Revolutionary War Pension application for John Wright, Montgomery, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/montgomery/military/revwar/pensions/jwright.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: Peggy Haythorn ================================================================================ October 2002 REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - JOHN WRIGHT The State of Alabama Montgomery County On this the 24th day of December A.D. 1846; personally appeared Before me William L. Boyd an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County of Montgomery John Wright, a resident of said county of Montgomery in the said county and state; aged eighty five 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 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the Following named officers, and served as herein stated. That about fifteen or twenty day after he was sixteen years old, he was drafted in the county of Granville, in the state of North Carolina where he then resided to serve a tour of three months in the Militia of the state of North Carolina; that on account of his youth, his father William Wright, hired a man by the name of Bailey, as a substitute for him, his Christian name not now recollected. His father gave Bailey one thousand dollars Continental money to serve as a substitute for applicant John Wright. He does not now recollect the names of the company officers under whom he was drafted, or the field or company officers whom his substitute Bailey served; but does recollect that Thomas Satterwhite was the Colonel of the county of Granville at that time and after he had furnished his substitute gave him applicant his discharge. That he entered the service of the United States the second time under the following named officers and served as stated. That he was drafted in said County of Granville in the Militia of the state of North Carolina to serve a tour of three months; which tour he served fully out in person; the day month or year that he was drafted he does not presently recollect; but thinks that it was in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight, his officers were first Richard Harrison who was Captain at the time we turned out, but was soon promoted to the rank of Major, and William Hicks, made Captain in his place who continued captain as long as I served in that tour. William Hestor was first Lieutenant under Hicks and his brother Benjamin Hestor Ensign. Colo. Joseph Taylor commanded the Regiment to which our company belonged. That in this tour he was in the battle of Guilford Court House. That after the battle of Guilford Court House he was sent to bury the dead and carry the wounded to the hospital. That he was detained at the hospital attending to the sick & wounded until his term of service expired. He does not now recollect the Continental Regiment to which he belonged or was attached . That Gen'l Greene was the commander in chief in the battle. That Gen'l Butler was the head commander before he joined Gen'l Greene. That Colonel Washington was in the battle & commanded the horse. That Colo Lee arrived upon the ground soon after the battle was over. That the hospital in which he served was at Guilford old Court House where the battle was fought . That he does not know through what county the army marched through after the battle as he was detained at the hospital. That in this tour he might as properly be called a volunteer as a drafted militiaman as when the draft was about to take place, he with the balance of his company, in order to choose their officers agreed to volunteer, and did so, and elected Richard Harralson Captain; & then marched to Guilford Court & in order to avoid the enemy before we joined Gen'l Greene and marched a circuitous rout through the counties of Wake, Orange & Caswell & joined Gen'l Greene on Haw River at a there noted place called the high rock some eighteen or twenty miles from the battleground. That he received his discharge after the expiration of his term of service from Dart Wallis as well as he now recollects. That he entered the service of the United States the third time under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he volunteered under Colonel Long who put him to work in a public work shop at a village called Harrisburgh near Oxford in Granville county; where he was employed principally in sawing with a whipsaw getting out timbers for wagons for the United States. ***** he served three months in this public shop, and received a discharge from Maj'r Batte Birdsong, either in his own name or in the name of Colo Long he does not now recollect. That he served three tours in all of three months each; first by substitute the other two in person making in all nine months, six in person and three by substitute. He does not recollect in what year his service was in the workshop. That serving the two tours that he served personally he was not engaged in any civil pursuit. That he never received a commission, but was a soldier in the ranks during each of his tours of service. That he has no documentary evidence of his service. That the several discharges that he received are lost or destroyed. He thinks that they were probably burned at the time that his fathers house was burned in Granville County North Carolina. That he knows of no person now living whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service, except two females who reside in the state of Georgia, and their testimony would only be from hearsay, that is from what have heard others say that he was a resident citizen of Granville County North Carolina during all of his several tours of service above set forth. The said John Wright the applicant 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 army of any state. That he has never applied for a pension until this time; for the reason that he has always been of opinion that pensions were granted by Congress only to those who were wounded in battle or were unable to support themselves. That heretofore he has always been able to live comfortably without resorting to his pension; but now his circumstances are reversed he claims his pension. The following interrogations being propounded to the applicant by the magistrate to which he gives the annexed answers. Interrogatory the first Where and in what year were you born? Answer; That he was born in Louisa County in the state of Virginia in the year 1762. Interrogatory second; Have you any record of your age? Answer; That he has no record of it but to the best of his recollection he was born in 1762. Interrogatory third; Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolutionary war and where do you now live? Answer; He was living in the County of Granville State of North Carolina when he was called into service that he removed to the State of South Carolina York District about the year 1789 or 90. He lived there about fifteen years then moved to Wilkes county in the State of Georgia where he lived about five years he moved from Wilkes to Jasper county Georgia where he lived up to the year 1821. He then moved to the said county of Montgomery in said State of Alabama where he has resided up to the present time. Interrogatory fourth; How were you called into service? Were you drafted? Did you volunteer? Or were you substituted? Answer; He was not substituted but was drafted as stated above. Interrogatory fifth; State the names of some of your regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such Continental & Militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service. Answer; That can now recollect no more than he has already stated. Interrogatory sixth; Did you ever receive a discharge from the service; and if so, by whom was it given & what has become of it? Answer; That he received a discharge three times as above stated but they were all lost or destroyed as stated above. Interrogatory seventh; State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution. Answer; That Dennis Allen, Caleb Mon***, Franklin Armstrong, Isaac Willith, James G. Turner. The Honorable Dixon H. Lewis , Senator in Congress from Alabama, Honorable Henry W. Hilliard Representative in Congress from Alabama are all acquainted with applicant and to whom he refers for his character *** Sworn to and subscribed before me this day & year above written, John his (X) mark Wright William L. Boyd J.P.