Thomas Farley (Giles Co. VA)
Revolutionary War Pension Declaration 34.421
State of Virginia Giles County
On this 24th day of July 1837 personally appeared before the County Court of Giles County now sitting Thomas Farley Senior a resident of said County of Giles and State of Virginia aged (as he believes) about Seventy six 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 the 7th 1832 -
That in the fall of the year 1776 he entered the service of the United States under the command of Captain Thomas Burke and was stationed at Woods Fort in the County of Greenbrier (Now Monroe County) for the term of three months that being the period of time for which he enlisted and the same having expired he was discharged
In the succeeding year the Spring of 1777 he again entered the service as a soldier against the Indians and was under the Command of Captain John Henderson a part of the time and a part under the command of Capt Thomas Burke and a part under the Command of Captain John Taylor and he believes that Henry Patton was Lieutenant. The length of time he then served was three months and was stationed principally at the Mouth of Indian Creek now in the County of Monroe (then Greenbrier) and at Culbertsons Bottom then Montgomery County. Now Mercer County VA and during a great portion of which time he acted as a spy together with one John Jameson and was in several scouting parties on Bluestone River now in said County of Mercer the command of Major Joseph Cloyd - George Pearis was Captain and James Marrs Lieutenant he then lived on Walkers Creek Montgomery County Virginia (now Giles County Virginia) and was marched through Western Virginia into the State of North Carolina and was in the Battle of Shallow Ford of the Adkin in which Captain Pearis was wounded he attended Captain Pearis as a guard after he was wounded and left the Service during the winter thereafter having been in the service one and a half months - In the spring following he again entered the Service of the United States as a Volunteer he then resided in the afore = said County of Montgomery - under Col William Preston, Henry Patton was Captain and was marched from Montgomery County into the state of North Carolina near Guilford Court House and was in the battle of Alamance River and the Battle of the Reedy Fork of Haw River at Whitesells Mills [Weitzel Mills]. General Green was commanding at the time part of the Army he was that tour in the Service One and a half months - that he served in all at different times about twelve months. Since he left the service of the United States he has lived in the County of Montgomery until the County of Giles was taken off of said county of Montgomery and established into the County since which time he has lived in said County of Giles. that he has no documentary evidence of any of the above facts. but his service under Captain Thomas Burke was known to the late Cols Christian Snidow of said County of Giles and his service under Captain Thomas Burke. Captian John Saylor and Captain Patton was known to said Sidow and Joseph Whitaker of Montgomery and his tour under Major Joseph Cloyd is known to Captain Thomas Shannon of Giles -
He hereby relinquishes every claim what sover to a pension or annunity except the present - and declares that his name is not on the pension role of the agency of any State.
He also states that he is very infirm and his memory has become very ____ ____ so much so that he can not be perfectly certain that the above dates or the time of service was performed are correct but from the best of his recollection and from wife ____ derived from others he thinks they are correctly stated
Francis Farley a clergyman and David Hall Jr residents of the County of Giles appeared in open Court and made oath in due form of law that they are well acquainted with Thomas Farley Sr. who made oath to the above declaration that they believe him to be about seventy six years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that they concur in that opinion
Francis Farley
D Hall
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the interagation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories presented by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he stated And the court further certifies that it appears and served as he states And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Francis Farley who has signed the proceding certificate is a Clergyman resident in the County of Giles, that David Hall who has also signed the same is a resident in the County of Giles is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to Credit - The Court do further certify that Wm H Snidow who hath subscribed the certificate of Col. Christian Snidow - that Andrew Johnston who hath subscribed the certificate of Hilry Blankenship that Thomas Shannon who hat also signed the certificate of Thomas Shannon Senr all of which are herewith enclosed are acting Justices of the peace and for the County of Giles and the signatures purporting to be ____ are genuine - And that all of their official ___ as well in as out of Court are entitled to full faith & Credit - That Thomas Shannon who aforesaid is herewith enclosed is a gentleman of hereto respected _____ that his statement is entitled to credit & that Christian Snidow ____ ___ where _____ is likewise enclosed is also a gentle of merit _____ & that his statements entitled to credit
Rufus A. French Clerk of the Court of Giles County do hereby Certify that the foregoing Contains the original proceedings of the said cout in the matter of the application of Thomas Farley Sr for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 24th day of July 1837 and in the 62nd year of the Commonwealth
Rufus A French Clerk
Additional Pension File Excerpts
Treasury Department, December 30, 1840
"Thomas Farley Senr decd. late a Pensioner on the Roll of the Richmond, Va. Agency, at the rate of Forty Dollars _ Cents per annum, under the law of the 7th of June 1832 has been paid at this Department, from the fourth of March 1839 to the 11th of June 1839, the day of his death.
Letter from A. D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the
Administrator; Dated 1/9/1940
"Thomas Farley married May 8, 1793, in Montgomery County, Virginia Patty (Patsey) Lester or Lister. The widow, Patty Farley, was allowed pension on her application executed September 25, 1848, at which time she was seventy-six years of age and a resident of Giles County, Virginia. Patty Farley died November 18, 1853. Reference was made to children of Thomas and Patty Farley but no names were designated. Reverend Francis Farley was living in Giles County, Virginia, in 1834, but his relationship to the soldier is not shown."