State of Georgia
Madison County
Court of Ordinary Adjourned Term July 8th 1833
On this Eighth day of July in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and thirty
three personally appeared in open court before Robert Groves, Noah W. Pittman, John
Meroney and James Long, Justices of the Inferior Court now sitting as a court of Ordinary,
Joseph McDerment, a resident of Capt. Allen’s Company District of Georgia Militia in
the County of Clarke & State of Georgia, aged seventy six 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 in September 1777 a volunteer
as a private in the army commanded by General Scott in Capt. Pollard’s Company and
served a three month’s tour, to wit, from September until December following, making
the three months as aforesaid. This service was principally performed at Germantown under
Gen’l Scott as aforesaid. He also served a tour of six weeks under Capt. James -----
at Alexandria and at General George Washington’s residence in guarding those places
against Governor Dunmore. He cannot recollect the month nor the year when he performed
this tour of duty, but refers you to the time when Dunmore was doing so much mischief on
the inhabitants in that section of country. From the length of time and the consequent
loss of memory, this is the best showing he can make of this six weeks tour of duty. He
served a tour of duty of five months and a half at the siege of York and guarding the
prisoners after the surrender of Cornwallis. He entered this service on the eighth day of
July seventeen hundred and eighty one under Capt. Thomas Lewis, and served under Maj.
Rucker, Col. George West, Gen’l Wade & Gen’l Washington. After the surrender
of Cornwallis this deponent was detached with others to guard part of the prisoners taken
at the Siege of York ~ the prisoners were marched from York by Leesburgh to Noland’s
Ferry ~ and was discharged from said service the 25th December 1781 making the
five months and half as aforesaid and making the whole of his service ten months. He
served under the following named officers, to wit, the three months tour to Germantown he
served under Capt. Pollard, Col. Rumbly & Gen’l Scott ~ the six weeks tour under
Capt. ---- ~ the five months & half tour at the Siege of York under Capt. Thomas
Lewis, Maj. Rucker, Col. George West, Gen’l Wade & Gen’l Washington. He was
in no general engagement except the Siege of York, but in some skirmishes. He has no
discharge nor no documentary evidence, nor does he know of any person who can testify to
his services except the affidavit of Jacob Woolbright herewith enclosed. And from the
lapse of time and consequent loss of memory and the death and removal of most of those
persons with whom he was acquainted during the Revolutionary War, this is the best showing
he can make of his services. In October last when he made the first declaration (which has
been returned) he was living in Madison County ~ since which time he has removed just over
the line into Clarke County, but being about the same distance to the Court House in each
county and he being better acquainted in Madison than Clarke County, believed it would be
easier to obtain the necessary certificates in Madison County, having once made his
declaration there ~ is the reason he makes this declaration in Madison County.
In answer to the Interrogatories prescribed by the War Department and
propounded by the court, he answereth as follows, to wit,
Answer to 1st Inter: he was born in Bucks County Pennsylvania either
the 3rd or 23rd day of October 1756, as has been frequently stated
to him by his father.
Answer to 2nd Inter: he has no record of his age but believes that
he was born as stated in answer to first interrogatory.
Answer to 3rd Inter: he lived in Fairfax County Virginia when he
entered the service. He resided in Virginia until after the treaty of peace, he then
removed to Fairfield District South Carolina, thence to Wilkes County Georgia ~ thence to
Jackson County ~ thence to Madison County ~ thence into the edge of Clarke County where he
now resides.
Answer to 4th Inter: he volunteered.
Answer to 5th Inter: he was stated the names of the officers with
whom he served in his declaration which he prays may be taken in answer to this
interrogatory.
Answer to 6th Inter: he never received a discharge.
Answer to 7th Inter: he refers you to James Sanders, Maj. John Bone,
Kinchen Strickland, Whitmill H. Adare, and William Hodge.
He hereby relinquished every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the
present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Joseph McDerment
We Benjamin Brown a clergyman residing in the county of Madison & State of
Georgia and Whitmill H. Adare residing in the same hereby certify that we are well
acquainted with Joseph McDerment (who now resides in the County of Clarke) who has
subscribed & sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy six
years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he has formerly
resided to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Benjamin Brown, MG
Whitmill H. Adare
And the said court do hereby certify and declare their opinion after the
investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War
Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he
states, and the court further certifies that it appears to them that Benjamin Brown is a
clergyman and that Whitmill H. Adare who has also signed the same is a credible person and
that their statement is entitled to credit.
James Long, JIC
John Meroney, JIC
Robert Groves, JIC
Noah W. Pittman, JIC
Application for a Transfer
State of Georgia
County of Madison
On this twenty fifth day of March 1842, before me, the subscriber, a Justice of
the Inferior Court for the said County of Madison, personally appeared Joseph McDerment
who, on his oath, declares that he is the same person who formerly belonged to the Company
commanded by Captain John Pollard in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Rumbly in the
service of the United States; that his name was placed on the pension roll of the State of
Alabama from whence he has lately removed; that he now resides in the State (District or
Territory) of Georgia where he intends to remain, and wishes his pension to be there
payable, in future. The following are his reasons for removing from the State of Alabama
to the State of Georgia ~ In the first place, a pretended friend prevailed on him to
remove from the State of Georgia to the State of Alabama for the purpose of taking care of
deponent. As soon as he had obtained what effects deponent had, he was turned out of
doors. Deponent then had to return to Georgia to his children, where he now resides in
Jackson County Georgia with one of his sons.
Joseph (x) McDerment
Sworn to and subscribed before me, the day and year aforesaid.
James Long, JIC
Note: 1840 Census, Blount County, Alabama: Joseph
McDerment, age 83, Revolutionary Pensioner, listed in household of John Cook.
