Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 21793, for Moses Stephenson, South Carolina
Page 1

(3-1776)

SERVICE
S. C.

Stephenson, Moses
Elizabeth

NUMBER
R. 21793

CONTENTS
Page 2

Petition of 
Mrs. Stephenson
widow of Moses Stephenson
decd. praying a pension
for the revolutionary services
of her late husband

March 22d 1844
Referd to committee
on Rev. pensions
Page 3

Mrs. Stephenson
1 Feb
Page 4

(3-224.)
Revy
No. 21.793
[blank] Ex'r.
REJECTED
OLD WAR WIDOW.
Elizabeth Stephenson of Tenn
widow of Moses Stephenson
Pri Colo Hampton S. C. Troops
Died at  [blank]
[blank] other claim.
[blank date]
[blank]  Clerk.
Application filed:  [blank date]
Attorney:  [blank]
P.O.  [blank]
Page 5

V  6096
Elizabeth Stephenson
of
Tennessee
Elizabeth Stephenson
widow of Moses
SC  Colo Davy
Colo Hampton
Page 6

State of Tennessee
Maury County SS.

I Edmund C Dillahunty Judge
of the 8th Judicial Circuit of the Circuit Court of the State
of Tennessee, presiding in the Court-house in Columbia for the County
of Maury aforesaid, do hereby certify that it is the opinion of the Court
that Moses Stepheson was a private Soldier in the Revolutionary War
for more than two whole years, that the said Moses & Elizabeth
Stephenson were married in Craven County alias Lancaster District
in the State of South Carolina before the 1st day of January 1794,
& lived together as man & wife until the death of the said Moses, that the 
said Elizabeth Stephenson is the identical widow & relic of Moses
Stepheson decd. and that she is a lady of good moral character &
the witness Thomas Stephenson and Samuel Stephenson are gentleman
of the highest respectability & entitled to full credit on their oaths
Given under my hand and seal this 
26th day of August in the year 1839.

Edmund Dillahunty   (seal)
Judge [&c?]



State of Tennessee
Maury County SS.

I Pleasant Nelson Clerk of the 
Circuit Court for Maury County, do hereby certify that 
the foregoing contains the original proceedings had in the 
Court in the case of the application of Elizabeth
Stephenson widow and relic of Moses Stepheson decd.
and are in due form of law
In testimony whereof I have hereunto 
set my hand and affixed my private
seal, there being no seal of office, at 
office in the town of Columbia Tennessee
on the 2 [6?]th day of August in the year
1839 and in 64th year of the Independence
of the United States of America

P. Nelson Clk  (seal)
Maury Circuit Court
Page 7

State of Tennessee
Maury County SS.

I James K. Polk [illegible] Representative
in the Congress of the United States from the 9th Congressional
district of the State of Tennessee, do hereby certify
that the Hon Edmund Dillahunty is & was at the time of the 
attestation of the foregoing certificate the presiding Judge
of the Circuit Court for the County of Maury aforesaid
duly commissioned & qualified, and that Pleasant Nelson
Esq who has assigned the foregoing certificates is & was at the time 
of the attestation thereof the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Maury
County aforesaid, duly commissioned & qualified and that full
faith & credit is & ought to be given to all their official acts as 
such, & that John H [Dew/Drew?] the attorney for the applicant
is entitled to respectful regard & attention from the department
Given under my hand and Seal at Columbia
Tennessee September 4th 1839

James K. Polk
Page 8

Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress
of the United States of America for the benefit of widows
of deceased soldiers of the War of the Revolution

State of Tennessee
Maury County   to wit

On this 26th day of August in the 
year 1839 personally appeared in open Court
Elizabeth Stephenson a citizen of Maury County Tennessee
aged about seventy six years, who being first duly
sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the 
following declaration in order to obtain the benefits
of the provision made by the Act of Congress of 
the United States of America, passed for the benefit
of widows & relics of deceased soldiers of the war
of the Revolution - That she has been often told by
her husband Moses Stephenson in his life time that he 
enlisted a private soldier in the Continental Army
of the United States, in the County of Craven, alias Lancaster
County in the State of South Carolina, and served under
the following named officers, to wit in the company
commanded by Capt George Dunlap and was 
attached to the Regiment commanded by Colonel
William R Davy, and served also under Colonel Hampton
Generals Sumpter & Washington, she cannot now recollect
when [illegible] her said Husband entered the army
& was mustered into service, and the precise time he
was in service she cannot recollect with certainty
but a considerable time, and she refers to Mr. Stephenson's
deposition for the facts of the length of time of his said
services.  She has often heared her husband say that he was 
in the battles on Rocky Mount, Fish Dam ford, Hanging 
Rock and other skirmishes with British & tories.  Affiant
states that she and the said Moses Stephenson were
married in the County of Craven alias Lancaster, State 
of South Carolina shortly after the close of the war & she 
thinks some time in the year 1783, as her oldest
child was born in 1784.  She has no record evidence 
of their marriage, but she has of the ages of her children
and it appears in the family record that her oldest
Page 9

child was born in February 1784 more than 
nine months after their marriage.  she states
that she & the said Moses were married before the
first of January 1794 - said Moses Stephenson
died in Lancaster 
County in the State of South Carolina in the 
month of May 1802, that she is the widow and 
relic of Moses Stephenson decd., that she 
has never since the death of her husband intermarried
with any other person, that she removed to Tennessee
in the year 1813 and now resides in Maury County
Tennessee.  She hereby relinquishes every claim 
whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present
& she declares that her name is not on any pension 
Roll in the United States nor any agency in the United
States.

Elizabeth Stephenson  X  her mark

Sworn to & subscribed
in Open Court the 26th day of 
August in the year 1839.

P. Nelson Clerk



State of Tennessee
Maury County SS.

Personally appeared in Open Court
Samuel Stephenson aged about 53 years, and is the third
child of Moses & Elizabeth Stephenson, that he has heard
the declaration & deposition of his Mother & Capt Thomas
Stephenson read and he remembers to have heard his father in 
his life time recount over the services he rendered & the officers
under whom he served and his recollection is about the 
same contained in the declaration made by his Mother
& the said Thomas Stephenson

Samuel Stephenson

Sworn to & subscribed in open
Court the 26th day of August
A. D. 1839.

P. Nelson Clerk
Page 10

State of Tennessee
Maury County S.S.

This day being the 25th day of July
in the year 1839, personally appeared before me
John E. Stephenson an acting Justice of the peace
in and for the County of Maury aforesaid Thomas
Stephenson a citizen of the County of Maury in the 
State of Tennessee, aged Seventy three years, who 
being duly sworn according to Law, doth on his 
oath make the following statements of the service
of Moses Stephenson, now deceased - that said 
Moses Stephenson entered the service of the United
States under the following named officers, to wit
he was a private soldier in the company commanded 
by Captain George Dunlap, and attached to 
the Regiment under the command of Colonel
William R. Davy and the Division commanded
by General Thomas Sumpter.  he remembers
also the name of Colonel Hampton, under
whom said Moses Stephenson served in the 
War of the Revolution; Affiant further states
that said Moses Stephenson when he joined
the army was a citizen of the Craven, alias Lancaster
County in the State of South Carolina, the precise
time said Moses Stephenson was mustered into service
he cannot now recollect, but remembers it
was several years before the close of the 
War of the Revolution,  Affiant further states that 
said Moses Stephenson was in the Battles at Rocky
Mount on Catawba River in South Carolina, also
at Fish Dam ford on Broad River in sd. State of 
So. Ca.  also at [Letch?] or Scott's Lake between Camden
& Charleston,  he was at the Hanging Rock and 
several other skirmishes,  affiant cannot say
the precise time & date of the aforesaid Battles
and at what time the said Moses Stephenson was 
discharged, or where it was he was he was discharged.
Affiant cannot state with precision the length of 
time said Moses Stephenson was in actual service
Page 11

of the United States of America in the War of the 
Revolution, and feels confident he was in actual
service more than Twelve months, and he thinks
two years, but he cannot speak with certainty
the precise time;  Affiant was himself born and 
raised in the County of Craven alias Lancaster
in the State of South Carolina, was several times
in the camps when said Moses was in service
and was old enough to remember it well, and 
recollected much of his information from said
Moses Stephenson and other soldiers of the War of 
the revolution, who were soldiers together, and from 
his own recollection of the facts - said Moses
Stephenson was married to Elizabeth Stephenson
his wife in said County Craven alias Lancaster
in the year 1783, the precise date & month he 
does not recollect, said Moses & his wife Elizabeth
lived together as man & wife in said County of Craven 
alias Lancaster, until the death of said Moses Stephenson
which was in said County, which happened more than Thirty years 
since but the precise date of his death he does not 
now recollect.  Affiant was at the marriage between 
said Moses & Elizabeth and remembers that it took 
place the next year after the close of the War
of the Revolution and the establishment of peace
said Elizabeth Stephenson who has assigned the foregoing
declaration is the identical wife of said Moses and 
is now the widow of said Moses Stephenson decd.,  that she resides in Maury
County Tennessee and has done so for many years, that 
she is a Lady of good moral character and entitled 
to full credit on her oath - Affiant is old & infirm
and unable to ride to and appear in open Court and 
therefore makes this his statement of facts before a Justice
of the peace out of Court.

Thomas Stephenson

Sworn to & subscribed before 
me this 25th day of July 1839.

John E Stephenson  (seal)
Justice of the peace for Maury County