Revolutionary War Pension Application of Alexander Willoughby State of Kentucky Jessamine County

On the 16th day of September 1833, personally appeared in open court, before the justices of the county court now sitting, Alexander Willoughby, a resident of Jessamine County and state aforesaid, aged seventy-two 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he was drafted in January 1778, out of the company commanded by William Martin, a militia captain in Amherst County, Virginia, and marched down to the barracks near Charlottsville, and there put under the command of Captain David Shelton and one Col. Harvey (as well as he recollects), to guard General Burgoyne’s Army, who were prisoners, and remained there six months in the service as guard, that during this service Captain Guarland from Albemarle County, Virginia was killed by a sentinel on his post when said Guarland, out of a project, attempted to obtain the sentinel’s arms from him, and the first Indians he ever saw was at the barracks who stopped there on their way from Congress, that he was discharged after the expiration of his term of service in the summer at that place by Captain Shelton, without a written discharge as well as he recollects. The he was drafted a second time out of the company of said Martin in the spring or summer of 1779 (in consequence of want of recollection, he cannot state which) and marched down to the barracks again and then placed under the command of Captain William Harris for the guarding of the same prisoners; that during this term of service, a great quantity of beef was condemned and thrown on the commissary ----, it had gotten somewhat spoiled and was afterwards washed and salted, but whether it was then received, he does not know; that this was a term of six months which he served and was then discharged by Capt Harris without a written discharge as well as he recollects. That he was born in Albemarle County, Virginia on the 19th day of February 1760, his age is registered in the big church Bible of Parson Kemps Church in said county, was living in Amherst County, Virginia when called into service, moved from that county and state to Kentucky in 1782 and has resided in Kentucky ever since as resident of Jessamine County after he was drafted as above states, and names David Shelton and Wm Harris as militia officers, who ---- -- -- guard where he served, the general circumstances of his service above stated, that he never received a written discharged that he recollects, that he stated as a private his services as guard aforesaid, that he was engaged in no other ---- whilst in the service as a guard. He further states Capt. Hugh Chrisman, Joshua Hudson, Pleasant Watters, Daniel Anthony, Robt. Duncan, Wm Dickerson, Alex Welch and Jos. McKinney, are persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood, and who can testify as to his character for sincerity, and of their belief of his services as aforesaid, and he states from the --- and removals and deaths of persons who knew of his services as aforesaid and from the length of time since the services were performed, he is unable to find surviving witness by whom he can prove the same. He hereby relinquishes every claim 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 that he knows of and states for the --- of recollection he cannot state with certainty the ---- of the ---- and --- the day and year above written...Signed Alexander Willoughby We, Joshua Hudson, a clergyman residing in the county of Jessamine and state of Kentucky, and Pleasant Watters, residing in the same, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Alexander Willoughby, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy-two years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Joshua Hudson Pleasant Watters And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Joshua Hudson, who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman resident in the county of Jessamine aforesaid, and that Pleasant Watters, who has also signed the same, is a resident in the said county of Jessamine, and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.