Rutledge, William - 1882 - Rowan County, NC - Pensions --- Submitter: Ernest E. Hunt EMAIL: eehiv@mindspring.com SURNAMES: Rutledge, Johnson, Caldwell, Rayburn, Dooley, Armstrong DATE: Feb 07 1999 Pension of William Rutledge Revolutionary War - North Carolina - #S4171 State of Tennessee } September sessions of the County Wayne County } Court of said County for the year 1832 On this 5th day of Sept. 1832 personally appeared in open court before the justice of said county now sitting, William Rutledge, a resident of said County and State aged seventy six years since June last, in his being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath swear the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That is to say, He volunteered and entered the above-named service in Rowann County in the state of North Carolina early in the Revolutionary War, under the command of Capt. David Caldwell in General Griffin Rutherford's Brigade. He marched on this tour down on Cross Creek in North Carolina for the purpose of keeping down the Scotch Tories in that quarter. He was then discharged at the expiration of his term of service which was three months. He next volunteered and entered the service in said County of Rowann for the term of three months. He was marched through Burke County over the mountains and crossed near the head of the Catawba River, and from thence over to the head of (the) Tennessee River against the Cherokee Indians under the command of Captain Joseph Dickerson in General Rutherford's Brigade. On this expedition the troops with which applicant was associated drove the Indians from their settlements and towns, burnt their towns, huts, and wigwams and destroyed everything before them. He was then marched back to Rowann County where he was discharged at the end of his term of service. He next volunteered and entered the service, again for the term of three months under Capt. Joseph Dickerson, who was the highest officer in Command on this expedition. He marched down to Pinetree in South Carolina for the purpose of quelling and keeping down the Scotch Tories, and was again marched home and discharged at the end of his term of service, which was one of three months. Applicant then went to live up in Wilkes County, State of North Carolina where he went again into service as a volunteer under Major Micajah Lewis, and marched near to Haw River, thirteen or fourteen miles from Guilford Courthouse, where he and his associate troops defeated the Tories under the Command of Col. Piles. They killed in this engagement a number of the Tories, in full nearly all that were in the action and took no prisoners. Col. Perkins was their General on this occasion on the side of the United States troops. Col. Lee was also in this engagement. About this time the said Applicant was sent in Company with Capt. Robert Cleveland with an express from the Moravian towns to General Green at Guilford Courthouse. Which express was to inform Gen. Green that the British were at the shallow ford on the Yadkin River advancing towards his quarters. This was a short time before the battle fought at Guilford Courthouse. This was the last service that applicant performed except being afterwards engaged in several scouting parties. He has no documentary evidence and he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service except Col. John Witherspoon of said County of Wayne State of Tennessee. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name in not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed in open court the date first above written, Test. Wm. Bennett, Clerk. Wm. Rutledge (signed) Questions put by the War Department: Question 1: Where and in what year were you born? Answer: I was born in the State of Pennsylvania near the town of Carlisle in the year 1756. Question 2: Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? Answer: I think I have at home a record of my age on a small piece of paper in my father's own handwriting. Question 3: Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since, and where do you now live? Answer: When first called into service I lived in Rowann County, N.C. But afterwards in Wilks County during the Revolutionary War. I came from Wilks County N.C. to Tennessee something like forty years ago to Williamson County where I resided until I moved to Maury County where I lived until three years last since which time I have resided in Wayne County, Tennessee, where I now live. Question 4: How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom. Answer: I volunteered in all the expeditions set forth in my declaration. Question 5: State the name of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service. Answer: This question I have answered as well as I am able in the above declaration. Question 6: Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given and what has become of it? Answer: I received four discharges, one from Capt. Caldwell, two from Capt. Dickson, and another from Maj. Micajah Lewis, but I have lost or mislaid them all. Question 7: State the names of the persons to whom you are acquainted in your present neighbourhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution. Answer: I am known to Squire Henry Rayburn, Gen. John Rayburn, Col. John Witherspoon, Robert Thompson, Col. Gallaher, Lewis Johnson, and Samuel Johnson, and others, all of whom can testify both as to my character for veracity and the reputation of my being a Revolutionary soldier in the neighbourhood where I now live. He further states that he was under General Rutherford at the battle fought at Ramsour Mill, where Capt. Gillespie was killed, where the United States troops and the Tories had a very considerable engagement. A number were slain on both sides, but the Tories were completely routed, some taken prisoners and the rest driven from the field. He also states that the said Maj. Lewis was mortally wounded in the engagement at Whiteside Mill on Rudee fork of Haw river and that he was carried off the field and died the next day. Sworn to and subscribed in open court the date first above written Test. William Bennett, Clerk. William Rutledge (signed) And the said Court do hereby declare... after the investigation of the matter and after putting the questions prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as stated... and the said court further states and certifies that it appears to them that William Baker, who has signed the preceeding Certificate, is a clergyman in said county and state, and that Henry Rayburn, Esq., has signed the same is a resident in the said state and county, and is a creditable person, and that their statement is entitled to credit. Isaac G. Grimes (signed) Holloway Prater (signed) William B.T. (signed) J.P.s Certification by William Barnett, clerk of the court of pleas and quarters sessions of Wayne County, dated 28 Sept. 1832. We, William Baker, a clergyman, residing in said county and state, and Henry Rayburn, residing in the same county and state, hereby certify that we are all well acquainted with William Rutledge, who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy six years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion, and that we have often heard him speak of his services in the Revolution before the first of June last. William Baker (signed) Henry Rayburn (signed) State of Tennessee } September sessions of the County Wayne County } Court of said County for the year 1832 This day being the 27th day of Sept. 1832, personally appeared in open court before the justices of said county John Witherspoon, aged about 67 years next October, & after being duly sworn according to law, on his oath made the following statement: That he was personally acquainted with William Rutledge, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration in the Revolutionary War, that he knew the said Rutledge was in the United States service during said War, and he states he also knew the said Rutledge when he was in the service under Maj. Micajah Lewis at the defeat of Col. Piles, and that he well remembers that said Rutledge was at those engagements. He has known the said Rutledge ever since the Revolution, both in N. C. and Tennessee, in Williamson county, & also in Wayne County, and that he has no doubt that the said Rutledge performed the service in said War as stated in his declaration, & that he has always been believed & reputed in the neighbourhood where he now lives, to be a soldier of the Revolution, and that the said Rutledge is a man of veracity. John Witherspoon (signed) State of Tennessee } Wayne County } March the 11th, 1834, on this day personally appeared before William Hawk, an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the said County and state aforesaid, William Rutledge, aged about seventy seven years who being duly sworn, deposeth & saith that by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise truth of his service, but according to his best recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned below & in the following grades for nine months, as mentioned in his former declaration including the three first terms of service mentioned in said declaration, he served as a private soldier in the militia, he thinks he served two weeks as a private soldier in the militia in the scouting parties mentioned in said declaration, his service making in all nine months and two weeks & for such service he claimed a pension. William Rutledge (signed) [Note - a web page listing the descendants of William Rutledge is included below - Ernest Hunt]. http://www.mindspring.com/~eehiv/rutledge/rutledge.htm ********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. **********************************************************************