Individual Details

Revolutionary Soldier attaining the rank of Captain. Never married. 17 Sep 1832 he applied for his pension which was allowed, File S5542.

Amherst County, Virginia Court for March, 1786, Benjamin Higginbotham was recommended as a Lieutenant of a Company of Militia, Order Book, page 421.)

Amherst County Virginia In the Revolution, Lenora Higginbotham Sweeny, J. P. Bell Co., Lynchburg, VA, 1951
p.136 Benjamin Higginbotham, born Amherst Co 1757, applied for pension, Sept 17, 1832, Amherst. Called out 1779 as a private under Capt Richard Ballinger, guarding British prisoners at the Barracks in Albemarle Co. In 1781 on the Guilford Expedition under Capt. James Dillar; discharge at the end of three months & returned home to Amherst. Same year on tour under Capt. Samuel Higginbotham, driving cattle from Amherst to Williamsburg for the Army. James Smith Sr. testified that in 1781, Benjamin Higginbotham & Philip Smith were on a tour of duty for four months in the VA militia driving beeves for the main army. Henry & William Cashwell & Philip Smith all testified they were with him in 1781 and all marched from Amherst to join Gen. Greene in 1781.

On 6 Dec 1832, Benjamin also gave testimony for the pension application of his uncle, Col. James Higginbotham, when the four children of James [his cousins] applied for his pension. That James served is not disputed but the pension was rejected because at that time no provision was made for children of a Revolutionary soldier. Benjamin testified he was age 75, was born and raised in Amherst Co and had never resided elsewhere. He was the nephew of the late Col. James who had died in 1831, between 80 and 90 years of age. From his birth to the death of said James, he resided in the same County of Amherst with James. He knew James entered military service as a Major of militia in 1776 and was stationed part of the time at Williamsburg. About 1778, he was promoted and bore the title of Colonel in one of the regular Regiments of the State line and continued to act in that capacity until the end of the War. James was at Williamsburg and Yorktown in 1781; he the said Benjamin being in the service himself. He had known him to be gone from home in the service more than eighteen months at a time, because in the absence of James, he the said Benjamin superintended his plantation affairs. James was chiefly engaged in the Recruiting service. The wife of James departed this life before him. Benjamin states he continued attached to the 90th Regt of the Virginia Militia, Amherst Co, as a Captain, for many years. He did not believe James served any military duty after the War because he was by then nearly sixty years of age.

Birth	Abt 1757	Amherst County, Virginia
Military	1779	Capt Richard Ballinger, Albemarle VA, Revolutionary War
Death	Abt 1833	Amherst County, Virginia

Father	Joseph Higginbotham (1717 - 1805)
Mother	Hannah Smith ( - )
Sibling	Joseph Higginbotham (1749 - 1823)
Sibling	William Higginbotham (1750 - )
Sibling	Jacob Higginbotham (1751 - 1836)
Sibling	Rachel Higginbotham (1760 - )
Sibling	Frances Higginbotham ( - )
Sibling	Hannah Higginbotham ( - )
Sibling	Susanna Higginbotham ( - )