Pension Application of John and Margaret Hewitt: W2618
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
“Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed 7th of June 1832 Virginia At Botetourt County Circuit Superior Court of law & Chancery held at the Court house September Term 1833 – Personally appeared John Hewitt before the Court who is a resident of the said County aged sixty nine years nine months and 21 days who being first sworn according to law doth make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the aforesaid Act of Congress that he was born on the 14th of November in the year one thousand and seven hundred and sixty three that his age was recorded in his fathers Bible but he has no record of it now the bible being lost, that he was born in that part of Augusta County which is now Botetourt County in the State of Virginia where he has always heretofore and now lives. That he enlisted as a Volunteer in the Service of the United States on the 8th day of September 1780 for the Term as well as he recollects of six months he was attached to a Company Commanded by Captain James Robinson which was ordered to be ready to march at a minutes warning but they did not receive orders to march till the 27th of October at which time he marched to Millers which was the place of rendezvous and on the 4th of November the said company commander, Capt’n. James Robinson and a company commanded by Capt’n. Alex’dr. Handley commenced their march to the Southern States Commanded by Major David Campbell. they joined Gen’l. [Daniel] Morgan two days after the Battle of the Cowpens [17 Jan 1781], and took the place of the Virginia Militia from Augusta and Rockbridge Counties who were about to be discharged and who acted bravely in the battle & who afterwards guarded the prisoners into Virginia – they were then sent down the Catawba River to act in concert with General Davidson where they were stationed at a place called McGowans ford [sic: Cowan’s Ford; see note below] with orders to prevent the enemy from crossing the river by falling timber along the bank. In a few hours after we had made the necessary preparations to defend the ford a detachment of the Enemy appeared on the opposite side of the river just as we were about to fire on them they retired –
The next
morning a few hours before day the British commenced a heavy fire of Cannon on
General Davidson who defended a ford lower down the river after day light the enemy entered the ford
and was opposed by a heavy fire of small arms from the North Carolina Militia
under the command of Gen’l Davidson who was killed
and the enemy forced the passage of the river
in the meantime we were ordered to march and through a great fall of
cold rain and a very dark night got into the road on which Gen’l
Morgan had retreated on which they marched to Salisbury and from thence to the
trading ford of the Yadkin river [about 8 miles northeast of Salisbury] where
they overtook General Morgans Army before it had
entirely got over the river [on 5 Feb 1781] which was very much swollen by the
late rains and before the North Carolina Militia said to be commanded by
General Stephens had got over the river at the break of day the next morning they were stationed above
one half or three quarters of a mile up the river from the ford on the direct
road to Salisbury where they remained under arms till about 10 OClock the next nigt when they
were attacked by a strong detachment of Infantry supported by Cavalry. there
post was defended till overpowered by numbers and charged by the Cavalry they
were compelled to retreat, and to avoid being cut down by the Cavalry they had
to defend themselves in the best way in their power the Enemy then advanced rapidly but apparent
with caution to the river at the ferry
the boats were engaged all day & till sometime in the night transporting
the troops and baggage over the river
this was now accomplished with the exception of a small part of the
baggage when the enemies Cavalry reached the ferry a Boat had just put off from
the Shoar they
fired on it with their pistols but did no injury in this Skirmish Capt’n. Handley and John Allen were taken prisoners and a
few men killed and the most of them who escaped had to cross the river in
Canoes after the scattered troops had
reassembled they commenced their march the next night toward Guildford
Court-house [sic: Guilford Court House] and when they arrived their they were
permitted to make a short stay the enemy
being detained by the flood in the Yadkin river
they then marched to a place called Bruces
Cross roads [Summerfield NC] on the day [12 Feb 1781] that Colo. [Henry “Light
Horse Harry”] Lee’s Trumpeter [sic: 14-year-old bugler James Gillies] was cut to pieces by a party of the British
Cavalry [Tarleton’s dragoons]. they
then retreated before the british army Cornwallace [sic: Cornwallis] till they crossed Dan river
and entered
NB We were not under the Command of a Militia Colonel in the first tour and the petitioner John Hewitt was three months and twenty six days in the service in the first tour to the South and three months and eighteen days in the service in the 2nd Tour to the Seige of Little York the two tours set forth in the foregoing declaration in all six [sic] months and 14 days
[signed] John Hewitt
NOTES:
Gen.
William Lee Davidson was killed on 1 Feb 1781 while defending Cowan’s Ford on
the Catawba River in
This
skirmish at Cowan’s Ford marks the beginning of the “Race to the Dan,” in which
the southern British army under Lord Corwallis
pursued the southern American army under Gen. Nathanael Greene through
State of
Botetourt county} Ss.
On this 14th day of May, A.D. 1849, personally appeared before the County Court of the County aforesaid, Mrs. Margaret Hewitt, a resident of said county aged seventy one years, who being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the Act of the 29th July, 1848, and Joint Resolution of 1st of July, 1848: – That she is the Widow of John Hewitt, who was a Revolutionary Pensioner as a Private of the Virginia Militia at the rate of $24 33/100 per annum.– She further declares that she was married to the said John Hewitt on the 20th day of November, in the year seventeen hundred and ninety-four,– that her husband, the aforesaid John Hewitt, died on the 19th day of December, 1844; that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the second of January, eighteen hundred, viz: at the time above stated. She further swears that she is now a widow and has never before made any application for a pension. Margraet her X mark Hewitt
Married by the Rev’d. Alexander Ross in the County of Botetourt and state of Virginia John Hewitt and Margaret Hewitt the twentieth of November seventeen hundred and ninety four.
I Ferdinand Woltz Clerk of the County Court of Botetourt do hereby Certify that the above is a true Copy of the record with the exception of the date which is expressed on the record in fair legible figures as follows: “November 20th 1794"
Presented by Jno T Wilson –
State of
On this 19th day of March, 1855 personally appeared before me a Notary Public within and for the County and State aforesaid, Margaret Hewitt, aged 80 years a resident of Botetourt County in the State of Virginia who being duly sworn according to Law declares that she is the widow of John Hewitt, deceased, who was a private in the company commanded by Captain Robinson and Captain May in the Regiment of Virginia Militia commanded by Col. – Lockard, in the War of the Revolution
that her said husband volunteered at Botetourt Cty, Va. on or about the 18th day of October 1781, for the term of and continued in actual service in said war for the term of six months and was honorably discharged at [blank] on the [blank] day of [blank]
She further states that she was married to the said John Hewitt in Botetourt Cty, Va. on the 20th day of November, 1794, by one Alexander Ross, a Minister of the Gospel and that her name before her said marriage was Margaret Hewitt, that her said husband died at Botetourt, Va. on the 19th day of December, 1844, and that she is now a widow. For evidence of her marriage, &c. she refers to her declaration filed under act of Congress, July, 1848, for a Pension. She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the Bounty Land to which she may be entitled under the act approved March the 3rd 1855 Margaret her X mark Hewitt
We, Joseph Hewitt and Susan Hewitt residents of