State of Georgia
County of Madison
Court of Ordinary May Term 1833On this 6th day of May in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and thirty three, personally appeared before James Long, John Meroney and Noah W. Pittman, Justices of the Inferior Court now sitting as a court of Ordinary, James Thompson a resident of Capt. Sea’s Company District of Georgia Militia in the County of Madison & State of Georgia, aged sixty nine years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order of obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United State under the following named officers and served as herein stated, to wit, he entered as a volunteer in March seventeen hundred & seventy-six under Captain Cain, the whole under the command of General Charles McDowel, and served untill September following, being a tour of six months. This service was performed at Cathy’s Fort in Burke County North Carolina on the head of the Catawba River, for the protection of the Frontier from the depredations of the Indians. The next was a tour of duty of three months under Capt. Thomas Kennedy, he commenced this service in May seventeen hundred & seventy seven and continued untill the August following, making the three months as aforesaid. This service was performed at John Davidson’s Fort, Burke County North Carolina in protecting and guarding the frontier from the depredations of the Indians. The next was a tour of duty of three months in the same kind of service as aforesaid at George Davidson’s, Burke County North Carolina under Capt. Smith commencing in July seventeen hundred & seventy eight and continued untill October following. The next was a tour of duty of two months in the same kind of service as aforesaid at Templeton’s Station in Burke County North Carolina under Capt. John McDaniel commencing in July seventeen hundred & seventy nine and continued untill September following. The next was a tour of duty of three months commencing in May seventeen hundred & eighty and continued in service untill August following, making the three months as aforesaid, under Capt. Camp, the whole under the command of Generals Charles McDowel and Rutherford ~ while in this service the British light horse & Torys fell in with this detachment of troops then under the command of Gen’l Charles McDowel at the house of Hampton on Green River in South Carolina and killed three of the Americans and wounded several ~ this deponent with several others were ordered as a scout to proceed the morning before this skirmish and make what discoveries they could in regard to the British and Torys and did not return untill after the engagement. The next was a tour of duty of three months under Capt. Samuel Woods & Gen’l Charles McDowel at the battle of Kings Mountain, and also Major Joseph McDowel who commanded as a Major in this engagement. He commenced this service in August seventeen hundred & eighty and continued untill November following making the term last aforesaid and was the first of his company that fired a gun in said battle. The next was a tour of duty of three weeks under Major Joseph McDowel against the Cherokee Indians. He commenced this tour in May seventeen hundred & eighty one and served as last aforesaid. In this expedition the party, consisting of about eighty men, proceeded into the Cherokee Nation, burned two of their towns & killed five Indians. The whole of this service he performed as a private. He resided in Burke County North Carolina when he entered the service. He was no engagement with the British except that already stated at Kings Mountain with the British and Torys. He was engaged in several skirmishes with the Indians. He had no regular marches except what was necessary in protecting the Frontiers of North & South Carolina and the expedition into the Cherokee Nation. He was not acquainted with any of the regular officers. He has no discharge nor no documentary evidence, and he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services. In answer to the interrogations prescribed by the War Department and propounded by the court, he answereth as follows, to wit,
Answer to first Interrogatory ~ he was born the 18th day of December 1763 in the county of in the State of Pennsylvania
Answer to second Inter ~ he has a record of his age at his house
Answer to third Inter ~ he was living in Burke County North Carolina where he resided untill after the treaty of peace, he then removed to Wilkes County Georgia ~ from thence within the bounds of Madison County Georgia where he has resided ever since
Answer to fourth Inter ~ he volunteered
Answer to fifth Inter ~ he has stated all that he now recollects on that subject in his declaration
Answer to sixth Inter ~ he never received a discharge
Answer to seventh Inter ~ he refers you to Robert Griffith, Col. Samuel Groves, Col. Gabriel Nash, George Eberhart, William Hodge, James Long, &c
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 & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
James Thompson
We, Benjamin Brown a clergyman residing in the county of Madison and James Griffith residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Thompson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be sixty nine years of age & that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
Benj. Brown MG
James Griffith
Compilation Copyright 1998 - Present by The GAGenWeb Project Team