Newsletter reader James Morgan sent along information about a web site that contains free transcriptions of over 10,000 Revolutionary War Pension Applications. The site is sponsored by the American Revolution Association and currently contains 10,496 pension application and 70 roster transcriptions, all from the Southern Campaign.
Here is one typical pension application as found at http://southerncampaign.org/pen/#m:
Pension application of Dan Alexander R88 Sarah fn23SC
Transcribed by Will Graves rev'd 5/3/10
[Methodology: Spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected in some instances for ease of reading and to facilitate searches of the database. Also, the handwriting of the original scribes often lends itself to varying interpretations. Users of this database are urged to view the original and to make their own decision as to how to decipher what the original scribe actually wrote. Blanks appearing in the transcripts reflect blanks in the original. Folks are free to make non-commercial use this transcript in any manner they may see fit, but please extend the courtesy of acknowledging the transcriber—besides, if it turns out the transcript contains mistakes, the resulting embarrassment will fall on the transcriber. I use speech recognition software to make all my transcriptions. Such software misinterprets my southern accent with unfortunate regularity and my poor proofreading fails to catch all misinterpretations. I welcome and encourage folks to call those errors to my attention.]
State of Tennessee, Marion County: Circuit Court April 1833
On the 9th day of April 1833 personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Circuit court of Marion County aforesaid being a Court of record now sitting Dan Alexander they resident of Marion County and State of Tennessee aged 69 years who 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 7th 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 as a listed [sic, an enlisted] Soldier for nine months in Macklinburg [sic, Mecklenburg] County in the State of North Carolina some time he thinks in the Spring of the year 1781 under Lieutenant Ezekiel Pope, Captain Peter Burnes, Major Moore, Col. Wade Hampton and General Sumpter [sic, Thomas Sumter]. We joined General Greene [Nathanael Greene] near Camden we marched to Camden South Carolina remained for some time from there to Orangeburg in the same State and after marching to several other places in the State met the British at the Eutaw Springs where he was in the battle. After the battle marched to Brown's Old fields on the Congaree River, crossed the Congaree River at McCord's ferry1 and marched to a place called Dodgester [sic, Dorchester]2 where they had a skirmish with the British then returned and crossed the same River at the same place also crossed the Wateree River and marched to the High Hills of Santee3
He has never seen a record of his age nor does he know that one ever existed. in S. C. while he remained on the high hills of Santee in South Carolina his term of nine months expired and he immediately enlisted for nine months more which was in the fall or winter of the same year on the high hills of Santee South Carolina under the same Officers which are named in the first from there marched to Orangeburg remained at Orangeburg for some time and then was attached to the horse as a horseman under the command of General Wayne [Anthony Wayne] for the purpose of recruiting Wayne's troop of Horse and under the Command of General Wayne he marched through South Carolina and then into Georgia and then back to South Carolina and so continued in Active Service until his Other nine months had expired then returned to Orangeburg South Carolina and was discharged by Major Moore (for the whole 18 months). He states that his discharge was burnt in his house which was burnt some time after the War.
He has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services.
He was acquainted with Colonel Polk, Captain Poke, Major Bluford, Colonel Washington, Generals Wayne, Sumter & Greene all of the regulars.
He was born on the 15th of February 1764 according to the best information that he did on the Subject in Mecklenburg County in the State of North Carolina where he had his home during the revolutionary war from there he moved to Burke County and from there to Haywood County of Counties in the State of North Carolina from there to Marion County the State of Tennessee where he now lives and has lived something more than 12 months.
There is no Clergyman in this County with whom he is acquainted living in his neighborhood and he could not get one to certify for him without going back to N. C. which declarant could not do from age and infirmity.
Declarant states that he is known in his present neighborhood to Colonel Ignatius Hall, Colonel John Kelly and Dr. C B Rains who can testify to their belief of his Services as a soldier of the Revolution and to his character for veracity.
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.
He states that he served in all 18 months. The first tour of nine months and the second nine.
Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid.
S/ Dan Alexander, X his mark
[Ignatius Hall, John Kelly & C. B. Rains gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
[On February 25, 1853, Sarah Alexander [age not stated], filed an application in Dade County, Georgia for a widow's pension stating that she is the widow of Dan Alexander a revolutionary pensioner pensioned at the rate of $60 per annum, that he died in aid County Georgia on the first day of October 1839.]
[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $60 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831 for 18 months service in the revolution as a private.]
1 http://gaz.jrshelby.com/mccordsfy.htm
2 http://gaz.jrshelby.com/dorchester.htm
3 http://gaz.jrshelby.com/highhills.htm
