Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June 1832 –
State of Kentucky Jessamine County act[?]On the 20th day of August 1832 personally appeared before the Justices of the County Court of Jessamine in open court George Oneal a resident of said County and State of Kentucky of the age of seventy seven years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year 1775 at Pitts Burg under John Neville as Captain & Andrew Waggoner as first Lieut. Served in the 12th Regt of the Virginia Line under the following named Officers, Col. James Wood, Capt John Nevil and Andrew Waggoner first Lieut. That he left the service when discharged at the Valley Forge in Pennsylvania in April 1778, when Capt. Nevil was advanced he served under Lieut. Waggoner until discharged. That he resided in the Monongahale [sic] County when he entered the service. That he was engaged in the main battle of Brandewine in September 1777 and was one of the hundred that drive [?] on the battle _ a few days after the Battle whilst lying on armes [?] he heard the blowing up of the British Magazine ships. We then marched to Philadelphia to meet there [or them] and from there we marched beyond Germantown [?] to an encampment in October 1777. _ That he marched from Virginia through Maryland & Pennsylvania and returned to Virginia when discharged _ That he was in McIntoshes Campaign under Capt James Lyle against the Indians at Tuscaraway in the fall 1778 _ also in Augt 1780 he was in Gen Clark’s Campaign against the Indians under Capt Chs Polk at Chilacotha & Pickaway Towns _ under Gen. Clark in Apr 1782 & Capt John Vantrice [or Vantree] at old Chilacotha & New Pickaway against the Indians, for the three last Campaigns he never received any compensation worth mentioning. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency in any state that he knows of _ That he gave up his Discharge and other papers to Danl McPayne [?] an atty at law of Lexington Kentucky several years since to obtain for him his land warrant which he did obtain and the papers as appears from his accompanying certificate were lodged by him in the Land Office in the city of Richmond Virginia __
Sworn to and subscribed this day & year aforesaid –
George Neal [signature]
Transcript of photocopy of original, hand-written document transmitted by Anne Burroughs O’Neal, October 1999.
Why “act”? This also could be “sct”, but what sense would that make? Back to text.
Pittsburgh is situated at the point where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join to form the Ohio. At the time in question, it was located in Virginia: before 1776, in Augusta County; from 1776 to 1786, in Monongalia County, which may be the one George refers to several lines later. In 1786, the border dispute ended and Pittsburgh has since 1788 been part of Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. Back to text.
Colonel, later General, John Neville (1731-1803), commanded the 4th Virginia regiment, Continental line. (The 20th Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Vol. 3, p.13) Back to text.