Pension Application of Nathaniel Scales: S18201
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
On this 24th day of February 1834 personally appeared in Open Court before the County Court of said county now sitting Nathaniel Scales a resident of the county of Cabell & State of Virginia [sic: now West Virginia] aged seventy five years and nine months who being 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
That he entered the service of the United States in June 1777 [sic: see note below] he thinks about the 10th day as a private soldier in the company commanded by Capt. John Leak & Lieutenant John Davis in the regiment commanded by Col. James Martin, that they marched from Solsbury [sic: Salisbury] North Carolina under the command of General Rutherford [sic: Griffith Rutherford] against the Chickasaw nation of Indians [sic: see note below], that in that campaign the army under general Rutherford destroyed thirteen indian towns besides destroying their corn & carrying off their Horses, this applicant thinks that this campaign lasted six months, this applicant will here state that he has always been under the impression that he enlisted for 12 months as a private soldier because he got ten dollars when he entered the service, he enlisted at the Rocky Springs North Carolina, this applicant further states that after they had subdued the indians [one or two lines illegible at bottom and top of pages] thinks he got a discharge but does not recollect who signed it. but he well recollects that Col. Martin returned home with them. & he also recollects that Capt Leak ordered all those who had enlisted to be in constant readiness for active service, should they be called on.
The other Colonels who served in this campaign were Col. Peasley, Col. Grimes & Col. Alexander & the adjudent of that army was Robert Martin brother of our Colonel.
This applicant fur states that in March 1780 he again entered into the service of the United States as a private soldier in the company commanded by Capt. Alexander Hunter as a volunteer, he served in the state of North Carolina against the tories a three months tour.
This applicant further states that he again entered into the service of the United States as a private soldier as a malitia man in the month of February 1781 to act as one of the guard over the prisoners taken by General Morgan [sic: Daniel Morgan] at the battle of the Cowpens, that he marched with said prisoners from Henry County Virginia to Staunton & while on our way to Staunton an express came in for part of the troops to return & to go on towards Guilford Court House North Carolina to meet the enemy and before we got there the battle of Guilford was over, this applicant states that he served in this last tour six weeks.
This applicant further states that he afterwards volunteered in the same year 1781 the last of April to go in pursuit and on the hunt of some tories that was laying in the woods & that he acted also in this service as a private soldier; that during the time of their hunts after tories they succeeded in taking four & bringing them in & giving them up to Capt. Haman Crite [sic: Haman Critz]. for this service after the tories this applicant received a discharge for during the war but who gave the discharge this applicant does not remember.
Interrogatories propounded by the court in compliance with the requisition of the war department.
Ques When and in what year were you born.
Answer. I was born near the mouth of Smith’s river in Pittsylvania county Virginia [sic: probably in present Henry County VA, upstream from where Smith River joins the Dan River in Rockingham County NC] the 13th day of April 1758
2d. Have you any register of your age & if so where is it.
Answer. I do not recollect whether I have a register of my own age in my bible but I know that my father’s bible states that I was born on the date last above stated.
3d. Where where [sic] you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolutionary war & where do you now live?
Answer. I lived in Rockingham County North Carolina when
first called into service, I married in 1779 then moved to
4th How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you vollinteer or were you a substitute, and if a substitute for whom?
Answer. I think I first enlisted for twelve months, the second tour I served was as a volunteer, the third time as a malitia man being drafted, & the fourth time as a volunteer against the tories.
5th State the names of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served, such continental & malitia regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service.
Answer, In my first service General Rutherford commanded and
Colonels James Martin, Col. Peasley, Col. Grims, Col. Alexander, Capt. Leak, Capt. Galispie, Capt. Elms; this applicant will here state that
he does not recollect whether the above officers were in the continental
service or whether they were the officers of the state corps of North Carolina
or whether they were malitia officers, but they were
the officers that commanded in Rutherfords campaign
against the Indians. & he hereby refers the war department to General
Jackson Prest. of the
6th Did you ever receive a discharge & if so by whom was it given.
Answer I did receive a discharge but forgot who gave it nor do I now recollect what has become of them
7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood who can testify as to your character for veracity & their belief of your services as a soldier in the revolution
Answer. Richard Brown, Thomas Buffington, James Hildishy, James Buffington, Henry Hampton sen’r, Col. Jess Toney, James McCormick, John Samuels, Fred’k G L Buckring, Soliman Thornburg Esq’r. Gen’l. Elisha McComas. [signed] Nathl Scales
NOTE:
It is likely that Scales’s first
tour was in 1776 against the Cherokees rather than in 1777 against the
Chickasaws. Following British-provoked Cherokee raids in the summer of 1776,
Brig. Gen. Griffith Rutherford led 2400 men into