Guilford-Randolph-Orange County NcArchives Military Records.....Gillespie, 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 18, 2006, 2:23 pm Constructed History Of Captain John Gillespie SAMUEL CARUTHERS-“In some few months after his return that he joined a minute company commanded by Captain JOHN GILLESPIE, Lieutenant JAMES MCCUISTON & Ensign JAMES FLACK in the month of November or December of the same year [1779]. That he returned from his before mentioned tour of duty, that from that time until peace was made, that he was on duty against the Tories which was headed by WRIGHT, near the mountains & FANNING in Randolph, for at least half of his time. That during the time of his belonging to this minute company was something like two years and that he was in the service of his country at least during said time, as much as one year. That the foregoing several tours, was rendered in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia and under the before mentioned officers, etc.” THOMAS CUMMING-“That he entered the service of the United States in the fall of the year 1780 under Captain JOHN GILLESPIE in a company of cavalry. That at the time of his entering the service he lived in the County of Guilford, North Carolina. That his company rendezvoused at Guilford Courthouse and was marched from there on through Salisbury to Charlotte in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, where General DAVIDSON was stationed with his army and were waiting for recruits and new forces with a view of marching into South Carolina to join in cooperating with General GREENE. Upon the arrival of his company under Captain GILLESPIE at Charlotte, it was placed under the command of Colonel DAVIE. That he remained there with his company until the British made their appearance in that quarter, when the division under the command of General DAVIDSON was compelled to retreat before superiority of numbers.” “That during the campaign news arrived at headquarters that a large number of Tories had assembled at a plantation on the Catawba River called Wahab’s [Lane], where Colonel DAVIE was dispatched with a force of one hundred cavalry and one hundred infantry to disperse them. That he was among the number sent and after traveling all night, they arrived early in the morning and found a large number of Tories who were immediately given battle [per Heitman, September 21, 1780] and defeated and upwards of thirty horses were taken by the company under command of Colonel DAVIE. At the expiration of three months, this affiant was dismissed.” JOHN FINDLEY-“That when he returned to Guilford whence he had set out, he again volunteered in a company which was called minute-men and rode as horsemen, sometimes under one captain and sometimes under another, but mostly under Captain JOHN GILLESPIE (a volunteer). That in this company he served as sergeant, but does not recollect how many tours, but not less than six. That in making them, he was marched down to the Caraway Mountains or High Hills of Randolph County and frequently down in the state as far as Drowning Creek after Col. FANNING, who commanded the Tories. That in performing these tours he must have consumed as much as seven months.” WILLIAM KERR-“That a short time after his last mentioned discharge, he turned out as a volunteer for “during the War of the Revolution”, and met at Salisbury aforesaid, the day and year he cannot state. [He] was sergeant in a company of horse commanded by Captain JOHN GILLESPIE, Lieutenant DANIEL GILLESPIE, Major [JAMES] WHITE, Colonel WILLIAM R. DAVIE and General [WILLIAM] DAVIDSON. That he was marched into SC. [He] was in a skirmish with the Tories in Wahabs Lane [September 21, 1780], where they took 90 horses and 80 prisoners from the Tories where the British army appeared in sight before they left the ground. Shortly after which skirmish he was marched back to Guilford. That he served on this tour in the capacity of Sergeant, 3 months.” “That in a very short time after his return from the above tour he was again called out, served in the same company when Captain GILLESPIE was made Colonel, Lieutenant GILLESPIE was made captain, GEORGE PARKS Lieutenant and he was made cornet. [They] left Guilford Courthouse, went to Salisbury, thence to Mecklenburg County, thence to Camden, thence to Charlotte Courthouse, where they joined the regular army, as near as he can at this time recollect, under General MORGAN. That during this tour he was in the Battle at Guilford Courthouse [March 15, 1781]. JOSEPH NATION-“That afterwards in the latter part of the summer and fall season of the year 1780 or 1781, her husband the said JOSEPH NATION served a three months tour of duty in a company of cavalry or mounted men under the command of Captain JOHN GILLESPIE in Colonel DOUGAN’s regiment of North Carolina militia. That during this tour, her said husband was out and in actual service three months and was engaged in defending the country from the ravages of the British and what was then called Tories.” Additional Comments: Constructed History is my term for a soldier who did not file for a pension himself, but about whom there is enough evidence from other soldiers to form an equivalent to a pension application. Most of the testimony comes from other men mentioning the officer or non-comm. officer, but in some cases, the actual soldier himself testified on behalf of other men, thus revealing his own history. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/gillespi320gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb