State of Georgia
County of Madison
Court of Ordinary, January Adjourned Term 1833
On this fourteenth day of January in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and
thirty three personally appeared before in open court before Robert Groves, John Meroney,
Noah W. Pittman and James Long, Justices of the Inferior Court now sitting as a court of
Ordinary, Robert L. Tait, a resident of Capt. Morgan’s Company District of Georgia
Militia in the County of Madison & State of Georgia, aged sixty seven 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 under the following named officers & served
as herein stated, to wit, he entered as a substitute for John Johnson the balance of
eighteen months service under Capt. Dunham and served eight months ~ this service he
entered in November or December 1780. About the month of August or September seventeen
hundred and eighty one he enlisted under Capt. John Anderson for a term of service of
three years or during the war from which service he was discharged in the Fall season of
the year seventeen hundred and eighty three shortly after peace was ratified. When as a
substitute under Capt. Dunham in Col. Campbell’s regiment which he joined at
Chesterfield court house in Virginia he marched to Hawe River North Carolina where he
joined General Greene. He then marched in pursuit of the British army and overtook a part
of said army and had a skirmish at Ramstours Mills on deep river. From thence to Camden
still under the command of of Gen’l Greene ~ when Gen’l Greene came in view of
Camden finding no advantage could be taken he marched around and got on the Charleston
Road. Once circumstance he relates ~ a party of British and Torys had entrenched near
So---- Mills. Col. Campbell obtained leave to take a party of men and route them. This he
did so effectually that he nearly destroyed the whole of them. Gen’l Greene marched
back again near his first station, but having no field pieces was unwilling to engage
them. The day before the engagement a Drum Major deserted and informed them of the
situation of Greene’s army. They marched out in columns to engage his army. About
that time some artillery arrived which, being discharged upon them with grape or canister
shot, destroyed a number of them. He was then marched after Rawden and engaged in some
skirmishes to the battle of euclaw springs. In this engagement Col. Campbell was wounded
and died. These were the principal engagements, but remained under the command of
Gen’l Greene in the Southern army until discharged in 1783. He knew Col. Greene, Col.
Hawes, under whom he served after the death of Col. Campbell. When he enlisted he was in
Col. Hawe’s regiment. He knew Gen’l Huger, Maj. Perkins was adjutant. He has
lost or mislaid both of his discharges. He has no documentary evidence and knows of no
evidence he can procure who can testify to his services except the affidavit of William
Ward which he expects is on file in the War Department when he made application for a
pension on a former occasion which he begs may be taken with this declaration. When he
enlisted he was six feet two inches high ~ fair complected, and his name was entered on
the Muster Roll Robert Tait, the L was not inserted in his name, nor not known as a part
of his name, until a number of years afterwards, about the year 1790, when about to remove
to Georgia he found in his father’s register his name written Robert Lee Tait, since
which time he has written his name Robert L. Tait.
In answer to the interrogations prescribed by the War Department and propounded
by the court he answereth as follows, to wit:
Answer to first Interrogation: He was born in Hanover County Virginia the 27th
day of July 1765
Answer to second Inter: He has a record of his age at his own house
Answer to third Inter: He was living in Hanover County Virginia when he entered
the service and remained in Virginia until 1790 when he removed to Wilkes County Georgia,
from thence to Elbert County, from thence to Madison County Georgia where he now resides.
Answer to fourth Inter: He substituted at first for eight months ~ he then
enlisted for three years or during the war.
Answer to fifth Inter: He refers you to the officers already named ~ Col.
Greene commanded a regiment from Maryland. He has stated the principal circumstances of
his service in his declaration.
Answer to sixth Inter: He received a discharge for the first eight months from
Col. Campbell ~ for the balance of service he received a discharge from Capt. Johnston ~
both of which are lost or mislaid.
Answer to seventh Inter: He refers you to James Sanders, Edward Ware, Robert
Groves, Hiram Hampton, William Hodge, &c.
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 & year aforesaid.
Robt. L. Tait
I, Benjamin Brown, a clergyman residing in the County of Madison, and James
Griffith residing in the same, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Robert L.
Tait who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be
sixty seven years of age and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he
resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
Benj. Brown, MG
James Griffeth
Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of February 3rd 1853
State of Georgia
Madison County
On this the 11th day of July eighteen hundred & fifty three
personally appeared before the Inferior Court of said county of Madison Mary Tait, a
resident of said county aged about sixty five years, who being duly sworn according to
law, doth on her oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of
the provision made by the act of Congress passed on the 3rd day of February
eighteen hundred & fifty three. That she is the widow of Robert L. Tait, who was
placed on the pension roll 22nd of May 1833 under the act of the 7th
June 1832, & that he drew Eighty dollars per annum as a private in the Virginia
Malitia, that he was a citizen of said county of Madison, & that his pension was paid
at the agency in Savannah Georgia.
She further declares that she was married to the said Robert L. Tait on the 13th
day of August in the year eighteen hundred & forty, that her husband, the aforesaid
Robert L. Tait, died on the 15th day of May eighteen hundred & forty six,
that she was married to him at the time above stated.
She further swears she was a widow at the passage of the act & is still a
widow, & that she has never before made application for a pension.
Sworn to & subscribed in open court on the day & year aforesaid.
Mary (x) Tait
R. H. Bullock, JC
George Eberhart, JIC
Ranford E. Hitchcock, JIC
W. H. Griffith, JIC
Martin Deadwyler, JIC
Georgia
Madison County
I, Crawford M. Strickland, clerk of the Inferior court of said county, do certify that
Richard H. Bullock, George Ebberheart, Ranford E. Hitchcock, Walton H. Griffith &
Martin Deadwyler, whose names appear attested to the above declaration, are the judges of
said court. In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand & official seal this 11th
July 1853.
Crawford W. Strickland
Clerk of I. C.
Georgia
Madison County
I do hereby certify that in obedience to the above marriage license I have joined in the
Holy State of Matrimony Robert L. Tait and Miss Mary Long this 13th day of
August 1840.
Wilson J. Bird, JP
Georgia
Madison County
I, Rufus M. Merony, deputy Ordinary in and for said County and State ~
Do certify that the Marriage Certificate is a true copy of the record in the
Ordinary’s office of said County of the marriage of Robert L. Tait and Mary Long.
Given under my hand and seal of office this 11th day of July 1853.
Rufus M. Merony
D. Ordinary
Madison County
Ga
State of Georgia
County of Clarke
On this second day of April eighteen hundred & fifty seven, personally
appeared before me, Elizur L. Newton, a Justice of the Inferior Court for the County &
State aforesaid, Mary Tait aged sixty eight years, resident of Athens, Clarke County &
State of Georgia, who being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is the widow of
Robert L. Tait, deceased, who was a private in the revolutionary war, & that she is
the identical person who is now drawing a pension as the widow of said Robert L. Tait
under a warrant which is now in her possession to the effect following, to wit,
Department of the Interior
Widow’s Pension
I certify that in conformity with the 2nd section of the act of February 3rd
1853, Mary Tait, widow of Robert L. Tait who was a private in the Revolutionary war, is
inscribed on the pension list at the rate of eighty dollars per annum, commencing on the 3rd
of February 1853, continuing for life unless she should again marry, in which case the
pension is not payable after the time of such marriage.
Given at the Department of the Interior this eleventh day of November one thousand eight
hundred & fifty three.
R. McClelland
Secretary of the Interior
Said warrant is N 2853 & recorded in the Pension Office on the roll of
pensions under act February 3rd 1853, Page 155, Vol. A.
She further states that she is still the widow of said Robert L. Tait.
She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to
which she may be entitled under the act approved March 3rd 1855.
Mary (x) Tait
We, John S. Williford & Crawford W. Long, resident of Athens, Clark County,
Georgia, upon our oaths declare that the foregoing declaration was signed &
acknowledged by Mary Tait in our presence & that we know of our own knowledge that she
is the person she represents herself to be.
John S. Williford
Crawford W. Long
The foregoing declaration & affidavit were sworn to & subscribed before
me on the day & year above written, & I certify that I know the affiants to be
credible persons, the claimant is the person she represents herself to be, & that I
have no interest in this claim.
Elizur L. Newton, JIC
