Georgia
Oglethorpe County
On this third day of September eighteen hundred & thirty two personally
appeared in open court before the justices of the Inferior court of said county &
State while sitting for ordinary purposes Charles Strong, a resident of the said place
aged sixty nine years & eight months, 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 on the seventh of June of the present year entitled an act
supplementary to the act for the relief of certain surviving officers & solders of the
Revolution. That he entered the service of the United States against England in the war of
the Revolution under the following named officers & served as is hereinafter stated.
That he was born in Hanover county in the State of Virginia on the eighteenth day of
January seventeen hundred & sixty three, according to the account of his age that he
has always received from his parents & family. That he lived in Goochland county of
that State when he was called into the militia service in common with every other man of
that county cabable of bearing arms in January of the year seventeen hundred & eighty
one. The first tour of service which he performed was three months in its duration. The
regiment to which he belonged, the number of which he does not remember, was commanded by
Colonel Fleming & the Captain of his company was a gentleman by the name of Edward
Smith. He marched from Goochland to Richmond ~ crossed over to Manchester ~ & from
there to Cabin Point where he was stationed until he was discharged. There was not so much
as a skirmish during this tour. He never got what might in strictness be called a
discharge because his commanding officer told him if he got a receipt for his gun,
cartridge box &c that would answer --- all the purposes of a discharge.
In April of the same year he was drafted for three months but was not required to perform
but little more than about two months duty. The General under whose command he fell on
this occasion was John Nelson of Hanover County ~ his Captain was a gentleman by the name
of Miller. He marched from Goochland to Richmond & from there to the Malvern Hills
where he had some skirmishes with the British who had ---- some vessels before Cornwallis
had joined them. He also had another skirmish during this tour at Wares Landing twelve or
fourteen miles below Richmond where the British took every one of our small vessels.
Some time about the last of August or first of September of the same year he
was drafted again for three months and marched to Williamsburg. Here he laid about one
month & from there he marched to Little York. Most of his time in this tour was taken
up in performing guard duty. He also assisted in unloading our vessels loaded with
artillery, mortars, boombs, ------ landing on James River. Was busily engaged at York Town
during the whole siege & for a few days after the siege he guarded the country stores
~ thinks he did not perform more than about two weeks service in this last tour. He has no
documentary evidence by which he can support his claim. He has a brother living in Clarke
County in this State who can probably testify to a part or the whole of his service &
a sister who may remember something about it ~ their names are Robert Strong and Sarah
Thompson. Deponent will endeavor to obtain their affidavits & annex them to this
declaration. Deponent lived in Cumberland County Virginia for about fifteen years
immediately preceding his removal to Georgia & he has lived in Georgia ever since
1800, that is to say about thirty two years & he now lives in Oglethorpe County not
far from Cherokee Corner. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or
annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the roll of the agency
of any State in the Union.
Charles Strong
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year above written.
William H. Smith, Clk
We, Benjamin Blanton a clergyman residing in Oglethorpe county and Miller
Bledsoe, clergyman of the same place, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with
Charles Strong who has subscribed & sworn to the declaration; that we believe him to
be of the age therein stated, & that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood
where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution & that we concur in that
opinion.
Miller Bledsoe, MG
Benj. Blanton, MP
Sworn & subscribed the date aforesaid.
William H. Smith, Clk