Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 4,910, William Henson, N.C.
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SERVICE                                                  NUMBER
N. C.         Henson, William                          R.4,910

CONTENTS
[handwritten on printed, lined card]
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State of Indiana}
Harrison County} SS

In the Circuit Court of Harrison County at its April term 1840
Be it remembered that on this fourteenth day of April in the year 1840 personally appeared in t open Court before the Honorable the Judges of the Circuit Court of Hairison County William Henson an applicant for a question[crossed out] pension and the following questions being propounded to him according to the directions of the War Department answers as follows
1st Interrogatory Where and in what year were you born
Answer-- I was born in Culpepper County Virginia in 1757 or 58 or near as I am able to state
2nd Int[illegible] Have you any record of your [illegible] and if so where is it
Answer I have no record of my age, I left it in North Carolina
3rd Intg- When were you living when you were called into the service Where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live-
Answer[underlined] When called into service I lived in Randolph County North Carolina I removed from that county to Indiana where I have resided in H[illegible] [illegible] Martin County ever since
4 How were you called into service, were you draughted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom
ansr I volunteered--
5 State the names of some of the Regular officers who were with the troops where you served: such continental and practice regiments as you can recollect and the general accountancy of your service
ansr--Col. Dougan was the highest officer I knew whether he was  a regular officer or not I did not recollect for other particulary in answer to their interrogatory I refer to my declaration
6. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service
answer I never received a written discharge- I was verbally discharged by Capt. Rainy
 7 State names of persons to whom you are known [illegible] 
answer Elijah Burton, Sherrod Burton Adam Sears and John Rankin--
[all handwritten]
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all which is ordered to be certified by said court--In testimony whereof I H W Heth Clerk of said Court have hereto affixed the seal of said court and signed my name this day and year above written
H. W. Heth Clk
[all handwritten]
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State of Indiana}
County of Martin} S. S.
On this 27th day of March A. D. 1838, personally appeared in open Court, before the Circuit Court of the said County of Martin now sitting, William Hanow, a resident of the Township of Mitcheltree in the Country aforesaid, in the state of Indiana, aged about seventy six 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 7, 1832:
That he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers; and served as herein stated.
He was born in Culpepper County in the state of Virginia, where he lived till he was about Eighteen years of age; at which age he removed to Randolph County in North Carolina. He lived in the County last aforesaid, except when in the service of the United States, during the continuance of the Revolutionary War. In the year after Lord Cornwallis marched thro' North & South Carolina, being as this affiant thinks the year A. D. 1780 the state of North Carolina was greatly infested & disturbed by tories, led principally by a Colonel Fannin, who had been commissioned a Colonel by the British, and whose robberies & outrages of every kind were imm[illegible] about those times. In the first part of the month of September of the same year, Captain John Rains of said County of Randolph raised a company of volunteers of from forty to fifty were, the object of which was principally to repel the tory aggressions. the Liutant of said company was Aquilla Jones, and the name of the ensign was Shubal York. In said Company this declarant volunteered in the first part of the month aforesaid, and remain a private soldier in the same company in constant service till the last of March immediately following; but the exact days of the month, on which he entered the service, and quit it, he cannot recollect. At the time of his said service, his father Joseph Henson, resided with his family in said County of Randolph. The said Company made made the house of said Joseph, a place of rendezvous--a sort of head quarters; from whence they made frequent incursions into the countys of Chatham and Moore, and occasionally into the edge of Montgomery County-- These expeditions were always in pursuit of the tories. In the time of his said service, towards the latter part of this declarant's said service, he with said company, in the lower
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part of Randolph County, in one of their expeditions, stopped at a farm house to get some dinner. Whilet there a party of toriez came to the back part of the field in which said house was situate, and fired on our Company; the billets struck in several placez near uz, but all missed us. We made a charge on the party who had fled into the woodz, and made their escape. We followed their trail the next day five or six milez to a creek called Brush Creek, where we found a man who had just been killed in his own house by the said tory party-- We pursued them a few milez further to a farm belonging to one Isaac Redfern, whose house & barn were just set on fire, and were then in flamiz-- This all recurred in Randolph-- We had no other skirmish at any other time, but we pursued the toriez frequently, on hearing of their being being in bodiez in those partz; but the uniformly fled, and evaded meeting uz in right contenting themselvez with burning housez, killing individuals, and destroying property--We frequently made expeditions across Deep river in Randolph County, & Rocky River in Chatham County. The country in the said four Countiez waz at that time thickly settled; we never went out of said Countiez in the service; and our object & business was during all the time to protect the inhabitantz of those Counties from the tory agressionz-- those Countiez being the place, at that time, in which Colonel Fannin mostly operated in favor of the British; and in that employment we were constantly engaged, except some timez, for a few days when we took up quarters at my fathers house. The said Company were all  mounted men; and I rode a horse of my father's . The Company were called into service by Colonel Dougan, who was a Continental officer (az this declarant thinks), and who lived in said County of Randolph on Deep river-- Said Dougan waz understood to have authority for that purpose; for he called a number of companiez into service about the same time in those partz; but owing to the practice of the enemy in committing their outrages in small partiez in various placez, the companiez so raised by said Dougan, were not embodied into battalions, or regimentz, but remained separate gaurding the country in the best manner they could-- and this thru[crossed out] declarant's company waz never attached to any other. He waz always a private during said service. And served constantly in said Company for six months[underlined] and a half at least [underlined]. He was personally acquainted with Colonel Dougan He also knew Col. Litle, and General Gray, who he believes were regular officers of the North Carolina Militia--Besides these he remembers no other regular
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officers of the revolution of a higher grade than of Capts But he recollectz the namez of the following Militia Captains of North Carolina to Wit: Captains John Hinez-- William York -- and James Gray. He remained in said Company till it waz disbanded; but no written discharrge waz given him that he remembers of. He has no record of his age. but he is about seventy six. His age was recorded in a prayer book which was in the possession of his brother Jesse Henson, and haz seen it in that book more than twenty years ago, but the book haz long since been lost. He judges of his present age, az he think pretty certainly,[underlined] however, from the fact that he was between 18 & 19 years old when he entered into the service az he recollects distinctly[underlined]; and he quit the service the last of March next preceding the capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown-- He continued to reside in said County of Randolph until about 24 years ago; at which time he removed into Harrison County in the then territory of Indiana, where he lived about four years, and then removed into Said County of Martin where he haz ever since resided, and still residiez. He knows of no other person by whom he can prove his said servicez except his said brother Jesse who is about a year and a half younger than he, and knows of his said service. He can prove by John Hasting a minister of the gospel,[crossed out]  Thomas Payne and Eli B. Echerson who can testify as to his character for veracity, their belief of his services as a Revolutionary Soldier, and to whom he is known, and who reside in his present neighborhood-- He hereby 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
This declant states further that by reason of age and consequent loss of memory, he cannot profess to state dates & years with perfect accuracy, but from his perfect recollection of the months in which he entered the service and quit it; and from the fact the recollects distinctly that his age was between 18 & 19 when he entered the service, and also from his distinct recollection that he served as aforesaid in the winter & spring. before the Capture of Cornwallis, and its commencement in the Sept a year before that event,  he is certain that his said term of service commended the first of the September 1780 and ended the last of March 1781, and he calculates his age from these events, and is sure he served six months and a half. -- This declarant states further that the reason why he did not sooner apply for a pension is that till recently, he was in good circumstances, and cared nothing about it; and that late misfor-
[all h
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times have rendered it necessary for his support, in his old age. William Henson X his mark

And on the same day first aforesaid, to wit on the 27th day of March A. D. 1838, comes Jesse Henson aged about eighty four[crossed out] seventy four years, and in open Court, before the said Martin Circuit Court now sitting, and bing duly sworn according to law makez oath that he is a younger brother of William Henson who haz just subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration-- that the year after Lord Cornwallis march northward from Charlestown S. C. (as he believez) and before his capture at york town, to wit in September 1780, said William volunteered in the company of Capt. John Rains; az in stated in the foregoing declaration-- that at that time, said William and this affiant were living at their fathers in the County of Randolph, North Carolina-- that said Captain commanded and kept said Company together constantly from the fore part of September 1780, till the latter part of March 1781-- that the company often took up quarters at his father's house-- that said William served constantly in said company for more than six monthz--that the business of sd. company waz to keep under the tories & repel their attackz in the Countiez of Randolph, Chatham, Moore & Montgomery-- that this affiant was not one of said Company, but saw them often, and knowz therefore that sd. William did serve az herein stated-- that said William is about a year ana a half older than this affiant-- that the record of their age this affiant had in a prayer book, which was destroyed about 20 years ago-- that said William is at least 76 years old-- that he haz ever since lived with him in the same neighborhood and knows that he haz always sustained the character of a Revolutionary soldier-- and that his Lieutent Jonez, & ensign York were officers of said company, and were personally known to this affiant.                     his
                                                        Jesse     X   Henson
                                                                   mark
[all handwritten]
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[partially completed form]

[struck through] Acts pf July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1870.

[stamped] REJECTED

4910
P.O [blank]
[handwritten] William Henson
Service: [blank]
Enlisted: [blank] , 18 __.
Discharged: [blank] , 18__.
Application filed: [blank] , 18__.
Alleges: [blank]
Re-enlisted: [blank]
Attorney: [blank]
P.O. [blank]
[blank] Recognized.
[blank] Contract.
[[blank] Cert. of Dis. 
Searched for [blank] , 18__.
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[handwritten address]

[illegible]

Hon J L Edwards
Secretary War
Washington City
D C

[vertically on left side]
Apl. 23, 1840
7 June 1832
[circular postmark]
GREENVILLE INDIANA. APL 16

[vertically on right side]
Hon J. Carr
H. R
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Greenville Floyd County Ind Aprile 15th 1840
Dear
Sir I herewith Enclose the papers of Wm Henson of Harrison County Ind. for Services in the Revollutionary Serviies you will Confer a favor by as Early a consideration as is Convenient and inform me of the Result yours Very Respectfully

Hon.. I L Edwards                        Wm Williams
Secratorry of War
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William Henson
Indiana
Rejected
Sec let. 21 April 1838 [illegible] John Ewing let 16 May, 1840 Hon: John Carr.

did not serve in a regularly organized corps called out by c[illegible] authority, 
4910
Act 7 June 1832
[all handwritten]
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State of Indiana}
Harrison County} S S

On this fourteenth day of April in the year one thousand eight hundred & forty personally appeared in open Court before the Hon. the Judges of the circuit Court of Harrison County within the second Judicial Circuit of the State of Indiana now sitting at the Court House in Corydon in said County William Henson a resident of said County aged about 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
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated: 
That he William Henson was born as near as he can reccollect in the year 1758 or 1759 in Culpepper County Virginia-- he has now no record of his age having lost the book in which it was contained. That his parents removed with him while he was yet quite a small boy to Randolph County in North Carrolinee, That he continued to live in said Randolph County until called into service. That he there volunteered during the revolutionary war as a private soldier in a regiment of militia commanded by Colonel Thomas Dugan in a company of light horse under the immediate command of Captain John Rains who was the Captain of the Company to which he belonged. That he served a tour of duty in said company for a period of six months commencing in the early part of the month of September and ending in the early part of the month of March following. That he cannot reccollect whether the tour of duty commenced and ended on the precise first day of those months respectively, and that he cannot now remember the precise years but that it was towards the end of the war. The company was made up chiefly of the persons living in his neighbourhood in said Randolph County. The Leutenants name was Acquilla Jones. The first sergeants name was Fulton-- he thinks his christian name was James. Among the privates who served in the same company he remembers the names of Vernon Garner, William Wright, John Hines, Evans Wright John Stephens Robert Stephens, Shubel or Lerry Yorke, Anthony Rains
[all handwritten]
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(who was some relation but not a brother to the captain) Robert Duncan and Charles Duncan (or Dungan). That the company mustered at the house of Joseph Henson (his father) in said Randolph County--which said house of Joseph Henson continued to be their occasional place of Rendesvous during his period of service, That it was the duty of his company to make excursions in various directions through the counties of Randolph, Chatham and Moore to protect the country from the British troops & tories. That he was constantly employed in this service with his company during the whole of the period of service before mentioned viz from the early part of September until the March following, and was not engaged in any other business or pursuit during any part of that time. That his company performed important services in keeping the counties in which it operated clear of the enemy but was not engaged in any actions with them. Some of the other companies under Col. Dugans command has several actions with the tories during this period and whilst engaged in the same kind of service one of which was at the house of Needham in the lower part of Randolph County and another at Harman Cox's Mill on Deep river in Randolph County some officers of the regular Army visited there[crossed out] his company occasionally whose names he cannot now remember, but he thinks one named Litterel was with his company sometimes. That the company was discharged in March at said Joseph Hensons house-- that the men received no written discharge and that he never received any pay or compensation for his services. That he continued to live in Randolph County North Carolina until about the year 1809 when he removed to Indiana and has ever since lived in Martin and Harrison Counties in said state. The only persons he now knows of who could testify to his sevices as aforesaid of their own personal knowledge are William Wright who served in the same comtayny[crossed out] company with him, and who he thinks is now receiving a pension and Jesse Henson his brother. He mentions as names of persons living in his neighbourhood who can testify to his character for veracity and theri [illegible] of his services in the revolution the following Elijah Burton, John Rankin 
He further states that his reccollection is now much impaired by age, and that he has not made earlier application for a
[all handwritten]
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pension in consequence of his removal to a great distance from the place where he served and his ignorance of the provisions made by law for such cases as his. He hereby relinquishes every claim 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. He further states that the term of service for which he engaged was six months and that he continued to perform military service during the whole of said term. 
Sworn to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid ~~~~
H. W. Heth Clk
          his
William X Henson
          mark  
[illegible] the undersigned Jesse Henson upon my solemn oath do certify that the above named William Henson who has subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration did serve for the term of six months as a private in the revolutionary war against the British and Tories in the state of North Carolina in the company commanded by Captain John Rains in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Dugan. The undersigned being a brother to said William Henson knows of his own personal knowledge many of the circumstances that occurred during the revolutionary war-- and hearing the aforesaid declaration read believes it to be true and correct as far he reccollect. Deponant is aged between 70 & 80 years 
       his
Jesse X Henson
       mark

We Adam Sears a clergyman residing in the County of Harrison and state of Indiana and Elijah Benton and Sherrod Benton-- residing in the same state and county hereby certify that we are well acquainted
[all handwritten
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with William Henson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration: that we believe him to be about eighty years old or upwards: that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid H. W Heth clk
Adam Sears
Elijah Burton
Sherod Burton

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 in his foregoing Declaration (in the foregoing three pages) of which this is the fourth). And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Jesse Henson who has signed one of the preceeding certificates is a resident of the County of Harrison and State of Indiana and that he is a credible person and his statement entitled to credit and that Adam Sears -- who has signed one of the preceeding certificates is a clergyman resident of the county of Harrison & State of Indiana and that Elijah Burton and Sherrod Burton who have also signed the same are residents of the same county and state and that they are credible persons and their statements entitled to credit
I Henry W. Heth Clerk of the Circuit Court of Harrison County within the Second Judicial Circuit of the State of Indiana do hereby certify that the foregoing pages from 1 to 4 (inclusive) contain the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Henson for a pension. 
[white paper affixed to document]
In testimony whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal of office at Corydon this 14 day of April 1840
H. W. Heth clk
[all handwritten]
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V34.397
William Henson
Indiana
[handwritten at the top of page]

Hon J. Ewing
[illegible]
[handwritten at the bottom of page]
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We Thomas Payne and Eli B. Eckerson residing in Mitcheltree Township, Martin County Indiana, in the immediate neighborhood of William Henson who haz subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with said William Henson that we believe him to be seventy six years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood in which he livez and residez to have been a soldier of the revolution; that we concur in that opinion. That we have known him (the said Thomas for thirty years) (and said Eli B. for two years) and have no hesitation in saying that all the time we have known him, he haz sustained a perfectly good character for truth & veracity, and haz, during all that time, been reputed by the people of his neighborhood, az a soldier of the revolution, and we never heard the fact disputed or doubted; and that there is no clergyman, at present residing in his immediate neighborhood. 
Thomas Payne
Elij B E[illegible]

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatoriez prescribed by the War Department (the answers to which are substantially imbodied in the foregoing declaration) that the above named applicant waz a revolutionary soldier and served az he states. and the court further certify that it appears to them that Thomas Payne and Eli B. Eckerson who have sworn to and subscribed the foregoing certificate, are credible persons and there statement is entitled to credit. that they reside in the immediate neighborhood of said applicant, and the court do further certify that Jesse Henson whose name appears
[all handwritten]
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to the foregoing affidavit of the servicez of said applicant waz duly sworn in open court to the same-- and waz carefully examined by us touching that affidavit, and that we are satisfied fully that his said affidavit is strictly true, and that it appears to uz that he is a person of credibility, and his statement is entitled to credit. 
E. M. Huntington
Allison Henderson
Daniel Brown

I, Silas J Halbert Clerk of the Martin Circuit Court, do certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said court (before the Hon. Elisha M. Huntington president Judge, and Allison Henderson and Daniel Brown associate Judges of the same Court) in the matter of the application of William Henson for a pension.
[white paper with dark stamp affixed to page, illegible]
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and seal of office this 27th. day of March A. D. 1838.
Silas, L. Halbert Clerk
[all handwritten]
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Hoof Reps Apl. 19 '38
Sir,
The inclosed Declaration has just reached me, and I transmit it for your decision.
I have a personal Knowledge of the applicant William Henson--he resides in my district, and is a man of strict morals, and I am satisfied, a man of strict veracity.--
Res[illegible]
[illegible]
Jno. Ewing
J. L. Edwards Esq.
[all handwritten]