Pension application of Joseph Sawyers S9470 f9NC
Transcribed by Will Graves rev'd 11/22/16
State of North Carolina, Rowan County
On this 8th day of October 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the Judge of the
Superior Court of Law and Equity for Rowan County in the State of North Carolina Joseph Sawyers a Rowan County in said State aged Sixty eight years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served
as herein stated. That he was drafted a private soldier in Rowan County and was put under the
command of Captain Alexander Brevard where the militia were assembled at Frohock's two miles from Salisbury in said County in the month of March 1781. That early in April they marched to a place called Ninety Six in South Carolina, there being but three companies of militia, there was no officer of higher grade than a Captain; that he was at the siege of Ninety Six in June 1781 [May 21-June 19, 1781], and from thence marched back to Salisbury as one of the guard of a number of prisoners sent to Salisbury for safe keeping. That shortly afterwards they again marched to South Carolina and encamped for some time in the High Hills of Santee, marched from thence up the River to Camden, passed over to the Southern side and went down the River to Fort Thompson; and was there after the battle when it was surrendered and believes that General Sumner was the commander of the North Carolina militia at that place. From thence he marched to and was at the Battle of Eutaw Springs [September 8, 1781] on the 8th of September where he was wounded in the right knee by the thrust of a bayonet by which he was disabled and was confined in the hospital at Camden for several months. He was drafted for the term of twelve months but was discharged at the end of ten months owing to the war being over. That General Green [sic, Nathanael Greene] was the commander in chief of the American Army at the last mentioned battle, that he saw Colonel Washington [William Washington] taken prisoner there by some of the British troops his horse being killed & himself wounded in the breast by a bayonet. That he was born and raised in Rowan County but has no record of his age, but believes he was born in the year 1765, that he now lives in Rowan County but has lived for nine years previous to last March in the County of Buncombe North Carolina, that he was drafted in the Militia at the age of about 16 in the year 1781 as before stated.
That the officers of the Regular Army he recollects to have seen in the Service are General
Greene, General Sullivan, Colonel Washington [William Washington], Colonel Lee [Henry "Light
Horse Harry" Lee].
That he received a discharge at the Camden Hospital when we were dismissed from there about
the first of February 1782 but has lost it. He refers to George Smith, Thomas L. Cowan, Colonel John Brandon, Moses Brown and Joseph Cowan who can testify as to his character & reputation; and to Martin Peninger [sic, Martin Penninger]1 who was with him in the Army and which affidavit is hereto attached, that no clergyman acquainted with him lives in any reasonable distance from him & he can not therefore procure the certificate of one. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn to & Subscribed in open Court the day and year aforesaid.
S/ Hy Giles, CSC
S/ Joseph Sawyers, X his mark
Martin Peninger of the County of Cabarrus North Carolina aged 74 years do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Joseph Sawyers who has signed and sworn to the foregoing declaration, that I believe him to be of the age he states, and that I Served with him in the Army all the time and at the places he states until he was wounded at the battle of Eutaw Spring [sic] in September 1781 – and sent to Camden.
Sworn to & Subscribed the day & year aforesaid in open Court.
S/ Henry Giles, CSC
S/ Martin Peninger, X his mark
[Moses Brown and Joseph Cowan gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
[Veteran was that the rate of $33.33 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for service as a private for 10 months in the North Carolina line.]
http://revwarapps.org/s9470.pdf
