Revolutionary War Pension Application of Jesse Robards State of Kentucky County of Garrard

Personally appeared in open court in the County of Garrard and State of Kentucky now sitting, Jesse Robards, a resident of said county, aged seventy year, four months, and one day, being duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832. I was born in the County of Goochland and State of Virginia, and moved from that state to this State of Kentucky in fall of 1783, and have been a resident of the said state ever since, and now live in the County of Garrard at this time. First, I was underage when I entered as a volunteer in the year 1778 in the service of the United States and marched from the County of Goochland through Louisa County to the County of Albemarle to guard the British prisoners in said county and marched I think to said county in the fall, say about the month of October, and returned the same route to the County of Goochland. I think I served about three or four months, and the precise time I don’t remember, but it was not less than three months, two in months of December 1779. I volunteered a second time four months and returned in company with Joseph Lewis, the only person now living that I know of, and his certificate is now procured. We entered the service as well as I now recollect about the first of December and was there until about the first of April, one of the hardest winters I ever experienced and hardest time for provisions. I returned the same route home. My officers were Capt Edward Duke, Major Roberts, and Col. Taylor. I think Elisha Leak was my first captain, but the field officers were the same. I became a volunteer in the year 1781 for four months, I think in the month of January after Benedict Arnold, the Traitor, and Genl Phillips at the time they burnt Richmond of Virginia. While the town was on fire, I was there under Col. Charles Fleming and continued but little time. We marched down the river called James River after ----, and then to Williamsburg. Joined our army under Genl Nelson, I then volunteered under Regular officers as Infantryman, being of a company of one hundred and forty, and marched to York, from thence to the Halfway House, from thence to the Fork of the Road three miles of Hampton Town at a place of Maj. Armstead. We then were always on the --- from one place to another. Our officers were Major Tho. Armstead, Capt. Frederick Woodson, Lieutenant Robert Dandridge. We were marched to Williamsburg in the month of May and were honorably discharged, but it was not common for militia to get written discharges. If so, I never received any to my knowledge for any service whatsoever ---. 4th about my return from the expedition of Arnold, which was about the arrival of Cornwallis at Petersburg in Virginia I think in May 1781 and who proceeded to the Point of Fork, my return home I found that Tarleton had passed my father and ten of his men had plundered my father, five of my brothers were in the Services on the United States, three of us made a call in the neighborhood, and under the command of Ensign Joseph Payne, a regular officer or had been a regular officer, determined to have satisfaction and proceeded after Tarleton and made a blind on the road waiting the arrival of several of his officers, who visited a certain house some distance from the main army. While there, some person gave information and the whole British army immediately took for York, and it was stated that --- LaFayette, the front guard. We then proceeded on and joined the main army at Richmond. I then volunteered under Nathaniel Morris for six months, who commanded us in the Battle below Richmond. After that I entered myself on one of the Infantry and scouted about under different officers under Lieutenant Adams to fight the British, who I think was an officer belonging to General Lafayette. I never was with the main army much. I was mostly in the Infantry, once under Captain Richardson, and at the close of the war at York, I was in the main army, then my field officer was General Lawson, Lafayette commander, and George Washington, Col. Chief commander had – of the Infantry. Rather I had given my view on this subject as correct as I now think, am not positive to the exact time but suppose I served about eighteen months, at the Barrack about seven or eight months, afterward about four months and after Cornwallis, in May or June I entered and continued until near the surrendering of York Day, the 1st of October. I left that place --- and was discharged in the same manner as before. My officer stated that General Washington that some of the men might be discharged; that the number he had was sufficient. He hereby relinquishes any claim whatsoever 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. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid, August 20th 1832. Jesse Robards We, George Robertson and Joseph P. Letcher, in open court in the State of Kentucky and County of Garrard, make oath agreeable to – that we have been acquainted with Jesse Robards of said county for some considerable time, both in the County of Garrard and in the county he moved from, Mercer County, and that he is a man of good character, honest and industrious, and that his statements ought to be respected in any court of the United States. Given under our hand the day and year above mentioned. G. Robertson Joseph P. Letcher