Below I have pasted the Rev. War pension application of Richard Graham Jr., the brother-in-law George and James Gillespie, sons of Thomas and Naomi. I post this application because Richard mentions serving with George and participating in the battle of the Cowpens under General Daniel Morgan. George's great grandson was told by his grandfather Thomas L.(George's son) about George's participation in the battle of Cowpens. I do not have an original of this document but a transcript done by Opal Schneiderhahn, a descendent of Richard Jr. who located this application. It does not show in any of the books on pensions because Richard died shortly after submitting, probably before it was approved. She found it located in the Williamson County, TN minutes. This is interesting, because if any of us have ancestors that died in this time frame, but did not have pensions, we might want to check the minutes of the county to see if there is anything on record. Remember that this act was not enacted until 1832, so anyone that fought would be getting quite old. Richard was about 79 when he filed. I have done some reading on the battle of Cowpens, and everything Richard mentions fits exactly in the correct times and places. As always, if you see any errors I've made, or anything to add, please let me know. Thanks Larry ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- Sworn Statement of Richard Graham, Jr. Williamson County, Tennessee, 29 August, 1832 Minute Book 7, page 283 (Note: Richard died November 21, 1832, before the application was approved. Therefore his name is not on the list of Revolutionary War Soldiers.) State of Tennessee on this 29th day of August 1832 personally appeared in open Court before Thomas Stuart, Williamson County Judge of the fourth Judicial District of the State of Tennessee now sitting at Franklin, in Williamson County, Richard Graham, a resident of Williamson County, and State of Tennessee, aged seventy-eight years, who, being first and 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 into the service of the United States, as a volunteer, under Capt. Samuel Young, Thomas McGuire Adjutant, and Col. Davidson, the dates, he cannot recollect, but knows it was when the Scotch arose in opposition to the American Government, near Fayetteville in North Carolina, in the early part of the revolutionary war. He then resided in Roan County North Carolina, eleven miles form Salisbury, where he was mustered into service. >From that place they marched against the rebellious Scotch, and arrived near Fayetteville, where they were informed the Scotch had dispersed, and the Regiment then returned home, after an absence of about three weeks, no battle having been fought during this expedition. Some time after this, he thinks in the early part of the year 1780, he joined the U.S. army as a volunteer, under Capt. Richard Graham, and Lieutenant Cowen, Col. Harwright, and Col. Hampton. The day and month he cannot recollect, but knows it was a short time before the taking of Charleston, in South Carolina, by the British. He states he joined the army in Mecklenburg county, in North Carolina, and marched with the army thence to Charleston, in south Carolina, where they remained about three months, where he was discharged a short time before the besieging and taking of Charleston, that discharge was signed by Capt. Graham, and was burnt shortly after the war, as will be hereinafter stated. There were, while he remained there, some continental soldiers there, commanded by a Major Sharp, but the names of any other of the regular officers, he does not recollect. Ant the said Richard Graham further states that early in the month of January 1781, as well as he now recollects, he, in company with one George Gillespie, left his home in Roan County, N.C. having there, as volunteers, joined the company Capt. Abel Armstrong, an marched with that company to a ford on Pacolet river, where they joined the army commanded by Gen. Morgan, Major Joseph McDowell, being then their commanding officer. About a week after his arrival there, he was attached with fifteen or twenty soldiers, to convey six or seven tories, that the Americans had taken, to the Catawba river, in Mecklenburg County, N. Carolina, where they returned and joined the army, the same place they left it. In a few days after this, Gen. Morgan with his army, marched thence, in a Northern direction, into the edge of N. Carolina, where they were attacked by Col. Tarleton, and his army, and fought the strongly contested battle of the Cowpens. He states, that he was in that battle, and that besides Capt. Armstrong and Gen. Morgan, Col. Washington and Maj. McDowell were active officers in that battle. Morgans army having, at the battle of the Cowpens, taken a large number of prisoners, he thought nearly a thousand, started and pursued a winding and fatiguing march, of 7 or 8 days, with them in custody, when they arrived at the Catawba river, and crossed the same where he and all Capt. Armstrong’s company, with some other soldiers, were left to guard the ford, and prevent Cornwallis from crossing with his army, while the balance of Morgans army, with said prisoners, pursued their journey towards Guilford. The British did not cross the Catawba there, but in a few days they crossed below, and pursued Morgan’s army. Thence he, with all Capt. Armstrong’s company returned home, having been in service that campaign, as volunteer cavalry, about a month. Gen. Morgan, Col. Washington, and Maj. McDowell, were regular officers. He then received a discharge from Capt. Armstrong, for the tour. A few days after his arrival at home, he joined, as a volunteer, again, Capt. Armstrong’s company, the British being then in Salisbury, and marched to Second creek, where they stopped then a short time, and annoyed them in crossing, they pursued them to the Yadkin, and then turned up that river, after the tories, and after a absence of about two weeks, returned home, the battle of Guilford having, in the mean time, been fought. He was called out as a volunteer against the tories, shortly after this, in the same year, and joined Capt. Armstrong’s company, and marched to Mecklenburg County, N.C. near Charlotte, but the tories, not rising, or doing mischief, as had been expected, he with the whole company, returned home, after having served that tour two weeks. He further states, that he was called out as a volunteer, against the tories, shortly after this, in the spring or summer of 1787, and joined Capt. Knox’s company, and marched to where the tories had assembled, near Quaker meadows, on the Catawba river. The tories having dispersed, and Capt. Knox having been killed by his lieutenant by accident, he with the company returned home, having served that tour about two weeks. Some time in the fall of 1781, he joined as a volunteer, the company of Capt. Gilly Falls, which was a company of cavalry. They were stationed in Rutherford County, N. Carolina, West of the Catawba river, for the purpose of watching and fighting the tories. They were about one hundred in number, and while they lay there, they caught two tories, one named Cartwright, and made them run the gauntlet; after serving this tour, one month, he, and the company to which he belonged, returned home. He further states, that he was, during the revolutionary war at many other times called out against the tories, and served one and two weeks at a time, and he considers and believes, he was bound to military service during that war, and did actually serve as much as eight months, or more. He states that shortly after the war, he got his house burned with everything in it, his two discharges sharing the same fate as his other property, so that he has no documentary evidence, by which he can prove his said services; neither does he know of any person now living, by whom he can prove said services; all his companions in arms, whom he has known in the country having departed this life. He states he was born the 17th of March 1754, in Roan County, North Carolina, where he remained until the year 1803, when he removed to Williamson County, Tennessee, where he has resided ever since. He has no record of his age at this time. His age with those of all his brothers and sisters, was put down in a book called Flowells works, but it is so old, and has been so much used, that the dates of those ages, are torn out and obliterated. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever, to a pension or annuity, except the present, and declares that his name in not in the pension roll of the agency of any state. Sworn to and subscribed in open Court 29th August 1832 Richard Graham. Preston Heary Clerk We, T.L. Douglass, a clergy man, residing in Williamson County in Tennessee, and Edward Swanson Sr., and George Neely, Sr., residing in the neighborhood of Richard Graham, in the County of Williamson, State of Tennessee, here by certify, that we are well acquainted with the said Richard Graham, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration. That we believe him to be seventy-eight years of age. That he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concor in that opinion. Signed: Edward Swanson and George Neely.