Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R 2547, John Critchfield, N.C.
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(3-1776)

SERVICE
N.C. [North Carolina]

Critchfield, John

NUMBER
R2547

Born in New Jersey
—-
CONTENTS
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State of Tennessee }
Claiborne County }

On this the [illegible] day of December A.D. personally in open Court before the justices holding the County Court for said County and now sitting [underlined: John Critchfield] a resident in the aforesaid County of Claiborne and State above written [underlined: aged seventy seven years who being first] [crossed out] 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 under the following named officers and served as stated in the following. That he vollunteered [volunteered] under Captain Wm. [William] Underwood in Surry County in the State of North Carolina; before I volunteered I was in Captain Wooldridges Company of County Malitia [Militia]; but I joined the Volunteers under Capt. [Captain] Underwood as stated before the two companies was [underlined: organized in the 10th of the month of January 1781] and another Company the name of the Captain not recollected under Majr. [Major] Winston we volunteered for six months tour our battalion was ordered to march on to the south to reinforce Genl. [General] Morgan there; a few days this was before the battle of the Cowpens, we marched in the direction of the Cowpens on through wilks [wilkes] County to a creek called Hunting Creek one of the branches of Catawba river and there received the news of the success of Genl. [General] Morgan + [and] Col [Colonel] Worthington over Tarlton [Tarleton] and we was ordered back to gen [general]
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Green [Greene] to reinforce him who was retreating from Corn Wallace [Cornwallis]; Genl. [General] Morgan’s main army did join Genl. [General] Green [Greene] and crossed Dan river in the edge of Virginia after; when Cornwallace [Cornwallis] turned back to Hillsborough Col. [Colonel] Tarlton [Tarleton] was over on the Mor River; at a place called Whitsells [Wetzells] mills a detachment of the british fell in with us [illegible] as [illegible] as ours and the orders of our Major Winston was to us to save ourselves by retreating we then did retreat in the Direction of Genl. [General] Greens [Greene’s] army but we was unable to to join Genl. [General] Morgan and Green [Greene] untill [until] after the battle of Guilford Courthouse which was in the first part of the month of march; having been intercepted by the brittish [british]; they were still stationed in the Country around; Genl. [General] Green [Greene] marched on to the South and Cornwallace [Cornwallis] marched on to Petersburg; soon after the battle of Guilford [Guilford Courthouse] we joined Green [Greene] our times was out the 10th of July in 1781 being a six month tour was a volunteer a part of my time of service I was sick and left on the road so when the company was discharged I could not be there on account of my being sick; and I never applied to the Captain for a written discharge after; is the reason I have no discharge I have no documentary evidence of my service and I do not know of any living witness by whom I can prove it by; and have to prove it entirely by my own oath; my Capt [Captain] was alive a few years since but I have understood that he is now dead. As a reason why I have not applied sooner I can offer two reasons one is I had only served a six months tour and knew the allowance
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Would be very small and I was in a situation at that time to live without it; but the main reason was I have lived very sequestered and very much out of the way of correct information was informed that I would have to prove the actual services by two witnesses and I did not know where to find them the only one that lived near me that I know of died about the passage of the law and I give it up not expecting to be able to prove my services. I was born in Sussex County State of New Jersey moved to Surry County North Carolina where I was and lived about thirty six years on Thoms [Toms] Creek. I was sixteen years old when I moved there and joined the service soon after; then I moved to this County and remained some years + [and] moved to Indiana and back again to this County have lived twenty four years here and in Indiana together. Joseph Peter was my Lieutenant and Samuel Caloway [Calloway] was the major in our Company he hereby relinquishes every claim 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 and has no agent or attorney except his present agent Dr A Noell of Tazewell E [East] Ten [Tennessee] Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid

John his x mark Critchfield

And we Jacob Cloud residing in the County aforesaid and Joseph Hamilton residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Critchfield who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy six years old that he is reputed and
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In the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and served as he states and we concur in that opinion Sworn and subscribed the day and year first above written

Jacob Cloud
Joseph Hamilton

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states and the court further certifies that it appears to them that Jacob Cloud who has signed the preceding certificate is a respectable man resident in the County and that Joseph Hamilton is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit on oath and I William Neil Clerk of the County Court of Claiborn [Claiborne] and State afforesaid [aforesaid] do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of John Critchfield for a pension In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office this 3rd day [crossed out: day of] day of December 1838

William Neil Clk [Clerk]
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34.678
John Crichfield [Critchfield]
Tennessee
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And the said Clerk do further certify that the forgoing [foregoing] questions was duly propounded and the answers duly recorded in open Court and in the presence of the Court with all other matters assertaining [ascertaining] to the application of the said John Critchfield to be placed on the pension roll of the United States for his revolutionary services given under my hand and seal this 3rd of Decr [December] 1838

William Neil
Clerk of the County Court of Claiborne County

And I Peter Neil presiding justice and chairman of the said Court do certify that William Neil is the Clerk of the said court which is a court of record and full faith and credit is due to all his official acts given under my hand this fourth day of Decr. [December] 1838

Peter Neil
Chairman of the County Court of Claiborne County
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The following Questions was propounded by the said court in accordance with the instructions from the pension commissioner and the answers duly recorded
Ques [Question] 1 } where and what year were you born Anr [Answer] sussex County New Jersey in the year 1762
2d [2nd] Ques [Question] } have you any record of your age if so where is it
Ans. [Answer] I have no record of my age
3rd Ques [Question] where were you living when called into service where have you
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Lived since the revolutionary war and where do you now live
Ans. [Answer] in Surry County North Carolina and am now living in Claiborne County E [East?] Tennessee
4 Ques [Question] } How were you called into service were you drafted did you volunteer or were you a substitute if so for whom
Ans. [Answer] I volunteered
5th Ques [Question] } State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served such continental or Malitia [Militia] redgments [regiments] as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your services
Ans. [Answer] I turned out to go to Genl. [General] Morgan’s under Major Winston in Captain Underwood’s Company joined Genl. [General] Green [Greene] after the battle of Guilford [Guilford Courthouse] and discharged in the south
6th Ques [Question] } did you ever receive a discharge from the service if you did what has become of it
Ans. [answer] I did not receive a written discharge for the reasons before given I was sick
7th Ques [Question] } State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify to your character for veracity and their belief of of your services as a soldier of the revolution
Answer: Mr [Mister] Cloud Dr [Doctor] Hamilton Elisha Wallen Peter Hufner John Preseley and indeed all of my neighbors
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And the said Clerk do further certify that the forgoing [foregoing] questions was duly propounded and the answers duly recorded in open Court and in the presence of the Court with all other matters assertaining [ascertaining] to the application of the said John Critchfield to be placed on the pension roll of the United States under my hand and seal this 3rd day of Decr. [December] 1838

William Neil
Clerk of the County Court of Claiborne County

And I Peter Neil presiding justice and chairman of the said Court do certify that William Neil is the Clerk of the said Court which is a court of record and full faith and credit is due to all his official acts given under y hand this fourth day of Decr. [December] 1838
Peter Neil
Chairman of the County Court of Claiborne County
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John Crichfield [Critchfield]
Tennessee

Rejected

See let 26 Jany [January] ‘39
Hon. A. McClellan
2547

Did not serve six months.

Act 7 June 1832
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[crossed out: Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.]

2547 [check mark] }
P.O.
John Critchfield
Service: [blank]

Enlisted: [blank], 18 .
Discharged: [blank], 18 .

Application filed: [blank], 18 .

Alleges: [blank]
Re-enlisted: [blank]

Attorney: [blank]
P.O. [blank

___ Recognized. ___ Contra
___ Cert. of Dis. Searched for ___, 18
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Original application for a Pension Revolutionary }
Tenn: [Tennessee]
John Critchfield
[circular stamp: DEC 7] [circular stamp: TAZEWELL TC DEC 7] Free

Mr. J. L. Edwards
Commisioner [Commissioner] of Pensions
War department
Citty [City] of Washington
Dec 20
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Tazewell E [East] Ten [Tennessee] [illegible]
7th of Jan [January]

Dear
Sir I enclose you the claim of John Critchfield for a pension for his revolutionary services as a Volunteer in the State of North Carolina on examination if placed on the pension roll as early notices of the same as is convenient would be desirable [underlined: he is really] needy and is generally thought to deserve it you will pleas [please] give me the result as soon as you can and very much serve yours most obediently,
Alfred Noell

Mr [Mister] J. L. Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions
Citty [City] of Washington