REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - GEORGE BROWN, Union County, Illinois Contributed by: Andy Anderson (oxdrover@mindspring.com) ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION DECLARATION OF GEORGE BROWN OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE, and UNION and ALEXANDER COUNTIES, ILLINOIS State of Tennessee, Washington County September Term, 1832 On this 12th day of September, 1832, personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Samuel Powel, Judge of the Circuit Court of Law and Equity for Washington County, now sitting, GEORGE BROWN, citizen of the county and state aforesaid, aged seventy-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 7th, 1832: That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated: That in the fall of the year 1776, as well as now recollected, he was a citizen of Rowan County, State of North Carolina, was drafted in said county to serve a three-months tour with mounted infantry, was enrolled in said county under Capt. Montgomery, Lieutenant James Craig, was marched to Cross Creek, North Carolina, against the Tories who had embodied at that place, though previous to the arrival of Capt. Montgomery's men the Tories had dispersed; That he remained at that place, scouting through the neighborhood after the Tories for some length of time, when he was marched back to Salisbury and verbally discharged after having served two months as before stated. He states that sometime in the summer of 1779, as well as now recollected, he was drafted in Rowan County, State of North Carolina, the term not recollected, and entered the service of the United States as a mechanic; was placed under the command of General Green, though immediately under that of Quartermaster Yarberry, and was stationed in Salisbury, North Carolina, and put to making cartridge boxes, which employment he followed for some months, when he was taken with the smallpox and was confined until after the British army marched through that place and the American army retreated toward Camden, where he was discharged either written or verbally (not now recollected) by the said Yarberry. He does further state that between the time he performed his said first tour of duty and the last, as above stated, he hired substitutes to perform two tours of duty for him. He states that the last term of service under the said Yarberry at Salisbury was five months and half month; that in all in the War of the Revolution he served seven months and half, as above stated. He states that there is no minister of the Gospel in his neighborhood who can testify as to the facts required by the directions of the War Department. He states that he has no documentary testimony of his service, neither does he know of any person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. He hereby relinquishes any claim whatever to a pension and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court. /s/GEORGE BROWN Test.: Jas. V. Anderson, Clk. We, HENRY SOLTS and NICHOLAS TUCKER, residents of Washington County, State of Tennessee, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with George Brown, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy-seven years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed this 12th day of September, 1832, in open court. /s/HENRY SOLTS /s/NICHOLAS TUCKER Test.: Jas. V. Anderson, Clk --------- In a letter dated 15 Dec 1936 to Mrs. William A. Meyer, 2618 L Street, Sacramento, California, the Pension Bureau gave the following information from George Brown's pension file: "In 1838 (George Brown) moved from Tennessee to Union County, Illinois. In 1845 he resided in Alexander County, Illinois, with his son, David. The soldier then stated that all his children were grown and married, as well as many of his grandchildren, and that the greater number of them resided in the State of Illinois, some in Union County. The only name given was that of his son, David, as above stated. George Brown died December 10, 1846, in or near Thebes, Alexander County, Illinois. "The name of soldier's first wife and the date of their marriage are not shown. He married May 4, 1843, in Union County, Illinois, Mrs. Margaret Sowers. Soldier's widow, Margaret Brown, was allowed pension on her application executed December 3, 1855, at which time she was aged 54 years and a resident of Pulaski County, Illinois." --------- JACOB BROWN filed a Revolutionary War pension application in Washington Co TN on the same date as George Brown. Jacob was then aged 80 years. Like George, Jacob was also a resident of Rowan Co NC when he enlisted, and also served under Quartermaster Yarberry. George Brown and Henry Solts signed an affidavit in support of Jacob's claim. Jacob married Mary "Polly" Solts on 23 Jan 1816 in Washington Co TN. He died there on 10 May 1841. She was aged 58 when she filed a widow's pension application there on 29 Mar 1853.