Muhlenberg County Kentucky
Military Records
John Danks Pension Declaration
Pension Application Declaration of John Danks S30979 VA.
State of Kentucky } S.S.
Logan County }
On this 3d day of December 1832 personally appeared in open Court, before the Justices of the County Court of Logan County now sitting John Danks aged seventy one 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 7 1832
That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated
That in the year 1787 [sic] in March or April as well as he can now recollect he enlisted in a Company of Militia in Fauquier County in Virginia the Company Commanded by Capt. William Jennings as a substitute for a man by the name of Daniel Boren or Daniel Oren or it may have been one Jackson as he was spoken to by both he cannot now distinguish which he rendezvoused at Fredericksburg in Virginia, Col. Elias Edmunds commanded the regiment to which he belonged, from Hence after remaining a few weeks we were marched to Richmond where we were also stationed a few weeks & lay in the state house, from Richmond we marched across to New Castle [now Old Church in Hanover County] and was there stationary for a while the precise time he cannot now recollect. He was also at a place not far from New Castle encamped called dandridges old fields [Col. William Dandridge's Old Field 21 mi above Richmond in Hanover County] but whether it was in Hanover or Henrico County he cannot say nor can he say certainly whether it was before or after he was at New Castle, the British army was in the neighbourhood at this time and our troops were driven up the Country as high as Culpepper [sic: Culpeper] County the British having Ceased to advance up the Country we were again marched down to their neighbourhood and after various marching & countermarching his term of service of two months having expired he was discharged by his Captain said William Jennings and received Credit for a tour of duty of two months, but he has lost or miss-laid his discharge long since
In a short time after his return home he again substituted himself for a man in Louden [sic: Loudoun] County Virginia by the name of Richard Crupper, the name of the Captain who Commanded the Company was Thomas Cannon he was again marched down by Fredericksburg and from thence marched down to Ruffins ferry [on Pamunkey River near Sweet Hall in King William Co.] where we joined the main army in a short time thereafter he volunteered in a Light Infantry Regiment which was raised His Captain was by the name of George who had been a Captain in the regular service Col. Thomas Mathews commanded the regiment and Major Risby of Louden County was also attached to said regiment, this light Infantry regiment was drawn in between the main army and the British. We were marched backward & forward between the two armies till about the time of the expiration of our term of service and ended a day or two over the time, but Col. Matthews would not permit us to disperse until the British came upon us at a place called Allens Ordinary not far from Williamsburg the regiment was routed by the British & we made the best way we could to the main Army, General Muhlenburg [sic: Peter Muhlenberg] was the first man he saw when he got to the army on his return. He then got his discharge for a second tour of two months but he has also lost or misslaid it and cannot now avail himself of the advantage of it
A few days before I reached home it had fallen to my lot to perform a tour of duty for myself and the troops had marched from my county I rested a day or two at home & pursued the army but they reach Yorktown before I came up with them I was attached on arriving there to the Company from the said County of Fauquire commanded by a Captain [Francis] Triplett. He remained here during the Seige and at the surrender of Lord Cornwallace [sic: Cornwallis, 19 Oct 1781] he was detailed as one of the guard to guard the British prisoners to the Barracks in Frederick County Virginia here he was discharged by his said Captain Triplett, he served in this tour two months & received a discharge therefor but has lost this also. He knows of no living witness by whom he can prove his services
He 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 the Agency of any State
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
John Danks
Related: PDF of John Dansk's declaration which includes an image of John Danks's signature.
Transcription by C. Leon Harris found at Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters, n.d. Web. 03 February 2014
Note: Many of John Danks's descendants lived in Muhlenberg County.
Contributed by Helen McKeown
Updated November 25, 2015