REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIER GEORGE HARLOW 1756-1846

    

George Harlow had been a resident of Rockcastle County, Kentucky for sixteen years when he made his declaration for a pension in 1833. He was born in Hanover County, Virginia in 1756, being age 77 at the time of his declaration. He married Susan Proctor in Albemarle County, Virginia on Christmas Eve after the surrender of Lord Cornwallis in 1781. The couple did not have any children. Two people gave deposition to this fact, William Proctor, Susan's brother, and Francis A. Taylor. Susan stated her husband died 13th August 1846.

Susan Harlow is listed on the 1850 Census of Rockcastle County, Kentucky, age 88, and living in the household of Mary Jane Boyd, another widow with three small children. In 1852 Susan is listed on the tax lists of Rockcastle County, Kentucky with 40 acres on Renfro Creek. Previously, George was listed on the tax lists with 75 acres on Renfro Creek. Although she is not listed on the tax lists thereafter, she did make further petitions regarding bounty land in 1855. Susan Proctor, the daughter of George and Elizabeth Proctor died 22 January 1856 Rockcastle County, Kentucky at the age of 97. (Kentucky Death Records 1852-1953, Ancestry.com)

There are over fifty pages of the pension application files for George and Susan Proctor. These pages also give names of their contemporaries living at the time. Many of the early Rockcastle County, Kentucky records were destroyed by the courthouse fire in 1873. Therefore, George Harlow's pension application file is also a valuable source of information for the time period of Rockcastle County. Other Rockcastle County names mentioned in the file of George and Susan Harlow are James Terrill, Rockcastle County Clerk, and General William Smith, two of the first inhabitants of the town of Mt. Vernon; also, Thomas J. Smith, Justice of the Peace; Mary Ann Taylor, E. J. Smith, Rockcastle County Clerk; the Honorable Judge Joseph Evans, Major Charles Colyer, George Proctor born 1742, and Daniel Boyd, Clerk; James Dyehouse,  Jesse Edwards, Levi Smith, M. Boid [Boyd], Egbert L. Fish, Joseph B. Parson, Clergyman, and Alfred Smith, Attorney.

All the page images can be viewed at Ancestry.com "U. S. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications 1800-1900" provided in association with the National Archives.

Below is the  transcribed declaration of George Harlow.
HARLOW, GEORGE, SUSAN
Service: VA                                 
W1895
BLW26703-160-5

State of Kentucky

Rockcastle County

[Declaration of George Harlow]

      On the 12th day of Sept 1833 personally appeared before Hon. Joseph Evans of the 15th judicial circuit in open court, George Harlow aged 77 the 13th of May last, resident of the county aforesaid, who being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by the Act of Congress of the 7th June 1832, that he volunteered in the militia of the line of VA in the army of the United States for three months, the year now forgotten, but it was before General Boyne surrendered at Saratoga. He volunteered at Charlottesville, Albemarle County, VA in the Company commanded by Capt. ....... in Reg't Commanded by Col. Richison, he was marched to above Richmond, then to Cabbin Point, then to Petersburgh where he was discharged by his Capt. af'sd after faithfully served out his term of three months..... and before Burgoyne surrendered he volunteered for three months in the militia of said state in the company commanded by Capt. Dan'l White. Lt & Ensign forgotten, in the reg't commanded by Capt. Lynsey. He was marched again to old Richmond, then down the river about sixty miles until his time of three months had expired when he was honorably discharged by Capt. White on James River about 60 miles below Richmond. About four months after this he again volunteered in the militia of Va State for three months in the Company commanded by Capt. Jury Harmon, his Lt. was Thos. Garth, the company was attached to no Regt. The company was marched to Richmond, then to the mouth of Tuckahoe on the James River from thence conveyed munitions of war in canoes up the Pointy Fork in Goochland county on Jas. river, thence back to Richmond when his term of service had expired. He was honorably discharged at the mouth of Tuckahoe by Capt. Harman. Next, I shortly, about a month, the time exactly forgotten, he volunteered for three months in Albemarle County in the company commanded by Capt. James Garland, then he was marched to Winchester [to] guard prisoners in Albemarle surrendered under Gen. Burgoyne, Shortly after they were removed to Winchester where he was marched as a guard & continued in the service for three months, when he was honorably discharged at Winchester by his Lt., his name forgotten, Capt. Garland having been shot by one of our own men.

In about six weeks after his return and not more he again volunteered in Albemarle County, state of VA, in the militia of state of three months, the Capt. name forgotten, but his Lt.'s name was Fowler, Ensign forgotten, the Reg't. commanded now as he lives by Col. Armstrong. He marched to Richmond, then in the neighborhood of Petersburgh, then back to Richmond, then down the river about fifty miles and back to Richmond, then towards Petersburgh and in the neighborhood of Petersburgh he was discharged by his Capt. after honorably serving out his term of six months. He remembers on one of his terms he saw Gen'l [La Fayette}]  Fayate, Gen'l Nelson, who were said to be regular officers. He hereby relinquishes any claims 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. He knows of no person now living by whom he can prove his services, except the evidence of George Proctor here annexed. That by reason of old age and the consequently loss of memory he cannot recollect dates or name officers names, but old as he is he knows he served the different tours in the militia of the State of Virginia in the service of the Army of the United States in the Revolutionary War.

[Question] 1. Where and in what year were you born?

Ans[wer]: In Hanover County State of VA, his age will show the year.

2. He has no record of his age.

3. When called into service each time he lived in Albemarle County, State of Virginia & continued to live there until 16 years past when he moved to KY, Rockcastle County where he now lives.

4. He entered the service each time as a volunteer on his own account.

5. As to the officers he has stated all he can remember and the general circumstances of his service.

6. His discharges he has long since lost, by when they were given he has described.

7. As to his veracity he refers to his neighbors, George Proctor, James Dyehouse, Jesse Edwards (there being no clergyman in his neighborhood)

                                                                                                                     George Harlow