Walton-Columbia-Lincoln County GaArchives Military Records.....Swords, James May 19, 1834
Revwar - Pension Georgia Militia
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Robert Klebs rklebs@hotmail.com August 10, 2007, 1:14 pm

Declaration Of James Swords
"Declaration of James Swords in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of 
Congress of the 7th of June 1832. State of Georgia County of Walton.
On this nineteenth day of May eighteen hundred and thirty four personally 
appeared before the honorable the Inferior Court of said county of Walton being
a court of record. James Swords, a resident of the county aforesaid, and State
of Georgia, aged seventy nine years on the tenth day of June last, who being 
first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath in order to obtain the 
benefit of the provision made by the act of congress passed June 7th 1832 
depose that he enlisted in the Army of the United States as a Georgia 
Militiaman on the first of March 1777 for the period of three months with 
Captain Henry Walker, and served in the first regiment of Georgia Militia 
under the following named officers: John Stewart, Colonel Elijah Clark, 
Lt. Colonel Henry Walker, Captain Henry Carr, 1st Lt. Charles Stewart, 
2nd Lt. Joseph Harper, First Sergeant David Fennel, Corporal
That this deponent lived at the time of said enlistment in the Village of 
Wrightsboro, Columbia County, and State of Georgia, that during the three 
months he was not engaged in any battle. During this time he marched first from
Wrightsboro aforesaid to a place called Rogers Fort upon the Ogeechee river 
where he rendezvoused and was stationed during said three months in said fort 
guarding the frontier of Georgia against the invasions of Tories and Indians.
Deponent, immediately upon expiration of said three months, without ever 
leaving the army, was enlisted upon the first of June 1777 for another 
three-month tour under the same officers. That at the date of said last named 
enlistment the place of deponent's residence was still at Wrightsboro, Columbia
County, and Georgia. Deponent declares that he was not engaged in any battle 
during his previous three month tour, and was stationed only a few days after 
said last named term of enlistment at Rogers Fort on Ogeechee river. He marched
during said last term of enlistment from said fort through a part of Hancock County,
across a part of Warren County to a place called Dennis Mill on Little River in the
County of Wilkes where this deponent was stationed about four weeks-thence this
deponent marched to a place called Awls Old Place on the waters of Long Creek;
thence up Long Creek to its fork where this deponent was stationed for the balance
of said last named three month tour and was engaged in building a fort and guarding
the frontier of Georgia against Indians, an absence of one fortnight being excepted
from last three months, this deponent having been away for that length of aforesaid
to visit his wife in the County of Columbia and this deponent further declares that
immediately upon the expiration of said last named three months without leaving the
station at Long Creek aforesaid he was on the 1st of September 1777 enlisted for
another three month tour. John Stewart still being first colonel, Elija Clark Lt.
Col, Henry Carr Captain (Walker having died) Charles Stewart 1st Lt, Thomas Adams
Sergeant, Harper having died, the corporal's name this deponent cannot remember
(Fennel having also died). This deponents residence at the date of his said last
enlistment was still Wrightsboro Columbia County, State of Georgia and deponent says
he was not engaged in any battle during his said last named tour of enlistment, but
was stationed during the same in the fork of Long Creek aforesaid and this deponent,
immediately upon expiration of said last named tour of three months, was, without
having left the station in the fork of Long Creek, upon the first of December 1777
enlisted for another three month tour under the same officers and the deponents
place of residence was still at Wrightsboro County of Columbia State of Georgia at
the date of his said last named term of enlistment. The deponent was not engaged in
any battle during his said last named three months enlistment and this deponent was
stationed at the fork of Long Creek aforesaid guarding the frontiers of Georgia.
Near a quite eight weeks after the date of his last term of enlistment, where he
marched from the fork of Long creek aforesaid through a part of the County of Wilkes
to a place near the Village of Washington called Gourdvine Station in Wilkes County
aforesaid, this deponent further declares that without ever having left the service
he, on the first of March 1778 at the Gourdvine Station aforesaid enlisted for
another three months tour under the same officers as named and Andrew Lethcoe,
Sergeant and this deponent says that his place of residence was still at Wrightsboro
aforesaid Columbia County State of Georgia that he was not engaged in any battle
during this his last named tour of duty. During the same he marched as follows-
first from Gourdvine Station in the County of Wilkes through Warren County to
Measels Ferry from the Ogeechee thence this deponent marched to Midway Meeting house
in the County of Scriven and this deponent further declares that immediately upon
the expiration of said three months he was enlisted again upon the first day of June
1778 for another three months tour under the command of same officers last are
herein before named and that this deponent's place of residence was still in the
Village of Wrightsboro County of Columbia State of Georgia. He was not engaged in
any battles during his last named tour; that during said last named tour he marched
from Midway meeting house in Scriven county to Fort Tony upon the St Mary's River
where the deponent was stationed until some time late in August 1778. Deponent
marched back again to Midway Meeting house where deponent was honorably discharged
in writing under the hand of Captain Henry Carr aforesaid, but which discharge the
deponent declares has been long since lost or destroyed consequently …be by
affadavit obtained and this deponent further declares that on the 10th day of April
1780 that he volunteered for another three months tour into the service of the
United States as a Georgia Militiaman with George Dooley Captain in the regiment
commanded by Colonel Josia Davis; the other field company officers this deponent
cannot remember. Deponent's residence at the time was Wrightsboro, Columbia County,
Georgia. Deponent declares that during this tour he was engaged in the battle of the
second siege of Augusta and deponent further declares that during this last tour he
marched from the place of his residence Wrightsboro, through Columbia County into
the County of Richmond to Augusta at it second siege where this deponent was
stationed and remained until Augusta was captured, being a period of two months at
least from the time this deponent volunteered. When Augusta being taken there being
no farther need of the services of deponent for the remaining month he was honorably
and verbally discharge by Captain George Dooley.
Deponent further declares that he again, on the 1st of March 1781, volunteered 
in the service of the United States as a Georgia Militiaman for a tour of 
another three months with Jonathan Jones Captain under General Anthony Wayne 
as Commander and this deponent can't remember any other of his officers during 
the tour but remembers that Jones was permitted to return home when this 
deponent was under William Camp as his Captain during the three months tour and
this deponent further declares that he did not leave the service until the 
expiration of the said last three months but that he served the same fully and 
was honorably and verbally discharged by Captain Camp at the expiration of said
three months, a relief having arrived and this deponent was not engaged in any 
battle during this three months tour. His residence was still at Wrightsboro, 
Columbia County, State of Georgia. The deponent marched during this tour from 
Wrightsboro through the county of Columbia and thence Richmond county upon the 
south west side of the Savannah River through Waynesboro in Burke County and 
thence Burke County down to Ebenezer upon the Savannah River at which place and
at a place about one mile below this deponent was stationed during said three 
months last named at which latter place this deponent having fully served last 
three month tour he was honorably and verbally discharged by Captain William 
Camp.

In the interrogation directed by the War Department to be propounded to 
applicants for Pensions the said James Swords makes answers as follows:

1st Where and in what year were you born?

To the first question: He answers in York County, Pennsylvania in the year 1754.

2nd Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?

To the second question: He answers I have no written record of my age. 
I once had but some years ago it was burned when all of my possessions were 
destroyed. It was burned up when my house was destroyed by fire.

3rd Where were you living when called to serve and where have you since lived 
since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live?

To the third question: He answers At Wrightsboro Columbia County State of 
Georgia I have lived since the Revolutionary War in the state of Georgia first
in the County of Columbia, then in Wilkes County next in Lincoln County and 
then next in Walton County where I now reside. 

4th How were you called into service were you drafted did you volunteer or 
were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom?
To the fourth question: He answers I enlisted during eighteen months service. 
I then served as a volunteer twice. I was never a substitute. 

5th State the names of the Regular officers who were with the corps you served 
such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general 
circumstances of your services.
To the fifth question: He answers General Howe when I was at St Mary's in what 
was called the Florida Expedition. General Wayne, Colonel Lee, Major Eaton.

6th Did you receive a discharge from the service and if so where is it by whom 
was it signed and what has become of it?

To the sixth question: He answers I did receive a written discharge which was 
given to me by Captain Henry Carr which has long since been lost or destroyed.

7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present 
neighborhood and who can verify as to your character for veracity and their 
belief as to your services as a soldier of the Revolution.

To the seventh question:  He answers Gen[?] Robert M. ECHOLS Milner ECHOLS 
Esqr Charles FERGERSON George PARK Esqr Col Timothy PITTMAN & Benjamin HARRIS. 

Additional Comments:
The above was provided by Joy King from Doug Swords in May, 1998. 
The seven questions were originally omitted from the original and obtained by 
this writer on Oct.2, 2002 and inserted into the body of the text. 
The replies have not been altered in any way Robert W. Klebs. 

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/walton/military/revwar/pensions/swords380gmt.txt

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