CLAIBORNE COUNTY, TN - MILITARY - Ransom Day, Revolutionary War Pension Application --------------¤¤¤¤¤¤-------------- REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - RANSOM DAY RANSOM DAY PENSION APPLICATION Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832 State of Tennessee Claiborne County On this 12th day of March 1844 personally appeared before George H. Cheek, an acting Justice of the Peace, in and for the County aforesaid, Ransom Day, a resident of the State and County aforesaid, aged Eighty-four 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. He was first draughted a private for three months to guard the prisoners that were taken at the surrender of Gen'l Burgoyne and was marched from Goochland County, Virginia where he then resided to the Barrack in Albermarle County, Va. Shortly after he served this tour he removed from Goochland to Halifax County, Virginia where he was again drafted a private for Eighteen months. It was in the month of August 1780. They immediately marched us to Hillsborough, N.C. My Captains name was Joshua Powell. But when we joined the troops at Hilsborough my Captain had returned home and I was attached to Captain Thomas Boyers Company, the major of our Regiment was named Murphy and Col. Bluford had the command of the whole troop at that time. We marched from Hillsborough to Salisbury where we encamped for some time and Gen'l Green took the command. From there we marched in Virginia to Hallifax County and all this time Lord Cornwallis was pursuing of us with a considerable British Army. When we had reached Hallifax, Va. Cornwallis turned back towards North Carolina again and Gen'l Green being reinforced then pursued Cornwallis into N.C. again and to a place called Guildford Court House where they had a considerable engagement. It lasted about 3 or four hours and begun in the morning. The British kept the field and we retreated about three miles and encamped for the night. This was on the 15th day of March 1781. Cornwallis then retreated and for want of provisions the Americans had to desist from pursuing him. We then marched into South Carolina and besieged a place called Ninety Six. WE were there for four or five weeks when Green raised the siege and sent off. While there the Leiutenant of our Company was wounded. His name was Seldon. He was wounded in an attempt to remove some bags of sand the enemy had placed on the Breastworks to prevent our artillery from injuring the works. This occurred sometime in the summer of 1781 but I cannot tell in what month. Sometime after we left Ninety Six Captain Smith of Maryland line got leave to raise a Volunteer Company to go down the country a place to take a fort of British and Tories. I volunteered to go with him with about 150 more men. We went and took the fort and called it fort Thompson and after we had taked the place an explosion of some gunpowder took place, which burned me and two other men almost to death. We were unable to travail and lay there along time and when Captain Smith with his Company went to return to the main army he left us there with a well man to wait on us with orders that if ever we got well enough, for us to return home as our term of service would be out, which we did I was in service this time a few days over 18 months. He hereby relinquishes every claim except the present whatever to a pension and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any state. That he has no documentary evidence where by he can prove his service and knows of no person who can. He further states that some years since he employed one James B. Robinson to get his pension for him and said Robinson said it was not necessary to tell about his getting powder burned and some other months or transactions, and that Robinson left the country shortly after he had sent his papers on the second time and that he is unable to attend to business. That likely his old age and consequent laps of memory has made him commit errors in this declaration but if so they are unintentionally made. Sworn and subscribed this twelfth day of March 1844 before me Geo. H. Cheek His X mark Justice of the Peace Ransom Day INTEROGATORIES PROPOUNDED BY THE JUSTICE Q. Where and in what year were you born? A. I was born in Louisa County State of Va. on the 15th day of January 1760 Q. Have you any record of your age, if so where is it? A. I left it in Virginia at my fathers and it got destroyed. Q. Where were you living when called into service? Where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and Where do you now live? A. I lived in Goochland first, then in Hallifax Va. Since the War I have lived in Claibourn County, Tn. for 38 years. Q. How was you called into Service? A. I draughted first tour for 3 months, second tour for eighteen months. State the name of some of the Regular Officers who were with the troops where your served and the General circumstances of your service. (The above Affidavit was prepared in answer to this) State of Tennessee Claiborne County I George H. Cheek, an acting Justice of the Peace for the County aforesaid do certify that Ransom Day who has sworn to and subscribed the foregoing declaration is an old infirm man and unable to appear before the court of this county without great inconvenience to him and danger of his life. I further certify that Samuel McBewks has sworn and subscribed the foregoing affidavit and is a clergyman and John Bartlett who has sworn to and subscribed the same are both persons of unquestionable veracity and truth. Given under my hand and seal this 12th day of March 1844 Geo. H. Cheek Justice of the Peace ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe Payne [jpayne5744@aol.com] ___________________________________________________________________