Pension Application of Isham and Mary East: W19209
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia}
County of Patrick}
On this 15th day of September 1832 personally appeared before me Martin Cloud a Justice of the peace in and for the County and State aforesaid Isham East a resident of the county aforesaid aged 75 years 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 the 7th 1832 that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated
this declarant states that he lived in the state of Virginia in Bedford County at the commencement of the revolutionary war that in the winter of 77 [sic: see note below] he went to the County of Surry North Carolina to see his father who had moved to that county shortly after this declarant arrived there an expedition was set on foot against the tories who were committing depredations in the neighbourhood of the brushy mounty [sic: Brushy Mountains in Wilkes County NC] one peter Sally was drafted to perform this tour but having a [word illegible] wife this declarant volunteered in his stead under Capt Sallythial Martin [sic: Salathiel Martin] they proceeded to the Fase[?] nobs[?]: the brushy mounty from there to hunting creek [sic: in Wilkes County NC] and to Colonel Cleavlands [sic: Benjamin Cleveland] in the yadkin river who had ordered out this detachment from thence they proceeded to the Mulbury fields [sic: now Wilkesboro in Wilkes County NC] in this expedition we took one Roberts a tory who afterwards made his escape. some of the detachment took several toryes killed Nichols Combs and kier wright[?] this declarant declares he was engaged in this tour of duty about four or five weeks for which he got a discharge signed by Sallythial Martin his Capt which is lost he also received his pay for this service. a short time after this your declarant was drafted into the service under the same capt destined for ninety six [sic: Ninety Six SC] They March to old Richmond in Surry County NC [sic: now in Yadkin County NC] where he remained about four weeks making frequent short excursions into the neighbouring country after the toryes it then was believed to be unnecessary to go to ninety six the company was therefore disbanded the declarant then obtained from Colonel Martin Armstrong a certificate to enable him to return to bedford in virginia unmolested not many months after his arrival in said Bedford County Virginia the precise length of time he cannot recollect a detachment was called out to go to the Lead mines in Virginia (the western part) [sic: near Fort Chiswell in present Wythe County] to join Colonel Charles Lynch who was station there with a force to guard that your declarant volunteered in this requisition under Capt Edmond King of Halifax County we together with Capt Jones and other companys not recollected rendevous at Major[?] words[?] after remaining there three days we marched to Col Lynches in the same county Bedford where we waited two days for Moore company and then marched on towards the mountains some five days march when this declarants captain was unfortunately thrown from his horse and badly wounded this declarant was then chosen by his wounded Capt to take charge of him and if possible to carry him home which after a considerable length of time was performed the ballance of the company joined in with other companys and went on this was an expedition of three months and although the declarant was turned back it was considered to him as a three months tour– this declarant states that he was frequently and often called out on short expeditions after the disaffected moore [word illegible] he is able [sic] at this advanced stage to recollect so as to detail them so much so that he recollects that his trade which was that of a Black smith was of little or no service to him Some time in the winter of 1780 this declarant turned out as a volunteer under Capt John Burkley of Halifax County for a three months tour they rendesvous at Peytonsburg [sic: a supply depot in Pittsylvania County VA] under the command of Col Perkins where he remained for three or four weeks when news arived of the approach of the brittish near the Marian towns in N.C. [sic: Moravian town of Bethabara at present Winston Salem] under Corn Wallis [sic: Cornwallis] we Marched to Halifax Court House in the same county and there joined General Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] in a short time we received news that the british were at Boyds ford on dan [sic: Boyd’s Ford on the Dan River in Halifax County VA] We then marched on there but the brittish had left there and gone up to Hugh Dobins where they destroyed his property meanwhile Green was closely pursuing them from thence the british proceeded to high Rock ford [sic: on the Haw River near present Reidsville in Rockingham County NC, where Greene was camped] had a skirmish with the americans there there Green was joined by the North Carolina malitia under the command of Colonel Winston [sic: Joseph Winston, commander of the Surry County Boys] and Williams [sic: Joseph Williams] from there they proceeded to the Alamance where the british guard was stationed in a a tane[?] the american advance guard went down upon them command by Micajah Lewis who was there shot through the thigh your declarant saw him after he returned to the corps, and was with him untill he dyed [at Dickey’s Farm NC, 27 Feb 1781] from thence your declarant was marched to Gilford Court House [sic: Guilford Courthouse] the british went in to new garden meeting house a battle commenced between the advanced guard of the americans and the british guard the former gave way to an old field where the battle became general in the engagement your declarant was order to man the cannon which did untill the British took them from us this declarant states he was in the hotest of the battle during this whole engagement a battle so well known & unnecessary to give it in detail your declarant forgot to state that his Capt resigned shortly after they started on this expedition who was succeeded in command by Capt Clements from Pittsylvania under whom he served untill Clements time of service was up your declarants term of service was also up at that time for which for which [sic] Capt Clements gave him a discharge which is long time lost your declarant then volunteered under Capt William Becks under whom he served untill the battle of Gilford was over for this short time of service under Becks he got a discharge from Becks which is also lost this declarant returned home to Bedford county and was not afterwards in the service in the year 1783 he moved to Surry county in North Carolina and Stokes County from whence he moved to Patrick County Virginia in the year 1801 where he has lived ever since he further states that he knows of no living witness by whom he can prove his service and that he has no documentary evidence of service he hereby relinquishes all claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that he is not on the pension list of the agency of any state Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Martin Cloud JP Isham hisXmark East
NOTES:
The date given for East’s first tour, “shortly after” “the winter of 77,” is probably in error. The pension application of Elihu Ayers (R335) states that this expedition against Tories began in April 1780. The Nichols mentioned as having been killed was probably the one accused of assassinating William Letcher in Patrick County VA on 2 Aug 1780.
Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June [sic] 1838 entitled “an Act granting half pay and Pensions to certain widows
State of Virginia}
Patrick County} SS
On this 10th day of June 1840 personally appeared before me Martin Cloud a Justice of County Court of Patrick County (it being a court of Record) Mary East a resident of the county aforesaid aged eighty years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the Act of Congress passed July the 7th 1838 entitled “an Act granting half pay & Pensions to certain widows” that she is the widow of Isham East deceased who was a private in the war of the Revolution and who was placed on the Pension list Roll of the United States (as his warrant will most fully show) on the 18th day of June 1833, which said Pension certificate has been returned to the Pension office No 12943 Recorded in Rack E Vol C, Page 7 She further states that she was married to the said Isham East on the 6th day of September 1781, in Campbell County State Virginia and that her husband the aforesaid Isham East departed this life on the 19th day of January 1835 in the County of Patrick aforesaid that she was not married to him previous to his leaving the service but that the marriage took place previous to the 1st day of January 1794 that is at the time above mentioned, and that she still remains a widow She states that she has no Record of marriage neither can she provide any. She was married by a minister of the gospel by Publication of Bans which was the custom at that time. She says the lapse of time and her removal so far from where her marriage took place puts it out of her power to obtain the evidence of any person who was present nor has she any documentary evidence of her marriage. She has many children but has no record of their ages but she well recollects her first child a son was born on the 20th of September 1782. She declares she is unable to attend the court in order to make this declaration. Mary herXmark East
State of Virginia} SS
County of Patrick}
This day personally appeared before the undersigned a justice of the peace in and for the said County William East son of Mary East widow of Isham East deceased aged 55 years who being duly sworn deposeth and sayeth that a testament in his possession which he has & exhibits before me contains the true births of the several children of his Father Isam East deceased and his mother Mary East widow of said Isham East, which register (I certify) is in the following words and figures to wit. – John East son of Isham and Mary East was born Sept 20th 1782 Josep East was born July the 7th 1784 William East was born April 12th 1787 Drury East was born March 30th 1789 Mary East was born Oct 12th 1791 Sary East was born March 16th 1794 Elizabeth East was born July the 22nd 1797 Ursula East was born December 1st 1800 – this deponent further states that the Testament above alluded to fell in his possession at the death of his Brother Drury who had possession of the same at his death. [signed] Wm East
Sworn to and subscribed before me at the County aforesaid this 2st day of February 1842
Martin Cloud JP
NOTE: The file includes the pages from a Testament noted in Mary East’s application. In addition, the Testament includes notes pertaining to Drury East that were only partly legible at the time they were microfilmed. A typewritten letter dated 23 April 1937 by “A. D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator” summarizes the pension information as follows (numerals 3 and 5 difficult to distinguish from each other):
“The soldier [Isham East] married September 5, 1781, in Campbell County, Virginia, on Banister River, Mary ____, whose surname is not stated.
Soldier’s widow, Mary East, was allowed a pension on her application executed June 10, 1840, at which time she was residing in Patrick County, Virginia, aged eight years. In 1845, she was a resident of Stokes County, North Carolina….
The following data are recorded, also, relationship of the persons to soldier is not stated:
Lucindy Eads or Edds, daughter of Abraham and Sary Eads or Edds, born April 29, 1813.
William Eads or Edds, son “ ” “ ” “ ” “ born March 9, 1815.
John Armstrong Childress, son of Matthew Childress and his wife, Mary, born May 3, 1815.
John Ridle, son of Asa Ridle and his wife, Mary, born April 22, 1815.
“Nevill or Neviles East son of polley can (could be deciphered “an”) was born October 22, 1891"
Squier, born March 4, 1822.
Jobe(?) or Tobi(?), born October 4, 1817.
Tylammy(?) Jane, born October 4, 1824.
Mary An, born September 5, 1826.
“Drury Easte A Son of William Easte he will be 15 the 14th day of April 18[last two digits illegible]”.
“December the 28, 1889 fill East”.
William East, son of Polly Cannon, born October 4, 1817.
William E., deceased, June [??], 1840, at the Louisiana.
Zilly, son of Polly Cannon, born August 8, 1830.
“Drury East Deceased March the 11 18".
This data gives, also, Negro Will was born March 4, 1798.”