KNOX COUNTY, TN - MILTARY - John Nelson, Revolutionary War Pension Application ----¤¤¤---- JOHN NELSON, S#1707, NC Line Transcribed by Mary Lu Nelson Johnson 16 October 1999 Hellomlu@bellsouth.net State of Tennessee } Knox County } On the 2nd day of July 1833 personally appeared in open court at its Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions ________ for said County John Nelson a citizen of said County, aged about seventy-six years who having been sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions of an act of Congress passed on the 7th day of June 1832 - That he was born in Loudoun County, VA sometimes as well as he believes in the year 1757, where he continued to live untill he was seven or eight years old, when he moved to Rowan County, N. Carolina where he was living at the time of the commencement of the Revolutionary war - he states that as well as he now recollects, it was sometime about the commencement of the war, he entered the American army and was enrolled as a volunteer private in the company comanded by Captain Osborne who lived as well as he now recollects in Mecklenburg or Rowan Counties and the company he thinks was attached to a Regiment commanded by Cap Locke, and the whole body was under the command of James Rutherford - The object of this campaign was to fight with the Indians from Charlotte, the place of rendezvous, was discharged at Cross Creek - applicant states that he sometime in the years 80 or 81 he thinks in the summertime he entered and was enrolled in the company of horse he does not recollect the name of the captain but he recollects that his company was commanded by Col. Cleveland - he states that in this campaign he marched to Ramsours Mill and assisted to defeat the tories, after which we marched about through the country to take and disperse the tories he states that in this campaign he was in actual service three months - applicant states that from the long lapse of time since the above services were rendered, his great age, and a consequent loss of memory he cannot recollect precisely the terms of his said service nor can he well detail the many and various incidents which occurred - but he feels confident that he did not serve less than twenty six months as a private for which he claims a pension - he states that after serving his two first campaigns he moved to Rowan County where he lived about twenty years, when he moved to Newberry District S.C. where he lived about twenty-five years - when he moved to Cocke County Tenn. Where he lived until about two years ago when he moved to Rhea County Tenn where he lived untill about one year ago when he moved to Knox County Tenn. Where he now lives. Applicant states that he has no record of his age but believes he is as old as stated. The army marched directly over the mountains to the Cherokee Country and hunt and destroyed their towns, killed many of their warriors, and then marched back to Charlotte where applicant was discharged - applicant states that in the campaign he was three months in actual service - he states that from the great lapse of time the service was performed and his extreme loss of memory he cannot tell part___ accurately the incidents of the campaign - applicant states that sometimes about the latter end of the year 76 or early in 76 he entered the army as a volunteer private, and was enrolled in the a company under the command of the same Captain Osborne - Col. Locke and he thinks Genl Rutherford - the object of this was to march against the Scotch who had collected near Cross Creek under one McDonald - the army marched from Mecklenburg directly to Cross Creek, but before we reached there the enemy had been defeated and dispersed - applicant states that they took several of the tories and scotch prisoners and marched about through the country then marched back to Charlotte, and were there discharged - applicant states that in this campaign he was in actual service three months. Applicant states that sometime in the latter part of the fall or early in the winter of 1778 he entered the army at Rowan County, and was enrolled into a company commanded by Captain Nicholson - he thinks Col Locke, and General Ashe - he marched from Salisbury N.C. and he recollects passing through Charlotte, Camden, crossed the Santee river was at B(?acasas Bridge, and at Perrysburg - he states that a short time before the battle at Briar Creek, he was detached with a considerable portion of the troops up the river to a place called the two sisters, under the apprehension that the enemy would cross there - here he remained untill after the disaster at Briar Creek, when by permission of his officers he marched home with some others - he states that he was in actual service five months in this campaign - applicant states that not long after this last campaign he entered a Regiment of States troops and was enrolled at Salisbury in the company commanded by a young man he thinks by the name of Morgan; who was under Maj. Joel Lewis applicant states that he entered the army at this time for one year & his services were of a character so diversified that he cannot tell very particularly what he did - he was engaged all the time in scouting about through the country up upon Deep and Haw rivers and along the upper countries attempting to take Col. Harri_ _ _ and other tories, and in guarding the jails which were full of tories - applicant states that he served a whole year in this service and he states that he has no recollection of being at any time with any of the ____ troops - he states that he has lived so short a time in his present neighbourhood that he is acquainted with but few of his neighbours - and he states that there is no clergyman residing in his neighbourhood - he states that those of his neighbours who can testify to his veracity and his reputation for military services are John Nelson William Nelson William Mouldin and others - he states that he may have gotten a discharge at the termination of each of his campaigns, but of this he is uncertain he has lost his discharges if he had any, and has no documentary evidence whatever of his said services nor does he know of any person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service - he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed in open court this 2nd July 1833 John (his x mark) Nelson Test: Wm Swan [BELOW ON SEPARATE PAGE) State of Tennessee } Knox County } We John Nelson and William Nelson residing in said County do hereby testify that they are well acquainted with John Nelson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 76 years of age; that he is reported 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 to in open Court this 2nd day of July 1833. John (his x mark) Nelson William (his x mark) Nelson Test: Wm Swan, DClk And the said court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states, and the court further certifies that it appears to them that John Nelson and William Nelson who have signed the preceding certificate, are resident citizens of this county, that they are credible persons and that their statements are entitled to credit. J ?Anderson _ _ Craighead Robt Tindell Justices of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions for Knox County State of Tennessee Knox County I Charles McClung Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for said County do hereby certify that the foregoing ___ contains the original proceedings of the said court, in the matter of the application of John Nelson for a pension. In testimony where, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 5th day of July 1833 - Chas M.Clung By his Dep Wm Swan [NOTE: John Nelson's pension indicates he and his brother Hanse were in Newberry District, SC from ca 1785-1810 when John removed to Cocke co., TN and Hanse to Edgefield Dist., SC. John Nelson probably died in Knox Co., TN and Hanse probably died in Roane Co., TN. mlj] [NOTE: On separate page was recap of his service, which is listed below] 1776 3 months Pr. Capt. Osborne, Col. Locke N.C. Traditionary 1776 3 months " " 1778 5 months " Capt. Nickolson, Col. Siske 1779 1 year " Capt. Morgan, Col. ?Sevier 1781 3 month Pr Cav Col. Cleveland [NOTE: Pay recap, also on separate page, showed John Nelson of Tennessee, from 1776, private of Cavalry & Infy, 23 months of service, invalid pension figured at $66.66 per anum for Inf. For 20 months' service, and $12.50 per month for 3 months service in Cav., for total of $79.16. Column of addition: $79.16 + $79.16 + $39.58 = $197.90. This was signed by W. B. A. Ramsey, Knoxville [NOTE: Separate page is undated note which could establish date of death:] "John Nelson, East Tenn Act 7 June 1832 at the rate of $79.16 per ann. To what time was he last paid [different handwriting] "pd to 1st March 1840. J H" ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Lu Johnson, Trafford, AL ___________________________________________________________________