Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 2990, James Beaty, N. C.

SERVICE
NUMBER
N.B.
Beatty, James Dr. Beatty
8.2990
Carde d.
CONTENTS

19016 West Tennessee James Beatty
Rutherford in the State of Tennessee who was a private in the company commanded by Captain Nichols of the reg t commanded by Col Griffith in the War of Rebellion time for Service rendered
James Beatty. Records etc. Pay Inserted on the Roll of West Tennessee a at the rate of 40 Dollars — Cents per annum, commence on the 1 st day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 7 th day of July 1833 and South Charles Ready. War Department
Arrears to the 1 st of March 80.00 Pension allowance ending 1 st Sep r 70.00
$150.00
{ Revolutionary Claim, } { Act June 7, 1832. }
Recorded by Dan Boyd Clerk, Book E Vol. 7 Page 77

James Beaty No. 250

1 State of Tennessee, Court of pleas & quarter sessions Rutherford County August term 1832.
On this 20 th day of August 1832, personally appeared in open court, before Henry Scott, W. D. Corum & James C. Mitchell Esquires, Justices of the Court of pleas & quarter sessions for the County aforesaid, now sitting, James Beal, a resident of said County of Rutherford, aged, Seventy eight years, five months & twenty six days, or Seventy nine years, five months & twenty- six days, 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 the 7 th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. He entered a Volunteer regiment in South Carolina, in the company commanded by Captain Jacob Nicholds, in which company David Henry was Lieutenant. The regiment to which he belonged was commanded by Col. Griffith Rutherford, afterwards General Rutherford, and the whole force was under the command of General Williamson. He resided in Rowan County North Carolina when he volunteered, and was mustered into service at Charlotte, Mecklenburg County North Carolina, which he thinks was in the latter part of the year 1775. He remembers that, William Davidson, afterwards General Davidson, was the Adjutant of his regiment, and he was mustered into service by him. — After having been mustered into service, he marched for Ninety Six in South Carolina against the Tories who had embodied there. Before we reached Ninety Six, and at Rayburn's Creek in South Carolina, we learned that the Tories had dispersed, and that the object of the campaign being accomplished, we marched back and were dismissed after having entered the State of North Carolina, the precise place at which he was dis- missed, he cannot state. He received no written dis- charge, but was verbally dismissed by the Colonel of the regiment. He was out two months, if not longer, but he will not positively state more than two months. — This Campaign was performed in extremely cold unpleasant weather; there was during some part of the time the deep- est snow on the ground that had almost ever been known in that part of the country. The Campaign was long known by the name of the Snowy Campaign. After being dismissed, declarant returned to his residence in Rowan County North Carolina, from which he soon went out again as a Volunteer against General M c Leod, a

Scotch man, under whom the Scotch had taken up arms in behalf of the British government, and was encamped somewhere in the State below when declarant resided. Declarant thinks that he rendezvoused to enter upon this tour, at Hillsborough  Gilespury N.C. on the 22 nd February 1776. He was under the same company officers as in his former tour, and the regiment to which he belonged, he thinks was commanded by Colonel Francis Lock, Col. Rutherford, as he thinks, having then been advanced to the station of General, and he thinks Rutherford commanded in that campaign as General. Col. Alexander Martin who was in the regular service, and who he thinks commanded the first regular troops were raised in that part of the Country, was in the same campaign, with his regiment of regulars. The regiment in which declarant served, marched from the place of rendezvous as above stated, to the Cross Roads in Randolph County, where we joined with the Col. Martin's Regiment of regulars. He also remembers that at the same place, they were joined by another regiment of Militia, commanded by Colonel James Martin, a brother to Col. Alex r Martin. Our troops then proceeded on to Cross Creek, where we learned that Gen. M c Leod had been attacked by a party of Whig troops under the command of some man whose name, he cannot now remember, but who he believes afterwards became Governor of North Carolina, and was entirely routed & defeated; General M c Leod himself being killed. He thinks he was then marched back home, or in his neighborhood and dismissed by his Captain. He is certain that none of the troops to which he belonged, proceeded any further after receiving the intelligence of M c Leod's defeat; and perhaps they were dismissed generally at Cross Creek, but the reason he thinks he marched back with his Captain is that the men under his command were nearly all his neighbours, and principally Irish, who he knows were warm hearted, patriotic fellows and generally stuck close together. Declarant thinks he was in service, including the time he was marching home, during this campaign, about two months.
During the same year, and declarant thinks in the latter part of the summer or in the fall early, there was a call for men to go out against the Cherokee Indians who had been committing depredations on the frontier, and he again volunteered his services, and went out under the command of the same company officers, who commanded in his former tour;

he is not certain whither his regiment, this town, was commanded by Col. Lock or Col. Dobbins, but believes it was one of them. The expedition was under the command of General Griffith Rutherford. There was in this campaign a regiment from Guilford County and one from Randolph, one of which was commanded by Col. James Martin, and he believes it was the Randolph regiment. He remembers that they all rendezvoused or met at Cather's fort on the Oatawba river, and marched thence across the mountains, passing over Sawanano creek, and the French Broad river, which we crossed at a place called the Cherokee ford, thence we proceeded on to a small water course called Tuckaleeche, at which there was a small deserted Indian Village. Crossing over this stream we proceeded on to the Watauga town on the big Tennessee river, which was deserted. We burned the town as we did the village at Tuckaleeche; cut down their corn & destroyed it, which was then in roasting ears , after using as much of it as we wanted, dug up their potatoes, drove off their cattle etc. Before we reached Watauga town however, our advanced guard was fired on by a small party of Indians who had ambuscaded themselves in the pass between two ridges. This fire was returned by our guard, and the Indians fled. If there was any of them killed, we never saw them. None of our men were killed by their fire. One man by the name of William Alexander was wounded in the foot or ankle, and we were compelled to carry him on a litter the balance of the campaign. Declarant remembers an accident that occurred in his regiment about the time it crossed Sawanano. One of the soldiers guns accidentally fired off, and shot another soldier who was near him, and he died of the wound almost instantly. From Watauga town we went to a town called Cowee, which was deserted. We burned the town, destroyed their corn & potatoes after using as much of them as we wanted; drove off their stock etc. as we did at every town or Indian habitation we came to. From Cowee we proceeded to Nucusee a large place for an Indian town, at which place a consultation was held by our officers, and it was determined to divide our forces. Accordingly, Gen. Rutherford proceeded on to Hiwassee with a part of the troops and the balance remained

:4 with Col. James Martin at Nucuse. Declarant went with Gen. Rutherford, Col. Martin and the troops with him, remaining at Nucuse, until our return. Soon after we left Nucuse, our pilot got lost, and took the wrong road, which bewildered us so that we were two or three days longer in reaching Hiwassee than we had anticipated. After reaching Hiwassee, the South Carolina troops commanded by General Pickens marched into our encampment. We learned from them that in their march they had met with a party of Indians a day or two before, and had a sharp engagement with them, which resulted in the defeat of the Indians. This engagement occurred between the Tennessee & Hiwassee rivers, and was on the same road our forces would have marched had not our pilot misled us. He does not remember that any of Gen. Pickens' men were killed in this engagement, but there were several of them wounded. There were a number of the Indians killed, and we saw their dead bodies a few days afterwards on our march back to the point where we left a part of our forces, namely, to Nucuse. Having scoured the Nation burnt all the principal Indian towns, and destroyed all their property, we marched directly back from Nucuse to Cattery's Station, the point from which we marched to invade the Nation, when we were discharged. Declarant believes he received a written discharge at the end of this tour from his Captain, and if he did it has long since been lost. He thinks he was absent from home on this campaign, at least two months. During this tour declarant was in no general engagement with the Indians, but many of them were lurking in the woods and amongst the rocks & fastnesses of the mountains; and whenever they, or at least, frequently, when they found our men straggling off a little from the main body of the troops, they fired on them and occasionally killed several of them. After this campaign declarant returned to his former residence in Rowan county, until probably the year 1778, when he again

5 Volunteered to march into South Carolina against the British. He entered the service in the company of Capt. Jacob Stickolds his former Captain. His regiment was commanded by Col. Francis Lock and the whole troops were under the command of General Rutherford. We rendezvoused at Salisbury. There was also a regiment rendezvoused there from Guilford county, but he does not remember the name of the Colonel who commanded it. There might have been some other regiments, but he does not remember that there was. We marched from Salisbury into South Carolina, entering South Carolina, as he thinks at a place called the twelve Mile Creek, from thence we marched directly towards Charleston, until we reached what was called the "ten mile house." above Charleston, at which place we halted for further orders from Charleston. After remaining at the ten mile house several days we were ordered to march to a place which he thinks was called Purseburg on the Savannah river, he thinks the distance of twenty two or twenty three miles above Savannah. On the day we marched from the ten mile house, a Sargent in declarant's regiment created a mutiny and made an attempt to lead the army and march directly home. He had induced perhaps as many as thirty to go along with him, and they actually started. They were pursued and overtaken, made prisoners, and corporally punished together with their or some one of his associates for their dereliction of duty, or rather for their mutiny. Others of the party, who were thought to be more harmless were permitted to go unpunished upon their promising to return to duty. Having marched to Purseburg we marched thence up Savannah river to a place which he thinks was called Locust's ferry - the distance above Purseburg, he does not remember. At this point we made an encampment and proceeded to erect some fortifications. We built three redouts, and about three platforms for cannon. We also erected a kind of breastwork or abutment entirely surrounding our encampment. This abutment was formed by large timbers which we cut & placed together so as to form a strong and secure breastwork. We remained in this position for a considerable time, but declarant cannot remember how long; we remained however, until we marched up the river to Croft's own to the Georgia side to join Gen. Ash, and assist him against the British. We had commenced crossing over and all our cannon had got across, and a part of our forces; about this time Gen. Ash came up, or rather met us retreating from the British. He had been attacked by them and gave orders immediately for a retreat. When he met our troops

We James Porter a clergyman of the Methodist denomination, residing in Rutherford County, Tennessee and Jesse Stovall, an acting Justice of the peace, residing in the same county, hereby certify, that we are well acquainted with James Beatty who has subscribed & sworn to the foregoing declaration, that we believe him to be about Seventy eight or seventy nine years of age, that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolutionary war, and we concur in that opinion. We also believe him to be a man of truth & veracity, and that any statements he may make, are entitled to full credit.  Sworn to & subscribed the James Porter day & year aforesaid. Jesse Stovall  J. H. Langhlin, Atty.

6 Gen. Rutherford endeavoured to persuade him to wheel and rally his troops and with the assistance of our troops, stand an engagement. Finding it impossible to induce Gen. Ash to turn round upon the enemy, even with the assistance we were able to afford, Gen. Rutherford ordered such of our troops and artillery as had crossed the river to recross. After which we marched down the river to a place either called Leesburg hill or the Black Swamp , and he does not remember which when we encamped, and remained some length of time, but how long, he does not remember. Declarant does not remember any other important movement of the troops to which he belonged until they marched to Camden South Carolina. The attack made on Gen. Ash when he situated as above stated was as declarant believes at Briar Creek. After declarant's regiment was marched to Camden, they were all discharged by Col. Locke. He received a written discharge from his Colonel as he thinks, but has since lost or destroyed it. From Camden declarant returned to his residence in Rowan County North Carolina, having served a term of six months.
Declarant was born was born in the State of Pennsylvania in Chester County in Nottingham township. He has at his residence, a record of his age, which he took from a record made by his Older brother, he having taken it from a record made by our father in the small bible. Afterwards my brother as above mentioned transcribed it into a larger bible, and in transcribing it made the following mistake. Declarant had a twin Sister and instead of dating our births on the same day in the transcribed record, our brother dated one of them in 1752 and the other in 1753. The mistake was never discovered until after our father's death and the old bible was lost or destroyed. No one could then tell whether my birth or my Sister's was correctly entered in the transcribed record, and hence the uncertainty as to whether declarant is in his seventy ninth or eightieth year. Declarant was living as already stated in in Rowan County North Carolina when he entered the service of the United States, and during the whole of the revolutionary war.

7 Declarant continued to reside in Rowan county for a number of years after the war, when then removed to Sullivan County, East Tennessee and resided in that & Greene County East Tenn. probably ten or more years; he then removed to Campbell County Kentucky, and resided probably twenty years or more; from there he removed to Rutherford County Tennessee where he now resides and has resided ever since he first came to this State . part of the State. Declarant as already stated, never entered the service in any other way than as a volunteer. Declarant knows in the army Col. Archibald Lytle who belonged to the Continental line, and served in the same army. He also remembers Capt. William Lytle and Maj. Anthony Sharp, though at the time he knew him he was in the militia. He thinks in the regular army he was a Captain, and afterwards became a Brigade Major in the militia. Declarant is known to the Rev. Calvin Cooke, the Rev. James Porter, Jesse Stovall Esqf. Hugh Read Esqf. James Todd, John Cooper and many others who he believes would testify as to his character for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution. Declarant states that he has no documentary evidence of his service, and he does not know of any person, whose testimony he can procure to testify to his service. He hereby relinquishes any 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.
Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid
James Beatty
M c R. Laughlin, W.P.
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 James Porter who has signed the preceding certificate, is a clergyman, resident in the county of

Rutherford, State of Tennessee, and that Jeph 9 Stovall, who has also signed the same, is a resident in the county of Rutherford aforesaid, and is a credible person, and that this statement is en- titled to credit.
R. Scott
H. Mitchell
V. D. Bowman
I John R. Laughlin, clerk of the court of pleas & quarter Sessions of Rutherford county, State of Tennessee, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of James Beatty for a pension.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this 20th day of August 1832.
John R. Laughlin, Clerk.

James Beatty. from 1775, first 1775-1800.
Charles Ready Murfreesboro Tenn

BRIEF in the case of James Deethy County of Nathalie in the State of Tennessee (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? 79 years  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. As a Gen.     In 1775 2 Private Capt Nichols Col Griffith   1776 2 " " " Col Lock   " 2 - - " " " Col Lock   1778 - - 6 Capt Nichols Col Lock  
 5. In what battles was he engaged? None  6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Now on 6th Carolina  7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? No evidence  8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?  This paper not attested as reg 
I certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
Arthur Cloutt Examining Clerk.

Rev. Wm ✓
2990 INVALID.
File No. 2990
James Beatty Prof. R. C. Linc
Act: June 19 th 88
Index:—Vol. A , Page 26
[Arrangement of 1870.]
James Beatty. Records corrected Feb 4 th 94

James Beatty

BRIEF objections to the admission of Pension Claims , of which those answered in the negative, in red ink, will apply to the claim of Samuel Beatty which require further proof or explanation.
I. Does the declaration show where the applicant resides? yes II. Did the declarant make the declaration in the county where he resides? yes III. If the applicant did not make the declaration in the county where he resides, is there any reason assigned for his not doing so? IV. Has the declarant mentioned the period or periods of the war when he served? yes V. * Has he mentioned with precision the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled? yes VI. Has he given the names of the officers under whom he served, in conformity with the regulations? yes VII. Has he made a relinquishment of every claim to any other pension than the one under the Act of June 7, 1832? yes VIII. Has the Court given their opinion? yes IX. Has the Clerk given his certificate? yes X. Is the Clerk's seal affixed? And if so, has it a device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal? yes

 XI. Has the applicant obtained the evidence of a clergyman and another respectable citizen as to their belief respecting his age and the general belief in his neighborhood relative to his revolutionary service? no  XII. If the clergyman's affidavit has not been produced, is there any reason assigned for not obtaining it? no  XIII. If the applicant has no documentary evidence, and has not obtained the testimony of at least one living witness, has he stated in his declaration that such proof cannot be had? yes  XIV. † If the applicant's name is not found on the rolls of military service, has he produced a witness or witnesses as to his service?  If he has produced direct proof as to service, has the magistrate who administered the oath, certified to the credibility of the witness or witnesses? yes  Has the proper officer certified to the official character and signature of the magistrate as the regulations direct? yes    XV. Does it appear from any of the papers that the witness was in such a situation, or of such an age, as to have a personal knowledge of the applicant's service?  XVI. ‡ Are the papers authenticated as the regulations direct? see No.  XVII. Are the seven interrogatories prescribed by the War Department answered satisfactorily? And, if not, which of them is not so answered? 
 EXPLANATORY NOTES.
* QUERE V. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words: "Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service, but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades; For _____ year _____ months, and _____ days, I served as a _____ For _____ months and _____ days, I served as a _____; and for such service I claim a pension."

It is important in all cases to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours; the names of the officers, and other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is highly objectionable. It must in every case be clearly shewn under what officers the applicant served; the duration of each term of engagement; the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
‡QUERE XIV. Proof of Service.
In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimants entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses, and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seal of office.
‡QUERE XVI. Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, or other paper authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office of the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.
¶ In every case where the clerk of the court, or other certifying officer, has no public seal of office, the certificate of a member of congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.

May 21
7 a.m.
Free
James L. Edwards
Commission of Pensions Washington City

Murfreesboro' Tenn. May the 2 nd 1833.
J. L. Edwards Esq r . Commissioner of Pensions
Sir
I herewith return the declaration of James Beatty in relation to his revolutionary services. From the Brief forwarded with it from the department, I perceive the only objection to it, was as to the manner of its authentication. — The Clerk has now affixed his seal of office, confining under it, the riband with which the sheets of paper are fastened together which it is hoped will be satisfactory.
Very respectfully H. C.
Charles Ready