Revolutionary War Soldier
Private Samuel Marion

Born circa 1750
of Lee County, Virginia and Hawkins County, Tennessee

Compiled by Daniel Marion and C. Hammett




Private Samuel Marion was born 21 Sep 1756 in Goochland County, Virginia (1), the son of Richard MARION (d 1777, Goochland) and Ann CONALLY, died 1843 in Lee County, Virginia. Samuel married bef 1780, Tabitha ---, who predeceased him.


Revolutionary War Pension
Record of Private Samuel Marion



State of Tennessee 
Hawkins County} 
Court of Pleas and quarter Sessions

On this 27th day of May personally appeared before the Justices of
the Court of Pleas and quarter session now sitting, Samuel Marion, a
resident of Lee County & the State of Virginia aged 78 years, who
being first duly sworn, according to Law, doth on his oath make the
following Declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the
provisions made by the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832. That
he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year 1776, with
Capt Morris and served in the 7th Regiment of the Virginia line,
under the following named Officers. This Applicant states that he
was born in Goochland County in the State of Virginia on the 21st
day of January in the year 1756, the day of the Month he cannot
state not having any record of his age, but he recollects the month
& the year is as he has stated, that there was a record of his age
in a prayer Book & one of his sisters has it. This Applicant further
states that he was living in Goochland County Virginia, when he
entered the service of the United States, as an Enlisted Soldier,
under Captain Nathaniel Morris, that he enlisted for two years & six
months & served out the time as hereinafter stated. The Company to
which this Applicant belonged gathered at Goochland Court house &
was marched from thence, by their Captain, to Malvern Hills, at
which place their Company joined Captain Lightfoot's Company and
also some Militia Companies, that they remained at this place about
two weeks as well as he now remembers and from thence they were
marched to Williamsburg where they joined the 7th Regiment, as well
as he now recollects, under the command of Colonel John Mason from
Little York and General Nelson, the Lieutenant was Wosten Johnson.
Captain Porter commanded another Company at this place. The forces
remained at Williamsburg about six weeks as he now remembers, and
were then ordered to Little York, at which time they joined other
Regular forces stationed there, of these forces General Nelson also
had the command. At this station, they remained about six weeks
during which time frequently they could see the British vessels at
anc[h]or in the Bay, and as soon as the British vessels left the
Bay, the forces, or a greater part of them, stationed at Little
York, were ordered to Hamton, where they again saw the British
vessels at anc[h]or & at this place they joined other forces under
the Command of General Mulingburg, they remained at Hamton till the
British vessels left the Bay, they were then marched from Hamton, by
General Mulingburg, through Little York across York river and on to
Goucester Court house, at this place they were stationed about three
months, from thence marched to Guinns Island at which place they
arrived & commenced entrenching during which time they were
continually anno[i]ed by the cannonade from the British vessels
anc[h]ored in the Bay, thence they continued their operations in
entrenchment till the British vessels hoisted their flags and left
the Bay, that the object of the American forces being to watch the
movements of the British & prevent their taking the possession of
any point. They did not remain long after the British departed but
took up the line of march to head them at some other point at Guinns
Island. Colonel Taylor and General Wese commanded. This Applicant
further states that from Guinns Island, they marched through
Dumfries on to Philadelphia, where they joined the Grand Army
composed of Americans & French under the command of General
Washington & LaFayette, at Philadelphia the whole Army remained but
a short time when they received intelligence that General Burgoyne
with his British forces had taken his march through the country, a
part of the American army was then ordered to take up the lines of
march under the command of Generals Gates & Arnold & Col. Morgan,
that this company to which this applicant belonged was part of said
detachment. This applicant further states that the American army
under General Gates and the British forces under the command of
Burgoyne were marching and counter marching for some time till
Burgoyne crossed the Hudson river, and Gates Army being on the same
side the two army[ie]s met not far from Still Water and had an
engagement which lasted sometime and proved very destructive on both
sides, that the night coming on put an end to the battle, that they
were then marched in pursuit of Burgoyne to Saratoga, where the
whole of the British army under Burgoyne consisting of British &
Hessians surrendered prisoners of war amounting in all to about six
thousand, that they also got at this victory a great many pieces of
Artillery & muskets, in this engagement General Arnold was wounded,
from Saratoga Col. Taylor was ordered out with several companies,
belong to one of which, was this to take the prisoners on to
Albemarl Barron that they proceed with them to Albemarl where they
guarded them about three months, that from Albemarl the Company to
which this applicant belonged, leaving enough to guard the prisoners
were marched to Ground Squash bridge on the Pamunkey river, at this
place they joined other forces commanded by Lafayett & Wayne,. while
stationed at this place he obtained a furlough to go & see his
mother & while on the way was wounded & taken prisoner by a company
of British light horse who happened to be rainging the country, that
he was taken to the British Army under the command of Cornwallis &.
Tarlton, that he was ordered under guard & one night while the guard
slept he made his escape & had to hide and lie about for five days
during which time he ate nothing but sorrel & at last rached the
American Army exhausted, after which he remained a short time and
his Term of service for which he enlisted, being two years & six
months, expired, & he was discharged by General Wayne who signed his
discharge. This applicant further states that on the next morning
after he received his first discharge, he again enlisted in the
service for two years & six months more under Capt. Coleman Rice,
after this they did not remain long at Ground Squash Bridge, but
were marched from thence to Bottoms Bridge, here they remained a
short time & were then marched to Jamestown at which place the
British were then stationed, that their intention was to make an
attack on the British at Jamestown, but they received information
from some Tory of the intention of the Americans and abandoned the
place, crossing the river and proceeded to Petersburg, to which
place the Americans also ???, near Petersburg the American Army
remained as long as the British did, during which time they kept up
a continual cannonade. This applicant further states that from
Petersburg the British retreated to Pigeon Hill & they followed &
succeeded in driving them from Pigeon Hill into Little York at which
place they remained till they were compelled to surrender to the
combined forces of America and France under Washington and Lafayett.
This Applicant states that he reamined at York during the whole of
the seige till Cornwalllis surrendered, after which he proceeded to
Federal City with the prisoners, where he was discharged by General
Washington who signed his discharge & this Applicant and returned
home. This Applicant further states that he had both his discharges
burnt when his house was burnt some years ago that as of that time
he had taken care of them. This Applicant further states that he
never received a commission. This Applicant further states that
there is no Clergyman living in his immediate neighborhood. This
applicant further states that since the revolutionary war he has
lived in Virginia and Tennessee and that he now lives in Lee County,
Virginia and the reason he applied for his pension in Tennessee,
Hawkins County is that he lives near the line & that he had formerly
lived in Tennessee & that he could not have that attention to his
business, in Lee County which he wished. This Applicant further
states that he is now frail from old age & has lost his recollection
of those times, but he has, as well as he can, stated the
circumstances of his different enlistments & he is certain & can
swear positively to the length of time he served which is not less
than above stated making in all five years. This applicant further
states that he has made the best proof of his service that he can
which appears in the Depositions of William Stapleton, now a
pensioner and John England also a pensioner hereto annexed marked
nos. 1 & 2. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension
or annuity, except the present and he declares that his name is not
on the pension roll of any agency in any State, or ... the State of
Viriginia, Sworn to & subscribe this day & year aforesaid Samuel
Marion Virginia.

X Signed Samuel Marion (his mark)

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, that the above named 
applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states. 

I Stokely D. Mitchell Clerk of the Court of Pleas and quarter Sessions 
from Hawkins County Tennessee do hereby certify, that the foregoing 
contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the 
application of Samuel Marion for a pension. And I the said Clerk further 
certify that William Babb whose signature appears to the annexed 
depositions and certificates is now and was at the time of signing the same 
as acting Justice of the peacefor Hawkins County Tennessee duly sworn 
commissioned & qualified and that said signature appears to be in his 
own ... hand writing. 
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal of Office, 
this 27th day of May 1834. 

Wm. O. Winston S. D. Mitchell Clerk B. Wm. B. Mitchell Clerk
Rogersville, Tennessee 
(Transcribed by Daniel Marion)


_____________________________________
END NOTES:

(1) Samuel's pension record states his birth date was 21 Jan 1756; the Rev. Douglas's Parish Register (Goochland County) gives the date as 21 Sep 1756. It is not known which is correct.





Return to
Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War

The TNGenWeb Project


©2001 - present, TNGenNet, Inc., a public benefit corporation dedicated to nonprofit, freely-accessible Tennessee genealogy and history on the Internet, and submitter/transcriber Daniel Marion, email: dm1299@swbell.net

NOTICE: This Research Report has been provided for the free use of those engaged in non-commercial genealogical research. Any and all commercial use is strictly prohibited. Researchers are encouraged to copy and distribute this work freely, but with the proviso that it may only be copied and circulated in its entirety -- including this notice, and all sources, bibliographies and credits; excepting electronically in which case permission is freely granted to hot link to this site instead.

Tennesseans in the Revolutionary War is a Special Project of TNGenNet, the volunteer organization of the TNGenWeb Project.

TNGenNet is a service mark of the Tennessee Genealogical Network, a nonprofit public benefit corporation registered in the State of Tennessee. See also TNGenNet's Bylaws and the History of TNGenWeb.