I sent for the DAR records of my GGGGGG-Grandfather this week. When looking up the records I noticed their was a pension number listed. I hopped onto Footnote, looked up the pension papers and what I read brought a little bit of history into my living room.
My GGGGGG-Grandmother, Margaret Devericks Botkin, filed for a pension as a widow of my GGGGGG-Grandfather, Thomas Botkin dated the 27 April, 1844 in the county of Pendleton, Virginia. A part of her affidavit read:
"....that he was again drafted in the month of September in the year 1781 and that the company to which he was attached _____ ____ in Staunton, Virginia, under the command of Captain Thomas Hicklin from which place he was marched to near Yorktown where they joined the main army under the command of General George Washington, that he was at the serge of Yorktown until the surrender of the British Army by Lord Cornwallis and helped to guard the prisoners to the town of ________, Virginia, from which place he returned home, that in this tour he served full three months."
Yes, we are talking about THAT General George Washington! Whoa, my ancestor was a large part of history. I need to transcribe the entire 24 page document to see what else I can learn.
But my excitement has me stuck on page 5 for the moment.....
Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktownby John Trumbull, depicting the British surrendering to French (left) and American (right) troops. Oil on canvas, 1820.
Very cool! I have yet to order a Revolutionary War pension file. How exciting to know that, not only did your 6th great-grandfather served, but where and under whom. Woo hoo, rubbing elbows with the first President!
ReplyDeleteVery exciting - you just never know what you're going to learn from those pension records!
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