Amherst County, VA. in the Revolution. Including Extracts from the “LOST ORDER BOOK” 1773-1782.
By: Lenora H. Sweeny, Pub. 1951, reprinted 2020, 230 pages, Index, Soft Cover, ISBN #0-89308-269-4.
Located on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Amherst County was created from the southwestern portion of Albemarle County in 1761. Originally, its boundary lines were much larger, included in its boundaries was Nelson County which was Nelson County which was carved off in 1808. It is surrounded by the present-day counties of: Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Buckingham, Campbell, Nelson, and Rockbridge.
Thought to have been destroyed or carried off during the Civil War, the Amherst Order Book covering the Revolutionary time frame was discovered by the author during one of her many trips to the courthouse while doing research. Not only was the: Lost Order Book" 1773-1782 used to complete this book but other sources as well including Muster & Pay Rolls. Included in the discussion of Amherst’s participation in the Revolution are many lists of which some are: The First Rifle Company, Officers of the Militia before and during the Revolution, Revolutionary soldiers from Amherst County comprising then the territory of the present-day county of Nelson, and many, many lists of muster & payrolls from various companies serving duty from Amherst County. The author has even included disbursements to wives, widows & orphans of Revolutionary soldiers and also, claims for property impresses or taken for public service. Another interesting feature of this "Lost Order Book" 1773-1782 is a list of the names of soldiers who proved they had served in the French & Indian War and thus qualified to obtain bounty land allowed by the proclamation of the King of Great Britain in 1763. Of Special interest, the author has included over 200 applications of Amherst soldiers for Pensions. These applications many times give such information as: date & place of birth, date of death, current residence at time of filing, date of enlistment, his service record, date of marriage, names of spouse & children, along with their birth dates and marriage dates, names of his & his wife’s parents, names of fellow soldiers he served with, even neighbors that lived beside him before taken duty, and date placed on pension roll.