Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 11658, John Worsham, Va.
Page 1

.
SERVICE     Va 

Worsham, John
Warsham
 
NUMBER  S. 11658'

carded
Page 2

Alabama    29.012

John  Warsham   [9tarred: note correction below]
of Washington Co in the State of AL
was a   Pv't   in the Company command
by Captain Dicks of the Reg't comman
by Col Campbell   in the Virginia
line for .......
  29  March  [illegible]   30.00

John Worsham   [starred  name corrected]
Records corrected   June 26, 45

Inscribed on the Roll of Alabama
at the rate of 30 Dollars - Cents per ann
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the 10th day of Feb  and sent to
1134 Wm Grimes, Washington Co.

Arrears to the 4th of Sep. 1833.  75.00
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Mar 34  15.00
---  ..................................    $90
Revolutionary Claim
Act . June 7, 1832
Recorded by J T Sprague  Clerk
Book  e   Vol. 8    Page 53
---
Page 3

Order to pay     .....   March 25, 1837
Letter to to Pen Agt & Comptroller
25  April 1838.

Letter to G Auditor 20 Sept 1838

Paid at the Treasury under the
Act of the 6 April 1838 from
4 Sept 1835 to 4 Sep 1837.  Agt
notified 29 Sept 1838

Aug. 28. 1841. see let to J. T.
Files, Mobile, Alabama

Letter to Hon P. Phillips
House of Reps Oct. 23. 1854
Page 4

The State of Alabama
Washington County      December 10th 1833
                         Personally appeared before me Josiah D Lister Judge of the County Court of said County
of Washington and State of Alabama John Worsham a resident of said County & State aged seventy 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 provision made by 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 hereafter stated to wit: He volunteered in Pittsylvania County in the State of Virginia the first of February in the year 1781, as he believes, under Capt William Dicks who commanded a company of Riflemen; that Col Campbell commanded the regiment; that he was Marched into North Carolina and was at the Battle
at Whitsells Mills on the Reedy fork of Haw river; that in this battle Col Campbell was wounded and he was then attached to Genl Greens main army and was in hearing of the battle at Guilford, that shortly after the battle the three months for which he volunteered expired and his received a discharge and returned home.
The next term of service was a substitute for Josiah Furgeson, three months in this tour he went under Capt  John Wynn and Major Rose to guard the prisioners that was taken in the battle of the Cowpens
and carried to Winchester, Virginia where he was again relieved and returned home having obtained a discharge for Furgeson whose place he had taken for three months. After his return home he was drafted for three months under Charles Hutcheron and was marched to the siege of the British at
little York. There he was attached to General Washington’s main Army where he remained untill a few days before the Surrender of Cornwallis. He then enlisted under
Page 5

Col-- Marryweathers as a State Legion for three years that immediatly after enlisting he was discharged for the purpose of returning home to equip himself with horse sword & pistols agreeable to the terms of
enlistment and to be in readiness at any moment when called for, it now being the close of the war, he was not again called for.  that a short time after this he joined a company of volunteer under Capt Thomas Guess, Col John Sevier and went against the Indians in East Tennessee that he believes he was out one month and a half.  He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of any Agency in any State

Then the questions were put as prescribed by law:
Quest.   Where and in what year were born?
       Ansr:   in Pittsylvania County State of Virginia in the year 1764
2.   Have you any record of your age & if so where is it?
Ansr:     At my brother Jeremiah Worsham's in this County is the Record of my age
3.    Where were you living when called into the service, where have you lived since and where do you now live?
Ansr:    In Pittsylvania County Virginia; some years after the close of the Revolutionary I immigrated to South Carolina from thence to Tennessee and from thence to Alabama where I have been living ever since which is upwards of twenty two years
4th   How were you called into the service were you draft, did you volunteer or were you a substitute & if a substitute for whom?
Ansr:     I first went out as a volunteer for three months; next I took the place of my brother in law Josiah Furgeson for three months;  next I was drafted for three months and lastly volunteered against the Indians
5th  State the names of some of regular officers who were with the troops where you served
Page 6

Ansr:    Col Washington & Lee; General Washington & Green and many other I do not know the number of my particular Regiment that I was attached to.That he first went into the service under Col Lee & Washington in the light Infantry that in a short time Col Campbell Joined Washington & Lee and
he was then under him untill the battle at Whitsells mill where Col Campbell was wounded; after he was attached to General Green’s Main Army during the remainder of the three months for which he had volunteered
6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service,  
Ansr:   . I did receive a discharge for each term of service the first was given by William Dicks this second for my brother –in-law from Capt John Wynn; the third by Capt Charles Hutchins [scratched out:  and the fourth and last from Capt Thomas Guess]  all of which are lost or destroyed, that he believes nearly all the above named service was rendered in the year 1787
7th  State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood &c-
Ansr:    Col Josiah D. Lester, Samuel Frisbie,  the Rev James Myers, William Godfrey Esqr. Bookajah
Smith and a great many besides
 
Sworn & subscribed the day & year above
John Worsham

We James Myers a Clergyman residing in Washington County and Samuel Frisbie residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Worsham who has subscribed & Sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in
that opinion
Sworn & subscribed the day & year…………….. James Myers
aforesaid    ………..               Samuel Frisbie
Page 7

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interogatories 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 James Myers who has signed the preceeding certificate is a Clergyman resident in the County of Washington and that Samuel Frisbie who has also signed the same is a resident in the same
County and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit
                               J D Lister Judge C (illegible)
                                                       W. C
I, William Grimes Clerk of the County Court aforesaid do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of John Worsham for a pension
 
In testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my hand & Seal of Office the 10th
day of December AD 1833
Wm Grimes Clk
Page 8

WAR DEPARTMENT. 
                Pension Office, 
                1 July 26th 1833 
 Sir. 
     The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned. The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form. On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which must be removed, before a pension can be allowed. The notes and the regulations will shew what is necessary to be done. These points to which your attention is more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: }). You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by complying with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.

 A Statement, shewing the Service of John Worsham

Period when the service was rendered
1781 
 

Duration of the claimant's service. 

Months
┃ 3 ┃ 
[scratched out:  about 15]
┃ 3 ┃ 
┃ 3 ┃ 

Rank of the claimant. 
Private

Names and rank of the Field of officers under whom he served. 
Captain Dicks
Captain  Lambert
Col Campbell
Cap Wynn
""  Hutchins

Age at present, place of abode when he entered the service. 
69 years
Pittsylvania
County
Va

Proof by which the declaration is supported.
Traditionary 

I am, respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
 J. L. EDWARDS.
 Commissioner of Pensions.
Page 9

                      2
REGULATIONS UNDER THE ACT OF JUNE 7, 1832.
 The following regulations have been adopted: 
This law has been construed to extend, as well to the line, as to every branch of the Staff of the Army, and to include under the terms "Continental Line," "State troops," "militia" and "volunteers, all persons enlisted, drafted, or who volunteered and who were bound to military service, but not those who were occasionally employed with the army upon civil contracts, such as Clerks to Commissaries and to Store Keepers, &c., Teamsters, Boatmen, &c. Persons who served on board of private armed vessels are also excluded from the benefits of the law, as well as persons who turned out as patrols, or were engaged in guarding particular places at night, and were not recognized as being in actual military service.
                         Four general classes of cases are embraced in this law:
                                    1. The Regular Troops. 
                                    2. The State Troops, Militia, and Volunteers. 
                                     3. Persons employed in the Naval Service. 
                                     4. Indian Spies.
            As rolls of the regular troops in the Revolutionary War exist in this Department, all persons claiming the benefit of this law as officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians or privates, will, in the first instance, make application by transmitting the following declaration, which will be made before a Court of Record of the County where such applicant resides. And every Court having by law a seal and Clerk is considered a Court of Record.
DECLARATION.
 
                 In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7th of June, 1832. 
                   State, Territory, or District of 
                                              County of
 On this ____ day of ____ personally appeared (a) before ____ 
A.	B a resident (b) ____ of ____  in the county of ___________ and State, Territory or Disctrict of ______________aged (c) ____ 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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th, 1832. That he enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year (d) ____, with _____________ and served in the ____ (e) regiment of the ____ line, under the following named officers: 
     [Here set forth the names and rank of the Field and Company Officers; the time he left the service; (and if he served under more than one term of enlistment, he must specify the particular period, and rank and names of his officers;) the town or county and State in which he resided when he entered the service; the battles, if any, in which he was engaged, and the country through which he marched. This form is to be varied so as to apply to the cases of officers and persons who belonged to the militia, volunteers, navy, &c.] – 
He hereby relinquishes every claim (f) whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency in the State of ____ Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. A. B. 
[And then will follow the certificate of the Court.] 
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion (g) that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
I    ____ of the Court of ____ do hereby certify (h) that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of ____ for a pension. 
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office (i) this ____ of ____ & c. 

     If, on examination of the proper record, the names of applicants, making such declaration, cannot be found, they will produce such proof as the rule given in note (j) points out. 

      Every applicant who claims a pension by virtue of service in the State Troops, Volunteers or Militia, except those who belonged to the New Hampshire Militia and State Troops of Virginia, will make and subscribe a declaration similar to the foregoing, with the following additions, viz: 
      (k) We, A. B., a Clergyman, residing in the ____ and C.D. residing in (the same) hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with ____, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be ____ years of age; that he is reputed and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. 
                   Sworn and subscribed the days and year aforesaid.

 [And then will follow the certificate of the Court.]
            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 A. B. who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the ____ and that C.D., who has also signed the same is a resident in the ____ and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.

 I, ____ Clerk of the Court of ____ do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of   ____ for a pension.

 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this ____ day of ____ & c. 

      Every applicant will produce the best proof in his power. This is the original discharge or commission; but if neither of these can be obtained, the party will so state under oath, and will then procure, if possible, the testimony of at least one credible witness, stating in detail his personal knowledge of the services of the applicant and such circumstances connected therewith, as may have a tendency to throw light upon the transaction. 

     If such surviving witness cannot be found, the applicant will so state in his declaration, (l) and he will also, whether he produce such evidence or not, proceed to relate all the material facts, which can be useful in the investigation of his claim, and in the comparison of his narrative with the events of the period of his
Page 10

Rev. & 1812 Wars Section
MC8/eel
AM
October 25, 1928

Mrs. W. H. Carothers
Indianola, Mississippi
Madam:
I advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S. 11658, it appears that John Worsham was born in 1764, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

While a resident of that county, he enlisted February 1, 1781, and served three months as a private in Captain William Dicks' Company in Colonel Campbell's Virginia Regiment and was in the battle of Whitsall's Mills.

He then served three months with the Virginia Troops in Captain John Wynn's Company under Major Rose.

He next served three months in Captain Charles Hutcherson's Virginia Company and was in the Siege of York.

He then served one and one half months under Captain Thomas Guess and Colonel John Sevier in a campaign against the Indians in East Tennessee.

Some years after the close of the Revolution, he moved to South Carolina; from there to Tennessee and from there to Alabama.
Page 11

He was allowed pension on his application executed December 10, 1833, at which time he was a resident of Washington County, Alabama.

There are no data on file relative to wife and children.

This is the only soldier by the name of John Worsham that is found on the Revolutionary War records of this bureau.

You were furnished the history of John Carothers,
S. 8182, on October 3, 1928.

Respectfully,

E. W. MORGAN
Acting Commissioner.
Page 13

MRS. WILLIAM HEWLETTE CAROTHERS
INDIANOLA MISSISSIPPI      Jan. 14 1928

Pension Bureau.
Washington D.C.
Will you please give the Declaration of for pension made by John Caruthers Revolutionary soldier of North XXX   Carolina.  He is listed as a Rev. Pensioner in their State records.

Also John Worsham of Virginia; who died  XXXX
in WASHINGTON CO GA.

This will greatly assist me my research work and I will greatly appreciate the help.

I am sure you will be glad to see that I am even trying to use the typewriter, it will be much easier for you to read my writing.

Thanking you in advance for this help. I am
yours truly Mrs. W. H. Carothers
Page 14

Treasury Department,
Second Comptroller's Office
September 25. 1838

Sir:
Under the act of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An
act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain
Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury
of the United States, John Worsham a Pensioner on the Roll of the Mobile, Alabama Agency, at the rate of thirty Dollars and " " Cents per annum, under the law of the 7th June 1832, has been paid at this Department, from the 4th of Sept. 1835 to the 4th of September 1837

Respectfully, yours,
Albion K. Parris
Comptroller.

To the Commissioner of Pensions
Present.
Page 15

Agents Office
   Mobile 11  April  1838

Sir
   Yours of the 29 March is received.  I enclose for your examination the Vouchers of Mr [illegible] Pension per act  7 June 1832 at 30$ per annum.  He was last paid on the 18th December 1835 from 4th Sept 1834 to 4 Sept 1835 . 
 I am very respectfully your Obt Ser’t

    Geo L Gaines
          8th ast

To J L Edwards Esq
Comm. of Pensions
Washington City
 D.C.
Page 16

Pension Agency
Pr. Bank of the State of Alabama
Mobile   Feby 2. 1837

Sir 
    I enclose for your examination the pension voucher of Nathan Reed, Private, per act 7 June 1832 at 30$ per annum. He was last paid on the 14 January 1835 from 4 sept 1833 to  4 Sept 1834. Also the Vouchers of John Worsham, Pr., per act 7 June 1832 at 30$, who was last paid on 18th Dec 1835
from 4 Sept 1834 to 4 Sept 1835

I am Very Respectfully
Your Obt Sert
Geo. S. Gaines

yours of the 19 Jany with the enclosed stated is at hand
To
J L Edward Esq
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington C.D.
Page 17


[sideways]
Augst 21st 1841
Mr Evans

James L. Edwards Esq
Commissioner of Pensions
 Washington City
Page 18

Mobile  August 9, 1841

J L Edwards Esq

Dear Sir
 Enclosed I hand you the pension papers of my old friend John Worsham. I am declared by them his agent to receive the money.  he lives in a very remote part of County; unable to travel., so I volunteered to attend to it for him among his [illegible]  -  this older man is by his own right deprived of his pay until I shall hear from you

I trust that it will draw your early attention - the agent here  Jno Hogan informs .that as it has now been over one year June Mr. Worsham has made any demand that is was necessary for me to send the papers to you so that it might be arranged.

Hoping sincerely that there will be no delay.  I am sinc.  yours truly
J.T Files