Revolutionary War Pension Application of William A. Fry State of Kentucky Jessamine County

On the 15th day of September 1834, personally appeared in open court, before the justices of the Court of Jessamine County now sitting, William A. Fry, a resident of said county, aged seventy-three 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 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the Unites States under the following named officers, and served as herein states. That sometime in the month of January in the year 1781, he volunteered as a private in Capt. John Harris’ company of militia from Albemarle, ordered into service in consequence of Arnold’s invasion. That he marched with the aforesaid company to the half way house between Yorktown and Hampton, where Col. Charles Dabney was stationed in command of a body of militia. That he there quitted the infantry and entered a company of volunteer cavalry under the command of Capt. William O’Callis, with whom he served in and about Hampton until the company was discharged towards the last of April. He returned home and after a short interval, joined the American Army, as a volunteer of cavalry then under the command of the Marquis de La Fayette at the City of Richmond. From Richmond, he was sent with the dispatches to Baron Steuben, whom he found at the Point of Fork, whence with dispatches from the Baran to the Marquis, he regained the Marquis, in the County of Hanover, having been chased by and narrowly escaped from Tarlton’s Corps of light troops. He continued with the Marquis until a few days previous to Waynes engagement with the British near the Green Springs. His horse now having tired, he went home on furlow for a short period, and again set out to join the army at Williamsburg, preparing to lay seige to York, and united himself to Capt. Benjamin Harris’ command then on duty at Y--- Point the mouth of Green Creek, a few miles above Yorktown, with this command he continued until it was ordered to join the --- army, then before the town of York, where he remained on duty until Cornwallis surrendered. He then volunteered to march with the prisoners to Nolin Ferry and the Pottomack, but on the second or third day’s march, found himself unable to proceed and was discharged to march home about a hundred and fifty or sixty miles. This he accomplished with much pain and difficulty in fifteen or twenty days, according to the best of his recollection. He has not pretended, nor is he able at this distance of time, to be accurate as to dates. He is, however, entirely confident that he did not spend less than eight months of the last ten of the war in Virginia in actual service. Indeed, he recollects not a single interval, except those already mentioned while absent from the army, between the early part of January and his return home in the early part of November 1781, when he might not consider himself in the military service of his country. That he was born in Albemarle County, Va on the 17th day of October 1761. The record, kept by his father, of his age is in the property of his niece, Ann Barlett in the County of Jefferson. He was living in Albemarle County, Virginia when called into service and lived since the Revolutionary War in Albemarle until 1799, then moved to Kentucky and settled in Jessamine County, where he has continued to reside ever since. His services were volunteered. The names of the officers and general circumstances of his service above stated. Has no recollection of ever having received a written discharge from the service. States James Overstreet, Joseph Baughn, John Hill, Samuel Burk, William Hogan, John Harris, William Harris, Henry Overstreet, and Samuel Struck as -- to whom he is known in his present neighborhood, and who can testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution. He further states that he knows of no person living except his brother Joshua Fry, whose affidavit is hereto annexed, by whom he can prove his services or any portion of them. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any state that he knows of. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. William A. Fry We, Jacob Rohrer, a clergyman residing in the county of Jessamine, Ky, and William Harris, residing in the same, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William A. Fry, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy-three years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first above written. Jacob Rohrer William Harris