Pension Applications of William Harris S30458 and Lydia Renfro Harris W8893
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Kentucky
On the 18th day of February 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the Court of Barren County now-sitting William Harris a Resident of said County aged 78 years who being first duely sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. He was born on James River in Cumberland County Virginia and in May 1776 volunteered in the Virginia Militia under Captain John Bates. At the time he volunteered he lived at Buckingham Court House in Buckingham County. Under Bates he guarded Prisoners, who were taken in the lower part of Virginia, those prisoners he guarded from Buckingham to Ambermarle [Albemarle] where he was discharged & went home, having served at least one month. He recollects no other Officer but Bates. He has lost his discharge, never expecting to have any use for it.
The second time he was drafted in the spring of 1777 under the same Captain Bates & Colonel May and marched to old Williamsburgh where he joined several thousand troops where he stayed as a Minute Man to march in service at a Moments Warning. He does not remember his other officers in this tour. At Williamsburgh he received a Discharge after having served at least four months. He can’t tell now what has become of the discharge, it is lost, he never expecting to have use for it.
In March of the year in which Cornwallis capitulated he again volunteered under captain William Jones, the other company officers he does not remember. And was marched to the south. Green [Gen. Nathanael Greene] was his commander. Under him he was at the battle of Guilford [Guilford Courthouse NC] where his captain was killed. After the battle of Guilford he went to Ninety Six], he was at that place under Green all the time he stayed there at which place there were some skirmishes. The Enemy killed about 40 of Green’s men by blowing up a redoubt. He was discharged in South Carolina not far from Camden, between Ninety Six & Charlestown. he can’t tell what has become of his discharge never expecting to have any use for it. On this tour he served at least six months. He has no documentary evidence, nor does he know of any Person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. In answer to the interrogatories presented in the War Department he saith. He was born in Cumberland County Virginia in the year 1755 25th August. He has no record of his age. At the time of entering the service he resided in Buckingham. He afterward lived, after the War in Henry & Patrick Counties, thence he moved to Barren where he has lived ever since. The first time he entered the service he volunteered, the 2nd time drafted & the 3rd volunteered. In answer to the 5th he would name Genl Green, Lieutenant Washington. He can’t remember any Continental & Militia Regiments, his memory is so impaired. He guarded prisoners from Buckingham to Ambermarle Court House, he remained at Williamsburgh at least four months as a minute man, he was at the Battle of Guilford, & was at 96 under Gen. Green. He regularly received discharges from the service, but they are now lost. In answer to the 7th he would name, James Murrell, Elijah Shirley, Thos Shirley, Col. William Anderson, Jos Pedigo.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid William hisXmark Harris
We Andrew Nickolas a clergyman residing in the County of Barren and William Anderson, residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Harris, who has subscribed and sworn to the above (and foregoing) Declaration, that we believe him to be 78 years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Andrew Nickolas Wm Anderson
William Logan, Clerk of the court of Barren County
REPORT FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR IN RELATION TO THE PENSION ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES 1835
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ky/state/military/kypen.txt?o_xid=0039580444&o_lid=0039580444&o_xt=22846292
WILLIAM HARRIS
BARREN COUNTY
PRIVATE VIRGINIA MILITIA
$36.66 ANNUAL ALLOWANCE
$109.98 AMOUNT RECEIVED NOVEMBER 28, 1833
PENSION STARTED AGE 79
NOTES:
After the Royal Governor Lord Dunmore was forced out of Virginia late in 1775, there was little military activity in Virginia for several years. Harris served his first two tours of duty during this calm period.
“Ambermarle”: Albemarle County VA is the neighboring county southeast of Buckingham. Albemarle Court House is now Charlottesville.
“Cornwallis capitulated” at Yorktown on 19 October 1781.
“Green”: General Nathanael Greene took command of the Southern Department of the Continental Army late in 1780. After Cornwallis pursued Greene’s army from South Carolina to the Dan River near South Boston VA, Greene made a stand at Guilford Courthouse, six miles north of present Greensboro NC, on 15 March 1781. Using a battle plan that had succeeded at the famous patriot victory at Cowpens SC, Greene manned the first line with militia from North Carolina. The Virginia Militia formed the second line in a woods. A third line was manned by Continental soldiers. The first line dropped their still-loaded weapons and fled at the first charge of the British, leaving the brunt of the fighting to the Virginians in the second line. Amid the woods the lines broke up into clusters of men thrusting bayonets. When Cornwallis saw that he was in danger of losing, he ordered grapeshot fired, killing and wounding many on both sides. Although Cornwallis was technically the victor, the battle was so costly that he was forced to march to Wilmington NC to recover before resuming his advance into Virginia. The delay allowed the French naval and land forces, as well as the northern troops under George Washington, to prepare for the fateful siege at Yorktown.
“Ninety Six” was a British outpost in western South Carolina. After Guilford Court House, Greene took his army back south into the Carolinas, and during May and June of 1781 he laid siege to the well-entrenched British. There is no evidence that 40 Americans died when their redoubt was blown up: this is apparently an erroneous recollection of the Patriots’ attempt to tunnel to the British redoubt and blow it up. Upon hearing that British reinforcements were arriving from Charleston, Greene ended the siege with an unsuccessful frontal assault. He then returned with his troops to Camden SC to wait for cooler weather before resuming fighting.
“Lieutenant Washington”: This may be Lt. Col. William Washington, a cousin of George Washington who was also a brilliant commander.
State of Kentucky, Barren County
On this the nineteenth day of November 1839 personally appeared before me James Murrell one of the Commonwealth’s Justices of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid Lydia Harris a resident of said County and State aged seventy seven years on the 30th day of August 1839 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 pass’d July 7th 1838, entitled “an act granting half pay and pensions to certain Widows” That she is the widow of William Harris who was a soldier in the Army of the Revolution, she further Declared that she was married to the said William Harris on the 23rd day of March in the year 1782 in Henry County State of Virginia and that her husband the aforesaid William Harris died on the 22nd day of April 1838 in the County of Barren and State aforesaid, that her said husband was a Revolutionary Pensioner at the time of his death, that she was not married to her said husband prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the (1st day of January) year of 1794. To wit on the 23rd day of March in the year 1782 as above stated.
Subscribed and sworn to} Lydia herXmark Harris
before me this 19th day of}
November 1839}
James Murrell JofP
The pension application of a Sgt. William Harris of Augusta County VA then Bourbon County KY is erroneously included in Lydia's file. The answers to interrogatories are also for this other William Harris. This error resulted in Lydia's receiving (after her death, son John Renfro Harris received) the higher pension appropriate for Sgt. William Harris.
John Renfro, Sr., aged 79 and his wife Ester Renfro age 75, testified they had known Lydia Harris over 60 years, and were present at the marriage of Lydia and William Harris. Lydia Harris died 11 May 1848. On Aug. 21, 1848 John R. Harris, administrator, of estate of Lydia Harris applied "for myself and the other children" for her pension from March 4, 1836 to April 22, 1838. Pension of Lydia Harris, began April 22, 1838, certificate issued Feb. 29, 1840