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From: "Carrell Peter" <>
Subject: Re: [WVBERKEL] Re:Revolutionary war time period
Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2002 10:19:02 -0600
References: <113.d6a81ba.29b1f7f2@aol.com>


Entry in THE BERKELEY JOURNAL 1998 Berkeley Historical Society, p. 16

The Virginia Rifle Regiment

Riflemen from the wilderness sections of Virginia, maryland and Pennsylvania
were always popular with the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, so
he prevailed on congress to provide for the enlistment of companies from
these sections. In 1776, Captain Hugh sxtephenson returned from Bopston and
together with Captain moses Rawlings, organized the Virginia-Maryland Rifle
Regiment, of which he became Colonel and Rawlings Lieutenant-Colonel. It was
comprised of men from Berkeley anf Hampshire Counties and men from Western
Maryland. It consisted of eight companies: ...

Seventh Company....

A list of officers and privates of the Company of Captain Abraham Shepherd
of the Virginia ?Rifle Regiment raised in Berkeley County and being the
first company organized by Colonel hugh Stephenson and, after his death
commanded by Colonel Moses Rawlings in the Continental service from July 1,
1776, to October 1, 1778....

Privates

Thomas Pollock

West Virginia Data Base - Jefferson County Module
Berkely County Records
At a court held for Berkeley County the 18th day of November 1783. This
last will and testament of Adam Moler, deceased, was presented in Court by
Henry Little and Adam Moler, Junr., the executors therein named, who made
oath that according to law and the same being proved by the oaths of Thomas
Pollock and Melchor Stroop witness thereto ..

Cartmell, T. K.
We find, for instance, Daniel Morgan appearing in Winchester in the spring
of 1777, with a commission and authority from the American Congress to
enlist and organize two regiments of riflemen, to be known as the Eleventh
and Fifteenth Virginia Regiments. Enlistments were quickly made; for we find
him with the two regiments on the march May 31st, 1777, and reporting the
following as the line officers:
Daniel Morgan, Col.
Thos. Pollock, Sergt. Major.

Dandridge, Historic Shepherdstown,

COMPANY OF RIFLEMAN WHO VOLUNTEERED IN 1776
"An Abstract of the Pay due the Officers and Privates of the Company of
Riflemen, belonging to Captain Abraham Shepherd, being part of a Battalion
raised by Colonel Hugh Stephenson, deceased, and afterwards commanded by
Lieut. Colonel Moses Rawlings, in the Continental Surive from July 1st,
1776, to October 1st, 1778.:
This is the heading of the paper which lies before me, brown with age, and
frail with wear, so that in some places it is almost illegible. For our
present purpose it will be sufficient to give only the names of the company.
Later an attempt will be made to record the fate of each soldier who fought
in this famous and ill-fated company.
Abraham Shepherd, Captain.
Privates
Thomas Pollock. George Brown.

Dandridge, Historic Shepherdstown

CHAPTER XIV
THE PRISONS OF NEW YORK
The battle of King's Bridge, fought around Fort Washington, has been
described so often and so well in the numerous histories of the Revolution
that it is unnecessary in this volume to give more than the account
contained in Major Bedinger's letter of the part the Rifle Regiment took in
that affair. Lossing gives one of the best descriptions of the fight, to
which we refer the reader. We have seen, in the last chapter, what sort of
treatment the brave riflemen, who made such an heroic defence, received at
the hands of their cruel foes. Out of 2,673 privates taken captive,
nineteen hundred were done to death within a few days over two months. They
were starved, neglected, and abused; confined in overcrowded and infected
dungeons, some of them bayonetted and others hung on the slightest pretext,
or without any pretext whatever, and without the shadow of a trial.
All or very nearly all of Captain Shepherd's company, as we have seen were
taken prisoner, where they soon perished, except a few who escaped, or lived
to be exchanged. .....
The names and dates contained in the paper written by Henry Bedinger will
now be given, and then the names of others of Captain Shepherd's Company who
perished in captivity.
LIST OF MEN RAISED BY HENRY BEDINGER THAT HE BROUGHT FROM NEW TOWN AND
AROUND MARTINSBURG, AUGUST 1ST, 1776...
One of these men and only one died at his home, a prisoner on parole. This
was William Seaman, the son of Jonathan or Jonah Seaman, who lived near
Leetown. He was sent home to die. The date of his death is given as July
8th, 1777.
A few of this company were not in the action of November 16, 1776. Two were
killed in a skirmish the day before and one, Peter Hill, in the battle
around Fort Washington. Only two deserted to the enemy to save their lives.
They were William Anderson, who deserted Jan. 20th, 1777, and Moses
McComesky, who deserted June 10th, 1777.
The part of the company who appears to have been exchanged late inDecember,
1776, was drafted into another rifle company on the first of January, 1777.
Adam Sheetz, Adam Ryder, Thomas Pollock, Bryan Timmons, Thomas Mitchell,
William Hicks, James Aitken and John Lewis are marked "Drafted, Jan. 1st,
1777."

Appendix

Pollock, Thomas. A private in Captain Shepherd's company. January 1st,
1777, he was drafted into another company.

Pete

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 3:40 AM
Subject: [WVBERKEL] Re:Revolutionary war time period


> I have some notes saying my ancestor Thomas Pollock (listed in DAR index)
was
> from the Shepherdstown Militia. I understand he was held as a POW in New
York
> and released and sent back to Shepherdstown & told not to fight again then
he
> took up the cause again anyway! Where would one find records dating back
that
> far?
> Thanks
> Pam
>
>
> ==== WVBERKEL Mailing List ====
> Address your BERKELEY County List
> messages to:
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>

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