Guilford County NcArchives Military Records.....McRae, William 
Revwar - Pension 
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Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com June 18, 2006, 3:19 pm

Constructed History Of Captain William McKee Or McRae
	I enter these together with the caution that they may not concern the 
one and the same man.

JOHN BRASHER-“That in his first tour of duty under Captain TAYLOR, he served 
under said captain near two months and at Hillsboro we supposed that if we 
should be attacked by the enemy, he would desert his post, and one night we 
raised a false alarm in order to try him, at which time he left the camp, and 
for such conduct he was broke of his commission. William MCKEE was then 
appointed in his stead, and I served under his command the remainder of the 
time, which was a full three months from the time I entered the service, and 
after I was discharged I returned home and remained there until August 
thereafter.”

GEORGE STRADER “From North Carolina, deponent was marched under Major DAVIDSON 
to Pennsylvania. Deponent further saith that on his return from Charleston…in 
1776, he was taken sick while they were marching through Orange County, NC, and 
was left on the sick list behind the army, which army was then commanded by 
General CASWELL. When he got able to march, he, together with several others 
who were on the sick list, were marched under Lieutenant PARKER to Valley Forge 
in Pennsylvania, where he joined the 1st regiment under Colonel THOMAS CLARK.”
“He arrived at Valley Forge early in the spring of 1778 where he joined the 
grand army under General WASHINGTON. The North Carolina regiment was then 
reduced into two. Deponent was put in the 1st regiment under Colonel [THOMAS] 
CLARK, in Captain MCGREE’s [MCCRAE?]. Deponent was marched from Valley Forge to 
Monmouth, New Jersey. He was in the Battle of Monmouth [per Heitman, June 28, 
1778]. General LEE commanded. Deponent was under the immediate command of 
Colonel CLARK.”
“Deponent continued in New Jersey until the winter set in, when the North 
Carolina troops took up winter quarters at a place called Paramus, six miles 
from Hackensack. In the spring of 1779, the forces marched from Paramus to West 
Point where deponent assisted to build Fort Arnold.”
“On the 7th of October, the North Carolina troops were ordered to take up their 
march for Charleston, SC, where they arrived on the 8th of March, 1780. The 
troops marched under General HOGAN. Deponent was in the Siege of Charleston 
[per Heitman, 29 March to 12 May 1780] and was surrendered by General LINCOLN, 
a prisoner of war. He was wounded at Charleston, from which he never has fully 
recovered. He was held a prisoner two months, when he made his escape to North 
Carolina, where he met General GATES with his army, who advised deponent to 
make his way home, lest he should be retaken and put to death by the British.”
“Deponent was in several battles during his time of service which he has not 
stated, the most important of which was at the Battle of White Plains [per 
Heitman, 28 September, 1776]. After he escaped from Charleston, he served some 
time in the militia against the Tories of North Carolina...”
	Supplemental declaration: “That after he had made his escape from the 
British as stated…he informed General GATES of his intention to rejoin the 
army, but was dissuaded from doing so by General GATES.

JOHN MONTGOMERY-“In the latter part of 1780 he volunteered with Capt. BELL, who 
marched up the Yadkin River after a band of Tories, but as they had been routed 
by the Militia from Surry County, he returned home, -absent more than one week. 
Shortly after, he volunteered under Capt. MCREA in Maj. BLAIR’s command, going 
up Abbott’s Creek, in Stokes Co, after Tories who were dispersed. Absent two 
weeks in December 1780.”

WILLIAM LOMAX-“…At about the age of 16 years, he moved to Guilford County, 
North Carolina and resided there a short time and as well as he recollects, in 
the year 1781 in the spring, though he was not on the muster roll, volunteered 
his service as a regular soldier for the space of twelve months. Left Guilford 
County (his residence) and went to Salisbury, North Carolina, Rowan County, and 
as well as he can recollect, entered the service on the 9th of May 1781, under 
Colonel ARMSTRONG and Captain MCKEE, who took his name upon the rolls and 
states that a man by the name of PREVARD [BREVARD] was ensign, not any other 
officer recollected at that time but he and the other state troops under the 
controls of Colonel ARMSTRONG were in haste to reinforce General GREENE and 
from Salisbury, marched towards South Carolina for Ninety-Six, to fall in under 
General GREENE. He marched along in the south and intersected with General 
GREENE’s troops, the main army in the south composed of the Continental troops, 
as he was in retreat from Lord RAWDON and his reinforcement.”
	“He stated that he was then put into the 1st North Carolina regiment 
under Captain MCKEE [or MCREE or MCRAE] and the Lieutenant’s name he believes 
was ALEXANDER, the orderly sergeant by the name of BRIGGS. The two regiments 
were then under General GREENE as chief commander in the south with the 
following officers as well as recollected: Colonel HAL DICKSON [or DIXON], 
Colonel LEIGHTLE [LYTLE], Colonel MURPHY, Major DONAHOO and Colonel ARMSTRONG 
and one STILLWELL, fifer, MACKSTON, drummer and one TRACK was a musician, and 
he with the main army, marched under General GREENE, commander-in-chief, to the 
High Hills of the Santee and there stationed sometime, and after which time, 
marched towards the Eutaw Springs.”
“But before the army reached the Eutaw Springs, he WILLIAM LOMAX states that he 
was detached along of a guard to convey a number of prisoners into the 
possession of the militia, which object they done before they reached Camden. 
After the completion of that object, he with the rest of the guard, marched 
back to the main army and during their absence or recess of them as guard at 
that period, the Battle at Eutaw Springs was fought between the British and 
American troops or Continentals as well as he, the said WILLIAM LOMAX can 
recollect about the 9th of September 1781.”
“After the battle, the army was regulated and his captain MCKEE was promoted to 
the office of Major and then ELIJAH MOORE was appointed captain in Captain 
MCREE’s place, under whom he served the balance of his time in the 1st North 
Carolina regiment as a regular soldier."

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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