Person:George Neese (2)

Revolutionary Pension Application

Pension application of George Neese [Nease] S7268

State of North Carolina, Guilford County: November Term 1832

On this ninth day of November A.D. 1832 personally appeared in Open court before the Justices

of our County Court the same being a court of record George Neese aged 86 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 served under the following named officers and as he herein states (viz.) that in or about

the year 1776, he volunteered in Guilford County, N. Carolina, in a company commanded by Lieutenant Clapp, Captain Whitesell, Col. James Martin and Genl. Rutherford [Griffith Rutherford], and was marched to the western part of the state and encamped near a branch making into the Catawba River called and marched thence to what was called headquarters about 12 miles on this side of the Blue Ridge. That he was marched thence over the ridge, crossed French Broad River, Pigeon River, to the Watauga towns after the Cherokee Indians who had been for some time, making depredations on the whites. That after destroying these Indian towns and many others farther west called Over Hill or Valley Indians, that he was marched back to a place called Hickory Ridge, then the Western Territory, now Tennessee, that he was marched thence home, separating from Genl Rutherford at a ford on the Catawba. That he left home in the spring and returned in the fall of the year, after being out on service for 4 or 5 months. That after his return, he was engaged with his Whig friends against the Tories in the manner stated this day in open court by Wm. Albright, with whom he served. That from 1776 to 1781 he was out at least half of his time on short expeditions up and down the country, and deems it unnecessary to attempt giving any other history of his little tours than that given by said Albright, as he recollects but few more things than he states, as we have made our statements before the same attorney, before going into court. That he performed his last mentioned services under Capt. Whitesell, Capt. Forbis, Col. Paisley. That he was born in Burke County, Pennsylvania, 1st November, 1744, which is written in an old Bible in his own house, and moved in 1769 to N. Carolina, Guilford County, where he has resided ever since, that he never received a written discharge and has no documentary evidence of his services – that he hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Subscribed and sworn to in open Court.

(Signed)/ Geo. Neese, (His Mark)

(Signed)/ A. E. Hanner, CCC

I William Albright hereby certify that I have for upwards of 50 years been acquainted with George In these who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration and no from my own personal knowledge that what he states is true.

Subscribed & sworn to in open Court. S/ William Albright

(Signed)/ A. E. Hanner, CCC

[Source: http://www.southerncampaign.org]

Deposition of George Neese

• April 17 1840-Guilford County- George Neese, aged 96 years…“That he was well acquainted with the late Jacob Clapp…and that he served as a private under Captain Whitesell and…Jacob Clapp in the Cherokee expedition for the space of five months and that during that expedition the said Jacob Clapp served and acted as lieutenant.” [Source: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/clapp132gmt.txt]

Information on George Neese, Sausage Maker

George Neese, a German farmer in southeastern Pennsylvania, picked up the Great Wagon Road just outside of Philadelphia in 1769. Like many others on the trail he sought the freedom of the frontier, chased the promise of ample farmlands and nature's bounty. He traveled about 400 miles in a covered wagon with his family, sharing the road with Conestogas as big as city busses, oxen pulling carts, families on foot. They moved about five miles a day, crossing rivers, fighting sickness and hunger, marching through forests that teemed with bandits and wild animals. They made it to Guilford County inside a few months and George Neese, 25 years old, took hold of the land. [From "The Ancient Art of Sausage Making, by Brian Clarey", http://www.yesweekly.com/triad/print-article-2308-print.html]