Pension application of John Fletcher S45841 f35SC transcribed by Will Graves 11/8/08 rev'd 2/20/15

1 BLWt26452-160-55 2 [p 8] (Pension Documentation Length: 35 Pages)

Territory of Florida Middle District, Gadsden County

On this 9th day of November 1832 personally appeared in open Court before Thomas Randall Judge of the Superior Court of the Middle District of Florida now sitting John Fletcher a resident of the County, District and Territory aforesaid aged Sixty Seven 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 June 7th, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

That he entered the service of the United States in the month of July or August 1780 that James Gragg [James Gregg] was Captain of the company in which he was, Thomas Davis Lieutenant Colonel and Hugh Giles Colonel of the Regiment and General Marion [Francis Marion] the General in command that he remained under the command of those officers until General Gates' defeat [Battle of Camden, August 15-16, 1780] and that after that time he was under the command of Col. Baxter [John Baxter] Lieutenant Colonel Kamp [? or Danp]2 Major David Thomas and for a short time after General Gates' defeat under Captain Gordon [Thomas Gordon] who resigned and whose place was filled by Captain Frazer General Marion still being the General in command and that he remained under the command of said officers until he left the service and that he left the service in the last of October or first of November in the year 1782 about ten days before the troops of General Marion were discharged that his situation in the service was that of a private soldier. That at the time he entered the service he resided in the State of South Carolina in the section of Country now known as Marion District that he lived about fifty miles above Georgetown on Pedee River and that he was a volunteer in the service that he was engaged in no regular battle that he was engaged in dislodging a body of Tories on White Marsh between big Pedee and little Pedee in 1781 that he was with General Marion when he made an attack on the British forces between Charleston and Santee River that the troops of Marion were concealed in a swamp and fired on the enemy as they passed the road and then retreated into the swamp and that he was present when a skirmish took place between the forces of General Marion and the British before Georgetown in the year 1781. That he marched through the Country from Georgetown to within thirty miles of Charleston he was on Pedee River, Santee River and Black River but was never out of the State of South Carolina. He was occasionally with Colonel Peter Horry and Colonel Mayham's [sic, Hezekiah Maham's] Regiment longing to the regular troops and that he knew the following regular officers Colonel Baily and Colonel Washington [William Washington], Colonel Horry and Colonel Maham. And he further States that he has no documentary evidence by which to substantiate his claim.

He was generally stationed when not engaged in actual service on Cat Island on Sam Pit [sic, Sampit] River and on Sworm [?] Island Pedee River and that he had no other than a verbal discharge from the Army.

He hereby relinquishes every claim 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 in open Court the day and year first mentioned.

S/ R. C. Lesten, Clk, G. S. C.

S/ John Fletcher

By S/ Isaac R. Harris, D. C.

And the said John Fletcher being further particularly interrogated under oath by the Judge answers and says. That he was born in South Carolina on the 14th January 1765. That he has a record of his age made by his Father in a Bible now at his home in this County, which he has not now produced because he did not know that it was required. When called into service Deponent was living in what is now Marion District in South Carolina. That in 1784 he emigrated to Georgia & lived in various parts of Georgia until 1825 when he removed to Gadsden County in this Territory where he now lives. That he entered service as a volunteer. That he did not serve regularly with any regular Officers of the Army, but that Colonel Horry and Col. Maham of the Regular Army (as he understood) occasionally served with the Corps to which Deponent belonged – that he has already stated the general circumstances of his Service and can state in addition the names of Colonels Washington & Bailey which he recollects in that Service.

That he was a soldier & received no written discharge from the Service.

That he refers to Dr. Malcolm Featherstone [?], Judge McBride Presiding Justice of the County Court – the Reverend Messrs. Sweet & Thornberry [?] as persons of his neighborhood who can testify to his character for veracity & to their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution war and also to Therrod McCall.

And at the same time & place, the said Applicant produces in court Gospero Sweet a Minister of the Gospel & Joseph McBride Esquire, who being duly sworn depose & say as follows [ they give the standard supporting affidavit.]

[p 32]

Appeared Sherrod McCall [could be "Therrod McCall"] a resident of the enemy of Gadsden who being first duly sworn answers & says as follows:

I Sherrod McCall do solemnly swear, that I Deponent am in my 70th year, That at the period of the latter part of the War, this Deponent being then acting as Commissary of Provisions in General Marion's Camp knew the applicant John Fletcher, who was then Serving as a Soldier in that Corps – That deponent has issued provisions to him as such, that he thinks the applicant served nearly two years in all and that he the applicant was in the company of Captain Frazer, and further this deponent saith not.

Sworn to & subscribed to the day & year aforesaid.

S/ R. C. Lesten, Clk, G. S. C. S/ Sharrod McCall

By S/ Isaac R. Harris, D. C.

[p 4]

State of Florida, Leon County

Be it remembered that on this 14th day of April 1852 before me F. M. Flagg Pension Agent duly authorized by law to administer oaths in and for the State and County of aforesaid, personally appeared John Fletcher, Pensioner of the United States, and made oath in due form of law, that he has drawn a pension from the 4th of March 1831, at the rate of $46.66 per annum for Services rendered in the South Carolina Militia in Revolutionary War, That he now makes this Declaration in order to obtain the balance of his Pension, which he believes he is justly entitled to under the law, That notwithstanding the length of time, he will again give a true Statement of his Service, That he was living with his Father (a miner) [sic, 'minor' meaning that he was a minor at the time or 'miner' meaning his father was a miner?] when Captain James Dragg called out the Militia of S. C. from that portion of the State now known as Marion District. Said Captain was an officer in what was then called Giles Regiment or Parish, that deponent, volunteered to be one of Captain Dragg's Company to go and meet General Gates [Horatio Gates] that Soon after they started news came to them of Gates' Defeat [Battle of Camden, August 15-16, 1780], after being together a short time the Captain Dismissed them, that he had not returned to his father's house, but a short time before the Tories came to his father's house, and himself and three other brothers, took to the Swamps, with other Whigs, and defended themselves for some time as well as they could from July to the following March, during this period there was no regular Captain. That in the first of March following Gates' Defeat he joined the General Marion's [Francis Marion's] command was under Captain Gonden [sic, Gordon?], That he was sent by Colonel John Baxter, at the first of his Service to Cat Island below Georgetown (twelve miles) That they suffered much there. That about May following he joined General Marion at Burches Mills [sic, Burch's Mill]3, and marched into what was called the truce land, owing to a cut foot he was allowed to Stay at his father's for near three months that before he could wear his Shoe he joined Marion at (Fort) Ward-Bow (or Bew) [Wambaw?] where they remained till peace was declared, or the Militia was all dismissed by General Marion and we returned home the last of October or first of November 1782, That his last Service under General Marion was under Captain Thomas Frazier, That he joined General Marion's Command in March 1781, That this term of Service as a Private he honestly claims to have Steadfastly done his duty, as a true Soldier, and for six months previous he was reduced to great Suffering and lay in Swamps and hid much of the time, That he constantly kept his gun and acted on the defense of his Country. This Suffering deponent does not know as he is entitled, to the time being added, but mentions the facts in detail to the very best of his ability. That from March 1st, 1781 to November 1st, 1782 he does claim for actual Service, and held himself in readiness to join General Marion should hostilities again commence to the end of the war. That he was under General Marion eighteen months in actual Service and for six months previous he does not pretend to say what the Department calls it, but does know that it was worse than the Service under General Marion. That he never had any discharge, in writing, does not think any of Marion's Soldiers had, That he calls himself 87 years old That Tallahassee is his market and place of business but that his residence is in Gadsden County Florida. His pension is paid at the Agency in Tallahassee. That he had two brothers in General Marion's Command.

3 http://gaz.jrshelby.com/burch.htm

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first above mentioned Before me.

S/ F. M. Flagg, Pension Agent

S/ John Fletcher

[James M. Williams, a merchant in Tallahassee, and William A. J. Wright, gave supporting affidavits.]

[p 13: On April 27, 1855 in the Gadsden County Florida, John Fletcher, 90, filed for his bounty land entitlement as the revolutionary war soldier. This document was supported by an affidavit given by Leonadus Lott and Sarah Fletcher, whose relationship, if any, to the veteran is not stated. By their affidavit, they affirm the identity of the veteran but gave no details as to his military service.

]

[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $46.66 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for service as a private in the South Carolina militia.]