Pension Application of Gustavus Elgin S8412
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia } towit
Loudoun County }
On this 14 day of November personally appeared in open Court, before the Justices of the Court of Loudoun County, now sitting, Gustavus Elgin, a resident of the State & County aforesaid, aged seventy eight years, who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefits 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:
I was born in the County of St. Marys [Saint Marys] State of Maryland Sept’r 17 1754 this account of my age I obtained from my Father and it is recorded in my family Bible now in my possession. I have understood that my Father removed to Loudoun, Virg’a when I was only three or four years old. I remained behind with my Grandmother till I was about eight years old, when I went home to my Parents, and I have continued to reside in Loudoun County, Va. ever since. In the year 1777 I was appointed Lieutenant in a Company of Loudoun Militia, Commanded by Capt. Alexander McMichin & in Sept’r of that year I marched with my company to the Head Quarters of the army then at White Marsh [Whitemarsh] in Pennsylvania — We marched from Leesburg to Frederick town, My’d. thence to Little York [York PA], Lancaster & Reading Pa. At the latter place we crossed the River Schuylkill, thence down the north bank of that River to White Marsh which was a few miles from the Rising Sun Tavern, which was between Philadelphia and Germantown. We arrived at Head Quarters early in October, the day after the Battle of Germantown was fought [4 Oct 1777]. I acted as Commissary of my Company until I arrived at Head Quarters. Col. Josias Clapham & Lieut. Col. James Coleman of Loudoun Commanded the Regiment to which I was attached. I remember Captains Lewis & Buchannan of same Regiment. — I was three months in service doing duty on picquit [picket] guard & scouting parties, sometimes as near Phila. as the Rising Sun Tavern, but was not engaged in any Battle with the Enemy. — In December 1777 I returned home, but had no written discharge — Soon after my return I was promoted to a Captaincy & Commissioned by his Excellency Patrick Henry, then Governor of Virginia, all [illegible word] Commissions are mislaid or lost. I cannot find any one. I was not ordered out again till about the last of July 1781 when I marched with my Company to Gloucester in Virginia – marching thro’ Falmouth, Fredericksburg, Bowling Green & the Country lying between the Rappahannock & York Rivers direct to Gloucester. Thomas Moss of Loudoun was my Lieutenant. Col. George West Commanded my Regiment and John Hereford of Loudoun was the Adjutant. When I arrived at Gloucester our Regiment was united with the French Troops – I continued to receive orders from Col. Geo. West. I do not remember the names of the French officers. My duties on picquet guard, Building Redoubts &c &c were constant and severe. After the surrender of Cornwallis [19 Oct 1781], I was ordered to unite with other Companies of Loudoun Militia to guard a Troop of prisoners to Noland’s ferry in Loudoun, which I did & returned home in the latter part of November 1781 as near as I remember it was the last of November. I think there was seven or eight Companies engaged on this service. At present I remember only those commanded by Captains Luckett [probably John Luckett], Moffitt [probably Josiah Moffett] and Hardage Lane — I recollect John A. Binns of Loudoun was a Lieut. in Moffett’s Company.
I hereby relinquish every claim to a pension or annuity except the present & declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state —
[signed] Gustavus Elgin