Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 7112, for William S Melson, Pennsylvania
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(3-1776)
SERVICE
Penn Sea Service
Privateer. 
Melson, William S.
S.C.

NUMBER
R. 7112.

CONTENTS
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State of N. Carolina
County of Yaney [or Yancy]
On this [illegible] th day of October [illegible] One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Six [illegible] appeared in open court before The Justice of The Court [illegible] and [illegible] held for the county above
Mentioned William S. Melson ([illegible] the name of William S. Melson) aged Eighty two years who being [illegible] to Law [illegible] on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of The Act of Congress [illegible] June the [illegible] th 1832 States he entered the Service of the United States as a privateer about the year of 1776 in The City of Philadelphia. Penn sailed from that city in a Ship called the [illegible] under the command of Capt. Johannas Watson and said in [illegible] about twelve months was in the battle near Capt. Charles in which Capt. Watson was [illegible] and himself taken prisoner was taken to Philadelphia and Exchanged in that Battle [illegible] three wounds one in each leg and one the arm. Mentioned the service at Philadelphia under the command of Capt. William Smiley and sailed from that city in a vessel called the Rainbow served on that vessel Eighteen Months was again taken prisoner by the Brittish and taken to Charleston and exchanged. There joined the regular Army of Col. William Washington and Capt. Will Cox was in the Battles of [illegible] Spring Guilford and Brandywine [illegible] a wound in the Battle of Guilford in the thigh.
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That time of service not [illegible] to be over Six Months was hauled from Brandywine to Philadelphia in a Baggage waggon then received a regular discharge which he states is lost
2 [illegible] 1 - where and in what year were you born 
Ans. State of Virginia [illegible] county In the year 1754
22. have you any [illegible] of your [illegible], and if so where is it
Ans. I have none
32 [illegible] Where were you living when called into Service Where have you lived since the [illegible], and where do you now live
Ans. In Philadelphia (Penn) have live in - South Carolina Tennesse and now in North Carolina Yaney [or Yancy} County
2.4 How were you called into Service; were you drafted did you volunteer or were you a substitute and if a Substitute for whom
Ans. As [crossed out] a volunteer.
2.5. State the names of some of the [illegible] offices [illegible] the troops where you served.
with continental and [illegible] Regiments as you can recollect and the general [illegible] of you Service
Ans. Capt. Johanas Watson Col. William Washington and Capt. Will Cox and Capt. Smiley Part of the time as a privateer part in the Regular Service. The exact length of time not [of time not underlined] [illegible] but not [illegible] in all [illegible] these years
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2. Did you ever receive a discharge from the Service if so by whom was it given and what has become of it
Ans. received a discharge of Capt. William Smiley [fancy y] which I have lost
2 [illegible] He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any Agency in any State Sworn to and subscribed the day and year afore said. - Sworn to and Subscribed in open court
William S. Melson [signature with strange mark in middle]
List M,,Garland [illegible]
We The undersigned have been acquainted with the applicant having lived in his vicinity believe him to be of the age he States and performed The services as stated in his declaration having never hear it reported to The contrary and we can [illegible] in that oppinion Sworn to [illegible] I Jacob L Straby A clergyman for said county do hereby certify that I have been [illegible] with Isaac Whitson [vertical signature separation] David Honeycutt his Isaac Whitson mark Jacob L Straby
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State of South Carolina, I J W Garland Clerk  of the Yancey County Court of pleas and Quarter Sesions for said County do hereby certify that the foregovering declaration was duly Sworn to in [apeal] court by William Melson  The applicant There in [illegible] In testimony where of I here unto affix my Seal of office and Subscribe my name This the 12th day of December, AD 1836
JWGarland
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Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the provision of the Act of Congress passed June the 7th AD 1832.
State of North Carolina
Yancey County } SS
On this 9th day of April 1839 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the peace of the Court of pleas and Quarter sessions for the county of Yancey now sitting William Melson a resident of said county aged about ninety 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 provisions of the Act of Congress passed June the 7th AD 1832. That he was born in Accomack county in Virginia in the year of 1749. But that he has no record of his age.  And the he is living in Philadelphia when he first entered the service the three first tours; and that when he was enrolled into the land service in the Army he was in Charleston South Carolina and that since the revolutionary war has has lived in Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina in the neighborhood where he now lives in Yancey County - His first tour he enrolled himself under Captain Watson of the Three Brothers and went to Sea.  His second tour was under Captain William Smilie of the Flying Jib- The third  tour was under the same captain Wm Smilie of the Rainbow -
In all three of these tours he served as a common . His last tour he was enrolled under Captain Wilcox of the Army in South Carolina at Charleston soon after he landed there in this tour he Served as a private until the close of the war. Then he got to the main Army Colonel   Harrison and Colonel Baily was among his commanding officiers.  He recollects the names of Capt. Ashby and captain Rily and that General Washington was head commander when he was in the Battle of Brandywine.
And says soon after he entered the service under Captain Watson they sailed from Philadelphia and put to Sea. Whey they fell in with the enemy and had an engagement in where he received a wound by a boarding pike and that  capt Watson and his was both killed and their vessel captured and the crew made prissioners.  He was some time after exchanged and sent to New York from this he return to Philadelphia again.  Where he soon after entered on board the Flying Jib under captain William Smilie and put to sea where after cruising some time they had an engagement with the enemy and their vessel
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was captured and the crew made prisoners, where he was kept for some length of time, but at last they were exchanged and sent to Philadelphia-where it was not long before Captain Smilie got the command of the Rainbow and he put to sea once more under Captain Smilie and cruising sometime fell in with the enemy had an engagement and was taken prisoner a third time and was again exchanged and landed in Charleston South Carolina in the year of 1777-And says that he believes he commenced his tour under Captain Watson in the year of 1775 and saith that by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively to the precise length of his services in these three tours but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than two years under Captain Watson and Captain Smilie
Before he was landed at Charleston-
His fourth and last tour commenced in the year of 1777- he was enrolled under Captain Wilcox in South Carolina to serve in the regular army. This took place soon after he was landed in Charleston and was marched up the country where they were attacked several times by the Tories. They had sixty or seventy men under Captain Wilcox at this time.  They were marched through North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland to where the army under General Washington was, near the Brandywine-that they were joined by several bodies of soldiers before they reached the army and that he had but just arrived there a day or so before the battle of Brandywine came on where he received two wounds one in each leg-after the battle he was hauled in a wagon to Philadelphia but in a few days after he was taken up the country where he was kept with a number of wounded. And says he was not in any more battles after this, but remain with the Army in this section of country until the close of the war- And that he received a discharge in Philadelphia and that his former Captain Smilie was there and attended to see that he got it and thinks Captains Wilcox and Smilie was both together when he received it, The discharged was in print, but that he lost his pocketbook, with his discharge in it many years ago- And says he knows of no living witness by whom he can prove his services. But that there are several that can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a Soldier of the Revolutionary War- Among those whom I think can testify for my veracity and their belief my being a Soldier of the Revolutionary War. Some of whom have been acquainted with me for many years-There is James Whitson born Isaac Whitson, James Howell Esquire and Jesse Sprouse and many others that are present and in this county of Tennessee.
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He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or Annuity except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any Agency in any State of United States
Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid - 
William Melson [squiggled word]
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion [^mark that] the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as as he states 
Charles [illegible] [underlined names]
I John W. Garland clerk of the court of pleas and and Quarter session for the county of Yancey do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the Application of William Melson for a pension - 
In testimony where of, I have hereinto set my hand and seal of office this 9th day of April 1839-
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that the above named applicant William Melson
was a revolutionary Soldier and served as
he states and the court further certifies that
Nathan Honeycutt Esqr John Whilson and
Jacob L Straley, a clergyman,  who have
Signed the preceeding certificate, are residents of
the County of Yancey and are ceditable persons
and that their statements is entitled to credit
Charles Byrd Char
I, John W. Garland Clerk of the Court of pleas and
Quarter Sessions for Yancey County, do hereby
certify that the foregoing contains the original
procedings of the said Court in the matter of
the application of William Melson
for a pension.
In testimony where of I have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal of 
office at Burnsville this 9th day of
April 1839.
J. W. Garland Clk
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The examination of William Melson in open court at the April Term 1839 and the following interogatories prounded and answers given
Question 1st "Where and what year were your born
Answer In Accomack county in Virginia, in the year 1749-
Question 2nd "Have you any record of your age and if so where is it
Answer I have not but from the best information I can obtain I was born at the place and time above stated-
Question 3rd "Where were you living when called into the service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary, and where do you now live
Answer In Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania, and in Charleston in South Carolina-And since the Revolutionary war I have lived in Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina in the neighborhood near where I am now living in the county of Yancey-
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 entered as a volunteer and served as a common Sailor under Captain Watson, of the Three Brothers- The second tour was entered as a common sailor under Captain Smilie of the Flying Jib, The third tour was under the same Captain William Smilie of the Rainbow. My last term of service was entered in South Carolina soon after we were exchange at Charleston-and was enrolled under Captain Wilcox into the Army of the Revolutionary War together with sixty of seventy more of our ships crew- I  always served as a private while in the service on board a ship as also on land-I never bore any commission while in the service during the Revolutionary war. 
Question 5 State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops were you served; such as Continential [Continental] and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services-
Answer My first captain was of the name of Watson and the ship was called The Three Brothers- My second and third captain was called William Smilie- In the first tour or trip he commanded the Ship Flying Jib and the next Tour he commanded the Rainbow-In my last tour when- I entered my last tour of service under Captain Wilcox in the land Service-When we joins the army Colonel Harrison I think and Colonel Thomas Baily and I believe Colonel Harrison's was of the Virginia line and there was Captain Ashby + Captain Riley & General Washington was our head commander at the Battle of Brandywine
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The examination of William Melson in open court at the April Term 1839 and the following interogatories prounded and answers given
Question 1st "Where and what year were your born
Answer In Accomack county in Virginia, in the year 1749-
Question 2nd "Have you any record of your age and if so where is it
Answer I have not but from the best information I can obtain I was born at the place and time above stated-
Question 3rd "Where were you living when called into the service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary, and where do you now live
Answer In Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania, and in Charleston in South Carolina-And since the Revolutionary war I have lived in Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina in the neighborhood near where I am now living in the county of Yancey-
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 entered as a volunteer and served as a common Sailor under Captain Watson, of the Three Brothers- The second tour was entered as a common sailor under Captain Smilie of the Flying Jib, The third tour was under the same Captain William Smilie of the Rainbow. My last term of service was entered in South Carolina soon after we were exchange at Charleston-and was enrolled under Captain Wilcox into the Army of the Revolutionary War together with sixty of seventy more of our ships crew- I always served as a private while in the service on board a ship as also on land-I never bore any commission while in the service during the Revolutionary war.
Question 5 State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops were you served; such as Continential [Continental] and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your services-
Answer My first captain was of the name of Watson and the ship was called The Three Brothers- My second and third captain was called William Smilie- In the first tour or trip he commanded the Ship Flying Jib and the next Tour he commanded the Rainbow-In my last tour when- I entered my last tour of service under Captain Wilcox in the land Service-When we joins the army Colonel Harrison I think and Colonel Thomas Baily and I believe Colonel Harrison's was of the Virginia line and there was Captain Ashby + Captain Riley & General Washington was our head commander at the Battle of Brandywine
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Ques 6th " Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so,
by whom was it given, and what has become of it
Ans. I did, I received it in Philadelphia by the hands of Captain Wilcox
and my former commander Captain Wm Smilie who was kind
enough to attend to it - it was in print - But I lost it a good many
years ago together with my pocket book
Ques 7th " State the names of persons to whom you are known in your
present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for
veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution
Ans. There is several - I will name two or three James Whitson, and John Whitson
James Howell Esq and Jesse Sprouse an old Revolutionary
soldier besides several others that I could name
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N. Carolina
William Melson
See letter to R. C. Pearson
Aug. 1st. 1839-
7112
Act June 7th, 1832.
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Wm S Melson
No
Rejected not milita
service. See let to
1
Thos Gardner Dec
30 1836
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G. 320 3
27 Dec 1836
Pension office
M-Syl
CRE
Dec 14
HOEE
ar Department
Washington City
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Burnsville December 12. 1836
Lewis Cafs Esq-
Sir you will please examine the written declaration. & make your Return to Thomas Gardner, at Burnsville Yancy County NoCarolina
Yours Respectfully
Thomas Gardner
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33930
William Melson
NC
June 7, 1832
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Mor gautow et. at 20th april 1839
Fin,
I have just seen hundred thousands declaration for a pension under the cut of Cou grefs 7th of June 1832 with a sequegust
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7112
William Nelsen