Re: William Godfrey - Rachel Emerick
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In reply to:
Re: William Godfrey - Rachel Emerick
Michael Hofemann 10/29/02
The FULL pension file transcript, as follows:
John Godfrey
R.4083.
5 Nov. 1833.LewisCo., Va.John (X) Godfrey of said county, aged 87, declares in Sept 1776 he was drafted in Fauquier Co., in the Virginia militia for three months under Capt/ Smith.He was marched to Richmond, VA., there joined Col. Brooke's regiment, was marched to Petersburg, there tarried a while and was marched back to Richmond where about Christmas 776 he was discharges, having served three months as an orderly sergeant.
In the spring of 1777 he volunteered for six months in the militia under Capt. Smith again.He was marched from Fauquier Courthouse to Fredericksburg, there joined Col. Mountjoy's regiment of militia, was kept there two months, then marched down and across Stafford to Belle Plain in King George. Thence through King George to Matthias Point on the Potomac into Westmoreland County and in Oct. 1777 he was discharged, having served as an orderly sergeant in Capt. Smith company.
In March 1778 he volunteered for three months to go down in Westmoreland Co., Va., to watch the enemy along the Bay.He marched under Capt. Ball down into Westmoreland, there joined Col. Ballard's regiment, was marched to different points along the way to watch the enemy, down into Northumberland County where in June he was discharged, having served three months as an orderly sergeant.He volunteered for three months more under Capt. Ball and Col. Ballard.He was stationed again along the Bay in Westmoreland a while, then down again into Northumberland, then down into Lancaster County to the lower end to Windmill Point.Here he acted the whole tour as orderly sergeant and was discharged in Oct. 1778.
In March 1779 he volunteered under Capt. Taliafero for six months, was marched down through Stafford, King George, Westmoreland and Richmond into Lancaster.There he joined a regiment of militia commanded by Col. Henderson, was stationed at the same Point, was an orderly sergeant.In May 1779 the British came to Norfolk and burned it, passed over to Portsmouth, burned it, passed up to Suffolk and burned it.His colonel was ordered across the Rappahannock, crossed into Middlesex, then into Gloucester, crossed at Gloucester York River into York County, thence into Warwick and down to Hampton Roads or opposite there, thence to Hampton in Elizabeth City County.Here he continued until September.He again with his captain and colonel and some of the other militia volunteered to stay three months longer, which he did, still an orderly sergeant, and continued there until December about Christmas when he was discharged.
In May 1780 he volunteered in a company of Virginia militia as orderly sergeant under his former Capt. Smith.He was marched from Fauquier Co., Va., to Richmond City.There he joined a regiment under Col. Campbell to guard the magazine, did so until in Aug. 1780, the whole time again as an orderly sergeant.He again volunteered forthwith for three months more under Capt. Smith as an orderly sergeant.Col. Campbell was still in command at Richmond.He continued guarding the magazine until the first of December 1780 when he was discharged and returned home to Fauquier County.
This was a hard winter but sometimes in the winter the British cape up to Richmond and destroyed property to a large amount and burned many houses.He again volunteered under Capt. Smith and marched Jan. 1781 as far as Fredericksburg but the severity of the winter and bad clothing they had prevented going further and they returned home.In March 1781 he again set out under Capt. Smith, marched to Richmond, was stationed there, soon had to retreat under Col. Darke up the county, and was joined by more troops, Gen. Wayne with the Pennsylvania troops.They returned to Richmond.Sometime the British lay in Manchester, the Americans on Shockoe Hill.There was some skirmishing near New Kent.The British kept on to York and they followed.In Oct. 1781 the Americans captured the British.He was then discharged, having served more than six months as orderly sergeant.
He removed then to what is now Hardy Co. Ca.There he was drafted doe three months under Capt. Neal and Col. Vincent Williams to guard against the Indians and Tories, was marched to different placed in now Harding and Pendleton, caught several Tories.He too acted here as a sergeant and sometimes acted as such in commanding Indian spies.He served from March 1782 until June 1782 when he was discharged.He forthwith volunteered again for three months under the same Capt. Neal to act as sergeant and Indian spy.This he did from June 1782 to Oct. 1782, more than three months.Col. Hutton commanded this tour.
He was born in Fauquier Co., Va.,In 1746 as he always heard from his parents.He has no record of his age.He moved from Fauquier to now Hardy in 1781.In 1800 he removed to Harrison Co., Va., lived there until 1832 and then removed to his son in law's in Lewis County, whose name is George Duval, grandson of the distinguished John Pearce Duval who so long aced as a colonel in western Virginia.
1 Jul 1834.Report of W.G. Singleton on claim of John Godfrey.Godfrey said he never was much in the Revolutionary War.He was out after the Tories in Hardy County but cannot say how long, perhaps two or three weeks.This was all the service he did in the Revolutionary War.He was anxious to be a soldier and went from home to Fauquier Court house for that purpose.Col. Brook and Col. Ashby of that county had him examined by a physician who pronounced him unsound and incapable to bearing arms, having had his back broken.On meeting this rebuff and disappointed, his military ardor was completely cooled.He returned to Hardy County and has been a peaceful man ever since.
Calvin Waldo hunted him out and persuaded him he was entitled to a pension.