Guilford-Rockingham County NcArchives Military Records.....May, John 
Revwar - Pension 
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Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com June 18, 2006, 3:06 pm

Constructed History Of Captain John May
	JAMES P. BARNETT-“That he entered as a volunteer again in the first 
part of the month of March 1781 under the command of Captain JOHN MAY, MARTIN 
was the Colonel, he thinks a man by the name of HUNTER was the major. General 
NATHANAEL GREENE was the commander in chief. Colonels WASHINGTON and LEE 
commanded the cavalry. That he resided in Guilford County, NC when he 
volunteered. That they were marched backwards and forwards maneuvering through 
the county until the American Army under General GREENE encountered the British 
Army under Lord CORNWALLIS at Guilford Courthouse. “
“That he was in the battle under the officers of his company. That the battle 
was fought as near as he can recollect, about the middle of March 1781 [per 
Heitman, March 15, 1781]. That he served a tour of three months and was 
discharged by Captain JOHN MAY at Captain JOHN MAY’s own house on Dan River.”
“And the deponent Ann Hall, upon her oath, states that she knows of James P. 
Barnett having served in the Revolutionary War…and that she knows of his having 
served a second tour of three months under the command of Captain JOHN MAY in 
the spring of 1781, and that he was in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse…as she 
was living in Guilford County at the time and had a personal knowledge of his 
services.”

COBLER, FREDERICK-lived in Guilford County at enlistment, not much for 
transcription. Served under Capt. DALTON, Col. JAMES MARTIN, Capt. JOHN MAY. 
Was within the sound of the Battle of Guilford, but he arrived too late to 
engage in it.

	JAMES COTTON-“In January 1781, when visiting relations in Henry County, 
Virginia, he substituted himself in place of one NANCE, (thinks JOHN NANCE), in 
Captain GEORGE HARSTON’s company of men, drafted from that county for a three 
months tour to North Carolina to assist in combating the British and Tories, 
who then infested that colony.”
“He and his company were marched directly into North Carolina, where at Dan 
River, as he thinks, they joined Major General GREENE’s army. He proceeded with 
that army in its movements until the enemy under CORNWALLIS was met near 
Guilford Courthouse. According to his best impressions, the General shortly 
after sunrise approached the large waste field of the battleground from the 
east, leaving that portion of the militia in which affiant was on the eastern 
skirt of the field as a reserve. The enemy about the same time advanced from 
the west under a cannonade. The battle lasted several hours, when affiant with 
the reserve were led before the enemy to cover the retreat of the regiments 
which had been engaged and only fired a round or so, and were ordered to 
retreat with the main body of the army. The whole retreat was in order and as 
affiant believes, without pursuit, except some horse who showed themselves in 
the rear as far as the bridge over Haw River, about two miles distant from the 
scene of action.”
	“General GREENE halted at Troublesome Ironworks about 10 miles distant 
and in a few days marched upon the enemy and again halted at Ramsey’s Mills on 
Deep River. When marching to the latter point, the army proceeded in files of 
four, and an order was passed along the line to open the files so as to leave a 
space in the center, when some field officers rode swiftly through the space 
and during this movement, the attention of affiant was pointed to a man hanging 
under a tree in the right of the line with a paper spread on his breast, which 
advertised, as was asserted? reported?, his name, vocation and deeds as a Tory. 
Over against adjacent him on an eminence sat some ten or dozen men, by whom, 
affiant supposes the Tory had been caught and elevated.”
“Whilst the army was encamped at Ramsey’s Mills, there was an alarm and the 
army put in motion toward the point as if to meet the enemy and a hollow square 
formed around a tree in an open space as if to repel a charge from cavalry, 
when to the surprise of all, two men were conducted into the center and hung to 
the same limb of the tree. They too were doubtless Tories. In that expedition 
he was in Captain JOHN MCADOW’s company.”
“On returning [March 1781], Captain JOHN MAY raised a company of horsemen into 
which affiant was put and appointed orderly sergeant, and another expedition 
against the Tories was performed. On affiant’s return from this, he was put in 
command of the men left at Guilford Courthouse consisting of a few regulars and 
militia, some of whom had recovered of the wounds received at the Guilford 
Battle and returned to duty.”
“Here affiant remained until on a certain day, some officers apparently in the 
regular service rode up, and one of them, he thinks Major RUTHERFORD, ordered 
affiant to put his men under arms, to draw ammunition as for battle and 
besides, full rations of rum. This being done and the men reported ready, and 
affiant expecting orders to march upon the Tories, RUTHERFORD appeared on 
horse, and read aloud the proclamation of peace, and gave permission to expend 
the powder and rum in rejoicing. A written discharge was neither asked nor 
thought of by affiant.”

	JOHN GIBSON-“It was the last week of August or early in September 1781, 
he volunteered again, joined a company of horsemen commanded by Captain DANIEL 
GILLESPIE, Colonel JAMES MARTIN, of Surry County, North Carolina, commandant. 
They marched towards the south boundary of NC, near the Raft Swamps & Drowning 
Creek in pursuit of Tories who it was understood had there secreted themselves, 
and it proving impracticable to ferret the Tories out, this declarant obtained 
a furlough from Col. MARTIN to return home, with an injunction again to join 
his company as soon as possible. In obedience to this order, he in a few days 
thereafter aimed to rejoin his comrades; but while on his way, for that 
purpose, he met Colonel PAISLEY at Guilford Court House, who informed the 
declarant that the Tories were embodied on Deep River in Randolph and Chatham 
Counties in such force as to render his return to his regiment extremely 
dangerous, unsafe and uncertain. At the suggestion of Colonel PAISLEY, who was 
first colonel of the Guilford militia, the declarant relinquished the idea of 
rejoining Captain GILLSPIE and Colonel MARTIN, and volunteered under Colonel 
PAISLEY who attached him to a company commanded by Captain JOHN MAY of the 
County of Guilford. In the course of one week, Colonel PAISLEY having assembled 
such troops as was found to be practicable, they, and this declarant, were 
marched into Randolph and Chatham counties to suppress the Tories there, then 
back to Guilford Courthouse and were dismissed.”
“At this time, he was in service, to the best of his recollection, a period of 
not less than two months and two weeks, and here ended his services in the 
Revolutionary War, he having served in all to the best of his remembrance, a 
period of not less than nine months and one week. JAMES COTTON is the only 
living witness to any portion of his services in his power to procure.
Attached document, from JAMES COTTON, who swore: “That before and during the 
Revolutionary War, he was well-acquainted with a man by the name of JOHN 
GIBSON, both as being inhabitants of Guilford County in the state of North 
Carolina. I was an enlisted soldier in the horse, and in 1781 was attached to a 
company of horse under the command of Captain JOHN MAY of said county and 
state, the services of which company was rendered in subduing the Tories in the 
counties of Randolph and Chatham. Colonel John PAISLEY was the commandant of 
said troop, during which term of duty, I do hereby certify that the above named 
JOHN GIBSON belonged to said company as a volunteer and performed the duty free 
of censure. And after his services as a volunteer was at an end, he the said 
GIBSON was dismissed at Guilford Courthouse. Colonel WILLIAM O’NEAL had also 
some command in said troop.”

	DANIEL SUTHERLAND-“He again entered the service at Guilford Courthouse, 
NC in the fall or winter of 1780, under Captain JOHN MAY or MOORE, but from 
some circumstance, Captain MAY or MOORE did not march with us, when he, 
declarant was appointed by Colonel MARTIN to take the command of the company, 
which he did during this tour. We marched from Guilford down into Randolph and 
Chatham Counties after the Tories, Colonel FANNING being at their head. Had 
several skirmishes with the Tories, after which he returned back to Guilford 
and was discharged by Colonel MARTIN, having served this tour three months.”

	RICHARD VERNON-[“Guilford County-Captain RICHARD VERNON-These may 
certify that you are appointed captain of a company of foot, militia of the 
upper part of Captain PEAY’s district which is divided, the line to be 
hereafter ascertained so as equal numbers are to be in each company which you 
and Captain JOHN MAY can settle of the lower part. You are to nominate 
lieutenant and ensign, sergeant and corporal and act agreeable to militia 
orders as you receive them, as captain, until you receive a commission from the 
governor. So doing, this shall be your commission.” JAMES MARTIN, Colonel.”]
	JOHN GIBSON in RICHARD VERNON application-“In October of the same year, 
1781, the militiamen of Guilford County were ordered into service under the 
command of Colonel PAISLEY. Captain JOHN MAY commanded a company of horsemen. 
Mr. VERNON at that time was called lieutenant under Captain MAY. The time of 
service at this time could not exceed six weeks, which closed our services in 
the revolution in the section of the country Mr. VERNON and I lived.”
“In October or November of the same year, the Guilford militia were ordered 
into service under the command of Colonel PAISLEY, who was then Colonel of the 
Guilford militia. Mr. VERNON was at that time, a lieutenant under Captain JOHN 
MAY, and under Captain MAY, this deponent deposes that Mr. VERNON did not serve 
more than six weeks, which term of service closed the services of the Guilford 
militia during the war of that period.”
	“…This deponent states that he knew a certain JAMES MARTIN who was 
called a Colonel of Guilford militia in the year 1781, and that he saw said 
MARTIN in camp a few days previous to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, but 
dos not recollect that he held any special command at that time.”
	“In the fall of the same year, Colonel MARTIN was first in command of a 
considerable number of militias against the Tories and marched to the southern 
part of North Carolina on Raft Swamp and Drowning Creek. This deponent was 
there with Colonel MARTIN and well knows that VERNON was not; for this deponent 
obtained a short furlough on a special occasion, returned home, and found 
VERNON there. In a short time, subsequently, VERNON turned out as Lieutenant 
under Captain MAY as before stated, and marched under Colonel PAISLEY into 
Chatham and Randolph Counties against the Tories…”

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.

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