Guilford-Surry County NcArchives Military Records.....Hardin, Henry 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, 2:35 am Pension Application Of Henry Hardin, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll 1186, Pension #S31732 HENRY HARDIN, a resident of Walton County, GA, aged 71 years: “That he entered the service in the year 1777, on the fifteenth day of October in that year, as a volunteer with Captain HENRY SMITH for the term of six months and served in Colonel PREVARD or BREVARD’s Regiment of the North Carolina militia under the command of General LINCOLN, Colonel LYTLE, and Major NELSON of the Continental line, and General WILLIAMSON of the militia; the names and rank of the other officers he states he has forgot. And the deponent further declares that he served the said term of six months in the land service and that he left the said service on the fifteenth day of April, 1778 at Turkey Hill on the Black Swamp, South Carolina, at which time and place last aforesaid he was regularly discharged, which discharge is no where in this deponent’s power and custody at this time, having been, as he believes, long since lost or destroyed.” “And this deponent further declares that at the time he entered in the service, he resided in the County of Surrey, North Carolina, but he was born in Johnston County of said state, and that during said term of service he marched from the Moravian Town in said state to Salisbury, to Camden in South Carolina, and from that place to the High Hills of Santee, and crossed the Santee River at Nelson’s Ferry, thence by the Eutaw Springs to Bacon’s Bridge, thence to Jacksonboro, and from thence by the lower road to Purysburg at headquarters on the Savannah River, but this deponent sayeth that during said term of service, he was not engaged in any battle or fight with the enemy.” “And this deponent further declares that he again entered into the service of the United States in the year 1780 in the month of June of that year, but the precise day this deponent does not now recollect, for a term of three months as a militia man with Captain ABSOLOM BOSTICK of Surrey County, North Carolina, DAVID HUMPHRIES, 1st Lieutenant, and this deponent as 2nd Lieutenant in said company, and that said company was attached or belonged to Colonel MARTIN ARMSTRONG’s regiment in General RUTHERFORD’s brigade under the command of Major General CASWELL of the militia, which was joined to the Continental line not far from Cheraw Hills in South Carolina under the command of General GATES; and from thence marched to Lynch’s Creek to Rugeley’s Mill on the road to Camden, and from thence towards Camden, about halfway to which place the American forces were met by the British forces. A battle ensued and the former were defeated and this deponent was engaged in said battle [per Heitman, August 16th, 1780]. And this deponent further declares that his commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the militia company aforesaid is lost or mislaid, that he cannot now produce it, but the fact is sustained by the affidavits of DAVID HUMPHRIES, 1st Lieutenant in said company, hereto annexed.” “And this deponent further declares after General GATES Defeat aforesaid, the company to which he belonged was never afterwards reorganized, as there was no place of rendezvous for his company appointed, and he thereupon returned home to Surrey County, North Carolina; but in a few days, took his horse and went to [New] Providence, Mecklenburg [Co.], North Carolina, where he again entered into the service of the United States by joining the militia Light Horse as a substitute for PETER EATON under Colonel DAVIE, who was the commander under whom he served two months and was then regularly discharged, after marching from [New] Providence to the Waxhaw settlement, where he was discharged as aforesaid, which discharge is lost or mislaid, so that he is now unable to produce it.” “And this deponent further declares that he again entered into the service of the United States in the year 1781, in the month of March of that year, by order of Colonel JAMES MARTIN and Colonel HUNTER, who about the time CORNWALLIS entered into Guilford County, North Carolina, gave orders for every man who was able to bear arms to join the army under General GREENE, by joining Captain THOMAS COOK’s company of Light Horse, of the militia under the command of Colonel JAMES MARTIN and Colonel JAMES HUNTER in which company this deponent served a few weeks, the company being disbanded after the Battle at Guilford Courthouse [March 15th, 1781], North Carolina, in which county this deponent then resided, having removed there in the month of February preceding; but was not engaged in said battle by reason of his being absent on forage duty.” “And this deponent further declares that in the fall of the said year last aforesaid [1781], he was again in the service of the United States as a volunteer in the Light Horse company of Captain THOMAS COOK commanded by Colonel WILLIAM O’NEAL in pursuit of the noted Tory FANNING, Colonel of the Tories. And this deponent further declares that he was at various other times and under various other officers engaged in suppressing and disarming the Tories which he does not herein detail as the terms of service tho’ numerous, were short and under partizan officers acting upon their own responsibility…” “Personally came…DAVID HUMPHRIES… who sayeth that he acted as captain of a company of Surrey regiment of North Carolina militia in the year 1780; that HENRY HARDIN was put under my command as an ensign of that company, who now petitions the States for a pension, was put under his command in the year 1780, and with me at the time of General GATES’ Defeat near Camden in South Carolina, on the 16th day of August, 1780, on which day the army got broke up by the memorable defeat, and those that escaped got home as they could. The said HARDIN, while under my command, behaved himself well as a good soldier and friend to his country.” “Honorable _. Clayton, Presuming upon our acquaintance and I hope of good opinion of each other, I take this liberty of requesting you to attend to some business for me if your attention to it should not be incompatible with your other duties as a representative of the people of Georgia in the National Council.” “I entered in this place three days ago my declaration for a pension to which I am entitled under the law passed by Congress last June. In that declaration I have stated a term of duty under Captain A. BOSTWICK’s company of the NC militia from Surrey Cty, as 2nd Lieutenant and that DAVID HUMPHRIES was 1st Lieutenant in said company; and also that I had lost or mislaid my commission as 2nd Lieutenant, but that the fact of my service as such 2nd lieutenant was sustained by the affidavit of said HUMPHRIES thereto annexed.” “At the time that the declaration was drawn up and passed upon by our Inferior Court, I did not have the affidavit of said D. HUMPHRIES, nor had I seen him in a great number of years, as he lived in South Carolina. I have since having procured his affidavit by sending for it to SC and he stated in his affidavit that he was the captain of said company and that I was ensign. I have appeared to be a contradiction or discrepancy between his affidavit, my statement in my declaration. I have reflected upon the subject much and my memory enables me to give this explanation. BOSTWICK was the captain when we left Surrey County, NC, but about the time the company joined the Continental Army under General GATES near the Cheraw Hills, SC, or before the Battle of Camden, BOSTWICK had returned home in consequence of sickness and then 1st Lieutenant HUMPHRIES was promoted to the captaincy of said company.” “I wish you to see the Secretary of War and attend to my claim and give this explanation to the apparent contradiction…etc.” From a letter by A. Clayton, continuing the subject: “…Consequently, he rose to the 2nd lieutenancy from being ensign when they started. This is irresistibly inferred from his swearing he was 2nd lieutenant in his declaration. The report of the pension agent says the declaration must be returned that the applicant may show “if he served both as ensign and lieutenant, the length of service in each grade.” Now if it is returned, nothing more certain can be obtained than what already appears.” “The whole service as an officer was three months, his service as an ensign was only a few days, during the march of the company from Surrey Co. NC to the Cheraw Hills in SC, a distance of about 90 or 100 miles, for which, if the pension office should think proper to exercise a rigour surely very incompatible with the spirit of humanity if the law, any deduction that may be made that may be thought right and just in the case…etc.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/hardin186gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 9.3 Kb