Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 3,317, Samuel Eakin, N.C.
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SERVICE [added by hand “N.C.” and “Eakin, Samuel]

NUMBER [added by hand “S 3,317”]

CONTENTS [added by hand “Born in Penn.” And “carded”]
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[added by hand “West Tennessee 25377”]
[added by hand “Samuel Eakin”]
of [added by hand “Perry Co”] in the State of [added by hand “Tennessee”]
who was a [added by hand “private”] in the [added by hand “com”] commanded
by Captain [added by hand “Samuel”] of the [added by hand “rgt”] commanded
by [added by hand “Col. Moore”] in the [added by hand “N. Carolina”] 
line for [added by hand “1 year”]

Inscribed on the Roll of [added by hand “West Tennessee”]
at the rate of [added by hand “40”] Dollars [added by hand “—”] Cents per annum,
to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.

Certificate of Pension issued the [added by hand “2”] day of [added by hand “Jan 1834”]
and [added by hand [illegible]]

Arrears to the 4th of [added by hand “Sept. 100.00”]
Semi-anl. allowance ending [added by hand “[illegible] March 20.00”]
[added by hand “$120.00”]
			{Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832}
Recorded by [added by hand “Danl. Boyd”] Clerk, 
Book [added by hand “E”] Vol. [added by hand “7”] Page [added by hand “77”]
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Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

The State of Tennessee, Perry County SS | County Court October Term 1832 

On this 16th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open court it being the October term of the County Court that held in and for the said County of Perry and now sitting, [inserted text “The Reverend”] Samuel Eakin a resident of the said County and State as aforesaid aged about sixty nine years the twenty third day of next March who being duly sworn according to law oath on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832 – That he entered the service of the United States in the month of March 1780 as a drafted militia private for a tour of nine months from the County of Caswell in the State of North Carolina in the Regiment of North Carolina Militia commanded by Colonel Stephen Moore in the Company commanded by Captain ––– Samuel whose given name is not now remembered by the Declarant. The name of his Lieutenant is not now recollected by him. This Regiment marched from Caswell County to Cross Creek and then joined the army principally of militia composed of the nine months and three months Drafted
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Militia and which army was then under the immediate command of General Rutherford. The army marched from this place to Cape Fear and laid there for some time from thence and marched to the high Hills of Santee and there waited for the arrival of General Horatio Gates with the main body of the regular army and which we joined at this place and from thence the whole army marched on to Rugeley’s Mills at which place there were six hundred men including the Regiment to which this Declarant belonged detailed off under the command of Colonel Isaacs to join General Sumpter [Sumter] on the south side of Camden. This was on Monday the fourteenth of August and the Battle of Camden was fought the Wednesday after being the 16th day of August 1780 – under the command of Colonel Isaacs we joined General Sumpter [Sumter] who had on that very day previous to our joining him captured forty waggons loaded with provisions and a guard of sixty men and who were going on to Camden to join the British Army then under the command of Lord Cornwallis. After joining General Sumpter [Sumter] we marched up to Rocky Mount and from thence to the mouth of Fishing Creek which emptied into the Catawba River where we were surprised by the British and defeated and this Declarant taken prisoner with many others when he was marched to Camden and joined the other prisoners who had been taken at Gates’ defeat among whom was his old commander General Rutherford who in the unfortunate Battle of Camden had been wounded in the head and taken prisoner.
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This surprise and defeat was on the 18th day of August 1780 and the Friday succeeding the defeat of General Gates. In order to give a minute detail of this surprise and defeat this Declarant states that these arms were stacked. Some of the soldiers had gone to gather peaches in an orchard hardbye. Some were in the Catawba River bathing several of whom were killed in the river and in which river whilst bathing this Declarant was ordered by a Dragoon to surrender which he accordingly did. The waggons and provisions which a few days before had been captured by General Sumpter [Sumter] again fell into the hands of the British together with all the arms and munitions of war belonging to the Americans. General Sumpter [Sumter] in vain attempted to rally his men but finding it impossible made his escape after a close and hot pursuit by the enemy. Colonel Tarlton [Tarleton] commanded the dragoons and infantry in this battle on the side of the British—the number of the killed and wounded on the side of the Americans as well as the number of prisoners taken is not now recollected by this Declarant. This Declarant now states that he remained a prisoner in Camden for the space of two weeks and two days during which time he was appointed through the instrumentality of his old commander General Rutherford then a prisoner also to attend upon the Hospital in which the wounded prisoners were
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That at the end of this time he in conjunction with his Step Father who was also a prisoner made their escape and after suffering innumerable hardships on their journey home around there in three weeks it being a distance of three hundred miles from Camden. This journey they performed mostly in the night being fearful of the Tories without a hat on his head and shoe to his feet and not a penny in his pocket entirely dependent upon the charity of the Whigs whenever he fell in with them. He was frequently in a state of starvation. Words cannot express the sufferings that this Declarant underwent on this journey—
This Declarant further states that after remaining at home for four or five weeks and indeed where he had not perfectly recovered from the fatigues of the journey which he hath heretofore stated he was again drafted for a tour of three months and joined the regiment of North Carolina Militia then under the command of Colonel William Moore from the county of Caswell in the company commanded by Captain John Graves his lieutenant’s name not recollected. This regiment marched to Hillsborough in Orange County in the said state. The duty assigned to this regiment was to watch and suppress the Tories who were investing the country and who were very numerous. This Declarant now states that he did not long serve with this regiment being only in a convalescent state when he joined the same his constitution gave way to the fatigues of duty and he sunk under the same in consequence of which he received a furlough and returned home / nor did he again during
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During this tour join this regiment. 
After remaining about two months at home there was a call for men and a muster appointed to beat up for volunteers at which muster this Declarant attended and volunteered but for what period of time he does not now recollect but at any rate until the Tories who had embodied themselves to the amount of five hundred under the command of Colonel Piles [Pyles] and his son Major Piles [Pyles] should be entirely suppressed. Whilst in this tour he served in N.C. Regiment of Volunteer Militia from Caswell County and which was commanded by his former Colonel William Moore in the company commanded by Captain Arthur Loving or Lovel. This regiment joined the army at Butler’s Mills in Orange County North Carolina then under the command of General Pickins [Pickens]. Colonel Henry Lee of the cavalry was at this time attached to this army. The army was at this time in rapid march in pursuit of Col. Piles [Pyles] and his Tories and came up with them about three miles from Butler’s Mills where a total rout and slaughter of the enemy took place. About four hundred out of the five hundred he thinks were killed our orders being to give them Blueford’s [Buford’s] play - the residue being mostly wounded were taken prisoners by us - after this battle the British army under the command of Lord Cornwallis pursued us - we retreated and crossed Haw River and encamped at one Dickey’s it was at this place that Major Micajah Lewis in a state of inebriety rushed over the British lines and was wounded and by which wound he shortly after died at his Uncle Obediah Martin’s house - after this battle [crossed out]
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that is the battle with Col Piles [Pyles] and his Tories the regiment to which this Declarant belonged was discharged and he returned home, the battle of Guilford Court House came on immediately after this when Cornwallis was compelled to retreat before Greene on to Virginia consequently there was no further call for his services. This Declarant states that he thinks as well as he can now recollect that the several tours in which he served would constitute a period of fifteen months or thereabouts.

This Declarant now states that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. He hereby relenquishes every claim whatever to a pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state

Sworn to and subscribed
in open court the day and year aforesaid

Samuel Eakin

Jesse Lewellen, Clerk

[Crossed out] John Halbrook a clergyman residing in the said County of Perry and [crossed out] and [crossed out] Samuel Wood an acting justice of the said County of Perry and residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with the Reverend Samuel Eakin who has subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration that we believe him to be of sixty nine years of age next March, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a militia soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion

sworn and subscribed to in open court the day and year aforesaid clerk

John Halbrook
Minister of the Gospel

Jeremiah Moore J.P.
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And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the entering stories presented by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Militia Soldier and served as he states.

And the court further certifies that it appears to them that [crossed out] John Halbrook who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in Perry County and that [crossed out] Jeremiah Wood is a justice of the peace of the said county and resident of the same and who has also signed the same certificate is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.

Given under my hand and seal the day and year aforesaid 

Jas Gilbert

J L Houston

judge of [illegible] 

justices of the court of [illegible]
for said county

I [crossed out] Jesse Lewellen Clerk of the Circuit of Perry County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of the Reverend Samuel Eakin for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office this day of October A.D. 1832

[illegible] Lewellen Clerk

[illegible] Dep Clerk

Questions by the court

Quest. Where and in what year were you born

Answer. I was born in Little York County in the State of Pennsylvania in March 1764

Question. Have you any record and if so where is it.

Answer. I have it transferred from my grandfather’s bible into my own.
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Question. Where were you living when called into the service where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live.

Answer. In Caswell County North Carolina afterwards in Elbert County Georgia afterwards in [crossed out] in Wilson Davison Hickman and Maury and now Perry in this state. The four preceding counties being in this state.

Question. How were you called into service were you drafted did you volunteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom.

Answer. The first two tours I was drafted the last tour I was a volunteer.

Question. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served such Continental and Militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service –

Answer. General Horatio Gates and the Baron De Calb [Kalb] and Colonel Henry Lee of Virginia who [crossed out] commanded a regiment of cavalry and Colonel William Washington of South Carolina who also commanded a regiment of calvary. The particular regiments either Continental or Militia I have now no recollection of
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State of Tennessee Perry County July [illegible] 1833.

A Declaration supplementary to a declaration –––

Made by Samuel Eakin at the October term of the Perry County Cout for said County on the 16th day of October 1832 in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

This Declarent saith that he [illegible] enter the service in the state and county & under the officers as a privat in the militia in the year 1780 in the month of March as stated in the above recited declaration to which this is a supplement that he served in this year on the tour that he has before described in his Declaration as aforesaid nine months on the first expedition and that he again went out in the latter end of the same year as a private in the Militia thoug he dose not say he was all the time with the American Army this first tour as he was a part of that time a prisoner –– & a part he was lying out of the way till he – could get to join the Whig troops but that he supposes he is equally entitled to the same – as if he had been in the main Army – that on the last tour he [illegible] went out this – year which in 1780 he served three months which ended in 1781 that again he – went out in the year 1781 as a private in a volunteer company and served – three months making in all fifteen months for particulars see the declaration to which this is a supplement as it appears that the time and grades in which he served seems to be the only objection [begin inserted text] to his claim [end inserted text] as this declarent saith that he served as above [begin inserted text] for which he claims a pension [end inserted text] and further saith not – – –
Sworn to subscribed [begin inserted text] in open court [end inserted text] this 17th day of July 1833

Jess Taylor Clerk

Samuel Eakin
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State of Tennessee

Perry County J Jesse Taylor Clerk of the County Court for said County do hereby certify that on the 17th day of July 1833 being the July term of said court that the Revered Samuel Eakin came into open court and was duly sworn to the above supplement and assigned the same.

In testimony where of I have here unto put my hand and affirmed my seal of office at – 

Office this 9th day of December –
AD 1833

Jesse Taylor Clerk
Perry County Court
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[added by hand “Revolution”]
[added by hand “3317”]
INVALID
File No. [added by hand “3317”]
[added by hand “Samuel Eakin”]
[added by hand “Pvt. N.C. line”]
Act: [added by hand “June 7 1832”]
Index: —Vol. [added by hand “A”], Page [added by hand “108”]
[Arrangement of 1870.]
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20.039
Samuel Eakin 
Tennessee
From 1780 for
1 yr $100
can only allow for one
yr
Hon. W.C. Dunlap
H.R.
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BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims, of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of [added by hand “Reverend Samuel Eakin”] which require further proof or explanation.

I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides?

II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides?

III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so?

IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served?

V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language as definite as to enable the department to determine to what amout [amount] of pension he is entitled? [added by hand “No”]

VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations?

VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832?

VIII. Has the Court given their opinion?

IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate?

X. Is the Clerk’s seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? [added by hand “No”]
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XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service?

XII. If the clergyman’s affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it?

XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had?

XIV. † If the applicant’s name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?
	If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses?

XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant’s service?

XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? [added by hand “No”]

XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered?

EXPLANATORY NOTES.

* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:

“Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of this service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For --------- year --------- months, and --------- days, I served as a -------------- For ------------- months and ------------- days, I served as a ------------; and for such service I claim a pension.
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It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit. 

† QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.

In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.

‡ QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.

In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

---> In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.