Matthew Alexander's Pension Application
Cover
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