Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 7,350, for Francis Ray, North Carolina
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Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act
of Congress passed June 7th 1832
State of North Carolina
Caswell County ⎬
On this 11th day of January 1836 personally appeared in open Court before Abner Miles John P. Harrison & Benjamin C West Esquires the Court of pleas and quarter Sessions of the County of Caswell and State of North Carolina now sitting Francis Ray
a resident of the said County of Caswell and State of
North Carolina, aged Seventy Two years on the 15th
day of January next - 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 service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein
Stated. Some time in the month of August or the
first of September 1780 this Declarant substituted
himself in the place of his brother Sterling Ray
who was drafted in the company commanded by
Captain Adam Sanders of the said County of
Caswell and State aforesaid, and was marched
to Hamilton's store in said County, near the
Residence of Col. William Moore, who commanded
the Caswell regiment at that time,- and here
there stationed for the purpose of guarding the
public store and magazine at that place, until
after news reached that place of the defeat of
General Gates at Camden - upon hearing that
news this Declarant was marched to the South
being taken out of the company of Captain Sanders
by the Colonel, William Moore, and made
to wait upon him as his horseler, and was taken or marched to South Carolina, to the Warsaw  Settlements
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for the purpose of Checking the progress of the British then marching towards North Carolina from Camden, and to keep in Check also the Tories who were troublesome in that part of South Carolina; This Declarant was with the regiment commanded by Colonel Moore, and with the Caswell militia, at the time of the capture of Tories with Colonel Rugely at their head in South Carolina - This Declarant was
also one of the guards who marched the prisoners
to Salisbury and there confined them. - This Declarant was not under the immediate command
of any captain after he left Hamilton's Store
in Caswell County. But was under the orders
and command of the Colonel Moore, the Commander
of the Regiment, acting upon him as his menial Servant, and [h]orster, a situation which he never desired, altho he was compelled to perform. The Colonel at that time being allowed to take from the regiment three soldiers to [react?] upon him - one of which was this declarant, - This Declarant was
with the colonel throughout the Campaign and
returned with him to his House in Caswell
County and was there discharged by him after
having served out his tour of duty of three month
for which he substituted himself in the place of
his brother Sterling Ray- This Declarant reached home he thinks some few days before Christmas 1780 - .This
Declarant remained at home until the fall of 1781 when he again Volunteered under Captain Adam Sanders and was marched in pursuit of the Tories and British who had captured the Governor of North Carolina and who were then retreating to Wilmington - This Declarant was marched to near Wilmington
and ┃
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from thence up the River Cape Fear, and from
place to place through the woods in pursuit of
the Tories until the Battle of Brown Marsh
where they had an engagement with the enemy
and were defeated, - from the Brown Marsh
this Declarant was marched to Cross Creek
and thence back again to the lower part of
the State of North Carolina in pursuit of the
Tories and watching the enemy until his
term of three months for which he volunteered
had expired, and was then discharged by
his Col. (Moore) and returned with him
home, whose neighbor he was
This Declarant has now no documentary evidence
by which he can prove his service, having
long since lost them, and has to rely the
Testimony of Hollaway Pass  who was with him in the service and his neighbors for his character as a man of Credit and respectability-
This Declarant was born in Franklin County
State of North Carolina on the 15th day of January
1764 and moved to the County of Caswell when
the was seven or eight years of age. He has a
record of his age which was taken from his Father's
Bible (where his age was recorded, several years
ago) - He was living in Caswell County
North Carolina, when he was called into service, where he now lives and where he has resided since the revolutionary War-
This Declarant was called into service first as a substitute forhis brother Sterling Ray, in his first tour of service of three months; and he was a
Volunteer in his second tour of service. And
that he served his country faithfully six
months in the Revolutionary War. this
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Declarant does not recollect all the Regular
Officers who were with the troops where he served
But he recollect Col Washington of the Cavalry
General Morgan Col Henry Dixon & others
with whom he was in South Carolina.-- He
also recollect the Caswell Regiment commanded
by Col. Moore and the Orange Regiment
Commanded by Col Mebane
This declarant received two discharges
both of which was given by Col William Moore
and which have been long since destroyed
or lost never expecting they would be of any
service to him, He was promised pay for
his service in the Revolutionary near But
he never received one cent.
This Declarant would state that he
is well acquainted with John P. Harrison
his neighbor who will prove for him as he
believes a good Character, and also
with Holloway Pass who was with him
 in the Revolutionary War
 and who will prove for him his services
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever
to a pension or annuity except the presents and
declares that his name is not on the pension
roll of the agency of any State that he knows of
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year
aforesaid Paul A Haralson Clk Francis Ray
We George Stevens a Clergyman residing in the County of Caswell and State of North Carolina and J. P. Harrison residing in the said County and State aforesaid hereby certify that
we are well acquainted with Francis Ray