Pvt. Michael Widener

State of Virginia

Washington Co.

 

On this 26^th day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appears before the County Court of the county aforesaid, being a court of record, Michael Widener a resident of the county and state aforesaid aged seventy four 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 provision made by the Act of Congress passed June 7^th 1832.  That in the month of June about the year 1779 he was drafted in the county of Rockingham in the state of Virginia where he then resided that in the same month and year, about the first of the month he marched in a company commanded by Capt. Robert Cravens, to the Monongahela River, he was then transferred to a Captain Abraham Lincoln and marched under his command to a place called Fort Mackintosh [McIntosh] where we joined the main army commanded by Genl. Mackintosh, Col. Benjamin Harris or Harrison commands the Regiment, we remained at that place about one month, when a detachment of which he was one, was sent to a place near the Shawnee Towns, at which place we built a fort which was called fort Lawrence [Laurens], we then returned to fort Mackintosh and he was shortly thereafter discharged that he returned immediately home to his residence in Rockingham County Virginia where he arrived about the first of January 1780, that afterwards in the month of August 1781 he was again drafted and marched from the said county of Rockingham under the command of Capt. William Lincoln to the city of Williamsburg in the state of Virginia & was then transferred to the command of Capt. Cogar and remained in his company during the siege of York and surrender of Cornwallis.  He does not remember the name of the Col. commanding the regiment to which he belonged, the name of the Major was Nall (?)  After the surrender of Cornwallis he was attached to the party charged with guarding the prisoners who were sent to Winchester in Virginia, after arriving at that post he was discharged and immediately returned home where he arrived about the 25^th of December 1781.

 

He hereby relinquishes any claim whatsoever to a pension or an annuity except the present, and he declares that his name is not on any pension roll of any agency in any state.

            Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

 

                                                                                                            his                                                                                                                                Michael X Widener

 mark

 

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after pulling the interrogation presented by the War Department and also upon hearing the affidavids of John Widener Samuel Carson and David Carson (the latter of whom is a justice of the peace of this county and which affidavits were sworn to in court) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states.  And the Court further testifies…..

 

I, David Campbell clerk of the said county do hereby certify that the foregoing declaration and the affidavits on this sheet contain the original proceedings in the said Court in the matter of Michael Widener for a pension.

 

In testimony where of I have here unto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of said county this 3^rd day of December 1832 in the 57th year of the Commonwealth.

 

                                                                                    David Campbell

 

 

Pvt. Michael Widener was a soldier in the Rockingham County, VA militia.  He was allowed pension on his application executed November 26, 1832 at which time he was a resident of Washington County, VA.  His pension number is W.8303.  The ‘W” indicates Widener’s widow, Elizabeth CALAHAM/CALLAHAM Widener,  received the pension upon the death of Pvt. Widener.  They married January 13^th, 1823 or 1825 in Washington, Co, VA.

 

Michael died on April 12, 1843, in Washington Co., VA, age about 85 years.

 

Elizabeth Widener’s pension was $33.33 per annum which commenced on 3 February 1853.

 

Initial information regarding Pvt. Michael Widener and his role at Ft. Laurens was obtained by Shemenski, Pat of Canton, OH and submitted to the Friends of Ft. Laurens Foundation on 5 June 2008.

 

Pension application transcribed by Fisher, Scott, Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation, 2 January 2009.  Copy of the pension was obtained from www.footnote.com Revolutionary War Pensions.

 

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