Pension Application of John Harmon: S1825
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Tennessee Green County
September Term 1832
On this 3rd day of September 1832. personally appeared in open Court before the Honerable the Samuel Powel Judge of the Circuit Court of Law & Equity for Green County now sitting John Harmon, a resadent of said County & state aged Eighty two years, who being fist 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 in the year 1777 [sic: see note below] he was a citazen of Bedford County State of Virginia and Volenteered under Cap’n. Thos. Dooley a resadent of said county and also Leutenat Carter for three months to go against the British at Williamsburgh [sic: Williamsburg] Virginia and was rendezvous’d at New London the County seat in said County [now in Campbell County], and was marched to Williamsburgh where he Joined the main army under General Washington, who had drove the British inamy from that part two days previous to the arival of the s’d Cap’n Thos. Dooley Company he states that on his arrival at Williamsburgh he was placed under the Command of Colonal Davis & Maj’r Sharp the later who was some time after broke of his commission for getting drunk and neglecting his duty. he states that shortly after the departure of the British from Williamsburgh Washingtons army was marched to the north, and he remained at Williamsburgh under the command of his said officers untill discharged by his said Cap’n Dooley after having served a Tour of three months. he States that he believes he Volunteered in July 1777 and was discharged at Williamsburgh in October. he states that during his stay at Williamsburgh he with eighteen others under the command of Cap’n Dooley attacked a Bote at the fork of the Rivers below Williamsburgh with seventeen men on bord took the men on bord prisinors, tho without firing a gun on either side. they had on land some silver ware it was understood they were going up the River after provision for the British army–
he states that in the month previous to the surrender of Lord Cornwallace [sic: Cornwallis; 19 Oct 1781] he Volenteered under Cap’n. & Leutenant McClung to go to Greenbryer [sic: Greenbrier] County Virginia to go against the Shawnees Indians. he states that when he arrived at Greenbryer he was placed under the command of Colonel Hambleton and was confined principally to the neighbourhood & forts in s’d County (towit) Fort Hambleton Fort Yalbin[?] & Fort Keeney where he remained for the Time of twelve months in the united states service to gard the frontier country and as an Indian Spy. he states that he was discharged verbally by his s’d Leutenant McClung he states that he received a written discharge for his first Tour as aforesaid, which discharge has been casually lost, and also that he Volenteered the last Tour in the County of Bedford Virginia he further states that he served as a Volenteer Sixten[?] days under Cap’n Catral against the Tories at New London in Virginia and that he also Volenteered in Bedford County making in all Sixten[?] months which he was in actual service. he states that he has no documentary evidence of his service and that he knows of no person whose Testamony he can procure, who can testafy to his service
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or anuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of any of any State. [one or two illegible words] states that there is no resadent minister of the Gospel in his neighbourhood
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid John Harmon
NOTES:
The events described in Harmon’s first tour actually occurred in 1781. Cornwallis left Williamsburg on 4 July of that year, and Gen. Washington arrived on 14 Sep.
One of the witnesses in behalf of John Harmon was an Isaac Harmon, relationship not stated.