Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 980, Absalom Bobo, S. C.
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(3-1776)
SERVICE
S.C.
Bobo, Absalom
NUMBER
R. 980
Born in Va.
CONTENTS
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[ The State of South Carolina Union District ] on this the thirtieth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred  & forty five personally appeared in  open Court before the Court of Ordinary now sitting  Absalom Bobo , a resident of Spartansburgh  District in the said State  aged eighty one 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  act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. ( The said deponent being old & infirm  & it  being nearer to  Union Court House from his place of residence , than to Spartansburgh  Court House in the  District he resides in , it is much more convenient  & even less expense to make  this declaration here,  that at  Spartansburgh  Court House. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated. To wit,  That early in the year ( say in February or March ) of 1781 he then resided in  Spartansburgh  District , was drafted in the Militia for  a three months tour of duty in the service of the United States. The troops  drafted from the section of the  State in which he resided rendezvoused  at Blackstocks in the said District of Spartansburgh . That the Militia so drafted was at the
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time & place  stated under the command of Colonel Benjamin Roebuck  who is now dead, and that this deponent was enrolled in a company  under the command of Captina George Roebuck  a brother of the Colonel . The said Captina George Roebuck  is still alive & lives a near neighbor to this deponent, but who is too old & infirm  to be removed from his own house, but whose affidavit this deponent will endeavor to procure to aid him in proof of this , his declaration . From Blackstocks the Militia under the command of the said Roebuck  of which this deponent was one, marched through  about the middle of the  State of South Carolina  to  Granby on the south side of Congaree River , opposite to where the town of Columbia is now situated - From Granby  they marched on to Orangeburg  Court House-  that at that place they were joined by two or three  other Regiments of Militia . That a short time after the arrival  of  Colonel Roebuck's command  at the last named place, orders came  from the officer in command of the southern army , this deponent believes General  Green, for two or three  of the Regiments with which he was encamped to march to  Bacon's Bridge on the Ashly River , and that they did leave the encampment  at Orangeburg
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on that tour of duty , but  that a portion of the Troops with himself was left at  Orangeburg to  guard the prisoners in the jail ( Gaol )  at Orangeburg, which at that time contained many prisoners of war. That Colonel Roebuck  & Captain  George Roebuck, with their commands remained at Orangeburg, and that he this deponent remained there also under their immediate command upon the duty aforesaid until his term of three months duty  expired & he was then Honorably discharged & returned home. that he supposes he had a Regular discharge in  writing , but if so he has lost it. That he has no  recollection of there being any Regular Troops at Orangeburg during the time he remained there , and therefore that he knew of no  Regular officer while he was in the service. That while at Orangeburg he recollects to have seen Colonel William Farr with the troops, but whether  he commanded any portion of them he does not remember. This  deponent  further states that Capt. Prince commanded another of the companies  under the command of Colonel Roebuck, but whether he is dead or alive this deponent does not know - that he knows of no living  witness of his said services but Captina George Roebuck whose testimony he expects  to sent to the proper departments with this his declaration . That he was in no engagement during
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his said tour of duty, that he has no documentary evidence  to prove his services. That he has  procured letters to be written to  Charleston  & Columbia  in this  State to have the Revolutionary  Records searched to see if any evidence can be found of his services & the result whatever it may be will be communicated to the proper departments. This deponent further states that for the service so rendered he has never by any manner of means received one cent of pay -  That he served the said three months  as a private soldier, that he was engaged in no civil employment  during the said three months, but was wholly engaged in the service of the United States. That he herby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity  except the present  and declares that his name is not on the pension  Roll of the agency of any  State or anywhere else. This deponent further states that since the time of his discharge  above referred to , he has resided  the balance of the time in Spartansburgh  District. The following interrogatories were propounded to  & answered by the deponent as follows  1. Where & in what  year were you born . Ans. I was born in  Albemarle County in the State of Virginia , in the year 1764
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according to information derived from my parents. 2. Have you any record of your age ? Ans. No  3. Where were you living  when called into the service , where have you lived since the Revolutionary  War, and where do you now live ? Ans. I lived in Spartansburgh  District  & have lived since six years in Union District, and the balance of the time in  Spartansburgh  District  where I live now. 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. I was drafted. 5.  State the names of some of the Regular officers who were with the troops  where you served such Continental & Militia Regiments  as you can recollect  & the general circumstances of your service. Ans. I have stated this in my previous declaration  as fully as I can recollect. 6. Did you ever receive a written discharge, and if so , by whom was it  given and what has become of it ? Ans. I think I rec'd a written discharge and if so it was given by the officer in command at Orangeburg, but my memory  does not well serve me as to this - If I ever had a written discharge it is lost long ago. 7. State the names of persons to whom you  are known in your present neighborhood  & who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.
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Ans. I am known to Col. BB Foster, Major James Edward Henry, Maj. Eliphas Smith , Col. H.H.  Thompson, who are members of the Legislature of South Carolina from the District of Spartansburgh  &  to many others of my neighbors all of whom I doubt  not would testify to my veracity , and many of them  as to their belief that from traditionary evidence  I rendered the services stated in my declaration . This deponent further states that he cannot without subjecting him to  trouble  expense  produce the two persons one of whom must be a clergyman  in open Court, to give the required certificate as tohis age , and as to the traditionary evidence of his  Revolutionary services, but he will conform to the alternative in the matter referred to , which perhaps will be satisfactory  to the departments. Sworn to  & subscribed the day & year  aforesaid in open Court  before me . Absalom Bobo ( signed  )  J.J. Pratt Judge of the Court of Ordy  Union Dist. So. Car. [ The State of South Carolina Spartansburgh District ] We Thomas Ray   Senr.  a clergy man residing in the District of Union  & Colonel Robert Martin  residing in the same District  hereby certify that  we are well acquainted with Absalom Bobo  who has subscribed  &  sworn to the above declaration , that we believe him to be eighty one years of age, that he
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is reputed and believed in the neighborhood  where he resides ( near to  which we live also )  to have been a soldier of the Revolution , & that we concur in that opinion. Sworn  & subscribed the year & day  above mentioned before me . John Gibbs ( signed ) Mag.  Thomas Ray Sen ( signed ) Robert Martin (signed )  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 , a & served as he states. And the Court further certifies that   it appears to them that Thomas Ray  Sen. is a very respectable clergyman resident in the  District of Union and that Colonel Robert Martin  is a credible person  & that their statement is entitled to credit - they both being known to the Court.  October 21st  1845 . J J Pratt (signed ) Judge of  the Court of Ordy for Union District So. Ca.  I, William J. Keenan Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for Union District do hereby certify that  John Gibbs   is a Magistrate as above , a & that J J Pratt  was at the time of signing the above  Judge of the Court of Ordinary  for Union District SC & that his signature as such is entitled to  full faith  & credit. In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of office  & subscribed my name the 21st day of October in  the year 1845. William Keenan ( signed/ sealed ) Clk
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[ The State of South Carolina Spartansburgh District ] ss. Personally came before me Jesse Cooper one of the Magistrates assigned to keep the peace in  & for the District of Spartansburgh  Capt. George Roebuck   who on being duly sworn deposes & says that having heard  read the within declaration of Absalom Bobo he knows of his own knowledge that the same is true in every particular , that he has lived a near neighbor to the said Absalom Bobo  ever since they were in the service of the United States  together , as stated by said Absalom Bobo. This deponent  further states that by reason of his great age , he is unable  to leave his home to appear  in open Court to give his evidence, as he would like to do in favor of his old fellow soldier & comrade in arms. Sworn to & subscribed the -- ( illegible ) day of October in 1845 before me  J. Cooper (signed ) Mag. George Roebuck ( his mark X ) I. J.B. Tolleson  Clerk of the Court for the District  of Spartansburgh  do certify that  Jesse Cooper is a Magistrate  as above that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my seal of office  and subscribed my name the 6th day of October 1845 . J.B. Tolleson ( signed / sealed ) Clk
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REJECTED 980 Absalom Bobo
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Rejected 37127
S.C.
Absalom Bobo
S.C.
Let to D. Wallace Dec. 1 '45
980
Act 7th June '32
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37127
Declaration of Absalom Bobo
S.C
Act 7 June '32
service 3 mos. only
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Oct. 29 1848  (post mark ) [ .U. S. PENSION OFFICE  OCT 23 ] Absalom Bobo  June 7, 1832 ( vertical on page ) Mail Paid 30  J. L. Edwards Esquire Commissioner of Pensions Washington  City
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Union Court House SC Oct 21st 1845 J. L. Edwards ,Esq. Commissioner of Pensions Washington Sir, I forward  to you  the enclosed evidence of the Revolutionary services of Absalom Bobo at his request. I have received a communication from the Comptroller General of this  State in reply  to one which  I addressed to him , informing  me that the name of  Absalom Bobo  is not of  Record  as a  Revolutionary soldier in this  State. Any communication you may be disposed to make  in relation to the enclosed document , you will be pleased to make to myself . I have the honor to  be your obt. servt. D Wallace ( signed )