Guilford County NcArchives Military Records.....Finley, James 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 16, 2006, 2:00 am Pension Application Of James Finley, Natl Archives Microseries M804. Roll 976, Application #S6838 JAMES FINLEY, a resident of Guilford County, in the seventy second year of his age: “That he was born on the plantation on which he now resides in the County of Guilford, and that he has here resided all his life in said county, that from an entry in his father’s family Bible, he was born on the 10th day of October 1760.” “About the middle of August 1780, he entered the service of the United State as a volunteer under the command of Colonel JOHN PAISLEY, Captain ARTHUR FORBIS, and Lieutenant GILMER and soon after marched from Martinsville in the County of Guilford to join the forces of General WILLIAM DAVIDSON in the County of Mecklenburg. That before he marched into Mecklenburg County, the forces with which he marched from Martinsville were stationed for two weeks on the Yadkin, at which time we formed a ?main? body of a company of three hundred volunteers under the command of Colonel JOHN PAISLEY and Captain ARTHUR FORBIS, to attack a party of Tories under the command of Captains BURK and BRYAN, who had been committing depradations near the Shallow Ford of the Yadkin, and that they arrived just as the Tories were defeated and routed by a body of Whigs by whom they had been attacked.” “After returning from this scouting party and again joining the main body, he was marched into the County of Mecklenburg where General DAVIDSON took the command, remaining there for some time. He was marched under the command of a Captain WILSON from Caswell County and joined some forces under command of Colonel DAVIE, who was stationed on the Catawba River for the purpose of watching the movements and keeping in check the British forces under the command of Lord CORNWALLIS, which was encamped on the other side of the river. Shortly after this, he joined the main army again under the command of General DAVIDSON and remained with them till he was discharged, which took place in the month of November 1780 on the Yadkin River. He received a discharge at the time aforesaid, signed by General DAVIDSON and Captain ARTHUR FORBIS, which discharge has been lost or destroyed.” “General MORGAN and Colonel WASHINGTON were frequently at the head [quarters] of General DAVIDSON, where he frequently [FINLEY] saw them.” ‘And the aforesaid JAMES FINLEY further states that shortly after the Battle of Guilford, from the scarcity of money and from the great depreciation of the money then in circulation, that it was a matter almost impossible to employ persons to assist as public agents for the procurement of provisions for the military stores which it was necessary to keep out in the country to supply the armies and officers who were passing from one part of the country to another. That it was necessary for prisoners to be employed in this service as soldiers and to be considered as such, and paid and discharged as such.” “That he entered into the service under the command of Major RUTHERFORD who was stationed at Martinsville and continued it for the space of three months at the end of which time he received a discharge from Major RUTHERFORD which discharge he has likewise lost, and at the same time he was given a certificate from Major RUTHERFORD that he had performed ____ as equivalent to a three months tour, and that he was entitled to the same pay with those who had served for that length of time.” “In addition to the foregoing services, he was subject to a call at any time as a minute man, whenever the inroads of the Tories or any other threatening danger threw the country into a state of alarm. He was marched down to Deep River under Captain BELL for the purpose of attacking a parcel of Tories who were disturbing that section of country. After the dispersion of the Tories he returned home and was discharged by his captain. He is not certain as to the particular time of this service, but believes it to be a short time before GATES’ Defeat, as a part of the forces, after the dispersion of the Tories, went on to join the southern army.” “In the spring of 1781, at the time General GREENE was retreating before Lord CORNWALLIS, he was again called out under Captain BELL, and marched to Martinsville, where he remained for the space of a week for the purpose of protecting the records of the county from destruction, but from the great destruction of property which was going on through the county at that time, he was discharged together with the rest of the militia there assembled in order to ____ their property from the plundering and pillages of the British and Tories. He is known to WILLIAM MAXWELL, who has been acquainted with him all his life, and by whom he can prove his service in his first tour under General DAVIDSON, they both being discharge and returning home at the same time…etc.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/finley168gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb