Ann's Deposition, 23 January 1843

Declaration

In order to obtain the benefit of third section of the act of Congress of the 4th of July 1836 And an act to amend the Acts of July eighteenhundred and thirtysix and eighteenhundred and thirtyeight allowing pensions to certain widows [NOTE: number written as single words]

State of Tennessee
Carroll County

On this 23rd day of January eighteenhundred and fortythree [NOTE: three illegible except for letters th] personally appeared before me Samuel Killough justice of the peace in and for said county of Carroll and state of Tennessee Ann Craig of the State of Tennessee and the County of Carroll aged aged [NOTE: aged written twice] eighty years on the 30th day of June next who being first duly sworn according to law doth, on her oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision of the act of Congress passed July 4th 1836 and an act to amend the Acts of July 4th 1836 [1836 not legible, but previously said to be the date] and 1838 approved August the 23rd 1842. That she was the widow of John Cunningham who was a Captain in the [NOTE: not legible but must be revolutionary since following word is war] war in the militia of the State of South Carolina.

He entered the service in an early part of the war as she believes he was a militia Captain prior to the time of the War being carried into the State of South Carolina and left the service in September [NOTE: word not legible but mentioned later as definitely being September] in seventeenhundred and eightytwo [NOTE: new sentence must begin] she believes that John Cunningham served in the Revolutionary War three years or more and under Col Bratton mostly and part of his time Col Love and Col Watson and was in the battle at Kings Mountain

the reason why she so well recollects that Battle she was residing and living in hearing and did hear the sound of the drums and fire arms and her father and two of her brothers were in the same battle in Capt Barber’s company. She then resided in the state of North Carolina in Lincoln County joining the State of South Carolina and York District in which District of [End of first page]

[Second page] York John Cunningham then resided because she was at that time personally acquainted with him and had visited his fathers house in York District in the aforesaid State of South Carolina he being a family connection and particular acqainances [NOTE: as written in document] [NOTE: must be new sentence] she believes that he was in two battles in the summer of seventeen hundred and eightytwo in the lower part of South Carolina it being the dest--- [NOTE: uncertain of word] place but the precise places she does not now recollect. But recollects that the two battles or skirmishes took place after she was married to the aforesaid John Cunningham who was a captain in the militia of the aforesaid State of South Carolina. The reason why she so well remembers that The service terminated in September 1782 is, That she then was his wife and that she had a dangerous spell of sickness and that her husband John Cunningham was sent for by his father and that before she recovered it was some time.

That she further declares that she was married to John Cunningham who was a captain on the 28th day of February seventeenhundred and eightytwo and that her husband John Cunningham, Capt in the Revolutionary War And that he died on the 6th day of March seventeenhundred and eightythree. And she was afterwards married to William Patterson who died the 17th day of August 1794 and that she afterwards married to James Holmes who died in December 1807 and that she afterwards married to James Crig [NOTE: as written] on the 17th day of November 1814 who died on the 7th day of September 1828. And all the foregoing named husbands were in the battle of Kings Mountain in the State of South Carolina and District of York And that she has remained a widow eversince the 7th day of September eighteenhundred and twentyeight as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereunto annexed. [END of second page]

[Page 3 begins]
Sworn to and subscribed on
the day and year before
Written before
Witnesses
Ann Craig, (her mark)
Samuel Killough J. P.
John Holmes
John Woods

[NOTE: the remainder of page 3 has only the legal statement required for the justice of the peace to certify Ann's declaration.]

Supporting Statement by Ann's Brother Thomas, 10 August 1843

State of Tennessee
Williamson County

Personally appeared Thomas Alexander before me Reuben White one of the acting justices of the peace in and for Williamson County and state of Tennessee who first being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath say that he is personally acquainted with Ann Craig the subscriber to the foregoing declaration

That she was married to John Cunningham who was a captain in the revolutionary war the day of the month or the month he cannot recollect but the reason he recollects Ann Craig now once Ann Cunningham is that the said Ann Craig is his sister. And the reason why he recollects that the marriage took place before the revolutionary [war] ended is that his sister then Ann Cunningham now Ann Craig was taken dangerously sick that her husband John Cunningham was sent for for he was then in the Army of the United States that some time the ensuing spring he died and that his father moved his sister then Ann Cunningham who then resided in York District South Carolina into Lincoln County in the state of North Carolina the distance of about twenty miles.

That the reason Why he recollects that John Cunningham was a Captain that he went to school in one half mile of his house in York District in John Cunninghams lifetime. That he has no record of his own age but was not old enough to be compelled to bear Arms himself that his father and two of his brothers was in the Army of the United States and he stayed at home that he always understood that Captain John Cunningham served a great deal in the Army that he now believes from every circumstance and hearsay from persons that was with him that he served as much as three years or more that he always heard it asserted that John Cunningham was a Captain and as brave a man as ever burned Powder that his own age is about seventy four years or seventy five years of age.

Sworn to and subscribed
on this 10th day of August 1843
Reuben White,
Justice of the Peace for Williamson County
Thomas Alexander