Pension Application of Sarah, widow of Jonathan Hanby: W4687
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of
On this 17th day of September 1840 personally appeared before one Archelaus H. Carter a justice of the Peace in and for said county Sarah Hanby resident of the county of Patrick and state of Virginia aged eighty-six 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 provision made by the act of Congress passed July 4, 1836. That she is the widow of Jonathan Hanby of that part of Henry County now Patrick in Virginia, who was a Captain of Militia in the Army of the Revolution, and that he at the head of his company made several excursions against the Tories who infested the country lying along the Yadkin river and its tributaries on both sides of the border of Virginia and North Carolina and the country near and upon the Blue ridge of Mountains at and about the point at which the mountains cross the said state line. That as near as she can recollect it was in the summer and fall of the year 1780 that her said husband marched commanding his company in pursuit of the Tories who rendezvoused at the home of one Hedgepeth in the Hollow on the Arrarat [sic: Ararat River] and the branches of the Yadkin river and [word illegible] the country there abouts in pursuit of them [two words illegible] point to point down the Arrarat river in the State of North Carolina to Old Richmond Town, now called Surry Old Courthouse or Old Town on the Yadkin river at which place he and his company aided in the capture of some tories that he was in actual service during this expedition above reffered to at least two months. That he was called out or volunteered this affiant does not recollect which but she recollects well that it was a very important & serious to repel the invasions of the Tories who were committing almost dayly depredations on the Whigs by stealing their slaves, horses, and other property and driving off their stock. But from her advanced age and consequent loss of memory she cannot state the names of the field officers under whom her husband served or the regiment to which he was attached. In fact she can being so [word illegible] to the time he was from home from the strong impression left in her mind produced by his absence in those times of peril and danger.
This affiant would further state that some time in the month of March in the year 1781 her husband the said Jonathan Hanby paraded his company in the County of Henry in the State of Virginia (that part of Henry now Patrick) and took the line of march again, to go to the aid of General Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] in the State of South Carolina. he and his company being drafted as she was informed and march off immediately through the County Surry in North Carolina (that part now Stokes) crossing at the Shallow ford of the Yadkin, through Rowan and other counties in North Carolina into South Carolina where he joined General Greens Army at Ninety-Six. That this affiant felt great solicitude about her husband during the Siege of Ninety-Six from the frequent rumors and reports of [three words illegible] between the Americans and British during that long contested[?]siege and kept in a constant state [word illegible] about her husband whilst he was in that siege and contending with the British at other points and continuing until his return home to Virginia which was in the month of September in the same year (1781) That in the last mentioned tour she is satisfied that her husband was in actual service at least four months. That on husbands return he related the circumstances of the Siege of Ninety-Six and other [word illegible] with the British which he had during the said tour to the South. She heard him speak of Lord Rawdons arrival with a corps reinforcement of the British compeling her husband and the rest of Genl. Greens Army to raise the siege and fly. She heard him speak of Genl. Green, Col. Lee of the Light horse and other field officers but owing to the loss of her memory [two or three illegible words] she can not state many of their names except Major Ward[?] from Va. or the regiment in which her husband and his company fought or were attached. She would therefore beg that the affidavit of William Going who was one of her husbands men, be referred to also the affidavit of James Boyd and the Declarations of the said Going [W7546] and Boyd [S12269] now on file in the War Department. [also Joel Blancit S29640] That she has no Documentary evidence to which she can refer The discharges of her husband have been mislaid or lost.
Her Husband
the said Jonathan Hanby resided in that part of
before me} Sarah her X mark Hanby
A. H. Carter JPeace} Witness J. D. Cheatham Wm. Carter
NOTE: The pension certificate notes that Sarah Hanby died 16 September 1841.