DAVIESS CO. - REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION – JAMES CANNON Contributed by: Mary Lu Johnson < hellomlu@bellsouth.net > ******************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) 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. http://www.usgwarchives.net ******************************************************************************** CANNON, JAMES, SC Line, S32166, Revolutionary War 18 October, 1833, Certificate of Pension #22260 issued from Daviess Co., Indiana, service as Private, Company commanded by Capt. SMITH, Regt commanded by Col. WILLIAMS, one year and five months, semi-annual allowance of $25.00. 11 May 1832, Daviess County, Indiana, personally appeared JAMES CANNON, aged 78 sworn...made following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following officers and served as herein Stated, That he was born in ninetysix district in South Carolina where he resided (except when in the service) till after the revolutionary war. In the year 1775 in December, he volunteered in the service of the United States, in sd district under Captain JARED SMITH, Leiut. BALL & Ensign JAMES LINDSEY, for the term of nine months. The company directly marched past Allison's fort to Nabors creek, to Smiths station (S.C.) where they remained during the nine months aforesaid. Smith's station was on the frontiers of South Carolina, about forty miles from declarants place of residence, and the design of the company's being stationed there was to guard the frontiers from the incursions of the Cherokee Indians, who were supposed to be urged to hostilities by the tories. A treaty with said Indians was held at said station about the time this declarants services there expired and soon after he was discharged, and returned to the district aforesaid. He received no written discharge, but served in said company full nine months. In May 1777, he again volunteered in the service of the United States, in said district, for three months, under Capt. JAS GREAR, Lieut JOSEPH RAMAGE; the ensign's name not recollected. He marched in this company, together with Capt. DUGAN's Company about a hundred miles to Augusta, (Ga.) near which place he joined Col. McCRARY's regiment. Thence he marched in said regiment, and under ? Col. for E. Florida, and crossed rivers Ogeechy, Altamahaw, and St. Mary's, thro a principally wilderness country. At St. Mary's river, the regiment joined an army of regular soldiers, the number he reckons was about 1500, and commanded by a Maj. Genl. ROBERT HOWE. The regulars had come by water up the St. Marys. The object of this expedition was to attack a Col. BROWN, a tory, who had fortified himself at about twenty miles distance from where we joined the regulars. It was said that BROWN had under his command about 500 tories. Declarant remained encamped at St. Marys where he had joined said regulars eight or ten days. During the stay a small party of the army was despatched to BROWN'S fortification, had a skirmish with the tories, and returned. Afterwards a strong party were sent against BROWN, but, on coming to his fortification, found it evacuated. A Deserter afterwards informed our army that BROWN'S party had retreated to a great swamp in the neighborhood. Many of the regulars and volunteers became sick, it being a very sickly country, and the army returned, the regulars by water, and the volunteers by land. The regiment to which this declarant belonged were discharged and went immediately home; the company to which he belonged returned under Col. McCRARY till they reached the Georgia Settlements, where they separated from him, and declarant went to his residence in the district aforesaid. Directly after crossing St. Marys river, declarant was taken sick, and it was with greatly difficulty he returned. He received no written discharge, but served his three months for which he had volunteered. In December 1778 he again volunteered, in said district, in the service of the United States, under Capt. SEXTON, Lieut. YOUNG, Ensign SAMUEL SEXTON (he thinks) for a term of three months. He was directly marked towards Augusta (Ga.) and joined Col. JAMES WILLIAM'S regiment about ten miles from home at a place called ?windlick. Col. WILLIAMS and Maj. GILLAM were the officers of the regimant. After joining this regiment, he proceeded, therein, by a forced march to Savannah river opposite Augusta, where the regiment took up quarters, and remained there nearly three months, during which time Genl ASH was defeated on Brier Creek, by Provost, about 50 miles from where declarant was stationed. The said regiment was placed and remained opposite Augusta as aforesaid, for the purpose of guarding about 200 prisoners, tories who had been taken, at diverse times, by scouts and placed under the care of said regiment. Declarant recollects that during this stay at this place several companies of volunteers passed their encampment, and went on to join Genl ASH. Shortly after the defeat of this General, the regiment to which this declarant was attached marched back under Col. WILLIAMS to ninetysix, with the prisoners aforesaid. At the time he returned, the general court was sitting in Ninetysix, and the prisoners, being tories, were tried there before said court, for their lives. They were all acquitted except noted tories who were condemned to be hanged and were executed accordingly at Ninetysix. Declarant recollects, that among those who were hanged were AQUILLA HALL, JAMES LINLEY, JOHN CLAY, JOHN ANDERSON. During the sitting of the Court at Ninety six, the time of service of the declarant expired, and shortly thereafter he was discharged and went to his place of residence in the same district of Ninetysix. This declarant served in this last tour full three months, but got no written discharge. He never was in any battle except trifling skirmishes unworthy mentioning. He was in the services during several scouts beside those aforesaid, one against the noted COURSON, but these excursions were short, and declarant does not therefore prefer claims for them. Besides the officers aforesaid, he was not acquainted with any officers of the revolution except Genl PICKENS, Maj. TAYLOR, Genl. GREEN, & Col. MORGAN. He has no documentary evidence, and knows of no person whom testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service. But SAMUEL COMER and SQUIRE BRUCE & W. FULLER can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his service as a soldier of the revolution, they being well acquainted with him, and residents in his present neighborhood. He was born as aforesaid in the District of Ninety six (S. C.) June 5, 1755. He has no record of his age but has the account from his parents. Shortly after the close of the war, he went to North Carolina to see relatives and there married in Montgomery County where he resided till about 1790, when he removed to Lee County, Virginia. After living in Lee County (Va.) for about 20 years, he removed to Indiana territory, into the district which now forms the said County of Daviess, where he has ever since resided. At this distance of time he does pretend to state the month and year with certainty in which he commenced the several tours of duty aforesaid, but he is clear that he served the length of time he stated, and that in the whole, it must have been fifteen months at least. 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. JAMES [his X mark] CANNON Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first aforesaid. [Signed] JAMES McDONALD, Probate Judge. We, SAMUEL COMER and SQUIRE BRUCE & W. FULLER residing in said County of Daviess and state of Indiana, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with JAMES CANNON who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy eight 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 and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. [Samuel Comer did not sign; possibly because only two required]. [Signed] SQUIRE BRUCE, WILLIAM FULLER And the said court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And the court further certifies that SQUIRE BRUCE and WILLIAM FULLER who have signed the preceding certificate, are residents in said County of Daviess, and credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit, and that their statement is entitled to credit, and that it further appears to the Court that no clergyman resides in the present neighborhood of the said applicant. [Signed] JAMES McDONALD, Probate Judge Certified/signed by: JNO VANTREES, Clerk Typed recap of soldier's declaration sent by A. D. HILLER of the pension office sent 11 January 1938 to Mrs. ROY BOGNER, 225 NE 9th St., Washington, IN. [Note: JAMES R. CANNON'S brother, JOHN CANNON of Hart Co, KY also received pension for service.