Matthew Alexander's Pension Application


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19460    West Tennessee

Mathew Alexander of Henry Co in the State of W.T. who was a pvt in 
the ?? commanded by Captain Parsons of the regt commanded by Col 
Shelby in the S.C. line for _____

Inscribed on the Roll of W.T. at the rate of 66 Dollars 66 Cents 
per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 11 day of Sept 1833 and sent to 
W. Fitzgerald  Dresden

Arrears to the 4th of Sept   	        166.65
Semi-anl. Allowance ending 4 Mar.        33.33
                                        ______
                                        199.98

Revolutionary Claim Act June 7, 1832

Recorded by David or Daniel Boyd Clerk, Book 6 Vol. 7 Page 70

____________

BRIEF in the case of Mathew Alexander of Henry County in the State 
of Tennessee 
(Act 7th June, 1832)

1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? 	Court

2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled 
by bodily infirmity?  No answer

3. How old is he?	75

4. State his service as directed in the form annexed.

Period Duration of Service Rank Names of General and Field Officers
under whom he served
Fall 17-- Sub 3 mo As a Capt Parsons, Col Shelby, Gen Rutherford
May or June, vol and remained in the service
without intermission nearly two years.
Capt Parsons, Lt Hampton,
Cols Shelby and Roebuck

5. In what battles was he engaged?              Left blank

6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? 	
South Carolina, Spartanburg County

7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary 
proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by 
the rolls?	Traditionary

8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? And if 
so, in what respect?        Definite duration of service not 
given to xxxx xxxxx.

Xxxx Examining Clerk
Feb 2, 1833


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State of Tennessee	 Along right  margin: Mathew Alexander 17354
County of Henry

On this 9th day of September 1832, personally appeared in open 
court before the justices of the county court now sitting Mathew 
Alexander a resident of the County of Henry and state of Tennessee, 
aged about seventy five years, who being first duly sworn according 
to law, to the benefit of the act of congress passed June 7 1832. 
That he entered the service of the United States under the 
following named officers and served as herein stated.

"I entered the service of the United States in the fall of the year 
17-- as a substitute for my father James Alexander, who was taken 
sick a few days before the army was to march, which was the first 
call for men in the state of South Carolina against the British. 
The officers that I recollect were Captain Parsons, Colonel Shelby, 
and General Rutherford. I entered the service at Spartanburgh 
County South Carolina for three months. We marched across the county 
to McCorxx Creek where we were discharged in January or February 17– 
by Captain Parsons. I was in no engagement.

I volunteered in Spartanburgh County South Carolina in May or June 
17-- under Captain Parsons of the cavalry and Lieutenant Moore. 
Captain Parsons with his company of from twenty to thirty men marched 
to General Sumpter's camp, where we tendered our service and were put 
under the command of Colonels Shelby and Roebuck. We were marched to 
Musgrave's Mill on the Eneree River South Carolina where we had a 
battle with the British and Tories. We took sixty prisoners or more 
and got them away with us although we retreated. From here, we marched 
to a place called Ninety-six in South Carolina, where we were stationed 
three months. We were furloughed a short time and then were marched 
to King's Mountain, but did not reach there in time to be in the battle, 
which proved the defeat of Ferguson. After this, we had no regular 
campaign but were scouring the country to suppress the Tories till the 
taking of Cornwallis, after which we were discharged in Spartanburgh 
County by Captain Parsons. I remained in the service from the time of 
the volunteering nearly two years without intermission. I have no 
documentary evidence and know of no person whose testimony I can 
procure who can testify as to my service. I hereby relinquish every 
claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my 
name is not on the Pension Roll of the agency of any state.”

1. Where and in what year were you born?     "I was born in Roane 
(should be Rowan) County North Carolina in the year 1757."

2. Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?        
"I have only a memorandum of my age."

3. Where were you living when called into the service; where have you 
lived since the Revolutionary War; and where do you now live?     
"I was living in Spartanburgh County South Carolina when I entered 
the service. I remained in Spartanburgh County 7 or 8 years after the 
war. From there I moved to Logan County Kentucky where I lived 32 or 
33 years. From there I moved to Henry County Tennessee where I have 
lived about 8 years, and I now live in Henry County Tennessee."

4. How were you called into the service; were you drafted; did you 
volunteer; or were you a substitute, and, if so, substitute for whom?        
"The first time I entered the service, I was a substitute for James 
Alexander. After that I was a volunteer. I never substituted"

5. State the names of some of the officers of the regular army who 
were with the troops where with the tr where you served, such 
continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the 
general circumstances of your service.        "I know of no 
officers except Captain Parsons, Colonels Shelby and Roebuck, 
General Rutherford, Lieutenant Moore, General Sumpter, and such 
other officers as I may have named in the body of this declaration."

6. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and, if so, 
by whom was it given, and what has become of it?      "I received 
a discharge as a substitute and also on my own account. They were 
given by Captain Parsons, and they are lost."

7. State the names of persons to whom you are known and who can 
testify as to your character for veracity and their opinion of your 
having served in the war of the revolution.       "For character for
veracity and their opinion of my having served in the Revolutionary 
War, I refer to Stephen Townsend and George Cryder."

Mathew Alexander (his mark)

Sworn to and subcribed the day and year aforesaid. 
Thos. K. Porter Clk
	

We, Stephen Townsend and George Cryder, residents of the state of 
Tennessee and county of Henry, do hereby certify that we are well 
acquainted with Mathew Alexander, who has subscribed and sworn to 
the declaration. That we believe him to be seventy five years of 
age as he has stated and that, from his high respectability and 
undoubted veracity, we believe him to have been a soldier of the 
Revolution.

Stephen Townsend
George Crider
Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid. 
Thos. K. Porter Clk
	

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion, after the 
investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories 
prescribed by the war department, that the above named applicant 
was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states, and the 
court further certifies that it appears to them that Stephen 
Townsend and George Cryder are residents of the county of Henry 
and state of Tennessee; that they are credible persons; and that 
their statements are entitled to credit.

John xxxx PD (Seal) Chairman of Henry County Court

I Thomas K. Porter Clerk of the county court for the county and state 
aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original 
proceedings.

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The amended declaration of Mathew Alexander

State of Tennessee
Henry Circuit Court of Law and Equity
May Term 1833

Personally appeared in open court before the Hon. Joshua Haskell, judge 
thereof, Mathew Alexander, who being duly sworn deposeth and saith that 
by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory and from his want 
of learning as he cannot read nor write, by which he could have refreshed 
his memory as to date, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length 
of his service, but according to the best of his recollection, he served 
not less than the period mentioned below and in the following grades.

In his first tour as a substitute for his father James Alexander who had 
been drafted and served one month and was taken sick, the declarant took 
his place and served out the tour of three months for which he had been 
drafted, making at that time two months service for declarant.

His next service as a volunteer under Capt Parsons as a private. He 
entered the service in Spartanburgh S Carolina, the time he cannot 
recollect but remained in active service as he has before stated, 
except for two days which he had a furlough, until the surrender of 
Cornwallis when he as discharged, comprising a period of not less than 
eighteen months actual service, making in the whole a period of twenty 
months of actual service, for which he claims a pension.

May the 28th 1832			Matthew Alexander (his mark)

Sworn to and subscribed in open court.      James Jones Clk
	

State of Tennessee
Henry County

This day personally appeared in open court the Rev James Miller (
Samuel Hawkins is marked through), a regular minister of the gospel, 
and Terrence Cooney, who after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith 
that they are well acquainted with Matthew Alexander the above declarant, 
who has sworn to and subscribed to this amended or the former declaration 
which has been submitted to us; that we believe him to be of the age he 
represents himself; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood 
where he resides to be a man of respectability and veracity and also to 
have been a soldier of the Revolution and service as he states, and we 
concur in that opinion In xxx to and sworn in open court.

The 28th May 1833	        James Miller
	                        T. Cooney
James Jones Clk