Guilford-Orange County NcArchives Military Records.....Lewis, Joel 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, 3:00 pm Constructed History Of Major Joel Lewis HUGH MCCRARY-“That he volunteered in the service of his country in the month of May, 1778, for nine months at Guilford Courthouse in the state of North Carolina under Captain RAIFORD of the North Carolina line, 4th regiment. In the month of November of the same year, we received orders to join our companies and rendezvous with the army at Salisbury, from which place we were ordered to Charleston in the state of South Carolina. We were then marched to what was called the Ten-Mile House, near the said town of Charleston where we were ordered to Savannah in the state of Georgia. The officers in command were Colonel LYTLE, Colonel THAXTON and Colonel ARMSTRONG and said deponent believes Colonel THAXTON was highest in command until said troops arrived at a little town on Savannah River, which he thinks was called Purysburg at which place he thinks General SUMNER took command. He recollects the names of General HOWE and LINCOLN as commanding at different times in this campaign, General SUMNER, who he believes was a brigadier general of the N. Carolina line, Colonels LYTLE, THAXTON and ARMSTRONG, Majors ARMSTRONG and DIXON, Captains RAIFORD, LEWIS, RHOADES and CHAPMAN.” “He further states that the troops remained in said Purysburg during the winter and were as he thinks, under the command of General HOWE a short time and afterwards under General LINCOLN, who was highest in command after the departure f General HOWE. He further states that in the spring they were moved up the Savannah River on the South Carolina side, opposite the town of Augusta in the state of Georgia, at which place the troops crossed the Savannah River into the town of Augusta, at which place deponent believes news was received that British army had crossed the Savannah River at or near the town of Purysburg and were directing their course towards Charleston in the state of South Carolina.” “The troops were then marched down the Savannah River on the Georgia side to the mouth of Briar Creek where they recrossed into the state of South Carolina, directing their course towards Charleston. He states that on their march to Charleston they had a small skirmish [with] a party of British troops from which they took several wagons loaded as he understood and believes, with rum. This skirmish, he thinks, was on Edisto River, though he cannot say certainly that it was. He states that the American army followed after the British troops until they arrived at a place called Bacon’s Bridge, where the Americans halted. He states that the American guard were attacked at this place, but does not think any person was killed.” “He states that he still continued with the said troops in their various marches and the several skirmishes that preceded the Battle at Stono, and that he was in said engagement which he thinks was on the 20th of June [Per Heitman, June 20, 1779] and on Sunday. He also thinks Colonel ROBERTS was killed in this engagement. He further states that from the vicinity of this battleground, they were marched near a place called Port Royal, as he understood and believes, to prevent the British from leaving Bluford Island, at which place he remained until his term of service expired.” “That he was then marched to Bacon’s Bridge, from which place he was marched to the Ten-Mile House, where he again volunteered to guard some prisoners to Salisbury in the state of North Carolina, which service he performed. He was then legally discharge from the service of his country. His discharge was signed by Colonel LYTLE, dated in 1789, but does not recollect the month or date of the month. Which discharge he has lost many years past.” NICHOLAS MCCUBBIN-“State the names of the regular officers who were with the troops… “I recollect in the first tour, General LINCOLN, General BUTLER, General WILLIAMSON and General SMALLWOOD and General ___, Colonel BELL, Colonel TINNEN, Colonel MCDOWELL, Colonel WASHINGTON, Colonel LEE of the horse, Major THOMAS OWEN, Major LEWIS.” “That he entered the service as a volunteered in the County of Guilford and state of North Carolina in the year 1779, sometime in the spring and received in the regiment commanded by Colonel MCDOWELL in the company of Captain JOHN DAVIS and Lieutenant GEORGE PEARCE. That said PEARCE was afterwards made captain of the company. That he entered the service for the term of nine months.” “That his company first rendezvoused at Guilford old Courthouse. From there he marched to South Carolina, crossing the Yadkin at Sloan’s Ferry. That he was stationed about forty miles west of Charleston at a place called the PonPon Roads. That he remained there until after the Battle of Stono, which took place on Sunday the 20th day of June [per Heitman, June 20, 1779], as near as he recollects. That he fought in said battle until he received a wound in his ankle, which disabled him for some time. That his term of service expired shortly after the Battle of Stono. He recollects that General LINCOLN commanded on that day. He also recollects that General WILLIAMSON was there, and there were also several other generals there on that day. That General BUTLER commanded North Carolina troops. That he was discharged after having served his nine months by Captain GEORGE PEARCE, which discharge is lost.” WILLIAM THOMAS-“And enlisted in Guilford aforesaid in the Continental Army for nine months, he thinks which month of August or September under Col. [probably mistaken about LEAK being a colonel] JOHN LEAK, and was marched by him to Purysburg and placed under Lieut. LEWIS, Capt. RALPH CHAPMAN, and Col LYTLE, Continental officers. Wintered at Purysburg, and marched in the spring up to near Augusta, Georgia, where deponent was taken sick and placed in a hospital and was furloughed to go home and when he was recovered, he returned home and was not again called upon.” HENRY CONNELLY-“In the month of November 1779, orders were received by Colonel PAISLEY from Colonel DAVIE, the Commanding Colonel, to rendezvous at Salisbury to the South to join General LINCOLN at Savannah, but about this time news arrived that General LINCOLN was overtaken at Charlestown, and all were taken prisoners.” State the names of some of the regular officers…such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect…” “…Colonel NAT WILLIAMS who commanded the 9th regiment, NC militia in 1778, Col. PAISLEY, Col. BUNCOMBE, Captain CHARLES BRYANT, Colonel BREVARD, Major/Colonel DE MALMEDY, old Col. CLEVELAND, Lt. JOSEPH LEWIS, Maj. CHARLES ANDERSON, and WILLIAM BOMA, Ensign. ANDREW CARNAHAN-“That he entered the service in the fall of the year 1781 as a substitute. The circumstances of his entering the service was as near as he can remember, the following. There was a call for a regiment of one thousand men to be raised by a draft in the militia in the state of North Carolina, where he then resided, which men were directed to be raised, he thinks, by an act passed by the General Assembly of the state for the defense of the state. Each company [the term he should have used here was ‘each class’] was required to furnish a certain number of men, or perhaps only one man.” “The company commanded by SMITH MOORE of Guilford County, North Carolina, in which county and state declarant resided, agreed to hire a man to serve the term for which the troops were called out, which was for twelve months, in preference to standing a draft out of their company [class], and accordingly they made an engagement by the captain, the aforesaid SMITH MOORE, with declarant to serve the tour. And in pursuance of said engagement, he entered the service as aforesaid in the fall of the year 1781.” “He entered in the company commanded by Captain CHARLES GORDON, in which company JAMES and HUGH MCCRORY were appointed first and second lieutenants by the Assembly of North Carolina, but they declined accepting said appointment, and he does not think __ there was any acting lieutenant in the company. The regiment was raised as aforesaid, and in which he served was called the “State Regiment”. It was commanded by Major JOEL LEWIS, and he also thinks there was a Major CROFTEN who had a command in said regiment, but his recollection about him is not as distinct as it is about Major LEWIS. He thinks there never was a Colonel belonging to said regiment, or if there was, he has no recollection of him.” “Declarant states that he rendezvoused at Salisbury, North Carolina, where he joined his company and regiment as aforesaid. When he reached Salisbury, there was some militia troops then guarding the jail, in which a Tory Colonel by the name of BRYANT who had been taken prisoner by the Whigs, was confined. There was also at the same time confined there a Tory Colonel by the name of HAMPTON, and a Captain WHITE. By whom said militia troops were commanded, he does not remember. Their term of service being out, he was discharged a short time after he reached there.” “Declarant states that his company remained at Salisbury until sometime the ensuing spring, guarding the jail in which aforesaid prisoners were confined. During the time he so remained there guarding them, they were tried, convicted and sentenced to be hung. But they were pardoned, rather respited for a short time, and therefore not executed on the day appointed. He remembers that a great crowd of country people had assembled, on the day on which the said prisoners were sentenced to be executed, to witness it, and on finding that the prisoners had been respited, they were greatly exasperated, and it required the utmost vigilance of the troops to which he belonged, to prevent their taking said prisoners out of the jail and hanging them forthwith. He thinks said prisoners were respited as often as twice, and finally were pardoned, and allowed to be exchanged with the British as prisoners of war, and he remembers they were sent to Augusta.” “The company to which declarant belonged was ordered to march down the country to DOWD’s [his comrade, John MCCRORY called this mill, Brewer’s] Mill on Deep River, which he thinks was in Randolph or Sampson County, to join the balance of the regiment who had marched previously down there. Declarant was furloughed together with JOHN MCCRORY, to go by home, and meet the company at the place above stated. He states that he and said MCCRORY did go by home, and at the time appointed, repaired to Dowd’s [Brewer’s] Mill, and then united with the company to which they belonged, which as before stated was commanded by Captain CHARLES GORDON.” “But when they reached there, the main body of the regiment had marched farther on down the country, and Captain GORDON’s company took up the line of march in pursuit of them and finally overtook them. But the place at which they overtook the regiment, or how long it was, he cannot remember. He thinks he marched through some swamps before he overtook the regiment, but his recollection is so indistinct about that, that is appears almost like a dream to him. He has been reminded by JOHN MCCRORY, his comrade, that they marched through the Raft Swamp, which he believes to be the fact.” “At the time he joined with the main body of the regiment, it was sometime in the summer, he thinks about harvest. A short time before they overtook the regiment when in about four miles as he supposes, a detailment of horsemen of fifty in number, who belonged to General SUMTER’s troops, met with our regiment. Both parties when they met, mistook each other for Tories, and fired at each other. The only injury done by the fire was the killing of one of SUMTER’s men. This is the information declarant afterwards received from his regiment, of the affair. And he understood that not another man or horse was wounded. The horsemen, after being fired on, retreated a short distance, and in the retreat, one of them was thrown by his horse, and was taken up by declarant’s regiment, and from him they learned that his party was Whigs, and for the first time become apprised of the mistake they had made.” “After declarant’s company joined the balance of the regiment, but he cannot remember how long, the whole regiment except Captain GORDON’s company to which he belonged, or rather twenty five men of said company, of which number he was one, marched up the country. The twenty-five men as aforesaid were left behind as a guard to keep in awe, and prevent the rising of the Tories, who it was feared would rise if the whole of the Whig military forces left the country. He thinks he remained in that part of the country with said twenty- five men, about three months. He remembers that during a part of that time, he was encamped on the creek called Drowning Creek, and a part of the time he was encamped at Cole’s Mill on Hitchcock or Hedgecock Creek. His memory does not serve him to state all the particulars of his service during this three months, but there was nothing of importance or particular interest occurred during the time, except the following:” “There were fifteen Tory soldiers who had been taken prisoners by General GREENE, who were returning home on a parole from General GREENE, and were interrupted and taken prisoners by the command of Captain GORDON. There was also a captain who belonged to this same company of fifteen soldiers who were taken prisoners, but he was permitted to escape after being abused and ill- treated. These prisoners were treated with great cruelty by Captain GORDON and compelled to strip off and take switches to others, and whip each other, and he took their clothes and money from them, and it was reported that he had sold one of them into the regular service for one hundred dollars. About the truth of this report he has no knowledge, but he remembers that after that report, he never saw but fourteen of the fifteen prisoners. The fourteen prisoners were sent to Hillsborough and put in jail there, as he understood. Charges were pressed against Captain GORDON for this cruelly treating and taking prisoners those who had been paroled by General GREENE, and declarant remembers that he was summoned to Hillsboro as a witness on his trial. GORDON did not make his appearance to stand trial, and he believes was never tried.” “After this affair with Captain GORDON, declarant together with the other men that had been in Captain GORDON’s company, were attached to Captain TROUTON’s company, as he thinks, though his recollection does not serve him to enable him to state particularly about his officers after this time, but he thinks he performed but little service afterwards, his time being nearly out, and this he supposes is the reason why he does not remember distinctly about his company officers after he left GORDON.” “Having returned to Hillsboro, and his time being about to expire, Major LEWIS directed him together with such others of the soldiers whose time was about to expire, to meet him in Wilkes County, North Carolina upon a certain day, at which time he would discharge them. Declarant accordingly met with him as directed, and received from him a written discharge, having served near about twelve months, the time for which he entered the service.” “Personally appeared, JOHN MCCRORY, aged 69 years, doth certify that he was well acquainted with ANDREW CARNAHAN…at the time he states he served a tour of twelve months in Captain GORDON’s company in the regiment of North Carolina State Troops, in which Major JOEL LEWIS and Major CRAFTON commanded. He states that he himself served the same tour of duty, and was in Captain CHARLES GORDON’s company with the said ANDREW CARNAHAN, and was his messmate during the whole time, until the said CARNAHAN remained with Captain GORDON and twenty- five men in the lower part of North Carolina in the neighborhood of the swamps, at which place he left him, and afterwards belonged to Captain JOHN MABEN’s company. He has recollection of seeing the said CARNAHAN in service after he had marched up to join the balance of the regiment at Brewer’s Mill on Haw River in Chatham County North Carolina, and he believes afterwards he saw him at Lindley’s Mill but a short time before his term of service expired, at which place, affiant was taken sick and was sent home.” ANDREW CARSON- “Another tour was under Capt. D. CALDWELL after Tories and foraging-about 52 days. Also he was on duty for 6 weeks after the Tory BRYAN who was followed down to the Pee Dee under Col. LEWIS-overtook him and defeated him at Colston’s.” LEE CLARK-“He further states that after his discharge, he returned home where he remained for some time, when he was called out to join a company of Light Horse or as we usually named in that day, minute men, under the command of Colonel WINSTON, also Captains PEARCE, BOSTICK, and MOORE. That he was marched down to the lower end of Guilford County, near the Orange line, where there was a body of Tories and British dragoons harassing the country. In the campaign there was no engagement, nor any bloodshed, except Major LEWIS who was shot from ambush in a reconnoitering expedition [per the pension application of William Bowden, this occurred at the battle of Whitesell’s Mills, March 6, 1781]. That he remained out only a week or two when his company was dismissed in consequence of their being unable to summon a force sufficient to enable them to enter into an open engagement.” WILLIAM BOWDEN-“They commenced the march about the last of January [1781] down to Haw River, where they joined the regular army, that was commanded by General PICKENS. They kept ranging about through the county with a view of keeping the British from furnishing their regular army with provisions (who were then stationed in Hillsborough). They acted during this time as mounted horsemen, and had a very warm engagement with the British at WHITESELL’s Mills on Haw River [per Heitman, March 6, 1781], at which battle Major LEWIS was killed, together with several other men whose names are not recollected.” 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/lewis338gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 19.0 Kb