Guilford County NcArchives Military Records.....Johnson, Abner 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 17, 2006, 1:34 am Pension Application Of Abner Johnson, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll 1418, Application #R5649 ABNER JOHNSON, a resident of Maury County, Tennessee, aged 73: “In the year 1777 (and as well as he can remember) [It appears from the battle description that the year was 1778-79] in the month of October of that year, volunteered in Guilford County, North Carolina under Captain JOHN NELSON, who was a captain in his neighborhood, and when the men were called for, all who did not volunteer to make up the number wanted were to be drafted, this deponent volunteered, and so did all the rest, except one who was drafted. The name of the lieutenant was CHARLES HUGHES and the name of the ensign was GEORGE PARKS, and this deponent and one ALLEN WALKER were sergeants of the company. His company belonged to Colonel PAISLEY’s regiment, which together with Colonel SAUNDERS regiment from Granville County, NC were under the command of General RUTHERFORD.” “The place of rendezvous was Guilford Courthouse, and after Colonel SAUNDERS regiment got to that place, they all marched to South Carolina, and on the march they passed through the towns of Salisbury and Charlotte in NC (as he supposes) and Camden in SC to a place called Smokey Camp, near a little village called Purysburg (as deponent recalls), from which, after some time, they were marched to a place called the Black Swamp, and then to a place called the Two Sisters and several times changed this camp.” “Whilst he was out on this campaign, General LINCOLN commanded the regulars in that part of the country. During the same campaign General ASHE was defeated at Briar Creek [per Heitman, March 3, 1779]. During the time he was out, they were a part of the time in the country between Augusta and Savannah on the Savannah River and served occasionally on the Georgia side. He was in no battle, but there were some little skirmishes with the British and Tories. The length of this service, he cannot state with positive certainty. He knows it was more than five months and he thinks he was absent from home more than six months.” “He knows that after he volunteered in October, they were marched a few days after the 7th of November. He remembers a particular circumstance that took place on the 7th and he knows it was two or three days afterwards that the troops were under way, and that their time was out either on the 10th of April or the 10th of May following. He cannot after as great a lapse of time be positively certain which. When the time was out, the troops were discharged and he came home with his captain, who was Captain JOHN NELSON, and who lived in the same neighborhood with him, and whether he received a written discharge or not he cannot now remember. He knows he served out the time and was dismissed with the other troops…” “After this campaign was over, but the precise date or year he cannot remember with certainty, he was again engaged in the public as follows: He lived in the same county (Guilford County, NC) with Governor MARTIN, who was governor of the state. There was a call for men to guard the governor against the Tories and British, from his residence to a place called Nutbush where the assembly was to meet, and this service was to stand as he now believes, as a three months tour of duty. This deponent volunteered in this service, as they were requested to do by the governor, and went with him to the place where the assembly was to meet, where they remained some time, but in consequence of the times being troublesome, a sufficient number of members did not meet to make an assembly, when they were dismissed and returned home.” “After this term was over, he again volunteered and went with the governor to a place called the Moravian Town or Salem, where the assembly was to meet, and after getting there and waiting some time, a sufficient number of members failed to attend to make a house. They were again dismissed and went home. This tour was also to stand as another tour of duty of three months, as the governor told them. These were the only regular tours of duty which he performed during the Revolutionary War, except in scouting parties, in several of which he was engaged against the Tories.” From SAMUEL CARUTHERS pension application-“That he entered the service in the County of Guilford and state of North Carolina wherein he then resided, as a volunteer in the militia service under Captain JOHN NELSON, Lieutenant CHARLES HUGHES and Ensign LOVETT REED and attached to Colonel WILLIAM? [probably supposed to be John] PAISLEY’s regiment for five months. He cannot recollect the date but is very certain that it was the same year that the battle was fought at Stono [per Heitman, 1779], that from Guilford Courthouse he marched under the before mentioned officers to Salisbury, from thence to Charlotte Courthouse, where he joined General RUTHERFORD’s brigade, and Colonel ___ LOCK. From Charlotte, we marched on to Purysburg in South Carolina. We joined General LINCOLN on the Savannah River, that he was stationed at Purysburg for ___ weeks. In his first tour he recollects ALLEN WALKER, JAMES HAYES, ABNER JOHNSTON and ____ ALLEN and JOB BAKER in? his? mess.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/johnson194gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 5.8 Kb