Bounty Land
BOUNTY LAND
John Carson's service in the American Revolution
(Author’s note: John Carson fought in the southern theater of the American Revolution contracted malaria and suffered from it for the rest of his life. He lived to be 84 and ultimately settled in Rush County, Indiana. He was entitled to his bounty land long before he claimed it, but record keeping was sporadic and he needed proof of his service from officers who were either unreachable or dead. Finally, in 1832, Congress passed a law enabling Revolutionary War Vets to testify before a judge and claim their well deserved, but long lost bounty -- the war ended fifty-one years earlier in 1781.
The following is the testimony John Carson gave in an effort to secure his Bounty Land, Spelling and punctuation are exactly as found in the original document.
State of Indiana In the Rush Circuit Court Rush County
At the term of April, AD 1833 On this tenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three, John Carson personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Charles John Gregg, Esquires, his associates now sitting in and for the said County of Rush, John Carson of Noble Township in said County of Rush, age seventy two years who being 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 7, 1832.
That he was born on the third day of May in the year of 1761 but leaving his father when quite young he neglected to take a copy of the record of his age which his father kept, and therefore has no record of it. Since the Revolution he has lived in the state of Kentucky until four years ago, during which time he has lived in the said County of Rush.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he was drafted as a private soldier for three months in the State of Virginia, Henry County. The name of his Captain was Masterson. He does not now recollect the names of his Lieutenant and Ensign. This was in the year of 1780, sometime in the month of July as he thinks. He recollects that it was just after the defeat of General Gates at the South. Then he marched with his company from the said Henry County across the Dan River to Hillsborough, North Carolina, where they joined the Army under General Gates. He cannot recollect the names of the Colonel of the Regiment to which he belonged or whether he was attached to any particular Regiment. He lay with the troops at Hillsborough something more than two months when they were ordered to Gilfird Courthouse and remained there three or four weeks when they were marched back to Henry County, Virginia; and at the end of three months was discharged, having served the full term of three months for which he was drafted and received a written discharge from his Captain, which he has long since lost, in consequence of which he has no documentary evidence to prove his services aforesaid and knows no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to the same.
And said John Carson further states that in the fall of the year 1780, the exact day and month he cannot now recollect, he with a number of others went from Henry County to McKlurgbrough Magazine under Roanoake where he volunteered under Colonel Mumford in the Virginia Troops. He remained at McKlurgburgh but a short time, when he was marched under Col. Davis, not yet being attached to any particular Company, to Chesterfield in the state of Virginia. He remained at Chesterfield in winter quarters under the Command of Col. Davis and in the spring about the last of March or first of April in the year of 1781 their detachment had a battle or skirmish with the Queens Rangers on James River in which he was. The American Troops according to the best of his recollection were Commanded by a French Colonel. Shortly afterwards he marched with Lieutenant Campbell, a son of Colonel Archibald Campbell, with a small body of Troops towards Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina and jointed the army under General Green at the place called Frosts Iron Works the next day after the battle at Guilford Courthouse between General Green and Lord Cornwallis. He was these places in a Company under the Command of Capt. Morgan.
The above mentioned son of Col. Campbell was Lieutenant. The name of the Ensign he cannot now recollect. Archibald Campbell was Col. of the Regiment to which he belonged. He was with the Army in pursuit of Cornwallis at Cross Creek where the enemy cut down the bridge so that Greens Army could not get across, Cornwallis retreating to Wilmington. We then went with Gen. Green to Camden in South Carolina, passing through Salisbury leaving Charlott to the right, through a place called Flatrock, until we wrrived at Camden, where we assailed the enemy under Lord Rawdon, sometime he thinks, in the month of May. After Various skirmishes for something like eight or ten days, we corssed the Catauba and took our position on the South side of the town and then he was in a skirmish at a redoubt under the command of Capt. Morgan. After remaining a short time at this position we were marched back to our old Campground. A few days afterwards as the troops were generally engaged in washing their clothes they were attacked by the army under Lord Rawdon and a general engagement ensued in the whole of which he was engaged. Our army retreated about six miles to a place at that time called French Tavern where the Army lay four or five days and crossed the Catauba above the Tavern leaving him sick with fever.
He lay at this place sick for five months when he got better and not knowing where to find the army and being unable to perform military duty he made his way to his Uncl's place in Henry County, Virginia where he had a relapse of his sickness and sick for eight or nine months, peace being declared before he recovered his health. He would further state that while in pursuit of Cornwallis as above stated he was detailed into Lee's Corps for the purpose of scouting after the Tories in which service he engaged about a week and endured great privation and fatigue. He recollects in this tour the regiment of Deleware Blues, a regiment of the Deleware line and the first Virginia Regiment in which he served. He also recollects Col. Washington's Light Horse, as they were called after Lee left the Army. He recollects to have seen many officers but length of tike has obliberated their names from his recollection. From the time he volunteered until he was taken sick was,. according to the best of his recollection, eight months, but he will put it positively at seven months. From the time he was taken sick until he was able to make his way to his Uncles was five months. Which makes twelve, and added to the first three months for which he was drafted makes the term of fifteen months.
He would state that he served during the whole of this time as a private soldier. He would further state that after the recovery of his heath he called on Col. Mumford for a discharge who told him that he need not put himself to any trouble to procure one as the war was over and government had no further demand on him, in consequence of which he has no documentary evidenced relating to his discharge and that he knows of no person whose Testimony he can claim to whose testimony he can procure to testify to his services and he hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or anuities whatsoever except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state or if any only that agency of the state of Virginia.
Sworn and subscribed to in open court, John Carson Robert Thompson, clerk We, John Langley a clergyman residing in the said county of Rush and David Looney and Harvey W. Carr residing in the same county hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Carson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declartion in the neighborhood were he resided to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
The above mentioned son of Col. Campbell was Lieutenant. The name of the Ensign he cannot now recollect. Archibald Campbell was Col. of the Regiment to which he belonged. He was with the Army in pursuit of Cornwallis at Cross Creek where the enemy cut down the bridge so that Greens Army could not get across, Cornwallis retreating to Wilmington. We then went with Gen. Green to Camden in South Carolina, passing through Salisbury leaving Charlott to the right, through a place called Flatrock, until we wrrived at Camden, where we assailed the enemy under Lord Rawdon, sometime he thinks, in the month of May. After Various skirmishes for something like eight or ten days, we corssed the Catauba and took our position on the South side of the town and then he was in a skirmish at a redoubt under the command of Capt. Morgan. After remaining a short time at this position we were marched back to our old Campground. A few days afterwards as the troops were generally engaged in washing their clothes they were attacked by the army under Lord Rawdon and a general engagement ensued in the whole of which he was engaged. Our army retreated about six miles to a place at that time called French Tavern where the Army lay four or five days and crossed the Catauba above the Tavern leaving him sick with fever.
He lay at this place sick for five months when he got better and not knowing where to find the army and being unable to perform military duty he made his way to his Uncl's place in Henry County, Virginia where he had a relapse of his sickness and sick for eight or nine months, peace being declared before he recovered his health. He would further state that while in pursuit of Cornwallis as above stated he was detailed into Lee's Corps for the purpose of scouting after the Tories in which service he engaged about a week and endured great privation and fatigue. He recollects in this tour the regiment of Deleware Blues, a regiment of the Deleware line and the first Virginia Regiment in which he served. He also recollects Col. Washington's Light Horse, as they were called after Lee left the Army. He recollects to have seen many officers but length of tike has obliberated their names from his recollection. From the time he volunteered until he was taken sick was,. according to the best of his recollection, eight months, but he will put it positively at seven months. From the time he was taken sick until he was able to make his way to his Uncles was five months. Which makes twelve, and added to the first three months for which he was drafted makes the term of fifteen months.
He would state that he served during the whole of this time as a private soldier. He would further state that after the recovery of his heath he called on Col. Mumford for a discharge who told him that he need not put himself to any trouble to procure one as the war was over and government had no further demand on him, in consequence of which he has no documentary evidenced relating to his discharge and that he knows of no person whose Testimony he can claim to whose testimony he can procure to testify to his services and he hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or anuities whatsoever except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state or if any only that agency of the state of Virginia.
Sworn and subscribed to in open court, John Carson Robert Thompson, clerk We, John Langley a clergyman residing in the said county of Rush and David Looney and Harvey W. Carr residing in the same county hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Carson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declartion in the neighborhood were he resided to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
(c) 2009 Marti Talbott