Jackson Co. Geo. Feb 3 1847
Dear William,
According to your request I went on Monday last to see John Thompson concerning his father’s pension, and received from himself & mother the following statement.
His father John Thompson enlisted as a Regular in Pennsylvania under Capt. Weaver, of the 10th Regiment, during the year 1776 or 1777, and served until the close of the war, nearly five years. During that time he was at different periods under Generals Washington, Lee and Wayne, was at the battle of Monmouth, which lasted seven hours and a half. He was not wounded, maturing during his time of service, but at the battle above mentioned he received a bullet through his hat, about an inch above the crown of his head, another cut off a part of his right whisker, and seven penetrated his coat. The men during a part of the time were compelled to stand together very closely, in consequence of which, one of them while discharging his gun held it so closely to his (Thompson’s) ear that the powder while exploding burned it considerably, the scars of which continued to the date of his death. During a portion of the time while in service, provisions were extremely scarce, so much so that he frequently, as well as many others, came very near starving. For nine successive days he was compelled to subsist on a gill of corn only, each day. He was also at Philadelphia in service when that city was taken by the British forces. Said Thompson died in March 1817 in the 65th year of his age. He left a widow who is yet alive and who will be eighty five years of age on the thirteenth day of March next. He was married to his present widow Christiana Redwine on the 4th day of October 1781 by Micajah Bullock in Granville County North Carolina. No agent has heretofore undertaken to collect a pension for the applicant in this case. These are a portion of the statements made by the widow and her son, which they received from the old man in conversation previous to his death, consequently there is no living witness by whom the facts can be proved. They mentioned many other circumstances concerning the war &c, but these minutiae I did not suppose were important to the case, consequently I did not make a memorandum of them. If, however, you and Mr. Blood think them important, give me the information, and I will write them more fully. If from this sketch of the case you think a pension can be obtained, give me the necessary instruction relative to the matter and I will attend to it as early as possible.
Yours affectionately,
T. H. Yarborough
State of Georgia
Coweta CountyBefore me, King W. Perry, an acting Justice of the Peace in & for said county, personally appeared Salome Ballard who being duly sworn according to law deposeth & saith that John Thompson and Christina Redwine, her sister, were lawfully married in Granville County North Carolina on the 4th day of October 1781 by Micajah Bullock. That the said John & Christina removed to Georgia about forty years since, and that according to report said Christina now resides in Clarke County Georgia and still remains a widow. That at the time of the marriage as aforesaid, it was commonly reported and believed that the said John was a Whig and had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War.
Signed Salom (x) Ballard
Test. Stephen Hearn
Sworn to & subscribed this 31st day of July 1847 before me, King W. Perry, Justice of the Peace
I hereby certify that Salome Ballard is a credible person and as such her testimony is entitled to full faith and credit. Given under my hand and seal this 31st July 1847.
King W. Perry
Justice of the Peace
(Copy)
We the subscribers do acknowledge to owe unto Alexander Martin, Esq. Governor of the State of North Carolina and to his successors in office the sum of five hundred pounds to be levied of our goods and chattles, lands and tenements, respectively, but not to take effect or be in force unless some lawful cause shall hereinafter appear to obstruct a marriage intended between John Tomson and Christan Redwine of the county of Granville, for the performance of which marriage the said John Thomson hath obtained a license bearing even date with these presence – sealed with our seals and dated the 23rd day of October AD one thousand seven hundred and eighty two.
John Thomson
Michael RedwineSigned, sealed & delivered in presence of
Asa ScarryNorth Carolina
Granville CountyI, James M. Wiggins, Clerk of the court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the county and State aforesaid, hereby certify, that the foregoing is a full, true and perfect transcript of the marriage bond of John Thomson except the year, which is in plain and legible figures 1782 agreeably to the original on file in my office. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of my office at Oxford, the 24 day of July AD 1847. Jas. M. Wiggins, CLK
State of Georgia
Clarke CountyOn this 28th day of April 1848 personally appeared before the Inferior court of said county in open court Christiana Thomspson a resident of said county aged 85 years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath according to the best of her knowledge and belief make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed July the 7th 1838 entitled An act granting half pay and pension to certain widows and all other acts for the benefit of the widows and heirs of Revolutionary soldiers heretofore made and provided. That she is the widow of John Thompson late of Elbert County deceased who was a private of the 10th Regiment in the Pennsylvania Line and who she believes enlisted in Philadelphia in the early part of the year 1777 under Captain Weaver for four years but served four years and six months, who was engaged at the battles of Monmouth and several skirmishes at Baltimore, Georgetown and other places and was at different periods of his service under Generals Washington, Lee and Wayne. That the said Thompson at the time of his enlistment resided in Philadelphia and was an apprentice to a hatter. That the said Thompson continued in service from the time of his enlistment until the close of the war and procured a certificate of discharge but from the lapse of time and other circumstances he burned it up and threw it away. She further declares that she was married to the said Thompson on the 4th day of October 1781 by Micajah Bullock in Granville County North Carolina, the license for which was given by Reuben Scarey. That she and the said Thompson lived together as husband and wife from the date of their marriage until the time of his death which occurred on the 28th day of March 1817 in the 60th year of his age. That she had nine children by the said Thompson, five of whom have not been heard of within the last twelve months, the names and ages of which are as follows, viz, Sarah who was born on the 7th day of September 1782, Elizabeth who was born on the 19th day of May 1784, William who was born on the 9th day of March 1786, John who was born on the 22nd day of January 1788, Richard who was born on the 15th day of February 1790, Joel who was born on the 4th day of August 1792, Nancy who was born on the 15th day of October 1795, Mary who was born on the 24th day of December 1798, and James who was born on the 11th day of October 1804. She further declares that she has no documentary evidence to prove the foregoing statements but relies on the statements of her husband the said Thompson and her own recollection, & she further declares that she was not married to the said Thompson prior to his leaving the service but the marriage took place previous to the first of January 1794, viz, at the time above stated. She further swears that she is now a widow and that she has never before made any application for a pension. Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written before.
Christiana (x) Thompson
A. F. Nunnally, JIC
Thomas Simonton, JIC
James W. Barnett, JICAnd the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogations proscribed by the War Department, that the above named John Thompson was a Revolutionary soldier and served as his widow states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that the said Christiana Thompson is a credible person and that her statement is entitled to credit. Witness our hands the day and year above written.
A. F. Nunnally, JIC
Thomas Simonton, JIC
James W. Barnett, JIC
Note on front page of file:
Dead – let to T. H. Yarborough
March 26, 1849Hon. H. Cobb
Oct 6, 1850
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