John Arthur (1759 - 1850)

Born Jan 1759 in Goose Creek, Bedford Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Adams) Arthur — married [date unknown] (to 12 Nov 1785) in Bedford County, Virginia

Descendants

Died 24 Aug 1850 at age 91 in Goose Creek, Bedford, Virginia, United States

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Biography

John Arthur is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 104864
Rank: Private

Private John Arthur served with Bedford County Militia, Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

John Arthur is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A003361.

John was born in 1759. He passed away in 1850. Pvt. John Arthur served in the Rev. War. John Arthur's Pension application dated 5/17/1843, aged 85 yrs., Bedford Co. Va. He states tates he .married 10/1784 Elizabeth Adams, b. 9/28/1769, dau. of John and Sarah Adams in Bedford Co., Va. He states that his brother, Thomas, served in war and m. Sally Dixon. (I )Karen Wood) descend from both brothers).

Children

BIRTHS^[1]

1. Thomas A. Arthur: 3 Jan 1787
2. Dosia Arthur, 23 Nov 1789
3. Willis Arthur, 27 Feb 1791
4. Larkin Arthur, 5 Feb 1793
5. Lilly Ann Arthur, 12 Mar 1795
6. John Arthur, 15 Sep 1797
7. Sally Arthur, 27 Apr 1800
8. Caleb Arthur, 2 Jul 1802
9. Winnifred Arthur, 8 Jan 805
10. Zenus Arthur, 21 Mar 1807 (difficulty transcribing name?)
11. Melindah Arthur, 17 Jan 1814
12. Emily Jane Arthur, 3 Jan 1816
13. Elijah Arthur, Sep 1816

Revolutionary War Pension Applications

Pension testimony, given in the Bedford county Courthouse, abstraced from a copied document in my possession: armed at Goose Creek, Bedford County,Va. down stream from Huddleston,Va. Served 4 tours in Rev.War.Wounded at Yorktown in final battle with Cornwallis. John Arthur Sr.,Age 82 is listed in the 1840 census of pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services from Bedford County,Va. that was published in 1967 by the Genealogical Publishing Co. of Baltimore, Md. As a result of John Arthur's service in the Revolutionary War and the wounds that he received at Yorktown, applications for pensions were made and John and others appeared before several Justice's of the Peace giving afidavits concerning his experiences in the War for the purpose of proving his service. Affidavits by others that served with John Arthur were also taken to back up his story. The first application was in 1824 when John applied for an invalid pension from the State of Virginia. Note that John Arthur probably could not read or write as all of his statements are signed with an X. (Or by that age, he could no longer see- reading glasses not being common).

John Arthur's statement: "This is certify that I, John Arthur of the County of Bedford, was drafted into the Bedford Militia. I was called into service under Capt. Thomas Leftwich and was marched immediately to join General Gates near Camden, South Carolina. I Was engaged in the battle of Gates defeat. The time I was engaged under that call was five months, after which time I was regularly discharged, the date I do not recollect. In the course of about three months afterwards, I was again called out under Capt. John Trigg of Bedford and was marched directly to Pourtsmouth (Portsmouth) in Virginia and was attached to Maj.(illegible) Regiment. I was engaged for the space of three months after which I was discharged, that being the time for which I was called out. I returned home and remained but a few days before I was again called out. I was marched by Capt. Isaac Clemmans (Clements) to the fort at Nintey Six,(NC) at which time I served three months. I was discharged. I remained at home a few days before I was called out. I was marched by Capt. John Trigg to Yorktown where we joined Col. Tucker's Regiment under General Lawson. I was there engaged in the battle of the taking of Cornwallis at which time I received four severe wounds, to wit, both of my knees, my right arm and under my jaw, from which wounds I have suffered more or less ever since. I am of late much disabled from labouring,(sic) which is the only means I have to support myself and a helpless family, and am entirely destitute of any kind of property. All of the above named discharges, I have lost except one and for all of which time, I have never received any sort of compensation except for one pound bill. Given under my hand this tenth day of July, 1824; signed with X (John Arthur)" ***************** \ Affidavit bt Justice of the peace: "Bedford County, Virginia -- This day John Arthur came before me, John Headen, a justice of the peace; I was duly qualified that the foregoing instruement contains the truth to the best of his knowledge. Given under my hand this 12th day of November, 1824. Signed: John Headen" *******************

Affidavit from Thomas Dugan: "Thomas Dugan came before me, John Headen, a justice of the peace, was duly qualified that himself and John Arthur were soldiers together in the Revolutionary War and at the taking of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown in Virginia. A connon ball struck John Arthur on the head as it passed through the breastworks and laid him senseless for some length of time and caused him to lose a great quantity of blood. This deponet saith to his knowledge, John Arthur served three or four tours in the war and the last tour under Capt. John Trig. John Arthur is now an old man, very poor and infirm and prays some relief from his country. Given under my hand this 23rd day of December 1824, Signed; John Headen." ****************** AS a result of the foregoing application and supporting affidavits, John Arthur was allowed an "invalid" pension from the State of Virginia which paid him the sum of $60.00 dollars per year until his death in 1850. **************************************

Congress passed a Federal Pension act on June 7, 1832 and John Arthur made application for a federal pension in 1834, but was apparently denied because he was already receiving an "invalid's" pension from the State of Virginia.

Congress passed another Federal pension act subsequent to the act of 1832 allowing invalid pensioners to also receive the Federal Pension. John Arthur reapplied for the Federal Pension in 1843 in which more affidavits were taken from him and fellow soldiers proving his service. He was allowed a Federal Pension amounting to $33.33 per year until his death.

Aforementioned applications, affidavits and awards are of record in the National Archives in Washington, D. C.

At John's death in 1850, Elizabeth, his widow applied for a widows pension in April, 1851 and was awarded a widows pension of $33.33 per year. In Elizabeth's application, all of her children and their birthdays are listed.

Sources

1. ↑ Collection of Bible and family records, 1965-1966, v. 1-3, Daughters of the American Revolution. Genealogical Records Committee (Louisiana), Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 1971, p. 907, film 855256 "Arthur Family Bible": https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK3-J95Z-D?cat=340546

<Birth> {pension Application}
<Marriage> https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BK-RQMM-W?cc=2134304
<residence> "United States Census, 1850", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M88P-GPH : Thu Oct 05 12:08:05 UTC 2023), Entry for Lotty Arthor and John Arthor, 1850.
<resdence> 1840 census Bedford, Virginia, US [1]
<residence> 1820 Census Bedford, Virgina, US [2]
<Marriage of daughter Winifred> [3]
<military service> https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFF-LTDN?i=3&cc=2546162&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQG5W-YQ5Z] & [4]
<military service Jul 1776> [5]
<military service Sept 1778>[6]

<Elizabeth Adams Arthur's Pension> [DAR pension files]

DAR profile: https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A003361 provides exact death date

• Family search.org records

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/L4L1-MZN