Pension Application of Anthony Ethell S6825
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia; County of Fauquier SS
On this 29th day of August in the year 1832 Personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the court of Fauquier county now sitting Anthony Ethell a resident of the county aforesaid aged 74 [“5" written over “4" or vice versa] 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 United States under the following named officers and served as therein stated; first, in September 1775 he volunteered in a company commanded by Captain Simon Triplett called Minute Men in Loudoun County Virginia and rendevoused about two weeks, then marched to Dumfries where he mustered about two weeks more, then marched by Fredericksburg to Williamsburg where they arrived the day after Christmas staid about one week, then marched by Yorktown to Hampton and saw remnants of the fire of the burning of Norfolk by Lord Dunmore [1 Jan 1776], continued at Hampton til about the last of March or first of April 1776 and performed guard duty at the old light house which was burned down before he left there. The Regiment was commanded by Colo. William Grayson and Major Levin Powell; no officers of the regular Army were at Hampton during this stay, that about the first of April he was dismissed until further orders and marched home to Loudoun County; that about the last of May he was ordered into service again and marched with the same company to Alexandria and stationed on guard duty at a battery or breast works made by the Fairfax Militia until Christmas with the exception of 7 to 10 days he came home to harvest, that in consequence of the men of Capt Tripletts company enlisting in the regular army it became broken at Christmas, he was dismissed and returned home, that some time in January or February 1777 he was drafted in Loudoun county to guard the Hessian Prisoners captured at Trenton [26 Dec 1776] on their march to Albemarle barracks, which tour was about 3 weeks, was commanded by Capt. Daniel Feagan; That in the summer of 1781 he was drafted again in Loudoun county in a company commanded by Captain Thomas Cannon and marched and joined the army at New Kent Courthouse, and was under the command of Colo. Merryweather or Maryweather [sic: Meriwether], and Major Hardiman of the regular Army, he saw also in the service same tour Colo. [William] Darke and Gen’l. Lafayette and other officers whose names he has forgot; that this was a tour of three months for which he received a certificate for pay, the only paper that he recollects at this discharge, which he long since has disposed of, that he has no documentary evidence, and that he knows of no person, whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service, except the affidavit of Robert Combs herewith to prove his service as a Minute Man.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever 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
He further saith that he was born in Loudoun county February, year 1757, that he is now in possession of his fathers family record in which his birth is entered, that he resided in Loudoun county when called into service as already set forth and continued to reside at the same place when a part of Loudoun county was added to Fairfax county which then made his residence in Fairfax, that the last thirty years he has resided in the county of Fauquier.
Sworn to and subscribed this 29th day of August 1832 [signed] Anthony Ethell
State of Virginia Fauquier County SS
Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the peace in and for the county and State aforesaid the opposite subscribing Anthony Ethell who being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that, by reason of old age, the long intervening space of time, and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service but according to the best of his recollection he served not less that the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades —
As a volunteer soldier from the first of November 1775 til the middle
of April 1775 5½ months
As a volunteer soldier from the first of June 1776 to the last of
December of the same year 7 months
As a drafted soldier to guard the Hessians two Weeks 2⁄4 mo. [?]
As a drafted soldier in the summer 1781 three Months 3 mo.
15 2⁄4 [?]
Making in the four tours, one year and four months, and for which service I claim a Pension.
[signed 21 Mar 1833] Anthony Ethell