WILLIAM KEYSER'S REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE RECORD
The purpose of this proceeding and document was to enable William to receive a pension from the United States government as a result of his service in the Revolutionary War. The original record of his service was lost, so a hearing was held to authenticate his claim. This document is transcribed below .A scan of the original document is available for download on William's Document page.
​
The following is the transcription of the U.S. National Archive document outlining William’s service record:
The Commonwealth of Virginia –
Bath County to wit
On this 9th day of October 1832, personally appeared before the Justice of the County Court of Bath now sitting in Court in the State of Virginia, William Keyser, a resident of Bath County in the state aforesaid, aged seventy-seven years, who being first fully sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. He states that he enlisted in the service of the United States in the regular army for a term of three years and served out a second term of three years. He enlisted in the County of Gloucester in the state of VA but the time of his enlistment he does not at this time recollect. He enlisted under Captain Thomas Baytop in Second VA State Regiment. He then marched to Hampton, NJ after he was inoculated for the small pocks. He afterward was marched to the Valley Forge where he joined the army under General Washington at which place he remained all winter. The next summer he was marched after the British and under the command of Colonel Charles Dabney. He overtook the British at Monmouth Church, and was in an engagement with the British one whole day and lay on his arms all night expecting to engage again on the next day, but on that night the British got on board their ships. He further states that he was in a skirmish with the British at Saw Mill River Bridge near Fort Montgomery under the command of Colonel Samuel Griffith and in that skirmish twenty-eight men and two officers were taken by the British. He further states he was in another engagement and was in front of the army in taking Stony Point Fort under the command of General Anthony Wayne at which engagement General Anthony Wayne received a small wound in his temple and then Colonel Febiger took the command. Colonel Fleming was the commander of the vanguard. He received no wounds. He states that he received a discharge in writing, which discharge was deposited in the Auditors Office in Richmond, VA for the purpose of entitling him to draw his back pay. He states that he is known to William McClintic and Richard Brinkley who are his neighbors. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to pension or an annuity except the aforesaid and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid.
[signed] Wm Keyser
And the said William McClintic and Robert Brinkley here in court states that they are well acquainted with William Keyser who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that they believe him to be seventy seven years of age that he is refuted and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion. And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after their investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states.
I, Charles L. Francisco, Clerk of the Court of Bath County aforesaid to hereby certify that the foregoing containing the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Keyser for a pension. In testimony whereof I have set my hand and seal of office this 12th day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two and 57th year of the commonwealth.
C. L. Francisco