Guilford County NcArchives Military Records.....Burns, John 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 June 14, 2006, 4:17 am Pension Application Of John Burns, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll 423, Application #S1944 JOHN BURNS, a resident of Bedford County, Tennessee, aged 79 years, six months: “That he entered the service of the United States as a volunteer in the County of Guilford, and state of North Carolina, in Captain JOHN NELSON’s company, attached to a regiment commanded by Colonel JAMES MARTIN. He states that his lieutenant was by the name of JOSIAH GATES, and that he volunteered and was mustered into service in the spring and summer of 1776, he thinks about the 1st of June. He states he was marched from Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina to Salisbury, from that to Cathey’s Fort on Catawba River, from thence into the Cherokee nation to Catawba Town, at which place one of our men killed an Indian. Our troops destroyed Catawba Town and a great many other towns that he cannot recollect the names of. He recollects Turkey Town, the Americans destroyed the corn that was growing by cutting it down.” “Deponent further states that he remained in the nation for some time and was then marched back home and discharged or dismissed at ROBERT NELSON’s in Guilford County, North Carolina, he thinks and believes about the first of November, in the same year. “He also states that afterwards he was numbered when every ten men had to furnish a man for the Continental service, and in this way, my class furnished three men at different times. He does not recollect the year. He further states that the governor at North Carolina called for troops to guard the Legislature of the state, convened at Salem, he does not recollect the year, but he thinks he served about one month as a volunteer on this occasion, under JOHN NELSON as captain.” “He afterwards volunteered under Captain JOHN NELSON in Guilford County aforesaid, to go against the Tories who were embodied on the Yadkin River, about a mile from the Shallow Ford on said river, but they were driven from that place as he was informed, by Colonel CAMPBELL from Holston, before Captain NELSON and his men reached that place. He states that Captain NELSON returned home with his men in about six or seven days, after which they were dismissed.” “He states that afterwards he volunteered with the same Captain JOHN NELSON, his Lieutenant was JOSIAH GATES, his Colonel was JAMES MARTIN, he thinks he volunteered about the first of February in the year 1781. He states he was mustered into service at a WILLIAM MONTGOMERY’s about six miles below Guilford Courthouse, in the state of North Carolina, in General GREENE’s army. He states the troops remained for some time when they were mustered into service, but was ordered and marched to Works Bridge on Haw River.” “He states that he was ordered from that place to pilot some baggage wagons to the Rocking Springs now in Rockingham County, NC and after some days, was ordered to have said wagons moved across Dan River into Henry County, VA, which he performed agreeable [to] orders. He states that afterwards he was marched to the battle ground of the Guilford Battle to bury some of the Americans who fell in that battle and were left on the ground. They found six men and buried them. He thinks he served on this tour of duty about one month and a half, and was dismissed, making in all about seven months and twenty-one days. He states he knows Major JOHN NELSON of the Continental line, but does not know what regiment he was attached to…He knows of no person whose testimony he can procure except the testimony of WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM…” “Personally appeared, WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM…who saith that he entered the service of the United States as a drafted soldier in Captain JOHN NELSON’s company, where he became acquainted with JOHN BURNS…in the year 1776 in an expedition against the Cherokee nation of Indians. The said BURNS was a private soldier in the same company with him and he was informed had been in the company before he joined it. Said BURNS remained in said company during the whole time he remained with it, was, he thinks, was about three months and how long he, said BURNS, remained with said company afterwards he does not know.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/burns126gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 4.7 Kb