Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements Pension Application of Caleb Mason: S1917 Transcribed and annotated by Pat Mason Harris and C. Leon Harris State of Tennessee} Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions Wilson County} February Term 1821. viz. On this 8 day of February 1821. personally th appeared in open Court, (being a Court of record, for the County aforesaid, made so by act of assembly), Caleb Mason, aged Sixty Seven years, who being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provision, made by the act of Congress of the 18th of March 1818, and the 1st of May 1820. that he the said Caleb Mason enlisted for the term of Six months in the fall of 1775, in the State of North Carolina, in the company commanded by Capt Hardy Murfree, in the regiment commanded by Colonel Robert Howe in the line of the State of North Carolina on the Continental establishment, that he continued to serve in the said Corps until the Six months had expired, when he was honorably discharged from said service in Edington [sic: Edenton], in the State of North Carolina. Declarant, states that while under Capt Murfry [sic], he was in the battle of the great bridge, that he then marched to Norfolk, and continued there until Gen How burnt the Town [see note below] that he was then marched to Suffolk, and from thense to Edington. Declarant states, that after his discharge at Edington, he enlisted for the term of two years in the spring of 1776 in the State of North Carolina, in the company commanded by Capt James Anderson, in the regiment commanded by Colonel [Selby] Harney, of which Col Charles Gavin[?] was paymaster, in the line of the State of North Carolina, on the continental establishment that he continued to serve in said Corps nearly two years; Declarant states that about three weeks after the last enlistment, he was made adjutant in said Company - that he served on the sea board during this time, and about the expiration of it, petitioned to the Governor and Council against the Captains Cowardice, and occasioned the Company and three others to which it was attached to be broke up - That during the time he was attached to Capt Anderson’s Company he was in no engagement, but saw some service in repelling Privateers & Gallies off the Coast, that he afterwards moved under Gen Green [sic: Nathanael Greene], as a Capt for Six months, and that he has no other evidence now in his power, of the said services except, William Perkins and Benjamin Gibbs affidavits annexed. And in pursuance of the act of the 1st of May 1820. I do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States, on the 18th day of March, one thousand eight hundred and Eighteen, and that I have not since that time by Gift, sale, or in any manner disposed of my property, or any part there of, with intent thereby so to diminish it, as to bring myself within the provisions of an act of Congress entitled “an act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land or naval service of the United States, in the revolutionary war” passed on the 18th day of March, one thousand, eight hundred and Eighteen; and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property, or Securities, contracts or debts, due to me, other than what is contained in the Schedule hereto annexed, and by me subscribed, one basket which I owe for, worth 75 cents. My occupation is that of a manufacturer of tobacco - I have no family - living with me - am lame and infirm - I can procure but little to do in any kind - and am almost entirely disabled from working at any trade, by the Rheumatist, and old age Sworn to in open Court [signed] Caleb Mason State of Tennessee.} Weakly [sic: Weakley] County} On this 11th day of October in the year of our Lord 1832. personally appeared before the County Court now sitting of Weakly County State of Tennessee, it being a Court of record, it having a Clerk and proceeding according to the Course of the Common Law} Caleb Mason a resident of said County of Weakly & state of Tennessee aged Seventy nine 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 7th 1832. That he was born in Currituck County North Carolina on the 15th day of February 1754. That sometime in the year 1775. he enlisted in the army of the United States at Murfreesborough in [Hertford County] North Carolina under Capt. Hardy Murphry [sic]. William Gardner was our first Lieutenant but I do not remember who was our second Lieutenant and ensign. from Murfreesborough we marched to Edenton in N. Carolina where we joined our regiment under Colo. Robert Howe first-Colonel & Colo White second-Colonel. he does not now remember the No. of the regiment but thinks it was the first or second [2nd North Carolina Continental Regiment]. We remained a short time at Edenton when we were marched in the state of Virginia and fought at the great bridge battle when Captain Fordise [sic: Charles Fordyce] of the British Grenadiers was killed When we got to the great bridge we made breastworks and entrenched ourselves behind them. Fordise was in a Fort in an open Savanna. he got orders from Governor Dunmore to drive us from the breastworks. Just at the break of day {the date not recollected} Capt Fordise appeared on the bridge at the head of his men with his sword in one hand and a torch in the other to burn our breastworks he called to his men to follow him that the way was theirs. Just as he spoke those words he was shot down. seven balls having passed through his body a considerable slaughter of the enemy ensued and four or five clubbed their must [muskets?] and run to us and after enlisted in our service. the Virginia troops fought with us in this battle but I do not now remember who was their commander. a few days after this we got a reinforcement of fifteen hundred men & marched to Norfolk and took up our winter quarters there. early in the Spring [sic: 1 Jan 1776] the British fleet commenced a firing on Norfolk and tried to Land their men under cover of their cannon but we killed every man as fast as they Landed. a drummer & fifer swam ashore from the british fleet about this time & Joined us. the drummers name was Scott & I think the fiver [sic] was named Tiack[?]. I understood that Scott was killed in the battle of Brandywine [11 Sep 1777] Governor Dunmore was on board and I believe commanded the fleet during the time here spoken of. the british fleet still remained opposite Norfolk. We were ordered to leave Norfolk & to march to Suffolk in Virginia We burnt Norfolk before we left it to prevent the british from harbouring in it. We then marched to Suffolk and were placed under the command of Colo Scott [Charles Scott of Virginia] & Maj’r. Parker. Our Colo. Howe went to Williamsburgh [sic: Williamsburg] and was made a General [1 March 1776] & Capt. Benjamine Williams was his aide camp when Howe returned he marched us to Edenton in North Carolina where we were discharged thus ended this term of service this declarant having been Six months in actual service during this campaign- Just after this term of service was ended Governor [Richard] Caswell the then Governor of North Carolina ordered four companies to be raised to guard the sea coast to prevent the british gallies from coming into the inlets. one company was stationed at old Currituck inlet. one at Ocrecock [sic: Ocracoke] bar. one at old topsail inlet [in Pender County]. & the other at White Oak inlet [in Carteret County]. I enlisted in one of these companies the one commanded by Capt James Anderson & which was stationed at Ocracock barr. Benjamine Bonner & James Wharhob[?] were my Lieutenants. Capt James Harney commanded the company at Old topsail. Cpt. Dosier commanded at Old Currituck inlet I do not now remember who commanded the company at White Oak inlet. These were called independent companies. there were none of them that new any thing of discipline but myself & James Wharhob the second Lieutenant resigned his commission and I was appointed in his place. and I served upwards of eighteen months in this capacity of second Lieutenant. John Bray was ensign & should have taken the place of second Lieutenant but as he knew nothing of discipline he recommended me- during the time I was stationed at Ocracock bar we had several skirmishes to keep the gallies from landing their men. My Capt. managed badly & was a coward and I told Ben Bonner my first Lieutenant that we were doing no good for our Country and we went to the Governor and impeached our Capt. with bad conduct and cowardice. The Governor then dismissed the whole four companies and said I had saved the Country upwards of thirty thousand dollars by my informing him of that bad management. Thus ended my second time of service being upwards of eighteen months in actual service during this enlistment In the latter part of the year 1779. or the first part of the year 1780. there was a draught for men to serve nine months. I then resided in Hide [sic: Hyde] County North Carolina Henry Gibbs was draughted and I became a substitute for him the men thus draughted all marched to Kingston in North Carolina [sic: more likely Kinston in Lenoir County NC] we were not officered the Governor then gave me a Captains Commission on the recommendation of Colo Abraham Jones. Colo Palmlin the Colo in Hide County sent by me when I marched to Kingston his resignation to present to the Governor which I did but the Governor would not accept it because war was then raging & he said it was no time for resigning. many of them who were draughted at this time refused to march to Kingston and I was employed by the Governor to bring them to Kingston & to enlist men. some I placed under Capt. Reuben Roundtree & some I placed under Capt Eburn. my commission as captain ended in about three months. When I had collected the deserters & inlisted a sufficient no. of men I then returned to Hide County and in 1780. or 1781. I substituted for Thomas Gibbs who was the uncle of Henry Gibbs. I then went to Fayetteville North Carolina and joined the regiment under Colo. Brown. William Dennis was our first Major. I was then made adjutant of the Regiment we were under General Linnington. We were ordered by General Green [sic: Nathanael Greene] to march to Hiewassy river to a certain Ford to build a Fort to keep the enemy from crossing this was at the time that General Morgan defeated Tarlton at the Cowpens [sic: Gen. Daniel Morgan defeated Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton at the Cowpens in South Carolina, 17 Jan 1781] the ford where we were stationed was twelve miles from the Cowpens where this battle was fought [see note below]. after the defeat of Tarlton General Green ordered us to haw river [in North Carolina] to head Cornwallis to keep him from going into Virginia but owing to the cowardice or treachery of General Lennington we did not head Cornwallace altho it was in his power We were then ordered to Wilmington and General Linnington left us and took protection under the enemy [See note below.] Majr Dennis remained & we marched the men to Kingston where we were discharged. this ends my service as above stated it being in all Two years & six months. after this I volunteered as a Captain against the Tories and served in this way about three months. He states that he received a discharge signed by Capt Hardy Murphy at the end of his first campaign but that he got upset in a boat in Albermarle sound [sic: Albemarle Sound NC] and lost this paper as also his Lieutenants commission. He kept for many years his commission as Captain & untill it got worn out in his pockett. both Commissions were signed by General Caswell he has no documentary evidence of his service and knows of no person now living by whom he can prove his service He once proved his service by Benjamine Gibbs & Wm Perkins both of whom are now dead. he left there testimony to be sent to the pension office in the hands of the Lawyer who drew his declaration but he cannot now get this testimony as the Lawyer does not know what he had done with it. he states that he is known by Wm FitzGerald & the Revr. Thos. Ross to whom he refers. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever 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 nor never has been [signed] Caleb Mason NOTES: Accounts of the Battle of Great Bridge on 9 Dec 1775 and the burning of Norfolk vary greatly. William Woodford, as Colonel of the 2 Virginia Continental nd Infantry, would have commanded the troops at the battle, but at the insistence of the Virginia Convention he shared command with Howe of North Carolina. Some accounts state that the North Carolina troops had been dismissed before the battle began. Norfolk was largely destroyed by the British on 1 Jan 1776 before it was burned the next day to deny them the port. The decision to burn the city may have been made by its Committee of Safety. “ Hiewassy river” may be a reference to Hiwassee River in North Carolina, but that is too far from Cowpens SC to be the site referred to by Mason. A ford 12 miles from Cowpens would probably have been on the Broad River. We found no record of a “General Lennington” who was ordered “to head Cornwallis to keep him from going into Virginia” but who instead “took protection under the enemy.” Gen. Greene would not have ordered a small militia force to oppose Cornwallis’s entire army. After the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on 15 March 1781, however, Greene did order Gen. John Alexander Lillington to harass Cornwallis on his withdrawal to Wilmington NC. Historical accounts indicate that Lillington performed effectively in this campaign and for the next five months in fighting Loyalists around Wilmington, and that he remained a Brigadier General in the NC Militia until 1783. A note on Mason’s pension certificate states that he died 1 Aug 1851. **************Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try it now. (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000010)