GREENE COUNTY, TN - MILITARY - William Ross, Revolutionary War Pension Application ----¤¤¤---- REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - WILLIAM ROSS January 30, 1938 Mrs. J. A. O'Keefe Oak Grove Ave. Greeneville, Tenn. Madam: I have to advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim R. 9039, it appears that William Ross was born in Ireland, County Farmanough (date not Stated) and came to this country, when he was between twelve and fifteen years of age and landed at New Castle, Delaware. While residing in Botetourt County, Virginia, he volunteered in 1778 and served at different times under Captains Roberson and May and Colonel Skelor, drove his own team and wagon hauling for the army, he was at the battles of Reedy Fork and Guilford and served until after the surrender of Cornwallis, amounting to between two and three years. He applied for pension, September 4, 1833 in Greene County, Tennessee, aged eighty-eight years, but the claim was not allowed, as the service rendered was not in an embodied military corps, as required by the pension law. It is not stated whether soldier was married. Owing to the very large number of similar inquiries and the lack of a clerical force available for the purpose, the Bureau is unable to make immediate reply to inquiries pertaining to soldiers of the War of the Revolution. Such information is furnished by courtesy of the government and without fee, and letters are being answered as rapidly as possible in the order of their receipt. Respectfully, WINFIELD SCOTT Commissioner. State of Tennessee, Greene County On this 4th day of September 1832, personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Samuel Powell, Judge of the Circuit Court in and for the State of Tennessee holding court for said county, William Ross, aged eighty eight years who being first duly sworn doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed the 7th of June 1832. That he entered the service of United States under the following named officers and served as herein after named vowed that he entered the Service in the year 1778 in Botetourt County, Virginia under Col. Skelor, Capt. Roberson, Scout McDaniel as a volunteer and went to the moraventorium in North Carolina now called Salem and returned and left the residue of troops at Salem, he being permitted to return but how long he was out on that trip he cannot now state. During that trip he drove his own Wagon team. After he returned from Salem as before stated he again entered the service as a volunteer with his wagon and team under Capt. May who was then Clerk of the Court in Botetourt County under the Command of Col. Skelor and on the march of met the first troops he went out with returning and in that campaign was in the battle of the Reedy fork and Guilford and served the whole of that campaign and believed he was out considerably more than a year on that tour and after that service he volunteered with his wagon and team under Capt. May and forthwith marched to Virginia and kept in the service of Virginia throughout the spring and summer under the command of Gen. LaFayette until the siege of York Town and continued in service until after surrender of Lord Cornwallis--during which time he was engaged hauling for the army and during the siege of that place in hauling bomb shells. He states that he served in all more than two years and he believes nearly three years and he never received anything for his team or himself. He further states that after the surrender of Lord Cornwallis he went to Winchester with his wagon and team hauling prisoners. He states that he has no documenting evidence and he knows of no person whose testimony he can forward, and there is not his neighborhood a Clergyman to testify to his service. He hereby relinquishes every claim material to a pension or accounts except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. William Ross We Thomas Temple and John S. Reed residing in Greene County, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Mr. Ross who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 88 years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court. J. S. Reed Thomas Temple And the said court do hereby declare their opinion of the investigation of the matter and after putting the questions prescribed by the War department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he stated and it further appears to the Court that John J. Reed Esq. And Thomas Temple who have signed the foregoing certificate are residents of Greene County and are entitled to credit and are credible persons. I Valentine Sevier, clerk of the Circuit Court of Greene County in the State of Tennessee do hereby certify the foregoing contains the Original proceedings in the matter of the application of William Ross for a pension. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand seal office this 5th day of September 1832 V. Servier The declaration of William Ross Supplemental to his former declaration in order to obtain a pension under the Act of Congress passed 7th June 1832. Personally appeared before me-Hugh Maloney-an acting Justice of the Peace for Greene County in the State of Tennessee William Ross the declarant and made oath that the service rendered and stated in his former declaration was all rendered in the Military Service of the United States and the services rendered by himself and his team was rendered in forwarding the objects of that part of the Army to which he belonged and hauling for the Army and that before he went into the service with his team each time he was notified his team was about to be prepped and he was determined if his team was taken into service he would go with it and volunteered taking his team with him and served the campaign of which he has given an account in his former declaration and at the places and under the circumstances he has therein stated. He further states that he was born in Ireland in the County Farmanough joining the County Tyrone and came to the United States when he was between twelve and fifteen years of age and was landed at Newcastle, Delaware and lived five years after he came to America in Maryland and then moved to Botetourt County, Virginia where he lived til after the close of the Revolutionary War and directly after the close of the war he moved to the county of Greene in the State of Tennessee where he now resides and has resided ever since. This affiant states that he has not any record of his age as the Bible of his father was lost on the passage to America and his statement of his age is from recollection. His age was recorded in the Bible as he was informed and believes. Sworn to and subscribed before me 13th May 1833 William Ross Hugh Maloney J. P. Rev. and 1812 Wars Section ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright. 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