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[Note: Vachel CLEMENT claimed
service in the 2nd Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army, serving
from Oct 1778 - March 1782 ]
State of Kentucky Hart County
On this 15th day of August 1833 Vachel
Clement a resident citizen of said county aged 71 years last December
personally appeared in the Hart Circuit Court, before the Judge of said
court sitting in open court, and being first duly and solemnly sworn according
to law, made the following declaration on his oath, in order to obtain
the benefit of the provisions of the act of congress of the 15th day of
May 1828, entitled, 'an act for the relief of certain surviveing officers
and soldiers of the army of the Revolution'. That he entered the service
of the United States in the army of the Revolution, under the following
officers, and served as stated below. He enlisted as a regular soldier
in the continental line in the army of the United States in the County
of Pittsylvaniah in the state of Virginia in the month of October, he
believed the first thereof in the year 1778, under Lieutenant Gilbert,
shortly thereafter he was placed under the command of Lieutenant Holmes,
who was also a recruiting regular officer of the United States army, and
when he entered the army he was put in the company of and under the command
of Captain William Horton, and served in his company until he was discharged.
The company of Horton was in the Second Virginia Redgment on continental
establishment, commanded by Colonel Freeman, the term of his enlistment
was for and during the war, which time he served fully out and was discharged
from the service not very far distant from Little York he thinks in March
after the surrender at that place of the British troops to General Washington
having served three years and five months to the best of his recollection.
He was marched from the place of his enlistment in Virginia to Hillsborough
in North Carolina, & after remaining there some time, marched with other
troops to Guilford courthouse and was in that memorable engagement fought
in March 1781, in which he received a wound, by having the end of his
finger next his little finger on the wright hand, shot off with a musket
or rifle ball. From Guilford courthouse, he marched with the other troops
of the redgment to which he belonged, to the siege of Little York, in
which he was engaged until the close of the siege and surrender and until
March thereafter, when he was discharged near Little York, the name of
the place at which, he does not reccollect. He was discharged by Captain
Horton and received a written discharge from the service, and his enlistment
aforesaid fully exonerating, and acquitting him from duty under God. His
discharge he has long since lost, not having supposed it to be of any
value. He does not now and never has received a pension of any kind from
the government of the United States, and his name is not on the pension
list of any agency in any state in the Union. He has no documentary evidence
of his service as aforesaid, nor does he know of any witness living by
whom he can prove his serving or any part thereof. He was born in Pittsylvaniah
County Virginia according to the best information he has from family tradition
on the 8th day of December 1762, he has no record of his age. He removed
from Virginia in the year 1811 (where he lived after the war till that
time) and settled in Shelby county Ky and lived there two years, thence
he removed to Hart County, KY where he now resides, and has for 21 years
past. He presumes his name will be found on the rolls in the offices of
the Secretary of War, in the Redgment mentioned and in the company rolls
of Captain William Horton. He is known to many person in his neighborhood
& county who can speak as to his character for truth, & honesty, and their
belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution. He will mention
the names of George T. Wood, William Allen, Jesse Craddock Esqrs & Doctor
Hiraim D. Jett who he will endeavour to procurr to depose on the subject.
He is now old and extremely poor, and withot diseased with the phthisic
and stands in absolute need of the assistance of his country. He hereby
relinquishes his claim to any other and all other to any pension or annuity
from the government except the one now claimed, he could mention the names
of many of the officers with whom he served General Washington, whom he
frequently saw at the siege of York, Genl Morgan under whom he served
at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Genl Green & Major Ryan and others.
Subscribed and sworn to the day & year above named.
We William Allen & Willis Craddock citizens of Hart County Kentucky,
do state on oath that we are and have been for some years past acquainted
with Vachel Clement of said
county who has sworn to and subscribed the above declaration for a pension,
and that we know nothing prejudicial to his character as a man of truth,
nor have we heard any thing that would discredit his statements on oath,
and from what we know of the man we would believe, his statements on oath
we also state that, he has been reputed in his neighborhood & the county
of Hart to have been a soldier of the revolution, and we concur in the
opinion that the report is true & that he was a soldier of the revolution
& served as he here stated. we never have heard it doubted that he did
serve as he has stated. sworn to & subscribed this 16th day of August
1833 in open court, in the Hart circuit.
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William Allen |
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Willis Cradock |
and the said Hart Circuit court doth certify that William Allen and
Willis Craddock whose affidavits are sworn to & subscribed above are credible
witnesses, and their statements entitled to credit and that said Court
are of opinion that said Vachel
Clement, was a soldier of the revolution and served as he has stated
in his declaration which is ordered to be certified to the War Department
of U.S. I George T Wood clerk of the said Hart circuit court do certify
that the foregoing is whole of the proceedings of said court in the matter
of the application of said Vachel
Clement for a pension. In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand
and my seal of office this 17th day of August 1833
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George T Wook |
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Clerk of the Hart |
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Circuit Court |
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