Pension Application of John Burke: R1458

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

State of Indiana}

Clark County} Ss          Circuit Court  May Term 1834

            On this twenty first day of May one thousand eight hundred and thirty four personally appeared in open Court before the Judges of the Circuit Court within and for the County aforesaid now sitting John Burke a resident of Thomas Township in said County of Clark and State of Indiana aged seventy four years, who first being 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, and served as herein stated. viz

His first service was under Capt Frederic Edwards and Lieut John T Sawyer – Col [William] Campbell commandant. That at the time he entered the service, he resided on New River a branch of the Kanhawa [sic: Kanawha], in the County of Montgomery in the State of Virginia; he was a volunteer, and as he believes commenced his service a little before harvest of the year of the battle of Guilford Court House [15 March 1781]. That he marched under the officers aforesaid up New River into North Carolina against the tories, that in this expedition he was in no engagement, and that after serving about three weeks he was dismissed and suffered to return to his home. In the latter part of the same summer he again volunteered in the same company under the same officers. Colo [William] Preston, commandant, and was marched in detachment commanded by Lieut. Sawyer to guard some ammunition to near the head of Reed river in Montgomery County [sic: now Reed Creek in Wythe County]. Viz. that on this trip he served about three months and was discharged.

            About a week or ten days before Christmas of the same year he again volunteered in the service of the United States at his residence in Montgomery County aforesaid, under Capt James Montgomery, Lieut John T Sawyer. Commandant Lt Colo Walter Crockett; marched to the long islands of Holstion in Virginia as a plan of rendezvous preparatory to suppressing the Cherokee Indians [see note below]; was out on this trip about four weeks when he was suffered to return home. In about a week or ten days after his last named return to Montgomery County, he again entered the service of the United States as a volunteer under the command of Colo. Preston, Lt. Colo. Crockett  Capt Edwards and Lieut Sawyer, marched to the neighborhood of Hillsborough in North Carolina; and in that section of country was marched and counter marched, sometimes in pursuit of the enemy, and at others, retreating from them, until the sixth of March, 1781, when he was engaged in the skirmish with the British at the Reedy fork of Haw river near Whitsells mill [Wetzel’s Mill]. In this engagement he was in the company of Capt. Edwards and under the command of Colo. Preston. He recollects that the latter, who was a very unpleasant man, was thrown from his horse in the retreat of the Americans, which preceeded [?] the fight. While maneuvering in the neighborhood of Hillsborough he saw Colo. [Henry] Lee and Colo. [William] Washington, and well recollects the fine appearance of the horse of the latter officer.

            He thinks that Colo. [Otho] Williams took an active part at the time, that he ordered the retreat, but has no recollection of ever having seen him, nor does he remember that he saw, during his services in the revolutionary war, any other Continental officers than Colos Lee and Washington. After having served under the last named engagements about seven or eight weeks he was dismissed and suffered to return home. that he never had any written discharge from the service. Nor has he any Documentary evidence nor does he he know of any person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service. He has no record of his age

            That in whole he served in all at least sixteen weeks, that he never had any written discharge. That he is, as he believes in his seventy fourth year of age. His birth day is 15th day of July. He continued to live in Montgomery County Virginia for ten or twelve years after the war. From Montgomery County he removed into Tennessee where he lived about fifteen years. Then he lived in Shelby County Kentucky about three years. He moved then into the State of Indiana where he has resided ever since. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state of the United States

            Sworn to and subscribed in open Court the day and year first above written.

            John his X mark Burke

NOTE: The Cherokees had been suppressed for some five years before Burke says he went on an expedition to help prepare for it. The battle at the Long Island of the Holston River at present Kingsport TN (not VA) on 20 July 1776 resulted in the Cherokees giving up almost all their lands east of the Blue Ridge Mountains.