My 5th great grandfather, Samuel Eggleston (1747-1837), served in the Continental Light Dragoons during the American Revolutionary War. In the pension application transcribed below, Samuel details his service, including having seen General George Washington at Newark, New Jersey. Submitted when Samuel was 88 years old, the pension was rejected on the grounds that he was unable to prove six months of service. The Second Continental Light Dragoons are recognized as having conducted the first cavalry charge on American soil and served as couriers relaying messages along a string of express stations between Washington’s headquarters and the northern colonies.
The act provided that every officer or enlisted man who had served at least two years in the Continental Line or State troops, volunteers or militia, was eligible for a pension of full pay for life. Naval and marine officers and enlisted men were also included. Veterans who had served less than two years, but not less than six months, were eligible for pensions of less than full pay.
Pension Act of 1832
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
County of Hartford
On this 7th day of May 1835 before the probate court for the District of Hartford in the County of Hartford and the State of Connecticut being a Court of Record, having a Clerk and Seal personally appeared Samuel Eggleston a resident of Windsor in the County of Hartford in the State of Connecticut aged eighty-eight years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on this oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain benefit, of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States as a private in a company of dragoons commanded by Captain Thomas Seymour, Lt. Rueben Ellsworth and Colonel Edward Griswold at Windsor in the County of Hartford in the State of Connecticut. On or about the 10th day of May 1776; that said company belonged to a regiment commanded by Colonel don’t know Lt. Colonel don’t know and Major don’t know. That the company was ordered out to go to New York and the aforementioned deponent served in the said corps until on or about the 10th of July 1776 (as near as he can remember) when the company returned from New York to Hartford and was dismissed.
That when he entered service, he resided in Windsor in the County of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut and was marched from Hartford to New York and there performed military service in the line of his duty until the company returned and he was dismissed having been absent on this tour of service (at least) one month and perhaps longer. That the deponent knows of no person now alive who served with him.
I marched from Hartford Connecticut to the Peekskill in State of New York and in a few days crossed the Hudson River and proceeded to Hackensack and afterward Newark, then to Elizabethtown, then to New Brunswick and when in New York he went with the company many places that the names of which he has entirely forgotten, – and returned in a different route to the Hudson River above Peekskill where they crossed the river where deponent was discharged in a place near Peekskill in the State of New York by General Charles Lee and returned home sometime (he is pretty certain) the later part of December 1776. Having faithfully served on this tour a little more (as he believes) than five months – the deponent says that he received a written discharge (on account of a weakening and ____?____ of his heart, so that he could not ride for many years – he presumes that is has been destroyed or lost a long-time ago.
That while at New York on his first tour, he saw several field officers, he saw General Putnam and he saw other Generals on his second tour of service. He saw General Washington at Newark and the deponent with his company, attended the General in an excursion around ___?__ hills westerly of town – and that the deponent also saw many other generals and field officers, whose names he then knew but due to the imperfection of his memory he is not able at this time to state them, that his services on both tours amount in the whole to at least six months and he thinks seven months.
And in reply to certain interrogatories prescribed by the War Department and propounded by the Court, the deponent further declares,
1st. That he was born at Windsor in the County of Hartford and the State of Connecticut on the 16th day of December 1747.
2nd. That the day of his birth was recorded in his father’s family bible and transcribed in the family bible of the deponent.
3rd and 4th. That when he was called to service, he resided at the place and town as herein before stated; and served in a manner set forth in the preceding declaration.
5th. That the general circumstances of his service are detailed in the preceding declaration, and also the names of such officers are as he distinctly recollects.
6th That he received a written discharge from the service but has lost it many years ago.
7th. That he is personally know by Asabel Clark, Mrs. Mabel Skinner and Enoch ____?__ who are respectable persons in the neighborhood where he now resides, and can testify as to his character for veracity, and also their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.
And the said Samuel Eggleston 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 any Agency of any State.
Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid. Samuel Eggleston (Signature)
And the said Court do herby declare in their opinion after investigation of the matter, and putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Asabel Clark, Mrs. Mable Skinner and Enoch ___?____whose affidavits are hereto affixed are credible persons and that their statements are entitled to credit.
I, Jonathan Edwards, Judge of the Probate Court for the District of Hartford do herby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceeding of the said Court in the matter of the application of Samuel Eggleston for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office the 7th day of May 1835.
Jonathan Edwards – Judge of Probate
Continental and Militia Cavalry Compared: A Case Study from Saratoga, 1777 (Journal of the American Revolution) by Dean Snow
Comments, corrections and suggestions appreciated.
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