Pension Application of John Church, Senr., Wilkes County NC ****************************************************************** File transcribed and contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Johnson Revis http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/wilkes/pensions/church1.txt 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. ******************************************************************. Pension Application of John Church, Senr. State of North Carolina Wilkes County On the 19th day of October in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, personally appeared before me James Welborn, a Justice of the peace in and for the county of Wilkes and State aforesaid - John Church, Senr., resident in said county, who being sworn in due form of law (for the purpose of obtaining a pension under an act of congress passed June the 7th 1832) deposeth and saith, that he has no written evidence of his age, but believes that he was born in the county of Rowan, State of North Carolina AD 1760, and is now seventy two or seventy three years of age - that before the commencement of the revolution and ever since he has resided and now does reside in the county of Wilkes aforesaid - that he has served two years in the American service under regular orders and one tour as a minute man against the frontier indians - that in the spring of the year 1778 he volunteered and was called into service for three months under the command of Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, Captain John Cleveland & Lieutenant Gambill as a private, that he marched from his residence across the Blue Ridge in pursuit of a company of Tories --after crossing the said Ridge, the company was divided and Lieutenant Gambill took command of the company to which this affiant belonged and marched towards the Virginia line, and near a place called Coxes Settlement we captured a tory by the name of Inghram, who was executed during the rout, and captured seven tories but had no engagements - that he returned home to Wilkes in about five weeks, and was regularly discharged, which discharge this affiant has long since lost. He further states that in the summer of 1778 he was drafted for three months and called into service under the command of Col. Benjamin Cleveland & Capt Richard Allen, as a private and marched in pursuit of a company of Tories who was embodied on the Catawba River near Criders Fort in the county of Burke, he was stationed for some time, frequently engaged on scouting parties, and at the end of his tour of service he returned home to Wilkes. (This line did not copy.) He further states that in the month of October 1779 he volunteered, and was called into service for three months under command of Col. Benjamin Cleveland, Capt Reuben Stringer, Lieut. William Brown - that he marched across the blue Ridge to Cove Creek, then across the Stone Mountain to the Watauga River in pursuit of a tory Col. by the name of Roberts, we did not capture the said Roberts, and returned home to Wilkes after having served a tour of one month. This affiant received no discharge. He further states that in the month of July or August he served a short tour after the Indians, commanded by Benjamin Greer (Capt) and William Stringer (Lieut) - that in the month of August or September he volunteered and was called into service for three months under the command of Col. Benj. Cleveland, Capt Gwyn Morris, Lieut John Sparks (he believes) marched to the Calloway Settlement on New River in pursuit of Tories & returned to Wilkes this was in 1780 - this affiant received no discharge. He further states that in the month of December 1780 he volunteered and was called into service for three months under the command of Capt Andrew Becker (a clergyman) & Lieut John Sparks and marched in pursuit of a company of Tories, who had embodied in Grayson County Virginia, we found the Tories at one Gibsons in Grayson, fired upon them, they dispersed, we captured none. We remained in the settlement for several days then returned home to Wilkes, having served one month. This affiant received no discharge. He further states that in the spring of 1781, he was drafted and called into service for three months under the command of Major Francis Hartgraves, Capt John Cleveland and Lieut Martin Gambill - we marched from Wilkes crossing the Yadkin at Shallow ford, through the counties of Chatham and Randolph down to Deep River, in search of a Tory Col by the name of Fanning, that on this affiantís return home at Salem he got his discharge from his Capt for three months which he has long since lost. He further states that in the Summer of 1781 he was drafted and called into service for three months under the command of Col Elijah Isaacs & Capt Samuel Johnson, we marched across the Shallow Ford, thru the counties of Randolph (Did not copy) pursuit of a Tory Col by the (Did not copy) On our return home I received at Salem a discharge from Capt Johnson which has long since been lost. This affiant states that in the fall of the year 1787 before the capture of Lord Cornwallis, he was drafted and called into service for three months under the command of Col. Benjamin Cleveland and Capt. John Cleveland, marching down the country from Wilkes towards Fayetteville, or Cross Creek as it was then called, a distance of one hundred and sixty miles. Owing to news being received that the British army had retreated towards (blot) North Carolina or Norfolk, we were marched back thru the north part of North Carolina home to Wilkes where this affiant received a discharge from his capt. For three months, which discharge has long since been lost. This affiant further states that he knows of but one living witness that can prove any part of his services by that of his brother Amos Church who was with him in several of his tours. Sworn to and subscribed the day & year above mentioned. His John X Church Mark J. Welborn, JP ___________________________________________________________________ State of North Carolina Wilkes County We, Hugh Brown & Thomas Fletcher being a clergyman do swear depose and say that we are acquainted with John Church Senr who lives in our immediate neighborhood, that he has always been reputed to have been a whig & soldier of the revolutionary war and we believe he was so, and that his veracity is unimpeached. Sworn to and subscribed the 19th day of October AD 1833 before me. Hugh Brown J Welborn Thomas Fletcher ___________________________________________________________________ State of North Carolina Wilkes County This day came before me James Welborn a justice of the peace in and for the county of Wilkes and State aforesaid, Amos Church, and made oath that he is aged seventy four or thereabouts, he served in the revolutionary war with John Church Senr when he went to Coxís Settlement, the Catawba River & Criders Fort, and to Cove Creek and Watauga River. They then parted but he believes said Church was frequently if not constantly in service to the close of the war. Sworn & subscribed this 19th day of October 1833. His J Welborn, JP Amos X Church mark ___________________________________________________________________ State of North Carolina Wilkes County On this 7th day of August 1841 Nancy Church personally appeared in open court, aged about 68 years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make and following declarations in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions made by the act of Congress passed July 7, 1838 entitled ìAn act granting half pay & pension to certain widows.î That she is the widow of John Church who was a soldier in the revolutionary war, who was a pensioner at the time of his death. The said Nancy Church has no means by which she can prove the time her husband, John Church, entered the service and length of service, only on reference to the declaration of her husband John Church, which is on file in the Pension Office at Washington City. She further declares that she was married to the said John Church in June 1790 in the Wilkes County & State North Carolina where she has remained ever since. That her husband aforesaid, John Church, died in the month of January, AD 1838, that she was not married to the said John Church prior to his leaving for the service, but that the marriage took place previous to the first of January, seventeen hundred and ninety four. Sworn to and subscribed, on the day & year above written before. Her Nancy X Church Mark Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and date above mentioned in open court. Wm. C Emmet, JP and Chairman of the County Court. ___________________________________________________________________ North Carolina Wilkes County I, William Mastin, Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Wilkes in the State aforesaid, do certify that Wm. C. Emmet is a Magistrate as above and that his signature purporting to be his is genuine. I further certify that satisfactory evidence was produced in open court that John Church & Nancy Church lived together as man & wife, and that the said Nancy remains the widow of the said John, deceased. In testimony whereof, I have herewith set my hand & affixed the seal of office at Wilkesboro the 7th day of August 1841. Wm Mastin, Clk. ___________________________________________________________________ State of North Carolina County of Wilkes On this 15 day of March AD 1855 personally appeared before me, a justice of the peace with and for the county and state aforesaid, Nancy Church, who after being duly sworn according to law declares that she is 80 years of age - that she is the widow of John Church, decíd, late of said county and state, who was a soldier of the war of the Revolution and who was a pensioner of the United States on account of his Revolutionary services, and she states that she is herself now in the same pension allowed to her said husband from the United States. She states that she resides in the County of Wilkes, State of North Carolina, that she is the identical person she represents herself to be, that she has remained a widow ever since the death of her said husbandís services in the War of the Revolution, she refers to the papers & books of the Pension Office - in case of his the said John Church application for a pension & that for proof of his death, and of her marriage to him the said John Church she refers to the papers and Books in the case of her own application for a pension. She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which she may be entitled under the act passed March 3rd AD 1855. Her Nancy X Church Mark ___________________________________________________________________ Application for Restoration to the Pension Rolls, whose names have been dropped under the Act of Feby 4, 1862. State of North Carolina Wilkes County On this the 21st day of November AD 1866 personally appeared before me George W Brown, Clerk of the Superior Court of Law in said state and county, the same being a court of record, Leonard Miller, aged 64 years a resident of Wilkes County in the State of North Carolina who being duly sworn according to law declares that he is the Administrator of he identical Nancy Church who was a pensioner on the roll of the agency at Morganton, State of North Carolina and whose pension certificate is hereto returned, that she did reside since the 1st day of January AD 1861 as follows, at her son-in-laws, William Holder in Wilkes County State of North Carolina and that he said pensioner died in the County of Wilkes State of North Carolina on the 26th day of May AD 1862, leaving the following married children - who are the only heirs at law, viz. Gabriel Church, Wm Holder and Charity his wife, Leonard Miller & Elizabeth his wife and John Church. That during this period her means of subsistence was as follows, was the charity of her friends and relations and that she did not bear arms against the Government of the United States or she did not in any manner encourage the rebels or manifest a sympathy with their cause and that she ??her pension on the 4th day of March AD 1861. This application is made for purpose of securing a restoration of the aforesaid Nancy Churches name to the pension rolls and of obtaining a (Did not copy) certificate such as she would have been entitled to under existing laws reference being made to the evidence heretofore filed in the Pension Office to substantiate her original claim. And I hereby appoint Henry and Walker of Washington DC my attorneys to present this my application and perform all that is necessary therein ???? as to receive the certificate when issued. Leonard Miller, Administrator Of Nancy Church, deceased Witness RL Parker Also personally appeared Thomas H. Foster and Rufus W Foster residents of Wilkes County State of North Carolina personally well known to me whom I certify to be persons of veracity and credibility and who after being duly sworn by me, say they were present and saw Leonard Miller sign his name to the foregoing declaration and they further swear that they have every reason to believe from the appearance of the applicant and their acquaintance with his that he is the Administrator, the identical person represented to be. They further swear that they were well acquainted with Nancy Church who has a pensioner of the United States and knew her well up to her death and know she never bore arms against the United States and that she never voluntary gave no aid, countenance, counsel or encouragement to persons engaged in armed hostility thereto and that she did not yield or voluntary support to any pretended government authority forces or constitution within the United States hostile or amicable, that they further swear that their reasons for knowing the facts above stated are as follows, that they lived near neighbors to Nancy Church as aforesaid and (Not copied)