Wake County, NC - Rowland Ledbetter Revolutionary War Pension ~~~~~~~~~~ State of Tennessee Marshall County On the 2nd day of September 1839 personally appeared in open court before the Justice of the County Court of Marshall County, now sitting, Rowland Ledbetter, resident of the county and state aforesaid, aged about 75 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1839. That he entered the service under the following named officers and served as herein stated, viz: 'At the age of 16 or 17 years, I was drafted in Wake County North Carolina and served a tour of three months under the command of General Butler and Col. Lane, whose given name I do not now recollect, Capt. Janus Hillsman and Lieutenant. John Walls, were my company officers. The precise date on which I entered the service, I cannot now recollect, but to the best of my recollection and belief, it was about the 1st May 1780 the year before Lord Cornwallis was taken at Little (York?). We rendezvoued at Wake Courthouse North Carolina, and remained at that place until after the rise of the Legislature, which was then in session at that place to protect the Assembly from the invasion of the Tories. Soon as the Assembly rose, we proceeded from Wake Courthouse through Johnson and Sampson Counties to Wayne County and met with Gen. Butler at the ‘widow Hash’s(?) in the county of Wayne, who gave us orders to march across Neuse River and join Maj. Hardin Griffin, where we remained under his command until the expiration of our three months, at which time and place we were discharged by Maj. Griffin. At the next session of the General Assembly of North Carolina, viz. about the 1st March 1781, I volunteered to protect that body from the Tories who were then united under the command of one Col. Fanning for the purpose of attacking the Legislature then in session at Hillsbourough N. Carolina. I was commanded by Maj. Taylor whose given name I cannot now recollect, Capt. John Trent and Lieut. Robert Peoples and ensign William Amos were my company officers. We remained at Hillsborough until the rise of the Legislature when we were disbanded by Gov Martin & two months after, we were discharged by Maj. Taylor. My discharge for this term of service has been lost or misplaced so that it cannot be found. Where and what year were you born? I was born in Brunswick County Virginia in the year 1764. Have you any record of your age? I have none. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolution, and where do you now live? I lived in Wake County NC when called into service-& after that I lived in Nash & (it looks like Robison but it is scratched out)County North Carolina-& I now live in Marshall County Tennessee on the waters of Bradshaw Creek. How were you called into service? I was drafted the first time & volunteered the second time. Have you any documentary evidence to prove your service as a soldier of the revolution? I have none. State whether you were honorably discharged and if so, what has become of your discharge? I was in both cases regularly discharged as above stated. My discharge for the first term of service which I received of Major Griffin accidentally got burned. My last discharge received of Major Taylor has been lost or mislayed so that it cannot be found. State the names of some of the regular officers with the troops when you served, such company officers as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service. I cannot now recollect the names of any other officers than those above mentioned, nor any other troops than those already stated, nor can I at this late period give any better account of the circumstances of my service than that above detailed, owing to infirmities of both body and mind. State the names of the persons in your present neighborhood to whom you are known & who can verify as to your character for veracity & their belief as to your services as a soldier of the revolution. I am known to Samuel (---son?), Solomon Meadows, G. W. McBride, Col. Silas McClellan, Elijah Glenn & (Heirs?). I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension and annuity except the present & do declare that my name is not on (Rev?) pension roll or agency of any state sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Martin W. Oakby (unknown word or abbreviation) Rowland (his x mark) Ledbetter We Samuel Sansom a clergyman residing in the County of Marshall and state of Tennesse, and Daniel Backman, William Shaw, residing in the same do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Rowland Ledbetter and that we believe him to be about 75 years of age, & that he is reputed & believed (in?) the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, & we concur in this opinion Sworn and subscribed the day and year above. Samuel Sansom (seal) Daniel Backman (seal) William Shaw (seal) State of Tennesse (ink blot) Court Marshall County September term 1839 And we the justice of said court do after a full investigation of the (ink blot) and after putting the - - My copy ends there. Rowland didn’t get a pension because he didn’t PROVE that he had served 6 months, but from a history by Mary Louise Yeiser Wiley, North Carolina Dept. of Archives, Rowland Ledbetter was granted six pounds, 14 shilling and 10 pence in 1783, for assisting in establishing American independence.. Transcribed by Sherry Mirkovic, 2002 __________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Sherry Mirkovic