Revolutionary. War Pension Widow Application

Many years after the war ended, Sally Goodrum applied for a pension as the widow of Bennett Goodrum. The US Government granted pensions to widows of Revolutionary War soldiers based on their husbands' service and their status as widows.

Sally Goodrum

GOODRUM, Bennet & Sarah or Sally
Virginia R 4120

Warren Co KY, sct., personally appeared before the undersigned and acting Justice of the Peace in and for the said county and state, SALLY GOODRUM, age 86 a resident of said county and at the house of her son JAMES GOODRUM in Warren County Kentucky who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following statement, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of the 4th day of July 1836, granting pensions to certain widows of Revolutionary Soldiers. That she is the widow of BENNETT GOODRUM who was a private in the War of the Revolution from Brunswick County Virginia in the years 1780 and 1781 to the best of her recollection, though she cannot say what day or month of the year 1780, that he first entered said service a Volunteer under Captain JAMES MASON of Brunswick for 3 months and continued in said service until July 1, 1781. That during said period, he returned home several times, but did not remain but a few days at a time and would go again. She states that she has heard him say he was in several battles among which she remembers the Battle of Guilford. She states that he lived in her neighborhood before the war with a brother of his named, WILLIAM GOODRUM who was also a militia soldier in said service and this declarant's father, WILLIAM GARNER was also in said service all under Capt. Mason.

She states that said BENNETT GOODRUM received several discharges for his said services which she has frequently seen but they were distroyed severla years ago. Said BENNETT GOODRUM died in Warren County Kentucky, on September 18 1823, and some ten years after his death, two of his old fellow soldiers and who were in the same company with him from Brunswick County Virginia, to wit: WILSON MOORE and GARRET WRIGHT of Allen County Kentucky, received pensions for their services. She states that she had been anxious for several years to obtain a pension as other old widows, but that her sons being uneducated and not knowing what to do have kept putting it off from time to time. She states she was married to the said BENNETT GOODRUM by the name of SALLY or SARAH GARNER on June 3 1781 in Burnswick Coounty Virginia., by Parson Goeddy by Banns. She states that she was 18 years of age in August after her said marriage that she had 10 children the oldest of whom is now age 65 years of age. She states that since the death of said GOODRUM she has not intermarried but is now his widow, and that she was married while said BENNET GOODRUM was at home after he had been discharged and it was thought that he would not go into said service again but that very soon after our marriage there was another call for men and siad GOODRUM had to go again and was gone into said service about a month and then returne home and never was in the service any more & farther saith not .
/s/ SALLY (her X mark) GOODRUM
Witt: Sworn to and sighned making her mark before me this 9th April 1849 John Smith, Justice of the Peace

STATE OF KENTUCKY
County of Warren
Personally appeared before the under sighned an acting Justice of the peace in and for said county JAMES GOODRUM, and who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath depose and say That he is the son of BENNETT & SALLY GOODRUM that he is now in his 53rd year of his age and that there are six of the children older than himself, that he has always considered his father as a soldier in the war of the Revolution and that before his death he frequestnly heard his fatehr talking about his said services in company with other old soldiers and that his father is now considered by his old aquaintances as a soldier and that the above declarant is this affidavants mother and the actual widow of said BENNETT GOODRUM & futher saith not
/s/ JAMES (his X mark) GOODRUM
Sworn to and signed by making his mark before me this 9th April 1849 John Smith J.P

*The pension was denied*