George Duncan (1758-1838)  P-151075

Excerpted from the Revolutionary War Pension of George Duncan, S*W9845:

State of Indiana Orange County SS:

On this nineteenth day of September 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable the Judges of the Orange Circuit Court now sitting George Duncan a resident of said County of Orange in the State of Indiana aforesaid aged 75 years on the 8th day of March next according to a record kept by his father the original of which is now in his possession in his father’s hand writing 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 entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. In the first tour of service which he performed he took the place of his Father John Duncan as a substitute who was drafted in Amherst County in the State of Virginia to guard Bugoyne’s prisoners in Albemarle County in the State of Virginia – the names of either of the field or company officers not recollected. As soon as he entered the service this deponent proceeded to the Barracks in Albemarle County where he remained in service upon active duty (about) two months perhaps three but not less than two he recollects that he remained there during the whole period for which he entered the service. When his term of service elapsed he was discharged and went back home into Amherst County in VA this deponent does not recollect distinctly but thinks his first service was rendered in 1778. The second term performed by this deponent was commenced about a year afterward. He was drafted in Amherst County Virginia to go upon service down about Richmond to reconnoiter. In a short time after he was drafted he marched to Richmond where he continued reconnoitering and scouting about a month when he was discharged and returned home – the officer’s names not recollected. Whilst deponent was encamped with the army just below Richmond on James

River one James Blain a resident of Amherst County came into the army to purchase tobacco. It so happened that a number of the soldiers had Tobacco deposited in Richmond on sale. We had heard of

Cornwallis approach and he was expected to make an attempt to land on the Coast of Virginia. Under this state of things much fear was entertained that Richmond would fall into his hands and that the tobacco deposited there would be lost to the owners. Blain’s object was to buy it up at very reduced prices and the soldiers thought he wished to speculate too deeply upon them. Feeling indignant at his conduct they took him into custody, called a Court Martial who set upon his case, and decided that he should be mounted upon his horse with his face toward the horse’s tail, and led through the lines out of the encampment which sentence was executed to the letter. The third tour of duty upon which deponent was engaged was the same summer that Cornwallis came into Virginia. He was drafted about the first of May in Amherst County in Virginia under Captain Pamplin. He immediately after entered the service under Colonel Lindsay of Albemarle County in Virginia, and General Lawson. Deponent was detached to go in pursuit of Cornwallis, whilst the latter was in Virginia deponent marched on through Charlottesville to join the regiment after uniting with the Regiment the whole went down in to the neighborhood of Richmond, deponent was about 8 miles from the battle ground on the evening of the battle at Jamestown deponents regiment had on that occasion halt early in the afternoon to encamp but hearing just before night of the battle at Jamestown they were marched immediately toward the scene of action after meeting with part of the American forces which had fallen back about half a mile from the battle ground with some wounded soldiers deponents regiment was halted a few moments and was then marched back on the river road, nearly in the same direction they had come – we got news next day that Cornwallis and his forces had retired to their ships and were then marched to Malvern or Mobbin Hill where we were halted about 16 or 18 days. Hearing that Cornwallis had gone up York River we were marched across the Country toward Little York we encamped on Pamunky river where we continued until sometime in the month of September, when deponent was discharged and went home. From his commanding officers this deponent received written discharges for each one of the foregoing tours of duty but left them all at his Fathers in the State of Virginia Amherst County, when deponent removed into Kentucky, and not returning to the State of Virginia for about twenty years when he again visited his fathers showed his papers that he had left there amongst which were the said discharges, had all been destroyed or lost. Deponent was born in Albemarle County Virginia, soon after moved by his father into Amherst County VA where he continued to reside until the fall of 1781 when he visited Kentucky, Lincoln County where he lived until about 15 years ago when he removed into this Orange County where he has continued to reside ever since. He is known to James Lynd, Jacob Moulder, Alexander Wallace Edward Moore and Wm. Brooks who will bear evidence of deponent’s fairness of character, and their belief that he served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war as stated. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state.

George Duncan