GILES COUNTY TN - MILITARY - John Callahan Revolutionary War Pension ********************************************************************************* Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Ben Callahan ********************************************************************************* State of Tennessee, Giles County At the dwelling house of John Callahan in said County. On this 12[th] day of February A.D. 1833 [John Callahan]personally appeared before me, William M. Shields, justice of the peace for said County & state. John Callahan a resident in said county and state - aged eighty seven years the 15th day of January 1833, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following statement or declaration in order to obtain the benefit of th act of Congress passed June 8th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That is to say - He sates that some short time after the declaration of Independence, (he cannot now say precisely how long) he volunteered & wnet into the service under Capt. Jacob Nichols - Lieutenant David Henry, and Ensign William Dawkins - when he volunteered for this service & entered into the same, he resided in Rowan County in the State of North Carolina he performed said service under the command of General Rutherford - he was marched out of North Carolina during this service into the Cherokee naton of Indians - He was in no battle on this expedition the Indians having already fled before the American troops - in this term of service - he was marched home into the said County of Rowan, here he received a discharge from Capt. Nichols which he has since lost -during this expedition, the Americans took five or six prisoners, among whome were three or four Indians, two white men by the name of Scott & Hicks. He next enlisted in the service under Capt. Jacob Nichols in Col. Lock's Brigade sometime in June 1780. He was marched out of Rowan County on th is tour into Mecklenburg County & was at Charlottetown in said last mentioned County, where they stayed a considerable time - the object of this service was to watch the movements of the British & Tories and to prevent them from coming into Charlotte. He was a drafted militia man in this service. He was in no engagements with the enemy on this tour that he now remembers, he was in this service for about the term of three months. He states he got a discharge from Capt. Nichols at the expiration of this service, but he has also lost it - He next entered the service under the command of Capt. Hardin, in Col. Mathew Lock's Regiment in General Washington's Brigade. Sometime early in the month of September in the year 1781, and continued in the said service until the close of the war - He cannot tell now precisely how long this last service continued, but it must have been more than a month. He ... in other service & a great many scouting parties during the war, but he cannot now recollect any particular terms so as to state them, except what is above set forth - He now remembers & further sets forth that in the term of service above mentioned before & next to the last mentioned term, he was in a battle at the Shallowford on the Yadkin River in the County of Surry in the said State of North Carolina - said engagement was fought with Tories in which they killed several of the Tories & wounded many others and the Americans only lost one man to wit: Capt. Birch. He was also in a Battle on Rocky River with the Tories again under the command of Col. Davidson but he cannot remember on what expedition; applicant being very aged & infirm he cannot state with percision the length of his service in the Revolution, his memory being impaired by age but he believes he served six months at his last service ............. his discharges - and has no documentary evidence and knows of no person by whom he can prove any of the above facts. He hereby relinquishes ever claim whatsoever to a pension or annunity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the Agency of any State. John (his X mark) Callahan. Where & in what year were you born. He was born in Brandywine Penn & in the year 1746..Jany 15th. Have you any record of your age & if so where is it. I have now in possession at home in my family bible. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Rev War & where do you now live. When I was called into service I lived in Roan [Rowan]County, North Carolina state. I lived in the State of Georgia a short time & then moved to Giles County state of Tennessee where I now live. How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute. I was drafted. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you served ..... General Rutherford & Col. Lock. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service & if so by whom was it given & what has become of it. I received two discharges from Capt. Jacob Nickells & have lost them both. State the persons to whom you are known in your neighborhood & who can testify as to your claim for veracity & their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution. I am known to Alexander McDonald, Simon Marsh, Leander M. Shields, William Jones, William Ussary, John C. Walker & many others. Sworn to and subscribed before me on this 12 daay of February 1833 W. M. Shields