BEDFORD COUNTY, TN - MILITARY - John Rainey, Rev War Pension File ==================================================================== 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. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe E Davis je.davis@mindspring.com ==================================================================== JOHN RAINEY Name: Rank State Served: John Rainey PVT South Carolina Born 20 May, 1750 in Caroline County, Virginia, Died prior to 3rd May 1842 in Bedford County, Tennessee. Possibly buried at Mt. Hermon Cemetery or Pleasant Gardens Cemetery in an unmarked grave. GSA: John Rainey, S.4035, South Carolina. Claim No. 13.872: West Tennessee, John Rainey of Bedford County, in the State of Tennessee, who was a Private in the Company commanded by Captain_____ in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas in the South Carolina Line for 2 Years. Inscribed on the Roll of West Tennessee at the rate of 80 dollars, per annum to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831. Certificate of Pension issued the 3 day of July 1833 and sent to Hon. J.K.Polk Columbia. Arrears to the 4th of March 1833 $160.00) Semi-annual allowance ending 4 Sept $ 40.00) Revolutionary Claim Act June 7, 1832 Recorded by William Allison, Clerk Book E Vol 7 page 95 Paid at the Treasury under the Act of April 6th, 1838 from Sept 4th 1840 to March 4 1844 Agt. Notified 3rd May 1842. Declaration in order obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 State of Tennessee) Bedford County ) On this sixteenth day of August, appeared in open Court before Samuel Phillips, John B. Armstrong and John L. Neill, Justices of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of the County of Bedford in the State of Tennessee aforesaid John Rainey, a resident of said County, aged eighty two years, two months seven days, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath state the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passes 7th June 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated. He does not know owing to the failing of his memory what time he entered the service but that it was during the time the American Army lay at Slim Oak, a place between Charleston and Savannah in South Carolina. That in Laurens County, South Carolina, he was commissioned by one Colonel Thomas to hold a garrison at the place where Colonel Hight was killed which was in the Cherokee Nation, just over the South Carolina line, and then remained himself with about sixty men, he had under his command nine months during which time they kept possession of the garrison, and after the nine months service, he had his company returned home. There was but one little engagement, which was about half a mile from the garrison in, which engagement there was no white men killed and but one Indian. This applicant further states that shortly after he returned home from his service in the garrison, he raised a Company of Volunteers, say about twenty and went in pursuit of the Tories, who were then going through the country and trailed them about fifty miles when he got information that Colonel Clark and General Pickens were before him and nearer the Tories than he was, He then on that information, thought proper to return back home, and immediately himself and Colonel Rowebuck and Major Smith turns out and raised more volunteers to keep down the Tories in that part of the country and guard the frontiers, and whilst he was scouting about down below Camden, he was taken prisoner by the British and one Colonel Ferguson was the Commander of the British at the time he was taken by them, and whilst on their way with him from Camden to Kings Mountain about eighteen miles from Camden, between sunset and daylight down, he made his escape from the British, he then without delay, made back home being about forty miles distant, to hear, if he could, anything of Rowebuck, Smith or General Green. But his wife could give no account of them (and all in that neighborhood with a very few exception, were Tories). So he had no chance to make further inquiries but he immediately went on to a place in South Carolina then called Ninety-Six and near Camden, and stayed there some two three days, being a Whig neighborhood generally speaking but could not still hear anything of the above mentioned men. He then returned home again and by this time, his wife had got information in what direction Morgan's Army was. He then immediately without staying one single night at home, went in pursuit of Morgan's Army to join him which I done. When I found Rowebuck and Smith and their Companies and my own Company. Morgan's Army then lay about eighty miles from his house, and the morning after I joined them, the battle was fought between Morgan and Tailor (Taylor) and in which battle, Taylor and his Army was defeated and Taylor himself wounded. We pursued them on to where Colonel Wallis' Army was laying and in the pursuit together with what we took on the field of battle. We captured some hundred of the British and we kept on to Halifax Court House in the State of Virginia and then we lay about six weeks. But before we got to said Court House, General Morgan gave up his command and understood went home, and General Greene took command of the whole. He further states that they marched from Halifax Court House to Hillsborough, North Carolina, and directly after they got there, they very nearly had some small engagements and some are killed, and when the army got up to High Rock, North Carolina, General Greene commissioned him to recruit men to join General Pickens at Ramseur's Mills, and he is accordingly recruited some when he thinks about thirty. He was in hearing of artillery when the Battle of Guilford was fought and the second day after the Battle of Guilford, him and his men were on march to join General Pickens, when to his great astonishment, he met his wife and all his children with her, five in number, drove out of their native State by the Tories,and nearly exhausted by fatigue and might add with hunger and this situation, he gave up his command to one Major Stone and they went on and he conveyed his wife off a distant of about thirty miles and procured a house for them and from thence home to South Carolina and was not in the service afterwards. This declarent further represents that he has documentary evidence to assist his recollection, he having received no discharge from General Greene or any other person and half a century having now lapsed since the time of his service he presumes many things have escaped his recollection, which might be necessarily stated in his declaration. He is not certain that he recollects all the skirmishes he may have been engaged in. Many of the Officers together with names with whom he was then familiar, he has entirely forgotten. He is unable to state precisely at the remote period the length of time, he was engaged with the service of the United States as a Revolutionary Soldier, according to the best of his recollection, it was upwards of three years how much over that time he cannot say. 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 any agency of any State. John ( X ) Rainey Sworn into open Court 16th August 1832. Jas. McKisick, Clk. We, Malchesadic Brame, a Clergyman, residing in the County of Bedford and William Hazlett residing in said County, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Rainey, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration ,that we believe him to be eighty two years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open Court. Jas. McKisick, Clk Melch. Brame Wm. Hazlett Interrogatories by the Court: Q 1st: Where and in what year were you born? A. I was born in Caroline County, Virginia on the 20th day of May 1750. Q 2nd: Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? A. My age is registered in a Family Bible belonging to my father in Virginia and I have not seen it since the close of the war. Q 3rd: Where were you living when called into service? Where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live? A. I was living in South Carolina, Laurens County when I entered the service, after the war was over I lived in the same County and State, and I removed from there to Bedford County, State of Tennessee in the year 1808,where I now live and have lived since the year 1808. Q 4th: How were you called into service? Were you drafted? Did you volunteer or were you a substitute and if so, a Substitute for whom? A.In the first place, I was commissioned as a Captain to build the garrison as stated in the declaration, and when I entered the service the second time, I volunteered and I was never a substitute. Q 5th: State the names of the Regular Officers who were with the troops where you served, such Continental and Militia Regiments, as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service. A.Colonel Thomas (his Christian name I do not recollect) was the man that commissioned me to built the garrison, spoken of in this declaration and he was the Colonel of Laurens County. General Morgan, his Christian name I also forgot, I do not know the names of any of the Field Officers under him. I was then under General Greene, his given name I also forgot, and I knew Major Lawson who was under General Greene. The general circumstances in relation to my service are related as correctly as I can now recollect them in my declaration. Q 6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so, by whom was it giver) and what has become of it? A. I never received a discharge from anyone. Q 7th : State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a Revolutionary Soldier. A. I have been acquainted with Solomon Campbell, Thomas Dean, and William Hazlett, the latter two are Justices of the County of Bedford and many other persons in Bedford County, having lived in said County. upwards of twenty two years past. Sworn to in open Court 16th August 1832. ]as. McKisick, Clk. John ( X ) Rainey Personally appeared in open Court, Solomon Campbell a citizen of the said County of Bedford, who makes the following statement on oath in relation to the services rendered by John Rainey, the before mentioned applicant. That he was not personally acquainted with said John Rainey as he copy, but does believe from having repeated conversations together about the Revolutionary War and said Rainey speaking of certain events happening during the campaign in North Carolina, that he was certainly in the Revolution and a true Whig and that the opinion of the neighborhood and served as he states and the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Melchesadic Brame who has signed the preceeding certificate, a Clergyman, resident in the said County of Bedford and that William Hazlett and Solomon Campbell who respectively signed the foregoing certificate, are creditable persons and that their respected statements are entitled to credit. Jno. L.Neill , Samuel Phillips, John B Armstrong I, James McKisick, Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of the County of Bedford in the State of aforesaid, do hereby testify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said Court in the matter of the applicant of John Rainey for a pension. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and Seal of Office of Shelbyville, the 16th day of August 1832. Jas. McKisick, Clk. 1835, age 84 years, Private in South Carolina Militia. John Rainey had a daughter Nancy, born November 11, 1784, died October 17 1871 married Henry Hart. Nancy is buried in the Hart-Gossage Cemetery, Oak, Polk County, Illinois. Her tombstone reads: "Nancy, wife of Henry Hart daughter of Capt. John Rainey of the Revolution, born Nov 11, 1784, died Oct 17, 187 1. Aged 86 yrs, 11 mos & 6 days" Member of the Baptist Church for 70 years" John Rainey lived in the extreme southern part of Bedford County; north west of New Hermon, in the area of Possum Trot Road. In the 1820's and 1830's,other Raineys living near John Rainey were: Peter, John W., A.R., and Henry K. Rainey. John Rainey was living on Rainey Branch on waters of Flat Creek in 1814. Ref: GSA Report, Washington, D.C. Ref: DAR No. 655757 Ref; Tennessee Land Grants by Marsh Submitted By: Joe.E Davis Je.davis@mindspring.com