Transcription of Elisha Evans' Pension Application
Return to Descendants of Elisha EVANS and Betsy LEA
My Transcription of Testimony by Elisha Evans Concerning his Revolutionary War Service
(As with all transcriptions, this one is subject to error, so please use with caution)
[My annotations are in square brackets]
State of North Carolina}[unknown
symbol] Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
County of
Caswell
October Term 1832
On this 8th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Court before James Rainey, John P. Harrison & James McMullin the Courts of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of Caswell County now sitting: Elisha Evans Senr. a resident of the Said County of Caswell in the Said State of North Carolina aged Seventy two years on the Second Day of December next who being first duly sworn according to Said doth on his Oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress June 7th 1832 -
That he entered the Sirvice of the United States under the following named Officers and Served as herein Stated. To wit: "That Sometime, I think in the month of October 1778 I (This applicant) was drafted in the militia of the County of Caswell and State of North Carolina in Captain Whites Company in the regiment Commanded by Colonel James Sanders, in this Company or Regiment George Moore was our Major. That we were marched through our State into the State of South Carolina. That at Salisbury we joined Genl. Rutherford, Commanding the North Carolina Militia that we were marched by a Variety of places as far as Purrysburg in South Carolina. We had some little Picket Guard fighting across the River as we also had at other places but of not much Consequence. While in South Carolina I was discharged after Serving a tour of five months or more, my discharge I have lost. Think I received it of Capt. William White. A part of the troop had a Severe fight at a place on Brion Creek But I was not with them at the time, being at that time stationed on this side of the River. We were discharged some time in April 1779 - At the time I was drafted I lived in Caswell County and State of North Carolina, where I have resided since.
Some time during the Summer of 1780, I [illegible words] believed was a Coward or something worse (Tory) under Captain John Graves, in the Company Commanded by Colonel Paisley - we were marched again into South Carolina, and as far as Camden, where meeting with the enemy, near Camden, we fought the memerable action commonly called Gates? Defeat. Genl. Gates being our major Genl. And Commanding officer. In this action we suffered a disgraceful defeat by the mismangement or Cowardice of General Gates from this place in [illegible word] we retreated and the most of us reached home not having any place appointed for rendezvous. I came home, our time not yet being out, we were Transferred (I hear) to Captain John McMullin? Company of Light Horse and went under Colonel James Williams, of South Carolina the Said Colo. William at that time resided at a place called ninety six in South Carolina, & being driven away from his home & Country by the Tories he applied to the Governor of North Carolina for assistance which was granted, and myself under Capt. John McMullin was one who went out with him. We were marched to a place called the Cowpens, where we were joined Colonels Campbell Colonel Cleavland and I think Colo. Sevier. With them met the tories whom we were in pursuit of. The enemy were Commanded by a Major Forgerson. At Kings mountain we had a Severe ingagement and totally defeated the enemy. This Battle I think we fought in October 1780. From this place we were marched to a place called the Maravian Town in this State and were there discharged after serving (as I call it) Two Tours, amounting in all to some little upwords of [illegible word] months - Some Time in the Same Winter of the Same year (1780) I was again drafted under Capt. Spillsby Coleman for the Company Commanded by Colo. Farmer in which Company Archibald Murphy and Thomas Harrison were Majors. We were marched to the Catawba River, to a place Called Beaten[?] Ford or Cawans Ford here we met the enemy under Lord Cornwallis and endeavored to prevent their Crossing - here we had a fight and our Commanding officer, Genl. Davison killed. We were driven back and retreated. In our retreat we overtook Genl. Green near Salisburg and retreated through our State and our County across Don River and over into Virginia. When Genl. Green meeting with reinforcements we made a Stand. The enemy finding we were reinforced Turned their Course. We followed Them and Continued our pursuit toward Guilford, as far as to a place called the High Rock, where I was discharged (my Term of Service there expired) Some four or five days before the Guilford Battle was fought after Serving a tour in this Campaign of Three months my discharge is lost but from my recollection of it now I think it was dated in March 1781. -- In this Campaign I omitted to mention, that after we were driven from the Catawba River, we were overtaking in a lane called Tarrance? Lane and here we had a Sharpe engagement and were defeated and retreated and in our retreat we overtook Genl. Green as I have before stated.
Some time of the latter part of August or the first of September of the same year I Volunteered in Capt. [illegible word or words] Company under Colo. William [illegible word] and Major Dudley Reynolds. We were marched to the Lower part of our own State (North Carolina) for the purpose and [illegible word] the [illegible word] of retaking our Governor who sometime just before this was Captured by the Tories and British. We followed the enemy to place near Wilmington called the White [Whites?] March. Here we overtook the enemy & had an engagement in which we were driven back, we from thence were marched to Fayettville and from thence back again to near Willmington and from place to place under Genl. Butler (in whom I never had Confidence as an officer) always avoiding an attack until we had the [illegible word] of the Capture of Lord Cornwallis at York - and afterwords until my term of Service expired and I was then discharged - after Serving a tour of Three months."
he hereby relinquishes any 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, and if any he has no knowledge of it. -
And it is here proper to state that in the Tour which I (This applicant) Sirved when at Kings mountain - that though I served but Two months yet I was promised that If I found my own horse and gunn and Serve Two months that it should be considered a tour of Three months & that I should have all the advantages of having served such Time [illegible words] of my County. -
In all my time of Service including all the tours which I have mentioned in this my foregoing [illegible word] amount in all to fifteen months and upwords. [illegible word] what may be considered of in the Tour of Kings mountain as mentioned above -
Interrogatories propounded by the Court and answers
1st Where and in what year where you born?
Answer - I was born in the County of Nottaway in the State of Virginia - In the month of December 2d day in the year 1760! -
2d Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?
Answer - There is a record of my age now in the possession of my Brother Samuel Evans in Person County in this State. - Recorded in my Fathers family Prayer Book!
3d Where were you living when called into Service, where have you lived Since the Revolutionary War, where do you now live?
Answer - When I was called into Service I lived in this County (Caswell County) and State of North Carolina - I have lived in the said County during, and ever since the Revolutionary War. I now live still in Caswell County where I hope to live so long as I do live
4th How were you called into Service? Were you drafted, did you Volunteer, or were you a Substitute & if a Substitute for whom?
Answer - The first [illegible words] I was drafted in Captain Whites Company as before stated - The next Tour I Substituted myself in place of James Sergant who was drafted; from which place I Voluntarily was transferred to Capt. McMullins Company of Horse. - In the 3d tour I was again drafted in Capt. Colemans Company & In the last Tour I was a Volunteer in Capt. McMullins Company of mounted militia on light Horses - !
5th State the names of som of the Regular officers who were with the troops where you Served, such Continental and militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your Service?
Answer - There were a great many Regular officers who were with the troops where [illegible word] I Served - among them were Capt. Thos. Donotia[?] who was afterwords Major, Colo. Archd[?] Lyttle, Genl. Green, Genl. Gates and Baron De Kalb. The Continental & Militia Regiments & the general circumstances of my service, I have mentioned before in this my declaration.
6th Did you ever receive a Discharge from the Service, and if so by whom was it given & what has become of it?
Answer - I received discharges for every Tour of duty which I served and I received them from the officers of my Companys But from which one I cannot now recollect my discharges I have lost long since not expecting ever to have a use for them -
7th State the names of Persons to whom you are Known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for varacity and good behaviour, your Services as a Soldier of the Revolution?
Answer - I am Known to almost every man in my County all of whom I presume will testify as to my character for varacity & good behaviour. I will name James Rainey the Chairman of our Court, Capt. John McMullin, Jonathan Starkey, Richerd Mortin [Martin?] & others the most of whom too will prove my services as a Soldier of the Revolution -
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
[illegible
word] Paul A. Haralson[?]
Clk Elisha Evans Senr.
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