Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 7268, for George Neese, North Carolina
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(3-1776)
Service					Number
N.C.		Neese, George		S.7268
					Carded
Contents
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5749

North Carolina

George Neese (9)

of Guilford in the State of N. Car. who was a pr. in the Compy commanded by Captain Whitesell of the Regh commanded by Col. Martin in the N. Car. line for 2 years from 1776.

Inscribed on the Roll of North Carolina at the rate of 80 – Dollars - - - Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 5th day of Feby 1833 and Sent Hon: AH Shepperd House of 
[illegible]

Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1832	120-

Semi=anl. allowance ending 4 Maize	40-

$460-

{Revolutionary Claim,}

{Act June 7, 1832.}

Recorded by Nathan Rice Clerk, Book D Vol. 8 Page 37-
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George Neese

Declaration for a Pension

Guilford Ct N. Car.
from 1776 private
year $80
Filed a pensions
31 Jany 1833

Hon. A.H. Shepperd
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State of North Carolina

Guilford County November Term 1832 (1)

On this [illegible] day of November AD, 1832 per-sonally appeared in Open Court before the Justices of our County Court the same being of record George Neese aged 86 years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832.

That he served under the following named Officers and as he herein State, ([illegible]) that in or about the year 1776 he volunteered in Guilford County, N. Carolina in a company command-ed by Lieutenant Clapp, Capt. Whitesell, [illegible] James Martin, [illegible] Genl. Rutherford and was marched to the western part of the State and encamped near a branch making into the Catata River called and marched thence to what was called head quarters about 12 miles on this Side of the Blue ridge – that he was marched thence over the Ridge [illegible] Frinch [illegible] river. [illegible] River to the Watanga towns after the Cherokee Indians, who had been for some time making depredations on the whites – that after destroying these Indian towns
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and many others further west called [illegible] Hill [illegible] Valley Indians – that he was marched thence back to a place called Hickory Ridge in the Western Territory, now [illegible] that he was marched thence home, separating from Genl Rutherford at a ford on the Catata – that he left home in the spring and returned in the fall of the year after being out on service for 4 or 6 months, that after his return he was engaged with his Whig friends against the Tories in the manner stated this day in Open Court by Wm Albright with Whom he served – that from 1776 to 1781 he was out at least half his time on short expeditions up and down the Country and deems it necessary to attend giving any other history of his little tours he states as, as we have made our statements before the [illegible] [illegible] before going into court, that he performed his last mentioned service under Capt Whitesell, Capt Forbis, and Paisley, that he was born in Burk County, Pennsylvania, 1st November AD 1744, which is written in an old Bible in his own house and moved in 1769 to N Carolina, Guilford County.
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Where he has resided ever since, that he never received a written discharge and has no documentary evidence of his services – that he hereby relinquishes every Claim to a pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state

Subscribed and Sworn to in Open Court

Geo Martin

A.E. Hanner

I, Wm Albright hereby certify that I have for upwards of fifty years been acquainted with [illegible] has Subscribed and Sworn to the Above declarations and know from my own personal knowledge that what he states is true

Subscribed and Sworn to in Open Court

William Albright

A.E. Hanner

We, Joseph McLean & Mattias Swing hereby certify that we have known [illegible] who has Subscribed and Sworn to the above declaration that the
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declaration has been [illegible] in our hearing And the [illegible] by Capt. Wm Albright and know that what they have stated is Substantially true

Subscribed and Sworn to in Open Court

Joseph McLain	Mattias Swing

A.E. Henner

We, Wm Adam & Benj Ross, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with [illegible] and state that is has can be said of him and [illegible] [illegible] in his neighbourhood that he was a Soldier of the Revolution and done great and [illegible] service to the Country in putting [illegible] the [illegible] and that we fully Concur in this Opinion

Subscribed and Sworn to in Open Court	Bj. Ross

A.E. Hanner	William Adam

I, Wm Paisley, a clergyman resident in the County of Guilford, certify that I am acquainted with Wm Albright who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing [illegible] declaration that he is of good Character and is reported and believed in his neigh-bourhood to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that I concur in that opinion.

Sworn to in Open Court

A.E. Hanner	Wm Paisley
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State of North Carolina}	(3)
Guilford County}

Be it known that on the 23rd day of January A.D. 1833, personally appeared me, Marshall McLean, an acting Justice in and for the County of Guilford, [illegible] who being first duly sworn according to Law, act on his Oath make the following affidavit by way of amend-ment to his, the preceding declaration, the propriety of which has been suggested by his representative in Congress, the Honourable Augustus H. Shepherd – that he would have been partic-ular at first, but that he and his friend and brother in arms, Capt. Wm Albright, made their statement before the same attorney - and as it was the same in truth, having done service much together – that he still requests that reference would [illegible] had to said Albright declaration and amendment which he this day makes before Justice McLean, that he performed his Cherokee expe-dition before Albright moved from Pennsylvania into the bounds of his acquaintance and took part with him in the [illegible] great
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and glorious struggle – that the greater portion of his service was performed in the manner described by said Albright, a few days at one time, a few weeks at another, and something something like a month in a tour – that there were many Tories living below him and [illegible] few Whigs between his section of the state and the town of Wilmington – that he lived as is were between the Whigs and Tories and was compelled either to submit to the insult and Ravages of these infa-mous, cowardly, and reckless Tories, [illegible] their party, or take of his arms and fight like a man in defence of himself, his friends, and the freedom of his Country – that there was one Col. Fanning, a Tory who used every effort and stratagem to humble and, in fact, to impoverish and [illegible] [illegible] and destroy the Whigs – that said Fanning [illegible] as a place of safety among the [illegible] swamps and would often [illegible] [illegible] among the high Hill, of Randolph County, called the Caraway Mountains and send his men often into
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the immediate neighbourhood – that there also one Col. Brian who lived up on the Yadkin River who was likewise influential among the Tories and for a while was a source of uneasiness to the Whigs that in order to operate with [illegible] and [illegible] on these Tories there were formed two companies in Guilford called minute men, the one under the [illegible] and of Capt. Forbis and [illegible] [illegible] – the other under Capt. Whitesell and Lieu. Clappe, that these companies stood always ready to march on a minute’s warning when there was invasion from a distance or insurrection among Tories of the immediate neighbourhood, that he might be said with some degree of truth to have been a soldier of the Revolution from its commencement to its termination, that nearly as much time was spent in service as he was per-mitted to be at home and that he was absolutely compelled as well as the Whigs generally to go
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armed at home and even when at church – that he is a German talk, English badly – that from this, together with his age and failed memory, he labours under difficulties in making out his declaration – that he is confined generally and in fact always at home – that there lives no minister of the Gospel [illegible] who knows anything about him – that there is one Rev. [illegible] Crawford who lives as he is told in three or four miles of him – that he has not been long in the country & consequently can know little but little about him, that as to the time he served he thinks from the best of his recollect-tion and manner of service he must have served in all not [illegible] than two years

Subscribed and Sworn to the day and year aforesaid

Marshall McLean	Geo [illegible] Neese

mark

I, Wm Albright, hereby certify I did service with Geo Neese mentioned above in the [illegible] company commanded by Capt. Whitesell and leaving out his [illegible] expedition, if called on to give a history of his service would have to repeat nearly what he has said in his own declarations.

Subscribed and Sworn to the day + year aforesaid

Marshall McLean	William Albright
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State of North Carolina}
Guilford County}	(4)

Be it known that on this 23rd day of January A.D. 1833 personally appeared before me, Robt Mayben, an acting Justice in and for the County of Guilford. Mattias Swing, who being first sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following affidavit, to wit, that he has been informed the preceding declaration has been forwarded to the Honourable Augustus H. Shepherd, his representative in Congress, to be by him forwarded to the War Department – that it was returned by him suggesting certain amendments, one of which is that thou who have made certificate Should explain more fully how they required their knowledge of the applicant services – that he (Swing) & Neese served with each Other After from the Commencement of the revolutionary war to the end of it, that his first service with him was on a tour after the Indians about the commence-ment of the war – that he was out often any often down the country towards Fayetteville – then Cross Creek down among the High Hills of Randolph County called the Caraway mountains – that the greater portion of said [illegible] service was performed against the Tories – that their tours were so frequent and made in such a way that it would have
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And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a soldier of the Revolution and served as he states & the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Wm Paisley, who has subscribed the preceding Certificate, is a clergyman residing in Guilford County and that all other persons who have signed preceding Certificates are likewise residents in Guilford County, are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to Credit.

William Adams
F Fentress
B Ross

State of North Carolina

I, Alfred E. Hanner, clerk of the Court of pleas & quarter [illegible] for the County of Guilford

Do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of George Neese for a Pension.

[illegible] Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court of Office this 28th day of December 1832

A.E. Hanner
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(5)

been to him difficult, even at the close of the war to have stated with accuracy and certainly the particular periods, month, or year When he per-formed them – that he could not say that said Neese was always with him when he called out himself to do service – that he dis-tinctly recollects the happening of certain little events, which convinced him that Neese was with him – that once when he was on a tour after the Tories, his company heard of a wedding where it was expected to many of the Tories would be collected, that they marched immediately [illegible] and took possession of [illegible] the Tories and then [illegible] – that he recollects of seeing said Neese at the festivities of this occasion – that he re-collect him from the circumstances of breaking a fiddle – that once when on another Tour further down the country it was discovered that there
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were Tories encamped on this side and not very far from a large [illegible] deep creek (since called drowning creek), that it was supposed that these Tories would make for a Bridge that was on said creek as soon as the Whigs should be discovered to be near – that to prevent their escape on this Bridge some of the Whig soldiers were sent with orders to station themselves at the other end of the bridge – that these soldiers succeeded in getting around the Tories and on the Bridge with detection – that when they arrived farther end of the Bridge they tore off the planks of the Bridge at the end of it and hid themselves, that as soon as the Tories were attacked, they fled with great [illegible] and confusion and many of them rushed on the Bridge and were plunged into the creek before it was discovered that the planks of the bridge were taken up,
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that he recollects of Neese being with him [illegible] – that he could go on and mention many other little circumstances that occurred on other Tours which enable him to recollect with certainty that Neese was with him but thinks this would be useless – that he is old and owing to his memory having failed him greatly he cannot pretend any thing like a correct history of the fourth of the little Tours which he and Neese were out together, but states that the people in his section of North Carolina were divided from the Commence-ment to the end of the war into two parties The Whig and The Tory which Keeps up a continental Civil war and that the Whigs who were able to bear arms were compelled to be out on service near half the time that George Neese (aforesaid) was out on a Tour towards the South in 1780 on thereabout in which this
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affiant was not – that there were two companies of Whigs in his section that does almost constant service, one called the Dutch Company and the Other called the Irish Company – that the Dutch were under the Command of Capt. Whitesel, and the English or Irish under Capt. Forbis – that Neese done the most of his service under Capt. Whitesel – that both these companies were under the command of Col. Jno Paisley – that he would take it on himself to state the time that Said Neese was out on service but would suppose not less than two years – that Neese has become a very old man and has always been an industrious blacksmith and has always been looked upon as a Soldier of the Revolution.

Subscribed and Sworn to the day & year

Aforesaid	[illegible]

Mattias Swing

R. Mayben	J. P.	mark
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I, Marshal McLean, an acting Justice in and for the County of Guilford (n) do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Geo Neese, Joseph McLean, Mattias Swing, Wm Albright, Wm Adams, Benj Ross mentioned above that they are credible pensions – and that from their age and other opportunities can feasibly certify to every statement they have made.

Marshall McLean [illegible]

State of North Carolina

I, Alfred E. Hanner, clerk of the Court of pleas & quarter [illegible] for the County of Guilford,

Do hereby certify that Marshall McLean [illegible] whose name appears (in his own genuine hand Writing) to the foregoing affida-vits is and was an Acting Justice of the Peace in & for said County legally Commissioned & qualified as Such and That due faith & Credit is and Ever has been given to all his Acts and attestations as Such.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & affixed the Seal of said Court at office this 25th day of January A.D. 1833.

A.E. Hanner
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7268

[illegible] INVALID.	[illegible]	(10)

File No. 7268

George Neese

Pri Rev War

Act: June 7th 32

Index:-Vol. [illegible], Page 274

[Arrangement of 1870.]
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North Carolina

Guilford County	(8)

I, William Causly, an acting Justice in and for the county and state aforesaid hereby certify that I have known George Neese, Mattias Swing, Leodwick Clapp and Capt. Wm Albright for about forty five years – that I have been informed they are now making application to the Government for a pension for Revolutionary services – that they are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit, that from general report, I believe they are Whigs and from the history of the Revolutionary Times, I have on second, I doubt not that they were soldiers, I would unhesitatingly believe any statement they might make about their services on oath.

But that he have moved into the State since the revolution and make this state-ment entirely from general report.
[illegible]

I have always heard it said and more contradicted to the above named individuals were soldiers of the revolution.	Marshall McLean