Pension Application of James Tribble: S17156

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

 

State of Alabama}        On this 29th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open court

Madison County}         before William J. Davis Judge of the Circuit Court of Madison County & State aforesaid, now sitting, James Tribble a resident of the County & State aforesaid aged seventy six 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 seventh June 1832. That he entered the service of the United States & served as herein stated. That in the year of 1775 or 1776 [ see note below for date of this and other tours] he joined a volunteer company commanded by Capt Wm McClenahan to guard & protect the Lead Mines in the State of Virginia [near Fort Chiswell now in Wythe County], that he went from the County of Bedford in said State of Virginia where he then resided passed through a little place called Bedford now called Campbell & went on to the Lead Mines where with about fifty other soldiers he remained guarding the place six months during which time they were scouting about the Lead mines in pursuit of the Indians,  at the end of six months they were discharged & he returned home. – he states he has no recollection of the names of any of his officers except the one above mentioned.– The applicant states that about two years after he returned from the Lead mines, perhaps in the year 1777 or 1778, he joined another volunteer company under the command of Captain James Thompson, that at the time he volunteered he lived in the County of Botetot [sic: Botetourt] in said State of Virginia, he went up to New river where his captain lived, & marched from there to join General McIntosh who was in the western country beyond the Ohio, that the company consisted of about 60 or 70 men, – that at New River, towards the Ohio, they met General [Daniel] Morgan with about 60 or 70 men returning from General McIntosh, who informed them that it was unnecessary for them to go on, that Genl. McIntosh had no provisions – that the soldiers were eating raw hides – he states that they returned back to Botetot county having been gone about three months,– applicant states that on this march to join Genl McIntosh they crossed Green River [sic: probably Greenbrier River in present West Virginia], Medal [sic: Meadow], & Gauley rivers — he recollects but two of his company officers except the captain, towit Lieutenant John Henry & Ensign William Bryant [sic: possibly Bryan]. The applicant states that about 18 months after his return from this last tour, he volunteered to Long Island on Holston river, his company was commanded by an Ensign whose name he can’t now recollect, his highest officer in command, he thinks was Colonel Christy [sic: William Christian], who was he thinks negotiating the treaty with the Indians,  after remaining there about three months the Treaty was concluded, peace made & they returned home. The applicant states that in the month of January in the 1780 he again entered the service of the United States, as a volunteer to remain in service until the end of the war with Great Britain, that he joined a volunteer company commanded by Captain William McClenahan– that he went from the County of Botetot where he then resided in Virginia & rendezvoused at the Iron Works in said State [sic: more likely Speedwell Iron Works on Troublesome Creek in North Carolina], marched from thence to Haw river [in North Carolina], from thence to Deep river in North Carolina  remained there about three weeks & returned to Haw river, from thence to the Readyfork [sic: probably Reedy Fork; see note below], remained there some time scouting about then marched to Gilford [sic: Guilford] where he states they met the British at the cross roads in about ½ mile of the courthouse where they had an engagement. after the battle they retreated about fifteen miles to the Iron works — next day the British left Gilford & their dead unburied — He states that the American army was at this battle commanded by Genl Green [sic: Nathanael Greene], that he knew [word illegible] in this campaign Col Campbell, Majr Thomas Bowling  Genl Green, Col Stephenson Genl Greens aid– Col [Henry] Lee, Majr William Washington, afterwards Col. Washington & Genl Morgan,– his company officers that he now recollects were Capt Wm. McClenahan, George Graham first Sergeant.– He states that after this tour which lasted about three months they were discharged & he returned home holding himself in readiness to be at any time called out. – The applicant states that he has no documentary evidence of any of his said services – that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure in support of his statement or who can testify to any of his services — He hereby relinquishes all claim, or every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid in open court          James his X mark Tribble

 

NOTES:

            Gen. Lachlan McIntosh began his campaign on the Ohio River in 1778, and he was replaced in the spring of 1779, so of the two years mentioned by Tribble for his marching to join McIntosh, 1778 is more likely. This would date his tour at the lead mines two years before as 1776. Tribble’s tour to Long Island on the Holston River is out of sequence, since William Christian (often called Christy) signed the Treaty of Long Island on 20 July 1777. The Battle of Guilford Court House occurred on 15 March 1781, so Tribble must have enlisted for his last three-month tour in January of 1781 rather than 1780.

            According to Patrick O’Kelley (Nothing but Blood and Slaughter, Vol. 3, Booklocker.com, 2005, p. 300), Capt. McClenahan’s company was in a skirmish at Wetzel’s Mill on Reedy Fork on 6 March 1781.

            Tribble’s declaration regarding the Battle of Guilford Court House is incorrect in two points: William Washington was already Lt. Col. at the battle, and Gen. Daniel Morgan was not present, having retired to recover from chronic rheumatism after the Battle of Cowpens on 17 Jan 1781.