Guilford-Surry County NcArchives Military Records.....Humphries, David 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, 2:42 pm Constructed History Of Captain David Humphries HENRY HARDIN-“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.” “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, 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.” JOSHUA HITCHCOCK-“From Guilford Courthouse he was marched on under the command of Captain STEWART, within a few miles of Cross Creek, where we met with a company under the command of Captain HUMPHRIES. Some short time after the companies under Captain STEWART and Captain HUMPHRIES joined, where we were encamped one night, a messenger came on from General RUTHERFORD with orders to join him (General RUTHERFORD) at headquarters on a small branch in the woods near what place he does not recollect, but not far from Cross Creek.” “He marched on (the companies of Captain STEWART and Captain HUMPHRIES continuing together) ‘til we joined General RUTHERFORD and after staying there one night, he was marched on (General RUTHERFORD having the chief command) and marched over the country in different directions, never encamping more than two nights in one place, waiting, as he (this applicant heard it then said) for artillery to arrive to go on and storm Wilmington, which was in the possession of some Scotch troops. News came of the evacuation of Wilmington and General RUTHERFORD gave orders that such as wished to do so might receive a discharge and return home. He then received a discharge about the last of November or 1st of December, the exact time he cannot recollect, for a tour of 3 months, which was signed Captain GEORGE STEWART, and then went home to his residence in Guilford County, North Carolina…” 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/humphrie332gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 7.4 Kb