HARRISON HERITAGE
p. 365 MARCH 1983

Revolutionary War
Pension Record # 2602

Gideon Harrison, born in Virginia.

On this 25^th day of August, 1832 personnally appeared in open Court before Henry Trott (?), James C. Mitchell and Varner D. Coulair, Esq., the justices of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for Rutherford County now sitting Gideon Harrison a resident of the State of Tennessee in the county of Rutherford and town of Murfreesborough, aged seventy 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 July 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States as a volunteer under Col. John Sevier in the company commanded by Capt. James Wilson, some few weeks before the battle at Kings Mountain, he thinks early in September 1780 but the precise day he does not recollect.

He states he entered as a volunteer for no particular period. He marched under the command of Col. Sevier to Kings Mountain and was in that battle. He knew Col. Shelby, and Campbell who also commanded at that battle and under stood Col. Cleaveton commanded but he did not know him. He thinks Ba___ Sevier and Tipton were Majors in that expedition under Col. John Sevier and the force commanded by Col. Sevier was about five hundred as well as he recollects. He states when he entered the service under the command of Col. Sevier he resided in Washington County Territory South of Ohio, now East Tennessee. After the battle at Kings Mountain he marched in a few weeks under the command of Col. John Sevier into the Creek country of the Creek and Cherokee Indians and ranged thru the mountains three or four months or perhaps longer. In addition to the field officers named as being at the Battle of Kings Mountain he thinks in this expedition in the Indian Country a man by the name of Williams was along who was called Col. Williams.

In this expedition they fell in with a party of Indians supposed to be thirty in number, in the skirmish they had they killed eighteen Indians, took three prisioners and all the blankets, guns belonging to the part of Indians. One of our company, Elisha Hadden had his horse killed in the engagement but our party sustained no other injury.

After being out the time above stated, Col. Sevier returned with his men to the white Settlements. In a few weeks they marched back again to the Indian country with the same field officers except Col. Williams. Their force was not quite as large as in the first expedition but they were out longer than in the other. In this expedition they took several Indians prisoners and killed several but had no battle or skirmish with them. They returned to the settlements to recruit and in a short time afterwards they set out on a third expedition to the Indian country. In this expedition Col. Sevier made a treaty with the Cherokee tribe of Indians soon after he got into their country after which they proceeded to the Creek country and ranged thro their country some three or four months or longer, took some prisoners and killed two Indians but had no fighting. After he returned from this tour sometime he marched under Col. Sevier to a place called the Greasy Cave. In this expedition he thinks Col. Sevier had about one hundred men under him. They killed on Indian and was gone several weeks. This deponent states he was in all the foregoing

expeditions, he cannot recollect the precise period he was absent in any one of them but he states from the time he first entered the service until he quit the service which was not until they ceased to apprehend danger from the Indians, upwards of two years he was either out on some expedition under Col. Sevier or at home recruiting and waiting until the forces were ready to march and for that period of two years or upwards he engaged in no other pursuit or occupation.

This deponent states he never served with any of the Continental Regiments or companies unless some of that discription of force was at the Battle of Kings Mountain and was not acquainted with any of the regular of officers. He further states he never was discharged from service. That he has no documentary evidence and he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any other state.

HARRISON HERITAGE
p. 366 MARCH 1983

Revolutionary War Pension Record # 2602 - cont.

Gideon Harrison, born in Virginia.

WE, William Eagleton a clergyman residing in the county of Rutherford and State of Tennessee and William Gilliam Esq. residing in the same county and State hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Gideon Harrison who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration and that we believe him to be about 70 years of age, from his appearance, that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, by those who are intimately acquainted with him, to have been a soldier of the Revolution as stated in his declaration sworn to and that we concur in that opinion.

The following interrogaterries were put to Gideon Harrison the within named applicant for pension in Open Court by the Court of the 23^rd day of August 1832.

1^st. Where and in what year were you born? Answer: I was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, I am not certain of the year but think 1762.

2^nd. Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? Answer: I have no record of my age within my power. The register which was made is lost.

3^rd. Where were you living when you entered into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live? Answer: I lived in Washington County now East Tennessee when I entered the service, since that I lived some years in Alabama and within 6 or __ years past I have lived in Murfreesboro, Rutherford, Tenn.

4^th. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom? Answer: I entered the service as a volunteer under Col. John Sevier.

5^th. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the reoups where you served such continental and Militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your services. Answer: I never served with any Continental troops, was not personnally acquainted with the names of any of the regular officers. I do not recollect whether the troops commanded by Sevier were known by any particular regiment and as to the last member of the question, I refer to the facts stated in the body of my declaration.

6^th. Did you ever recieve a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given and what has become of it? Answer: I never recieved a discharge.

7^th. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your charactor for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution. Answer: I live at present and have lived for near six years in the town of Murfreesborough, Rutherford County, Tennessee. I presume I am known by every citizen in town and many of

HARRISON HERITAGE
p. 368 MARCH 1983

Revolutionary War Pension Record # 2602 - Cont.

Gideon Harrison, born in Virginia.

The citizens in the neighborhood. I refer to the affidavits annexed as my answer to the last member of the question I believe I could get many others to certify to my veracity and their belief of my services but am advised the annexed certificates are suffacient.

There was a copy of a letter attached to the pension record of Gideon Harrison, addressed to Mr. Robert A. Stewart, P.O. Box _____, Richmond, Virginia, dated June 5, 1930 or 1939. The copy was badly blurred, but seemed to give the particulars contained in the pension application. The last paragraph of this letter read as follows:

In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, the name and address of the person paid and possible the date of death of this soldier, you should write to the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, this city, and cite the following data:

The letter was signed by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator.

Many thanks to Melody Deocampo for transcribing this issue.

HARRISON HERITAGE (ISSN 0740-9001) was a family genealogical quarterly.
Published in March, June, September and December 1981-1986.
RUTH HARRISON JONES, Editor and Publisher.

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