State of NC, County of Rutherford
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832
State of North Carolina
County of Rutherford
On this 19th day of October 1832 personally appeared before me, John Mills, one
of the Judges of the court of pleas and Quarter Sessions for County aforesaid at his own
dwelling House in Rutherford County Lefford French age eighty 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:
He would premise that within a few years past his mental as well as his bodily
faculties have very much failed—many things that were then familiar to his recollection
he has now but a confused and imperfect recollection of and hence he cannot pretend to
give with accuracy a detailed account of his services or the particular days of his entering
and leaving the service—but as to the material facts of his service, he will state nothing
but what he is certain of.
His first service was in a company of South Carolina militia commanded by Col.
Thomas Senior and Capt. David McDowell. We marched to Granby in pursuit of a party
of Tories but before we arrived there they had dispersed—we then heard of a body of
Tories in the neighborhood of Ninety Six but they hearing of our approach also dispersed.
This was in the fall of 1779 or 1778 but he thinks the former and staid out as he thinks
three months or over—his next service was under Col. Thomas, a son of the first
mentioned Colonel Thomas—we marched from King's Creek to York District South
Carolina to Musgrove's Mills on Enoree and were joined on the way by Col. Clarke and
he thinks Col. Shelby at the Mills we had a skirmish with a body of Tories whom we
defeated killing a number and taking a number of prisoners how many he does not now
recollect nor can he recollect the day or month but it was not long after his first service.
He was not, he thinks, more than ten days in this service—after which a party of men
among whom I was one rendezvoused at Mountain Creek in Rutherford County waiting
the return of Col. Clarke from Salisbury where he had gone with the prisoners taken at
Musgroves Mills as soon as he arrived and other men had joined us he marched us to
Augusta and laid siege to it but was not able to take it. I here was with the troops on the
[this portion of the document is obliterated and illegible] a Col. Williamson and other
officers that I cannot recollect after the siege was raised he and fifteen other soldiers
came back together with leave of our officers. He was about a month he thinks in this
service—does not remember the day or month in which he was out.
He next entered a Militia Company commanded by Capt. Wilim [sic, William ?]
Wood of Spartanburg to guard against the Indians and Tories and ranged through a part
of Spartanburg & Greenville So. Ca. and Rutherford County he cannot state the day or
year when he performed this three months service but would state that it was the first he
performed after the first mentioned commander Col. Thomas Senior and ought to have
been set down so—he prior to any of the terms of service hereinbefore mentioned served
a whole summer every other week guarding a block house near the head of Pacolet River
in Greenville So. Carolina against the Indians who were then committing depredations on
the frontier this was in the summer of 1778 or 1779.
He served in a company of Rutherford Militia commanded by Capt. James McFadden in an expedition against the Cherokee Indians. The party besieged one of their
Towns on the Tuckaseegee River and killed and took prisoners several of the Indians—he
was frequently out on scouts as long as the war lasted for a week or several days at a time
besides those above mentioned. He has no documentary evidence and knows of no other
Person by whom he can prove his services further than is contained in the subjoined
probates of John McClure1 and George Salmon2
Questions by Judge Mills
1st
Where and in what year were you born?
Answer I was born in New Jersey in the year 1753
2nd Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?
Answer I have none
3rd Where were you living when called into service: where have you lived since the
Revolutionary War and where do you now live?
Answer I lived in Spartanburg South Carolina when called into service and until about 8
years ago when I moved into Rutherford County where I now live
4th How were you called into service; were you drafted; did you volunteer or were you a
substitute, and if in substitute, for whom?
Answer I volunteered in every instance
5th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you
served, such Continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general
circumstances of your service.
Answer my memory does not enable me to make any further Statement than is contained
in my Declaration
6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given
and what has become of it?
Answer I never that I recollect received any written discharge
7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and
who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief in your services as a
soldier in the revolution.
Answer I name John Granway and John Moore and John Mills
—he further states that he is entirely
unable to go to Rutherford Court House which is seventeen miles distant—he being a
great part of the time laid up with gravel which has brought on incontinence of urine—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 any State.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
S/ Lafford French
S/ Jno Mills, J
[John Moore gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
[fn p. 27]
South Carolina Greenville District
Personally came before me one of the Justices of the Quorum for said District, George
Salmon & made oath in due form of law & saith that in the Revolutionary War, he served
with Lifford French then an inhabitant he thinks of South Carolina Spartanburg District,
and in a company of South Carolina Militia at the siege of Augusta and marched he
thinks out under the command of Cunningham & Williamson & Col. Clarke afterwards
taking the Command, being the first siege after the reduction of Charlestown, in the year
1780.
Sworn to and subscribed this 6th of October A.D. 1832
S/ Aaron Springfield, J. Q. S/ Geo. Salmon
State of South Carolina Spartanburg District
Personally came before me William Kelso he Justice of the peace for said District
John McClure after being duly sworn saith that he knew Lefford French in the
Revolutionary war he was a resident of South Carolina now Spartanburg District and
further saith that said French and myself was in the service together sometimes But how
long he cannot recollect further saith that said French was under an honest character and
was a good Whig and he believes done much in behalf of the is Country further saith not
Sworn to and subscribed Before me this 17th of October 1832
S/ Wm Kelso, JP S/ John McCluer
[In her statement, Jane McMillan, a neighbor, says French served under her father, Capt.
David McDowell as well as Cols. Roebuck and Thomas. French served with his brothers,
William, Simon & Joseph French as well as James Beaty, Alexander Copeland, William
Moore and Hugh Moore.
Elizabeth French, Lafford's widow, made an application in 1854 saying that her husband
served almost constantly during the entire war in Col. Benjamin Roebuck's regiment as a
mounted horseman, but that due to his failing body and mind when he gave his statement
in 1832, he could not detail his full service and therefore the pension awarded him was
not what he was entitled to receive. She states that Lafford French died Sept. 11, 1834.
Her maiden name was Elizabeth Gregory.]
[Rebecca Copeland, widow of Alexander Copeland, filed a widow's pension application
(W9395) in which she stated that her husband served in Spartanburg District under Capt.
David McDowell. The war dept. papers indicate that McDowell was under Benjamin
Roebuck.]
