ABBEVILLE COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA - REV WAR PENSION - SMITH, Austin ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/sc/scfiles.htm ************************************************ Contributed for use in the SCGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Poquette 25 Jun 2006 Pension Application Of Austin Smith, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll, 2206, Application #S21986 AUSTIN SMITH, a resident of Abbeville District, South Carolina, aged 69 years: “That he was drafted for a three month tour and joined his company at Guilford Courthouse, the company commanded by Captain WILLIAM BETHEL, RICHARD VERNON, Lieutenant, ROBERT NELSON, Ensign. That he entered the service about the first of March 1780 and left the same about the 15th June 1780. That he resided in Guilford County, North Carolina when he entered the service. That he was drafted into the service at this time. That they rendezvoused at Guilford Courthouse and set out for Charleston, South Carolina.” “That they passed through Salisbury, and from thence to Camden in South Carolina, where they crossed the Wateree River. From there they went to McCord’s Ferry on the Congaree River, then passed through Eutaw Springs to Monck’s Corner, where they joined Colonel WASHINGTON’s Horse command with a remnant of COUNT PULASKI’s troops. That the next morning after they had joined Col. WASHINGTON, they were surprised by Colonel TARLETON with the British dragoons and completely routed [per Heitman, April 14th, 1780].” “That they afterward collected and marched to Nelson’s Ferry on the Santee where we lay until General CASWELL’s brigade of North Carolina militia. We were joined about that time by a regiment of Virginia Continentals commanded by a Colonel BUFORD and a Colonel HAWES. That he was attached to General’s CASWELL’s command and marched down the river to Dupree’s Ferry, where we lay and Colonel BUFORD at Lenoir’s Ferry above, acting as a guard on the ferry, where stayed until we heard that the British had taken Charleston, when we broke up our camp and marched to Camden, where we parted with Colonel BUFORD and his command. They took the road for Charlotte in North Carolina and General CASWELL took the road for Haley’s Ferry on PeeDee, where we crossed the river and went to Cross Creek in North Carolina, where we remained until our time of service had expired.” “That he again entered the service as a substitute in the place of one JAMES BROWN, about the twentieth of August 1780, for a three months tour of militia service. That they rendezvoused at Guilford Courthouse under the command of Captain ARTHUR FORBIS. ROBERT MOORE was the Lieutenant of the company. Colonel JOHN PAISLEY commanded the regiment. That he set out and marched for Salisbury thence towards Charlotte, near which place they learned that the British were advancing in great force. That they fell back and crossed the Yadkin River and there remained until General SMALLWOOD and General MORGAN with the Maryland light infantry under Colonels WILLIAMS and HOWARD, and Colonel WASHINGTON with his troop of light dragoons and also a brigade of North Carolina militia under General JONES came on and joined them, when they recrossed the Yadkin and marched through Salisbury and to a place in Mecklenburg County called [New] Providence, when we built tents, cleared out a parade ground, and continued to train the militia until our term of service expired, which was about the first of December 1780.” “That he again entered the service as a drafted militia man about the last of August 1781. That he entered on this occasion under a Lieutenant PEOPLES, under the command of Colonel JAMES MARTIN. They rendezvoused at Guilford Courthouse and marched into Randolph County to keep in check a DAVID FANNING who commanded the Tories in that part, when they were joined by the Surry militia under Captain HUMPHRIES. That they went to Rockfish Bridge when they joined General RUTHERFORD’s brigade of North Carolina militia and General BUTLER with his command. That they continued to range the country taking up Tories and intercepting the British at and near Wilmington. While here we were joined by a few old North Carolina regulars under a Major HOGG [HOAG?]. That he entered in the service until about the middle of November 1781, when he was discharged and marched home. Interrogatory: Q. Where and in what year were you born? A. I was born in Chatham County, North Carolina on the 4th day of March 1760. Q. Have you any record of your age? If so, where is it? A. I have no record of my age other than an entry I made in my own Bible, which I copied from my father’s family Bible. Q. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolution, and where do you now live? A. I was living in Guilford County, North Carolina, near Haw River, from whence I removed in 1785 to Abbeville District, South Carolina, where I now live. Q. How were you called into service? Were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute, and if a substitute, for whom? A. I served two tours as a drafted militiaman, and one as a substitute in the place of JAMES BROWN. (turn over). Q. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you served, such Continental and militia regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service. A. I was acquainted with a Colonel BUFORD and a Colonel HAWS who were officers commanding a Virginia regiment who were in service with the troops where I served, and from whom we had been but one day separated, whose command was destroyed at a place called the Hanging Rock above Camden. I also knew Colonel WASHINGTON and Colonel [JAMES] WHITE, who (I think) commanded the first and third regiment of Continental cavalry. I served in the third regiment of North Carolina militia commanded by Colonel JAMES BRANNON. For the general circumstances of my service, I would refer to my declaration. Q. Did you receive a discharge from the service, and if so, by whom was it given, and what has become of it? A. I did receive a discharge from General DAVIDSON signed by himself and Captain ARTHUR FORBIS, as senior Captain of the regiment. It is lost, as I never expected it would be of any use. I therefore suffered it to be misplaced and cannot now find it. I also got a discharge signed by General RUTHERFORD, Colonel JAMES MARTIN as colonel of the regiment, and Abraham Philips for the 3rd tour. I only got a certificate of my service signed by WILLIAM BETHEL, the captain with whom I served, etc.”