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On this [blank]
day of October 1833 personally appeared in open court before the Court of
Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Williamson, State of Tennessee
now sitting, Robert Donelson, a resident of Williamson aforesaid in the
state aforesaid aged about 65 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 as a substitute for a
stranger whom he met as he was going on to join the army under Gen. Butler
who received him as a substitute as aforesaid and was placed in the company
commanded by Captain Thomas Thompson about the first day of January 1787, in
the Regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Taylor then stationed at Granville
Court House in General Butler’s Brigade. After remaining there some time he
marched to the neighborhood of Guilford Court House and there joined General
Green and his army. He remained with the army under his command until after
the battle at Guilford Court House then retreated to the Iron Works and
remained there some time. Then to Deep River at Ramsey’s Mills, he stayed
there some time with the troops under General Butler after General Green
left them in pursuit of the enemy. He then was marched to Granville Court
House and remained there until discharged in April same year. Making a tour
of three months in which he served this campaign for which he received a
discharge but which has been lost or destroyed.
He entered the service of the United States a second time in the fall of the
year 1787; as a substitute for James Dorherty in the company commanded by
Captain William Rylie – rest of company officers not recollected. Captain
Rylie’s company was stationed at Hillsboro for the purpose of protecting
that place against the Tories under Colonel Fanning. He was, however,
marched twice to Randolph as reconnoitering parties. But his duties were
principally performed at Hillsboro as aforesaid and also to guard the
prisoners at that place who were released by the Tories a few days after he
was discharged, which took place some time in the winter of same year. He
received a discharge for this tour but lost it. He served this campaign
three months. He was in no battle during his service except the one at
Guilford Court House. He does not remember the names of any other Regular
officers with whom he served except those above mentioned. Nor does he
remember the number of the Regiments of Regular or Continental troops with
which he served. He has no documentary evidence in his possession by which
he can prove his services nor does he know if any person living by whom he
could prove them. He has no record of his age but from the best information
he can obtain he was born on the 10th day of January 1765, in Orange County,
North Carolina at which place he resided when he entered the service of the
United States as above set forth. After the Revolution he resided in said
County of Orange, N.C. until about the year 1790 at which time he moved to
Davidson County in the State of Tennessee. He then moved to Sumner County in
Tennessee; then to Rutherford County, same state, then to Williamson
aforesaid about the year 1805 or 1806 and has resided there since that time.
That by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory – he is unable to
state precisely the dates of his having entered and quit the service of the
United States and many other events connected with the war. But he knows he
served six months as above stated in this declaration and under the officers
as therein named and for such service he claims a pension. In both of said
campaigns he was a private.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except
the presents and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the
agency of any state whatever.
[signed] Robert Donelson X his mark
Sworn to and subscribed in ))
open court the day and year aforesaid )) [signed] Thos. Hardeman, Clerk
We, M.L. Andrews, a Clergyman, residing in the County of Williamson, State
of Tennessee aforesaid and Thomas Berry residing in the same County and
State last aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Robert
Donelson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we
believe him to be 68 years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the
neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and
that we concur in that opinion.
[signed] M.L. Andrews, Thos. Berry
Sworn to and subscribed in ))
open court the day and year aforesaid )) [signed] Thos. Hardeman, Clerk
And the said Court does hereby declare their opinion after the investigation
of the matter and after putting the interrogations prescribed by the War
Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and
served as he states and the Court further certify that it appears to them
that Mark L. Andrews who had signed the above preceding certificate is a
Clergyman and a resident in the County of Williamson, State of Tennessee and
that the said Thomas Berry, who has also signed the same, [is] resident in
the same County and State aforesaid and [they are] credible persons and that
their statement is entitled to credit.
[signed] John W. Miller[?]; Wm. Johnson; Daniel Baugh
State of Tennessee ))
Marshall County ))
On this 3rd day of June 1853 personally appeared before me, J.H.L. Neil, a
Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Marshal[l], and State of
Tennessee, Margaret Donalson, a resident of Tennessee, in the County of
Marshal, aged seventy seven years, who being first duly sworn, according to
law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the
benefits of the provision made by the Act of Congress, passed on the 3rd day
of February 1853 declaring granting pensions to widows of persons who served
during the Revolutionary War, that she is the widow of Robert Donalson who
was a private in said war and she thinks belong[ed] to the North Carolina
State Troops and on account of his services while in said war he received a
pension of twenty dollars per annum and she further states that she was
married to her said husband on the 29th of December eighteen hundred and six
and that her said husband died on the 15th of June 1837, and she further
states that she is holy [sic] unable to appear in court on the account of
her feebleness. She further states that she has no documental evidence in
support of her claim, only the family record and she states that the
recor[d] has been in her possession ever since the death of her said
husband, which took place as above stated, and that it contains her marriage
and … the ages of all of her children and she herewith files the family
record and makes the same a part of the declaration in support of her claim.
She further states that her said husband died in Williamson County, State of
Tennessee. She further states that she is still a widow and that she has
never since the death of her said husband intermarried, but still continues
his widow.
[signed] Margaret Donalson X her mark
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written before me,
[signed]J.H.L. Neil.
[Pages from a New Testament printed in Philadelphia in 1814 are included in
the file. On them is written the following family information.]
Margaret Donalson was born 29th February 1776
Robert & Margaret Donalson was married 25th December 1806
Polly Donalson was born 22nd November 1807
Jane Donalson was born 31 January 1809
Annelle[?] Donalson was born 25th December 1811
Leah [Donalson marked out] was born 15th October 1812
Minerva [surname marked out] was born 14 February 1814
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