Pension Application of Chesley Callaway: S30917
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Kentucky Ohio County SS.
On this 6 day of may 1833. personally appeared in open Court before James C Rogers Jonathan Rogers [first name illegible] Johnson Josias Tickenor, Elijah Crow George Wielding, John Haynes James [last name illegible] & [first name illegible] Phipps the Court of Ohio County and State afs’d. Chesley Callaway aged seventy three years who being first duly sworn according to law, doth 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 he states.
Volunteered and entered the service as a private in may 1776. under Cap. James Buford Lieut Renfrow [or Renfro] Ensign John Field ordered on to Williamsburg from Bedford County Virginia (his place of residence) against the british from thence to the long Island of Holstion [sic: Long Island of Holston River at present Kingsport TN], expedition commanded by Col. Wm. Christie [sic: Christian]. made a desent on the Cherokee Towns burnt the same staid there twenty one days returned home and was discharged having been in service six months.
About the 12th or 13th Dec 1776. volunteered (as a private) and assisted in guarding the prisoners in New London Bedford [now Campbell] County (vir) named – Parker, –Cunn[ing]ham, and Bartlett Gutteridge guard commanded by Serg. Wm Hudnall and some time in may following, at which time he volunteered (as a private) under John Buford Capt. John Field Lieut. Abraham Sharp Ensign. went to the long Island of Holstien as a guard at the [illegible word] then with the Cherokee nation of Indians Continued in the service untill some time in Aug’t. say 12th or 13th 1777. By the [illegible word] of Capt. Buford volunteered (as a private under Capt. Henry Paulding went on to Boo[nes]borough (Ky) expedition commanded by Col. Bowman continued there in the service till the last of Jany 1778. Volunteered (as a private) under Capt. Ch[arles] Gwatkins Lieut David Cruze[?] Ensign’s name not remembered. remained in service there under said officers for three months. Volunteered some time in may 1778 ordered on to the frontiers of Virginia on the Greenbriar continued in service until some time in Sept. following and being sick was granted a furlow tour six months.
Volunteered as a private 1st Oct 1778 under Capt. John McNilly assisted to drive [illegible word] cattle to Fort McIntosh [25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh PA] continued in the service six months discharged about 9 miles above fort Wheeling. Substituted for Rob’t. Hardwick in Feb 1781. under Chas. Gwat[kin] Capt. Thos. Logwood Lieut (ensign’s name not recollected) fought in the battle of Guilford on the 8th March following [sic: Battle of Guilford Courthouse NC, 15 March 1781] was in service about two months was discharged on Deep River at Ramsey’s Mill in Chatham County NC] army commanded by Gen’l. N. Green [sic: Nathanael Greene]. That he has no documentary evidence nor does he know of any person now living by whom he can prove the services as above.
Interrogatories propounded by the Court.
Q. 1st. Where, and in what year were you born? Ansr. Bedford County Virginia and in the year 17[??]
Q. 2d. Have you any record of your age and if so, where is it? Ans’r. I have none.
Q. 3rd. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live? – Ans’r. When called into service was living in Bedford County Virginia, since the revolutionary war I have lived generally in Ken’y. and live now in Ohio County Kentucky where I have lived upwards of forty years.
Q 4th. How were you called into service, were you drafted did you volunteer or were you a substitute? and if a substitute, for whom? Ans’r. I volunteered into the service at the request (as I understood) of Congress performed the services as a volunteer except (in the instances named[?]) when I substituted for Robt. Hardwick.
Q. 5th. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such continental and militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your services. Ans’r At the battle of Guilford Gen’l. Nat. Green commanded. Col. [William] Washington. Capt. Huffman the last of whom was killed at Guilford as informed. If there were any regular officers with the troops with which I served (except at the battle of Guilford) I did not know them unless Gen’l. [Lachlan] McIntosh and Col. Broadhead [sic: Daniel Brodhead] were regular officers. as an answer in the last branch in the interrogatory he would state that while at Boonsborough Dan’l. Boon [sic: Daniel Boone] and about twenty some men were taken prisoners while engaged making salt at the town blue lick [in Feb 1778], but as a more satisfactory answer, would refer to the declaration.
Q. 6th. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it? Ansr. But one – discharging him from the service under Gen’l. McIntosh Capt. McNelly who resigned placing me under Capt. Shannon who resigned also, and left me under a Capt. (an [illegible word] whose name I cannot remember who gave me the discharge which has been mislaid or lost.
Q. 7th. the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution. Wm. Hart & Thos. Stevens
he hereby relinquishes 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. Sworned to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. [signed] Chesley Callaway