BURKE COUNTY, NC - MILITARY - Reverend John Gibbs' Revolutionary War Pension Application Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: George H. Gibbs - hermes19@verizon.net and David Lee Gibbs - dgibbs6640@verizon.net Contributor's Note: I have seen an entry in the Burke County Library that referred to John's pension application, giving a brief version of it and then immediately listing his children as if it came from his pension application. I did not believe the list of his children. I had put off ordering forever. While discussing this with Sue Hamilton, a fellow descendant of John's, she volunteered to get the record from the National Archives. Thank you Sue. While she was doing that she found that 'someone' had requested that record many years ago, apparently before there were copying machines, because they had sent a typed copy to that person and had a copy of the typed copy. The National Archives sent photo copies of the typed version as well as the filmed copy of the badly deteriorated original version. The copy of the filmed handwritten version is beyond my ability to read, probably due to degradation of the film. The photo copy of the typed version is poor but readable, too poor to scan into this record. So I am going to type in what I have heard called a "True" copy, to the best of my ability, this means I will put in spelling, grammar and punctuation as it appears on the copy of the typed version. My "True Copy" Begins Here: John Gibbs, S 8556, North Carolina John Gibbs - - S. 8556 Revolutionary Soldier. Enlisted while a resident of Burke County, North Carolina in 1780. Served three months under Captain Clark, Again called out in the summer of 1781 and served three months under Captain John Conley by order of Colonel McDowell. He was allowed a pension on an Application executed July 15, 1844, while a resident of Burke County, N.C. aged 89 years. He was allowed a pension at the rate of $20.00 Per Annum. End of my "True Copy" George H. Gibbs We now know his application made no mention of Children. -- Revolutionary War Pension Records From NARA File No. S.8556 Transcribed as found from images of the original documents available on line at Footnote.com by David L. Gibbs 13 July 2010. -- Declaration In order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7th 1832. State of North Carolina ) Burke County ) On this 15th day of July one thousand Eight hundred and forty four, 1844, personally appeared before me William B. Rust one of the acting Magistrates and a member of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, in and for said County, John Gibbs, a resident of the County and State aforesaid aged Eighty nine 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 in the days of the Revolution he resided in Burke County, No. Carolina, and Entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That in the year 1780, he was drafted into the service for a Tour of three months under Captain Clark who marched his Company from Burke on to Charlotte where they joined General Davidson, who was stationed in Mecklenburg County, and that after staying some weeks at that Post they were joined by General Morgan who spent a few days with them and then the armys parted and declarant was placed under General Morgan who marched on to South Carolina to the Cowpens at which Post he declarant was discharged having served out his tour of duty. The next tour of duty was in the summer of the year following, in the year 1781, he was again called into the service to serve another three months Tour under Captain John Conley by order of Colonel MacDowell, and was ordered on to the Fort at the head of the Catawba River, where deponent served out his tour of duty and was discharged. This deponent further states that he performed other services but the above is the only regular tours that he was out. he also states that he has no documentary Evidence in support of his services, but that he can prove a part or all of his services by Paroll Evidence. This declarant also stated that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency of any State, that he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a Pension except the present, and that the reason why he has not applyed before this late day for his Pension is that he was disappointed by an agent that he had Employed and the amount was so small that he thought to live without it and it is now from actual necessity he is induced to apply for a Pension. Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year first above written before me his Wm B Rust, JP [signature of] John X Gibbs {seal} mark -- State of North Carolina ) Burke County ) I, William B. Rust a Magistrate in the said County do hereby Certify that John Gibbs, who hath this day sworn to and subscribed the foregoing declaration before me is a Minister of the Gospel, a person to whose statements is due full faith and Credit. I also Certify that he is known and reputed in his neighborhood to have been a Soldier in the Revolution and that I fully concur in that opinion. And that I believe him to be of the age as set forth, and to have served as above stated. I do further Certify that John Gibbs the declarant is by reason of old age and bodily infirmity, unable to go to Court to make his declaration. Given under my hand and seal this 15th July 1844 Wm B Rust J.P. {seal} -- State of North Carolina ) Burke County ) I, J. J. Erwin, Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing declaration of John Gibbs an applicant for a Pension, a resident citizen of the County of Burke was this day laid before the Court, examined and approved, and it appeared upon evidence to the Court that said applicant was unable from bodily infirmity to appear before the Court to make his declaration, whereupon it was ordered by the Court that the same be certified to the War department. I further certify that William B Rust before whom the foregoing declaration was proven is an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County and that the forgoing signitures purporting to be his is genuion. I further certify that John Gibbs the applicant is a Minister of the Gospel and a most estimable citizen and that his statements are intitled to credit. In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal of office at office in Morganton this 18 day of July 1844. J. J. Erwin, Clerk of Burke County -- State of North Carolina ) Burke County ) On this 15th day of July 1844, personally appeared before me, William B. Rust one of the acting Magistrates in and for said County, Stephen Balleu, a resident of the County and State aforesaid aged Eighty three years, a United States Pensioner, and made oath in due form of Law, to the following statements, (towit) That he is now and was in the days of the Revolution was acquainted with John Gibbs of Burke County who is now applying for a Pension due to him on the account of his Revolutionary Services; that he, the deponent, was out in the Service with said John Gibbs under Captain Clark in the year 1780, that they left Burke County in July or Augus under Capt. Clark the aforesaid, and marched on to Mecklinburg County, when they joined General Davidson at a Post in said County, where they remained for some six weeks and were joined by General Morgan, who after resting his army for a few days, left Gen'l Davidson and marched his army on to the Cowpens, a Post in South Carolina, and it was on that occasion said John Gibbs and deponent were separated; deponent remained with General Davidsons Army, and said John Gibbs went on with Capt. Clark and General Morgan to the Copwpens, at which place deponent understood on his return home said John Gibbs was discharged after having served out his tour. This deponent further states on his said oath that the aforesaid John Gibbs was, to his own personal knowledge, called into the service the next year (in 1781) to serve a tour of duty at the Old Fort, at the head of the Catawba River in Burke County, under Captain John Conly, which tour he, deponent, has always understood and fully believes he did serve, but deponent was not out with him. Sworn and subscribed on the day and year aforesaid before me his Wm B Rust [his signature] Stephen X Balleu mark -- Updated July, 2010 I should like to make some updates to bring you up to current about Reverend John Gibbs (I refer to him informally as RJG because I have become very familiar with him in my research. When all the Gibbs folks I could find could not place RJG within the Gibbses, I initiated the Gibbs Family DNA Project. DNA has indicated much to us about the Gibbses of the world and continues to provide discoveries often. First, I am a DNA proven descendant of RJG. Second, David Lee Gibbs is a *close* relative but *not* through RJG thus he is a collateral line of an even further back ancestor of this line who presently remains unknown to us. David and I did not know about or even of each other before DNA indicated we were related. We still do not know who *our* common ancestor is but we know he is before RJG. David maintains our website at http://www.wnconline.net/~hermes/gsdnap/. David has done so much work for the DNA Project I first appointed him Co-Administrator of the project then as I get older and still have other things left undone in my life, I, some might say, "foisted" the Administrator's job off on Dave, I prefer to say Promoted . :-) Next, in his genealogical searching Dave came across a much better copy of RJG's pension application apparently made by someone who either could read it better or had a more readable copy than the one I had. It is essentially the same as what I had translated but I believe more complete. I now know that RJG moved from what is now Caldwell County to what is now Nebo in McDowell County during 1800 and missed the census thus he is not listed in the 1800 census. But he sold his Caldwell land and bought land at Nebo from Captain Joseph Dobson Jr. who's Revolutionary pension http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/burke/military/revwar/pensions/dobson01.txt speaks of the Cane Creek skirmish but adds another battle around Silvers Place on Muddy Creek since I am in that area even own part of South Muddy Creek which is near both Cane and Silver Creek I'll have to put my nose to the ground about this battle because I had known nothing of it before. I'll see if I can find where the Silvers place was. There are still Silvers folks who live in the area here I'll see what I can find out from Peggy Silvers.