Pension Application of James Crowley: S15790
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Missouri}
County of Clay} Ss
On this [blank] day of [blank] personally appeared in open Court before the County Court of Clay County aforesaid now sitting James Crowley a resident of the Township of Fishing River in the County of Clay and State aforesaid aged seventy two 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 7th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States in the war of the revolution under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he was a private in a company commanded by George Haston [sic: George Hairston] as Captain ____ Smith as Lieutenant and Jesse Corn as ensign The field officers he does not remember nor does he remember the day, month or year when he entered the service, nor the time when he left the same. That he was drafted to serve a tour of three months served out his time and received his written discharge which has long since been lost or mislaid.
That within a short time after his discharge he again entered the service as a substitute for one William Gardener in a company officered by Thomas Henderson as Captain no other Company officer or Field officer remembered not does he remember the day month or year when he entered the service nor the time when he left the same– he thinks the tour was of three months duration that from this service he received his written discharge which has been lost or mislaid. That shortly after receiving this discharge he again entered the service as a volunteer he thinks for three months, but does not remember either Field or Company officers, that he served out the time for which he volunteered and received his written discharge, which has been likewise lost or mislaid, he does not remember the time of this last discharge but well remembers it was only within a short time before the surrender of Cornwallis to the Americans. during all the time when in the service his home and residence were in Henry County and State of Virginia, that the Companies in which he served as before mentioned were of the Virginia Militia. That his said services were performed in Virginia and North Carolina, that when in service as above stated he served with an embodied corps called into service by [illegible word] authority and that he was when in the field or in garrison, and for the tours during which the services were performed was not employed in any civil pursuit. He further states that he has no documentary evidence, and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure except that of John Crowly which will accompany this application.
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.
James hisXmark Crowly
The additional statement of James Crowley for the purpose of obtaining the benefits of the Pension Law of 7th June A.D. 1832.
State of Missouri}
County of Clay} SS
This thirteenth day of September A.D. 1836 personally appeared in open Court before the County Court of Clay County in the state of Missouri James Crowley a resident of said county of Clay in the state of Missouri aged either seventy one or seventy two on the 20th day of last May, 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 A.D. 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated: That he was seventeen years of age and lived with his father in Henry county Virginia– that he was drafted or joined with the Drafted men under the Command of Captain George Haston or Hastin and Jesse Corn was Ensign of the same Company does not recollect who was Lieutenant but thinks a Wm Smith was acting Lieutenant or first Sarjeant. This was in the winter preceding the battle of Guilford Court House [on 15 March 1781]. From the County of Henry and other adjacent Counties there was four Companies raised but does not recollect who was the Commander of the Corps but thinks Captain Lee Commanded one of the Companies. They were raised for the purpose of joining General Greene who was then pressed by the British. Immediately after the four Companies rendezvoused we all started to the North Carolina line and joined General Greene the day after the battle of Guilford Court House & retreated with him & under his command and remained but a few days under Captain Hasten to march to Cape Fear river and join Coln Lee [sic: Henry Light Horse Harry Lee] who was commanding a regiment of light infantry and we went on and joined his regiment and remained under his command and served with him until my tour of service of three months had expired from the time I was mustered into service and we were discharged and received our discharges but now has been long since lost. I do not recollect at what point we were discharged but I know that in passing home I went through the Town of Hillsborough [in present Orange County NC]. I do not recollect any of the other officers names who were with Col Lee. It was cold weather I know when the battle of Guilford was fought for the Brittish had burnt the fences from around the wheat fields & the people were keeping off the stock in many places and it was warm weather when we were discharged & the small pox was raging in Hillsborough when we passed thorough. The next fall or the latter part of the summer after I returned Home to Henry County there was a Call for mounted volunteers and I volunteered in a Company raised in our County, but I do not recollect any of the names of the Officers of the Company. We marched down into Halifax County in the state of Virginia and joined a regiment and I think they were all mounted men and we remained in Halifax & the adjacent Counties of Virginia for six weeks or more and were discharged but my discharge is lost. I do not know whether I was out for full three months this tour or not, but I know I volunteered for three months & I received my regular discharge and believe I was out three months but am not positive. This was to me to have been the shortest tour. I served probably because the service was easier, as we did not see any Brittish & the season was pleasant and we were mounted. I do not recollect any more of the participants of this trip. The next spring or summer I think I enlisted under Captain Thomas Henderson and Jesse Corn was again Ensign or Lieutenant but cannot recollect the other officers. We were raised for the purpose of marching to the upper part of North Carolina near the blue ridge to a place called the Hollow [sic: the area including present Ararat in Patrick County VA and Mt. Airy in Surry County NC at the foot of the Blue Ridge escarpment] to suppress the depredations of the tories we marched to that place and not finding any tories we marched over the blue ridge and marched around the heads of Smiths river [sic: now Smith River with headwaters in Patrick and Franklin counties VA] and after tourring the country for four weeks or more we recrossed the Blue ridge and returned home where I was discharged and received my discharge which has been destroyed. I enlisted for three months and served out the entire time this campaign. I know During each of these tours of service I was engaged in the military service above and was called into service each time by the order of the State of Virginia of which I was then a resident. I further state that I would have applied for a pension prior to this time but am entirely illiterate and living on the frontier and always understood that the Pension laws only entitled those to receive pay who served in the regular or Continental Army of the United States & not the Malitia or troops of the States. When I was differently informed by a friend & intelligent gentleman who was a candidate for the Legislature I immediately went to Town and employed a lawyer to make out the proper statements for me who done them.
I hereby relinquish all claims to any pension except the present & declare that my name is not on the Pension list of any state or of the agency of any state.
James hisXmark Crowley
NOTE: After the Battle of Guilford Courthouse Lt. Col. Lee was next engaged at the siege of Fort Watson SC 15-23 April 1781. Since Crowley does not mention being there, his three-month tour probably began before the middle of January 1781.