REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION - JOHN LIGHT Contributed by: Francie Lautner (lautnerd@airmail.net) ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Pension Application for Revolutionary War Service - John Light State of Tennessee Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Hawkins County May Session 1834 On this 27th day of May 1834 personally appeared in open Court, before the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions now sitting John Light a resident of Hawkins County Tennessee, aged 67 years, who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers & served as herein stated, That he was born in Halifax County in the State of Virginia in the year 1766 on the fourth day of the month he cannot remember, not having any record of his age in his possession if there was one & he believes it is in the possession of his brother, That from Halifax County, he moved into what is now Washington County Tennessee then a part of North Carolina, That here he was living when he entered the service of the United States as a Volunteer under Captain Benjamin Clark & Lieutenant John Wheeler & Shelby was their Colonel. That their company on this side the Mountain rendezvoused at a place called Dunging's Mill, that from this Mill they were marched on toward King's Mountain, crossing in their march the Yellow Mountain. That on their march they were joined by Col. Cleveland's Regiment, after which time, there was a Council of the Officers, for the purpose of adopting some enerjetic (sic.) measures to defeat General Fergason, who was at that time marching before them collecting all the Tories in the Country around his standard, That the determination of the Council was to pursue him with all possible speed and engage him before he would have time to augment his forces by the call he had made on the Tories. That the Command was given to Col. Campbell and on they marched night & day. That one or two days before the Battle of King's Mountain, as well as this Applicant recollects they came to a place where the British & Tories had camped the over night & had left in great Hurry leaving behind them their provisions, that from this place the mounted men were ordered to hasten in the pursuit leaving the foot companies to follow on, that this Applicant belonged to a foot company & of course was not in the battle, but in his march following the mounted men, he met them a short distance from King's Mountain, returning with the prisoners they had taken in the engagement, That the prisoners were then put into the custody of foot Companies who had been following on, that they hung some of the Tories who had been most active & troublesome during the Contest with the British, & the rest they marched as far as Holt's Mill where they guarded them sometime. That he entered this term of service about the first of September 1780 as well as he now remembers & it lasted at least three months, that he received his written discharge from the service at Holt's Mill signed by Captain Clark That he has lost his discharge, he cannot tell how for he took no care of it, thinking that he would never need it. This Applicant further states that in the year 1781 the month he does not remember but thinks it was the winter of the year he again entered the service as a volunteer under the same Captain & Lieutenant Smith & Colonel Clark for the purpose of entering the Cherokee nation & weaken them by burning their Towns & killing such as might oppose that from Washington County they marched into the Indian nation to an Indian Town on the Tennessee river called Chota, that at this Town they remained a day or two during which time they killed several Indians who were lurking & spieing about the Town, that they then left this place after burning the town and marched on through several other Indian towns which he cannot now name having forgotten, & which they also hunt & killed the Indians they found about them, during this expedition Captain Elliot was killed while in the pursuit of some Indians That after burning the Indian Towns through which they passed they would range the Country in search of Indians & horses which had been taken from the settlers that they found many horses. This Applicant states that he was discharged from the service by his Captain who signed his discharge, too that he has likewise lost this discharge,not taking any care of it, this term of service lasted three months. This Applicant states that he cannot swear positively to the length of time he served but to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods above men- tioned making in all six months & for such service he claims a pension. This Applicant further states that he knows of no one at this time by whom he can prove his services; but that he is known in his present neighborhood to Reuben Bernard & James Jones who can testify to his character for veracity & their belief of his ser- vices during the Revolutionary War. This Applicant further states that he never received a Commission & that the officers he has named, with Col.Sevier are all the Officers he can now name. He further states that there is no Clergyman in his neighborhood. This Applicant further states that he has lived since the Revolutionary War in Tennessee & that he now lives in Hawkins County Tennessee. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pen- sion or annuity except the present, & declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State, or (if any) only on that of the State of Tennessee Sworn to and subscribed John (his X mark) Light the day & year aforesaid W.B. Mitchell, D.Clk. We Reuben Bernard & James Jones residing in the neighborhood hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with John Light who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 67 years of age, that he is respected & believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a Soldier of the Revolution, & that we concur in that opinion. Sworn & subscribed the day & Reuben Bernard year aforesaid James Jones W.B. Mitchell, D.Clk And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, & after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named Applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier & served as he states. And the Court further cetifies that it appears to them that Reuben Bernard & James Jones who have signed the preseding Certificate are residents in the neighborhood & are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit. Hezekiah Hamblen Jesse Creech __ G. Trent I, Stockly D. Mitchell Clerk of the Court of Pleas & quarter Sessions for Hawkins County Tennessee, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the applicattion of John Light for a pension. In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand & seal of Office, this 27th day of May 1834. S. D. Mitchell, Clk by W. B. Mitchell, D. Clk.