Davidson-Williamson County TN Archives Military Records.....Johnson, Gideon 
Revwar - Pension 
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Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com June 24, 2006, 8:37 pm

Pension Application Of Gideon Johnson, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll 1421, Application #S4456
GIDEON JOHNSON, a resident of Williamson County, TN [in 1832] aged 78 years:

	“That I enlisted in the army of the United States in the last of the 

month of July 1776 for the term of twelve months under Captain JOHN ARMSTRONG 

from Surrey County, Lieutenant JOSEPH TATE from Guilford County, in North 

Carolina. I resided in Guilford County, NC at that time and joined the army in 

that county at a place called Spring Garden. Captain ARMSTRONG’s company joined 

the second regiment of the Continental line at Salisbury, shortly after my 

enlistment as well as I can recollect, which regiment was commanded by Colonel 

ALEXANDER MARTIN. We lay at Salisbury about three months when we marched thence 

to a place near Hollisworth Mills on Duncan’s Creek, which I think is a branch 

of the Catawba River. Receiving information that there were a body of Tories 

collected either on Duncan Creek about fifteen miles distant, we were marched 

thither in the night and surrounded them near daybreak, when we [were] fired on 

by their sentinels and our men closed in upon them and took, as was reported, 

one hundred prisoners, whom we marched to headquarters on Duncan’s Creek, where 

we guarded them two days when they were sent to Charleston, South Carolina.”

“Shortly after this, we rendezvoused at Salisbury, I going by home by furlough, 

whence I, in the company of Captain SAMUEL MARTIN who had recruited a company 

of fifty men with some delinquents, marched to Charleston, SC, where we joined 

the main army, the latter part of the summer of 1777. I in the meantime, having 

been employed in assisting Captain SAMUEL MARTIN in recruiting men, he being a 

recruiting officer of the U.S. Army and in scouting after the Tories in NC.”

“On account of the sickness of the troops in Charleston, we left that place 

where I took sick and was hauled to Camden in a wagon, where we lay 10 days. 

From that place the army marched towards Salisbury, NC and I being too sick to 

travel further, was left at the Widow Sutton’s on Seven-Mile Creek under the 

care of Sergeant REUBEN CURTIS. At the end of ten days I went to Charlotte, NC 

where I met with Captain SAMUEL MARTIN, with whom I traveled to Salisbury, 

where I arrived about the last of October, 1777, where I think I received a 

discharge signed by Colonel ALEX. MARTIN, which I have lost, not thinking it 

would ever be important to me.”

“Some years after this, when Colonel ALEX. MARTIN was chosen governor of N. 

Carolina, the year I cannot recollect, it being necessary for him to have a 

life guard, I was chosen by him as one of his life guard, and became such in 

Guilford County, and marched with him thence to a place called Nutbush in 

Granville County where we, after remaining some time were dismissed and 

returned home after an absence of about four weeks. Captain JOSIAH GATES 

commanded this company of lifeguards. It was represented to us when acting as 

his guard that that tour should answer as a three months tour, but whether I 

got a discharge for the same I do not now recollect.”

“In about 1778 or the winter of 1779, I carried an express from Colonel JAMES 

MARTIN of the County of Guilford to the western part of the state into Burke, 

Buncombe and Wilks Counties and delivered the same to Colonel and Major ERVIN, 

Colonel and Major MCDOWELL and to Mr. GREENLEA of Buncombe County. In this 

expedition I underwent much hardship on account of inclement weather and high 

waters and returned home after having been absent about four weeks...”



	“September 13, 1832-This day came JOHN W. CRUNK…that in the year of 

1776 he was intimately acquainted with GIDEON JOHNSON in the Continental Army 

and further saith that he knew him to be a regular soldier in the Revolutionary 

War, in the second regiment of the North Carolina troops commanded by Colonel 

ALEXANDER MARTIN and Captain JOHN ARMSTRONG’s company and her further saith 

that he (CRUNK) and the said JOHNSON both belonged to the same company at the 

same time, and he further saith that in consequence of sickness that he (CRUNK) 

was separated from the regiment and sent home and that he never returned to the 

regiment again, the time for which he enlisted having expired before he 

recovered from his sickness, but that said JOHNSON continued in the army for a 

long time, and returned home to Guilford County honorably discharged, the time 

for which he enlisted being eighteen months. He further adds that they were 

both born and raised in the same neighborhood.”



August 9, 1833-“GIDEON JOHNSON in addition and explanation of his said 

declaration…states that he served as a private from July 1776 till October 

1777, fifteen months, for which he got a discharge as stated in said 

declaration.”

	“He states that he served as a private for one month as a life guard 

for Governor MARTIN in the year 1778 as well as he recollects, he is not 

certain of the time.”

	“He states that he served as a private one month in carrying an express 

from Colonel MARTIN to Colonel and Major ERWIN and others as stated in his 

declaration in 1778 or 9, making in all as near as he can recollect, seventeen 

months and in every instance as a private soldier.”



Davidson County Tennessee, January 1840:

	“Personally appeared, GIDEON JOHNSON, aged 86 years…that he entered the 

service in the month of June 1775, he thinks in the second regiment of the 

Continental line of North Carolina as a regular soldier, under the command of 

Colonel ALEXANDER MARTIN, in which there were four companies: First company 

commanded by Captain JOHN DAVIDSON of Rowan County, second company commanded by 

Captain JOHN ARMSTRONG of Surrey County, third company commanded by Captain ___ 

PICKET of Anson County, fourth company commanded by Captain JOHN BELL of 

Guilford County, which four companies composed said regiment.”

“Deponent states that he first turned out as a volunteer under Lieutenant 

JOSEPH TATE, who was Lieutenant under his Captain JOHN ARMSTRONG, at Spring 

Garden, Guilford County, North Carolina for a term of (he thinks) of twelve 

months; rendezvoused in the latter end of said month at Salisbury, and (he 

thinks) left Salisbury in September following. While at Salisbury, a 

dissatisfaction arose amongst the troops and a second enlistment became 

necessary and was proposed by Colonel ALEXANDER MARTIN for a term of eighteen 

months, for which time said declarant volunteered, he thinks about the last of 

July or first of August 1775.”

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