In a message dated 9/2/2002 5:42:51 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: > <<Found this on Robert from Latter Day Saints . His war record shows him enlisted in Feb 1779 to Feb 1780 and again from summer > of 1781 until the capture of Cornwallis in Oct 1781. > In his petition to Congress of The United States is a sworn statement > that Wm Via served 21 months as a regular in the regular and afterward a > tour of three month as a malitiaman making 2 years in all. >> Buddy, Where did you find the above information? For Robert to have served in 1779 his birth year may have been about 1751-1763. Which Robert is this? or did you mean to write William? <<> I will not believe that this Robert is from William 1751. With first born > son John b 1786, it does not add up.>> This is one of those areas open to speculation. I think it's possible that Robert was the son of William and Phebe. The heirs of William Via according to pension records were " leaving no widow but children to wit. Rowland Via, Patsey Via and Elizabeth Cunningham." I think there's a good possibility that Patsey was Patsey Laine and actually a daughter-in-law. If that's the case then Robert would have been a son of William and Phebe's. As to John's birth year I estimated it at 1777. He first shows up on his own in the 1806 Amherst Co., Virginia personal property tax records. I have found that more often than not individuals don't usually show up as soon as they turn 21. Most times they are older than that. The 1840 Amherst Co., Virginia census gives John's age as between 60 and 70 years old making his birth between 1770 & 1780. Do you have something that pinpoints John's birth year is 1786? Thank you for sharing your findings and thoughts with us. Judy > > > > >