WILKES COUNTY, NC - MILITARY - William Brookshire, Revolutionary War Pension Application ----¤¤¤¤---- William Brookshire (1756-1836) received a pension for the services rendered by him during the American Revolution. Application for that pension is reported here in full: State of North Carolina ) County of Wilkes ) as On this 6th day of November 1834 personally appeared in open court before the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions for the county and state aforesaid now sitting William Brookshire, a resident of the county of Wilkes and State of North Carolina, aged seventy seven 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 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herin stated. That in the month of August 1775 or 1776, this declarant was drafted for a three month tour of duty in Rowan County North Carolina-that he joined the company of militia commanded by Capt. Israel Cox & Lieutenant Benjamin Davis, at Salisbury and thence marched direct to the Pleasant Gardens in Burke County NoCa where they were attached to the Regiment of Col Matthew Locke, and where also they joined a large number of militia troops. That whole being under the command of Genl. Grifith Rutherford. As soon as the troops were organized Genl. Rutherford set out upon his march to the Cherokee Nation, and upon arriving at the nearest towns, found that the Indians had abandoned them & fled. After remaining some days at the towns they first reached, (the names of which are not recollected) Genl. Rutherford with a portion of the troops marched on to the Valley Towns, leaving also a portion behind among whom this declarant was one to guard the baggage & provisions, the troops having only taken what provisions they supposed would do them until their return and in the mean time the troops that were left, were directed to scour the country and to destroy all the corn, stock, buildings, & other property belonging to the Indians which they could fine. Upon the return of Genl. Rutherford from the Valley Towns, having as before mentioned destroyed all the property belonging to the Indians which they could find, they set out for North Carolina, and having marched back as far as Salisbury, this declarant was there discharged and returned home having served in this expedition not less than Three Months. About the year 1778 or 1779 the Tories were very troublesome on the waters of the Yadkin and Deep River in that section of North Carolina in which this declarant lived, and the frequent requisitions which were made upon the militia, to suppress and keep in check the tories, rendered it necessary that the district companies should divide themselves into classes and hold themselves in readiness to march whenever notified this declarant was attached to the district company of Capt Edward Williams, which had been divided into classes as above mentioned. This declarant was ordered out with the other members of his class, under Captain Williams and rendezvoused somewhere on or near the Uharee River,(the particular place not recollected) where they joined some other troops and were and where the command of the whole was given to Major Crump. After joining Maj Crump they set out upon their march in persuit of a body of Tories under ther command of one Col Fanningwho were committing great depredations on the waters of Deep River. After traversing the country for a considerable time without being able to come up with Fanning or to effect an engagement with him, and after having captured several tories, most of whom were paroled or excused on certain conditions by the officers, they returned home, having served in this expedition not less than three weeks. Sometime in the summer of the following year the class to which this declarant belonged was again called upon to march to the suppression of the Tories on Deep River. Accordingly they set out upon their march under the command of Capt Aaron Hill, (the command of the District Company having devolved upon him) and traversed the country from place to place through parts of the Counties of Guilford, Randolph & Anson, to aid in the suppression of the Tories who were occasionally commiting outrages upon the whigs, and depredations upon their property, but soon as it was known that the whigs were embodying themselves for protecting their property, they desisted from further operations and the country becoming restored to apparent peace & security. In this tour of duty this declarant does not recollect of being under the command of any officer superior to a Captain, but having accomplished in a good degree the objective of their expedition they were discharged and returned home having served not less than four weeks. During the following winter the Tories on Deep River again broke out, and this declarant with the class to which he was attached was again ordered out to aid in suppressing them, they accordingly marched under Captain Aaron Hill through the same section of country that they traveled before, with an expectation of being able to engage with the Tories, who had again embodied themselves under Col Fanning, but without any better success than had attended their previous exertions, they however succeeded in capturing a Tory who had concealed himself in a fodder house, whom they conveyed to the camp of Col Isaacs (who was also in pursuit of Fanning) and who as this declarant afterwards learned ordered him to be conveyed to Salisbury. Col Fanning having eluded their pursuit and made his escape from the country, and the Tories having disembodied themselves and dispersed, the troops that had been ordered out were discharged and sent home. In this tour this declarant believes he served not less than four weeks. About the month of March 1781, just after the battle of Guilford, the Tories upon the Yadkin & Deep River being greatly encouraged by the approach of Lord Cornwallis, began to commit considerable depredations upon the whigs, so much so that it became necessary for the whigs to embody themselves for protection. This declarant volunteered himself and joined the company of mounted infantry or Light Horse commanded by Captain William Cole, in the edge of Rowan County, and thence marched up the Yadkin at the wading fort of which they joined Majr Rutherford(son of the Genl) who took the command and thence proceeded up the river, scouring the settlements and capturing such Tories as they could find, several of whom they sent to Salisbury and committed them to Jail & after traversing the country for a considerable time to keep the Tories in check, and capturing such as they supposed were disaffected to the cause of Liberty they returned home and were discharged. In this expedition this declarant is satisfied he served not less than three weeks. The battle of Guilford having closed in a considerable degree the war in the Southern Country, this declarant was not again called upon to perform any other service during the Revolution. This declarant was born on Deep River in what he supposes was then Anson County N.C. on the 30th day of December 1756 the record of which he has in his Bible at home. He lived in the lower edge of Rowan County, N.C. when he entered the service of the United States, and has lived partly in Randolph & partly in Wilkes Counties N.C. since the Revolutionary War in which latter county he now lives. The first expedition which he performed being the three months tour against the Indians under Genl. Rutherford, was performed as a drafted militia man, the other services he performed as a volunteer. The answer to the fifth interrogatory is contained in the body of the decloration. This declarant states that in answer to the sixth interrogatory that he never received a written discharge from the service, nor has he any documentary evidence of any kind to prove it-nor does he know of any person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services. He refers however to the Revd Smith Ferguson & Mr Pearce Noland as persons to whom he is well known in his present neighborhood, and who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to & Subscribed the day & year aforesaid his Wm. Mastin C. C. C. William X Brookshire mark We Smith Ferguson a clergyman, residing in the county of Wilkes & State of North Carolina, and Pearce Noland residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Brookshire who has suscribed & sworn to the above declaration. That we believe him to be seventy years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, & that we concur in that opinion. Sworn & subscribed the day and year aforesaid Wm. Mastin C. C. C. Smith Ferguson his Pearce X Noland mark And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states-And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Smith Ferguson who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the county of Wilkes, and that Pearce Noland who has also signed the same is a resident in the County of Wilkes, and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit- Wm C Emmet JP J Rhodes JP Joel Vanney JP I William Mastin Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County & State aforesaid, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original procedings of the said court in the matter of the application of William Brookshire for a pension- In testamony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 7th day of November 1834. Wm Mastin C. C. C. ******* ******* WAR DEPARTMENT REVOLUTIONARY CLAIM I certify that in conformity with the law of the United States, of the 7th June, 1832, William Brookshire of the State of North Carolina who was a private during the war of the revolution is entitled to receive commencing on the 4th of March, 1831, and payable semiannually, on the 4th of March and 4th of September, in every year. Given at the War Office of the United States, this sixteenth day of June one thousand eight hundred and thirty-five. C. A. Harris Acting Secretary of War Examined and ) Countersigned) J. L. Edwards Commissioner of Pensions Surrendered by Genl. Saml. N. Patmon of Wilkes Co- died 12 or 18 months past-July 5 1837 JH ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Carl Brookshire Cbrookshre@aol.com ___________________________________________________________________