Pension Number: S 47905, (Documentation Length: 27 pages)

Territory of Florida, County of Gadsden

On this 9th day of November 1832 personally appeared in open Court before Thomas Randall Judge of the Superior Court of the Charlotte District of Florida now sitting William Rawls a resident of the County and Territory aforesaid aged about 73 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 the seventh 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 under the following officers and served as herein stated [sic, sentence repeated in original]. That he entered the service of the United States in the year 1776 or 1777 in the summer of one of those years but which year he does not distinctly recollect he entered the service under the command of Captain John Garvin and was attached to the Regiment of Colonel Garden [Benjamin Garden] and served under them three months General Bull [Stephen Bull] was the General in command during those three months he was stationed on Beaufort Island South Carolina he was then released from service for a short time but was called out again in the same year and under the same officers and performed another tour of duty of three months when he was stationed on the seaboard near Beaufort Island at a place called Scotch Neck that after the expiration of said last mentioned three months he was not called again into service until the latter part of the year 1778 or the first of the year 1779 shortly before the British forces took possession of Savannah – he remained in service during that tour only one month and was under the command of the same [officers] before specified that he was not called into service again until the latter part of 1779 and was stationed at Purrysburg on South Carolina under the command of the same Captain and Colonel as aforesaid and under the command of General Linkhorn [sic, Benjamin Lincoln] the length of time he served during that tour he does not distinctly recollect but it was until the arrival of the French Fleet at Savannah that he was then released from service for a short time but was again called in this service about or weeks afterwards and was marched down the Savannah and arrived there two days after the attack was made on Savannah by the French and Americans. He was marched from Savannah to Purrysburg under the command of Colonel Garden and Captain Garvin and remained at Purrysburg about one month when he was released from further duty at that time he was called into service again in about two months under the same officers and acted on the Savannah River and continued to perform duty occasionally on said River until Charleston fell into the possession of the British he then moved into North Carolina and joined General Sumpter's [sic, Thomas Sumter's] Army in the year 1780 he joined Captain Fennel's [sic?] Company and remained in General Sumter's Army up to the time of his defeat on the Catawba River that after Sumter's defeat he was not again in service until he joined Captain Fennel's company before the battle of King's Mountain and that he was in Captain Fennel's company at the battle of King's Mountain at which battle Colonel Williams [James Williams] and Colonel Shelby [Isaac

Shelby] and Colonel Campbell [William Campbell] were the principle officers that he was not again in service until the siege of Augusta when he was under the command of Captain McCoy and Colonel Hammond [either Samuel or LeRoy Hammond] and that after the Americans took possession of Augusta he was not again in service that when he first entered the service he resided in Beaufort District South Carolina that he first entered the service of the United States as a private and Substitute for his father John Rawls that he performed the first tour of duty as a substitute and in the other tours as a drafted militia [man] up to the fall of Charleston and from that time as a volunteer that he was at the battle on the Catawba in which General Sumter was defeated and was at the battle of King's Mountain that he marched through the country from Beaufort District South Carolina to Savannah in Georgia and from Savannah to Purrysburg in said State and from that place to King's Mountain that performed service with the Continental officers before named but does not recollect the names of the Regiments that he knew Major Horry and General Lincoln and General Sumter and that he has no documentary evidence by which he can substantiate his claim and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can at this time procure to substantiate his claim that there are some persons who are acquainted with his service and who were living at the last accounts but they reside in distant parts of the United States and he does not know that they would make the necessary proof.

S/ Wm Rawls

Sworn & subscribed in open Court

S/ R. W. Lester, Clk G. S. C.

By S/ J. M. Harris, D. C.

And the said William Rawls being further interrogated [?] in the Interrogatories prescribed by the War department answers & say as being first duly sworn

That he was born in North Carolina near the Virginia line, that he does not recollect the year in which he was born that he had a record of his age and it was burnt or lost during the revolutionary war. That he was living in Beaufort District of South Carolina when called into service; that shortly after the revolutionary War, he removed into Georgia into what was then Effingham & is now Screven County; where he lived until his removal into this County of Gadsden Territory of Florida in the year 18[last two digits are illegible] where he now lives.

That in his first military service he was a Substitute for his Father John Rawls a soldier in the Militia.

That of the regular officers with whom he served he recollects at the latter period of his services Major Horry, Col. Marion & General Lincoln. That he cannot recollect the names of any Continental or militia regiments -- though he served principally with the latter & has stated all he recollects of the general circumstances of his service.

That he never received a written discharge from the service.

That he refers to the Reverend Gospers Sweet, Joseph McBride Esquire & Sharrod McCall as persons to whom he is known in his present neighborhood & who can testify to his character for veracity & to their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution.

[Gospers Sweet, a clergyman, and Joseph McBride gave the standard supporting affidavit.]

And at the same time & place Personally appeared Sherrod McCall a resident of Gadsden County aforesaid, who being first duly sworn made & subscribed the following declaration

I Sherrod McCall do hereby witnessth, slayer & certify, that he first new the applicant William Rawls about 40 years ago soon after the British left Charleston, that both Deponent & applicant were then living on Savannah River in South Carolina. That Deponent is in his 70th year, & that he believes from his first knowledge of applicant that he was 4 years older than Deponent, that at the above period of his acquaintance it was reputed & believed in that neighborhood that applicant that applicant had served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. That he was so informed by a Colonel Thompson who stated to Deponent that applicant had served under him, and further says not.

Sworn in open Court S/ Sharrod McCall

[fn p. 16: Elizabeth Slade of Gadsden County Florida gave testimony that she has been well acquainted with William Rawls sent 1773 or 74 and that he served as a soldier in the revolution.]

[fn p. 24]

Territory of Florida Gadsden County Supreme Court November Term 1833

On this day (6th day of November 1833) personally appeared in open Court the above mentioned William Rawls, who being first duly sworn according to law on his oath makes the following statement in explanation & amendment of the above declaration. That he distinctly recollects having taken the "States oath or oath of allegiance to the United States in 1776 in which year he entered the military service of the United States, as he believes & served not less than 3 months -- that in 1777 -- 78 he served about and equal length of time with the duration of his service in 76 & in nearly the same manner -- being occasionally released from service but soon again called into service. That during nearly the whole of the year 1779 he continued on duty -- And that during the years 1780, 81 & 82 he served regularly & without intermission. That he was a private only -- sometimes a volunteer -- at other times a militia man.

That for the names of the officers under whom he served he refers to the above more full & explicit declaration of his services -- That on account of old age & consequent loss of memory he cannot state with any more precision & definiteness then is above set forth the length of time during which he served. That for that service he now renews [?] his claim for a pension & every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present he hereby relinquishes and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State or, if any, only of that of the State of South Carolina.

Sworn & subscribed to in open Court 6th November 1833

S/ JR Harris, Clerk S/ William Rawls

[fn p. 5]

Middle Florida Gadsden County: Personally came before me McKeen Greene1 who being duly sworn saith that he was intimately acquainted with William Rawls of the County aforesaid & territory ever since 1778 & do know that the whole of that family were ever friends of their Country through the American Revolutionary War & said were Rawls & his two eldest brother's John & Cotter were generally esteemed active & brave soldiers through all of the Southern Struggles Viz. from the fall of Savannah of Georgia till the evacuation of Savannah aforesaid & Charleston of South Carolina soon after said William moved into the State of Georgia & after many years moved to Middle Florida where he now resides.

1 McKeen Greene (Green) W7561

Sworn to before made this 24th of October 1832

S/ John Little, JP S/ McKeen Greene