This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Author: edwirvin
Surnames: caldwell, boyd
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.caldwell/3477/mb.ashx
Message Board Post:
Pension Application of George Caldwell: S3141
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
The State of Tennessee} Circuit Court February Term
Blount County} Ss. thereof A.D. 1833.
On this 8 day of February in the th year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
thirty three personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Saml Powel Judge of
the
second Judicial Circuit in and for the State of Tennessee now holding the Circuit for the
County
of Blount in said Circuit now sitting George Caldwell a resident of the County of Blount
and
State of Tennessee aforesaid aged 72 years and 11 months, 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 seventh A.D. 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and
served as as herein after stated.
That he was born in Prince Edward County, State of Virginia on the 15th day of February
1760 and was drafted in the County of Bedford, State aforesaid on the [blank] day of
[blank]
1778 and was mustered into service and discharged in two or 3 weeks by Capt Buller. The
above
Term of which I was drafted was for 18 months but was discharged in a short time without
serving the campain.
Then on the [blank] day of August 1780. applicant volunteed on Cripple Creek
Montgomery County Va. and was mustered into service for three months under the command of
Capt Isaac Campbell regiment of Col Campbells and march to the Maravean [sic: Moravian]
Towns in the State of North Carolina and remained there for a short time until we were
ordered
out on Scouting parties to surpress the tories - and after we had been rainging thru for
some
time when we had permission to go home - where we remained as a Scouting party at home
until
the three months for which the applicant had volunteed expired; when we received written
discharg from our Captain Campbell
Then on the [blank] day of 1781. I volunteed and was mustered into service under the
command of Capt James Newell, regiment of Col William Preston and were marched over to
North Carolina and kept Scouting through the Country after a Company of Brittish until we
overtaken them in about 16 miles of Haw River, where they kept on to some place unknown
to
applicant and were reinforced and came back upon us in camp and run us about 30 miles
when
we halted on the ready fork of Haw River [sic: Reedy Fork at Wetzel's Mill in Guilford
County on
6 March 1781] and put ourselves in Battle array when we were defeated. we then retreated
in
confusion and came the same night to the army of Gen'l. Green [sic: Nathanael Greene],
where I
was ordered with some others to guard some of our wounded to the Moravean Towns and done
so. Applicant from that place went home. This term of service was also for three months
and
expired; for this term I recd no written discharge - then immediately after applicant
returned
home he was ingaged in Scouting through the Country to Surpress the Tories in the state
of
virginia under the command of Capt Campbell and contin'd to do until near the end of
the war
Applicant was in actual service from the time he was first called upon to the last, for
about two
years.
Applicant lost his discharges and also the record of his age. Applicant has resided in
this
County, to wit, the County of Blount and State of Tennessee for about forty seven years.
He has
no documentary evidence whereby he can in any manner authenticate the same - nor is there
any living witness that can testify to the same within the knowledge of the applicant. 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 any State, or Angency of any State in the United
States.
George hisXmark Caldwell
The State of Tennessee ss
Blount County On this 2nd day of July in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight
hundred & thirty three personally appeared, before William Tool one of the Acting
Justices of
the peace and a member of the Court of Pleas and quarter Sessions of Blount County George
Caldwell a resident of the said County and State aged 73 since the 15th day of February
last, who
being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following amendatory
declaration (in amendment of one made on the 8th day of February 1833. in the Circuit
Court of
Blount County and returned from the War Department for amendments No. 24694) in order to
obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
This, the amendment, of the declaration of George Caldwell made on the 8th Feby 1833
and No. 24694 in the office of pension claims, shows that he was born on the 15 day of
Feby
1760 in Prince Edward County Va. From whence he removed to the County of Bedford State of
Virginia where he was residing when called into service
First a draft for 18 months but was discharged in 3 weeks - this was in the month of
June 1778.
Then on the day of August 1780. in Montgomery County, & state aforesaid volunteer for
three months, and served the time faithfully under Captain Isaac Campbell in the regiment
of
Col Campbell. served &c as stated in his original Declaration [two illegible words]
Re'd. a written
discharge from Capt. Campbell
Third tour. He volunteered under the command of Capt James Newell in the regiment of Col.
William Preston and was mustered into service by them in the winter or Spring of 1781 for
three
months & served faithfully and fully the term but rec'd no written discharge see
orig.
Declaration as to the nature of the service &c.
Fourth Tour He volunteered under the command of Capt Campbell in August 1781. for no
definite length of time, but as one of a Scouting Company to suppress the tories which
infested
the county in which he lived; there was no officer of higher grade that Captain; as Capt
Campbell's Company was stationed in Montgomery County by the Col Campbell where we
remained in service lying frequently at Night with our Guns under our heads - until the
next
summer of [sic] fall. He thinks it was in the fall. He however cannot swear positively to
the
length of the time in which he was constantly and incessantly engaged- but will make the
following affidavit as prember[?] by the war department- That George Caldwell before me
William Toole one of the Justices of the peace for Blount County who being duly sworn
deposeth, that by reason of old age & consequent loss of memory he cannot swear
positively as
to the length of the fourth and last term of his service but according to the best of his
recollection not less than the period mentioned below & in the following grades: For
nine
months I served as a private under Captain Campbell for such service I claim pension.
Now it can readily be seen that he served in June 1778. 21 days, that in the year 1780 in
the beginning of that year he served 3 months - That in August of the same year, towit,
1781 he
volunteered for no specific length of time and served 9 months making in all fifteen
months and
21 days he served in the Revolutionary war as a private in the militia - for which he
claims a
pension As to the nature of the foregoing service & the names of the officers under
whom he
served he refers the department to his original Declaration. As to the period or periods
of the
war when he served, all he can say is that he has mentioned the year and the month in the
year
when he served, as well as he can recollect but as to the phrase "period or periods
of the War,
when he served" he cannot understand it, if it does not mean the year when he served
in the
war.
As to some of the persons in his neighborhood who can testify to his character as a man
of veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution he can state
George
Ewing Esq'r William McKinney James Gillispy a member to the Legislature in this state,
James
Ewing Edward Mitchell Esq'r. Robert Hook & the Rev. William Fagg, who is at this
time in South
Carolina - Col Wm Wallace, Campbell Gillispy He removed from Montgomery County Va. to the
State of Tennessee where he has resided for about 47 years George hisXmark Caldwell
The State of Tennessee} SS
Blount County} Be known that on the ninth day of November, in the year of Our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, personally appeared before William
Toole
Esq'r one of the acting Justices of the peace and member of the Court of pleas and
quarter
Sessions in and for the County of Blount and State of Tennessee George Caldwell a resident
of
the County and State aforesaid aged 73. years past who being first duly sworn according to
Law
doth, on his oath, make the following amendment to his amended and original Declaration
made
on the 8 day of Feby 1833. and amended on the th 3rd day of July 1833. and No'd. in
the War
office for pension claims 24694 in order to obtain the benefit of an Act of Congress,
passed June
seventh A.D. 1833 [sic].
The second amendment of the aforesaid George showeth that he is advised and believes
from the brief made out in his case by the officers of the United States, that his papers
&c were
correct, and that also no exceptions are taken to his first service of 21 days; nor to his
second
tour of 3 months nor to his third tour of 3 months - but to his fourth and last tour of 9
months,
and so far as the same relates there to, exceptions are taken, and objections exist which
must be
removed before a fair and impartial investigation can be had. He is still under the
impression,
which was formed by mature deliberation thereon from circumstances, although long gone
by,
yet "haunt the greenest spot on memory's waste" that his statement in the
affidavit of his first
amendment is correct; that he was engaged in service as a private by Capt Campbells
Company
of [one or two illegible words] men to suppress Tories and prevent their [one or two
illegible
words] of depredations in the Country for about nine months altho, he may, nevertheless,
be
mistaken, which if he is may be attributed to the failure of memory [several illegible
words] of
person and not to any wilful intent [one or two illegible words] the treasury of his
blood-bought
country [two or three illegible words] Dollars.
He hereby prays the department to take into their most gracious consideration his case a
third
time & if in their opinion he is not entitled to a pension for more than twelve months
in all, for
his whole time of service in the war of the revolution to allow him that. He is confident
that as
pensions have been, and still are allowing to Revolutionary soldiers as he was one himself
he is
certainly, (as the department has insinuated) entitled to something and is willing if the
department cannot allow him pay for all his service, to relinquish that exceptionable part
and
claim only for twelve months - and hereby makes the relinquishment of all but twelve
months
for which he claims pension - and prays the department to grant him the same accordingly.
George hisXmark Caldwell
Edwin's note: This is a not the older George Caldwell who bought the 100 acres
on Little Falling River in 1757 from William Boyd of Prince Edward county. (see previous
post). This younger George may be the elder's son. I do not know. This younger
George could just as easily be the son of one of the Cubb Creek Caldwells just across the
Bedford line. Any ideas out there? I have more stuff I will post as I get time.
Important Note:
The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply
to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.
<br>