Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 11,330, Jeremiah Wescoat, N.C.

SERVICE
NUMBER
N.C.
Wescott, Jeremiah
R. 11,330
CONTENTS

15841
Richd. Wescott
Brunswick County, NC
return
4.5.16
Rejected due Attn.
Schov: 18 mo.
Filed 29 Aug 33
L. B. Baker
Interville Ga.
Nola
---

BRIEF in the case of  Sere; Wescott  County of Brunswick in the State of North Carolina  (Act 7th June, 1832.)
 1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Open Court  2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?  3. How old is he? 67  4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed. 
   Period. Duration of Service. Rank. Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.   Years, Months, Days.     thinks In 1781 2 as he thinks 3 As a Gen. Col. Weingate Lt. Col. Leonard Major Cain  Capt. Gause Capt. Simmons   dropped  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? Hoods Creek  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Brunswick County NC  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? tradition  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect? No, Clergyman's affidavit not certified to 
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Chas. Forrest Examining Clerk.

Rec'd at P.O.
Oct. 30 - 1832
W. G. Springfield Mass 15841

State of North Carolina County of Brunswick
On this fourth day of September A.D. 1832, personally appeared in open court, before the Justices of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, now sitting, for the County of Brunswick, now Jeremiah Mescot a resident of Brunswick County and State of North Carolina aged Sixty seven 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, Col. Edward Wm. Wooten, Lieut. Col. Jacob Leonard, Major John Cain, Capt. Gladys Gause Lieut. Thomas Rapp that he entered the service two years before the close of the Revolutionary war and left the service at the close of the war, that he resided in the County of Brunswick in the State of North Carolina when he entered the service, that he was drafted, that he was engaged in the battle of Hood's Creek in Brunswick County, that he marched through the Counties of Brunswick and Bladen in North Carolina, and his services were confined to those Counties, that he knew the officers as above-named, that he has no documentary evidence of his service, that Edward Wm. Wooten can testify to his service. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, declares that his name is not on the pension-roll of the agency of any State. That he was born

in the State of Virginia in the year 1765 - That he has no record of his age - That he was living in the County of Brunswick, State of North Carolina, that when called into service, that he has lived in the same County and State since the Revolutionary War, where he still lives - The names of the officers who were with the troops when he served, are Edward Waight, Jacob Leonard, John Cain, Charles Gause, Thomas Ruff, all militia officers - That he never received a written discharge from the service, that he is known to Richard Langdon and Daniel B. Baker in his neighbourhood who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution - That he was first stationed at Lockwood's Bridge in Brunswick under Col. Waight - That he was gene- -rally kept marching front after the battle of Guilford - that about that time he was stationed at Hoods- - Creek under Col. Waight - That there a battle was fought with the British when Capt. James Simmons and Thomas Smith of our company were killed - That under Major Leonard in Bladen County at night the company was surprised by the Tories at night - when five of our men were wounded & two killed - Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid
Jeremiah Wescott
We Richard Langdon and Daniel B. Baker residing in the County of Brunswick & State of North Carolina hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jeremiah Wescott, who has subscribed

sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be sixty seven years of age; that he is — respected and beloved, in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn, and subscribed the day & year aforesaid Richard Langdon
Daniel B. Baker
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation, 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 Richard Langdon and Daniel B. Baker who signed the preceding certificate, are residents in the County of Brunswick State of North Carolina are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I Nathaniel Potter Clerk of the court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Brunswick, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Jeremiah Wescott for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of my office this 4 th day of September A.D. 1832.
Nathaniel Potter Clerk

In this case the Rev d William Hawkins having arrived at Court after the above Certificates were made - On motion the Court permitted Jeremiah Mescot to avail himself of the following Certificate -
I William Hawkins a Chrg man , residing in the County of Brunswick, hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Jeremiah Mescot who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that I believe him to be sixty seven years of age; and that he is reported & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that I concur in that opinion
I sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid -
W. Hawkins

State of North Carolina County of Brunswick
On this fourth day of June A.D. 1833, personally appeared before me in open Court, before the Justices of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions now sitting for the County of Brunswick, Jeremiah Bescot a resident of Brunswick County and State of North Carolina aged sixty seven years and nine months who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration amendatory of a declaration already made by him on the fourth day of September A.D. 1832, in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7. 1832.
That he first entered the service of the United States - as a private in the militia under capt. Charles Gause in the year of our Lord x h 1780 - That he cannot distinctly recollect the day of the month or the month of that year, but to the best of his recollection it was in the spring and he believes in the month of May of that year. That he was first drafted under capt. Charles Gause as a private in the militia service of the United States, for the period of six months - That he served himself but three months of that time and hired a substitute for the remainder of the time. That Thomas Rusk was Lieutenant of the company of which Charles Gause was captain under whom this declarant served. That he was -

drafted at Lockwoods-folly Bridge in Brunswick County in State of North Carolina - That during the three months above-mentioned for which he served - he was kept marching about in different directions - through the County aforesaid in search of the Tories of whom there was a large number in this section of the Country - That one evening just after dark - the Company in which this Declarant served & the Tories had a small skirmish at Pinyway on the Waccamaw River in Brunswick County aforesaid - That there were no lives lost on either side - that the Tories - very soon fled - Hearing that armed vessels were lying within the Cape Fear Bar - The Company then marched down to the mouth of Cape Fear River where they found two armed Vessels lying at anchor - That no men were landed from the vessels and in a day or two they weighed anchor and went out to sea - The company was soon after marched to into the edge of South Carolina and at Bear Bluff on the Waccamaw River we had another skirmish with the Tories when their Captain James Thompson was taken and the men made their escape - Capt. Thompson in attempting to make his escape got in between our Company and a fence when he was taken before he could escape - about this time my first three months service ended - Being very desirous to go home I hired a substitute for the remainder of the three months for which I was drafted - After being at home about three months the Declarant finding the times quite troublesome , he and his neighbours being much annoyed by the British and Tories - he volunteered - and again entered the service as a volunteer private in the Militia as well as he can recollect in the winter of the year 1780 - He

thinks in the month of November or December of that year, under Colonel Jacob Leonard, and Capt Thomas Rife. That when he entered the service under Capt Charles Gause he resided in Brunswick County State of North Carolina, - That when he volunteered under Colonel Jacob Leonard he also resided in the County of Brunswick and State of North Carolina. That he became a volunteer private soldier under Col. Jacob Leonard at Lockwood's Ferry Bridge in Brunswick County. That he was immediately marched into Waccamaw Neck in South Carolina - the British had possession of Georgetown at that time. Col. Leonard finding that the Tories were marching down from Drowning Creek, - marched his men in that direction but we did not pass in with them - we marched on in the neighborhood of Drowning Creek - and then back into Brunswick County, North Carolina when we were kept marching about in different directions in said County. The declarant says he had forgotten to state that while in South Carolina Col. Leonard joined Col. Horry a Continental Officer with whom he remained a short time before he commenced a retrograde march. That John Cain a native of Brunswick County, North Carolina, was Major under Col. Jacob Leonard, but this officer was not under the immediate command of Major Cain - Col. Leonard was Lieut. Col. at the time this declarant was in service, and Col. Edward Wingate Lead. Colonel. That while the declarant entered the service first as a drafted soldier under Capt. Charles Gause - Edward Wingate was at that time Lead. Colonel. which will explain the apparent discrepancy between this declaration and

the first - This Declarant did not know it was necessary to be thus particular in this first declaration - That about the close or near the close of this term of service this Declarant being under the immediate command of Lieut. Col. Jacob Leonard - (Edward Murgate being lead-Colonel) was stationed on the west side of Hoods Creek Bridge - with the whole company - This was done because the British at that time had possession of Wilmington under Major Craig - and the company was stationed at Hoods Creek Bridge to attack them, if they should leave Wilmington and come in that direction - That while there Major Craig with one hundred and twenty men (as was then said) came to the Bridge one morning just at the dawn of day, that Capt. James Simmons and Thomas Smith a private of our company who went over the Bridge among others, as an advanced guard - were killed - The rest of the guard retreated to the company - The whole of our company then immediately fled - But the Colonel collected ten of his men among whom was this Declarant, who on horseback followed the enemy and annoyed them by firing on them and then retreating into the woods - this we did until the enemy reached the Brick House on their return to Wilmington. That soon after this he was sent over into Bladen County under Major Leonard, - where our Company was surprised at a Mr. Duncan's plantation by the Tories by whom two of our men were killed and five of them were wounded. About this time General Rutherford with one thousand mountaineers as well as this Declarant can recollect, came down and drove the British out of Wilmington - From Bladen the Company was marched back to the Cape Fear River and the British had then embarked - were then on their way down the River. That the Battle of Hoods Creek Bridge in Brunswick County, North Carolina

was fought as well as this Declarant can recollect in the March of the year 1861 - That he left the service as well as he can recollect in the month of December 1861 - That he served as a draf- -ted private soldier three months, and as a volunteer twelve months in the militia making in all one year and three months service for which this Declarant claims a pension - What this Declarant meant in his first Declaration by saying that he entered the service two years before the close of the war and served until the end of it, is that he served within the two last years of the war - This Declarant has as no documentary evidence of his service, but Mr. Edward Simmons of the County of Brunswick, State of North Caro- lina can testify to my service - I hereby relinquish every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
To the several Interrogatories propounded by the Department the Declarant makes the following answers -
To the first Interrogatory he saith -
I was born in the State of Virginia, in the year 1835 -
To the second Interrogatory he saith -

I have no record of my age -
To the third Interrogatory he saith.
I was living in the County of Brunswick, State of North Carolina when called into service - Have lived there since the Revolutionary war and I still live there -
To the fourth Interrogatory he saith.
I was drafted for Six months of which time I served three months - during the residue of my service I was a volunteer.
To the fifth Interrogatory he saith.
This Interrogatory I have already answered in the body of the foregoing declaration to which I beg leave to refer -
To the sixth Interrogatory he saith.
I never did receive a written discharge from the service -
To the seventh Interrogatory he saith.
I am known to the Rev d William Hawkins and Richard Langdon who can testify for me -
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Jeremiah Hines

I Edward Clemmons do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with Jeremiah Prescoat who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration. I knew him as a soldier of the Revolutionary War. I was in actual service with him. He served as a private in the militia under Col. Jacob Leonard, twelve months to my knowledge. I was his fellow-soldier in the service.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
D. M. CLEMMONS
We William Haskins, a clergyman, residing in the County of Brunswick, & State of North Carolina, and Richd. Langdon residing in the same, hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with Jeremiah Prescoat, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; That we believe him to be sixty seven years and nine months of age; 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 and subscribed the day & year aforesaid.
W. Haskins
Richard Langdon

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 William Hawk who has signed the preceding certificate, is a Clergyman, resident in the County of Brunswick, State of North Carolina and that Richard Langdon who has also signed the same is a resident in the County of Brunswick, State of North Carolina and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Samd. Potter J.P.
Mosses Hewett J.P.
Chas. Morrie J.P.
I Nathaniel Potter Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Brunswick, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court, in the matter of the application of Jeremiah Prescott for a pension. In testimony, whereof,
have hereunto set my hand and seal of Office this 4 th day of June A.D. 1833.
Nath. Potter Clk

State of North Carolina, Court of Pleas & Quarter - Brunswick County } Sessions June Term 1833.
We Samuel Potter and Charles Murrell Justices of the Peace for the County aforesaid and who were two of the Justices before whom the oath was administered to Edward Clummons who had made the within Certificate of the Revolutionary services of Jeremiah Meseant, do hereby certify that the said Edward Clummons is an old man - sufficiently old from his appearance to have witnessed the Revolutionary services of said Jeremiah Meseant. We further certify that said Edward Clummons is a credible person and that his statement is entitled to credit. Given under our hands & seals this 4 th June A.D. 1833. We further certify that said Edward Clummons is a reputed soldier of the Revolutionary war. Given under our hands & seals, this 4 th June 1833.
Samd. Potter J.P.
Ch s Murrell J.P.
I Nathaniel Potter Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Brunswick, do hereby certify that the above signatures of Samd. Potter and Charles Murrell as Justices of the Peace are their official acts and deeds, - that they are acting Justices of the Peace for the County of Brunswick, and that due faith and credit is due to their acts as such. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this 4 th June 1833.
Nath l Potter Clerk

State of North Carolina Brunswick County } Oct 22 nd 1833
We the undersigned do hereby certify that we are and have been for some time well acquainted with - Jeremiah Meseat, who has subscribed and sworn to the annexed declaration, - that he has always been considered and we have no doubt, is a man of veracity, - And from this knowledge of his character, we believe the statement made in the aforesaid declaration with regard to his Revolutionary services, to be correct.
October 22 nd 1833.
Benj a Sellers
Thomas Sellers
John Wain
J. Tuggles
Richard Langdon
Robt. Potter
J. B. Gwritt
Francis Morris
David Godwin
Sam l D. Davis
J. N. Galloway
John Standland
Kenneth McKenzie
J. P. Spring
Joseph Burch
W m Shvnard
Cath l Potter C. Clerk
Benj a Blake
Inos Dewett
Sam l Standland
Sam l Robinson
John J. Mirt
J. M c Swain

J. W. Smith J.P.
Miles Potter J.P.
John Wade
William D. Davis
Le Bingham
A. J. Ruff Sheriff
John D. Holmes
J. H. Hill
Charles V. Bullard
J. H. Waters
Nathaniel Galloway, Jr. A. G. Hall J.P.
Moses McKeithen Register D. C.
Charles Morrell J.P. Clerk
Dan. B. Baker
State of North Carolina
Superior Court of Law &
Brunswick County
Equity. Fall Term 1833.
I John Brown Jr. Clerk of the Superior Court of Law for the County aforesaid do hereby certify that I am well acquainted with the subscribers to the above Certificate. They are all credible persons & their statements entitled to credit.
John Brown, Junr. Clerk.

Department of War Pension Office August 29. 1853.
Sir:
I return the declaration of R. Westcoat. His explanation is not yet sufficiently satisfactory, and he will still be required to specify more particularly his last alleged Service.
While it was with the almost difficulty that the Militia Soldiers could be kept in the service even for the short periods for which they were usually called out, as was the case with the applicant in his first term, it is hardly a supposable case that he would voluntarily serve twelve months in one continuous term.
I am respectfully Your obed Servt Geo. W. Brumf Acting Comr. of Pensions
Daniel B Baker Esq Smithville N.C.

Leavitt October 23 rd 1833.
Hon J. L. Edwards
Dear Sir:
I return to you the Declaration of Jeremiah Meseat for a pension, and also the letter written by Mr. Crump. It appears he considers the proof such as is required and the papers properly authenticated; - but yet seems to doubt the service as given to be by the Declarant as improbable. - for that reason I have thought it proper to sustain the character of the Declarant by the Certificate of his neigh- =bours, - as the only thing that now can be done for him. I hope it will so strengthen his statement as to make it satisfactory. There is no doubt about his respectability, - He is besides a poor man, with a large family; but perhaps this is irregular, - if so excuse me -
Respectfully Yours &c.
Dan l B. Baker

Perennial West coast
Alba
Rejected. See let 5 Nov: 1832.
to D.B. Baker
Smithville
11330 Alba
Act 14 June 1832

Acts of July 14, 1862, and March 3, 1873.
REJECTED
11.3311
P. O.
Jeremiah Wescott
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
Application filed: _____, 18
Alleges: _____
Re-enlisted: _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contr
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18