▁the ▁grounds ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁already ▁receiving ▁a ▁military ▁p ension . ▁ ▁The ▁other ▁is ▁a ▁similar ▁letter ▁addressed ▁to ▁the ▁Virginia ▁State ▁Assembly ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 0 . ▁The ▁two ▁accounts ▁differ ▁in ▁some ▁details , ▁but ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁narr ative ▁is ▁essentially ▁the ▁same . ▁ ▁No ▁other ▁sources ▁are ▁known ▁to ▁cor ro bor ate ▁the ▁events ▁he ▁describes ; ▁Tar leton , ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir , ▁only ▁generally ▁mentions ▁cas ual ties ▁that ▁occurred ▁during ▁the ▁expedition . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 2 0 ▁account ▁Francisco ▁describes ▁how , ▁while ▁passing ▁through ▁Am elia ▁County , ▁Virginia ▁( in ▁a ▁part ▁that ▁is ▁now ▁N ott ow ay ▁County ) ▁on ▁his ▁way ▁home , ▁he ▁encountered ▁a ▁band ▁of ▁drag o ons ▁from ▁Tar leton ' s ▁regiment al ▁caval ry ▁at ▁Benjamin ▁Ward ' s ▁ta vern . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁drag o ons ▁demanded ▁that ▁he ▁give ▁up ▁his ▁watch ▁and ▁silver ▁sh oe ▁bu ck les . ▁ ▁He ▁refused . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁drag oon ▁bent ▁down ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁bu ck les , ▁Francisco , ▁who ▁was ▁un ar med , ▁reached ▁down ▁and ▁drew ▁the ▁man ' s ▁sword ▁from ▁its ▁sc abb ard . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁used ▁the ▁sword ▁to ▁kill ▁the ▁man . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Virginia ▁letter , ▁he ▁then ▁" w ounded ▁and ▁drove ▁off ▁the ▁others ", ▁taking ▁eight ▁of ▁the ▁nine ▁horses ▁[ the ▁nin th