Pension Application of William Slade
W4069
Transcribed by Will Graves
State of North Carolina, County of Caswell
On this 7th day of November 1832 personally appeared in open Court before James Martin Esq. Judge of the Superior Court of Law of the County of Caswell and State of North Carolina now Sitting William Slade a resident of the Said County of Caswell and State of North Carolina aged 74 years on the 10th day of June last 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 7th, 1832. That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers and Served as herein Stated. Sometime in the month of March 1779 and this Declarant thinks on the sixth day of March, he volunteered under Captain Berry Turner of the County of Caswell and State of North Carolina in the Company or Regiment Commanded by Colonel McDowell & Lieutenant Colonel Tennin and was marched through the Said State by Salisbury and Charlotte and into the State of South Carolina to a place on the Saluda River and thence to a place called Horse Creek, and from there by Augusta in Georgia to a place called Bacon's Bridge and from thence down in the neighborhood of Charleston to watch the enemy or Cut off their Supplies and Continued until the Time for which this Declarant Volunteered expired, to wit, three months when he was discharged and returned home, he thinks in the month of June, he received a written discharge from Colonel McDowell But the Same is now destroyed and this Declarant thinks it was destroyed Some few years ago when his house was Robbed and his Valuable papers destroyed. This Declarant Continued at home (Caswell County, North Carolina) until after the Battle of Camden and when the Enemy under Lord Cornwallis pursued the American Army under the Command of General Green [sic, Nathanael Greene] through Caswell County and over Dan River in the State of Virginia – This Declarant volunteered himself and Joined General Greene's Army in their retreat into Virginia, he thinks it was in the Winter and about the first of the year 1781. He was put under the Command of a Captain Oldham as well as this Declarant now recollects in the Regiment Commanded by Colonel William Moore, was with General Greene's Army and under General Butler [John Butler] when they retreated into Virginia and until they (in their turn after getting reinforcements) pursued Lord Cornwallis as far as Guilford, where they overtook the enemy, and fought the Battle of Guilford. This Declarant was in the engagement and fought during the Battle, though his time expired on the very day of the Battle; after the engagement he applied for and obtained his discharge from Colonel Moore and returned home, some time in the Spring of the year 1781. The precise day this Declarant cannot now recollect, nor is he willing to State for it is in possible at this distant day to remember with any degree of Certainty. This written discharge he also lost at the same time that he lost his other discharge as spoken of before, he now thinks. Some time in the Month of August following 1781, this Declarant again Volunteered in a Company under the Command of Captain Adam Sanders and Lieutenant M. Lea, in the a Regiment under the Command of Colonel William Moore and Major Dudley Reynolds, were marched, by Hillsboro and to Fayetteville, and from thence, down to the lower part of the State near Wilmington, in pursuit of the British and Tories who had just before captured and taken our Governor (Burke) prisoner, we followed them to a place called the White Marsh where we overtook them and made an attack, But were Compelled to retreat and were marched, from place to place back again to Fayetteville, and from thence, a Circuitous route back again to near Wilmington and Was in the neighborhood of Wilmington, on the Cape Fear River when we heard of the Capture of the Enemy at Yorktown, and fired Several rounds at the Glorious event's; This Declarant Continued with the troops until his time expired & was then discharged he received his discharge from Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Owen on the 16th day of November 1781, which discharge he now has in his possession and which is in these words to wit
“Camp Rocky Point-- November 16, 1781
“This day Certify, that William Slade, hath
“Compleated his tour of duty in General
“Butler's Brigade S/ Thos Owen, Lt. Col.”
This Declarant returned home and was never afterwards Called into Service. Thus the whole time which this Declarant Served his Country during the revolutionary War: nine months as well as he Could state.
I hereby relinquish every Claim whatever 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.
The following interrogatories propounded by the Court to the applicant and answers
1st: When and in what year were you born?
Answer: I was born in Baltimore County in the State of Maryland on the 10th day of June 1758.
2nd Have you any record of you age and if so, where is it?
Answer: I have no record of my age and know it only from what I have always heard to be my age, and which I have retained in my memory.
3rd Where were you living when called into service? Where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live?
Answer: I was living in the County of Caswell when I was Called into Service. I have lived in said County ever Since, and I now live in the same County where I expect to live in his long as I do live.
4th How were you called into service; were you drafted; did you volunteer, or were you a substitute and if so for whom did you substitute?
Answer: I was a volunteer in every Case.
5th State the names of some of the Regular Officers who were with the troops where you served, such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service.
Answer: I was with General Greene, General Lincoln, General Butler, Colonel Dixon, Colonel Lytle, and Captain Lytle and others. I was with Colonel Dixon's Regiment and Colonel Lytle's Regiment of the regulars, Colonel Moore, Colonel McDowell & others of the Militia. The General Circumstances of my Services I have in some degree before detailed.
6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service; and if so by whom was it given; and what has become of it?
Answer: I received three discharges, two of which I think I lost when my house was broken open & my papers destroyed. The other I now have in my possession. The first was given by Colonel McDowell, the Second by Colonel Moore & the last by Colonel Owen. [The original of the discharge signed by Lt. Col. Owen is attached to this answer and would serve as an example of Col. Owen's handwriting.]
7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify to your character for veracity and good behavior and your services as a Soldier of the
Revolution.
Answer: I have lived in Caswell County N. C. where I now live for 60 years with the exception of a year or two in South Carolina about 30 years ago and am known to nearly all the Old man in the County to any or all of whom I am willing to trust my Character for truth & good behavior. I am known to General B. Graves [Barzillai Graves], James Rainey & others. I expect I can prove my Services by or Nathaniel Slade, Elisah Evans, Daniel Merritt & others.
Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
S/ Jeremiah Graves, Clerk
S/ William Slade, Senior, X his mark
We Richard Martin, a Clergyman residing in the County of Caswell and State of North Carolina and Paul A. Haralson residing in the County and State aforesaid, hereby certify we are well acquainted with William Slade, who has subscribed & Sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be 74 years of age as he states, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the revolution and that he we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
S/ Jeremiah Graves, Clerk
S/ Richard Martin
S/ Paul A. Haralson
State of North Carolina, Caswell County
On this the 1st day of June 1840 personally appeared before the Undersigned one of the Justices of the Court of pleas and quarter Sessions for the aforesaid County, Martha Slade, a resident of the aforesaid County aged 76 years, 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 made by the act of Congress passed July 7, 1838 entitled “an act granting half-pay & pensions to certain widows:”
And the Declarant the said Martha Slade sets forth upon her said oath, that she is the widow of William Slade Senior of the aforesaid County, Deceased, who was an United pensioner, under the Act of Congress passed the 7th of June, 1832 – That he received an annual stipend of $30 per annum. That to the best of this Declarant's recollection her husband was allowed a stipend for nine months or thereabouts as a private Soldier in the Militia. That said William Slade Senior became a pension or some time in the winter after the passage of the above pension law (1832). This Declarant does not remember the names of all the officers she has heard her Deceased husband speaking of. But remembers of hearing him speak of General Butler, Colonel Mebane & others. This Declarant further states upon her said oath that her maiden name was Kerr, and that she and the aforesaid William Slade Senior (pensioner aforesaid) were married in the County of Caswell aforesaid by Thomas Rice Esq., some time in the year 1789, to the best of this Declarant's knowledge & belief. That she has no record of her marriage. That she has never had any children. That from infirmity of body is unable to attend Court to make this Declaration. That her husband the aforesaid William Slade, Senior died some time in the year of 1836, and believes it was on the 31st day of August of that year; that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the Service, but the marriage took place previous to the first of January 1794, viz.: at the time above Stated. See affidavit are A.
[The last page of this declaration is missing from the file.]
[Page 15 of the Footnote.com version of the application contains a certified copy of the marriage bond signed by William and Thomas Slade for William's marriage to Martha Kerr. The bond is dated Dec. 22, 1786.]
[Document marked A is an affidavit of Mary Belsier and Sarah Thompson of Caswell County testifying as to the marriage of Martha Kerr to William Slade.]
State of North Carolina Caswell County
Superior Court of Law November Term 1832
Personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable James Martin, now in Session, Daniel Merritt, who being duly Sworn, Deposeth and saith that he was a Soldier of the Army of the revolution and that he well recollects William Slade Senior, That he this affiant was with him and served a tour with him in the State of South Carolina on the Saluda River, at a place called Bacon's Bridge, at Augusta in Georgia, and near Charleston in South Carolina, That he was also with the said William Slade at the Battle of Guilford Court House in North Carolina and that he Served his tour of duty as a Volunteer. He also knows that he served another Tour of Duty with the said William Slade in the Lower part of North Carolina and was with him and fought with him at the battle of the White Marsh near Wilmington, and that he was discharged at a place called Rocky Point, as well as this affiant now recollects.
Sworn to and Subscribed in open Court 7th Nov. 1832
S/ Daniel Merritt
S/ Jeremiah Graves, C. S. C.
State of North Carolina, Caswell County
This day came Thomas Lea and James M. Lea before me Thomas W. Graves one of the acting Justices of the peace in & for the County aforesaid and made oath that they was personally acquainted with William Slade Senior & his wife Martha and that they was married & lived together prior to the year 1794 as man & wife & always thereafter until the death of said William Slade Senior in 1836 as such.
Sworn to & subscribed before me Given under my hand at Yanceyville this the 14th of August 1840.
S/ James M. Lea
Test: S/ Thomas Leadership
S/ Thos. W. Graves, JP
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