Hawkins County TN Archives Military Records.....Pasley/Peasley/Paisley, John 
Revwar - Pension 
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Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com June 25, 2006, 3:29 am

Pension Application Of John Pasley [or Peasley Or Paisley], Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll 1898, Application #S3646
JOHN PEASLEY, Hawkins County, Tennessee aged 75 years:

“That in the year 1775, he was a resident of Guilford County, North Carolina. 

He volunteered for the term of three months under Colonel PAISLEY. The Captain 

and Lieutenant he does not now recollect. Inasmuch as he was ordered to take 

charge of and drive a baggage wagon, which team he had charge of and drove, 

during the whole tour. He states that he was marched to Camden, South Carolina, 

and remained there until discharged after serving a three months tour. He 

states that if ever he heard the number of the regiment to which he belonged, 

he does not now recollect it.”

“He states that some months after he returned home from this tour, there was a 

company of what was then called ‘New Levees,’ raising in the County of 

Guilford, North Carolina, where this applicant resided, in which company he 

volunteered for the term of nine months, under the command of ALEXANDER MARTIN, 

Maj. JOHN NELSON, and Captain DAVID COWAN. He states that all those who would 

serve nine months as above stated, once ______a discharge for the same would be 

exempted from serving any other tour for the sum of three years. He states that 

he volunteered as aforesaid and rendezvoused at Guilford Courthouse in said 

county and was marched as [far] north as Moore’s Creek in the state of North 

Carolina near the Virginia line. Then he states the troops were furloughed 

until a further call, with orders to hold themselves in readiness to march 

immediately when called.”

“He states that he remained home about six months on said furlough when he, 

with others were called on to march to South Carolina. He states that the 

troops again assembled at Guilford Courthouse under the same officers as before 

stated, with the exception of Colonel [ALEX] MARTIN and Lt. CLARK. Colonel 

ARCHIBALD LYTLE took the command in the room of the said Col. MARTIN, and Lt. 

CLARK in the room of Lt. _____ [name not given] whose name he does not now 

recollect. He states they were marched through North Carolina and South 

Carolina, to a small village on Savannah River in South Carolina called 

Purysburg, where he joined Headquarters or the militia of South Carolina under 

the command of Gen. SUMTER; where there was a company of light infantry called 

for to march up the Savannah River, on the South Carolina side to prevent the 

British from crossing over the said river into North Carolina; and he states he 

was marched up said river as high as opposite Augusta where the British camped 

for about the space of two weeks. When they (the British) left that place and 

marched back down the said river again.”

“Then he states that the American troops crossed the river at that place. 

ARCHIBALD LYTLE being his colonel and JOHN NELSON being Major and Lt. MCCALLEY 

(the Captain not being recollected, Captain DAVID COWAN having resigned 

previous to his march up river [Perhaps Lt. CLARK was promoted to captain when 

DAVID COWAN resigned]) took the command of his regiment in Augusta. And marched 

down the river after the British had crossed on a bridge and after crossing, 

had burned it down, and marched up said creek recrossed and attacked the 

American army troops in the fork between said [Briar] Creek and Savannah River, 

where there was a battle fought between the Americans and English in which the 

Americans were defeated [per Heitman, March 3, 1779]. The Americans recrossed 

said river at Matthews Bluff and joined General LINCOLN’s command cover? of 

regulars at or near said bluff.”

“He states that he was then placed under the command of Captain WILLIAM GOODMAN 

and Colonel MALMEDY, a French officer, Colonel LYTLE was continued under 

General LINCOLN. Major DIXON took the command in place of Major JOHN NELSON, 

and his former Lt. THOMAS CLARK was also continued. He was then marched in 

various directions under the command of said officers until the army was halted 

at a small creek called Edisto, near Stono.”

“Then the American army to which he belonged under the command of General 

LINCOLN attacked the British in their entrenchments at Stono, which battle 

lasted near two hours, a close engagement [per Heitman, June 20, 1779]. He 

states that he was then a sergeant [to] Captain GOODMAN, which afforded him an 

opportunity of ascertaining the number of killed and wounded. He states that in 

said engagement the Americans lost 64 killed and 96 wounded. The American army 

retreated in order to draw the British out of their entrenchment, but they 

being reinforced, the American army did not make a second attack. The British 

then left their entrenchment the next day after the battle, and the Americans 

buried their dead (He does not recollect whether the British were commanded by 

General HOWE or CLINTON); from which place he was marched to Ashley River near 

Charleston, South Carolina, where he remained some time.”

“Then they were marched to Charlotte, North Carolina, where a part of the men 

were discharged from there. A part of the men were marched to Salisbury, North 

Carolina and discharged and others were marched from Salisbury, to 

Hillsborough, and discharged so as to suit the convenience of the soldiers. He 

states that he was discharged at Hillsborough by Col. ARCHIBALD. LYTLE, after 

having served the full nine months subsequent to the furlough above named…”

“He states that he made his home after he left the said service, at Colonel 

JOHN Paisley’s in Guilford County, North Carolina, where he had said discharge 

and also his state oath certificate. Was home? when house was burned with the 

said discharge and certificate. He states that his discharge bore date the last 

of August, the year not recollected.”

“He states that in the March following for JAMES LETT [served as a substitute 

for said JAMES LETT] of Guilford County, North Carolina for three months under 

Captain GEORGE STUART, Lt. GEORGE NICKS, 1st Lt, and Lt. GEORGE DENNY, 2nd Lt. 

And was marched near Fayetteville to what was called the Raft Swamps against a 

body of Tories which was infesting that section of the country. He remained at 

that place some time, until they were marched in pursuit of Col. FANNING, a 

Tory commander, whose company was dispersed and returned home, after having 

served a tour of three months.”

“He states he was actually? dismissed that tour? shortly after his return home 

to Guilford County North Carolina, under Captain FORBIS and General GREENE, to 

go against LORD CORNWALLIS, whose army at that time was in Guilford County, 

North Carolina. He was then marched to Guilford Courthouse, where the American 

army fought a battle with the British [per Heitman, March 15, 1781]. The 

Americans were commanded by General GREENE, in which we were defeated. We again 

rendezvoused at Buffingtons Ironworks on Troublesome Creek, the Fork of Haw 

River, where he was dismissed after he served a tour of six weeks. He states 

that his said Captain FORBIS was wounded in said battle, who afterward died of 

his wound, but previous to his death he received his dismissal from him. He 

states that he was in actual service during the Revolutionary War seventeen 

months and a week, exclusive of the time he was on furlough, which was six 

months, which in all would make twenty three months and one week. He states 

that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose 

testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. He also states that 

there is no resident minister of the Gospel in his neighborhood whose statement 

he can procure…etc, etc.”



“An additional statement of JOHN PAISLEY made before me, John Shough, Justice 

of the Peace for Hawkins County, Tennessee…”

	“He states that he was born in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, on 

Schuykill about one mile from Indian Creek, as he is informed and believes, and 

at about the age of seven years he was moved to Orange County, North Carolina 

by his uncle, WILLIAM PAISLEY (the father and mother of this applicant having 

died in Pennsylvania), and he lived in North Carolina til he entered the 

service in the War of the Revolution, and he has lived in Burk and Wilks 

Counties in North Carolina, and in Hawkins County since the Revolution to this 

time.”

	“He states that he served first three months, a volunteer under Colonel 

JOHN PAISLEY, then he volunteered for nine months under Colonels ALEXANDER and 

JAMES MARTIN, and marched to the north, and after three weeks was furloughed 

and remained on furlough six months, and then entered the service again and 

served out the nine months. Then he substituted in the room of JAMES LETT, and 

served three months under Colo. HENRY DIXON. He again substituted for JOHN 

MCDANIEL for six weeks, under Colonel JAMES MARTIN, and served out the time.”

	“He then volunteered whilst British were in Guilford County, North 

Carolina, under Captain ARTHUR FORBIS in General GREENE’s army, and was then in 

the Battle of Guilford, in which action his captain was wounded and died of his 

wounds. He served at that time, three weeks, and which makes in all, seventeen 

months and one week’s service, exclusive of the time he was on furlough. In all 

his service he was a private, except during the nine months service he acted as 

corporal part of the time.”

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