Duplin County NcArchives Military Records.....Armstrong, Alexander Revwar - Pension ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Jerome Tew jdtew@earthlink.net February 16, 2008, 3:00 pm The Case against ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG His RW Pension Application was rejected Alexander was born March 1756 in Ireland and came to America near age 14 with his father (John) and settled in Duplin Co. NC and lived in Duplin at enlistment. To most, Alexander Armstrong was the ideal soldier. He had enlisted in 1778 for six months under Captain James Gillespie and Colonel James Kenan. Soon after that, he was drafted for six months and served in the North Carolina Militia in the company of Captain Joseph T. Rhodes and marched to South Carolina and was wounded in the knee at the Battle of Stono River on 20 June 1779. In the spring of 1781, his father John was drafted for six months to serve with Captain James Love and his light horsemen. With his knee now well, Alexander went in his place. Captain James Love was a man of some ability in fighting for his freedom. Captain Love and his men were returning to their headquarters in July 1781 when they realized that they were nearing one of their favorite watering places, a tavern just above Wilmington run by a Mr. Alexander Rouse, the men voted to stop for a drink and some darts. They put their horses in the inn's stables and went into the tavern. The Captain was carrying his saddle. As soon as they stepped inside they knew that something was not right. They were ambushed and even though the Captain used his saddle as a shield but still some bullets found their mark. He managed to get outside but expired under a magnolia tree in the side yard. Only three or four of the men with him got away. Some of the men were captured along with Alexander Armstrong. Alexander was taken to Wilmington which was then occupied by the British. However, Cornwallis was forced to surrender on 19 Oct 1781 and a month later, the British released the POWs and pulled out of Wilmington. Alexander Armstrong's Pension Application, State of Georgia, Washington Co.: On the fourth day of November 1833 personally appeared in open court Alexander Armstrong a resident of the county of Washington and state foresaid, age seventy-seven (77). Who being fully sworn according to law doth by his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed 7 June 1832. I enlisted in the Revolutionary War in the county of (New) Hanover and state of North Carolina in the year 1777. Under James Kenan Colonel and James Gillespie Captain. I was taken prisoner during said months service and was kept in Wilmington. And the allowance for food was one biscuit a day. And the better part of the time, one half biscuit per day and for four months. Afterwards, I was drafted for six months in Duplin Co. for the North Carolina Militia and marched to South Carolina and attacked the British Fort at the Stono River. I receive a wound in the knee. When I was drafted, I served under General Lillington and captain not recollected. I served six moths in the place of John Armstrong in a horse company commanded by Captain James Love. I joined the horse company in Duplin Co. NC and marched to the Pedee River and through that county and was discharged in (New) Hanover County NC. Interrogation answers: #1 I was born in the year 1756 in Ireland and came to America about the year 1769. #2 I do not have a record of my age, all I have is what I recollect told me by my parents. #3 I lived in Duplin County NC when I entered the service and moved from there to Washington Co. Georgia where I now live and I have lived here for the past thirty-four years. #4 I first enlisted, and then was drafted, and then served as a substitute for John Armstrong. #5 My old age has much impaired my recollection and I do not recollect any of the officers and I can say no more than I said in my general declaration. #6 I received no discharge from the service. #7 William Duggan, John Duggan, and William Jordan are persons who can testify of my character and Mitchell Watkins (Wadkins) is one of my old acquaintances who served six months with me. Affidavit of Mitchell Watkins: That the said Alexander Armstrong served the same tour of six months with me and from my long acquaintances with him I believe that he served the other tours as he stated in his declaration. Sworn to before us, Silas Floyd, John Wicker, and Bryant Oquin. Mitchell X Watkins Here is a different document in the file that shows clearly that Alexander Armstrong served three-each six month tours. He first enlisted, then was drafted, and then served as a sub for his father under Captain Love. However, this soldier clearly showed that he had a problem with his memory. #5 My old age has much impaired my recollection and I do not recollect any of the officers and I can say no more than I said in my general declaration. The above declaration of Alexander Armstrong does not match the document displayed on the left that shows the sequence of his service. The above date of 1777 in surely wrong, there were no British in Wilmington until 1781. Alexander pointed out in answer #5 that his memory was not good. A second declaration was given on 10 Dec 1833 and this time the sequence of events is correct. However, both declarations were left in the file adding to the problem and to a rejection of the application. 1. Alexander enlisted under Captain James Gillespie and Colonel James Kenan in the Duplin Militia, likely in 1778. 2. Alexander was drafted under General Lillington and Captain Joseph T. Rhodes. Alexander was wounded in the knee at the battle of Stono Ferry in SC on 20 June 1779. Alexander does not remember the name of Captain Rhodes, Rhodes was there from Duplin and also wounded. 3. He went in as a substitute for his father. He was under Captain James Love and part of his light horse unit. This unit was ambushed in July of 1781 at the home and tavern of Alexander Rouse, north of Wilmington and near the Little Bridge. Captain Love was killed and Private Alexander Armstrong was taken prisoner to Wilmington and released in Nov. 1781. At least three pensioners from Duplin survived this ambush. They were James Holland, Elisha Jones, and John Rigby. In their pension application, each gave a brief account of the death of Captain Love. Alexander does not mention the death of Captain James Love. Alexander was there, but had a poor memory in 1833. Affidavits for character: We William P. Haynes, clergyman, and Thomas J. Worthan, a citizen, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Alexander Armstrong who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration. We believe him to be seventy- seven (77) years old and we believe that he was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and we concur in that opinion. Signed WP Haynes Clergy Thomas J. Worthan Alexander Armstrong's pension application of 1833 was rejected. I think mostly the reason was lack of detail and both declarations were in his file. Making the pension application look fishy. He having moved to GA about 1785, makes it near impossible to know RW soldiers who served with him. He should have got a lawyer to prepare the information…over time. This would have avoided taking two declarations. Alexander never returned to Duplin. A fellow soldier, John Rigby, was riding with Captain Love when Love got killed, Rigby was still in Duplin in 1840. The amount of money here was $60 a year and likely a BLW for a tract of land. But there was some pain, for the pension office to say, you have not proven you served even one six-month tour. Only six months was needed to draw a pension. He had a witness to one tour of six months. But everything was rejected… therefore it must have been the first declaration. For example, "I joined the light horse in Duplin and then marched to the Pedee". This could be true but likely this statement is mixed up. That was not a good day for his memory at work. Likely Alexander never knew that both declarations would be kept in his file. It appears the RS Alexander Armstrong died before 1840. Back in Duplin, his half-brother Edward Armstrong 1766-1827 had a highly respected family. A brother Thomas marred Rachel Cooper in 1800 and moved from Duplin to Alabama and then moved to Texas. Edward had an younger brother in GA and I think he was Jesse Armstrong 1769-1837, also of Washington Co. GA. Jesse would be a brother to Edward as father John was married two or three times. The two known sons of Alexander Armstrong were Edward born 1790 and Alexander Jr. born 1792. Both were born in Georgia. James G. Armstrong 1816 was the son of Alexander Jr. and James took up the cause of the rejected Revolutionary War soldier in 1853. However, now there is an even larger obstacle, all the Revolutionary War soldiers were then dead as the war had ended 70 years earlier. James hired a lawyer in Washington DC and one in Washington Co. GA. The lawyers contacted the comptroller's office in NC about any RW pay vouchers under the name of Alexander Armstrong. He found one for 25/12 pounds He found one for 25/2/10 pounds He found one for 9/0 pounds At the North Carolina Archives online today, there are eight RW pay vouchers for Alex, Alexandr, or Alexr Armstrong. There are also four for A. Armstrong. The printed pay voucher books list the same pay voucher for 9 pounds above, but not the others. The books also list Alexr Armstrong for 2/10/0 pounds for militia duty. It also list Alexr Armstrong for 5/8/0 pounds along with others with about the same value. It also list him for one pay voucher for 6/17/6 pounds. The pay vouchers for 25 pounds above were for food or other goods to the militia or army. For the above Mitchel Wadkins/Watkins who served six months with Alexander Armstrong, I found one NC RW pay voucher for Wadkins. I could find no record of any application for a RW pension. I was not able to learn which of the three six-month tours that they served together. What the man above is talking about is A. Armstrong vs. Alexander Armstrong. Those eight RW pay vouchers are online today and therefore they were there in 1853. Not finding them is a different matter and not controlled by Alexander Armstrong. Apparently someone saw the A. Armstrong. Most likely Alexander Armstrong did not know how many pay vouchers that he had received. The government asked questions…but not about pay vouchers. Service records were kept for the NC Line troops, but the militia records, if made, were seldom retained. So the pay vouchers were by 1833 the only documented proof of militia service other than an affidavit of a witness. The above letter dashed all hopes that the late Alexander Armstrong could get any credit for his 18 months of RW service. Alexander Armstrong got the short end of the stick in this case. Surely he had earned a pension. I have been unable to find any other Alexander Armstrong in NC for this time period, so I am sure most, if not all, of those 8 pay vouchers for Alexr Armstrong belonged to this soldier. The early Sampson deeds show Alexander Armstrong in early Duplin and buying 150 acres of land for 10 pounds from Abraham Beasley in 1776 and also witnessing a deed of Austin Beasley in 1783. It is also clear that he lived near the Beasley cousins. It is not normal for a young man below 21 to buy land. Could it be that Alexander married a daughter of Abraham Beasley? Alexander patented 310 acres of land in two patents in 1780. This was a big move for a man of his age. In 1784 Alexander Armstrong sold all his land, then 460 acres, to James Heath for 100 pounds. I believe he packed up and moved to Georgia soon after this and he is not found in the US Census in 1790 and sons Edward and Alexander Jr. born in 1790 & 1792 are listed as born in GA. Alexander reported that he had lived in Washington Co. GA since 1799, so likely he first settled in a nearby county in GA. Alexander Armstrong is not DAR registered and as far as I know, no application has been made. This would not right the wrong that was done on this soldier by the pension office, but it would help. Surely someone wants to know the story of this ideal soldier for freedom. References: US Census for Washington Co. GA 1830, 1850, and 1860. RW pension application for Alexander Armstrong posted on Footnote.com. The Armstrong History posted on the Duplin web-site. By Thomas James Armstrong 1867. Sampson Deeds by Max Peterson vol. 2-3 Abstracts of Duplin Deeds pg 1A 103 Eleanor Draughon c1973. Revolutionary War Records of Duplin and Sampson Counties, Virginia and Oscar Bizzell c1997 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/duplin/military/revwar/pensions/armstron33nmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ncfiles/ File size: 13.2 Kb