In 1777, Christopher Jefferson Loving Jr., a 14-year-old boy, enlisted in the Continental Army. Christopher was my paternal grandmother’s great-grandfather. During his service, he would fight in six of the most consequential battles of the southern campaign before suffering permanent wounds a month before the victorious Siege of Yorktown. On this July 4, we honor his memory, along with all the other patriots who fought to secure our freedom.
Below is a transcription of a sworn declaration Loving made in 1819 recounting his valiant service in the fight for American independence. This declaration is also referenced in Alan Pell Crawford’s new book, This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America’s Revolutionary War in the South.
Pension application of Christopher Loving (Loveing):
On this 8th day of October 1819 before me the Subscriber one of the Judges of the General Court and assigned to the Circuit of the Superior Court of Law composed of the Counties of Bath, Augusta, Amherst, Nelson, Albemarle and Rockbridge (Virginia), personally appeared Christopher Loving aged 56 years, resident in said County of Nelson & State aforesaid, who being by me first duly sworn, according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the provision made by the late 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” that he the said Christopher Loving enlisted in the year 1777 when he was but
