Transcript:Revolutionary War Pension Application of John Houston, 1833, transcribed by Will Graves

State of Tennessee Blount County: On this 8th day of February 1833 personally appeared in open Court being the Circuit Court in and for the said County before the Honorable Samuel Powel one of the circuit Judges of the State of Tennessee now presiding in said Court in said County John Houston a resident of said County of Blount in the State of Tennessee aforesaid aged seventy years past but having no record of his age cannot state it precisely, but from the best information he has he was born in the fall of the year 1762, who being 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 the 7th day of June 1832.

That he was born and reared up in the County of Augusta in the State of Virginia, – that he entered the service in said County of Augusta Virginia as a drafted Soldier on the first day of June 1778, as near as he can recollect under Captain James Tate, Samuel McCutchen Lieutenant Ensign not recollected; – said company belonged to a detachment of militia commanded by Major Mofford [George Moffett?], which was marched into the County of Greene Brier [Greenbrier] Virginia against the hostile Indians, – that affiant was in service 24 days and was discharged at Donaldson's Fort in the County of Greene Brier Virginia on the 24th of June 1778, but received certificate of discharge.

Declarant removed from Augusta County Virginia to Washington County in West in Virginia in the month of September 1779 – That he again entered the service as a mounted volunteer Soldier on the first day of August (as well as he can recollect) 1779 under Captain William Edmondson Senior (the subaltern officers of said Company not recollected) in the County of Washington Virginia in the Regiment commanded by Colonel William Campbell, and marched into North Carolina to suppress the Tories, who had embodied at a place called the Hollows, near the head of New River in North Carolina at which place the Tories were fired upon, but fled without resistance. Declarant was discharged on the 2nd day of September 1779 at the Crab Orchard in Washington County Virginia having been thirty-two days in service, but obtained no Certificate of discharge.

On the first day of October 1779 as near as recollected declarant again entered the service in the County of Washington Virginia as a volunteer Soldier in a company commanded by Captain Nathaniel Henderson (the names of the subaltern officers not recollected) being a company of Rangers, or guards to reconnoiter on the frontiers, and marched to Powels Valley [Powell's Valley] in Kentucky, and their protected the frontiers from the incursions of the Indians until the first day of January 1780, when declarant was regularly discharged in Powels Valley, received his Certificate of discharge, which has since been lost – having been three months at least in service.

Declarant in the month of February 1781 moved from Washington County Virginia to Washington County then North Carolina now Tennessee – Declarant again entered the service in Washington County Tennessee on the last day of May or first day of June 1781 as a volunteer Soldier under Captain James Hubbard, Nathaniel Evans Lieutenant (Ensign not recollected) in a detachment of militia commanded by Colonel John Sevier and marched to defend the frontiers near French Broad [River] against the hostile Indians, that he served until the 6th or 7th of June 1781, when he was discharged at or near Big Island on French Broad River having been six days in service. Declarant again [entered] the service in the County of Washington Tennessee on the first day of September 1781 as a drafted Soldier in the Company of mounted men, commanded by Captain James Hubbard, Nathaniel Evans Lieutenant, Ensign not recollected – in the Regiment of Infantry commanded by Colonel John Sevier and marched from thence across French Broad, Little Tennessee, and Hiwassee rivers, and in what is now the Cherokee Nation against the hostile Indians – had several skirmishes with the Indians, but no general engagement, declarant was discharged at or near Big Island, on French Brevard [River] on the first day of November 1781 having been two months in service, but has no recollection of having received any Certificate of discharge.

Declarant removed from Washington County then North Carolina now Tennessee, to what is now Blount County Tennessee in the year 1786, where he has ever since resided, and now resides. Declarant states that he is service aforesaid under the officers aforesaid and for the term aforesaid amount together to at least seven months, that he has no documentary evidence of his services aforesaid and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service, except the affidavit of James Houston which is hereto annexed. Declarant hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll or Agency of any State or territory.

Sworn to and subscribed in open Court the 8th day of February 1833.

S/ Dan'l D. Forte, CCD S/ John Houston

James Houston after being duly sworn makes oath that he is well acquainted with John Houston whose name is subscribed to the foregoing declaration, that he believes Declarant is a credible person, and that the facts stated in said declaration are true – that he knows of his own personal knowledge, that Declarant entered the Service in the County of Washington Virginia on the first of October 1779 under Captain Nathaniel Henderson and served three months in Powels Valley on the frontiers of Kentucky as stated in his said declaration, having been in service with said declarant during said term of three months. Affiant feels well assured that declarant served the other tours of duty as by him stated in said declaration having been acquainted with him from his infancy, and having generally resided near him ever since, and knows he was understood and reputed in the neighborhood in which he resided at the several times to have performed said services.

Sworn to in open Court &

subscribed the 8th day of February 1833

S/ J. Houston

[Isaac Anderson, a clergyman, John Gillespie, Andrew Cowan, Jac. F. Forte & John F Gillespie gave the standard supporting affidavit.]