Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 7071, for Richard B Meacham, North Carolina

SERVICE
NUMBER
96.6
Meacham, Richard B.
P. 7071
CONTENTS
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.
Twelve horizontal dotted lines for writing.

REJECTED
7071.
P. O. William B. Meacham
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18 .
Discharged: _____, 18 .
Application filed: _____, 18 .
Alleges: _____ _____
Re-enlisted: _____ _____
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____ _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

Suspended
See letter 16 Oct. 1835 to H. C. Lea, Perry C. H.
7071

Oct 16
Ala.
FREE
Mr J. L. Edwards Commr. of Pensions War Department Washington City

To Mr. S. L. Edwards
If an allowance should be made of which the applicant in- tains hopes the Certificate can be returned to her said & the clerk to her husband himself or to the undersigned
Henry Lea

Declaration. In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832 The State of Alabama Perry County } ss
On this fourth day of September personally appeared in open Court before the County Court of the County & State aforesaid now sitting Richard B. Meacham a resident of Perry County aforesaid & State of Alabama aged seventy five 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. I was as well as I remem- ber in my eighteenth year - in seventeen hundred and se- venty eight in what month or on what day for my life I can't say I had acquired a thorough knowledge of the exercise & manou- vers in a horse company - and resolved to enter the service of the United States till the close of the war which I did and remained for that purpose in Chatham County in North Carolina on Haw River. I was elected captain of a horse company in a few days after I joined the service - I think I distinctly re- collect all the officers of the Brigade I was in which was com- posed of six companies - I will mention Captains, Douglass, Willis, Johnson, D. Crutchfields and myself - The Colonels were Litrell & my Father John Meacham (an own Cousin of General Washington & with him in Braddock's war) The Brigade was under the Command of General Butler The length of my service to the best of my recollection was three years & eleven months. I feel that I can safely make this statement. I believe I got a Certificate or showing of my ser- vice & discharge from one Colo Williams out of the Commission ers at Hillsboro in North Carolina about the sixteenth of March seventeen eighty two. General Butler gave me a Commission but I can not say whose name was signed to it. I state now that my Commission with every paper I had was burnt in my house on Pedee River four miles from Grassy Island set on fire by one John Purvis & a negro and burned more than thirty years ago. I was a volun- teer in the horse service and Captain of a horse company the whole time I was in the service three years & eleven months as above stated. The most important engagement I was in was in a very short time after I entered the service. It was between our regiment and Colo. Fanning the Tory Colo who at that time had under his command several hundred Lo- nus & Scotsmen. The battle was fought at Lindsey's Mill on Cane Creek that runs into the west side of Haw River about five miles from its mouth & nine miles from Litrell's Barracks the place from which we started in Chatham County N. Carolina in this battle I received a most se- vere wound the effects of which I feel more now than I did twenty years ago the wound being given by a musket ball in the right hip I was able to remain on horse back but after going back to the Barracks was unable to ride again for a month - it caused my whole right leg & foot to grow round to the right which every one can see and

and has been an inconvenience to me all my life. in this little battle we killed thirty seven scotch and lively set of the American Tories - we lost but few men below four killed. we were marched back to the Barracks from this place after I had recovered so that I could ride & resume the command of my company we scoured the Country as often as occasion required which was very frequent in every direction. Some times detached under our superior officer & then another. It would perhaps be of no consequence that I should enumerate the numerous little skirmishes & chases we had with the Tories for it is known by every body that this part of the Country was perhaps more plundered & annoyed by them in small numbers than almost any other part of the Country but little idle time during any part of my service - In seventeen hundred and eighty one when Cornwallis was at Guilford Court house we were ordered to join the command & reinforce General Greene and were on our march to that place at the time the battle was fought - I was also in the same year stationed with the guard to the baggage and wagons at the time the battle at Benton was fought - I could name many of the regular officers who passed occasionally through our quarters of the Country but we were but little with them some parts of our Regiment were detached & engaged with them at several places but as I stated above I did not reach any point where a battle was fought by the regulars - There was General Greene a regular officer I have seen - I can say I have seen others but I suppose it will not be worth while. For the general circumstances of my service I must refer the department to my declaration. It was as hard & fatiguing as that of any man it was long though perhaps not so important to the whole Country I should have applied for a pension before this but thought that the loss of my papers would prevent me from getting any thing. I have no documentary evidence & I know no person living whose testimony I can procure who 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 whatever
Sworn to & subscribed, the day & year aforesaid. Richard B. Meacham
We Benjamin Ford, George Hameter & Jack Ford citizens of the County of Williams West a clergyman residing in the neighbourhood of Richard B. Meacham hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Richard B. Meacham who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy five years of age; that he is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution & that we concur in that opinion
Sworn to & subscribed this day & year aforesaid
Benjamin Ford George Hameter Jack Ford William West

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 the states. And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Benjamin Ford Esq.
George Keaneter and Jack Ford are neighbours of said applicant are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit & that William West is a clergy man in the neighbourhood of the said Richard B. Meacham that he also is a credible person & that his statement is entitled to credit.
Dunklin Sullivan Judge County Court P.C.
I Luke B. Nave Clerk of the County Court of the county of Perry & State of Alabama do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Richard B. Meacham for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my hand and the seal of my office this fourth day of September in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred & thirty five
J. B. Nave Clerk of Cty Ct P. C. Ala.
To the Interrogatories prescribed by the War Department the applicant Richard B. Meacham answers as follows viz.
1st When & in what year were you born?
Ans. I was born in Caroline County Virginia in the year seventeen hundred & sixty.
2nd Have you any record of your age or so when is it? Ans. My age is recorded in my Father's bible I believe at this time in my younger Brother's possession.
3rd Where were you living when called into service where have you lived since the Revolutionary war & where do you now live?
Ans. In Chatham County when called in to service (and being disputes a mile right by trade I have moved about a great deal I moved from Chatham to Morgan County in Georgia in eighteen hundred & ten I moved to Clark City now in Alabama on the Bigby - I was engaged as a volunteer a short time during the late war I moved then into Washington County thence to Green - thence to the Montgomery thence to Wilcox thence to Perry County where I have lived since October eighteen hundred & thirty three.
4th How were you called into the service; were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute or a substitute of a substitute for whom? Ans. I volunteered & served as stated in my declaration.

5 th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you offered such Continental & Militia Regiments as you can recollect & the general circumstances of your service!
Ans. General Green - General Wayne Colonel Lee & some others I do not recollect I can not remember the number or names of any of the Regiments but my own as to the general circumstances of my service I have stated them in my declaration
6 th Did you ever receive a Commission viz as by whom was it signed & what was the contents of it?
Ans I have fully answered this interrogatory in my declaration
7 State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood & who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.
Ans. I mention those who are here commensurate Benjamin Ford Esquire. George Hamiter and many others
Jack Ford -
might be named
William West
is a clergyman in my neighbourhood.
Sworn to & subscribed this The 4 th September 1834
Richard B. Meacham
J B Ware Atty
33. 284 Richard B. Meacham Alabama