Maury County TN Archives Military Records.....McCrory, John September 13, 1832 Revwar - Pension ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/tnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com July 2, 2006, 3:30 pm Pension Application Of John McCrory, Natl Archives Microseries M805, Roll __, Application #W25689 Maury County, Tennessee, September 13, 1832, John McCrory, aged about 69 years last May: “The applicant states that he entered the service in the fall of the year 1781 as a substitute for Jeremiah Reeves, who had volunteered in the company of Captain ____ of the County of Guilford within the state of North Carolina in which county the applicant lived. At the time he entered the service, he went from Guilford to Salisbury, the place appointed for rendezvous. At Salisbury, the applicant was put under the command of Captain Charles Gordon, who with his company was attached with the command of Major Joel Lewis. This applicant understood that these were 12 months troops raised according to an Act of Assembly of the state of North Carolina, and does not know whether there was any colonel over them, or whether there was any higher officers than Major Lewis or any regiment. There was a Major ?Grafton sometimes in command but was very little with us.” “This applicant remained at Salisbury, NC with Captain Gordon’s company, he thinks about 3 months as a guard upon Salisbury jail where Colonel Bryant, Lt. Col. Hampton and Major White (who were British or Tory officers) were confined with a good number of Tories who this applicant thinks had been taken at King’s Mountain. Col. Bryant, Lt. Col. Hampton and Major White were tried for their lives and condemned to be hung, but were several times respited and eventually pardoned by Governor Martin; and were afterwards sent to the British to be exchanged as prisoners of war.” “After this circumstance, Major Lewis, who had still remained at Salisbury, and Captain Gordon and his company left Salisbury, still having a small guard on the jail and prisoners, and marched down the country in the direction the main body of the army had taken. Major Lewis here furloughed applicant to go home with ____ to join Captain Gordon’s company in a few days at a place called Dowd’s Mill on Deep River. This applicant accordingly met Major Lewis and Captain Gordon and marched with them down the country with the view of joining main body of the state’s troops, then passed through a county with which this applicant is entirely unacquainted, but recollects mill. That we joined the main body of the state troops.” “After having passed through a large swamp, very difficult of passage called ‘Ashpole Swamp.’ From this place the troops all returned to Dowd’s Mill except Captain Gordon and about 25 men who were left there for the purpose of keeping down the Tories in that immediate neighborhood. This applicant returned with the main body of the troops to Dowd’s Mill. Here Major Lewis had ___ Tory prisoners who he had taken down the country hung.” “Applicant remained some considerable time at and about Dowd’s Mill. The troops were a good deal scattered from this point and were stationed at different points in the country, as well for the convenience for getting provisions as for the ___ _____ purpose of keeping down and awing the straggling Tories and pillaging parties in the country.” “From this point, applicant was marched to Cox’s Mill in Randolph County. Remained here some considerable time. From this point he next to Brewer’s Mills in Chatham County on Haw River. From the time applicant left Captain Gordon’s company, he was not particularly attached to any captain’s company. At Brewer’s Mill, Captain Gordon’s ?man came to us. Captain Gordon (as applicant understood from this man) was called to Salisbury to answer a charge (as applicant understood) which was made against him by some Tory prisoners which Gordon had sent to Hillsborough. Applicant never heard anything more of this charge.” “From Brewer’s we marched to Lindley’s Mill on Cane Creek. Applicant was sick when he reached Lindley’s Mill. Remained here some considerable time, sick, say a month. The 12 months for which he had been called out had now very nearly, if not altogether, expired. From this place the soldiers were ordered to march to Hillsborough as applicant understood, there to ?dispatch their ?arms and at some given time afterwards, were to meet at the same place to receive their discharges. This applicant having taken sick and unable to march to Hillsborough, Major Lewis loaned him a poor little old public horse to ride home, which died very shortly after he got home. At the time the appointed for the soldiers to meet at Hillsborough to receive their discharges, applicant being still sick and unable to travel, sent his brother in his place to receive his discharge. But Major Lewis refused to give applicant a discharge because he had not returned the pony or horse, which the applicant couldn’t do as the pony was dead.” “The applicant was born in Ireland, came to America in 1775. He has no record of his age, but from the best information he can get, believes he was born in the year 1763, and believes he was about 69 years old in May last. Was living in Guilford County, stat of North Carolina when he entered the service and where he continued living after he returned from the army until the year 1790. he has ever since that time been a resident of the state of Tennessee and now lives in Maury County. Andrew Carnahan can testify on his behalf. Rutherford County, Tennessee, September 7th, 1832, Andrew Carnahan, aged 70 years, 2 months and 27 days: “That he was well-acquainted with John McCrory who now resides in Maury County, TN. In the fall of the year 1781, the said McCrory entered the service of the state of North Carolina in the militia of that state. That he was in the service with him, and they both belonged to the same company which was commanded by Captain Charles Gordon, and the regiment was commanded by Major Joel Lewis; and he also thinks a Major Crofton had a command in said regiment. He has no recollection about the colonel of the regiment; nor does he think there was a colonel belonging to the same. Said regiment was raised by an Act of Assembly of North Carolina and was called the ‘state regiment’ or ‘state troops’ and were called into service for 12 months, but he thinks the regiment never was filled up entirely according to the provisions of the Act of the Assembly, which he supposes was the cause there never was any colonel in command in it.” “Affiant states that he and the said John McCrory went from home together to Salisbury where the troops rendezvoused and entered the service together in the company as above stated, and they were, during a considerable portion of the time, mess mates. They remained at Salisbury together with the balance of their regiment to guard the jail in which were confined a number of Tory prisoners, amongst whom were a Tory Colonel Bryant, Lt. Col. Hampton and Captain White, which said 3 prisoners were tried, convicted and sentenced to be hung. But when the day for their execution arrived, they were respited for a few days, and he thinks they were respited as often as twice. They were finally pardoned and the privilege was granted them of being exchanged with the British as prisoners of war, and they were, accordingly, sent off to Augusta, Georgia, under a guard, for the purpose of being exchanged.” “After said prisoners were sent off, affiant and said John McCrory together with the balance of Captain Gordon’s company, left Salisbury to go down the country in which direction the regiment to which they belonged had proceeded; they, with Captain Gordon’s company having been stationed at Salisbury for 3 months. Affiant says that he and said John McCrory were furloughed by Major Joel Lewis to go by home, which they accordingly did, and again, in pursuance of their orders, again joined the company at Dowd’s Mill and then proceeded on down the country to overtake the regiment.” “Before they came up with the regiment, an unfortunate affair occurred between it and a detachment of Light Horse belonging to General Sumter’s army. When they and Sumter’s men first saw each other, both conceived they were coming in contact with a party of Tories, and under that impression, fired upon each other, by which one of Sumter’s men was killed. They, being much inferior to the regiment of infantry, retreated immediately after the fire, and in the retreat one of their men was thrown from his horse who was taken up by the opposite side, and from him they first learned the mistake under which each party had been laboring. This is the account which affiant received of the affair from some of the regiment after he came up with them. When this affair took place, affiant was near enough to hear the firing.” “Soon after joining the regiment, it proceeded to return up the country; but Captain Gordon, with 25 men, amongst whom this affiant was one, remained behind to guard the Tories and keep them from rising, fears being entertained that if all the Whig military forces left the country, they would take up arms. Affiant states that after this he did not see the said John McCrory again for some time, perhaps 3 months, he having returned with the main body of the regiment.” “When affiant returned however, up the country, he saw said John McCrory probably at Brewer’s Mill, and he remembers certainly to have seen him at Lindley’s Mill with a detachment of troops; and he entertained no doubt but that he was in the service all the while after they separated. After seeing him at Lindley’s Mill, affiant thinks he proceeded to Salisbury, never having seen him from this time until he returned home.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/maury/military/revwar/pensions/mccrory203gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/tnfiles/ File size: 10.2 Kb