REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - THOMAS USSERY Contributed by: Cindy Casey (ccasey@netunlimited.net) ************************************************************************ 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 *********************************************************************** MILITARY PAPERS AND PENSIONS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revolutionary War Pension Affidavit of Thomas Ussery State of North Carolina Granville County On this 5th day of March 1833 personally appeared in open court before his honor Tomas Settle of the Superior Court of Law and Equity for the County of Granville aforesaid Thomas Ussery, a resident of said county, aged seventy four years who after 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 Jun. 7th 1832. This declarant has no knowledge of the existence of any record of his age, but from the accounts which he has always received and believed to be correct, he was born on the 25th day of January 1759 in the County of King William in the State of Virginia. Before his recollection his father moved to the County of Hanover and carried this declarant with him. At the commencement of the Revolutionary War this declarant lived in the County of Hanover. In the year 1778 or 1779 he removed to the County of Lunenberg and at the close of the Revolutionary war he removed to the County of Granville, State of N.C. where he has resided ever since. By reason of old age and consequent loss of memory the declarant cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned before and in the following grades. For eight months and a half, I served as a private in the ranks except a short time that I was made a fifer and for which service he claims a pension. About the month of September 1778 while he served in the company of Capt. William Johnson. He was called into service as a private in the Militia and placed under Capt. Stark who marched to Williamsburg and remained there about three weeks and then to Yorktown for about the same time and then returned to Williamsburg at which place the declarant was discharged and went home after having been in service for six weeks. In the Spring or Summer of 1779 as well as the declarant can recollect, after he had moved to Lunenberg County, he was called into service as a private in the Militia company commanded by Capt. Anthony Street who marched to Petersburg, Va. and there abouts for about one month when he and the rest of the company were discharged at or near Petersburg. In the fall of 1780, he believes, this declarant was again called into service as a private in the Militia company commanded by Capt. Mackey who marched to Petersburg, Richmond and to Ruffin's Ferry on Pamunkey River where Capt. Mackey being taken sick the company was put under Capt. Ruffin who marched them to headquarters where he thinks one Lawson commanded. After being in service about two months he was discharged near Ruffin's Ferry together with the rest of the company. Early in the net year, 1781, he was called into service as a private in the Militia company commanded by Capt. William Ragsdale and marched to Price Edward Court House where he joined the troops commanded by General Lawton. From there he marched under the command of Major Overstreet to the Point of fork on the James River which they crossed at Carter's Ferry and being pursued by the British went to Goochland Courthouse and joined Gen. Wayne's army at the Wilderness Bridge on the Rappahonnock? River and marched under him to Williamsburg where he was discharged after being in service about two months. Shortly after he returned home he was called into service as a private in the Militia company commanded by Capt. Fisher and marched towards Yorktown where Gen. Washington was besieging Cornwallis. This declarant was in camp during the siege but was most generally employed on forage guard. After being in service about two months he was discharged about the time that Lord Cornwallis surrendered. The dates stated in the forgoing declaration are such as this declarant believes to be true, but the time has been so long that it is impossible to remember dates with any precision. He may therefore be mistaken in times but the circumstances which are in the different years enable him to remember the different tours he served and he believes the length of the different tours as stated about is rather less than he actually served. He knows of no person now living by whom he could prove his active services. At the end of each tour he received a discharge paper from his commanding officer to go home but these were document now care of and are long destroyed and he knows of no written document now in existence which would show his service. He therefore relinquishes all claims to any pension or annuity whatsoever except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Thomas (his mark) Usury We, Thomas I. Cook (a clergyman) residing in the county of Granville, State of North Carolina and Richard Ussery Lemay residing in the same county do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Thomas Ussery who has been subscribed and sworn to above declaration. We believe him to be seventy four years of age, that he has reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier in the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. Signed: Thomas Cook - Richard Ussery Lemay And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogation prescribed by the War Dept, that the above name applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the Court further certifies that i t appears to them that Thomas Cook who has signed the preceeding certificate is a clergyman resident in the county of Granville and that Richard U. Lemay, who has also signed the same is a resident in the same county and is a creditable person, and that their statement is entitled to credit. Thos. Settle North Carolina 16.919 Thomas Ussery, Granville County, in the State of North Carolina, who was a Pt. in the Company commanded by Captain Stark of the Regt. commanded by Col.------ in the Virginia ------- for 8 1/2 mo. Private $25.00. Inscribed in the Roll of North Carolina at the rate of 25 Dollars per annum to commence on the 4th day of March 1831. Certificate of Pension issued the 15th day of October and sent to the Pensioner 1833 Ford Creek P. Cert. Arrears to the 4th of Sept. 1833.......62.50 Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Mar 1834.....17.50 Recorded by John T. Sprague, Clerk, Book E. Vol 6 1/2, page 77.