Elizabeth Apperson, 1838 ****************************************************************** File transcribed and contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by:"John & Cindy McCachern" ============================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ============================================================= State of North Carolina Stokes County On this the 19th day of March, 1838, personally appeared before me Charles Banner, one of the acting Justices of the Peace in and for the County of Stokes, aforesaid, Elizabeth Apperson, (alias Epperson), a resident at this time in the County of Stokes, aforesaid, at her son-in-law's, Thomas Sprinkle, in North Carolina and she, being first sworn according to law, doth on her oath declare that she believes her age is seventy-six years the 23rd of December, 1837, and who, being on oath, maketh the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress, passed July 4, 1836; that she is the widow of William Apperson, who sometimes is spelled Epperson, who was a Private soldier in the Army of the United States in the Revolutionary War and served as a Private soldier in said service as a substitute in the place of William Harrison, who had enlisted as a Continental soldier under a Captain Joseph Phillips in Surry County, North Carolina, in Col. John Armstrong's Regiment, the date not recollected. But from what her husband William Apperson, related he was marched northwardly under the above officers and fought in the following battles, to wit: Brandywine, Germantown, near Philadelphia; a battle of Monmouth; White Plains and was a New York and many other places he mentioned and not now recollected, but this applicant believes he served in this service two years and six months, as he stated; that the above named William Harrison had enlisted for three years and had served but six months of his time previous to the time her husband took his place for which service her husband claimed and received a bounty of two hundred and twenty eight acres of land in the Western District of Tennessee, as will appear of record in the Secretary's Office of North Carolina or Tennessee. The next service the said William Apperson, alias Epperson, entered was as a substitute in the place of William Head, in Surry Co, NC, in August, 1779, and marched from thence under a Captain Nathaniel Martin to Salisbury, NC, and there joined the Army. This applicant does not remember the Officer's names who did command from there. He said he marched in said Army into SC and served in this tour three months. The next service said William Apperson, alias Epperson, entered was as a Private substitute for a David Poindexter in Captain Joseph Phillips Company at Surry Old Court House in the spring of 1780, as he related, in Colonel William Sheppard's REgiment of Militia when he was ordered to transport lead from the lead mines near a place called Fort Chafsie to the main Army at Salisbury, which being done, they marched in pursuit of Tories in many directions and to a place called the Mulberry Fields, and into the mountains, sometimes would be gone ten days; sometimes two and four weeks and at intervals would return and remain at home some length of time, always to be inreadiness to meet at Old Richmond as one of the Minute Men until he had fully served the tour of three months for which he had been engaged for David Poindexter. And next, his own turn, or class, had to be drafted, when he turned out as a volunteer Private soldier inthe same company of Minute Men, under the same officers, for three months, in the month of May, 1781, and was called out at different periods after this applicant was married to said William Apperson, and served as a guard at Richmond and in the fall of the same year he was discharged from this three months tour, which was signed by Colonel Martin Armstrong, as he stated, and showed her the discharge, but could not read it. She further declares that she was well acquainted with her said husband at the time he first went into the service as her father and her huban's family resided not far from each other; that she was married to said William Apperson by Colonel Martin Armstrong, a Justice of the Peace for Surry county, NC, on the 6th day of June, 1781, at the house of Thomas Poindexter, said County of Surry, NC, and that her husband, the aforesaid William Apperson, died on the 22nd day of March, 1826, and that she has remained a widow ever since that period, and from the infirmities of old age cannot remember half the officers and places her husband told her, and from bodily infirmity cannot attend court in order to make her declaration, as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed. Signed, Elizabeth Apperson X her mark I, Charles Banner, a Justice of the Peace for said County do hereby certify that Elizabeth Apperson, of said County, now residing at her son-in-law's, Thomas Sprinkle, a resident of said County, did on her oath make the foregoing declaration; that she appears to be corpulent and scarcely able to walk, and very infirm so that she is entirely unable to attend Court, (a distance of sixteen miles,) without great risk and injury to her health. I believe her to be of the age she has declared and that she is believed by her numerous acquaintances in both Stokes and Surry Counties to be a reputable woman for truth and creditability and the widow of William Apperson, deceased. Signed, C. Banner, J. P. State of NC, County of Stokes On this 28th Day of December, 1838, before me, Charles Banner, a Justice of the Peace of the Court of the County aforesaid, personally appeared Elizabeth Apperson, and being sworn according to law, at her present place of residence at her son-in-law's Thomas Sprinkle, in the County aforesaid, and declared on her oath that her former statement made in her declaration of Facts, was just and true to the best of her recollection; that her husband often told her that he actually served as a Continental soldier about three years, and the year before they were married he finished the service of two three month tours in the Militia, and after their marriage he only served in some small routs after Tories, which she does not recolelct exactly where nor by whom she can prove it at present, owing to her lapse of memory and old age, and declares that from bodily infirmity she is unable to attend Court. Further, she declares that it appears from the family records in a Bible, which is before me, that her children were born in the following order, to wit: Their first child, John Apperson, was born the 8th of March, 1783; (dead) Second, Peter, born the 23rd of March, 1784 (The date on his gravestone in Texas) Third, born 2d May 1785. (This was Francis) Fourth, Richard, born 6th September, 1786. (Dead) Fifth, William, born August 25, 1788. Sixth, the 25th May, 1790, named Thomas. Seventh, born 28 March, 1792, called Doctor Alexander. Eigth, child, mary P. (Pearson) Apperson was born 26th of November 1794 (dead). 9th and 10th Twins, born November 24, 1796 (dead) Bennett, born the 5th February, 1798 (dead) Elizabeth, born 30th June, 1799, and George, the last, was born the 16th June 1801, and that she, this applicant, was born the 23rd December 1763. She is the lawful widow of William Apperson, deceased. Sworn and Subscribed, the day and year first above mentioned, before me, C. Banner J. P. Elizabeth Apperson (X), her mark. Please note that "dead" after the child's name means such child was deceased at the time the affidavit was made.