Revolutionary War Pension Statement of James Robertson, Tuscaloosa, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/tuscoloosa/military/letters/pensions/jrobertson.txt ==================================================================== USGENWEB PROJECT NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Project Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: John Robertson ==================================================================== April 1998 [The following was hand-copied from microfilm "Pension of Revolutionary Soldiers", Birmingham library, by Chloie Ransom Jacobs. Paragraph spacing was added for readability. Comments in brackets are by John A. Robertson.] State of Alabama } Tuscaloosa Circuit & County } On this 13th day of October A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open court before Anderson Crenshaw Judge of the Circuit Court for the county aforesaid now setting James Robertson a resident of the State of Alabama, Tuscaloosa County, aged 72 years & nearly 73 who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following acclamation 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 he was born in North Carolina near the Virginia line & his parents when he was an infant removed from there to South Carolina & settled in what was then called Ninety-Six District & since called Union County or District at which place he lived when he entered the service of the United States in the year 1776 as an enlisted soldier in the 6th Regiment of provincials, the Regiment was commanded by Thomas Sumpter?, the Capt. was William McClintock, he died & Alexander B_____ as Capt. took the command; B_____ was killed at the seige of Savannah & Benjamin Brown took the command; when he first enlisted as a provincial under Capt. McClintock it was for 16 or 17 months; he then change his enlistment though in the same Regiment to that of the Continental service, in which enlistment he stipulated to have three years or during the war - that he served under the Captains above named in that service - whi_____ serving the 6th Regiment being greatly diminished in members was entirely extinct he was then transferred to the 1st Regiment, this regiment was commanded by Charles C. Pinkney the captain was Charles Linen (Lenning) under whose command he remained until he was made a prisoner in Fort Moultrie, Sullivan's Island. He was detained in prison about the space of one month, when meeting an opportunity to make his escape he then volunteered under the command of Captain John Thompson, Brainhams's Regiment and remained in that service until the close of the war, while in Sumter's Regiment he was engaged in an action against the Cherokee Indians in the nations. Also whilst in the 6th Regiment now commanded by Coln. Henderson, the commander in chief being General Lincoln he was in a battle at Stony _____, or Stone, also under the officers aforesaid he was engaged in battle at Savannah then transferred as aforesaid, he was engaged in battle on Sullivan Island under the command of Charles C. Pinkney. Whilst in the volunteer line he was engaged in many skirmishes, besides a general engagement under the command of General Morgan at the Cowpens. During this period his marches were generally in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. That his documents have been all destroyed so that at this time he has no documentary evidence of the particulars aforesaid. That the testimony of Thomas Lofton who now resides in the county of Pickens Alabama is all he can conveniently procure of his service. He herein and hereby relinquishes his 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 _____ James his Robertson mark sworn to in this court } this 13th day of October 1832 } J_____ W. _____ clerk } The Samuel M. Meek a clergyman residing in the county of Tuscaloosa and William Dunlap residing in the same hereby county that we are all well acquainted with James Robertson who has subscribed; and sworn to the above declaration; that he believes him to be 72 years of age, that his is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concure in that opinion. sworn to and subscribed } S. M. Meek the day and year aforesaid } Wm Dunlap John W. _____ clerk } And the said court do hereby declare this opinion, after the investigation of the matter and after the _____ the interrogatories prescribed by the war department that the above applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states and the court _____ then certifies that it appears to them that Samuel M. Meek who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman residing in the county of Tuscaloosa Alabama and that William Dunlap who has also signed the same is a resident in the county and state aforesaid and is a credible person, and that his statement is entitled to credit. Anderson Crenshaw, Judge [Congress approved the pension 56 years after the beginning of the war! JR enlisted at age 17 and was almost 73 when the above was written. The War of 1812 was 20 years in the past. It is not surprising that documentation was unavailable, details fuzzy, and witnesses few.]