General Notes

Served in George Washington's quard during the Revolutionary War.



From JOAN COBBS BOOK starting on page 356

"----that Pendleton was a Private in the Revolutionary War and enlisted at the age of 18 into the Continential Army for one year October 7th, 1775

Serving in Robert Ballard's Company, 1st Virginia Regiment, commanded by Colonel James Read.  On September 7, 1776, he re-enlisted for 3 years.  On May 1, 1777 Pendleton transfered to Morristown, New Jersey to the Commander-in-Chief's Guard, commanded by Captin Caleb Gibbs.  He was at Valley Forge with General George Washington.  He was in the Battle of Brandywine, Delaware on Septer 11, 1777 and the Battle Germantown, Pennsylvania October 4, 1777.  He was sick and absent June and July or 1778.  He re-enlisted and was furloughed one hundred and ten days, January 18, 1779. 
He was shown to have deserted at Morristown, New Jersey on Febuary 1, 1780 after an illness of one year.

He applied for and received a pension of $8.00 a month (pensions No. 16653 and ref Godfrey, p 192).  His widow Margaret Lawhorn, had the original document given to Pendleton by the Secretary of War and surrendered this in court in 1853.

Desertion did not have the same meaning in that time that it does today.  Had he truly deserted, he would not have been granted a pension.  In his testimony, under oath, Pendleton stated:


In the autumn of 1775 he enlisted as a private soldier in the army of te United States in the Company of Captain Robert Ballard of the 1st Virginia Regiment in the Virginia line for one year and that he served in the said Company, Regt and Line about 11 months when he reenlisted for three years and served in the same County, Reg't, and Line for about 1 year and was afterward detached to form a guart for General George Washington in which Guard he served under Captain Caleb Gibbs until he was regularly discharged in 1779 and that his discharge is lost.  He said that he was unable at this time to offer any additional evidence;  that most of the persons cognizant of the facts are dead and those who may be living are widely dispersed and none reside near him.

From the testimony given in Greenville District Court on 20 May 1818, one could conclude that Pendelton was discharged in 1779 and could not have been a deserter in 1780 at all as stated on his record.  In "The Commander-in-Chief's Guard" by Godfrey he states: 

I assume that the matter of desertion was no major matter as seemingly there were some pensions enxtended.  Desertion at the time of planting and harvesting were not uncomon. 

On 4 December 1779, Washington's Guard arrived at Morristown, New Jersey and pitched their tents.  The following Thursday, they moved into huts that they had built.  General Washington set up headquarters in the Ford Mansion and the men were in a meadow immediately southeast of the Mansion.  Here the men endured the hardships of one of the severest winters theretofore known to the memory of man (Godfrey, 71).  It is believed by this writter that Pendleton's enlistment was up in 1779 and he simply packed his few belongings, got on his horse and started south. "