The Life of John Marshall Volume I Part 57

IV

MEMORIAL OF THOMAS MARSHALL FOR MILITARY EMOLUMENTS

To the Honorable the Speaker and members of the house of Delegates, the Memorial of Thomas Marshall humbly sheweth.

That your Memorialist in Aug^t 1775 was appointed Major to the first minute Battalion raisd within this Commonwealth and early in October the same year enterd into actual service in which he continued during the following winter campaign. That while your memorialist commanded at the Great Bridge he was appointed Major to the 3^d Virginia Continental Regim^t he did not however retire from service but retaind his command and continued at his post till the latter end of March 1776 when the troops under his command were relieved by those of the continent rais'd in this State, by which time the 3^d Virginia Regim^t was rais'd and your Memorialist immediately called on to take command in it. That in Aug^t 1776 he together with the regiment to which he belonged in obedience to the orders they had rec^d began their march to New York, where they join'd the Grand-Army. That your Memorialist continued in hard and unremitting service from this time till the close of the campaign of 1777. That in the latter end of November 1777 your Memorialist was informed by an official letter from the then Governor, of his haveing been appointed by the General a.s.sembly of Virginia to the command of the State regiment of Artillery;--a command he was only induced to take by a preference he ever felt for Artillery Service. That your Memorialist however retain'd his command and continued his service in the Northern Army till the end of the Campaign when the Troops were ordered into winter quarters. That your Memorialist then return'd to Virginia and about the middle of January following took command of his Regim^t of Artillery, which command he rataind till the 26th of February 1781 at which time, the term of enlistment of most of the soldiers of the Regim^t having expired, they were discharged and your Memorialist became a reduced officer. Your Memorialist conceived from the Laws existing at the time he enter'd into the particular service of this State and from the different acts respecting the State Troops which have since pa.s.sd the Legislature, that he should be int.i.tled to every emolument to which he would have had a just claim had he remaind in the Continental Service. If however only particular discriptions of State Officers are to receive such emoluments as Continental are int.i.tled to, your Memorialist humbly presumes to hope that his haveing made three of the severest campaigns in the last war before he took command of the State Regim^t of Artillery, his haveing rendered, as he trusts, some services as commanding officer of that Regiment, his haveing remaind in service till there was no longer a command for him, his having held himself in readiness to return to service, had his regiment been recruited, give him as fair a claim to military emoluments as any officer who has been in the particular service of this State. Your memorialist therefore humbly prays that your honorable house will take his services into consideration and allow him those emoluments which may be given to other State Officers whose services may not be superior to his.

T. MARSHALL.

A true copy H. R. MCILWAIN, State Librarian.

June 20, 1916.

[Marshalls Pet^n Nov. 25th 1784 Referred to Propositions Props.

discharged and ref^d to whole on Bill for giving Commutation to Officers of 1st and 2d State Regiments.]