HAWKINS CO., TN - REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - WILLIAM NELSON Contributed by: Mary Lu Johnson [hellomlu@bellsouth.net] ******************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ******************************************************************************** NELSON, WILLIAM, Rev. War #4615 Transcribed/Extracted by Mary Lu Nelson Johnson [NOTE: There was a Certificate of Pension in file that was too dim to read, issued to William Nelson under Act June 7, 1832 - mlj]. 29 May 1834: Declaration of Rev William Nelson in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress of the 7th June 1832 State of Tennessee, Hawkins County~ On this 29th day of May 1834 personally appeared William Nelson resident of the County of Hawkins and state of Tennessee aged 87 years before me James Willis one of the Justices of the Peace for said County and being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provizions of an act of Congressed passed June the 7th 1832 - That he entered the service of the united States in the year 1779 and served under the following named officers Intered the service of the united States the first of July 1779 under the command of General Christy Cols Williams, ?Wm Winston and Capt Cox in the state of North Carolina Surry County we met at the Courthouse in said County and marched from their against the Cherokee Indians on Tennessee river we march a cross the blue ridge ?came to the long Islands of holston river where there had been a battle fought some time before between the Indians and whites we went down said river in to the Indian nation where we destroyed there corn they sued for peace and we treated with them and returned home about the first of November in the same year being gone four months. I was drafted in the service as a private and received my discharge from ?? Winston which I have long since lost. In the year 1779 as well as I now recollect the date of the year General Rutherford lay stationed below Salsbury in the state of North Carolina; the County I don't recollect he sent out an express for some Draggoons to join him at head quarters I vollenteered myself The first of July under the command of Capt Joseph Claud we marched [line cut off in copying] [Interrogatories to Applicant apparently a part of Declaration - mlj] Questions proposed to William Nelson by the war department 1st Question Ans I was born in the state of Virginia Prince Edward County in the year 1747 2nd Question Ans I was living in the State of North carolina surry County from there I removed in to Hawkins County, Tennessee, where I now live 4th Question Ans I was drafted the first time and the balance of my service I vollenteered myself 5th Question Ans General Christy Col Williams Maj Winston - General Rutherford Capt Claud Capt Cox? 6th Ans I received a discharge and by Maj Winston but have lost it 7th Question Ans Swinfield Anderson, Thomas Martin, Larkin Willis Esq, Col James Willis Willis Garison, John Nash Henry ?Byley/Begley and fifty other good men if required State of Tennessee, Hawkins County} Personally appeared ???? William Nelson before me James Willis and of the Justice of the peace for said county and after being duly sworn deposeth and sayeth that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below and in the following grades for four months I served under Capt Cox as a private for Three months [faded] that I served [about 4 words faded]. Capt Claud and his draggoons were ordered by Rutherford to go in to some County the name I have forgotten in pursuit of some tories when we aarrived at the place of destination the tories fired on us from a barn Capt Cloud threatened to fire the barn and they surrendered and took them back to Rutherford County where some Inlisted in the service of the united states and some ware set at liberty. I then was dismissed and returned home first of september being gone two months I vollenteered myself again of under the command of Captain Claud. The date of the year I do not recollect it was some time in the fall of the year we went in ___ ____ of living in surry County state of North carolina we had a skirmish with ?them commanded by and Capt Horton we killed Horton and two of his men and returned home being gone twelve or fourteen days. The tories was verry troublesom where lived in North carolina I vollenteered myself frequently under Capt Claud to go after tories then we could herd of their doing mischief in the country The dates and time of the small trips I cannot recollect I was gone under Capt Claud at another time three weeks ranging after tories through the county where I lived I never was out any more excepting some short trips after tories in the county where I lived the duration of which I cannot recollect This declarant says he cannot prove his service by any and has no documentary evidence of his service he hereby relinquishes any claim to a pension or annuity what ever 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 date above written, before me Rev William [his X mark] Nelson James Willis, J.P. _____ cannot procure a clergyman as he is [line cut off] We, George Rogers, Esq -------residing in the County of Hawkins and Larkin Willis Esq residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Nelson who has sworn and subscribed to the above declaration that we believe him to be 87 years of age that he is respected and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion sworn to and subscribed 29th May 1834 Larkin [his X mark] Willis; [Signed] George Rogers James Willis, J.P. makes statement of belief of aplicant and character of Larkin Willis and George Rogers. "July 26, 1935. Mrs. Dora D. Allen, 621 East Tennessee Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee [Re:] BA-J/ady, William Nelson, S.4615; Joel Hicks, S.4365 Dear Madam: Reference is made to your letter relative to William Nelson and Joel Hicks, soldiers of the Revolutionary War. Their records are furnished you herein as found in the claims for pension based upon service in the Revolutionary War. William Nelson, S.4615 William Nelson was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, in 1747, day, month, and the name of his parents are not shown. While a resident of Surry County, North Carolina, William Nelson enlisted the first of July 1777 and served four months as private in Captain Cox's Company, Colonel Williams' North Carolina Regiment. He enlisted the first of July 1779, served two months as private in Captain Joseph Claud's North Carolina Company and was in an engagement with Tories. He enlisted in the fall, the year not stated, served twelve or fourteen days in Captain Claud's North Carolina Company and was in a skirmish with the Tories. He also served three weeks in Captain Claud's North Carolina Company, date not given. He moved from Surry County, North Carolina, to Hawkins County, Tennessee. He was allowed pension on his application executed May 29, 1834 while a resident of Hawkins County, Tennessee. In 1834 soldier referred to his son; his name or age not stated. The name of soldier's wife is not shown and there are no further family data. William Nelson died August 9, 1834, place not stated. ************************************************************* JOEL HICKS, VA, S 4635 Joel Hicks was born October 21, 1765 in Hanover County, Virginia. The names of his parents are not shown. During the Revolutionary War he was a resident of Hanover County, Virginia, after the war he lived in Albemarle County Virginia and about 1809 he moved to Hawkins County, Tennessee, and stated that he entered the service in the summer of 1781 and that he served ten months under Captains Ambrose Lipscomb and William Grimes and Major Burk in the Virginia troops. His claim was allowed. Upon an investigation of his claim by the United States District Attorney at Roersville, Tennessee, it was found that he never served as a soldier of the Revolution, in consequence of which his name was dropped from the pension roll October 29, 1836. In 1833 a sister of Joel Hicks was living in Albemarle County, Virginia, her name or age not given. It is not stated whether Joel Hicks was ever married. Very truly yours, A. D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator" [NOTE: This was the second page of a pension summation sent 26 July 1935, to Mrs. Dora D. Allen, Chattanooga, Tennessee. There may be more information in applicant's actual file. mlj]