This looks like one of the certifications that hundreds of people sought
from the county courts in order to be reimbursed for supplies furnished to
the American forces during the Revolutionary War--during which time a
runious inflation did, indeed, take place. These certifications provided
authentication for payment of the claims, called Public Service Claims. The
booklets that the county courts sent to Richmond have been published. See
Richard Slatten and Janice L. Abercrombie, eds., Public Service Claims of
Virginia (Athens, Ga., 1991–1992).

Brent Tarter
The Library of Virginia
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-----Original Message-----
From: M.Flanagan [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 17 January, 2002 7:53 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Rev. War support for soldiers' families


Would appreciate some help in interpreting the following:

        1/22/1781: Brunswick Co. Order Book 13:377
Ordered that Buckner Harwell furnish Obedience Cannon with three Barrels of
Corn and One hundred and fifty pounds of Pork, her Husband being in the
Continental Service, and make report of his account thereof to the Court.

2/26/1781: Brunswick Co. Order Book 13:379

Samuel Harwell produced an Account amounting to five hundred and fifty five
pounds for necessaries furnished a Continental Soldier's wife which was
examined and allowed by the Court sworn to by the said Samuel Harwell and is
ordered to be Certified to the Treasurer according to Law.

These Harwell men, who I know to have been either brothers, or father and
son (Buckner's father was Samuel was born 1720-25ish, and Buckner b.c1749
had a brother named Samuel b.1750-54).  I am guessing that, if they are the
military-age brothers, then perhaps they are providing support for
substitutes for service in the Continental Line. Or maybe this had nothing
to do with support for substitutes, and was simply part of county support
for the families of absent soldiers serving in the Continental Line.

And £555 sure sounds like a lot of "necessaries" - unless I'm
mis-interpreting the meaning of "pounds", or Virginia was experiencing some
serious wartime inflation at this point.

But these are only guesses - can someone offer some insight as to what is
happening here? What, if anything, does it tell us about these Virginia men
who are providing the support, and the likely circumstances under which they
are doing so? Was inflation an issue in Virginia at this time, with Virginia
currency then experiencing a lack of public confidence not unlike
Confederate currency (and for the same reasons) during the latter stages of
the Civil War?

Thanks
Michael Flanagan

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