Person:Samuel Vance (15)

American Revolutionary War Veteran

Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 6, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Vance, Samuel - entered service 1775 in Washington County, Virginia, in Virginia unit against Shawnee indians & served at Battle of Point Pleasant; entered service 1777 in Virginia regiment; granted Pension age 78 in Greene County, Tennessee, 1838 ; died 1839 leaving widow mentioned but not named, who was granted Pension arrears due soldier; query letter in file from descendant Mrs. S.G. Storey, Talladega, Alabama. F-S9496, R2441. [Note: Southern Campaign has Revolutionary War Pension #S1882].

- in examining the transcript provided at Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Applications, Samuel Vance made the declaration that he was seventy-eight years old in 1832, making his probable birthdate in abt. 1754.

1.   Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.

   Pension application of Samuel Vance S1882 fn34NC [sic, VA]
   Transcribed by Will Graves rev'd 7/9/11
   
   [fn p. 32]
   State of Tennessee Greene County: For the purpose of obtaining the benefit of an act entitled an act for the relief of certain surviving Officers and Soldiers of the Army of the Revolution approved on the 15th day of May 1828
   I Samuel Vance of the County of Greene in the State of Tennessee do hereby declare that I was an orderly Sergeant in the company commanded by Captain Andrew Caldwell of the Virginia Line in the Regiment which he does not exactly know but to which he belonged and served in that capacity to the end of the War of the Revolution.
   Before me Joseph Brown Esq. an acting Justice of the peace for the County of Greene and State of Tennessee personally appeared Samuel Vance who subscribed the following declaration and made oath that he was enlisted as a private soldier under Captain Andrew Caldwell of Washington County and State of Virginia in the Regiment commanded by Colonel William Campbell. That he continued in the Capacity of a private under him till he was succeeded by Colonel Arthur Campbell that he served in the capacity of a private soldier until the year 1780 in the southern division of the Army of the Revolution till the close of the war and that he was a faithful soldier who fought hard for his Country's rights at the different times and also at Kings Mountain and now is almost unable to get enough to subsist upon that his arm is entirely useless to him and of [one or more indecipherable words] is compelled to ask of his Country to due him that justice to enroll him on the list of the pensioners of the Army of the Revolution and in the aforesaid act of Congress
   S/ [indecipherable signature]
   Sworn to and subscribed before made this 6th of December 1828
   S/ Joseph Brown, JP
   State of Tennessee, Greene County
   On this 4th day of September 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Samuel Powell Judge of the Circuit Courts of the State of Tennessee holding the Circuit Court for Greene County aforesaid Samuel Vance aged Seventy eight years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his corporal oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed the 7th of June 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein after named to wit: That he entered the service in the year 1774 and served in the Campaign as a volunteer against the Shawnee Indians under Captain Evan Shelby in the Army of General Lewis and was in the battle at Point Pleasant where they fought the Indians from sunrise till sunset. He was then marched across the Ohio River on past the Salt Licks when Governor Dunmore went over to the Camps to stop them, he was then marched to Governor Dunmore's camp & remained there some days then returned to Point Pleasant where he was together with the whole Army verbally discharged by Captain Shelby. In this Battle they were victorious, the Americans losing about 140 men in killed and wounded, the loss of the Indians was not known; they got but 19 scalps for the Indians removed their dead in numbers and thrust them into the River. He then returned home after having been out to the best of his recollection about eight weeks.
   In the month of May (4th or 5th) he volunteered under Captain James Montgomery in the year he thinks 1777 in an expedition against the Indians (Shawnees) was marched to Moore's Fort in this company he was the orderly Sergeant. While at Moore's Fort new recruits without any officers joined their company; they were ordered to Fort Liberty under the command of this applicant and there remained guarding the Fort one month which was the time the volunteers usually were engaged to serve.
   He went again for a month to the mouth of Big Creek in Virginia as orderly Sergeant to guard that (Virginia) frontier against the Indians he cannot recollect any other officer than Lieutenant George Rooks as he is very infirm and his memory greatly impaired, and Colonel Martin he believes was superintendent of the Cherokee Station.
   He again went to Captain Shelby's house along with about 8 others to guard his house and that vicinity as it was in the extreme frontier and the Indians had been committing many depredations, he was gone this time about two weeks, was ordered by Captain J. Montgomery by command of Colonel Campbell.
   He again volunteered under Captain Colville and joined Col. William Campbell and Colonel McDowell on Watauga River, who marched them over Yellow Mountain into North Carolina, crossed Broad River and by Cowpens on to King's Mountain where they surprised the British main guard who took them for Tories. They then dismounted and had a sanguinary battle of about one hour perhaps, in which they were completely victorious. This applicant was the officer of the guard of prisoners condemned to be hung, 52 were condemned he thinks but only 9 were hung. He was in that battle and acted at the battle of Kings Mountain as orderly Sergeant.
   He went with the prisoners taken in this battle as far as Wilkes County N. C. where he was verbally discharged by Colonel Campbell. He was out in that Campaign about from three to five months he thinks.
   Shortly after he returned he again volunteered under then Colonel and late Governor John Sevier and served a campaign against the Cherokee Indians to Hiwassee River and had a battle at Big Hiwassee Town where they killed about 25 Indians. He was out on this tour he thinks about one month – and in all from nine to 12 months. His memory is so much impaired from old age and extreme disability that he cannot now recollect the dates when he volunteered nor the length of his service well but he is confident that he has not exceeded the time. He states that he has no documentary evidence and knows of no person whose testimony he can procure to testify to his service except the affidavit hereto annexed and that there is no minister of the Gospel in his vicinity. He went from Washington County Virginia. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever 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 and subscribed this 4 September 1832 in open Court.
   S/ V. Sevier, Clk S/ Samuel Vance
   [Standard supporting certificate of veracity and belief of services given by Jotham Brown and Stephen
   K. Alexander.]
   [Facts in file: veteran died September 1, 1838 leaving a widow whose name is not set forth in the file; there is no other family data in this file.]
   [Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $36.66 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for 9 months service as a private in the North Carolina militia.]

2.   Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895.

   Name: Samuel Vance
   Year: 1805
   Residence: Greene, Tennessee

3.   Tennessee, Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895.

   Name: Samuel Vance
   Year: 1836
   Residence: Greene, Tennessee

4.   Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891.

   Name: Samuel Vance
   State: TN
   County: Greene County
   Township: No Township Listed
   Year: 1805
   Record Type: Tax list
   Database: TN Early Census Index

5.   Tennessee, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1891.

   Name: Samuel Vance
   State: TN
   County: Greene County
   Township: No Township Listed
   Year: 1812
   Record Type: Tax list
   Database: TN Early Census Index

6.   United States. 1830 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M19).

   1830 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   Name: Saml Vaner [Saml Vance]
   Home in 1830 (City, County, State): Greene, Tennessee
   Free White Persons - Males - 70 thru 79: 1 [b. bet. 1751-1760]
   Free White Persons - Females - 60 thru 69: 1 [b. bet. 1761-1770]
   Total Free White Persons: 2
   Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 2
   Note: this is likely Samuel and his wife