Pension Application of Lewis Franklin: S8519
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia}
County of Henry} S.S.
On this 13th day of November 1832. personally appeared in open Court before the justices of the County Court of Henry now sitting Lewis Franklin a resident of the County of Henry and State of Virginia aged 74 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 7, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he moved from the county of Orange in Virginia to the County of Surry North Carolina in the year 1778 and during that year and in that County he volunteered in the company of Capt William Underwood, which was stationed at the Flower Gap [present Carroll County VA] and other places in the Hollow of the Dan and Arrarat [sic: Ararat] rivers, to protect the people and their property against the Tories who had committed many depredations in that district of country. This affiant believes he served about two months in this tour and returned to the county of Orange in Virginia some time in the fall of the year 1778. That next year 1779 he was drafted in the County of Orange Va. and attached to the company of Capt. Garland Burnley a militia company, and served as a guard at the barracks near Charlottesville in Albemarle County in Va. over the British prisoners [captured at Saratoga 17 Oct 1777] six weeks, and being discharged returned home. That in the winter of 1779 he removed to the County of Henry, in Virginia and was drafted in the company of Capt. John Fontaine of that county during that winter, which company belonged to Colo Abram Penns regiment of three hundred, which were ordered out against the Tories in the Hollow, who had killed Capt Letcher [William Letcher, murdered 2 Aug 1780], and had done a great deal of mischief the preceeding summer. Having disarmed the Tories who had collected in that part of the country, he returned home. He served then just one month to the time he was discharged. some time in the fall of the year 1780 he was again drafted in the compy of Capt. ___ in Henry County Va. and marched through the counties of Rockingham and Guilford N. Carolina, and joined Gen’l. Green’s [sic: Nathanael Greene’s] army at Hillsboro [sic: Hillsborough], in that state. From that place he marched to the Cheraw Hills in South Carolina, where his term of service expired. But upon Gen’l. Green’s [word illegible] to retreat from that place, he consented to continue with the army until the Gen’l. should make a stand. Which he did on Dan river in Virginia at a place called Irvin’s ferry, at which place he was discharged and went home, having served not less that four months. [See note below.] Immediately upon his return home to the county of Henry, Gen’l. Green sent in a requisition for three hundred men to be raised to join his army. He then volunteered in Capt. Brice Martin’s company. The men raised, and equiped, were put under the command of Col. James Lyon who delayed some time in the county and at length marched his men within a few miles of Green’s camp, when he and all his men except 30 or 40 went off. This affiant with the 30 or 40 men agreed that Capt. Thomas Henderson, Capt. Brice Martin and Lieutenant John Redd should go on to Gen’l. Green and inform him of the desertion of Colo. Lyon and his men, and to know if he would receive those men who had not deserted. They went and returned, and informed the men that they could not be received owing to there being too many officers. This declarant then returned home, having served at least one month in this tour. In the following year this declarant was again called to drive a waggon with the provisions for Gen’l. Green’s army under Major John Redd who was then waggon master that served at that time something like three months, which is proven by the affidavit of Major John Redd herewith filed. This affiant further states that he received no compensation for his services in said tour under Major Redd. That after Major Redd who was then waggon master returned home, he this declarant continued to drive the waggon for the army under John Rowland who was waggon master at lest two months longer for which he received no compensation and returned to the county of Henry in Va. This affiant states that was acquainted with Gen’l. Green, Gen’l. Stephens [sic: Edward Stevens], and saw Gen’l. Washington, and Colo. [Daniel] Morgan. That believing his discharges would be of no service after the war ended, he took no care of them, and they were lost. This declarant has no documentary evidence which he can procure except the affidavit of major John Redd above referred to and the affidavit of Stephen King herewith also filed —
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.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Lewis hisXmark Franklin
NOTE: Franklin’s enlistment under Gen. Greene probably occurred around 2 Dec 1780, when Greene took command of what was left of the Southern army following Horatio Gates’s defeat at Camden SC on the previous 16 Aug. In order to present a less tempting objective to Cornwallis, Greene sent about a thousand of his men to winter quarters in the hills near Cheraw SC. In a short time, however, Cornwallis began pursuing Greene’s army through North Carolina, and the troops at Cheraw were ordered to join the rest of the army. On 14 Feb 1781, with Cornwallis just hours behind, Greene managed to get his army to the safety of Virginia on the north side of the Dan River by Irvin’s (or Irwin’s) Ferry and at other points near South Boston. Contrary to Franklin’s deposition, Greene did not make a stand and fight there, but at Guilford Courthouse NC on 15 March.