Person:Thomas Hill (90)

Pension Application

Pension application of Thomas Hill W663

State of Missouri, County of Cape Girardeau

A declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of the 7th of June 1832. On the 18th day of march in the year of Our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and thirty three that: personally appeared before the Justices of the County court of the County of Cape Girardeau aforesaid in Open court Thomas Hill a citizen of Apple Creek Township in the County of Cape Girardeau and State of Missouri aforesaid aged Seventy two years against the 29th day of the present month, who first being duly sworn according to law, Doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832; That he volunteered in the County of Lincoln in the State of North Carolina in the month of August or September of the year 1777 and entered the service of the United States under the command of Captain Alexander and was placed in the Regiment of Colonel Frank Lock [sic, Francis Locke], that he marched with said Regiment from Charlotte in the State of North Carolina to the ten mile spring (so-called) 10 miles from Charleston South Carolina, after lying there some time, marched with said troops to a place on the Savannah River called Purysburg, and after remained a while moved up the River keeping aside and watching the movement of the British forces on the other side of the River, and marched with said troops to a place called Brier Creek [sic, Briar Creek] to the assistance of General Ash [sic, John Ashe]; But before any of the troops had crossed over to his relief General Ashe had fled before the British meeting the reinforcements to which this affiant belonged, and then returned and moved down the River to a place called the “two sisters” ferry, remained there three or four weeks, from thence moved down the River Purysburg again, stayed there a few days with the regular troops under the command of General Lincoln [Benjamin Lincoln], then left the regular troops or the most of them with Lincoln and moved up the River again to the two Sisters ferry in company with a few regulars having four pieces of cannon along, stayed till the time of the nine months men had nearly expired and from thence removed six miles (as he thinks) to a place called the white house, to where General Lincoln and his army had marched; and there received a written discharge (as he thinks) under the hand of Colonel Locke or General Lincoln.

That afterwards (as he thinks) not twelve months after the above mentioned discharge, he entered under the command of Captain Isaac White in the County of Lincoln, State of North Carolina as a Company of rangers for the purpose of suppressing the Tories in the upper part of South Carolina and the southern part of North Carolina, in which said service he, this affiant, continued for the term of twelve months during which time he was in the engagements of Ramsour's Mill with the Tories who had assembled there for the purpose of joining Ferguson's [Patrick Ferguson's] Army. Also marched with said Company to Green River in pursuit of one Captain Floyd who had raised a Tory company but fled before the rangers; from thence joining Colonel William Graham's Regiment, marched to King's Mountain and was in that engagement, -- from thence marched down to Lincoln County and was there were dismissed by his Captain Isaac White without any written discharge.

Afterwards but does not recollect how long, he this affiant volunteered under Captain Thomas Davidson to prevent the British forces from crossing the Catawba of River at a place called Cowan's Ford in North Carolina; the British forces under the command of Corn Wallace [sic, Cornwallis] came on and crossed over it spite [sic] of the efforts of the American troops under the command of General Davidson [William Lee Davidson], who had but a few of his man at the Ford, at the time of crossing – here General Davidson was killed; he this affiant assisted in conveying the body away – from thence he with several hundred more, marched or moved ahead of the British to a place owned by one Tarrants, where another skirmish took place and the Americans beaten again. Afterwards a short time he this affiant volunteered again under the command of Captain Simmons, Captain of a Company of horse, and was commanded by Joseph Graham then a Major – Marched on with Rutherford's [Griffith Rutherford's] Army from somewhere about Salisbury in Rowan County North Carolina, and leaving the foot went to the raft swamp, and after some fighting dispersed a body of Tories there assembled: from thence marched to a place called the Brick house close by Wilmington, where the British kept a kind of Fort and after making an unsuccessful attempt to rout them from the house, returned back and met the foot under the command of Rutherford as before stated, and getting a piece of cannon went back again for the purpose of beating the house down, but before reaching it, they had left and gone to Wilmington and we following, they left the town of Wilmington; And after remaining there are some little time word came that Cornwallis' Army were taken at York town and we were dismissed, this affiant without a discharge.

That he has no documentary testimony by which he can establish the aforesaid facts. That he the said Thomas Hill, does hereby relinquish all claims of any other pension except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State; That he said Thomas Hill in the State of Missouri in the year 1810 [?], where he has resided ever since. And to the Interrogatories propounded by the War department, and put by the court, the said Thomas Hill answers and say is:

I was born in the (present) County of Lincoln (then called Tryon) in the State of North Carolina on the 27th day of March 1762.

I have my age recorded in my family Bible at my house about 15 miles from this place, entered either by my father or his direction.

I volunteered first time under the command of Captain Alexander for the term of nine months at Lincoln County North Carolina; the second time, volunteered under the command of Captain Isaac White 12 months, also at Lincoln County North Carolina; the third time I joined Captain Davidson for the no certain length of time.

The fourth time I volunteered under the command of Captain Simmonsand joined him at Salisbury North Carolina for the term of six months.

I was acquainted with General Rutherford, an militia Officer, both at Purysburg on my first tour of duty and also at Wilmington on my last tour with Colonel Frank Locke on my first tour at Purysburg and during my first term of service as also at the last time at Wilmington. I was acquainted with General Davidson who fell at Cowan's Ford on the Catawba River. I knew General Lincoln a regular officer and the principal commander of the Southern forces at Purysburg and with Major Joseph Graham.

I think I was discharged the first time by General Lincoln or Colonel Locke; I think it was a written one, the other times I was dismissed without written discharges; the second time in Lincoln County by Captain White, the third was permitted to go without any regular dismission [sic], the fourth time I was dismissed by Major Graham and Captain Simmons at Wilmington without a written discharge it being the close of the War. The written discharge I placed in the hands of Captain Thomas Davidson for the purpose of getting my pay; he (Davidson) died shortly after and I never have seen the discharge since.

I am known by C.P. Fulenwider, Esq., by John Hendricks Esq., to Colonel James Hendricks and to Hezekiah Rumsfelt all of whom I believe can testify as to my character for veracity and their belief of my services as a soldier of the revolution.

Sworn to and subscribed in open court March 18, 1833.

S/ Benjamin Bacon, D. Clerk S/ Thos. Hill For Peter R. Garritt, Clk

Source: Transcribed by Will Graves http://www.southerncampaign.org/pen/w663.pdf