers as an African American soldier. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/111468179 |
| Howe | Bezaleel | Bezaleel Howe was the commander of General Washington's guard at the close of the war and he was appointed to escort Washington's baggage to Mount Vernon. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54939232 |
| Griffin | Joel | After Joel Griffin's enlistment, military officers inspected him on account of his "youth and diminutive stature and being not quite 14 years old." He was given a furlough and a pass to return home and grow larger. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54730693 |
| Evans | Thomas | The widow of Thomas Evans describes how her husband was very old and frail in 1832 when he died very suddenly while eating breakfast. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54527444 |
| Jeffreys | John | John Jeffreys was born in 1733 and died on December 4th 1834 at age 101. The Daughters of the American Revolution's publication Forgotten Patriots identifies Jeffreys as an African American soldier. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/144053770 |
| Bachelder | Stephen | Stephen Bachelder spent most of his enlistment sick, then hired a substitute who died from smallpox! | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/53857178 |
| Harris | James | James Harris marched to St. Augustine, Florida in the province of Spain to prevent the British from landing there. When they reached Florida they found the British had already landed and were gathering reinforcements from the Indians. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54801615 |
| England | William | William England was wounded by being shot through the ankle, but he recovered and went on to fight in the siege of Augusta. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54518366 |
| Power | Jeremiah | Jeremiah Power served as a spy. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196430807 |
| Crabtree | Abraham | Abraham Crabtree "was attacked by the fever at Long Island and during the process of his sickness and in attention, acted imprudent and drank cold water, and the mercury which he before had taken operated upon him to the total loss of the use of his limbs for a while, but has now some what recovered but who is entirely unable to support himself with his own labor." | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54317490 |
| Young | John | John Young was an express rider faced who many dangers. Youngs says he was first to bring news of Cornwallis's surrender north. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/111645820 |
| Bowman | Abraham | After the Battle of Monmouth in 1778, Abraham Bowman returned to Virginia to ask the Governor for money to recruit the regiment. Unfortunately the state quota had been given out before Bowman was able to make the request. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54023427 |
| Johnson | William | William Johnson was stationed at West Point when General Benedict Arnold turned traitor. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54208296 |
| Crosley | Prince | Prince Crosley was enslaved by the Deputy Governor of the Colony of Connecticut, Matthew Griswold (later Governor of Connecticut), and sold to another man before the war commenced. He served three years in the Army to gain his freedom, then enlisted again. After he gained his freedom he changed his name from Griswold to Crosley. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54338742 |
| Crow |
Thomas
|
Thomas Crow was taken prisoner on Sullivan's Island and detained on board the Roebuck for about four months. Disease spread onboard, so he and others were moved ashore where they made their escape from the one guard place over them. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54342126 |
| Couch | William | At the Battle of Eutaw Springs, William Couch was pierced twice by a bayonet in the thigh and wounded badly. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54308786 |
| Collins | Jonathan | Jonathan Collins was at the capture and fall of Charleston and taken prisoner by the British. He was kept for eighteen months in irons onboard a British Man of War before being exchanged at James Tower in Virginia for other prisoners. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54271055 |
| Gorton | Prosper | Prosper Gorton, "a man of colour", includes a discharge signed by George Washington in his pension application. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54698290 |
| Chambers | Cuff | African American Cuff (Blanchard) Chambers was enslaved by Samuel Blanchard and enlisted in May 1775. He served eight months and was in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Because of his service he was given his freedom and he then assumed his mother's name of Chambers. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54186185 |
| Sanborn | Peter | Peter Sanborn was discharged 300 miles from his home and had to travel home on his own without means to sustain himself. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196564703 |
| Allen | Charles | Before engaging in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Charles Allen spent several months collecting and procuring cattle and provisions for the army. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/53801211 |
| Anderson | George | George Anderson's widow explains that he was in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse where he received a severe wound in the neck that affected him most seriously during the rest of his life. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/53818480 |
| Baker | John | John Baker was taken prisoner at Savannah on January 3, 1779 and remained on board the prison ship until August 9, 1780. He was paroled on the condition that he would not bear arms against the King, thus ending his service in the Revolutionary War. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/53868776 |
| Horton | John Payton | John Payton Horton spent his third tour in the fall of 1779 cutting a road through Fairfax, Dumfries, Fredericksburg and Falmouth in Virginia. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54925852 |
| Hoard | Samuel | Samuel Hoard was inoculated for small pox at Valley Forge and later marched to Middle Brook where he helped build huts. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54890212 |
| Holcombe | Philemon | Philemon Holcombe gives a very detailed account of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse as well as leading troops to join Baron Steuben at Point of Fork on the James River, later to Malian Hills south of Richmond to join General Lafayette, and then to Williamsburg where they met up with General George Washington who arrived with the main Army. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54901379 |
| Horton | Samuel | Samuel Horton's pension file includes the testimony of a woman who destroyed his discharge papers as a child. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54925272 |
| Conover | Levi | When Levi Conover's unit marched towards Brunswick, he said, "the British heard of us coming and marched off to New York & boarded their vessels." | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54284522 |
| Herter | Philip | Philip Herter transported the bodies of men who had been killed at Ft. Dayton to Germantown, Ohio. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54859313 |
| Flagg | Henry Collins | According to his widow Rachael, Deputy Apothecary General Henry Collins Flagg was the surgeon who treated General Casimir Pulaski. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54575300 |
| Carter | Philip | Philip Carter helped capture four or five hundred Tories while marching through North Carolina mountains. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54168561 |
| Gann | Samuel | While Samuel Gann was serving in the war, an American officer went to his house and requested that his wife give provisions for troops. He took between 50 to 100 bacon and gave his wife a receipt for reimbursement. Unfortunately it was lost and he was never repaid. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54637245 |
| Beard | James | James Beard reported that he saw a doctor refuse to treat a wounded Tory, "dam the Tories let them find their own doctors." | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/53928238 |
| Foscue | Frederick | Frederick Foscue was a sailor on the Brig Industry. He was taken prisoner by the British and held in Antigua. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54594524 |
| Lookebee | David | David Lookebee served as a substitute for his father in 1778 when he was 16. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196207071 |
| Hacket | Ezekiel | Ezekiel Hacket enlisted as a piper, then became a fifer. At Dobbs Ferry he was taken prisoner and carried to Fort Washington in irons. After eight months he made his escape and went to West Point. At this point his regiment had moved on and he was considered an invalid and unfit for duty. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54749609 |
| Smith | John | John Smith said the meat he and other soldiers were served was "barely fit to eat." | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196660970 |
| Hayward | Simeon | Simeon Hayward mentioned that he was guarding prisoners when the Pennsylvania line mutinied. In this event eleven regiments under General Wayne mutinied for better pay. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54837127 |
| Butt | Edward | Edward Butt, a fifer, was killed on March 15, 1781 in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. His older brother Zachariah Butt was killed on August 16, 1780 in the Battle of Camden. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54131614 |
| Carr | John | John Carr died shortly after enlisting in 1777, leaving his widow Margaret and five children. | https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54162801 |
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