"Washington Rallying the Troops at
Monmouth"
Painted by: Leutze
Found on the americanrevolution.org
website
John Fields
Pension
Excerpts from the
Revolutionary Pension application of John Fields,
Carolina Line, File #R3529 Microfilm Roll # 791
NOTE: By Submitter
The following is from
the Revolutionary Pension application of John Fields of
Perry Co. Kentucky. John's application was eventually rejected,
largely it
seems because John's exact length of service could not be
established. In the
process, however, a great deal of material was generated. I have
selected
those parts that I believe contain significant genealogical
information,
provide useful historical context or which gives insight into
understanding
John the man. While all this material is from John's own file, I
should point
out that information on John's application is also to be found in
the file of
William Cornett (and possibly those of other men from the Perry
Co. area).
Apparently, the same man, William Fulkerson, who assisted John's
family was
also helping other families and some letters he wrote refer to
several cases.
The documents in the file are written in long hand by several
different
people and are sometimes very difficult to read. I have tried to
some extent
to preserve the original gammer and spelling but for the sake of
clarity have
made some changes. In cases where I could not read complete words
I have
replaced them with {?}. Parts of words that were unclear are
replaced with
blanks. When I have some doubt but think I have deciphered the
word, it is
followed with (?) John and Polly were my four times great
grandparents. I
descend through their son Stephen who gave statements below.
Stephen married
Elizabeth Baily. Their oldest son was Mahlon who married Mary Ann
Fetzer.
Their eldest son was Anderson. His first wife was Clerinda Hall.
They had
eight children before she died, one of whom was my grandfather,
Corneilus T.
Fields. He married Laura Belle Hart and one of their seven
children was my
father William Pearl Fields.
Statement of John Fields:
State of Kentucky
Perry County
On this 8th of
February 1852 personally appeared before me
Probate Judge of Perry County and state of Kentucky John Fields a
resident of
said county and state aforesaid age eighty seven years old who
has been duly
sworn according to the law, doth on his oath make the following
deceleration
to obtain benefits of an act of congress passed on the 7 th day
of June 1832.
{?} {?} {?} {?} That he mustered and entered the service of the
United States
in February seventeen hundred and eighty one and served until the
10th October
1784, seventeen hundred eighty four, and that he served all the
time under the
following officers. Thomas Vincens was the captain of his
company, Samuel
Brasheres was the Lieutenant of his company and Andrew Hamma was
{?} of his
company. Col. Sevier had the entire command of all the soldiers
and men in
that country and at that time. My captain Thomas Vincens
discharged me at Bell
__________in North Carolina. That he at the time of entering the
service was a
resident of squabble state, State of North Carolina. Squabble
State was that
part of the territory that laid between what was called Walkers
Line and
Henderson's Line and if there was any country covering it at that
time, he
does not recollect it. That the company he belonged to was made
up and left
the neighborhood some months before he joined it. That their
operation was
mostly confined to the valley of the Holstin River as that was
then the western
frontier. Added also that forces under the command of Col. Sevier
was dispatched
to the settlements for the protection of the immigrants, that
they moved from
one place to another and in building block houses and forts. That
they built
(?) Shelby's Fort and Bledsoes (?) Fort. That the enemy consisted
of Indians,
Tories and fragments of Ferguson's army. That there was a certain
general as
he called himself that the settlers despised more than any other.
He was a
half-blood white and Indian and was called by the name of General
Binge and
that this is the same person who took Elizabeth Livingston, wife
of Peter
Livingston and after {?} taken to little Stony Gap. After the
skirmish with
Binge and the Butcher soldiers at Chicamago(?) there was recruits
sent out
for more men attached to col Sevier as we learned there was a
great many of
his men killed. That he volunteered to serve! throughout the war
and entered
the service as before stated. that he learned from Brashear that
his captain
Thomas Sawers had been killed early on in the fighting and that
he, Brashear,
acted as Captain until it was over That he was in the lookout
mountain battle
upon the bluffs of the Tennessee River and after that day Col.
Sevier
had the command, Col. Martin(?) also Samuel Brashear,
S____N____Elliott
and Buttler (?). Captain Buttler (?) was killed and so was
Elloitt, that this
battle was fought in the Fall (?) of 1783. Col. Sevier was in the
action and
was entirely victorious and this was the last battle of any note
that was
fought for some years. That he was not all the time engaged in
the regular
military forts and defense line but was in detached portions
defending the
different neighborhoods and families and the base of operation
included from
Shelby's fort to the Tennessee river, from 150 miles to 2 hundred
miles
backward and forward as the {?} demanded. That his captain
discharged him at
Bell_______n in the state of North Carolina but that if he did
give him a
written discharge he don't now recollect. That he is of the
impression that
he never got any a!s they had little to do with books papers or
writing and
there was but little mustering done and but little military
display. That he
entered the service in his 16 th or 17 the year and was born in
the year
1765 and as to the record of his age, he has none now nor to his
recollection
never had any {?}{?}{?}{?}{?} He hereby relinquishes(?) any claim
whatever to
a pension or annuity (?) {?}{?}{?} and he declares that he is not
on the
pension Rolls of any agency in the states of Kentucky, North
Carolina that is
for military service in the Old War or the Revolution.
his
John X Fields
mark
Statement of Polly
Fields:
State Of Kentucky
Perry County
Polly Fields states
upon her oath that she has been the wife
of John Fields for a great many years, that she lived with him
sometime before
the year 1800 until about fifteen years ago. She states from the
time she
married him that he often told about being in the old war and
described very
(?) frequently the battles, officers etc. He often spoke of Col.
Sevier, Col
Cleveland, Campbell Cristia and that he was in the battle of
King's Mountain,
Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga etc.. She states that Fields had a
long scar on
his head running back from his forehead lengthwise, perhaps 4
inches long. He
claimed to have been wounded in the hip. That he had been palsied
for at least
twenty years and that the last 15 years of his life he had but
little mind.
She states that she has not lived with him for the past 15 or 20
years but
she has lived about with her children. That she has not kept no
record of her
children's age --that she had by sd. Fields nine children and!2
are dead--that
Stephen Fields, Her son is the oldest. That she has never paid no
great deal
of attention to his descriptions and tales about the war but
knows very well
that he always claimed to have been in the war before the battle
of King's
Mountain. That several years ago she got a divorce of said Fields
owing to
his condition and some other causes, therefore she states as she
is informed
she could have no interest in the claim of him as the court will
not permit
her to have part as she is not his wife. That he died in 1852.
That he always
spoke of Stephen Fields being out.
Polly Fields
Personally appeared
before the undersigned a Justice o the peace of Perry
County Polly Fields and made oath to the foregoing statement as
being true.
That she is a woman of veracity and believes (?) would swear the
truth,
This 18 th of August 1853
Zachariah Morgan
Declaration as to the
heirs of John Fields:
State of Kentucky Perry County Oct.
I Jessie Combs clerk
of the county and Circuit courts of the said
county do hereby certify that the February term of the county
court of this
county held in the year 1853-- William Fulkerson of Proctor,
Owsley County
Kentucky was duly appointed the Administration of a John Fields
late of said
county deceased and said Fulkerson has filed a bond with
sufficient security
to perform the acts thereof and that on the 20 the day of July
1836 as appears
in the record that Polly Fields the wife of John Fields deceased
was by
decree of the circuit court divorced and such divorce has been
accordingly
filed (?). That from satisfactory proof also filed John Fields
left the
following heirs to wit Stephen, William, Lucy, Esau, Jacob,
Rachel, Sally,
and James and no widow.
In testimony Where of I have caused the seal office to be affixed
this
26 th October 1853 and subscribed my name to the same.
Jessie Combs, Clerk of the Perry Circuit and County Court
(Note: the following
is not in the pension application but is from the Perry
County Order Book 5, 1834-44, dated July 20, 1836.)
Polly Fields Complt vs
In Clm for a Divorce John Fields Deft
This day this cause came on to be heard upon the Bill and
Deposition and the court being sufficiently advised of the
previous orders
and decrees that the Complainant Polly Fields be divorced from
her husband
the Defendant John Fields.
First Statement of Stephen Fields:
State of Kentucky,Perry County
Stephen Fields states
upon his oath that he is 56 years old and
that he has been a resident of Perry County Kentucky for 46
years.
That his father John Fields filed papers for a pension in Feb.
1852 and died
the 23 rd of July 1852, That he was present when Judge Brashear
and the agent
Wm. Fulkerson came to his father's house to prepare his father's
papers. He
states that his father was so low and palsied that it was
impossible for him
to talk plain and the Agent spoke at the time that it was
impossible to
understand what he said. That he asked when the Declaration of
Independence
was published and when he was told then spoke and said that it
was about seven
years after that the he entered the service. That he was wounded
in the
shoulder and was also shot through the hip by a bullet which made
him a
cripple all his life. That he always claimed to have served six
years and
served until peace was made. That he claimed to have been at the
Moravian
town when Cornwallis landed. That he claimed to have been at the
battle of
King's Mountain and often described how during the battle
Furgerson was killed.
Tha!t Furgerson was killed by Col. Joseph Lewis---and he took
Furgerson's
clothes and sword. That a woman Furgerson was keeping told the
American
officers that Furgerson had his sword in his left hand and had
been wounded
in his right arm before that time. That he always spoke of Col
Cleveland and
that he was present when Col. Cleveland had Daniel Wells hung as
a Tory.
That Captain Martin, Captain Cloud (?), Captain Knighting was
gone from the
neighborhood, the Tories came in, robbed (?) and killed a boy
came and let
the Whig Captains know and they then returned and caught Wells
and hung him
by order of Col. Cleveland.. That my father always claimed to
have been used
by the Col. of his regiment to bear dispatched from one place to
another as
he had been raised in the Indian country and was used to an
Indian life. That
Solomon Blair some years ago living in Alabama who was a soldier
with my
father, hearing that my father was intending to apply for a
pension, made out
a statement and swore to the same, which statement has been lost.
That there
has been many persons to see his father in order to attend to his
business.
He states that when he went to the Moravian town or some town
called
Hossertown (?) the Tories took his horse, a grey horse, and kept
him a short
time and returned him. That his father always told him when he
was to bear a
dispatch it was placed in his sock next to his foot and often
searched(?) by
the Tories but never found anything out. That he always told him
his brother
Stephen Fields was a soldier with him but not all the time in the
same
regiment. That his father had a very long scar on his head and he
always said
it was done by a sword. That for fifteen years he had been badly
palsied and
the last 2 or 3 years of his life so much so that he could not
eat himself
and was perfectly helpless as much as a child. And Judge Brashear
when he
signed his statement held his body and the agent his hand. That
he has no
hesitancy in saying that his father was not less than 90 years
old when he
filed his statement and at the time of his statement of Feb. 1852
he was
wholly unable to tell anything correct. That he always claimed of
entering
into the service at fourteen years old and serving during the war
which he
said was six years. That he never had no record of his age nor
his children.
That he had nine children and seven living. That if all his
father knew about
the old war was published it would make a large volume. He always
connected
his brother Stephen with most all his facts.
(25 th Jan 1853) Further Saith not
his
Stephen Fields
X
mark
Stephen Fields
appeared before me Probate Judge of Perry County and swore to
and made his mark to the above statement and also certify that he
is a man
that can be relied upon oath and also has no doubts as to John
Fields' claim
and that he served in the old war. That I was present when the
Agent took his
statement . He was too low to make a proper or correct statement.
His voice
was too weak and his speech had almost left him. I held his body
while the
Agent held his hand and would further state that he had been
palsied for at
least fifteen years and was a cripple, counting from my own
recollection his
children and othercircumstances I could not place him less than
90 years old
when he died. Given under my hand this 25 th day of Jan 1853
R.S. Brashear
Probate Judge
Second Statement of Stephen Fields:
State of Kentucky Perry County S Ct (?)
This 10 th day of October 1854
Personally appeared
before me the undersigned Probate Judge of Perry
County Stephen Fields and made oath in due form of the law that
he is a
resident of said county and the son of John Fields late of this
county who
died the 23 rd of July 1852 and was an Applicant for a pension
under the act
of July 7th 1832. That he was present when the first agent took
his statement
in February 1852. That his father nor him ever saw the Agent
before and that
he and Judge Brashears was not there more than one hour and that
he said the
statement would be a great Accident if it proved to be correct as
he was
wholly in competent to give anything correctly as he could not
hold himself
still at no time or in no position whatever. His speech had been
injured for
years. That his father was scarified on his head, hip and hand.
That one of
his fingers was useless and for many years was disabled in his
hip. He is
very sertain that about twenty years ago his father had papers
prepared for
a pensi!on and he thinks it was done by Alexander Pontic Sen. But
in this he
is not Sertin. Pontic is now in Ilons(?) and has been for twelve
or fifteen
years. He recollects perfectly well that a man by the name of
Blair(?) gave
his affidavit in behalf of his father about the time of his first
application.
That he has never been in the condition to attend this business
for at least
20 years before his death. That his father was a dissipated man
and drank to
excess whenever he could get it, this habit he said he acquired
while in the
army. He was all so a lover of the roads. That he was no scollor.
He thinks
one time he had a Record (?) written down of his fathers family
but now it is
lost. He thinks his father was born on the 28 the day of December
in the year
1763 and he him self was born on the 20 th day of October in the
year 1797.
That the agent told him and his father while they was at his
house when his
fathers statement was taken and in the presence of Judge Brashear
that he
must ! not put in his declaration no opinions and no thinks sos
but must fix
a time when he entered and when he was discharged as the Law
requires it. that
he was present when his father appeared in the Perry county court
and was
examined by said court and was sworn to a declaration which was
handed over
to the clerk of this court. that this was in the spring of 1834
or 5. That he
has reason to believer that the said declaration is in the clerks
office and
that said that he makes this Affidavit in order that the office
in the town
of Hazard may be examined to see whether his fathers old papers
can be found
or not as he has been informed that his fathers claim has been
rejected on
the account of his last statement not agreeing with the payments
made to him
that appear on th pay register at Raleigh N.C. that he is
interested to the
extent of {?}{?}{?}. That he humbly asks the commissioner of
Pensions to
receive and file this affidavit and if the old papers can be
found of his
fathers to receive and file them as well.
his
Stephen Fields
X
mark
Personally came before
me the undersigned Probate Judge of the said county
Stephen Fields and made oath to the four going statement and that
I further
sertify that he is a man of truth and is to be relied on under an
oath. Given
under my hand this 19 th day of October 1854
John Hyden P.J.P.C.
Statement Of Margaret Brashers:
Margaret Brashers
states upon oath that she is a
pensioner of the United States at the rate of $ [this was left
blank] dollars
per annum and is a resident of Perry County and has been for many
years.
That she is the wife of Samuel Brashers a private in the
Revolutionary War at
one time and she understood at another time was a Lieutenant.
That she was
bon on the 18th of August 1762. That she has known John Fields
deceased for
a long time and that she has heard him very often speak of John
Fields being
a soldier in the old war and was out with him before {?}. That
she lived in
Squabble State, N.C. during the war, that part of the territory
embraced
between the Hinderson and Walker's line and that most of the
people in that
part of the country had to fort except those that was in the
service. That
all the boys that could hold up a gun was compelled to go in the
service.
That most all forted in Selby's fort on the Holstin River. That
John Fields
was generally considered to be the most talked of in those days
in defending
the frontier settlements from Indian degeridations (?), that he
was considered
the fastest man in the whole country so much so that the Indians
could not
catch him at all. That he was a spare made man, trim and active.
That the
first time she saw him was during the year that the Battle of
King's Mountain
was fought. That Fields came into the fort with some other men.
That she
recollected him always afterwards. She often heard her husband
and Fields
talk about the old war before she came to Kentucky 40 years ago.
That she
knew Fields from the time he came to Selby's fort until he died
in Perry
County KY. She is certain it was in the year 1780. That he was a
cripple for
years and badly palsied. That she has no doubt that Fields was
about her age
if not older. That he was a man of weak mind and prided in his
activity and
fun in his younger days.
Further saith not her
Margaret Brashers
X
mark
Statement of John
McQueen:
State of Kentucky (this 10 th of December 1853) Estill County
John McQueen states
upon his oath that he is not less than ninety
years of age but don't know the precise time he was born but was
born on
little river in the state of Virginia and removed to North
Carolina by his
father at a time when he was quiet young. That he has known John
Fields of
Perry County Ky since they was boys together. That his father
lived on the
north fork of the Holstin River close to the Fields and so lived
until the
close of the revolution. This John Fields applied for a pension
several years
ago as he understood and sent word for his statement on his
behalf but he
never got it. That John Fields was about the age of the affiant
but he,
Fields, entered the service before he did. That Fields at one
time belonged
to the company of Captain Sawyers and at another time to the
company of
Captain Vincens (?) and under Col. Sevier. That he belonged to
the company of
Captain North (George he thinks) and was under Col. Campbell or
Camel and
John _____land his captain. ! That he was in the battle of King's
Mountain
and so was John Fields. That Col. Ferguson was pointed out by
someone who
said he used his sword in his left hand and caused to be shot by
order of
Col. Campbell. That Campbell after the battle had all the Tories
hung and
killed and intended to kill all until prevented by the other
officers. that
John Fields who applied for a pension in the county of Perry and
who died as
he understands in the year 1852 went out 3 or 4 times in the
service of the
United States before the Battle of King's Mountain. That the
reason he well
knows the service is that most all the soldiers was mustered into
the
service at forte Shelby or Selby which was called before that
time Old Block
House afterwards rebuilt and called fort Selby after General
Shelby or Selby.
That this part of North Carolina was called Squabble State. That
just before
the Battle of King's Mountain there was forted in the old Block
House the
following families Hackers, Fields, Easker (?) ! Combs and
Brasheres, the
father of Samuel Brasheres. Samuel was out also. Question. State
how long
John Fields was out. I can't say the precise time but I can
safely state that
he was out in all not less than two years but his best impression
is that he
was out longer. That he at one time belonged to the same regiment
that Fields
did, that of Col. Sevier. He was acquainted with Col. Camel, Col
Cleveland,
Sevier, Shelby. That Fields was wounded on the head by a cutlass,
a short
sword, during the battle of King's Mountain.
That he has had several persons to undertake to get him a pension
but he has
never been able to get the matter before the Commission.
He therefore states that he has no interest in the claim of sd
Fields
whatsoever nor fee, nor reward nor is he akin to him. That he now
resides in
the county of Estill Ky but formerly resided in Clay &
Owsley--they adjoin
the county of Perry. He thinks he came to Kentucky about the time
the first
Constitution was formed and Isaac Shelby was the first Governor.
Further saith not
his
John McQueen
X
mark
Statement of Nicholas Combs:
State of Kentucky
Perry County
Nicholas Combs Senior
states upon his oath that he is a resident of said
county and that he is upwards of ninety years of age. He states
that several
years ago he had papers filed under the act of Congress [in
margin: Act 1828]
passed June 7 th 1832. That his papers were prepared by Elisha
Smith and the
he had his discharge and gave his discharge to James Love (?) to
take to
Washington City as he was then Congressman. He states that he
always had his
discharge up until he gave it to love and that the discharge read
that he was
discharged during the war and signed by capt William Lewis and
Col. Matin
Armstrong.
He states that he has
known John Fields (who was a resident of this county)
for many years and states the he has known him since they were
young men
when the Revolution was in progress he states that they were
residents of
North Carolina and he was in Dunsmoore County Virginia when
Cornwallace was
taken at Little York. That John Fields of this county has a short
time ago
applied for a pension and that he died, perhaps July 1852. That
the same
John Fields was to his own knowledge a soldier in the
Revolutionary War and
so was Stephen Fields his brother. That John had gained a
considerable
reputation in the war before the capture of Ferguson at King's
Mountain.
That said Fields was at the hanging of the Tories on the Yadkin
river when
Wells, Thomas Roberts and St____ine were hung. And this was
before the Battle
of King's Mountain were fought. Fields was a man who had a
character for being
an Indian fighter and tory. I understood from my associate
soldiers that Col
Lewis or Capt Lewis selected 5 or 6 of his best riflemen and
pointed to
Ferguson and told them he had to fall. They all shot and several
balls hit
him. Ferguson at that time used his sword in his left hand as he
had been
wounded previously in his right arm. He was close to the
neighborhood when
the battle took place. Fields claimed to have been in that battle
and was
wounded in the hip on that day. He was a cripple for several
years of his
life and originated in the hip. He was also badly palsied and
remained so for
a long time. That his wife left him perhaps fifteen years ago
owing to his
condition. That he has heard Fields very often give a history of
his service
in the old war and many long descriptions of his hardships,
battles, officers,
starvations, Indians, tories, etc. but I have forgotten a great
deal of my
past history and past events. That he would get drunk, cry and
talk. He stated
he did not belong to the same company with Fields but at
different times saw
Fields in the service! as they were defending the frontier from
the Indians
and Tories. That he has known Fields from that time until he
died. That Fields
some years ago as he learned applied for a pension and about that
same time
that defement(?) died. That Fields often spoke of Col. Cleveland
as Cleveland
had the tories hung on the Yadkin river. Spoke of General
Campbell having the
tories hung at King's Mountain after the battle was over. Spoke
of Col. Sevier.
Claimed Capt. Sawyer at one time being his captain and capt Thos
Vencens at
another * That Fields at his death was about the age of the
despondent but
had little mind of his later years and had entirely lost the use
of himself.
Don't know how long he was in the service nor don't know when he
was discharged
nor when he entered the service. He states he saw him in the
service before
the Battle of King's Mountain on several occasions. That he had
gained
considerable character about the time he saw him.
He thinks the battle of King's mountain was fought in the year
1780. He states
he is no relation to Fields nor has he any interest in the claim
of Fields
directly or indirectly
This 17 th August 1853
His
Nicholas X Combs
mark
* [written in margin
along the right side and top of page, presumably to be
inserted at the *] and captain Shane(?) and capt. Stark at
another. He thinks
that Capt Shane was from Surry Co. The old Block house known as
Selby's fort
was in Wilkes County Squabble State embraces Wilkes and Surry and
laid
towards Salisbury(?) when at Jonesbourgh.
BAR GRAPHICS BY 
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