Madison County Virginia

Thomas and Lewis Graves
Submitted by Amanda Dicken

Pension NO. S. 16839 application for Thomas Graves of Culpeper today, Lewis's big brother.

Apparently, Lewis is the brother who got sick and Thomas subbed for him toward the end of the war.

He says that ?In 1781, the last of war appeared to be in Virginia I was then called out early in the Summer at the time the British took possession of Richmond and sent a party up to Charlottesville. I was orderly Sergeant under Capt. Ferguson in Col. Alcock & Greens Regiment. We joined the regular troops commanded by Gen. De La Fayette and Gen. Wayne. We combined with these troops in all their various routs until we move the enemy into old Jamestown and there gave them battle. The British then took shipping went round to York and fortified. Our Troops then marched for York at which time I was discharged. At the same time, I had two younger brothers who came into camp; one of them was taken sick and wrote to me to hire a man to take his place. I could not do so. I directly returned to camp and took my sick brothers place. I then fell into a different Regiment. After the British surrendered I reenlisted in guarding them....?

Then on the page where he is asked the question by the Judge, how were you called into service? He states that ?I first volunteered as stated in my declaration - ?Wit? I was drafted - & then served as a substitute for my brother Lewis Graves.?

Pension NO. S. 8311 - Martin Deer?s reference to Lewis is this:

?...That his company marched from Bonnettsford in Culpeper County the fifteenth of January 1779 and went direct to Williamsburg and there took up head quarters and were stationed there with a great many other soldiers during all said town except a visit to Norfolk and over to Jamestown; that after his Company had been at Williamsburg upwards of a month they were marched to Norfolk and returned in ten or twelve days to Williamsburg and afterwards make a short trip to Jamestown where they remained only a few days and returned back to headquarters at Williamsburg and there remained until the tour expired; that he understood the soldiers was stationed there to guard the Seat of government from the enemy and that nothing of a remarkable character occurred during there stay at Williamsburg; men were frequently whipped for disorderly conduct but he saw no one that by command that at Williamsburg there must have been between Two and Three thousand militia men at various times during said town; that he remembers Captain Ward Company from Orange was with his own ?dicing? said town and one other Company from Culpeper under Captain Bohannon; that in going to Williamsburg his company marched through Orange, Louisa, Hanover, New Kent and Charles City Counties but they did not tarry long in either of them and marched direct to Williamsburg; that John Miller, John Deer, Ambrose Weaver, Lewis Graves, Henry Peters, Benjamin Hackell were Privates under Captain Smith and were from his neighborhood in the Said County of Culpeper all of whom he knew before this tour to Williamsburg; that his company was not associated with any portion of the regular army during his first or this his second tour that if the regulars were at Williamsburg he had no knowledge of the fact because it was said at the time the forces out were composed of militia from Virginia entirely; that his company were discharged at Williamsburg Verbally and he together with John Deer, Ambrose Weaver and Lewis Graves came on here Together reached home to the best of his recollection between the middle of April and first of May 1779, that of this tour his also very positive and cannot be mistaken in it the particulars of which he has given to the best of his memory; that he received no written discharge from his first or his second tour; that verbal discharges were though sufficient and he knows of no one in service ever applying for a written discharge; that he remained at his home in Culpeper County Virginia till the Spring of 1781 where he was again drafted and served another tour in the militia of three months duration; that during the same his company was at the Battle of Petersburg between the British and the Americans that he was in that Battle and the fighting was very hard and was attached to Generalo Muehlenburg Brigade in rear of it; that said company was called out by Captain Mark Finks of Culpeper County whose descendents still reside in Madison Culpeper and Orange Counties that said Captain was considered very brave man and displayed his courage at the afore said Battle of Petersburg; that of said company one William Dickens was Lieutenant both before and after this tour; that said company marched from Culpeper County to Louisa Cott.about the middle of March 1781 he was there in his 24th year; at Louisa C. House his company remained a week or so for other companys then marched to Mobbins Hills at which place he was stationed at headquarters till a day or two before the Battle of Petersburg whither his company had been ordered that after the Battle of Petersburg his company retreated to Chesterfield C. House and then marched on home and passing through Henrico and some portion of Louisa County up to which his company had retreated to avoid the present of the enemy; that he saw General Lafayette troops during said tour, his company was at Williamsburg and at Richmond and various places on James River whilst stationed at Mobbins Hills; that Major Welsh from Culpeper County was a officer in said company but has forgotten the name of the Ensign he distinctly recollects his neighbors Moses Hart, George Clarke, Larkin Clarke, John Deer, Nick Yager, Samuel Smith, John Rouger, Andrew Deer, George Lamard were privates with him and all of whom are now dead. That in going to the lower country his company first came at a place called Broad Waters then went on to Cabirepoints then on to Mobbins Hills, that three or two other companys from Culpeper during said tours and were with his own nearly the whole of it. There were under the command of Captains Fisher Rice and Captain Rucker that of said third tour is positive and reached home the 24th or 25th of June 1781 and never afterwards entered the army during his stay in the lower country was associated with other militia companies the names of which he can not recollect. He was never a substitute for any one having served all three of his tours for himself and never hired or substitute to take his place because he had no family to leave behind him............?

His third tour put his company in Williamsburg at the same time as Thomas Graves? so I suspect that this is also the same group that Lewis served with which is why I transcribed it.

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