State of Virginia
County of Shenandoah }ss:
On this
14 day of
May, one thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight,
personally appeared before me,
John M. Pence, Justice of the Peace, the same
being a court of record within and for the county and State aforesaid, (1)
Mrs. Pollie Shiflet
aged
85 years, a resident of
Shenandoah Co., in the State of
Virginia, who,
being duly sworn according to the law, declares that she is the widow of (2)
Bennet Shiflet
deceased, who was the identical (3)
Bennet Shiflet, who served under the name of
(4)
Bennet Shiflet as a (5)
Private in the company commanded by Captain
s Wood and McCullock, in the ______ Regiment of _______
commanded by _____________ in the war of 1812: that her said
husband (6)
Drafted and then Volunteered at
I think at Charlottesville on or about the
Month of
January A.D.
1814, for the term of ______________, and continued in actual service in said war for the term of (7)
to end of war from date drafted, and whose services terminated, by reason of
(8)
honorable discharge, at __________________, on the
22nd day of
February, A.D.
1815. She further states that the following is a full description of her said husband at the time of his enlistment, viz: (9)
24th year, Occupation, Farmer Born in Orange County at that time Dark eyes & dark hair. She further states that she was married to the said
Bennet Shiflet, at the city (or town) of ________, in the county of
Orange, and in the State of
Virginia, on the
Latter part day of
December, A.D.
1815 by one (10)
Bingham, who was a (11)
Minister of the Gospel; and that her name before her said marriage was
Pollie Shiflet; and she further states that (12)
her husband was never married previously and that her said husband (13)
Bennet Shiflet, died at
in Augusta Co., in the State of
Virginia, on the
22 day of
February, A.D.
1865,
and that she has not again married; and she further declares that the following have been the places of residence of herself and her said husband since the date of his discharge from the Army, viz: (14)
Albemarle Co. then in Orange Co. and then in Augusta co. and then in Shenandoah. She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the pension to which she may be entitled under Sections 4736 to 4740, (inclusive,) Revised Statutes, and the Act of March 9th,
1878, and hereby appoints __________________, of ________________, her true and lawful attorney, to prosecute her claim; and she further declares that she has heretofore made
an application for (15)
Pension under act Feb. 14, 1871 No pension easmant Issued, But her husband had drew his land easmant and she has never made any application at all for a Land Warrant or bounty and that her residence is No._______street, city (or town) of
Near Forestville county of
Shenandoah, State of
Virginia, and that her post office address is
Forestville Shenandoah Co, Va.
Attest:
Pollie (her X mark) Shifflett
__________ Signature of Claimant
Also personally appeared
Cornelious Zirkle, aged
55 years, residing in
Near Forestville, and
Henry M. Smootz, aged
53 years, residing in
Near Forestville, persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled to credit, and who being by me duly sworn, say that they have known the said
Pollie Shifflett for
38 years and for
25 years, respectively; that they were present and saw her sign her name (or make her mark) to the foregoing declaration; that they have every reason to believe, from the appearance of said claimant and their acquaintance with her, that she is the identical person who was the wife of the identical (16) Bennet Shiflet, who rendered the service alleged in the above application (in the company of Captain
Woods & McCullock, in the regiment of ______ in the war of
1812) by the following named facts and circumstances, viz: (17)
because we know both her and her husband for the term of years stated above, and that they have no interest in the prosecution of this claim.
Cornelius Zirkle
Henry M. Smootz
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
14th day of
May A.D.
1878; and I hereby certify that the contents of the above declaration, &c., were fully made known and explained to the applicant and witnesses before swearing, including the words ___________, erased, and the words ____________, added; and that I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the prosecution of this claim.
John M. Pence
Official character:
Justice of the Peace
Craigsville, Augusta Co., Va.
Feb. 25, 1864
Dear Sister, It is with a heavy heart, I inform you of the death of our beloved Father. He departed this life the 23rd of this month, after a short illness and though I have full assurance that he is better off, He, whose lot it was to suffer so much on this earth, is now free from sickness and sorrow, pain and death. Yet it was a great trial to part with him, but we should strive on this earth to make preparation to meet him in heaven where there is no more parting.
I don't know what we will do yet, I have just written to Joshua to know what he thinks best and will begoverened by his advice. You must also write saying what you think what we had better do. You know our situation. This leaves all well. Your Devoted Sister, Minerva Shiflett
P.S. Write soon and let me know if Cornelius is in the army or likely to have to go in.
State of Virginia, Shenandoah County, to Wit
This day personally appeared before me Pollie Shiflet and made oath that she is unable to travel on account of her infirmities of age given under my hand and Seal this 14th day of May, 1878.
John M. Pence, J.P.
Virginia, Albemarle County, sct.
I, H. B. Burnley Clerk of Albemarle County Court, do certify that it appears from the records of my office that on the 28th of December 1815, a license was issued from said office for the marriage of Bennett Shiflett to Pollie Shiflett.
I further certify that said license was not returned executed by the minister performing the ceremony. (an omission quite common at that time.) Witness my hand as Clerk and the seal of said Court, this 5 day of July 1878.
H. B. Burnley, Clerk
State of Virginia, Shenandoah County, To wit:
This day personally appeared before me, Geo. R. Calvert a Notary Public in and for the County and State aforesaid, Elizabeth Zirkle, she after being duly sworn according to law, on her oath states, that she is informed and believes that she was born January 17, 1825, and is the daughter of Bennett and Polly Shifflett. That she has heard her father in his lifetime and her mother frequently talk about the big time they had at their wedding between Christmas and New Year 1815. Twelve children were born to Bennett & Polly Shifflett and were fully recognized by their parents and recognized their parents as such, as those of any other married people. She never heard and does not now believe that the fact of the marriage was ever questioned or doubted. The oldest child, Kirtley, about nine years older than her (there having been three boys and a girl older than herself), she has always understood was born in December 1816, about a year after the marriage. Affiant says that she believes there is no town, county or other public record of the marriage, further than the license under which it was celebrated, that there is no church record of the wedding; that she knew the clergyman, Rev. Bingham of the Methodist Church, who celebrated the rites of matrimony when she was quite a little girl and that he was then (forty years ago & more) a very old man, and she believes him to be dead; that there is no family record in existence, and never has been one; that she knows that her father and mother Bennett & Polly Shifflett lived together as husband and wife, recognized and treated each other as such, were so considered by all who knew him, and raised their children in that way. Ever since affiant can remember - up to the time of her father's death in 1862- that Polly Shifflett has never again married since the death of Bennett Shifflett. That her father died February 22, 1862 and that he is the same Bennett Shifflett mentioned in Pension application No. 3946. Affiant is married to Cornelius Zirkle, Forestville P.O., Shenandoah Co., Va., and has no other interest in the claim than a daughter would naturally feel at the affairs of her mother.
I further certify that I believe the witness to be a credible witness and that I have no interest in the claim. given under my hand and Notarial Seal this 28th day of December, 1878.
Geo. R. Calvert, Notary Public
NOTE: Other depositions included in this file are given by Michael B. Stover, William A. Quick, and Cornelius Zirkle, but mostly reiterate the information in Elizabeth Zirkle's deposition. All War of 1812 records were microfilmed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. -
L. F. Shifflett
Submitted by Larry Shifflett lfsofva@hotmail.com
Back to War of 1812 TOC
Return to War TOC
This page is part of the Shiflet Family Genealogy Website and is maintained by:
Julia Crosswell / Fort Worth, TX / 1998 - 2006
Robert Klein / Pasadena, MD / 2008 - present