Francis Gray was a charter member of the Society of the Cincinnati.
His grave is located in section 102 w of the old Methodist now Historic City Cemetery.
If you have additional information about Francis gray please let me know and I will be happy to add it to this record.
The following was sited from: (
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Pension application information:
Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements
Pension application of Francis Gray W7575 Eleanor fn104Va. Transcribed by Will Graves 1/31/09 Commonwealth of Virginia Campbell County
On this 18th day of April 1818 before me the Subscriber one of the Judges of the General Court of the Commonwealth aforesaid and Judge of the 7th judicial Circuit including the County of Campbell aforesaid personally appeared Francis Gray aged about 62 years resident in the town of Lynchburg in the County aforesaid who being by me first duly sworn by affirmation according to law doth a firm and make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late Act of Congress entitled "An act provide for certain persons engaged in the land & naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War.
"That he the said Francis Gray enlisted about December 1778 as a private soldier in the 4th troop of Dragoons Capt. John Watts in the State of Virginia in the service of the United States in which Corps he continued to serve until sometime in the year 1780. That about September 1780 he was commissioned an Ensign in a Company of infantry commanded by Capt. Benjamin Lawson being a detachment of the 6th Virginia Regiment in the service of the United States in which service he continued until the soldiers belonging to said Regiment were discharged at Salsborough [sic, Salisbury] in North Carolina the term of their enlistment having expired some time in 1782 -- from whence the officers generally returned home subject to further orders, but that he the said Francis Gray being in a bad State of Health received no further orders until the close of the Revolutionary War. That he was in the several battles in the affair at Savannah, at Guilford, at Campden [sic, Camden], the Siege of Ninety Six & at Eutaw [Eutaw Springs] -- and that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his country for support; and that he has no other evidence now in his power of his said services. Sworn to & declared before me the day & year aforesaid S/ Wm Daniel Virginia, to wit: At a Court of Sessions held for the corporation of Lynchburg at the Court House on Friday the 9th day of June 1820.
On the 9th day of June 1820 personally appeared in open Court expressly constituted a Court of record by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Francis Gray, aged 62 years, resident within the Corp. of Lynchburg in the Commonwealth of Virginia, who being first duly affirmed according to law doth on his affirmation declare that he served in the Revolutionary war as follows -- that he the said Francis Gray enlisted for the term of 3 years on or about the 28th or 29th day of December 1778 in the County of Culpeper in the State of Virginia in the company commanded by Capt. John Watts in the Regiment commanded by Col. Benjamin Temple in the line of the State of Virginia on the Continental establishment, that he said Francis Gray continued to serve in said Corps until the month of September 1780 at which time he said Francis Gray received a Commission of Ensign in the 6th Virginia Regiment of Infantry commanded by Col. __ Febeger [sic, Christian Febiger] and continued in the same Regiment of Infantry until the happy termination of the Revolutionary Struggle, when he was discharged from said service at Winchester in the State of Virginia -- that he was in the following battles -- At the attempted to storm of the Town of Savannah -- he was severely wounded on the head at the surprise of Col. White at Lanew's ferry [Leneud's Ferry] on Santee River -- at the battle of Guilford -- the siege of Ninety Six -- at the surprise of Col. White at Moncks Corner and in various lesser skirmishes -- That he has heretofore made a declaration of his services & circumstances (the date of which he cannot recollect) and I obtained a certificate of a pension of $20 per month from the 18th day of April 1818, which certificate bears date the 5th day of March 1819, and is number 7100, and the said Francis Gray doth solemnly affirm that he was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that he has not since that time by gift, sale or other wise disposed of his property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring himself within the provision of an act of Congress entitled “an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war” passed on the 18th day of March 1818, and that he has not nor has any person in trust for me any property, or securities, contracts or debts due to him nor has he any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and by him subscribed -- That he is family consists of 4 persons, himself, he is wife, and 2 daughters named Maria & Eleanor, That his own constitution is so effected and weakened by age and the hardship undergone in his youth as completely to prevent that exertion and application which would be useful and productive. That his wife is nearly of his own age and consequently unable to render material services in the support of a family -- but is engaged together with their daughters above mentioned, Maria & Eleanor in the milliner's business by which they acquire a hard-earned and precarious sustenance. That the said Francis and his family have received a donation of about $40 annually for the last 6 or 8 years from the "Cincinnati Society" which he hopes will probably be continued to him. That he has no property whatsoever except two milk cows & a small stock of Household furniture the principal part of which has been purchased by his wife and daughters from the profits of their own labor. S/ Francis Gray Affirmed to and declared before the Hurting
Court of Lynchburg on the 9th day of June 1820 S/ W. W. Nowell, Clk [[this is a substantially identical application dated June 20, 1820 appearing at fn pp. 98-99] State of Virginia Mount Jackson Shenandoah County
On This 26th Day of August Personally Appeared before Me Jonathan Shuler Justice of the Peace for the County aforesaid Daniel Gray post master of the town aforesaid, a Revolutionary soldier and a respectable Citizen of County & State aforesaid, and who after being first duly sworn according to law doth on his Oath say that he was married the 16th day of June 1787 and that Francis Gray my brother was married to Eleanor Henning [in subsequent documents her maiden name is spelled Hening] some time previous he says some 2 years or upwards before, he thinks they had one child born at that time . He says that he has seen and examined the family record of the said Francis Gray and that he believes the insertion of the marriage of Francis & Eleanor Gray June 23rd day of 1785 was done by his brother Francis Gray in his own proper handwriting. He further states that his brother was in and served as a soldier and officer of the Revolution upwards of 3 years in the Continental line. S/ Daniel Gray
Sworn to and subscribed on the 28th day of August 1838 before me Jonathan Shull a Commonwealth's Justice of the Peace.
S/ Jonathan Shull, JP
[fn p. 15, family Record]
Maria S. Gray born September 7, 1786
William W. Gray born May the 4th 1788
French S. Gray born March 22, 1790
Robert H. Gray born October 12, 1792
Eleanor F. Gray born September 17, 1795
Lucy S. Gray born November 4, 179[last digit obliterated]
died August 19, 1807
Albert Gray born May 3rd 1802 died September 1819
French S. Gray died December 1820
William S. Gray died February 9, 1831
Francis & Eleanor Gray was married 23 June 1785
On August 15, 1838, in Lynchburg, Virginia, Eleanor Gray, 74, widow of Francis Gray filed for a widows pension. She states "That she is the widow of Francis Gray deceased a Revolutionary subaltern officer, 1st of Cavalry and afterwards of Infantry, in the Continental line of service -- who served most of his time in North and South Carolina, was at the battle of Eutaw Springs South Carolina was wounded in the left side of his head at Lenears [sic, Leneud's] ferry in South Carolina losing part of his left ear -- was taken prisoner, his wound dressed by the British Surgeon -- was exchanged, and afterwards attached himself to the Army again as Lieut. of Infantry and owing to his bad State of health, he was afterwards granted leave of absence from the Army on Furlough; and so remained she believes until the end of the War." She states they settled in Culpeper County Virginia and in 1793 removed to Albemarle County Virginia and in 1800 removed to Campbell County Virginia and in 1802 removed to Lynchburg Virginia; that her husband died on the 27th of April 1827.]
[widow died August 31, 1839]
[fn p. 88]
Armistead Long of Culpeper County Virginia of lawful age being first duly sworn deposeth and saith, that he the said deponent and Francis Gray were raised from boys in the same neighborhood, and that the said Gray and himself enlisted in the 4th Troop of the first Regiment of light Dragoons in the United States service during the revolutionary war, in December 1778 and joined the said Regiment at Winchester Virginia in January 1779, and that in the spring of 1780, the said Gray (at Lenaw's ferry on Santee River South Carolina) received a wound from one of Tarleton's Legion, and was taken prisoner, the wound was inflicted with a broad sword which took off the greater part of his left ear and entered his skull, he was paroled and left on the ground, after which he remained with the Regiment until we got to Halifax North Carolina where he the said Gray left the Regiment and went home on furlough, and as soon as he recovered of his wound obtained an appointment in the Infantry of the United States and joined the southern Army again sometime in November of the same year, where he continued in the service aforesaid as this deponent believes until the close of the War.
S/ Armistead Law
Lynchburg Virginia, to wit
We the undersigned Commissioners in obedience to, and by virtue of the annexed Commission, to us directed, by the Honorable St. George Tucker, District Judge of the United States, for the district of Virginia, do hereby certify that the above, and annexed affidavit, was duly taken, signed and sworn to before us, by Col. Armistead Long on this 22nd day of March 1814. Witness our hands and seals the day and date aforesaid.
S/ Thomas Humphreys
S/ Thomas W. Cocke
We the undersigned Commissioners do further certify, that the following Questions were then asked by us, of the Claimant, Capt. Francis Gray, who being first duly Sworn, gave the answers hereunto annexed. Question 1st What has been the reason, or cause, that you did not, sooner made an application to be placed on the pension list, of the United States.
Answer -- my situation was such until within a few years past, that I thought I could do without it, and was then unwilling to put my Country to any expense, but now being old, and getting infirm, together with my having a family to support, and having been reduced in my pecuniary circumstances, I am now compelled to ask of my Country its bounty, towards my support, as some compensation for the injury I sustained while fighting for its Liberty.
Question 2nd -- Have you ever been placed on the pension list of this State, or any Other, of the United States of America.
Answered. -- I have not.
Question 3rd -- did you remain in the service of the United States, after your wound had healed, (or 2 word of) until the close of the revolutionary War.
Answered. -- I did.
S/ Francis Gray
No further Questions occurring the foregoing was signed before us by Capt. Francis Gray. Witness our hands and seals, this 22nd day of March 1814.
S/ Thomas Humphreys
S/ Thomas W. Cocke
S/ Rob. Morris
The Deposition of Col. John Waltz of the County of Bedford, in the State of Virginia, taken before us, in the Town of Lynchburg, in the State aforesaid, the Deponent being first duly sworn, Saith, that respecting the wound received by Capt. Francis Gray, while in the Service of the United States, during the revolutionary War, the said Gray served as a private under his command, in a company of Dragoons, but that he was not present at the time Mr. Gray received the wound, nor does he recollect anything further on the subject. Given under our hands and seals this night day of December 1813.
S/ Thomas Humphreys
S/ Rob. Morris
We hereby certify, that on examining Francis Gray respecting a wound, which he states to us on affirmation, was received in the Army of the United States, when combating with the British troops commanded by Col. Tarleton; we find nearly one half of his left ear extirpated, and a large portion of the skull bone deeply indented; and consequently very much disfigured -- Mr. Gray, further affirms, that except the partial loss of hearing; he experiences no bodily inconvenience from the above mentioned injury. Given under our hands this 24 October 1814.
S/ G. A. Rose
S/ John J. Cabell
[fn p. 101, an indenture of gift from David Hening and wife, May, of Culpeper County, Va., to their son-in-law, Francis Gray, also of Culpeper County, Va.; the indenture is dated September 30, 1790.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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