Pension Application of John and Lucy Hickman Miller: W5380
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Tennessee} S.S.
Sumner County}
On this 21st day of August AD 1832 personally appeared in open Court before Thomas Anderson – Wm Edwards & John Snowy[?] Esq’s the Court of pleas and quarter Sessions of said County of Sumner now setting – John Miller a resident of Sumner County aged seventy one years old upon the 8th day of last March having now a register at his residence of his birth given him by his father when he was younger 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 June 7th 1832. that he entered the service of the united states under the following named officers and served as herein stated. I was born in Caroline County State of Virginia my father moved with him & family from that County to the County of Bedford State of Virginia where he lived during the revolutionary war. I volunteered in the County of Bedford State of Virginia I think in the year 1778 under Captain Thomas Leftwich in a corps of horse. I know this was about harvest time in the year as I and others shot at a tory in the harvest field when we [one or two words illegible] I was attached to Colo Charles Linches Regiment [see note below]. I volunteered for no particular period but as long as I should be wanting. This service was devoted chiefly against the Tories who had become numerous and was about to embody on Lille river in Virginia [possibly Little River in present Russell and Tazewell counties VA or Little River in present Pocahontas County WV]. We marched from New London [now in Campbell County VA] across the Blue ridge and the Allegany to Lille river there we took four Tory Captains one was named Terry[?] of them was one a son in law of a man by the name of Oglesby who was likewise a Tory I recollect we robed his bees and eat a great deal of Oglesby beef. we found the commissions and a list of their companies in their possession which enabled us to find their [illegible word] tories in that part of the country. we went upon their pursuit and was some considerable time engaged we captured about three hundred – and carried them and placed them in the New London Jail then in Bedford. twelve[?] of the principals were condemned to be hung were sent to Richmond and lay in jail about twelve[?] months and were pardoned. I can not recollect the precise time I was engaged in the taking of tories but would supose two or three months and afterwards held myself in readiness to be called out at any moment that the service might require. Some time afterwards when the British landed at Norfolk and Gen’l. [Robert] Lawson came on and called for men I still being a volunteer in the horse and now attached Capt. John Callaway’s Company who was a colonel at home I found my own horse and equipments. we marched from Bedford to Petersburg to meet the British near their met the Americans retreating and we were station there till the British disemarked[?] for the South. after this we were marched back to Bedford and kept ourselves ready for any service and rendevoused every week or two. after Gen’l. [Horatio] Gates was defeated at Camden [in South Carolina on 16 Aug 1780] and Cornwallis making an invasion of Virginia volunteers of riflemen were called for. I then volunteered under Captain Bowen Price who commanded a company of volunteer riflemen attached to Colo Charles Linches regment in Bedford County. we marched from Bedford and crossed Dan river at Dicks Ferry [sic: Dix’s Ferry in western Halifax County VA] and then joined the main army then commanded by Gen’l [Nathanael] Greene and were attached to Colo William Washingtons Dragons [sic: Dragoons] with three companies of regulars which composed Colo Washingtons infantry. we then marched to Gilford [sic: Guilford] Courthouse and there met Corn Wallis army and fought that battle [on 15 March 1781]. I fought upon the right wing where Colo Washington commanded. we were marched that day to what was then called the [Troublesome] iron works we were there joined by three other regments. we here waited till our dead were buried. We were then ordered with Colo. Washington to march to deep river where Wallis lay to bring on another engagement as he could not cross the water. just as we arrived we found Wallis had just left his camp his [two words illegible] some shoed[?] some not – and had escaped over the river across a bridge of rails he had made on the river upon an iland [?] & there he had sat fire to a house and waggon which was burning when we arrived [see note below] we crossed the river and pursued him till dark came on and could not overtake him the main army was about eight miles in the rear. Gen’l. Greene finding next morning that Wallis could not be overtaken declined the pursuit. Gen’l. Greene then sent us Commanded by Colo Washington in to North Carolina to keep the tories down who had become troublesome. we done service and was stationed in that state untill Wallis was marching through Virginia to Little York. having quieted the tories and provisions being very scarce we were marched back to Bedford and was discharged by Gen’l. Green through Colo Linch I received[?] no paper individually discharging me but the discharge was gived to my Regment–
In the fall of the year 1781 the american magazine being at New London and four Captains to wit. Nathan Read Capt Moody Capt Graham & Capt Runolds [sic: Reynolds] with their companies being station there by Maj Thomas Holt to guard the magazine and repair their arms I received the appointment of purchasing commissary to supply those troops with provisions from Captain Christopher Irwin who was the chief commissary. I there continued in the faithful discharge of my duties of purchasing commissary till peace was made which was in the year 1782. I was then discharged by Captain Irwin who gave me a certificate of my service and discharge which many years ago perhaps forty or forty five or fifty years and I sent it to Richmond Virginia and obtained a land warrant from Virginia of three thousand acres which I was cheated out of and never yielded me but forty five dollars. He further states that he has but little doubt his name will be found upon the roll of the Virginia levee and upon the record at Richmond of the land office as well as said certificate. He knows of no person he can procure who could testify to his service. my name is not upon the pension roll of any state – except what he has detailed above – and relinquishes all claim to a pension except the present.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
I lived in Virginia till I was thirty two years then moved to Kentucky and there lived thirty two years – and has since resided in Tennessee Sumner County. [signed] John Miller
NOTES:
The term “lynching” is said to have been inspired by Colo. Charles Lynch’s treatment of Tories.
After the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Cornwallis camped at Ramsey’s Mill in Chatham County NC on his way to Wilmington to recover from his narrow victory. Learning that Col. Henry Lee was maneuvering for an attack, he departed hastily on 19 March, leaving behind some unburied soldiers. Some of his troops were without shoes. The burning house mentioned by Miller may have been the one from which riflemen killed many of the British as they were constructing the bridge.
On 23 July 1853 in Davidson County TN Lucy Miller, 67, applied for a pension stating that she married John Miller in that county on 29 Aug 1841, and he died 16 June 1848. Supporting her claim was Sarah S. Ewing who stated that she was present at the marriage of John Miller to her sister, Lucy Hickman.