| The American Revolution - The Southern Campaign |
This page will be used to hold those pension statements that we come across having to do with the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionar War. For historical research, these statements fall in the company with other source documents such as military records, memoirs, and letters. |
| James Cassada - Initial Statement 23 July 1844, Revised Statement 30 November 1844 |
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Pension Application of Andrew Ferguson: S32243 Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris Monroe County} On this 16th day of August 1838 personally appeared in open Court before the Probate Judge of Monroe County now sitting Andrew Furgison a resident of said county of Monroe and State of Indiana aged Seventy Three years July last who first 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 June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States with the following named officers and served as herein stated. From a colored man. I was born in Dunwidie County Virginia (sic: Dinwiddie County VA) Free and was seventy three years old July last and at fifteen years of age I was drafted into the service of the United States by General Green (sic: see note below) who was at that time (the first of January 1780) in Dunwidie County Virginia. Two weeks previous to my being drafted I in company with my father (Andrew Perley as he was called) was taken prisoner by the British under John and James Cuglie(?). We ran away from them because the whiped us with the Cat-o-nine Tails and fell in with the American soldiers under Green. Gen. Green toled us that if the British ever got us again they would kill us and he had better draft us and so he (illegible word) out of a little box black Tickets and he told us we should go with him and must fight the British. I was then put under the immediate command of Captain William Harris, and Colonel William McCormick and stayed under their command and in this company during most of the time I was out. The first engagement I was at was the Battle at Allegany-. Col. Morgan (sic: Daniel Morgan) was there. Col. McCormick and Captain Harris. The British commanders who had taken us prisoners were there also. Jack Head our drummer was with us all the time. I was well acquainted with him but know not what has become of him. The next place if I remember right was King's Mountain away down in North (sic) Carolina. We got to that battle when it was nearly over. We whipt the British badly who were commanded by Major Fergison (sic: Patrick Ferguson). I do not recollect at this time the name of any of the American Commanders except Col. Campbell (sic: William Campbell) Sevier (sic: John Sevier) and Cleveland (sic: Benjamin Cleveland). I saw at Kings Mountain a Tory they called Bill Cunningham (sic: probably William "Bloody Bill" Cunningham) kill an American in two hundred yards of us- he was on horse-back and then made off. This Battle was fought some time in October 1780. I was at Camden in South Carolina previous to engagement at Kings Mountain, but was not in the action. Col. Morgan was at Kings Mountain and after the Battle he marched us down into South Carolina to the River Pacolet not far from the Cow-Pens, as he said to join Green (sic: Nathanael Greene) but I did not see Green there. While we were at the River Pacolet- the British Col. Tarltin (sic: Banastre Tarleton) came upon us and Col. Morgan marched us up towards the Cow-Pens but before we got there we made a stand and whiped the British completely this took place I think some time in the month of January 1781. Immediately after this Battle we started back to North Carolina. I recollect of Marion (sic: Francis Marion) and Col. Washingtons (sic: Lt. Col. William Washington) being at the Battle of Pacolet (sic: Battle of Cowpens) also Col. William Howard (sic: Lt. Col. John Eager Howard?) and Col. Pickens (sic: Andrew Pickens). On our (word illegible) back through Carolina the British under Tarlton pursued us and were prevented from overtaking us by the high waters. At Guilford (sic: Guilford Court House) we fell in company with Green (sic: Nathanael Greene) and Huger (sic: Isaac Huger) and then went on to Virginia across the Dan was some time in February we did not stay long in Virginia until we went Back into North Carolina about ten or fifteen miles from Guilford at some bodies iron works (sic: Speedwell Furnace) on Troublesome Creek from there we marched in about two miles of Guilford and there we had a battle with Cornwallace (sic: Cornwallis) and after the battle was over we went back to the iron works. I was wounded in the head at Guilford and stayed about a month at the iron works. This battle was some time in March 1781. I recollect that a man by the name of Ater(?) Traverse(?) from Dunwidie County was wounded at the Battle of Guilford also. I was well acquainted with him. Gen. Green made a speech to us at Guilford. Gen. Steven (sic: Edward Stevens) Lawson (sic: Robert Lawson) and Huger were there and Col. Lee (sic: Henry Lee) and Washington. I was afterwards ordered back to South Carolina and we had an other fight at the Cow-Pens (sic: see note below) and stayed there a month or perhaps more and then we went to the Eutaw Springs and there we fought our last Battle. Col. Morgan was there Gen. Green and my Captain and Colonel. This Battle was some time in September I think as well as I recollect. There I was discharged and Gen. Green said he would take all our names down and we should get our pay he gave me some kind of a ticket or other which I have long ago lost. After I was discharged I went back to the Iron Works in North Carolina and my head got worse and I stayed there some time and was attended on by Doctor Harris and Doctor Lidny and Mr. Lurgioen (?) sent one of his sons for me and I got home again on the last of November 1781. I have no documentary evidence of my service unless my name is enrolled among the Troops of Virginia and I know of no person living by whom I can prove my actual service whose testimony I can produce. He hereby relinquishes any claim whatever to a pension or anuity.. Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Andrew his + mark Ferguson NOTES: Andrew Ferguson is listed as follows in federal censuses for Monroe County IN: 1830: age 55-100, Free Colored Person 1840: age 82, veteran of the Revolutionary War living with a white family 1850: age 95, Black, and born in VA. A voucher in the pension file states that he died Sept. or Oct. 1856. Gen. Nathanael Greene's trip through Virginia to take command of the southern army did not occur until late in 1780. The "Gen. Green" who drafted Andrew Ferguson and his father in Jan 1780 may have been Col. John Green of the 10th Virginia Regiment. I read the name of Andrew Ferguson's father as Andrew Perley, but the surname is spelled Peeleg in other accounts. He is often said to have fought at Cowpens and elsewhere, but that is apparently only inferred from the present pension application. The Jack Head referred to as a drummer at Cowpens may have been John Stromatt Head. See pension application S6995. Ferguson referred to a second battle at Cowpens between the Battles of Guilford Court House and Eutaw Springs. Instead of Cowpens he presumably meant Camden, referring to the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill. |
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(Regarding: James Mastin Williams)
REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION W. 6505 State of Virginia Pittsylvania County, to wit, On this sixth day of September 1832 personally appeared before me Stokley Turner a Justice of the Peace for the County of Pittsylvania and State aforesaid James M Williams a resident of said county and state aforesaid, aged 69 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 entered the Service of the United States as a volunteer, and marched from Peytonsburg, in the County of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, in a Company which was commanded by Capt Stephen Coleman in the month of February 1781 to Halifax Old Court House, and from there we crossed Dan River at Irbins (? Illegible) Ferry and soon after joined Genl' Greens Army and marched in the State of N. Carolina and continued with him until some time in the month of March 1781. Capt Coleman and the most of his Company were discharged at the high rock in Rockingham County N.C. after which I entered the Service of the United States as a substitute for my Brother John Williams who was a drafted soldier in Captain William Dix's Company, attached to the Regiment commanded by Col. Nathaniel Cook (? Illegible) in Genl' Stephens Brigade, Genl' Stephens was wounded in the Battle at Guilford. The Americans were defeated and retreated to Troublesome Iron Works and rendezvoused at that place. I marched from there in the said company with Capt. Dix. Commanded by Colo. Cook (? Illegible), Genl' Green - & I believe Genl' Lawson, to Ramsey's Mill on Deep River where many of the Militia were discharged. I was discharged near that place, about the last of March 1781 Then joined Captain Mortons Company - and came as a guard with some British Prisoners that were taken at the said mills to Halifax Court House and delivered them to the Jailer of Halifax County Virginia. The time of service rendered was at least 6 or 7 weeks. My discharges are lost and cannot be found I have no documentary evidence but the service rendered is proved by Robert Ferguson and (blank) who were soldiers with me in the service at the same time. In the month of July 1781 I enlisted with William McCraw, Deputy Quarter Master for the Southern Army at Peytonsburg, Pittsylvania County Virginia for twelve months and was employed the whole time as a carrier of Public Dispatches & after the term for which I enlisted, had expired, I still remained in the public service for some time. I was employed to take 56 horses from the County of Cumberland in the state of Virginia and carry them to Ashley Hill, in the State of South Carolina. I did so, and delivered them to Edward Carrington, who was Quarter Master General, for the Southern Army. The whole time of service rendered in the Revolutionary War was at least fifteen months. I have no discharge that can be found but the service rendered under this enlistment is proved by Robert Ferguson who enlisted in the service with me. I was born in the County of Pittsylvania in the State of Virginia in the year 1763. My age is recorded in a Family Bible, that is now in my possession. I lived the County of Pittsylvania when I entered the service of the United States, I lived in the same county when the war ended, and have lived in that county ever since. I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. (Signed) JMWilliams |
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FURGURSON, ISAAC
Private, Virginia Militia $30.00 Annual Allowance $75.00 Amount Received August 28, 1833. Pension started at age 76 (1835 TN Pension Roll State of Tennessee) On this 10th day of September 1832 personally appeared in open court before Mr. Thomas Stuart, Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court of Williamson County, in the State of Tennessee, Isaac Furgurson aged [?] years, a resident of said County and State, who being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration […section illegible…] in his 20th […] in 1779 as a volunteer under Captain James Turner. Governor Dunmore on the breaking out of the war had returned to England and soon after came back again with a fleet and landed on Gwinn’s[?] Island. Capt. Turner marched him with the company against those British from Halifax County to Gwinn’s Island. His Lieutenant was Fleming Bates. There the company to which he belonged joined the forces collected from the different counties under Major (I think, Thomas) Nelson. He with the other men were set to work in raising fortifications opposite the Island in order to plant some artillery(?). After this about two hundred men, including this applicant, were stationed at these fortifications while the main body moved lower [down] the River in order to cross and move up and attack the British at a given time. At the time appointed the artillery men stationed at the fortifications commenced the cannonading, but from accident the men who had gone below did not cross soon enough to commence a simultaneous attack and the British retreated without suffering much damage. Our artillery Capt. in this action was killed with a bomb thrown by the Americans themselves. The next day Dunmore sailed up the Potomac as if to attack Baltimore but did not do it. He was marched then up the same River to a place called Cherry Point where he arrived after two or three days. He had not been [there] more than a day or two when Dunmore sailed down with his fleet by him and escaped and he was pursued no further. He was then marched back home and got a discharge from Capt. Turner for three months tour, which discharge he does not recollect what has become of it. He went to school until the next summer of 1778 or ‘79 when a considerable force of the British having landed at Craney[?] Island on James River opposite Portsmouth in the neighborhood of which they were causing great ravage to the country, there was a call for volunteers and he entered a volunteer company commanded by Capt. Peter Rogers, several companies volunteering and some drafts men militia coming from the same county and of the same expedition against these British. He was marched accordingly from Halifax and down to Hampton. We then marched on and were landed at Portsmouth. After the forces were collected at Hampton, General Lawson commanded them. When he and the men with him had crossed over to Portsmouth, he then saw that the British had burned Norfolk. At Portsmouth and there about he lay for some time. His General watched the maneuvers of the British until they left those parts and he returned home getting a second discharge from Capt. Rogers for a three months tour of service. He does not recollect what became of it. He remained at home until 1781 when there was another call for men. The British had collected and garrisoned themselves at Ninety Six. He entered a company commanded by his old Capt. James Turner and was marched with the company from Halifax to Salisbury, the place of rendezvous where Major Ross, a Continental officer, took the command of the men and he was marched by him immediately to Ninety Six where Gen. Green commanded. He then was put to work laying fortifications and making entrenchments. This place was besieged for some time and one or two places of minor importance were taken, when Lord Rawden [w… a…g?] reinforcement compelled him to raise the siege. When Gen. Green raised the siege, he marched his men with this applicant northward and having crossed Broad River, he made a stand, the British being then on the opposite side. He then marched his men towards Camden, but before he got there he halted and sent his baggage with two or three hundred militia, of whom he was one, to the high hills of Santee. He was marched day and night over and thru dangerous routs and after a fatiguing march of several days he arrived a[t] the place where the baggage was to be left. Green in the meantime had fought the Battle of Eutaw Springs. He marched from the high hills of Santee to Salisbury where the prisoners taken at Eutaw had been sent, and this applicant and the militia who were with him commanded by Major Armstrong took charge of the prisoners and delivered [them] at a place called Halifax Old Town in Pittsylvania County. Thence he returned home receiving his third discharge for a tour of three months service. He was then employed by the Quarter Master William McGraw[?] to haul a load of provisions, ammunition & etc. to Salisbury. After that he was procured to take another load to Port Royal which was about two hundred miles. Then he took or was engaged to take a load of flour to headquarters then at Little York, but before he arrived Cornwallis surrendered. He was engaged in this business at least one month for which service he never received one cent. He was born in North Carolina, Edgecombe County. He volunteered every tour but the last, in which he was drafted. He was aquainted with Green, Ross, Nelson and Lawson who were with the troops with whom he served. I have a record of my age now in my possession taken from my father’s family bible. He has no documentary evidence except those he has named which are lost. He knows of no one in this county except Charles Pistole, who can testify to his services as stated. I have lived in Virginia, Halifax County until 1806 when I moved to Williamson County, Tennessee, where I now reside. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any State. [signed] Isaac Furgurson X his mark Sworn to and subscribed in Open Court 30 August 1832?[signed] Preston Hay, clk & etc. Widow’s Application (State of Tennessee, Circuit Court for said County Williamson County) July Term A.D. 1843. On this twentieth day of July A.D. 1843 personally appeared here in open court before the Honorable Samuel Anderson. Nancy Furgurson a resident of the said County of Williamson, aged near 80 years. Who being first duly sworn according to law doth make on her oath the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision through an Act of Congress passed July 7th, 1838 entitled “An Act … pensions to certain widows.” That she is the widow of Isaac Furgurson who was a Private in the Army of the Revolution in the State of Virginia and whose name is upon the pension roll for the agency of West Tennessee as a Revolutionary pensioner having been placed there in the year 1833 as appears from the original pension certificate which is now in her possession and which is dated the 28th day of August A.D. 1833. A copy of the same is here wit appended and marked A and made a part of this declaration. That this said Isaac Furgurson served several tours of duty as a private in the Virginia troops as she always understood from him in his lifetime. She understood from him that he lived in the County of Halifax in the State of Virginia when he entered the service and then had served a tour of nine months before his intermarriage with her. After their intermarriage he served another tour of six months. He entered the service this last time in said county of Halifax sometime in the early part of the year 1781. The declarant is unable to give a detailed statement of the incidents and events of the several tours of service of said Isaac Furgurson. But she supposes such incidents and events are fully stated in the declaration of said Isaac Furgurson which is now on file in the proper office. She further declares that she was married to said Isaac Furgurson on the 27th day of October 1779 in the said County of Halifax in the State of Virginia and that her said husband died on the 2nd day of September A.D. 1841 in the said County of Williamson. The only record she has or knows of her marriage with said Isaac Furgurson is an entry in their family bible, which entry is in the file owning words and figures “to wit Isaac Furgurson and his wife Nancy was married October 27th, 1779.” This entry is as the declarant believes in the hand writing of said Isaac Furgurson. She further declares she was married to said Isaac Furgurson before he performed his last tour of service and previous to the first of January 1794, viz. at the time above stated, and she removed with her said husband from Halifax County in the State of Virginia in the year 1806 and settled in said County of Williamson in which County she continued to live with her said husband until his death at the time above stated and where she still resides. She further declares that she has never intermarried with any other since the death of her said husband but has remained and still is a widow. And that her said marriage with said Isaac Furgurson took place before he performed his last tour of service above mentioned. Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written before Mark L. Andrews, Clerk of said Circuit Court for said County of Williamson in Open Court. [signed] Nancy Furgurson X her mark; M.L. Andrews, Clk. |