Guilford County NcArchives Military Records.....Gilmer Or Gilmore, William Or Charles 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, 2:26 pm Constructed History Of Lt. William [or Charles] Gilmore/Gilmer WILLIAM SHAW- “That he first entered service in Guilford County, state of North Carolina in the fall of 1775 under the command of Colonel JAMES MARTIN, Colonel Com, JOHN PAISLEY- Lieutenant Colonel, Captain ARTHUR FORBIS, Lieutenant WILLIAM WILEY, and Ensign WILLIAM GILMER were my company officers. I also served a second tour under the above-mentioned officers, but have no distinct recollection of the exact time I served in either of the two tours, he thinks between two and three months.” WILLIAM KERR-“That a short time after he returned from the 18-months tour [about 1778-1779], he volunteered against the Tories, but the year and month he cannot recollect. That he was in a volunteer company commanded by Captain ARTHUR FORBIS, Lieutenant WILLIAM WILEY, and Ensign WILLIAM GILMORE. That his company, with several other volunteer companies, met in Anson County, NC, and was commanded by Colonel JAMES MARTIN, and as he thinks, Major JOHN NELSON. That he volunteered for a tour of 3 months but did not serve the whole time. Was out six weeks at least and perhaps 8 weeks. That he was marched from his place of rendezvous in Anson Co. into South Carolina. Was in no battles, was acquainted with no regular officers this tour. Was marched back to North Carolina where he was discharged regularly, but has lost his certificate of discharge, and that he was discharged in Guilford County, NC, but the year and month he cannot recollect.” “That the next fall after his last mentioned tour, but the year and month he cannot recollect, he was drafted in the NC militia for 2 months at Guilford Courthouse. That he was commanded by General GRIFFITH RUTHERFORD, Colonel JOHN PAISLEY, Captain ARTHUR FORBIS, Lieutenant WILLIAM WILEY and Ensign WILLIAM GILMORE. That he was marched from Guilford to Charleston, SC, from there to Augusta on the Savannah River, where he remained until his time was expired, when he r returned to Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina, where he was discharged by General RUTHERFORD, but has lost his certificate. That he was in no battle, was acquainted with no regular officers and served the full period of five months, but cannot recollect the time when he was discharged.” ANDREW CARNAHAN-“Previous to the term of service as aforesaid, declarant served several short tours in pursuit of the Tories in North Carolina, but he cannot remember with sufficient accuracy to state anything positive about it. He remembers that he was once out about six weeks in Captain FORBIS’s company, in which he thinks the lieutenant’s name was GILMORE. The troops to which he belonged during this time were under the command of General DAVIDSON. After having been in service about six weeks as above stated, he agreed to join a company of light horse, and went home to get his horse, but his mother who was at that time alive, was so much opposed to his returning, that she prevailed on him to remain at home, she hiring a man to go as a substitute in his place. At this time, he was not much more than sixteen years of age…” JAMES FINLEY-“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, & 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.” PETER LESLEY for RICHARD VERNON-“This deponent further states that he was called out on a tour of duty about 25th of August in the year 1780 under Captain ARTHUR FORBIS, Lieutenant WILLIAM GILMORE, Ensign ALEXANDER ELLISON in a regiment of militia under commanded by Colonel JOHN PAISLEY of Guilford County, North Carolina and under the command of Brigadier General DAVIDSON, and this three months tour was principally served in the counties of Rowan and Mecklenburg…” “…further saith that several events took place whilst he was on this tour of duty which said RICHARD VERNON reminds him of, that makes said deponent believe that said RICHARD VERNON must have been in said service. One event which said Lieutenant states: That one evening when we were dismissed from parade, the adjutant gave word to face to the right about and lodge arms and a gun fired accidentally and shot one JOHN BRAWLEY through the body and he fell dead, and said deponent heard the gun and saw the man fall and died as said VERNON states, and the regiment was discharged about the 25th of November 1780, Camp New Providence…” PETER LESLEY-“I was home about one month, and my stepfather, JOHN WILEY of Guilford County, North Carolina was drafted to serve three months tour, for which I went and served in his place, under the command of Captain FORBIS and WILLIAM GILMORE, Lieutenant, and ALEXANDER ALLISON, Ensign, and was mustered into service in Guilford County, North Carolina on the 25th day of August, 1780, and marched to Salisbury, then to Brushy Camp, where we joined General DAVIDSON. Then we marched to New Providence. There Colonel PAISLEY’s regiment joined us and we continued there in Rowan and Mecklenburg Counties until our time of service had expired, and a part of the time, Colonel MORGAN’s regiment were stationed there, also Colonel WASHINGTON’s, and his horse, a part of the time. I was discharged at New Providence by General DAVIDSON on, I think, about the last of November, 1780.” “I returned home, and I think in January 1781, Captain FORBIS called on his old company again to take the field with him, as the British were in our neighborhood, and I and several of his company joined him as volunteers with Lieutenant GILMORE and Ensign ELLISON. We then marched down to General GREENE’s army on Dan River, and were attached to Colonel PAISLEY’s regiment.” “We stayed about one month with the army and I was furloughed by Colonel PAISLEY to go home, and to join the army again when called. I stayed at home about one month and was notified to join the army again, and about two weeks before the Battle of Guilford, I entered the service under the command of Captain FORBIS in Guilford County, marched up to Guilford Courthouse and on the 15th day of March 1781, I was in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, in which our Captain FORBIS was mortally wounded, and went home and died, and WILLIAM PAISLEY of our company was slightly wounded. I was on the battleground in about three days after the battle was fought. The British had buried their dead and marched off. Our dead men was not all buried. I then went home and stayed some time.” WILLIAM LESLEY-“He entered the service in the militia of North Carolina under General DAVIDSON, in the year 1780, does not recollect the day, but it was in the month of August in that year as he marched from Guilford to Charlotte he met General GATES’ men returning from their defeat near Camden. Marched from Charlotte to Bushy Camps towards Ninety-Six.” “And at the same term of the court came WILLIAM LESLEY, and on oath says that on reflection he has remembered the following officers who were with him, whose names he failed to recollect when he furnished the above statement, to wit: Major JOHN DONNELL, Adjutant ROBERT ROLSTON, who was sick and left the army and his place was supplied by JOHN HARVEY. Captains WILSON, SPARKS, and PEARCE, Lieutenant GILMER, WILLIAM RANKIN, foraging master, who was taken prisoner by the British near Ninety-Six, and Chaplain HALL, a Presbyterian Clergyman.” “After arriving here, Generals GREENE and MORGAN took the command of the southern army and applicant’s commanding officers were Colonel PAISLEY, Major MOORE and Captain FORBIS. He belonged to the third regiment of North Carolina militia; was acquainted with the Maryland line who were the first regular troops of infantry that joined them. These were commanded by one HOWARD who was said to be a Virginian, an officer by the name of WILLIAM WASHINGTON (as he thinks) and another by the name of LEE, commanded the cavalry and overtook the southern army at Sloan’s Ferry on the Yadkin [River] as they were advancing towards Charlotte. This tour was of three months duration and its duties, as it happened consisted principally in marching from point to point. There was not so much as a skirmish during the whole tour.” “He was discharged from this tour at McAlpin’s Creek in North Carolina. His stepfather [JOHN WILEY] drew his discharge and kept it so that applicant never got it. Indeed, his stepfather claimed it as a matter of right, inasmuch as applicant was not twenty-one years old, contending that he was entitled to the proceeds of applicant’s labor until he was of age.” “In a very few days after his discharge from the first tour, he volunteered in the militia army in the same regiment and under the same officers, GREENE, the commanding general. A circumstance which assists his mind in arriving at the fact that the time between his discharge and his volunteering was only a few days is this: before he was discharged, HOWARD and WASHINGTON went on to the Cowpens in South Carolina, where they defeated TARLETON, and he recollects while acting as a volunteer, that he guarded some prisoners taken by them at the Cowpens, from near Salisbury to fifteen miles below Guilford Courthouse and there gave them to another party.” “He recollects that it was a cold, wet day and that the guard called at the house of Colonel PAISLEY, where they had plenty of liquor and a good fire. Among the prisoners was a Colonel BURKS, a Tory, who thrust himself in to get the benefit of the fire. PAISLEY asked him what he came in for. BURKS replied, to warm himself. PAISLEY showed him the door and as he retreated, took a chair and knocked him out of the door into the lane.” “From this place, the detachment went back and joined the main army again at Sloan’s Ferry. By this time, CORNWALLIS was said to be at Charlotte and our Colonel [PAISLEY] beat up for volunteers to go and stop a party of Tories who they heard were about to go and join him. He mustered about 300, of whom deponent was one. They set out and struck for the Fork of the Yadkin, crossed over into it, and went up to a place called the Cross Roads, about a mile from Shallow Ford and then while they were preparing for breakfast, the Tories came up on horseback, shouting praises to King George, and gave some appearance of being intoxicated. The detachment fired on them and killed sixteen. The rest fled rapidly through the woods. One man belonging to the detachment was mortally wounded, but deponent does not know whether he received his wound from the Tories or whether he was shot by carelessness in his own ranks [was this JOHN BRAWLEY?].” “They moved from Shallow Ford and encamped near the river. Next day, went on to Salem or Moravian Town, where they stayed and dried their clothes, and that night deponent stood sentinel four hours in an old field. Thinks this was sometime in December. Marched from that place to the main army at Sloan’s Ferry.” “Not many days after this, GREENE commenced his retreat to Virginia. On the retreat march, they passed through Guilford, crossed Haw River at High Rock Ford, and went on by the Red House, crossed Dan River at Boyd’s Ferry, waded Staunton and crossed Bannister on a bridge, and after passing some short distance beyond the old Courthouse in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, they stopped some days, took some rest and got provision. During this whole route, CORNWALLIS was close in pursuit, and the forces of the Americans he thinks were not more than 2000 men.” “Having got a few days rest, WASHINGTON with the cavalry, went back into North Carolina to keep the British from pillaging, plundering and getting provision, and the infantry also went back, leaving GREENE to recruit in Virginia. On their return march, they scoured the country in every direction until GREENE returned, when then joined him and marched on to Guilford to wait for CORNWALLIS.” “The night before the Battle of Guilford, CORNWALLIS laid at a place called New Garden Meeting House, and a detachment under the command of LEE and WASHINGTON and some riflemen commanded by a Colonel CLEVELAND, went out there and gave the British a smart skirmish before breakfast. CORNWALLIS arrived at Guilford Courthouse between twelve and one o’clock on the 15th of March, 1781.” “Just before the battle commenced, Colonel LEE rode up to the lines where deponent stood and used some thing like these words, “My brave boys, your lands, your lives and your country depend on your conduct this day! I have given TARLETON hell this morning and I will give him more of it before night!” and speaking of the roaring of the British cannon, he said, “You hear damnation roaring over all these words and after all, they are no more than we!” and he went on to flank the left of the American army. This deponent’s place in that battle was on the left of the artillery, not far from it. The 33rd and 71st British regiments breasted the 4th regiment of militia to which deponent then belonged. Their object seemed to be to take the artillery. The battle was commenced by the militia and two lines of them fought before the regulars came up.” “Deponent believes that this tour of volunteer service exceeded three months in duration, but for the purpose of being entirely safe in his statement, he is willing to place it at three months, which together with the three months tour heretofore described, makes six months service performed by this deponent in the Revolutionary War. He got no discharge from this last service. His captain [FORBIS] was mortally wounded at the battle just mentioned and died in about a week. Both before and after the services above mentioned, deponent was engaged in several scouting expeditions, but he cannot recollect any time with certainty and does not ask compensation for any more than the six months to which he has particularly alluded. Deponent does not know of any man living by whom he can establish his services. He had a brother [PETER LESLEY] two years older than himself, who was said to be alive five years ago, and who would be a good witness, but deponent knows not where to find him..." 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/gilmeror322gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 16.7 Kb