He served in the Colonial Soldiers of Lunenburg Co, VA includingranger s and militia during the Revolutionary War.
6/27/1783 His name appears in the list of pay warrants issued formili tia service from Bedford Co.
From Thomas Arthur, Senr., to John Arthur on 11 April 1818 of Bedfordo ut of love and affection on the N. side of Goose Cr. and partly onAmos 's branch 120 A. witnessed by Samuel Mitchell, Wm. Arthur, andBenj. Mi tchem.
1820 He inherited another 100 acres at the same place when his fatherd ied.
This is to certify that I John Arthur of the County of Bedford, wasdr afted in the Bedford militia, I was called into service underCaptin Th os. Leftwick and was marched immediately to join Gen’l.Gates near Camp den South Carolina [see note below]. I was engaged inthe Battle at Gat es’s defeat, the time I was engaged under thatcall was five months, af ter which time I was regularly discharged.the date I do not recollect. I n the course of about three monthsafterwards I was again called out un der Capt’n. John Trigg ofBedford and was marched directly to Pourtsmou th [sic: Portsmouth] inVirginia and was attached to Major MClaman’s Ri dgmt I was engagedfor the space of three months, after which time I w as discharged,that being the time for which I was call’d out. I return ed home &remained But a few days before I was again ordered out & was m archedby Captn Isaac Clemmans to the fort at Ninty six [sic: Ninety-Si xSC]; at which time I served three months & was discharged. I remaineda t home But a few days Before I was called out & was march’d byCapt’n J ohn Trigg to Yorktown, where we Join’d Col [St. George]Tucker’s Redgme nt under General [Robert] Lawson. I was thereengaged in the battle at t he taking of CornWallis at which time Ireceived four several wounds to w it both of my knees, my right armand my under Jaw, from which wounds I h ave suffered more or less eversince. I am of late much disabled from l abouring, which is the onlymeans I have to support myself & a helpless f amily, and am entirelydestitute of any kind of property. All of the ab ove nam’ddischarges I have lost except one, and for all of which time I h avenever received any sort of compensation except one four-pound bill. Given under my hand this tenth day of July 1824. John Arthur
Library of Virginia Digital Collection
Arthur, John Pen. 10 1825-1850
Bedford County
This day John Arthur came before me John Headen, a justice of thepeace a n
was duly qualified that he is the same John Arthur in whose favour ala w passed the 25th January 1825. placing him on the pension lists,allow ing him sixty dollars during his life and also forty dollars forhis pr eseant relief, and his two half years pay is now due.
Given under my hand this 19th day of January 1826.
Capt. John A. Otey was given power of attorney for John Arthur.(Docum ents are light and hard to read)
Jan. 14, 1829--Power of attorney given to Pleasant M. Goggies
Jan. 11, 1830--T. A. Cobb--Power of attorney
Jan. 28, 1833--Capt. Thomas Preston--Power of attorney
Feb. 28, 1831--Robert Campbell--Power of attorney
Feb. 8, 1833--Jordan Armstrong--Power of attorney
(date unreadable) Joshua L.Fry--Power of attorney
Jan. 28, 1833--Capt. Thomas Preston--Power of attorney
July 16, 1837--Joshua J. Fry--Power of attorney
Jan. 1848--Lawson Nunnally--power of attorney--last payment noted asSe pt. 23, 1850 of 30 dollars.
Virginia, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1607-1890
Name: John Sr. Arthur
State: VA
County: Bedford County
Township: Age 82 No Township Listed
Year: 1840
Page: 128
Database: VA 1840 Pensioners List
Brother William was on the same list.
State of Virginia
Bedford County S : S
On this 17th day of May 1843, before me Lewis C. Arthur a Justice ofth e peace in and for said court personally appeared Mr. Jno Arthur aresp ectable resident (Aged 85 years) of said County, who being firstduly s worn according to law, doth on his Oath make the followingdeclaration, i n order to obtain the benefit of the provision made bythe Act of Congr ess, passed June the 7th June 1832: That he servedfour regular tours i n the Malitia during the Revo’y. war amountingin all to about 13 month s. The first tour he served under Cap. Thos.Leftwich, of the Bedford M alitia, that they met at New London, inthen said County [now in Campbe ll County], about the last of May 1780and marched from thence, under s aid Cap’t. with Aug. Leftwich asLieut. and Dan’l. Mitchell as Ens’n by t he way of Disces Ferry onStaunton river, to Hillsborough N. Carolina, t he place of gen’lrendesvous; that the Troops remained there 6 or 8 wee ks and marchedfrom thence to the Pedee [sic: Pee Dee River] and crosse d into S.Carolina, and by the way of Rugly’s Mills [sic: Rugeley’s Mil l]to said Camden S.C. and hearing of the British, we set out to meet them, and did meet them at Camden S.C. the Americans was commanded byG en’l. Gates, in which action at said place the americans suffereda def eat by the British on the 15th day of August 1780 that theamerican ma litia was routed, and dispersed, and returned home nothaving been orga nized again for action, and declarant also returnedhome from said tour a t Gates defeat having served about four monthsfrom the time he left ho me, until he returned.
That the 2nd tour declarant served was under Cap. Jno. Trigg of theBed ford Malitia. that they met at N London on the 15th of Jan’y1781 and m arched from thence through Petersburg, and Smithfield, toPortsmouth Va w as marched backwards and forward in the lower part ofthe state under C ol. Wm. Trigg and Gen’l. Mulenburg [sic: PeterMuhlenberg] and was disc harged about middle of April, at PrinceGeorge Ct. House and returned a bout the last of April 1781 – makingabout three months and a half serv ice he performed during said tourto Portsmouth.
That the 3rd tour he performed was at 96 in S. Carolina under Gen’l.Gr een [sic: Nathanael Greene] (the Cap.s name he can not recollect)in Ju ne 1781 – that the company to which declarant belonged on saidoccasion m et as usual, at N. London the place of rendesvous – aboutthe 1st of Ju ne 1781– and marched to 96 S. C. where the americansentrenched themsel ves under Gen’l. Green – outside the Britishfortifications – and remai ned there the best part of two months[sic: 22 May - 19 June] – fightin g part of the time – and tryingto make the British surrender – but the y held out until they hadreinforcements sent there – and then the Amer icans had to retreatinto N. Carolina – when the malitia to which he be longed wasdischarged about the last of August making three months that h eserved at the Seige of 96. which was after the Battle at Guilford [Guilford Courthouse NC, 15 March 1781].
That the 4th tour that declarant served, was under Cap. Jno Trigg ofth e Bedford Malitia. That he was at home only a week or two from thetour a t 96 before he was again called out to go to Yorktown, to takeCornwall is. that they met at N. London again and marched under saidCap. Jno. T rigg about the middle of Sept. or earlier down to yorktownwhere entren chments were thrown up, and the place besieged [pagetorn] fighting fro m day to day until Lord Cornwallis surrendered onthe 19th day of Oct’r 1 781. that during said Battle, declarant waswounded by a cannon ball fr om the enemies guns – for which wound sorec’d. at said place he was al lowed a pension by the state ofVirginia of $60 per An [annum], which h e is now, and has beenreceiving something like 18 years. That he serve d about two months onsaid occasion at the capture of Cornwallis.
That the reason why declarant has not applied sooner for a pensionunde r the Act of June 7th 1832, is that he understood that he was notentit led to receive a pension under the law, and his Invalid too, atthe sam e time, but that by a subsequent act to 1832 he is entitled toreceive b oth, and do accordingly claim, in addition to the Invalidpension, whic h he is now receiving from the State of Virginia afurther pension from t he Gen’l. Gov’t. under the Act of June 7,1832. in consideration of his R evo’y. services recited above, whichservices was proven, either in who le or in part when he obtained hisInvalid pension That Thos. Dixons t estimony was filed in theExecutive departments of Va which alone prove t hree tours thatdeclarant served – to wit, at 96, at Portsmouth, and at y orktown[see pension application of Thomas Dixon S30387]– besides the Aff’ts of others– he thinks also Wm. Arthurs - which he wishes thecommi ssioner of pensions to obtain a copy of [pension applicationS6528] – a s evidence to be filed with the declarants papers. Andfurther he saith n ot.
John his X mark Arthur
Daughter Isabella's pension applicaion in 1843:
State of Virginia
Bedford County S . S .
On this 20th day of July 1843, before me Lewis C. Arthur a Justice oft he peace, in and for said county, personally appeared Mrs IsabellaMitc hern, a respectable resident of said County who being first dulysworn a ccording to law; doth on her oath say – That she is 85 yearsold and [i llegible word] well acquainted with John Arthur during theRevo’y. war – t he same man that was wounded by a cannon ball, atthe capture of Lord C ornwallis – and for which wound the saidArthur obtained a pension from t he Gen’l. Govt at $60. per. An. orrather, State of Va. as a Invalid. T hat said Jno. Arthur, served twoor three tours in the Revo’y. war – if n ot more – one tour shethinks he performed with her husband Benj. Mitch ern [see pensionapplication for Benjamin Mitchen R7284] and another to ur, he the saidJno Arthur served as a substitute for her husband the a foresaid BenjMitchern – she having been married to him before or in th e earlypart of the Revo;y war. It has been so long ago that she has fo rgotmost all about it – but thinks one tour was under Capt. Thos. Leftwich. Thos Arthur, that married Sally Dixon also served 2 or 3 tours,b ut she cannot recollect the places he served at this time, but issatis fied of the fact [see pension application of Thomas ArthurW5636] – bot h Jno and Thos. Arthur were small men – and brothers.
Isabella her X mark Mitchern
Test Ro. U Gray
Sworn to and subscribed, on the day and year above written –
Before me [signed] Lewis C. Arthur J.P.
In presence of Silas his X mark Mitchern Rhoda her X mark Mitchern
"Arthur Family Newsletter", Vol. V #3, 1981, page 53, dealing withimfo rmation in the Virginia State Library (Rejected Claims, Box 2,Folder 1 5) is found the following information;
"John Arthur, (Soldier)" Heirs of John Arthur, claim for bounty land,2 1 March 1844, Iszabel Mitchem one of the dec'd. heirs of John ArthurDe c'd. Lewis C. Arthur, Justice of Peace, said John Arthur served inRevo lution about 12 months and "died a regular soldier in the army."
8/3/1850 Southern Div, Bedford Co, VA. John Arthur, 94 and wifeEliza beth, 84, were living with Lotty Arthur, 55. No occupations orpropert y was recorded for any of them. Next door was the largefamily of son Z enus.
