Orange County NcArchives Military Records.....Ray, Joseph February 10, 1837 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 July 4, 2006, 8:10 pm Pension Application Of Joseph Ray, Natl Archives Microseries M805, Roll __, Application #W5656 Smith County, Tennessee, February 10, 1837, Lydia Ray, aged 85 years on the 4th of next April: “That she is the widow of Joseph Ray who was a private soldier in the Army of the Revolution. He was drafted in the month of September, 1780 under Captain George Hodge to serve a tour of 6 months. She and her husband lived at this time in Orange County, state of North Carolina, about 7 miles from Hillsboro. They had been married 10 years before that time by Captain Robert Lytle, a Justice of the Peace. They had 3 children when he entered the service in August, before Col. Armand was stationed in the neighborhood with his troop of Light Horse, She thinks they had to support and feed 30 men and 30 horses for a short time, in order to recruit them. When Colonel Armand left he gave her husband a bequest on the government which was never paid.” “In September, as above stated, her husband entered the service. In 2 or 3 months after he entered the service, her oldest child, James Ray sickened and died, and she wrote her husband a letter, as the army was not far off. Her husband, rather than leave his family in a forlorn situation, made an arrangement with his captain and gave him $1000 in the currency of that time, which was continental paper money. This the captain used for the purpose of hiring a substitute for the balance of the time he required it, and he hired a substitute who served out the balance of the time of her husband’s service which was 6 months in all.’ “It was in the February following, as well as she recollects, that the Battle of Guilford was fought. The British army marched before this; passed in one half mile of where she lived. She was then a widow; her husband was sick when he returned, and died. Doctor Gillette attended him until his death. Left in this situation with 3 small children to take care of, the British Army as above stated camped close by and the consequence of knowing that her husband, though dead, still had a substitute in the American army, they took everything that suited them; her flour meal, corn, fodder oats, a large number of cattle. She had 14 milch cows the summer before, but they stripped her of every one except one cow which was out of their reach. Her husband’s clothing and the most valuable of her and her children’s [clothing] she put into her chest and then put it into the stable and buried it there, but it was all in vain, for they found and took it.” “Another circumstance tended greatly to add to her distress and hurried her husband to make the arrangement with his commanding officer was her state of pregnancy; but she was not confined, nor was her youngest child born until after her husband’s death, for she recollects distinctly her helpless situation when the British Army stripped her of almost everything she had. She further declares that she was married on the 21st day of March, 1771, and that her husband, the aforesaid Joseph Ray died on the 2nd day of January, 1781, and that she has remained a widow ever since.” Smith County, Tennessee, Andrew G. Ford, aged 61 years, who, being duly sworn, says that he has been acquainted with Lydia Ray for 29 years past. That he has seen and conversed with respectable citizens who were well acquainted with Joseph Ray and his wife Lydia Ray previous to their marriage. That Joseph Ray died as above stated, and that she has remained a widow ever since. He further makes oath that she has followed the profession of a midwife for the last 30 years and that full faith and credit are due her statements.” Smith County, Tennessee, George M. Ray: “That from the record kept by his father in the family Bible, a copy of which he has now in his possession taken from said family Bible more than 30 years. He is now 62 years of age, and was to the best of his recollection, at the time that his father entered the service in the War of the Revolution, about 7 years old. He recollects very well when his father was drafted. It was about the 1st of September or the last of August 1780. His captain’s name was Lowe, was attached to the brigade under General Butler. They drafted for what was called 12 months men.” “They were marched to Hillsboro, and from there to Pedee, and there stationed. He served to the month of December, and was taken sick. He acted part of this time, as issuing commissary. Upon his taking sick, his father made an arrangement with his captain and got a furlough to come home and furnished a man in his place to serve out the 8-month balance of the term, but his father was responsible until the service was completed. He returned home but was still sick, and lived but a few days when he died. He died on the last of December and was buried on the 1st of January, 1781. The substitute continued to serve out the term of 12 months and was paid by his mother.” “About the 16th of February, Lord Cornwallis and the British encamped, adjoining his father’s plantation and lay there one week and took all the stock of cattle and horses and everything else except one milch cow. His mother was confined in child-bed at the same time with her 5th child; and always, when any of the British would come, there would be a sergeant who placed a sentinel at each door to keep the Hessians from taking the only bed and clothes his mother lay on. After the British left there, he recollects the day of the Battle of Guilford, which took place the 15th of March following. His aunt, Jane Ray was out in the yard, and she came in saying to his mother, ‘Lydia, it is clear, and I hear thundering most powerful.’ “That he now resides in Jackson County, and that he came over into Smith County to make this affidavit.” Smith County, Tennessee, James Wilson: “That he is 76 years of age. That he was acquainted with Joseph Ray and Lydia Miller before they were married. They were married in Orange County, NC. His father and mother were at the wedding. They lived about 3 miles off afterwards. This affiant saw Joseph Ray and Lydia Ray pass his father’s house next day, going to his father’s, and a large company with them. They were going to the ??? infair??? as it was called. He knew them both up to the time Joseph Ray went into the service of the War of the Revolution. They had had several children.” “Joseph Ray returned home sick after he had been out there some time and died soon after he returned. He understood at that time, he returned home on furlough. It was about the same time that Cornwallis and the British army camped close to Joseph Ray’s.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/orange/military/revwar/pensions/ray409gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 7.2 Kb