Guilford-Randolph-Orange County NcArchives Military Records.....Kerr, Nathaniel April 17, 1845 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 30, 2006, 8:07 pm Pension Application Of Nathaniel Kerr, Nat’l Archives Series M804, Roll __, Application #R5887 Orange County, NC, April 17, 1845, Margaret Kerr, a resident of Hawfields aged 89 years: 1. “The declarant , Margaret Kerr states that she has reason to believe, and does believe, that in the fall of 1778, there was a draught [draft] for militiamen to serve the United States for 6 months in said War of the Revolution, and that Nathaniel Kerr did serve all of said 6 months as ensign. The declarant was under the impression that Collier was captain, Locke colonel, and Rutherford brigadier general.” “Rendezvoused (as well as she, declarant can remember) at Randolph Old Courthouse, thence to Salisbury, thence to South Carolina where they were under General Lincoln at ‘Black Swamp’ and was at this last ____ she thinks, during the Briar Creek Battle, a week or two before the expiration of said 6 months draft. The said Nathaniel Kerr fell sick and remained in General Lincoln’s army till his recovery, which was not till the beginning of the ensuing fall.” “This declarant lived neighbor to said Nathaniel Kerr during the Revolutionary War and remembers of said Kerr going to __ ____ in said campaign, of his being sick, and being assisted home by one of his friends. This declarant has often heard her deceased husband speak of his hardships in this tour and of his being very ill during the summer of 1779, and that at the time of the Battle of Stono, he was sick in General Lincoln’s camp, and that said camp was but a few miles from Stono. That he heard the firing very distinctly.” “That said Nathaniel Kerr did not return home till some time in September following. That in all of the foregoing 6 month tour (Except a week or 10 before the expiration thereof) the said Nathaniel Kerr did serve as ensign in the company aforesaid and in Colonel Locke’s regiment. That in all of the aforesaid tour, this declarant has reason to believe, and does believe that her deceased husband was duly commissioned ensign as aforesaid and did serve as such till taken sick.” 2. “The said Margaret Kerr, the declarant as aforesaid, further states upon her oath that she has reason to believe, and does believe that in the summer and fall of 1780, that in the town of Salisbury and state aforesaid, there were troops stationed and military stores kept, and that as ‘Forage Master’ the said Nathaniel Kerr served the army 3 months and 2 weeks, as she understood and as she believes, and that he was duly commissioned thus by General Butler or General Caswell..” “The said Margaret Kerr the declarant as aforesaid further states that in the summer following, 1781, there was a draft for 3 months militia to serve the United States in the War of the Revolution [the words ‘Dougan was captain’ were crossed out]. The declarant’s husband was in this tour attached to a company of dragoons. Dougan, she thinks, was captain in this tour, McClary was major, and Dudley was colonel. Was marched to the south. Was stationed some time at Bell’s Mills, at ‘Sandy Creek’ and Deep River. The object of this was to awe the Tories who were very numerous in the south part of Randolph, in Chatham, Moore and Rockingham Counties. In this tour there was a small engagement between Col. Dudley and the Tory party. Some of the enemy this declarant has understood were killed and some made prisoners. At the expiration of said tour, were discharged at Randolph Old Courthouse by Major McClary and returned. In all of the aforesaid tour, this declarant believes that her husband was in a regularly assembled corps and entered into the service by a competent authority. This tour, the declarant is under the impression ended the last of August 1781.” 4. “The said Margaret Kerr, declarant as aforesaid, further states that in a short time after the expiration of the aforesaid tour, there was a call for troops to pursue the army of Col. Fanning, who had lately surprised and captured the town of Hillsborough and had made prisoner the Governor and all the troops stationed in said town of Hillsborough. [crossed out name] this declarant thinks was captain, Collier-Colonel, General Butler was Brigadier General. Were marched to ‘Raft Swamp,’ were at Northeast Bridge and in the neighborhood of Wilmington some time. General Rutherford, she understood, had command of the troops while in the vicinity of Wilmington. In this tour, the said Nathaniel Kerr was a private of infantry and after remaining in the service on this tour 3 months, as well as she can now remember, was discharged and returned home. In the above tour, the said Nathaniel Kerr was in a regularly organized corps and called into service by competent authority as this declarant has understood and believes.” 5. “The declarant, the said Margaret Kerr, further states upon her oath that she has reason to believe and does believe that in the spring of 1782, her deceased husband, the said Nathaniel Kerr was again in the United States service as a private of dragoons, and in this last tour was in General Greene’s army under Major McClary, she thinks, and remembers of hearing him say he was in Greene’s army when they were encamped at Beach Hill near Bacon’s Bridge. The length of the tour this declarant does not remember, but is under the impression it was of 3 months duration, and his captain, she believes, was Dougan.” “This declarant, the said Margaret Kerr further states that she has reason to believe that the said Nathaniel Kerr did serve in one or two other tours of duty in the War of the Revolution as private of cavalry under Captain Dougan, but does not remember them well enough to state with precision. This declarant feels it is her duty further to state that in consequence of her not having been married to the said Nathaniel Kerr until after the close of the Revolutionary War, his having died upwards of 28 years ago, together with an impaired memory, will apologize for not being able to set forth more in detail the Revolutionary services of her deceased husband, Nathaniel Kerr. Orange County, NC, July 17, 1845 Dr. Jones R. Craig, “I now sit down to answer your inquiry respecting my father’s military services in the War of the Revolution. I will begin by answering your inquiries about myself. I am the oldest son of 6 children which my father, Nathaniel Kerr had by my mother, Margaret Kerr. I believe I am now in the 58th year of my age and was born in Randolph County in this state and lived there until my 7th or 8th year, when my father, with his family, removed to Guilford County where he lived for the remainder of his life, and believe my parents were married in 1785. I recollect to have heard my mother say there were married in September, some 15 or 16 months before my birth, which by a reference to the family record, you will find (I believe) took place on the 20th January, 1787.” “I believe my father settled himself in Randolph County near Bell’s Mills several years before the commencement of the Revolutionary War. I have heard father say his trunk was burned with Mrs. Dougan’s house by the notorious Fanning near the close of the war, and I believe his papers with it. To the best of my recollection, my father died in February 1826, before the passage of the act in favor of the militia who served in the Revolution. My mother, understanding that an act had been passed in favor of widows whose husbands had served in the war of the Revolution, prevailed with me to go to Randolph County in quest of evidence of my father’s military services.” “On my arrival, which was some 4 or 5 ago [he left a word out], I found all his companions in arms were dead except one, and he (Daniel Merrill, a pensioner) said he and father had served one campaign of about 3 months together, that they were mess mates and lay the greater part of the time near Salisbury in this state. That father then served as wagon or forage master. He believed my father had performed a good deal of service in the army, but that was the only time they had served n company together.’ “I then went to see John Graham (a pensioner) of Davidson County. He said he (that is Graham) served in the cavalry under Col. Davie. That once or twice when they had went into the camp of the militia, he had seen my father in the army, that he believed that he was a commissioned officer, he believed an ensign, but I do not recollect that he said in whose company or regiment.” “I then went to see Sherwood Kennedy of Davidson County (a pensioner also). He said that he, himself had served a campaign of 5 months, a great part of the time in Georgia. That he knew my father. He had seen him in the service different times during that campaign. Father was a commissioned officer, he believed an ensign. He could not tell in whose company and regiment he belonged. He knew he did not belong to the same with himself.” “Having understood that it is absolutely necessary to prove in whose company and regiment father had served in order to get a pension, and failing to procure such evidence, I returned home. My mother, not knowing of any recorded evidence of father’s services, ceased to prosecute her claims. As to father’s ‘sayings’ of his services in the state of Georgia, I distinctly recollect of his saying he suffered extremely for the want of water as they marched through some parts of that state, and I think I heard him say he was in Augusta, and perhaps where he crossed Savannah River. I have heard him say he was lying sick in camp, scarcely able to get out of his tent at the time of Stono Battle in South Carolina, that he heard the firing of the guns, and had he not been sick, he supposed he should have been in the battle. I have heard mentioned several places in North and South Carolina he had passed while in the army. I have heard speak of Charlotte, Rugeley’s Mills, Camden, Pinetree, Ninety-Six, crossing Saluda and Broad Rivers, of the army lying at or near Bacon’s Bridge. I have heard him speak of a tour down the Pedee, one or two tours in the neighborhood of Raft Swamps, and of one up to the mountains (perhaps to Rutherford’s.) I do not distinctly recollect of him saying he served under Colonel Collier and Dougan, but I have herd him speak of serving with them in such a way as to make me believe he served under them. The same statement will apply to Greene, Moultrie, Lincoln and Butler.” “I would yet further state that I was one of my father’s executors in settling up his estate, I only took charge of such papers as were considered valuable, and some were kept by my father in a small trunk, a parcel of old papers and account books I believe were left with mother. I believe she has forgotten what she done with them when she quit housekeeping.” Samuel Kerr March 24, 1938 Dear Madam, Reference is made to your letter in which you request the Revolutionary War records of Nathaniel Kerr of Guilford County, NC…The date and place of birth of Nathaniel Kerr are not given, nor were the names of his parents stated. He came from Pennsylvania and settled in Randolph County, NC near Bells Mills during the Revolution.” Nathaniel Kerr, married September 1, 1785, Margaret, widow of Samuel Barrit. Her maiden name was Graham, the names of her parents not given. The said Margaret was born November 1, 1765? In Lancaster County, PA, and moved with her father, soon after the Battle at Brandywine to Randolph County on Warren Creek. Her husband, Samuel Barrit, died before she left Pennsylvania, date not given, nor was the date of her marriage to Samuel Barrit given.” Margaret stated that her husband, Nathaniel Kerr was boarding with her brother-in-law, Colonel Edward Sharp in Randolph County, and served in 1778 and 1779…The widow Margaret Kerr stated that her husband, Nathaniel Kerr was related to General Nathanael Greene, a cousin, she thought; that Colonel James Dougan and Major Thomas Dougan were brothers, and they were nephews of her husband, Nathaniel Kerr; that Colonel Collier, Major Anthony Sharp, and Dr. Martin were cousins of her husband, Nathaniel Kerr." File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/kerr393gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 12.7 Kb