Pension Application of William and Mary McDonald Choice: W3656
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
The State of South Carolina}
Greenville District} Ss.
On this fourth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty two personally appeared in open Court, before the court of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace for the District of Greenville in the State aforesaid, being a court of record, now sitting William Choice, a resident of Grennville District in the State of South Carolina aged eighty six 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 the 7th 1832: That he was born as he has been informed by his Parents on the 30th day of January 1756 in Halifax County in the State of Virginia which was subsequently divided and Pittsylvania County taken from it [in 1767] in which he resided in the year 1776 when a short time before the 4th of July 1776, he first entered the Service of the United States at Pittsylvania Court House in the State of Virginia by enlisting or enrolling himself in a corps of what were called Minute men under Capt. Thomas Dillard, Lieutenant Joseph Roberts and Tully Choice, now dead, his brother, Ensign, the name of the Major is not remembered and marched to Stinking River in [Pittsylvania County] Virginia where he with the rest of the army were rendezvoused for one week and were commanded and drilled by Col. Haynes Morgan, from which place he marched to Petersburg in the same state where he remained ten days. there were three companies, one commanded by Capt. Peter Perkins and Lieutenant Jesse Heard, one by Capt [Abram] Penn and Lieutenant Harry Lyons and the other by Capt. Thomas Dillard as before stated. From Petersburg he marched to Jamestown where he was stationed for a short time, then went to Williamsburg and was there under arms in the service of his Country on the 4th of July 1776, from this place he marched back to Jamestown and with Captain Dillard and Perkins companies to Quinn’s [sic: Gwynn] Island at the mouth of Pianketank [sic: Piankatank River] and was there when Governor Dunmore was driven from that Island [10 July 1776], after which he returned through Richmond home having served three months in this tour.
Afterwards in the fall of 1776 as one of the Minute-men aforesaid he marched under the command of Capt. Jesse Heard, Capt Dillard being sick at that time, and joined the army at Bedford Old Court House called New London [now in Campbell County] The army was commanded by General Christie [William Christian] and Major Glenn, and marched from New London to the Island of Holsten (in Tennessee now) [sic: Long Islands of the Holston at present Kingsport TN] in an expedition against the Indians, thence into the Indian Nation and assisted in destroying many Indian Towns. that he was taken sick in the Indian Nation and left by every man but one who assisted him back to the island of Holsten, thence to Fort Chissel [sic: Fort Chiswell in Montgomery County, now Wythe County VA], from which place he returned home in Virginia where he arrived on Christmas day, having been out on this tour as he now believes three months
That afterwards in the latter part of the winter or early in the Spring of the year 1779 the Militia having been drafted in classes from 1 to 10 the declarant was drafted in class No. 6 and one Thomas Jameson in class No 1 in Henry County Virginia that he the said William Choice exchanged classes with the said Thomas Jameson, and marched under the command of Frederick Reeves Captain and Tully Choice his brother Lieutenant as far as Statesburg [sic: possibly Statesville] in the State of North Carolina, from which place Capt Reeves returned home and Lieutenant Tully Choice continued in command till the declarant arrived at Salisbury North Carolina where the army was stationed under the command of Col. [David] Mason and Major Burrell, and at that place the declarant joined Capt. William Witcher’s [sic: Wither’s] company and marched with the army southward by way of Camden, where the Wateree was crossed, on to McCord’s Ferry on the Congaree in South Carolina, thence to Bacon’s Bridge on the Ashley River, thence to a place called Black Swamp [present Jasper County SC] from which place he went to Stono and was in the Battle of Stono [now usually called Battle of Stono Ferry] which was fought on Sunday in June 1779 and he believes about the 20th of that month; that in this engagement Generals [Benjamin] Lincoln and [Isaac] Huger assisted by Col Mason commanded; the latter named General lost one of his Aiddecamp’s [sic: Aides de Camp] in this Battle as the declarant afterwards heard. That after this Battle to wit on the 18th July in the same year he with the other Virginia Troops were sent home and on their way were paid off at Camden in the State of South Carolina from which place he went home where he arrived the last of July or the first of August having been in the service in this tour Five months or perhaps more.
That afterwards he entered the service again as a volunteer in Capt. Jesse Heard’s company of Light horse and marched to Surry Court House in the State of North Carolina where he was stationed for a week and then went by way of Moraviantown [present Winston-Salem NC] to the Trading Ford on the Yadkin [near Salisbury], thence to Rocky River [in Chatham County NC] to join Gen’l. [William Lee] Davidson and was sent out to reconnoitre Genl. Cornwallis’ Army – was out from his residence in Henry County in Virginia in this tour one month.
That he again entered this service under the command of one Col. [James] Lyon and was on the march to join Genl Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] just before the Battle of Guilford in North Carolina [sic: Guilford Courthouse 15 March 1781], but having received orders was discharged and returned home having been out this time not more than two weeks.
And the said William Choice further swears that all the services he rendered his country in the revolutionary war, were rendered as a Minute man, drafted Militiaman or as a volunteer; that as a minuteman he was liable at any time to be called into service, and was always ready and willing to obey the call and did so when required to the utmost of his ability; that he was never under the immediate command of any of the regular officers of the regular Army and consequently is unable to give the names of any of them; that he served his country faithfully during the revolutionary war in her services in the various tours and campaigns in which he was engaged in the aggregate of active service thirteen months; that he has no documentary evidence in his power or possession by which he can prove his said services, that if he ever received any regular written discharge he has no recollection of it, and cannot now produce it, and that at this time he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his said services.
And 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
1st Where, and in what year, were you born?
Ans’r. In Halifax County Virginia on the 30th day of January 1776 [sic].
Int 2d Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the revolutionary war; and where do you now live?
Ans’r. I lived in Halifax County Va. which was divided and Pittsylvania made and Henry County too was made from it [in 1776], and in one of these I lived at all times when called into the service; In 1784 I removed from Virginia to Greenville District in the State of South Carolina where I have lived ever since, and now live.
Int. 3d How were you called into the service, were you draughted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute; and if a substitute, for whom?
Ans’r. I was called into the service as a Minute man or drafted Militia, one tour, and one I exchanged places with one Thomas Jameson and went one tour as a substitute in his place, and I also volunteered into the service
Int 2d Omitted at the proper place – Have you any record of your age? If so where is it?
Ans’r. I have no record of my age. It was left with my Mother in the family register in the Bible.
Int 5th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you served, such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service.
Ans’r. I name Capt Henry Conway, Cyrus Roberts and William Jenkins
Int. 6 Did you ever receive a discharge from the service; if so by whom was it given; and what has become of it?
Ans’r. If I ever received a discharge I have lost it
Int 7 State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood, who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution.
Ans’r. I name the Hon. Wm Butler Member of Congress, Judge B. J. Earle, Major Micajah Berry, Col. Henry G. Johnson, Tandy Walker Esq’r. and Dempsey Nesbitt to all of whom and many more I can appeal with the fullest confidence
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid– The said William Choice annexes three old papers which he brought from Virginia – [signed] William Choice
NOTE: In Greenville District on 13 Sep 1848 Mary Choice applied for a pension stating that as Mary McDonald she married William Choice in Laurens District SC 10 May 1786. A declaration by William Choice aged 54 on 8 April 1851 gave the date of the marriage as 11 April 1786 and stated that his father, William Choice, died 30 Sep 1843, and his mother died 6 Oct 1848. The file includes a family record and other documents with information about the children of William and Mary McDonald Choice. A typed summary states that Choice was appointed second lieutenant in the Henry County Militia on 10 Jan 1781 and was appointed lieutenant in the same militia on 28 March 1783.