Mcminn County Index of Pensioners
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Revolutionary War Pensioners of McMinn County Index of Pensioners: Allen, Benjamin Evans, Samuel Lusk, Joseph Riggins, John Allgood, John Forester/Forister, Robert May, John Roberts, Edmund Barnett, William Hale, William May, William Russell, Moses Benson, Spencer Hambright, John McAllister, William Sampley/Sample Jesse Bigham, Andrew Hamilton, James McClung, John Schrimshear, John Billingsley, Walter Hampton, William McCormick, Joseph Smith, Henry Blair, Samuel Hankins, James McCormick, Robert Smithhart, Darby Bradley, William Helton, Peter McMahan, Robert Snow, Ebenezer Brown, Benjamin Hughes, John McNabb, David Stanfield, James Broyles, Daniel Hyden, William McPherson, Barton Steed, Thomas Carruth, John Isom, Elijah Murphy, Edward Thompson, Thomas Carter, Charles, Sr. Johnston, Thomas Norman, William Walling (Walden), John Cochran, Barnabas Kelly, William Norris, John Ware, Rowland/Roland Coffey, Eli Kincanon, George Peters, William Weir, David Crye, William Lane, Isaac Price, Reese Witt, Burgess Cunningham, James Larrimore, Hugh Queener, John Witt, Earis (Eris, Aires,Ares) Curtis, John Lesley, Thomas Rector, Maximillian Young, Samuel Dodd, William Liner, Christopher Reid, David Douglas, Robert Longley, William Benjamin Allen Pension Application of Benjamin Allen R106 Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris State of Tennessee } SS McMinn County } On this 2 day of Dec’m. 1844 personally appeared in open nd Court before the worshipful County Court Mr Benjamin Allen a resident in the County and State aforesaid aged Eighty one 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 provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 That he entered in the Militia service in May 1780 in the Town of Staunton Augustia [sic: Augusta] County virginia under Captain McCamy [sic: John McCamey] and marched from Staunton to a place called Clover Lick on the Greenbrier River in said State of Va [in present Pocahontas County WV] and their built a block house for the purpose of guarding the frounteers from the Shawnee Indians and served Three months and their discharged by Capt McCamy and served the above tour as a substitute for his affiants Brother he further declairs that he entered the second time in the war of the Revolution September 1780 [sic: 1781] in Augusta County Virginia under Capt Allen and marched from Augustia County to Petersburg Va. and their joined Col Boyers [sic: Boyer’s or Bowyer’s] Regiment and about five weeks after affiant joined Col Boyers Regiment Col Boyer was broken of his Commission from Petersburg affiant was marched to Yorktown Virginia and was at the taking of Lord Cornwallace [sic: Cornwallis, 19 Oct 1781] and was discharged after serving in the aforesaid campaign three months making the service in all six month in the war of the Revolution Affiant further declairs his reasons for not making application sooner for a pension that he affiant was in good circumstances reverse of fortune has now rendered necessary to make this application He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an anuity except the present and he declairs that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency in any State Sworn to to and subscribed in open Court Benjamin hisXmark Allen [The following addressed to Jacob Newman of Knoxville TN] Staunton Jan’y. 21st 1845 Dear Sir, Your letter of date the 9th Inst reached me several days ago, since which time I have devoted several hours each day in search of the information which you desire, so far I have discovered nothing which would be of service. There is no record of the Militia drafts to be found in the clerks office, nor can I discover from an examination of the old acts of Assembly collected and published by Mr Henning under the name of “Hennings Statutes at Large” that any record of the drafts was required by law to be returned to the clerk’s office – I have examined the records of the Courts martials held in Staunton commencing in 1748 and running up to 1796 but I cannot find the name of Capt Camp [sic] or Capt Allen nor can I find the name of Benjamin Allen; from the said record it would appear there was a draft of Militia in January 1781 the following is the entry to wit “At a Court Martial held for the first Battalion of Augusta Militia for the trial of sundry delinquents for not appearing on the last draft of Militia in January 1781 & this 21st of May 1781 &c &c &c” It does not appear from said record that any draft was made in May 1781. I think it probable that there was a draft in September 1781 from the following entries on said Record made at a Court Martial held on the 13th day of March 1782 to wit – “Peter Alexander [see endnote] and Hugh Alexander of Capt Tates [William Tate’s] Company are both entry in said Record to wit “William Smith of Capt Buchannan’s [probably Patrick Buchanan’s] Company, for not appearing at the rendezvous under the command of Leuit Col [Samuel] Vance the 20th Sept 1781 is acquitted–“ I do not know whether the above extracts will afford you any clue to the investigation you are making if they should it will afford me pleasure if you can direct my attention to any other source within my reach which may enable me to find what you want, I will make the examination for you and communicate the result for I am always gratified to be able to serve an old acquaintance.[The rest of the letter not related to Revolutionary War.] With respects Yours &c Charles Kinney Page 1 NOTE: Peter Alexander’s pension application (W8323) states that he was drafted in May 1781. He would therefore probably not have been subject to being drafted in Sep 1781. acquitted for not appearing at the Rendezvous on the 20th Sept 1781;” on the 12th of Oct 1781 there is this John Allgood Pension Application of John Allgood W1350 Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris [Punctuation partly corrected.] State of Tennessee } Circuit Court. S.S. Monroe County } On this 26 day of November 1832 personally appeared in open Court, before the Judge of the Circuit Court now sitting, John Allgood a resident of McMinn County, Tennessee, aged 72 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 7 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That some time in the year 1778, the precise date not recollected, his father, Ishmael Allgood, was drafted for 18 months, to go to Gen’l. Washington’s Army; but, being troubled with the dropsy, he was unable to go, and applicant went for him. He (app’t.) was placed in the Company of Capt — Overton [Caleb Overton, according to his widow’s application for bounty land], which marched in a Regiment under Command of Col. Flemming [probably Fleming], from Meclenburg [sic: Mecklenburg] County Va, where applicant was born and still resided, to Washington’s Army, passing through Petersburg, Suffolk and Norfolk. They joined the Army, he thinks, in New York, not very far from Middlebrook [NJ], where the Army afterwards encamped and wintered. Early in the Spring the Army was marched from place to place, nothing occurring but small skirmishes, till June 29th [sic: 28th] 1778 when he was in the battle of Monmouth. In this battle he received a wound from a musket ball in the knee. The ball was extracted soon after the engagement was over, and Col. Haws [sic: Samuel Hawes] (under whom Col. Flemming’s Regiment was placed and fought) advised him to go into the hospital. But applicant thought he was able to march and preferred remaining in the Army to going into the hospital, where there were many sick of various disorders. On the next day he was in a small skirmish which occurred with the British & Washington’s Army, his knee not giving him much inconvenience for ten days, since when it has at time been very painful until this time. He was in the main army, which was marched from place to place and wintered at Middlebrook, till his fathers 18 months term expired. Some parts of the Army occasionally engaged in skirmishes, but applicant was in none other than those mentioned. In addition to the Officers mentioned before, applicant remembers Gen’l [Anthony] Wayne, who he thinks commanded the right wing at the battle of Monmouth. As to the Continental & Militia Regiments he has no distinctive recollection. Applicant was discharged near Middlebrook, and Lewis Green, Orderly Sergeant in Overton’s Company, and one of Applicants mess, got a discharge for 6 men – viz. applicant and the rest of his mess, who, as they all lived in Mclenburg County Va, thought one discharge would be enough, and save time. Applicant has never seen said discharge since, and Lewis, who had it, moved off he does not know where. — Soon after applicant reached home, some time in the year 1779 [see endnote], he was drafted for six months to go against the British who were about Portsmouth Suffolk &c. He went from McLenburg County Va, where the Regiment Commanded by Col Flemming collected in the Company of Asa Oliver Capt, Edward Good Lieut, & John Bevil Ensign. Binns Jones was major, and Marcus General [sic: Marquis de Lafayette, often called simply “Marquis”]. Gen’l. Stuben [sic: Baron von Steuben] was also along. They did not join Washington’s Army this tour, but went and camped on James River.