Pension Application of Alexander Stewart: W8763

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

 

State of Ky}

Bourbon County}

On this 30th day of Nov’r 1833 personally appeared before me Elias Darnall a Judge and Justice of the peace in and for the county court in the county aforsaid Alexander Stewart aged 72 years who being first duly sworn doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed 7th of June 1832 — That he entered the service of the U. S. under the following names officers and served as herein stated

            He says he was born in the year 1761– the month not recollected having lost his record but knows his age from the age he was when he entered the service in 1779 in the fall he thinks 19 years of age. And in the fall of 1779 he thinks in Sept– In the month and year he says he entered the service of the U. S. as an eighteen months man in the State troops of Virginia under Capt Tho’s. Boyer [sic: Thomas Bowyer] from the County of Botetort [sic: Botetourt]  Rendezvoused at the county seat of said County. he says he then marched on to Hillsborough in N. Carolina and at this place he joined the general army at Hillsborough  remained at that place some time and the ensuing summer we marched through the country of South & North Carolina untill the spring of 1781– in that spring he thinks in the month of March he was [two words illegible] to go on an tour[?] to Guilford [probably Guilford County NC] under col [William] Washington which he did and left the general Army and was then put under Capt Hufman [sic: probably Huffman] and marched on to the neighborhood of Guilford and in March 1781– he thinks on the 16th the Battle took place [sic: Battle of Guilford Court House, 15 March 1781] at that place  here he was taken and made prisoner he says his capt was killed at this battle not more than ten steps from him  he was paroled and sent home  his time having been nearly out perhaps lacked a few days. — He states he then returned home & so continued  those are his services as nearly as he can state being very old and infirm and has lost his memory perty much and consequently many of the particulars of his services has escaped his recollection  He says he moved from Botetort Virginia to Ky Madison Co. moved from thence to Fayette from thence to Bourbon & here he says he resides at this time — He has said when he was born and the year. He has no record of his age – He has stated where he was living when he was entered into the service. He says he volunteered in the line of Va as an 18 mo’s. man as before  He says he says he remembers general Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] well  he also remembers G. Stephens [sic: probably Gen. Edward Stevens] from Va  Col Washington and others — He says he never got a discharge owing to his having been taken prisoner and sent home on parole  He says he never had a commission — He says he knows of John Rash a clergyman and Robt Lackey both of whom resides in my neighborhood and testify of to my character for veracity and my reputation as having been a soldier of the revolution – he says he has no documentary evidence nor does he know of any person by whom he can prove them — He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforsaid

 

NOTES:

            The file includes the pension application made in Bath County KY by Dorothy Stewart, aged 72, on 17 July 1840. She stated that she was the widow of Alexander Stewart, who she believed was in the battle of Brandywine [11 Sept 1777] and Guilford Court House and at the taking of Cornwallis at Yorktown [19 Oct 1781]. She further stated that she married Alexander Stewart on 20 Dec 1785 in Botetourt County VA, that they moved to Kentucky in the fall or winter of 1788, and that he died 24 June 1836. The file includes a family record with the following entries:

MARRIAGES

Alex’d. Stewart and Dorothy his Wife was Mared December the 20th 1785

BIRTHS

James Stewart Was Born Janery the 6th 1787

John Stewart Was Born February the 28 1789

Robert Stewart Was Born August the 18 1792

Janet Stewart was Born October the 7th Day 1796

Elizabeth Stewart Was Born May the 6th Day 1802

James G. Blythy Was Born October the 25th 1806

Alex’d. Stewart Son of James Stewart, Was Born November the 25th Day 1811

Janet Stewart was Born June the 5th day 1814

Other data on the family record are now missing or illegible, but are transcribed as follows in a typed summary in the file:

“Alexander Stewart, son of James, Born November 25, 1811

Janet             “        .......................       “   June 5, 1814

Alexander     “        .......................       “   August —, 1810 (blurred)

Ele?bath        “        .......................       “   April 27, 1812

Dorethy        “        .......................       “   April 6, 1814

Janey            “        .......................       “   January 6, 1816

Rathel           “        .......................       “   January 3, 1819

Isick             “        .......................       “   January –  1819(illegible)

Jon               “        .......................       “   ------------  4, 1823 (  “     )

William         “        .......................       “   May 14, 1832.

The following appears also, no relationship shown:

Hamelton Call  .............................   born  January 16, – (illegible)

Melaney(?) Call .............................       “    January 14, 1822

Patese (?) Call   .............................       “    October 7, 182–(illegible)

Alex. Call          .............................       “    February 14, 1826

James Call        .............................       “    November 9, 1829

Elebath Call                                      “    September 19 ---- (illegible)

Nimrod Call                                      “    March 9, 1832.”

            The typed summary gives Alexander Stewart’s date of birth as 25 Nov 1761 and states that he enlisted about 1 Nov 1779 for 18 months. It states that he was at the Battle of Cowpens [17 Jan 1781] and was captured at the Siege of Ninety-Six in South Carolina (22 May - 19 June 1781), rather than at the Battle of Guilford Court House.