WAR OF 1812
Declaration Of A Widow For Pension
State of Virginia, County of Mathews

On this 29th day of September A. D. eighteen hundred and seventy-one personally
appeared before me, Geo. S. Miller, Clerk of the County Court of Mathews County,
a Court of Record in and for the County and State aforesaid, Mrs. Sarah Hurst,
aged 77 years, a resident of the County of Mathews State of Virginia, who being
duly sworn according to law,declares that she is the widow of William Hurst who
served the full period of sixty days in the
(1) Military service of the United States in the War of 1812, and who was the identical
William Hurst who
(2)enlisted in Captain Gabriel Hughes Company, Sixty first Regiment of Va. Militia
Brigade [blank] division at Mathews County and served during the years 1813 &
1814 & 1815, and was honorably discharged in Mathews County on the [blank]
day of February 1815; that
(3) That her said husband was in the service during the three years mentioned above
at different periods & served over 60 days in said War and she believes he received
a Bounty land Warrant for his service in said war that she was married under the
name of Sarah Hall to the said William Hurst, on the 17th day of November,
A. D. 1808, by Rev.d. Wm. Williams, at Mathews County, there being no legal
barrier to such marriage; that her said husband died in Mathews County, on the 14th
day of October, 1757, and that she has not remarried since his death; that at no time
during the late rebellion against the authority of the United States did she or her said
husband adhere in the cause of the enemies of the Government, giving them aid or
comfort, or exercised the functions of any office whatever under any authority, or
pretended authority, in hostility to the United States; that she will support the
Constitution of the United States;that she is not in receipt of a pension under
any previous act; that she makes this declaration for the purpose of being placed
on the pensionrolls of the United States, under the provisions of the act approved
February 14, 1871, and hereby constitutes and appoints, with full power of substitution
and revocation, Edgar W. Garnett of Richmond Va her true and lawful attorney, to
prosecute her claim, and obtain the pension certificate that may be issued; that her post
office is at Mathews C H,County of Mathews State of Virginia; that her domicile or
place of abode is Mathews County Va.

Sarah (her X mark) Hurst, applicant.

Attest
F. S. Billips
M. D. Brownley

[Note: there appears to be records or correspondence missing between
September 1871 and April 1873]

Mathews Co., Va
April 28th 1873

To the Commissioner of Pensions
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir,

In your letter of the 22d April 1873, you require that I should state the christian name
of my husbands father; the number of bounty land Warrant; the name and residence
of the attorney; the names of all officers under whom he served; the middle name of my
husband; and whether prior to my marriage I had been known by any other name than
that alleged in my declaration.

My husband's (William Hurst) father was named John Hurst. The number of bounty land
Warrant I do not know. He received a warrant for 160 acres. I do not think he had any
attorney; he attended to it himself in his own name. The colonel under whom he served
was Col. Levn Gayle; and I think the Captains were Thomas James and Gabriel Hughes.
I must refer you to his declaration for bounty land for the the above information. He was
always on detached service. My husband had no middle name; and prior to my
marriage I have never been known by any other name than that alleged in my declaration.

All of which is respectfully submitted
Your obedient servant
Sarah (her X mark) Hurst

Witness
Gorge W. Gayle
S. A. Parrott

State of Virginia
County of Matthews to wit:

Mildred Forrest aged 74 years and Thomas Hall aged 72 years both of the County of
Matthews and State of Virginia, persons whom I certify to be respectable and entitled
to full credit being by me duly sworn according to law, depose and say upon oath That
they well know the fact that William Hurst was in the War of 1812 over 60 days, that he
was in the employ of the Army to carry dispatches from Matthews County to Fortress
Monroe. That he was detailed for this service from the fact that he had been a Sea
Captain; That he was in the Army early in the War & was detailed for that service &
continued in it until the British blockaded the Bay & on one occasion he had to run his
boat ashore & make his escape, when his boat was taken by the British & burned. And
after his boat was burnt he again went back to his Company & staid in it until the war
was over, and they they cannot be Mistaken in the fact that said William Hurst served
a much longer period than 60 days in the War 1812. That they cannot now recollect
whether he served in Capt Gabriel Hughes Company or not, but if he said so in his
declaration for bounty land warrant, they are satisfied it is so. And further that they
bear no interest in the prosecution of this claim

1 John M. Forrest Mildred (her X mark) Forrest
2 Joseph P. Forrest Thomas Hall

Sworn & subscribed before me this 10 day of March 1873 & I certify that said affidavit
was read over to the affrants before they signed the same by me & that I have no
interest in the prosecution of this claim.

Wm. J. [Wander]? J. P.