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On the third day
of September 1832 before the Hon. Thomas Stuart, Judge of the Circuit Court
for the Fourth Judicial Circuit for the State of Tennessee now sitting,
Alexander Lester, a resident of the state and county aforesaid aged 78 years
who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the
following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an Act of Congress
passed June 7th, 1832.
He served two campaigns during the Revolutionary War. The first of which he
entered the service of the United States as drafted militiaman about the
first day of January 1781, in which he served in the capacity of a
Quartermaster Sergeant and under the following officers: Captain Dudley
Barksdale, Lieutenant Richard Garner and [blank] Ensign, and served in the
regiment commanded by Col. Charles Fleming and Major Winston and attached to
the brigade commanded by General Muhlenburg.
He marched over the following country. From Charlotte Courthouse, Virginia,
to Petersburg, to Cabin Point, to Smithfield, to Mackey’s Mills and to Babbs
Old Fields at which place he remained until discharge about the last of
April, same year, 1781, making a term of four months, he received no
discharge for this tour.
He was drafted and entered the service of the United States a second time
about the first day of September same year 1781 under the following officers
to wit; Captain Thomas Jones and the other two company officers not
recollected, commanded by Colonel Anthony Strut[?] or Colonel Lewis Burnell
and Major Robinson and attached to the brigade commanded by General
Lafayette and marched over the following country, from Lunenburg Courthouse,
Virginia, to Petersburg, to Cabin Point, and to Yorktown while there joined
the main army commanded by General Washington and after the surrender of
Cornwallis he was retained until about the middle of December in same year
1781, at which time he was discharged making a period of about three and a
half months that he served this campaign for which he received no discharge.
He was in no regularly fought battles during the two campaigns above
detailed. He does not recollect any of the regular or Continental regiments
with which he served but at the siege of Yorktown he served with and under
General Washington, General Lafayette and General Lincoln.
He was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia, on the eighth day of August 1754,
according to his register which he has at home. When he was first drafted he
had moved to Charlotte, Va., and on his discharge returned to his father in
Lunenburg County, Va., and was drafted and served his second campaign.
After the Revolution he lived in Lunenburg County, Virginia, till 1811,
since which time he had lived in Williamson County, Tennessee. He has no
documentary evidence of his services not having received any discharge when
he left the service.
He knows of no person who can prove his services except John Andrews who
served with him in the first campaign mentioned in his declaration but in a
different regiment and commanded by different officers and as the said John
Andrews was returning from his second tour he met the affiant on his way to
join the army, his second campaign, about the last of August 1781, and John
Cook who served with him the second campaign here mentioned.
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 whatever.
[signed] Alexander Lester
Sworn to and subscribed in open court the day and year aforesaid.
[signed] Preston Hay, Clk. & etc.
I, John Andrews do certify that I am a resident of Williamson County,
Tennessee, and am well acquainted with Alexander Lester who has subscribed
and sworn to the above declaration, that I served with him the first
campaign mentioned in his said declaration commencing about the first day of
January 1781 and ending about the last day of April 1781, but under
different officers and in a different regiment and that he, said Alexander
Lester, marched over the country mentioned in his said declaration and that
I saw him a few days before he entered the second term in the last of August
or first of September 1781 and that he was reported to have served the
second term mentioned in his declaration and that I concur in that opinion.
[signed] John Andrews
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