Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 8,982, for William Pridgeon, North Carolina
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State of North Carolina county of columbus
Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions August Sessions 1832

On this the 13th day of August AO 1832, personally appeared in open Court  before the Worshipful Moorelennon Absolom Powall, and Elisha Sellars holding the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions now sittings. John Fowler a resident of said County aged Eighty five years who being first duly sworn according to law deposeth I saith as following
That the said William pridgeon, an applicant for a pension under the act of congress of jun 7th 1832 did serve a tour of sea months duty in the Militia during the Revolutionary War
That he the Deponent and the said Willaim Pridgeon shortly after the commencement of hostilities on this part of the country after during the revolutionary war the years 4 month not recollected by this Deponent enlisted at the same time at a place called Mattheas old Field, in Sampson County North Carolina for a service of six months in a company of militia called minutemen, of which Richard Clinton was Captain ,Patrick Stewart was lieutenant , to me known as well as the Deponent recollects was Ensign that they were marched to Wilmington North Carolina, where together with another company of Minute men, under the command of capt James (illegible) they were
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commanded by Col James Kenan that while at Wilmington [NC] the Minute men were employed in scouting parties watching the Tories, and guarding the Town. That after remaining at that place for sometime, they were marched thence to meet a body of Tories that were said to be advancing-  with whom they had an engagement at Moore Creek Bridge [Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, NC 1776] in which the Tories were defeated - their [Tory] Colonel [Donald] McLeod having been killed,  also a [Tory] Captain [John ] Campbell, called the Captain of the Broad-swords men. Before the engagement the minute men united with the main body of the Militia united with the main body of the Militia under the Command of General [Richard] Caswell.

That after returning home two or three times the Deponent and the said William Pridgeon being able to be called out of any moment continued to serve on various duties until the expiration of their Term of Service.
 John    X    Fowler
         Mark
Sworn to and subscribed
August 13th 1832 H
also appears to our satisfaction that the said John Fowler is a credible witness - In testimony where of. We have hereunto subscribed our names, & directed the seal of the Court to be affixed,& this certificate to countersigned by the clerk
Moore Linnon chairman
Absalom Powell J.P.
Cks Baldwinkle
Elisha Sikurs

[Illegible seal attached]
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State of North Carolina 
County of Bladen  
Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions
August Term 1832

Present the Worshipful Esquires
William H Beatty
Robert Melvin
James Mac Duffee  Esquire
John Melvin Junr [Junior] 

On this the seventh day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared in open Court before William H. Beatty, Robert Melvin, James Mac Duffee & John Melvin [Illegible] Esq. Justices of the Court of Pleas Quarter [Illegible] of Bladen County aforesaid, now sitting, William Pridgeon, a resident of the County of Bladen and State of North Carolina aged one hundred years, the 27th June 1832, 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 services of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated, that he entered his first term of service as a volunteer under the command of Captain Richard Clinton for six months, as a minute man in Duplin County, State of North Carolina, Patrick Stewart Lieutenant and Clifton Bowen
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[Declaration page 4]

Bowen Ensign. that our company first embodied at the Six Runs bridge then in Duplin County[NC] but now in Sampson, Duplin County having been since divided, that he does not recollect either the day, month or year when he entered the service, that he believes it was the latter end of summer because in their march they got new cider to drink & that it was towards the spring of the year when he was discharged as on his return the woods were newly burnt, 

that he marched from the Six Runs bridge (now called Taylor's bridge) to Wilmington, [by Long Creek Ridge, crossed out] through South Washington in New Hanover County, that he remained sometime in & about Wilmington guarding up & down the River (Cape Fear) as it was said & expected that the British would land at the flats below Wilmington & march up

that while in Wilmington, we received information that the tories were marching & down to Negro-head point near Wilmington commanded by [Tory Donald] McLeod & [Tory] McDaniel, at which place the British were to meet them, and our officers received orders from Genl [Richard] Caswell to meet his forces at Moores Creek Bridge [NC]. Another company commanded by Captain James Love also marched with Capt Richard Clinton's company from the Six Runs Bridge aforesaid to Wilmington. Sometime after we arrived at Wilmington, a company commanded by a Captain [Michael] King came there to our assistance.
When our officers received the order from Genl [Richard] Caswell to meet him
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[Declaration page 5]

at Moores Creek bridge [NC] that he marched with companies aforesaid across the river (North East, a branch of the Cape Fear) at Negro head Point [Road], up to Moore's Creek bridge, where we arrived a little before Genl [Richard] Caswell's army and commenced making entrenchments but on the same day Genl [Richard] Caswell & his army came, and we finished that day one line of entrenchment across the road and encamped there the night before the engagement. 
[Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, North Carolina 1776]  

After Genl [Richard] Caswell & his army crossed  the creek the bridge was taken up.  Next morning before it was light the tories were firing at us across the creek and attempted to cross, in which some succeeded and  among the rest, [Tory] McLeod who was killed and his army was defeated:

from thence he marched back to Wilmington, from thence to Fort Johnson & from thence to Lockhart's folly [near Wilmington NC] & from thence back to Wilmington  guarded up & down the River to keep the British from landing and at the expiration of the six months for which he volunteered was discharged there.

That he resided in Daplin County [Duplin County] in the state of North Carolina when he entered the service where he was born & resided  that he knows of no person who is acquainted with his services during these six months except John Fowler who is a resident of Columbus County in the State of North Carolina aforesaid who is very aged, that he
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[Declaration page 6]

saw him about four years ago, when he was  blind and very feeble & infirm and that he does not know whether he is alive or not. That he received a written discharge but then thinking it of no use. took no care of it.

That he entered a second term of service also as a volunteer under Captain John Moulton, embodied at a place now called Duplin old court house [North Carolina], there being two companies the other under the command of Captain Daniels Williams. & both under the command of James Kenan.

that he marched does not recollect the day months or years where he entered this term of service but it was in the fall of the year eing a years or two & perhaps more after he was discharged in Wilmington [NC] as above stated, that Thomas James was Lieutenant under Capt John Moulton that he marched from thence through Fayetteville in Cumberland County, State of North Carolina aforesaid to Cheraw Hills [South Carolina] that he remained there some time and was occasionally detached against company of tories  commanded by 
Barfield [Jesse Barefield] and Barefoot,

that from thence he marched down PeDee 
[Pee Dee region, SC] towards Georgetown [SC] where it was said the British were at that time, that in out march we captured two British spies near Georgetown and brought them on with us to Duplin old Court House [NC]
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[Declaration page 7]

From whence we first commenced on a march and sent them (the spies) on from thence to Newbern [New Bern, N. C.];

that during this tour he was in no engagements; that he volunteered for three months and at the expiration thereof was discharged at the same place he entered this term of service, that while at Cheraw [SC] there was a regular army stationed above us commanded by Genl Green [General Nathanael Greene] that Col [James] Kenan frequently sent to Genl. [Nathanael Greene] for instruction;

 that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person now alive whose testimony he can procure who can testify to this term service.

That soon after his discharge at Duplin old court House [NC] he was taken prisoner by a company of tories commanded by a Capt. Michael Scarborough and carried to Wilmington N.C. where the small Pox was raging at that time. that he being anxious to be liberated procured a certain Samuel Newton to apply to an officer of the Tories named Col  [John] Leggett for a permit to pass the guard which Col [John] Leggett granted, and enjoined on him not to take up arms against them any more.

that after his discharge from the tories he returned to Duplin [NC]; that soon after this there was a call for the militia to march down to the Big Bridge (which is a cross the North East, a branch of the Cape Fear [region] about ten miles above Wilmington N.C. to prevent the enemy from infesting the country as it was expected they would march up , that he volunteered
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[Declaration page 8]

a third time, a horseman in a company commanded by a Col [Henry] Young and joined the troop at the Big Bridge in New Hanover N.C. [Heron's Bridge] and scouted the country towards the sound or sea coast. That when he returned to the Big Bridge [Heron'sBridge, NC] the British were there and prevented them from crossing over to join the militia encamped on the opposite side of the River under the command of Genl [John Alexander] Lillington, 

that the other field officers he recollects was Capt. James Devane that when the enemy obstructed our passage over the Big Bridge [Heron's Bridge] to join the American Forces, the troop marched higher up the River & crossed over, that he recollects of seeing Genl [John] Ashe and Major Moore that at the Big Bridge [Heron's Bridge, NC] there was a sort of an engagement with the enemy, in which several were wounded but none killed,

the Americans retreated that from thence the British returned to Wilmington, where they remained a short time and hearing that [General Griffith] Rutherford  an American Officer, with his forces was marching down to Wilmington, the British left there, part marched up through the country across the Big Bridge [Heron's Bridge]and up to Rockfish bridge which is across a creek running into the North East
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[Declaration page 9]

short distance above South Washington in New Hanover County [North Carolina] aforesaid, that the militia were called out about this time to meet the British and prevent them from marching up through the Country 

that he voluntarily engaged in service again  against the enemy, and  served a day or two that he served when in the services mentioned before as one of the troop about a fortnight, that the part of the British that marched up through the Country went up by Duplin old Court House [NC] and on towards Virginia and that the rest of them embarked on their shipping.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his hame is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State 

Questions propounded to William Pridgeon the applicant for a pension.

1st Where & in what year were you born?
Answer. I was born in Duplin County state of North Carolina and was one hundred years of age the 27th June last (1832).I am unlearned and cant tell exactly the year born in

Question 2nd Have you any record of your age and if so, where is it?
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[Declaration page 10]

Answer No; not now, but it was recorded in a Bible belonging to Abram Sellers who removed to Georgia and carried the Bible which contained the record of my age with him

Question 3rd Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, & where do you now live?
Answer In Duplin County N.C. on  a creek called Cawhiffle [Quewhiffle or Quehiffe Creek NC]. since the Revolutionary war I have lived in Duplin Cty N.C. in Brunswick County N.C. and in the County of Bladen N.C. and I now live in the County of Bladen N.C. about two miles & a half from Elizabeth Town. [NC]

Question 4th How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer; or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom?
Answer I was a volunteer, I was neither drafted nor substituted

Question 5th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served
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Rev.&1812 Wars Section.
November 6, 1928.

Katie B. Pridgen,
Albermarle,
North Carolina

Madam:
I advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S. 8982, it appears that William Pridgeon was born June 27, 1732 in Duplin County, North Carolina.
While a resident of said county in the fall of 1775 he enlisted and served as a minute man six months in Captain Richard Clinton's Company, Colonel James Kenan's North Carolina Regiment and was in the battle of Moores Creek Bridge.
In the fall, about a year or two after, he enlisted and served as a private in Captain John Moultin's Company, Colonel James Kenan's Regiment for three months. Soon after his discharge he was taken prisoner by the Tories but was released on parole. Shortly after this he served two weeks under Colonel Young, North Carolina Troops.
He was allowed pension on his application executed
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August 7,1832 while a resident of Bladen County (near Elizabethtown), North Carolina. There are no family data on file.
On March 4, 1927 you were furnished the history of Francis Pridgeon the only soldier of that name found on the Revolutionary War records of this bureau.
Respectfully,
E.W. Morgan,
Acting Commissioner
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Will you please send me the account of the military records of Francis Pridgeon and William Pridgeon in the Revolutionary War. They were from N. Carolina.
Thanking you, [illegible]
Sincerely Yours,
Katie B Pridgeon
Albemarle, N.C.
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Rev. and 1812 War Section
November 2, 1923
Mrs. L. N. Henry
Canyon, Box 745
Texas

Madam:
I have to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim S. 8982 it appears that William Pridgeon was born June 27, 1732 in Duplin County, North Carolina.
While a resident of said county int he Fall of 1775 he enlisted and served as a minute man six months in Captain Richard Clinton's Company, Colonel James Kenan's North Carolina Regiment and was in the battle of Moores Creek Bridge.
In the Fall, about a year or two after, he enlisted and served as a private in Captain John Moultin's Company, Colonel James Kenan's Regiment for three months. Soon after his discharge he was taken prisoner by the Tories but was released on parole. Shortly after this he served two weeks under Colonel Young, North Carolina Troops. 
He was allowed pension on his application execut-
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Commissioner of Pensions,
Washinton, D.C.
Dear Sir: -
Will you kindly give me the record of William Pridgeon, a pensioner under the act of 1832, at which time he was a resident of Bladen County, North Carolina, he being placed on the pension roll in February 22, 1833.
William Pridgeon is shown in Volume 17, page 238 of the North Carolina States Records as a Revolutionary Soldier who was paid for his services after the war.
I will very much appreciate this information.
Yours very truly,
Claudia DesVergers
C. DesVergers.
116 Evans St.