Guilford-Randolph-Chatham County NcArchives Military Records.....Searcy, William August 13, 1832
Revwar - Pension 
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Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com April 23, 2007, 3:12 am

Pension Application Of William Searcy, Nat’l Archives Series M804, Roll ____ Application #R9342
State of North Carolina, Chatham County}
	On this 13th day of August, 1832, personally appeared before me, 
Abraham Lane, one of the justices of the peace of the county and state 
aforesaid, William Searcy, a resident citizen of the county of Chatham and 
state aforesaid, aged 78 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, 
doth on his oath make the following declaration…:

	That he entered the service as a volunteer in the month of February in 
1777 in Captain John Williams company of Light Horse from Granville County, who 
were at the time he joined them, at Chatham Courthouse, together with the 
militia of Granville under Colonel Tailor [Taylor?], the militia of Orange 
County, who together with some Continental soldiers, were under the immediate 
command of Colonel James Thaxton of the Continental line and who was a resident 
citizen of the said county of Orange, all of whom, together with the militia of 
Chatham County and in the command of Colonel Ramsay who afterward joined us, 
marched against a party of Royalist Tories embodied under their leader, General 
McDonald, who was then said to be on their march to Wilmington in this state. 

We marched to Fayetteville, then called Cross Creek, the Royalists on their way 
to Wilmington at Moore’s Bridge, having been met and defeated by the American 
forces under the command of Governor Caswell, and we being in their rear were 
able to pick off a number of the retreating party, all of whom were disarmed 
and made prisoners. Immediately after this, went the militia from the several 
counties as aforesaid, were discharged. 

On my arrival home which was then on Deep River in Guilford County, I was 
ordered by the colonel in my county to raise a company of rangers for the 
purpose of suppressing the operations of the Tory party who were continuously 
plundering and pillaging through this section of country and often butchering 
the then peaceful inhabitants. The company I soon raised and was appointed to 
the command of the same. The duties incumbent on such an appointment and at 
such a time was arduous and attained with the most imminent danger and required 
the most active diligence, which I continued to perform in the capacity of 
captain until some time in August of the same year, when I received an express 
from Colonel Martin, the then colonel of my county as aforesaid, accompanied 
with my commission assigned by Governor Caswell to march against the Cherokee 
Indians who were then committing depredations on the western frontier of this 
state.

I immediately obeyed the call, and now being fully clothed with authority as 
captain of my little band of volunteers, we set out on this expedition. I 
marched to Salisbury to join the main army under General Rutherford, but did 
not join that officer before they marched a place in the mountains where he 
crossed, called Rutherford’s Gap. A few days after I joined the army, I was 
ordered back by General Rutherford to still discharge the same duties in my 
neighborhood against the Tories that I had formerly done, and such was the 
imminent danger, I was hourly placed in that continually on all occasions had 
to bear my weapons of war. In this situation I continued to live, performing 
the duties as captain as aforesaid until the spring of 1780, at which time I 
received information from Colonel John Collier of Randolph County [a county 
taken off of the county of Guilford in which I lived] that I had been drafted 
together with the soldiers under my command, to go against the British in South 
Carolina. I was ordered to join my regiment under the command of Colonel Ramsay 
at General Caswell’s camp, who was then stationed at or near Fayetteville. I 
accordingly done so.

	Not many days after, we marched to Spruill’s Ferry on Cape Fear, from 
thence to the upper edge of Cumberland County on S___ Creek, then to Bull’s old 
field near Randolph Courthouse, then we marched to Moore’s ?store in Rowan 
County on Yadkin River at which place General Caswell received an express to 
join the main army under General Gates. We recrossed the Yadkin and on our way 
to the Cheraw Hills in South Carolina, was joined by General Rutherford’s 
troops near Mask’s Ferry on Pedee, and at Cheraw Hill before our army joined 
General Gates, I was taken sick and was not able to perform duty. I was then 
left there in command of the sick, of 25 men, to take charge of some British 
prisoners. I was ordered to guard them to Stantown on Stanton River in 
Virginia, but after a few days journey, found myself unable further to proceed 
with them. I committed them to the charge of Captain John Arnold with 
directions to conduct them to Hillsborough.

	After many days, I reached home in a very low stage of the fever which 
I had been attacked with while at Cheraw Hill. Finding myself here surrounded 
with Tories who were every day threatening to take me prisoner to the British, 
my friends took me into Granville County for safety until my health should be 
renewed, which, after about two months, I was so far recovered as to be able to 
perform duty, and set out immediately for my residence on Deep River for the 
purpose of collecting what men I could to act against the Tories. On my return, 
I was confined with the smallpox for a month or more, and about the first of 
February in the year 1781, was forced to leave my home by the Tory party who 
had, in that quarter, become very strong, and look for safety elsewhere. 

At Chatham Courthouse I fell in with a party of militia which had been partly 
collected by General Ramsay, who had previously been promoted from the grade of 
colonel to march against the British, who after the defeat of General Gates, 
were rapidly advancing into our state. After a few days stay at that place we 
made a circuitous route to Granville Courthouse and there joined General Eaton. 
We then marched with the whole army [upwards of 2000 in all] to Hillsborough. 
We then took a circuitous route to Guilford Courthouse where we formed a 
junction with General Greene’s army, and on the next morning, the 15th of 
March, 1781, took an active part in the memorable battle fought at that place 
by the two contending armies.

The next day after this event the militia under the command of General Ramsay 
were discharged by General Ramsay at a place called the Troublesome Ironworks 
in Guilford County. On my way to Granville county I was taken prisoner by a 
party of Royalists commanded by a British officer and paroled, and never 
afterwards joined the army, having served as captain in all about three years 
in the Revolutionary War…

State of North Carolina, Chatham County} 
On this day. Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a justice of the 
peace in and for the county aforesaid, William Searcy, who being duly sworn 
deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory,  he 
cannot say positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to 
the best of his recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned 
below and in the following grades: For two years and eleven months I served as 
a captain, for two months I served as a common soldier in the dragoons, and for 
such service I claim a pension. Sworn to and subscribed before me this __ day 
of January, 1833. Hane ____ William Searcy.

In conformity to an Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832, William Searcy, a 
citizen of said county was duly sworn and subscribed to the annexed declaration 
for the purposes of obtaining a pension, whereupon, I, Abraham Lane, a justice 
of said county, propounded the following interrogations:

Q. Where and in what year were you born?
A. On the 27th of May, 1754, in Granville County, North Carolina.

Q. Have you any record of your age? If so, where is it?
A. I have it now at home.

Q. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since 
the Revolution, and where do you now live?
A. I was living on Deep River at a place called Searcy’s Ford, then Guilford 
County. I have uniformly lived at and near the same place, and am now living in 
Chatham County within two and a half miles of the place where I was living when 
the Revolutionary War commenced.

Q. How were you called into service? Were you drafted, did you volunteer, or 
were you a substitute, and if a substitute, for whom?
A. I entered the service a volunteer.

Q. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops 
when you served, such Continental and militia regiments as you can recollect, 
and the general circumstances of your service.
A. I was well acquainted with Colonel James Thaxton, with Captain Jesse Steed, 
Colonel Mebane, and others. The names or numbers of the regiments I do not now 
recollect.

	Q. Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it 
assigned, and what has become of it?
A. I did receive a captain’s commission assigned by General Caswell, and in 
March 1781 my house was plundered by the Tories under the command of their 
notorious leader, Fanning, at which time the whole of my personal effects was 
destroyed or taken by them together with my commission.

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed July 
the 4th, 1836, State of North Carolina, Chatham County}

On this 10th day of July 1845, came before me, Bryan Martindale, one of the 
acting justices of the peace and a member of the Court of Pleas of Quarter 
Sessions in and for the said county of Chatham, Sarah Sercy, a resident of the 
aforesaid county and state, aged 84 years, who being first duly sworn according 
to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration…:

That she is the widow of the late William Searcy, who was a private soldier and 
Captain in the North Carolina militia in the War of the Revolution. That she is 
not able at this time to tell how long her said husband, William Searcy served, 
but that her said husband was a volunteer and served the united States several 
tours of duty both as a private and captain with a horse company. That her said 
husband, Captain William Searcy was in the Battle of Guilford, and was in the 
service when General Gates was defeated, but in consequence of sickness, was 
not in the engagement.

That she has often heard her said husband, William Searcy speak of being in a 
tour against the Indians and another tour against the Scotch Tories. For 
further proof of the said Captain William Searcy’s services, declarant refers 
the commissioner to her said husbands’ papers, which she supposes are on file 
in the pension office. That she was married to the said William Searcy on the 
20th day of March, 1779, in the county of Guilford, North Carolina. That her 
husband, the said William Searcy, died on the 20th day of October, 1841. In 
further evidence of the said marriage, the declarant herewith sends her 
original family record, and that it is in the handwriting of the said William 
Searcy, and that it does contain the facts as they transpired. Sworn to and 
subscribed on the 10th day of July, 1845 before me, Bryan Martindale, JP, Sarah 
Searcy, her mark.

Sarah Searcy, wife to William Searcy was born September the 11th, 1760.
Mary Searcy was born January the 15th, 1780
Peter Searcy was born February the 6th, 1782
Elizabeth Searcy was born February the 5th, 1784
Gary Searcy was born November the 19th, 1787
Aaron Searcy was born May the 7th, 1790
Sarah Searcy was born March the 12th, 1793
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