Pension Application of James and Nancy McCorkle Williamson: R11604
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Kentucky}
County of Allen} Sct.
On this 9th day of December 1833 personally appeared in Open Court before Saml Hairstin Saml E Carpenter Geo [illegible] Will. Fitzpatrick Will [illegible] Thos. Sutton & Hines Harris Justices of the County Court in and for said County then in the Courthouse thereof in the town of Scottville in Court Sitting James Williamson a resident of Allen County state of Kentucky aged 81 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 June 7. 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served in the War of the Revolution as herein after stated.
This declarant some time in May 1778, as is his best recollection, was drafted in Lexington Rockbridge County State of Virginia to serve as a private soldier in said War in the militia infantry company commanded by Capt. David Gray, and and performed service as a private in said Company in virtue of being drafted as aforesaid under Capt. Gray Lieutenant Hays and ensign John Gray, a more detailed acct of of which service will be given in his response to the 5th interrogatory prescribed by the War department.
That having served under Capt. Gray and being discharged he returned to Rockbridge in October 1778, was mustered into another militia Company, was again drafted to serve and did serve as a private in the militia Company of infantry under Capt. Adam Wallace, the particulars of which service, as far as he recollects them, will be given in his answer to the 5th question propounded by the War department. That with Capt. Wallace’s permission, he left his Company near Suffolk in Virginia in January 1779 as is his best recollection, and volunteered as a private of Horse or Dragoons under Sergeant William Graves, and served as a private in the Company of Horse or dragoons commanded by Captain Dudley Reade, Capt. Armlong or Armong [sic: see note below] ( a French man) in Colo Nelsons Corps of Horse, a detail of which service is deferred for his response to the 5th question put by the Department of War.
This Declarant upon his said Oath declareth and saith, that by reason of Old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service as a soldier of the Revolutionary War, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less that the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades. For three months I served as a private of infantry (Virginia Militia) under Captain Gray. For Two months twenty five days I served as a private of infantry (Virginia Militia) under Capt. Wallace. For One year Eleven months and ten days I served a private of Horse or Dragoons under Captain Reade, Armong or Armlong in the Corps or Regiment of Horse under the Command of Colo. Nelson. In all Two years five months and five days; and for such service I claim a pension.
To the questions prescribed by the Department of War this declarant upon his said Oath answers as followeth. To question the 1st. that he was born in Augusta county State of Virginia on the 27th day of May 1752 as from the best information he believes. To question the 2nd. That he has the record of his age at his own residence in Allen County Kentucky. To question the 3rd. That when called into service he lived in Rockbridge County Virginia: that since the Revolutionary War he has lived in Rockbridge and Washington Counties Virginia and in Montgomery, Warren and Allen Counties in Kentucky in the last named County he now resides. To question the 4th that he entered the service of the United States by draft and as a volunteer. To question the 5th. That Generals Washington LaFayette [Benjamin] Lincoln and Muhlenburg [sic: Peter Muhlenberg] of Regulars, Colo Nelson Captains Reade Armong or Armlong (a french gentleman) Lieutenant Graves Cornet Armistead and many other Officers of the Regular and Militia service were at different times with the troops where he served. The general circumstances of his service to the best of his recollection are as follows; From Lexington Rockbridge County (Va) shortly after he was drafted in May 1778, he marched under Capt. Gray and in his company, down the County into the Counties bordering on James river, the object of the march was to protect the inhabitants from sudden inroads of small parties of the British, he remembers that the company was stationed for a week or two at cabbin point [sic: Cabin Point in Charles City County], that there was another Company at that place at the time, he has no recollection of the Officers, nor of there being any Officer in command of a higher grade than Captain. This Company did not encounter any of the British parties, after some time spent in traversing the County Captain Gray marched his company to Petersburg and there discharged them. Declarant marched from Rockbridge County Virginia shortly after he was drafted in October 1778, under Captain Adam Wallace and in his company taking nearly the same direction that Captain Gray had marched, visiting Petersburg Cabbin point and Suffolk in the rout. Arrived a small distance below Suffolk and learning that the British under Arnold as he supposes had left the Country [sic: see note below], Capt Wallace marched his company for Rockbridge. On the march not far from Suffolk, declarant enlisted a volunteer as he thought, in the regular service, in Nelson’s Corps of Horse, by and with the consent of Capt Wallace. After said enlistment which was under Sergant William Graves, he was ordered to repair to Suffolk, and await there for a Horse and acquipments for the service, which he received in a few days, and proceeded to join and did join Nelson’s command near little York, and served as a private in Nelson’s regiment of horse, and in Reades and Armongs Company the time stated above. Whilst under Nelsons command and in Reades and Armongs Company he was marched to and performed service in various parts of the State of Virginia and in the Carolinas. He recollects that whilst in the service he was at Charleston South Carolina, that the American troops were pursued by the British into Virginia. This declarant upon his said Oath further states that he was at the Battels of Long Bridge, of Petersburg [25 April 1781] of Richmond and at the Siege of Little York at the taking of Cornwallis [19 Oct 1781].
to the 6th Interrogatory this declarant answers, that the discharge from service under captains Gray and Wallace were verbal. That when he enlisted a volunteer of horse under Sergant Graves, Capt. Wallace offered him a discharge in writing, which he declined taking, as he had no place of safe deposit for it had no use for it at that time, and was unapprised of its importance in any event whatever having enlisted for and during the war. After the surrender of Cornwallis, declarant was marched up the Country, when near to Winchester (Va) he being sick and unfit for service, he retired on furlow, for the purpose of restablishing his health, to his mothers residence in Rockbridge, where he lingered with indisposition a long time, and was never restored to health untill it was generally believed that the War was at an end and that the American troops disbanded. declarant further states, that some years after the war he lost his Saddle bags crossing the North fork of James River, in which was the furlow mentioned above signed and given him by Captain Dudley Reade, and that he has never seen said discharge since.
This Declarant states that he is known to David Walker Walter Thomas Johnson J. Cockill George W. Mansfield Robert H Paris John Dobb, Willis Mitchell and many others in his present neighbourhood who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a Soldier of the Revolution. He has no documentary or other evidence by which he can prove his said services, nor does he know of any person by whom he can prove his claim to a pension. John Bartlett was relied upon by him as a witness for that purpose, but upon enquiry he has been informed that he has removed from his late residence to somewhere to the South and he cannot now procure his deposition to support his claim, as he knows not where he is gone or if he is now alive. 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 or Territory.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid James hisXmark Williamson
NOTES: “Capt. Armlong or Armong” was probably Charles Armand, who became Lt. Col. and took command of the American cavalry after the death of Pulaski on 11 Feb 1779. Contrary to Williamson’s recollection, Armand’s Legion of Horse and Foot did not reach Charleston SC, but fought at the defeat of Gen. Horatio Gates at Camden SC on 16 Aug 1780.
Benedict Arnold did not begin his raids in Virginia until after his treason was discovered in New York on 25 Sep 1780.
The file includes a power of attorney dated 19 Aug 1852 by Mary Hinton, 52, daughter of James and Nancy Williamson, for the purpose of obtaining a pension or bounty land. It also includes a copy of a marriage record showing that James Williamson married Nancy McCorkle in Botetourt County VA on 7 Oct 1788. A typed summary states that James Williamson died 8 Nov 1838.