WILLIAM ALEXANDER PENSION APPLICATION 

(S.1785) 

  

William Alexander Pension Application (S.1785)
State of 
Tennessee
Knox County

On
this first day of December 1832 personally appeared before me Samuel McCaleb one of the acting Justices of the Peace for the County of Knox aforesaid. William Alexander, a resident in the County of Knox and State of Tennessee aged eighty one years, who first being 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 the seventh day of June 1832.

(1st) That he entered the service as a Drafted Militia man in the early part of the month of September 1774 under the Command of Capt. James Ewing and Lieut. George Gipson in the County of Augusta and State of Virginia where he then resided, that he marched with the Company to the Warm Springs in the State of Virginia and remained there a few days, from there to Warwicks Fort on Greenbrier River and from there to George Westfalls Fort on a Branch of the Monongahala River in Tiger Valley where he with the balance of the Company remained sometime to guard the fort. There was no field officers along. There being but one company. He was in service on this expedition six weeks.

(2nd) About the last of July 1776 he entered the service as a Volunteer under the command of Captain John Lyle, Lieut. William McCutcheon and Ensign Joseph Long on Augusta County, Virginia and marched by way of Andersons ferry on James River, Englishes ferry on New River, and Fort Chissel to Major Anthony Bledsoe's on the waters of Holston, he remained there a short time and marched to Long Island on Holston River where the troops built a fort, when he arrived at Long Island Colonel Russell was the commanding Officer and after a short time Colonel William Christian arrived and took the command. (My impression is that they both were regular officers) The object of this expedition was against the Cherokee Indians, he remained in service until the last of the month of November of the same year, making his term of service four months.

(3rd) In the year 1778, he moved to Washington County in the State of Virginia, and in the month of August 1780 or 81, he cannot now recollect which, he entered the service as a drafted militia man under the command of Ensign William Davidson who was engaged with a detachment in hunting a celebrated Tory named Isaac Lebo, who had done considerable damage to the inhabitants, and also in hunting and taking said Lebo's stock of horses and cattle, he having a large stock of both, all of which that the detachment could find was sold for the benefit of the United States, he was engaged at different times in this service, but was in actual service six weeks.

(4th) In the same year that he performed the 3rd tour of duty as above stated and in the month of September, he entered the service as a Volunteer under the command of Captain David Beatty, he does not now recollect who was the Lieutenant but is under the impression his name was Robert Edmunson and Ensign Nathaniel Dredden, who was killed in the Battle of Kings Mountain. Col. William Campbell commanded the Regiment, Col. John Sevier and Col. Isaac Shelby was along. We marched by way of Holston and Watauga River, Yellow Mountain, Green River, Broad River, at the Cherokee ford and within about four days march of Kings Mountain, where the Mounted troops were ordered to go on ahead of the foot troops who were to follow, but after marching a day or two we met the troops returning, the Battle of Kings Mountain having been fought. The troops then marched to the Island ford on Catawba River where the mounted troops were ordered to escort the prisoners taken in the Battle at Kings Mountain to Salisbury in North Carolina and the foot men returned home, he was in service on this expedition until the last of October or beginning of November, he is positive the time was as much as six weeks.

(5th) On the first of December of the same year as the 4th expedition, he entered the service as a drafted militia man to go on an expedition against the Cherokee Indians under the command of Capt. James Montgomery, Lieut. Alexander Montgomery and Ensign Thomas Berry. Lieut. Montgomery was appointed by the Captain and the men objected, he marched along but done no duty, but we had no other Lieutenant. Col. Arthur Campbell of
Washington County VA commanded the Regiment, Col. John Sevier was also along. The troops marched from Washington County Virginia to Honeycutts ford on Holston River where they remained several days waiting to get a supply of provisions, from there to Boyds Creek crossing French Broad River at the Island ford where Col. Sevier joined the army with a detachment he had gone before with, he having had a Battle with the Indians on Boyds Creek. The troops then marched by several Indian towns to Highwassee River crossing little Tennessee at Toquo town, on this expedition the troops were fired at several times by the Indians in crossing rivers and from the mountains but had no battles. Several prisoners were taken and eighteen Indian towns destroyed, the troops marched back from Highwassee to an Indian town on little river called Cahtoo and remained there a short time waiting for a supply of provisions, and then returned home. He was in service on this expedition until about the middle of January say at least six weeks, making the whole service he performed during the War of the Revolution nine months and eighteen days, allowing thirty days to the month, all of which he perform as herein stated, but that he has no documentary evidence by which he can prove the same, never having received a written discharge and that he knows of no person now living whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service, and that his situation puts it out of his power to make any search, having been afflicted with Rhematic pains for several years so that he is entirely unable to stand alone and has not walked for the last five years. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever 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 and subscribed before me the day and year aforesaid
Signed: Samuel McCaleb, one of the Acting Justices of the Peace for the County of Knox and State of Tennessee

Signed: William Alexander


Amos Hardin, a clergyman, residing in the County of Knox and State of Tennessee and Anthony Smith, residing in the same, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Alexander who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration; that we believe him to be eighty one years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion, and we further certify that the aforesaid William Alexander is now and has been for a long time been unable to walk and that he is entirely unable to appear in Court, without injuring him, he living twenty miles from the town of Knoxville where the Court is held.
Sworn and Subscribed to the day and year before written before me.
Signed: Amos Hardin, clergyman, and Anthony Smith


And I Samuel McCaleb, Justice of the Peace as aforesaid do hereby declare my opinion, after investigation of the matter, putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war Department, that the above named William Alexander was a Revolutionary soldier, and served as he states and I the said Samuel McCaleb further certify that Amos Hardin, who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clergyman, resident in the County of Knox and State of Tennessee, and that Anthony Smith who has also signed the same is a resident in the County and Sate aforesaid and is a reliable person, and their statement is entitled to credit, and I do further certify that I live in the same neighborhood with the above named applicant, and from my knowledge of him and the general impression in the neighborhood do concur in opinion with the persons who have signed the above certificate, and I further certify that I am clearly of the opinion he could not get to Court, a distance of twenty miles, without considerable injury, he being unable to walk or ride, and also afflicted with the Gravle.

Signed: Samuel McCaleb, Acting Justice of the Peace for Knox County


I Charles McClung Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Knox and State of Tennessee by my Deputy William Swan, do certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings in the matter of the application of William Alexander for a pension, and I do further certify that Samuel McCaleb has signed the certificate above is an acting Justice of the Peace for the County of Knox and State of Tennessee and that the signature is genuine, and that Amos Hardin is a Clergyman - In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal of office this 2nd day of December 1832

Signed: Charles McClung