William Nichols Revolutionary War Pension Application, Lawrence, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/lawrence/military/revwar/pensions/wnichols.txt ================================================================================ USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Rosemary Nichols Hollis ================================================================================ September 2002 WILLIAM NICHOLS PENSION APPLICATION 28 September 1832 The State of Alabama Lawrence County On this day appeared in open court before John White Judge of the Circuit court of Lawrence county and the State of Alabama now sitting William Nichols a resident of the county of Lawrence and the State of Alabama aforesaid, aged sixty seven 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, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated to wit: This is what William Nichols said. "I was born in the State of North Carolina, Montgomery County. Have no record of my age but am sixty seven years of age. I entered the army of the revolution the 15 October, 1780 as a volunteer for two months under Captain Ebenezer Riggins in the State of North Carolina. Major James Crump commanded the Battalion. We were marched about through the country to guard against the British and Torries from Wilmington, had no battles, was discharged, but received no discharge. I next volunteered with about sixty others under Captain John Cox mounted infantry for sixty days and marched about securing the country in search of parties of Tories and for the purpose of keeping the Tories from rasing in bodied and doing mischef in the upper country, in this and the first campaign there was no army on our part except the company of ranger to which I was attached, and I needed no discharge. I next volunteered in the foot service to go against the British and Torries who had marched to Hillsborough and took the Governor and council prisoner and were taking them to Wilmington. We met with enemy at Lindleys Mill on Haw river North Carolina, commanded by Col. Hecyor McNeil a Tory and Major Fanning, a British officer. We got in the bushes on the side of a long hill about fifty yards from the road, as they came along the road, we fired on them and completely routed and defeated and killed their Commander McNeil the Tory, took a good many prisoners and retook our Governor and Council. General Butler was commander in chief on our side and Col. Mayben the commander of the regiment. I was out about one month or six weeks, and as I joined the expedition without any officer I had no discharge, but went home immediately after the battle, though no discharge. This happened the fall of Seventeen Hundred Eighty one (1781] The next I volunteered under Captain Joseph Parsons of Montgomery County in a troop of mounted rangers. joined no army but ranged in Montgomery County and Moore County against the Torries. We had a battle at Little River with the same major Fanning, British officer commanding Tories. We kept the ground rifles. Eight or ten of the enemy were killed and they killed three of ours and crippled several others. I was discharged by Capt. Parsons, from this service. I have here the discharge. We were out three months. Capt. Parsons then raised a company of volunteer Rangers during the war, mounted men. About July 1782 I joined them and we ranged about through Montgomery and Moore Counties to keep the Tories down, for about three months. We took several of the most notorious Tories and had them hung. I was discharged some time after peace was made and no discharges were given. 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. Sworn to and subscribed the year and day aforesaid. He signed the application as, William Niccols The said William Nichols further makes oaths that he lived in Montgomery county, North Carolina until he was forty years of age. Moved from North Carolina to Powels Valley, Virginia. Lived there three years, from there moved to Lincoln county, Tennessee. From there to Lawrence county, Alabama, where he now lives and has resided for about ten years. Reverend Eli Thompson, a clergyman and James Alexander, a citizen neighbor, is acquainted with my character and know that in my neighborhood I am respected and believed to have been a soldier of the Revolution. He signs his name, William Niccols Eli Thompson, a clergyman, residing in the county of Lawrence and James Alexander residing in the same, are well acquainted with William Nichols and who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be sixty seven years of age and that he is reputed and believed within 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 James Alexander Eli Thompson And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after writing the interrogation furnished by the above deponents that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states and the court further certifies that it appears to them that Eli Thompson and James Alexander who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the county of Lawrence and that James Alexander who has also signed the same is a resident of said county and is a creditable person and their certificate is entitled to credit. John White, Judge of 4th Judicial District of the State of Alabama The aforesaid, James Alexander, further makes oath that he moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania shortly after the war of the Revolution and settled in the neighborhood where William Nichols, above named, lived. He knew Nichols then and from then until the present time. He was always called a soldier of the Revolution. And a good while he knows Captain Joseph Parsons and Major Crump referred to by Nichols in his declaration as serving in the Revolution and understood from Parsons that Nichols has been Out in service with him during the Revolution. James Alexander I, Eli Thompson, above named, certify that I have known William Nichols thirty five years and he was always said to be a soldier of the Revolution and I have often heard my father speak of him as having been a soldier of the Revolution. Eli Thompson I, John Galligar, clerk of the circuit court, Lawrence County, Alabama, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the application of William Nichols for a pension. In testimony whereof I have here unto set my hand and affixed my seal of office this 28th day of September 1832. John Gallagher, Clerk Declaration of Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett, widow of Robert Barrett, deceased, formerly Elizabeth Nichols for Revolutionary pension under the act of February 3, 1853. State of Alabama County of Lawrence On the thirteenth day of March 1858, personally appeared in open court before Christopher C. Gwens, Judge of the Probate Court of the County and State above named. Elizabeth Barrett, a resident of the County of Lawrence, in the State of Alabama, age seventy four years, who being first duly sworned according to the law doth in order to obtain the benefits of the pension under the act of Congress passed, granting pensions to widows of pensioners who served during the Revolutionary War. That she is the widow of William Nichols who was a private of dragoons of the North Carolina militia in the War of the Revolution and a pensioner of the United States by reason of his service on the Alabama roll at forty three dollars and thirty three cents per year under the Act of June 7th, 1832. She further states that she was married to said William Nichols on the 4th day of October 1800 by one Thomas Butler, a justice of the Peace, that her name before her marriage to said William Nichols was Elizabeth Trent, and that her husband, the aforesaid William Nichols, died the sixteenth day of May 1836, and that she subsequently married one Robert Barrett who died on the twentyfourth day of December 1850 and she remained a widow since his death. She further states that she was married to said William Nichols in Montgomery County in the State of North Carolina about the fourth day of October 1800 and that she is informed and so believed there is no public or private family record of their said marriage and thereby cannot produce a copy of such. She knows that said, William Nichols, kept no private or family record of their marriage as he was unlearned and unable to do so and do not believe any public record exist of their said marriage. Elizabeth Barrett Sworn to and Subscribed before me in open court the day and date above written C. G. Gwen, Justice of the Peace Know all men by these present that I, Elizabeth Barrett, of the County of Lawrence, State of Alabama do hereby constitute and appoint Charles C. Tucker of Washington, D. C. my true and lawful agent and Attorney for me and in my name to prepare and prosecute my claim for Revolutionary Pension by reason of the services of my deceased husband and I hereby empower said attorney to examine all records and documents in reference to said claim on file in the Department at Washington and to do all lawful Acts and things whatsoever touching the claim with full powers of substitution hereby revoking and countermanding all former power of Attorney that have been given by me for the above specified purpose. Witness my hand and seal this thirteenth day of March 1858. Elizabeth Barrett State of Alabama County of Lawrence On this fifteenth day of March 1858 personally appeared in open court before C. C Gwen, Judge of the Probate Court, Elizabeth Barrett and acknowledged the foregoing power of attorney to be her act and deed for the purpose therein mentioned. C.C. Gwen, P.J William Alexander also appeared this day in open court and testified as follows in respect to William Nichols being a revolutionary pensioner and Elizabeth Barrett, formerly Nichols, being the wife of said William Nichols during his lifetime and his widow at his death. Witness states that he knew the said William Nichols and his said wife, Elizabeth Nichols, now Elizabeth Barrett, personally and intimately for twenty years previous to the death of said William Nichols and that they lived a near neighbor to him during his entire acquaintance where he saw said Nichols and his said wife, Elizabeth, frequently once a day and that same time before the death of said Nichols he knew that the said Nichols drew a pension of forty three dollars and thirty three cents per year from the fact that he saw his certificate frequently and that he frequently received a part of the money from said Nichols immediately after he drew the same for necessities to live on. Witness states that the said Elizabeth Barrett, formerly Elizabeth Nichols, was the wife of the said William Nichols, deceased, who was a Revolutionary pensioner of Lawrence County, Alabama at the time of his death and that the said Elizabeth had raised a number of children reputed to be by the said William Nichols that they were reputed and lived as man and wife up to the death of said William Nichols and were very well respected as such man and wife. Witness states that said William Nichols died about the sixteenth day of May 1838 and that he assisted in burying said Nichols. Witness further states that not many years thereafter the said Elizabeth Nichols married the one Robert Barrett and that they were treated and lived together as man and wife up to the death of the said Barrett which was on or about the twenty-fourth day of December 1850. Witness knows that said Barrett died on or about said time set forth from the fact that he saw said Barrett just before he was taken sick and died and did not see him anymore afterwards, notwithstanding. he was a near neighbor of said Barrett and that persons that were present at the burying and saw said Barrett also frequently told him that said Barrett died on the twenty-fourth day of December 1850. Witness states that the said Elizabeth is now a widow and has lived near him since the death of said Barrett and has never married since the death of said Barrett and is still his widow. William Alexander Sworn to and subscribed in open court the day and date above written C.C. Gwen, P. J. Wiley Galloway, personally appeared this day in open court where upon the said Galloway testified as follows after being duly sworn according to law respecting his knowledge of Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett, formerly Elizabeth Nichols, being the identical person who lived with said Nichols during his lifetime as his wife and who was left his widow at the death of said William Nichols to wit: on or about the sixteenth day of May 1838 and who subsquently married one Robert Barrett and who died On or about the twenty fourth day of December 1850. Said witness, Galloway, states that he has been a resident of said county of Lawrence for twenty years and that he was personally and intimately acquainted with the said William Nichols and his said wife, Elizabeth, during the lifetime of the said William Nichols and since the death of said William Nichols and since the death of said Robert Barrett said witness states that he was clerk of the county court for said county some eight or ten years. During his clerkship he wrote out and prepared a number of applications for said William Nichols annual pension of forty three dollars and thirty three cents per year under the act of June 7th, 1832 and that he had every opportunity to know the said William Nichols as a pensioner of Lawrence County, Alabama and his wife, Elizabeth, that the most intimate neighbors could save had. Witness states that Elizabeth Barrett lived with said William Nichols as his wife during his whole acquaintance with the said William Nichols up to the time of his death on or about the sixteenth day of May 1838. Witness further states that the said Elizabeth had some eitht or ten children who were reputed to be by the said Nichols during his lifetime and she was always treated and reputed to be the said William Nichols wife by all the neighbors and citizens who knew them and were highly respected. Witness states that the said William Nichols died on or about the sixteenth day of May 1838, which fact he knows by being a near neighbor and learning that said William died about that time from persons who saw him die and assisted in his burying and that he saw said Nichols just before he was reputed to have taken.sick and died and has never seen him since and that his estate was insolvent. Said witness further states that the said Elizabeth Nichols, widow of said William, deceased, married one Robert Barrett on or about the twenty fourth day of June 1841 and said witness states that he knew the said Robert Barrett intimately and that he lived a near neighbor to him at the time of his death and that he knows said Robert Barrett died on or about the twenty fourth day of December 1850 from the fact it was reputed that he died at a certain time and that he saw him shortly before his death and has never seen him since and the highly creditable persons who saw said Barrett die and buried have frequently told him that he died on or about the twenty fourth day of December 1850 and that said Elizabeth is still his widow and has never married since the death of said Robert Barrett which fact he knows personally. Wiley Galloway Sworn to and subscribed in open court the day and date above written C.C. Gwen, P. J.