Guilford County NcArchives Military Records.....Cotton, William 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 15, 2006, 3:01 am Pension Application Of William Cotton, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll 661, Application #S32187 WILLIAM COTTON, a resident of Franklin County, Indiana, aged 84 years: “In the month of March 1780, he volunteered and served for six months under General SUMTER, Col. MARTIN, (major forgotten) and Capt. JOHN LEAK, the rest of the company officers he has forgotten. He left the service in the month of Sept. same year, after serving faithfully for six months, when he was discharged by Col. MARTIN.” “He then afterwards, in the month of November, same year, volunteered a second time for six months and served out the full length of his tour under General RUTHERFORD, Colonel MARTIN, Major CANADA [Major KENNEDY?], Captain JOHN LEAK, (Lieutenant forgotten), and Ensign WALKER. He left the service this second tour in the month of May 1781, after first being duly discharged by Colonel MARTIN. This in addition to his former made the term of one year. This second tour he was in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina. He then in the month of July 1781, volunteered a third time and served under General SUMTER, Colonel MARTIN, Major CANADA [KENNEDY?], Captain JOHN LEAK and Ensign WALKER. He left the service the first of January 1782, after being first duly discharge by Col. MARTIN. This, in addition to his former tours makes the term of eighteen months, for which he claims a pension. At the time he entered the service, at all of the service times, he resided in Guilford County, North Carolina and continued to reside there until the War was over.” “During his first tour he was in the Battle of Cross Creek [per Heitman, Feb. 27, 1776, Moore’s Creek Bridge] in North Carolina, where the Americans defeated the British, and in his second tour, was in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse [per Heitman, March 15, 1781], NC. “During his first tour, he marched from Dan River to Guilford Courthouse, from thence to Sandy River, from thence to Cross Creek, where the engagement took place, from thence he marched back to Guilford Courthouse, where he remained stationed as a guard until he was discharged in September 1780.” “During the second tour he marched from Dan River to Guilford Courthouse, from thence to Blue Creek, from thence to the waters of PeeDee, from thence (after remaining there for some time), he marched to the swamps, from thence up the D___ling roads, from thence to the Crossroads, from thence to Guilford Courthouse, where he was engaged in the Battle, from thence to the Crossroads, and here he was discharged.” “During his third and last tour, he marched against the Cherokee Indians and passed across the Mayo, from thence to French Broad, from thence to Nolachucky, from thence to the Cherokee towns, for many miles in the wilderness where he served for about three months, when he was marched home to Guilford County, by the way of the waters of PeeDee, from thence across the River Dan, from thence he marched to Guilford Courthouse, where he was discharged.” “Applicant thinks it his duty to state to the Department that the marches may not be exactly correct, but in consequence of his extreme bodily infirmity and consequent mental imbecility he cannot be more exact. During all of his tours there were many regular soldiers with the troops where he served, but he cannot remember the particular regiments or companies to which they belonged. There were also other militia regiments and companies than the one to which he belonged. He remembers General GREENE, General SUMTER, General RUTHERFORD, Colonel MARTIN and some others…” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/cotton139gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 4.2 Kb