Duplin-Dobbs County NcArchives Military Records.....Clark, Benjamin October 1832 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: Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com July 18, 2006, 11:29 am Pension Application Of Benjamin Clark, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll __, Application # S31611 Hempstead County, Arkansas Territory, October 3, 1832,Benjamin Clark, senior, aged 74 years: “That from the best information in his possession or power he was born in or about the month of January 1758 in Dobbs County, NC, whence his parents removed when he was about one year old to Duplin County also in the state of North Carolina where he was raised and lived during the American Revolution. That about the time or shortly after the cessation of hostilities and the declaration of peace he moved from the said County of Duplin to Sampson County, also in the state of North Carolina, where he resided for some 3 or 4 years, and then removed to Edgefield District or County, SC. That he resided in Edgefield aforesaid for 9 or 10 years and removed thence to Logan County, KY, where he resided about 18 months and then removed thence to Sumner County in the state of Tennessee, where he resided about 1 year and removed thence to Wilson County, TN n which county he resided at the same place about 19 or 20 years, and removed thence to the county of Arkansas in the Territory of Missouri and settled at a place now embraced in the county of Hempstead in the Territory of Arkansas. That he resided in the county of Hempstead aforesaid until about the year 1826 and that he then removed to a place at the time of his removal, also situated in Hempstead County, but which upon the establishment of Sevier County, was embraced within its limits. That he lived in said Sevier County until the year 1831, in which year he again removed to the said Hempstead County, in which he still resides.” “That he believes he entered the service of the United States as a militia man in the militia of the state of North Carolina, at the time under the command of Colonel James Kenan about the year 1775 or 1776. That he joined the infantry under the command of said Kenan and was stationed during the principal part of the first campaign or tour which he served near Wilmington in Hanover County in the state of North Carolina, on or near a small watercourse called Juniper Run, which empties into Cape Fear River on the north side below Wilmington, and that he also believes his said tour was for 3 months and that he served the same as a mere private.” “That whilst he was stationed near Wilmington as aforesaid, there was with the corps there stationed, two officers of the continental line named Pinckney, thee engaged in the recruiting service. He believes that at or about the time he was stationed near Wilmington, there was some Continental troops at Wilmington commanded by a Colonel or General Moore. That at the expiration of the for which the militia under the command of Colonel Kenan had engaged, there being no troops present to relieve them, the one half of the command as he believes were required to remain in the service. Whether they remained as volunteers or were drafted he cannot say, but he again engaged in the service with those in Colonel Kenan’s command who were required to remain, and substituted in his place a man by the name of Samuel Oats, and thereupon left the service and returned to his home in Duplin County aforesaid. He believes that at the time he substituted said Oats in his place, he had engaged for a tour of 3 months as a private. He also states that he engaged as a volunteer in the militia and served another tour as a private in a corps of infantry commanded by Colonel James Kenan. Major James Moore at the time, belonged to the same corps and acted as major.” “That he was stationed for some part of this tour at Rock Fish Creek about 7 miles below Fayetteville in NC. That during the time he was so stationed at Rock Fish Creek, the British forces commanded by McDonald and McCloud [or McLeod] were at Cross Creek or Fayetteville, and he is certain that at the same time there were Continental forces with the militia under Colonel Kenan’s command, commanded at the time by Colonel or General Moore. During this tour last mentioned, he served in the company commanded by Captain Michael King. In the first and lat instances above he was enrolled in the said county of Duplin and in the last instance he served with the militia with whom he was, were disbanded and discharged, but he cannot recollect the length of time he served.” “He further states that on another occasion, he enrolled himself as a volunteer in the militia of said state of North Carolina in the horse or cavalry company commanded by Captain Daniel Williams. He believes said Williams had previously served and commanded a company in the Continental line, and that at the time he enrolled himself in the company commanded by Captain Daniel Williams, Colonel James Kenan had command of the regiment of cavalry to which said William’s company was attached, and that Michael Kenan was quartermaster to said corps commanded by col. James Kenan…That after he enrolled as aforesaid and previous to starting in the said campaign, he was appointed by Colonel Kenan, quartermaster sergeant, and that he served in that character in the several tours here next mentioned as well as the tour for which he was then engaged.” “That the cavalry to which he then belonged, commanded by Colonel Kenan, marched into the state of South Carolina and ranged on both sides of the Big Pedee, up and down the same, and joined on their march a troop of cavalry commanded by a Colonel Wade, but they did not remain long together. That after the corps to which he belonged had for some time marched and ranged on the waters of the Pedee, they were joined by General Arrington or Harrington, who assumed the command for a time, of the corps’ militia. He distinctly recollects that said general at the time had with him an aide-de-camp by the name of McIntosh. He believes that he volunteered as aforesaid in Captain William’s company for a tour of 3 months, and that he served as above stated the full term, if not longer.” “He further states that as quartermaster sergeant he served another tour with a corps of troops under the command of General Lillington, with which corps at the time was Colonel Brown, Major Watson and Captain Love. They marched from the county of Duplin to the Pedee and ranged the country on the Pedee. He cannot say whether they passed into the state of South Carolina or not. He states that during this service the troops under the command of General Green were a part of the time encamped at Guilford Courthouse. That he accompanied Colonel Brown who was sent with an express from General Lillington to General Greene whilst General Greene was encamped at Guilford Courthouse, and that upon the return of Colonel Brown and himself to the encampment of General Lillington, the troops under the command of General Lillington were immediately marched down near to Wilmington and encamped on the opposite side (from Wilmington) on the northeast fork of Cape Fear River.” “That while the main body of Lillington’s command was there encamped, Colonel Brown with his command were ordered to cross the river above Wilmington and reconnoiter the enemy forces then at Wilmington, commanded, he thinks by a man by the name of Craig or Gregg. That he went out with and under the command of Colonel Brown. He distinctly recollects that Colonel Brown did engage the enemy forces about 10 miles below Wilmington near the ridge over the northeast fork, and after a sharp contest, was compelled to retreat, and that he was with Colonel Brown’s command during the engagement and retreat. That he served at this time a tour of 3 months and a_____ _____. He further states that during the campaign next previous to the one last mentioned, that is to say the campaign which he made with and under Colonel Kenan as above stated, a number of prisoners were taken and carried by the order of Colonel Kenan to his, Colonel Kenan’s residence in Duplin County, NC, and were there detained under guard by the order of Colonel Kenan, and that he was ordered by Colonel Kenan the remain with the guard and aid in guarding said prisoners, and that he remained with the guard until the prisoners were removed, but he is now unable to say the length of time they remained at Colonel Kenan’s aforesaid.” “He further states that he served another tour with Captains Williams and Dodd. That they were out some part of the time on a creek called the Little Uwharrie and on the waters of the Black or South River in NC. That during this tour they were joined by a Major Dougherty. He cannot recollect whether at the time Major Dougherty had the command of said companies or not, or how long he was in actual service at this time, but he distinctly recollects that during this tour, Captain Dodd shot out of a tree a certain commander of some Tories by the name of Hall.” “He further states that about the same time he served several tours in the same quarter or section of the country, the length of which he cannot recollect, but he believes they were of short duration and he does not recollect the names of any of the officers then in command with or under whom he served. He further states that he served another tour with a corps commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James More of Duplin County, and that there was a captain belonging to said corps by the name of Asher Pipkin, and that they were marched from Duplin County to Town Creek below Wilmington, which he believes to be about the time the British left Wilmington, and that he was in the service at that time about 3 months. Also that he served another tour under Captain Pipkin but the length of time he served on said tour he cannot recollect. He believes that it was a short tour.” “That he served another tour with a corps which he thinks was commanded at the time by Colonel Kenan. That during this tour they had several skirmishes with the enemy in Hanover County in NC. He believes the enemy there was at that time under the command of a man named Mobley. In one of said skirmishes they took prisoner a Captain Goff. The length of time he took on this campaign he cannot recollect. He further states that he served another tour with a corps, one company of which was commanded by Captain Dodd in whose company there was a Lieutenant Armstrong. During said tour said corps was most of the time in Duplin County, NC, on the waters of a stream called the Northeast. He does not recollect the length of time he served on said tour.” “That he served another tour in a corps in which Captains David Dodd and Thomas James commanded two of the companies. This tour was directed exclusively against the Tories in Duplin and the surrounding counties in NC and that the corps with which he served had a skirmish with some Tories then embodied at one Alden’s. He cannot recollect the length of time which he served on said tour. He further states that he served the several tours above mentioned previously to Lord Cornwallis with the troops under his command passing through the state of North Carolina in the direction of Virginia. “That shortly after Lord Cornwallis had passed through North Carolina as aforesaid, Colonel James Kenan ordered his brother, Michael Kenan to raise some men in the county of Duplin aforesaid for the purpose of taking from such persons as had taken parole of Lord Cornwallis, their paroles. That a troop was raised accordingly by the said Michael Kenan, by whom the said troop was also commanded, and that he volunteered and joined said troop and performed another tour of service of considerable length, but the time he cannot state.” “He further states that during the time he was engaged in the service as above stated, he at all times after he joined the cavalry or horse as above stated, furnished and rode his own horse, and that during that time he received several discharges, though he believes he did not at the end of each tour take any regular discharges…After the close of the war auditors were appointed to examine and adjust the accounts of the militia for services rendered in the war, and that he placed his discharges in the hands of Colonel William Dickson [or Dixon] of Duplin County aforesaid, his neighbor, who was appointed one of said auditors to take and present the same to the Board of Auditors for adjustment. That said Dickson took the same for that and no other purpose, and that said Dickson, when he returned home from his service as auditor aforesaid, gave it as his opinion that his claim had been allowed by the Board of Auditors and that some person of the same name had applied to the said board of Auditors and got the ticket to which he was entitled, and that neither the discharges nor the ticket could afterwards be found…” “That about two years since, there was a man living in Phillips County in this territory by the name of John Ward, who personally knew of his services aforesaid having been rendered. He was about two years older than this applicant and extremely feeble and almost blind when he last heard of him, and was then represented as rapidly declining and he supposes him dead, but has not heard anything of him for about two years.” “He further states that he has not any record of his age, except one made by himself about twenty years ago, and now in the possession of his son, Gilbert Clark of Sevier County, Arkansas territory…” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/duplin/military/revwar/pensions/clark416gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 14.0 Kb