1820 On August 7, Solomon Chaffin (age over 45) and a female (age over 45) lived in the Western Division of Monongalia, Virginia. [1]
1832 On August 27, Solomon Chalffin appied for a pension based on his revolutionary war service. [2] [3]
State of Virginia
County of Monongalia
On this 27th day of August, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared in open court, before the County court of Monongalia, now sitting Solomon Chaffin aged eithty years, who being first duly Sworn according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7th 1832.
That he was enlisted as a private soldier for three years in the army of the United States, on Back creek in Berkley county Virginia, in August 1776, by sargent David Gray, in a recruting party under Lieut. Nathaniel Pendleton attached to a company commanded by Capt. Gabriel Long of Culpepper county Virginia of the eleventh (he believes) Virginia Regiment, commanded by Col. Rawlings and major Williams -- that the recruits were rendevouzed at Martinsburg, and were there joined by half of Cap. Shepherds company -- we were then marched to Bargain point. where we joined the main army. from thence we marched to Fort See. where he was ordered to drive a waggon of deficient arms to Philadelphia to be repaired, which order he very reluctantly obeyed. as he prefered remaining in his company but his officers were pleased that a man for this service shoud be selected from their company -- from Philadelphia, he drove the waggon back loaded with cloathing for the first and third Virginia regiments, which was very acceptable at the time. from thence he accompanied the troops to Newtown in Bucks county Pennsylvania and from thence to head quarters at Morrristown New Jersey. where the troops wintered -- that from Morristown in the spring of 1777 we took some boats on the carriages to Pompton in New Jersey, and the boats remained in the carriages untill they were taken to the head of Elk -- that he was at tge battle of Brandywine in September 1777, and during the engagement kept his waggon near supplying the artillary with ammunition -- that soon after this engagement, he was appointed, without any solicitation on his part, waggon-master by ____ Thompson, waggon master general -- that he went into winter quarters with the army at Valley-forge the winter of 1777 and during the winter was engaged in hauling forage for the use of the army from the head of Elk and other places. That he was engaged during the whole of the year 1778 in collecting and receiving forage for the army and in the winter of that year, wintered at Pluckemin in New Jersey.
That during the year 1779, he was principally engaged as he was the previous year and in the latter part of 1779 altho the term of his enlistment was out, he was ordered to take a considerable number of horses belonging to the United States into Prince William county Virginia, to winter, and did winter a number of them at Col. Peytons -- that in March or April 1779 he left the service which he would not have then done, but he had been very much injured by the upsetting of a waggon.
He hereby relinguishes evry 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.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Solomon Chalffon
And the said court, do hereby declare their opinion, that the above named applicant, was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
1837 Solomon Chalfant died on February 26 and was buried in Olive-Tennant Cemetery, Pentress, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The inscription on his monument is "Solomon Chalfant, Revolutionary Soldier, 1753-1837." [4]
[1] United States Federal Census, 1820, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[2] U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[3] U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[4] Find A Grave Memorial 271115, [FindAGrave].