[Transcribed by Eileen W. from the Robert Devin ARW Pension records received from the National Archives. Contributed by Eileen W. on 11.Apr.2006.] [page 1] Virginia. Pittsylvania County to wit. On this 12th day of October in the year 1832
personally appeared before me Jabez Smith, a
justice of the peace, for said county. Robert Devin,
a resident of said county, aged ^near^ seventy three
years who being blind and otherwise so infirm
that he cannot appear in the court of said
county and who being first duly sworn according
to Law doth on his oath make the following
declaration in order to obtain the benefit of
the provision made by ^the^ act of congress
passed June 7th 1832.
That he enlisted in the army of the United States on
the 20th day of January 1777 under Capt. Henry Conway
at Smiths Store, then Pittsylvania Court House in
Pittsylvania County Virginia for the term of
three years in the Continental line and took up
the line of march from our rendezvous on the 17th
day of March following with the following named
company officers to wit, Henry Conway, Capt.
Cyrus Roberts, 1st Lieutenant, Drury Oliver I think
called 2nd Lieutenant and William Jenkins Ensign
for headquarters at Middlebrook in New Jersey
and were then attached to the 14th Virginia
Regiment of Infantry. On our march we joined
Majr Abraham Buford and Capt. Lambert at
near Loudoun and Bedford Court House Virginia
thence by Fredericksburg and Alexandria and on
our way were inoculated at Dumfries in
Virginia for the smallpox. In Alexandria we
went through the operation of the smallpox
And about the 1st of May all that were fit for
duty were marched for head quarters at
Middlebrook passing by Baltimore and Philadel
phia. In which march Col. Lewis the commandant
of our Regiment, joined us. From Middlebrook
we marched to the North, halted some days in the [page 2] highlands of New York where the American army
was divided. Genl Gates took command of a part
of the army and went on to the North. Genl
Washington with the remainder of the army which
I was with returned through Philadelphia to
meet the British who landed at the head of Elk in
Maryland. In marching on towards the head of Elk
and after a number of skirmishes on previous
days on the 11th of September 1777 the alarm
gun fired in our batteries which were thrown
up the night before at Brandy wine and the
battle immediately commenced and continued
generally until near about sunset when
Genl Greenes division including Weedon Brigade
retreated. I was in Weedon Brigade. We marched
a greater part of the night toward Philadelphia.
At this time Mud Island and Red Bank forts were
closely besieged by the enemy. Our Regiment with
a number of other troops marched above
Philadephia & crossed the River in boats and
marched down the River with a view as was
said to enforce and support the forts. Having
been informed that the forts were evacuated,
we went back and crossed the River and went by
Philadelphia and rejoined the army near
Germantown. On the 4th of October the battle
of Germantown was fought. I was not in
that battle but was with the army and when
battle was about to commence, I being on
the sick list was sent off with the baggage.
After that the 14th Virginia Regt. was renumbered to
the 10th. About Christmas, we were marched to
winter quarters in the Schuylkill at the
Valley Forge. On the opening of the campaign next
spring nothing of importance occurred until
the British army evacuated Philadelphia
which I believe was 12th June 1778. They went
towards Sandy Hook. We with Washington at our
head followed. At Somerset Court House [page 3] a detached party was called for out of the Troops
which was to be commanded by Genl Lafayette
and to march that night. Washington ^moved^ off next morn
ing towards Monmouth court house with the main
body of the army where it was understood
Lafayette was to make a stand provided
he overtook and attacked the rear of the
enemy and could draw them to Monmouth
Court House. Lafayette went on the overnight
Washington next morning, during the day
we heard the firing commence. I was with
Washington we went on to support the
troops that were engaged. The Virginia
troops were in the rear. The battle grew
very warm. Capt. Fauntleroy amongst others
was killed. In a short time, Genl Lee who
was commander of the left wing of the army
rode up and asked who commands these troops.
Lieutenant Col. Buford answered I do, sir.
Genl Lee ordered him to put his troops in order
to march that he would show him where
to go, we from thence retraced our ground
4 or 5 miles and halted until information
came that Washington & Lafayette had driven
the enemy. From thence we marched to
Somerset Court House, crossed the Hudson
River at King’s Ferry and went on to the White
Plains; where we encamped & stayed for some
time and there I had a severe spell of
sickness, on recovering a little, myself and others were
moved to Quibbletown on the Hudson.
There we got on board a shallop & were carried
up the River above West Point & from thence
to a recovering hospital where we stayed
a considerable time. When I got fit for duty,
I was removed & joined my same Regt in the [page 4] fall of the year at Robertson Plains opposite
West Point whence we remained a just while
and worked on the Forts until we were moved
to Winter quarters at Middlebrook in Jersey.
This ended the 2nd campaign. In commencing
the campaign in 1789, nothing worthy of notice
occurred until 16th July. Brigadier Gen’l
Muhlenburg with his brigade being stationed
on the mountains near Hudson River as a
guard between Stoney Point occupied by the
British & West Point by our troops. The troops
were notified that Gen’l Washington would review
them. The troops were put in motion, marched
down through the mountains & got into a valley
thickly settled. Guards were placed at every house
to prevent any person passing. The Brigade
formed in a line. While papers was distri
buted to all the soldiers to put in their hats.
We lay in line till late at night and soon
orders to march as private as possible towards
the fort & in as good order as possible as it was
through the woods & dark. I was near enough
to hear the British sentinels hail a column of
Light Infantry that was advancing on the fort.
The Americans made no answer but marched on.
The British guard fired and it was said killed
3 or 4 of our men. The infantry proceeded
on the guard & part of our infantry entered
the gate together. It was said the attack commenced
between 12 & one at night. Our troops were
ordered not to fire a gun but march into
their lodgings and use the bayonet. Our watch
word was “the fort’s our own” and if not answered:
one or the other must die by the bayonet.
The confusion and noise in the fort cannot be
described. It was said that it lasted about [page 5] 21 minutes but in a short time ceased.
I was in Muhlenburg’s Brigade still formed
in the line as a reserve outside the
Fort which position we continued until
day. We continued in the Fort 3 days and
nights engaged in demolishing the fort & remo
ving ammunition & other plunder putting them
on board shallops to send up to West Point.
After this was done we evacuated the fort;
we went to our different postings.
After this, nothing of importance occurred, we
kept moving hither & yon until fall or in
December when the Virginia troops were
divided in lots according to the time of
their enlistment after which time we
took up the line of march for Virginia
to be discharged. We were much retarded
in our march, the cause not known by the
soldiers and we marched to Philadelphia
and quartered in the old Barracks called
Braddocks, there we suffered a good deal
and being informed that Col. Christian
Febiger was authorised to discharge us.
I applied to him for myself, my brother and
a few more which applications were
completed with and we were discharged
on the 4th day of Feb 1780 after returning home.
Some time the year not recollected I was informed
that our discharges were required to be sent to the
seat of government at Richmond
for the purpose of receiving land warrants
as a part of our bounty and also a certificate
called a 6 per cent certificate. I believe
that I sent my discharge to Richmond and [page 6] it was there filed in the auditors office
to effect the above purpose disputing the
six per cent certificate. I served three
whole years in the revolutionary army in
a regiment under the officers above
named. In answer to the interrogatories directed
to be presented by the war department, he
makes the following answers, To the first
that he was born in the county ^of^ Lancaster and
State of Pennsylvania on the 6th April 1759.
To the ^third^ he answered in Pittsylvania
County Virginia has lived there since the
revolutionary war and now lives there.
To the ^fourth^ he says that he enlisted for three years.
To the second he says I have and that is in
this County at my Sixteenth recorded by my
father.
To the fifth he says he has stated those names
in his declaration above.
To the Sixth he has answered above.
To the seventh he says Richard B Beck,
James Johnson & Moses Hubbard together
with a great many others.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever
to a pension or any warranty except the present
and he declares that his name is not
on the pension roll of any agency in any
State. Subscribed and sworn to the day
and year aforesaid. Robert ^his X mark^ Devin
Robert Devin | 