Submitted by Helen L (Smith) Hoke

Deposition of Rachel Hatfield to obtain widow's Rev. War pension:  "In order to obtain the benefit of the third section of the act of Congress  of the 4th day of July 1836 and the joint resolution of July 7, 1838 State of Tennessee Campbell County On this 21st day of October 1843 personally appeared before the subscriber a Justice of the peace for said County and State aforesaid Mrs. Rachel Hatfield a resident of said County, aged eighty years who first being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 4th 1836 and the Joint Resolution of July 7, 1838 That she is the widow of Joseph Hatfield who was a private and an Indian spy in the Virginia Militia in the war of the Revolution That her husband the aforesaid Joseph Hatfield entered the service in the County of Russell in the state of Virginia under Col. Chrisman and served two campaigns of six months each the names of his captains she has forgotten this service took place before her marriage She was married to her Husband the said Joseph Hatfield on the 28th of October 1779 by L. Worley Esqr. After the marriage her husband was called out to defend the frontier and was marshaled in to service under Captain Thompson at a place called the New Garden in Russell County Virginia and was in the service from March until November but the intermission in this Campaign he served as an Indian spy The next Campaign was under Captain Dickison and was mounted to Blackmorus fort was in the capacity a part of his time at the fort as an Indian spy the of the time her husband was in this service she is [illeg.] to say he was called under Captain Scott at different times and was considered one of the best woodsman in the western frontier She further declares that taking into account cannot the year her husband Joseph Hatfield served before the marriage and the time after the marriage it [illeg.] three years and at least one half of the time as an Indian Spy She further declared that she has not kept a family record of the births of her children owing to her husband being no scribe and she is a widow at this time and that her husband the aforesaid Joseph Hatfield departed this life August 26, 1832. 

Rachel, her X mark, Hatfield 
Sworn to and subscribed before me the and year before written. 
Allen McDonald 

J. Peace 
      On April 4, 1854, William Hansard, age 90, resident of Morgan Co., TN, testifies he was not in the service but knows of Joseph's service as he was a "close neighbor to said Joseph Hatfield in Russell Co., VA." Hansard declared Joseph served as a spy for 2 tours of 3 mos each in the company of Capt. Thompson; 1 tour of 3 mos. under Capt. Scott, 3 tours of 3 mos each under Capt. Wm. Campbell, 2 tours of 3 mos each and several tours of 4-6 weeks under Capt. Lyles, and 1 tour of 3 mos under Capt. Sevier. In all of these he performed as an "Indian spy" between the years of 1778 and 1782, and further declared the "Joseph Hatfield was such an excellent Indian Spy, he was always chosen by the Officers in all their expeditions against the Indians."   

      Mrs. Margaret Hansard, age 91, declared Joseph served as Indian spy on the frontier of Virginia between 1778 and 1782. 

      Andrew Smith, Rachel's brother, age 74, declared Oct. 16, 1843, he was at the wedding of Joseph Hatfield and Rachel Smith in the fall of 1779 and knows that Joseph was in the Rev. War. 

      Richard Crabtree, age 78, also a Rev. War pensioner, declared on Nov. 4, 1843, that Joseph served under Capts. Thomas, Scott, and Campbell for a period of over 3 years, before and after marriage. He also states that Joseph was "one of the best spy and Woodsmen in the whole western country." 
      On Oct. 10, 1843, Jane Smith, wife of Rachel's brother Eli, resident of Campbell Co., TN, age 78, declared she was present "when Joseph Hatfield and Rachel Smith were joined in wedlock." Then on Oct 21, 1843 Rachel also signed a declaration attesting to the accuracy of the above account. Also in Scott Co., TN, May 1852, Ezekiel Newport and Isaac Reed both sign similar statements attesting to their acquaintance with Joseph Hatfield and his Rev. War service. 

      On Mar. 17, 1861, Sampson Reed, Adm. for the estate of Rachel Hatfield, wrote to Comm. Of Pensions from Huntsville, TN and stated that Rachel died and left a small amount due on pension "from Mar. 4, until May 19, 1858." 
Rachel received for her pension, $80.00 per annum, commencing from the act of Congress, Mar. 4, 1836 and act of Feb. 2, 1848. Last payment dated June 1, 1854, from the pension office agency in Nashville.