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At a Circuit
Court of Law and Equity begun and held at the court house in the town of
Franklin, county of Williamson and state of Tennessee, on the first Monday
being the 6th day of August in the year of our lord one thousand eight
hundred and thirty-two, present the Honorable Thomas Stuart one of the
Circuit Judges of Law and Equity in and for the state aforesaid duly
commissioned and qualified according to law.
Be it remembered that upon this day, the 28th day of August the year
aforesaid, personally appeared in said Court now sitting, William Watkins, a
resident of the county and state aforesaid aged seventy-seven years on the
4th September next, who being first duly sworn according to law did on his
oath make and subscribe the following declaration in order to obtain the
benefits of Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832.
That he entered into the service of the United States during the
Revolutionary War with Great Britain for a three months tour about the last
of June or in the month of July in the year 1776. That he entered as a
Sergeant and served under the following named officers: John Ralston of
Chester County, State of Pennsylvania, was his Captain, the company
commanded by said John Ralston belonged to the Battalion commanded by Major
Peter Hartman[?] whose Battalion belonged to the regiment commanded by Col.
Thomas Bull. That at the time when he entered the said service he resided in
the county of Chester, state of Pennsylvania. That he with the regiment
commanded by said Thomas Bull, marched from said Chester County to the city
of Philadelphia, state of Pennsylvania, thence across the Delaware River
into the state of New Jersey; thence up to Bergen where he arrived on the
evening of the same day on which the battle of Long Island was fought, where
he encamped. That whilst then encamped the said Thomas Bull received a
Lieutenant Colonel’s commission to raise or enlist a regiment to lead
something called the Flying Camp for a nine months tour. That he then and
there enlisted or volunteered as a Sergeant for a nine months tour under the
command of Captain Thomas Miller. That thence under the command of said
Miller, who was commanded by Major Peter Hartman[?] and Lieutenant Col.
Bull, he marched to Fort Lee opposite to Fort Washington on the Little
Hudson River, where he encamped until about the 12th or 14th of November,
1776. When he was with the said regiment, he was moved over to Fort
Washington where Colonel McGough[?] commanded the troops, and Col. Carl[?]
Wallace commanded the Artillery. When on the 16th after the battle he along
with the whole Fort was surrendered. Thence he was taken to New York and
kept a prisoner for some time, being in the meantime sorely afflicted by
sickness supposed to have been sickened by poison. That in consequence of
some arrangements made respecting prisoners; he was permitted to return home
from New York.
That some time in the spring of 1777, he enlisted or volunteered as a
Private for a tour of one year, under Capt. Jacob Sadler of Philadelphia
City, Pennsylvania, whose company had previously been commanded by Capt.
Joseph Bull of the city of Philadelphia.
That said Sadler’s was a company of artificers there engaged in erecting a
hospital at the Yellow Springs in Chester County, Pennsylvania where he
continued until the battle of Brandywine, and after Gen. Greene retreating,
had passed the Yellow Springs, he with his company marched to Gen.
Washington across the Hudson at Valley Forge, where he remained until his
term of service of one year had expired.
That he then again enlisted or volunteered as a private under the said Capt.
Sadler and continued within the service until the close or about the close
of the War.
That after Col. Douglas had marched to the city of Philadelphia under the
said company was ordered to that place. That from Philadelphia he went to
Billingsport on the river banks opposite to Mead Fort or Mead Island across
the Delaware River, to work the chevauxdefriese[?] where he remained until
about the end of the war.
That he knew and was acquainted with Gen. Wagner, Gen. Caleb North and Capt.
George North, all of Pennsylvania and Capt. Culberson of the said city, Col.
Bull.
That he was born in Chester County, State of Pennsylvania in the year 1755.
That he has seen his age recorded in a bible belonging to the family which
bible is now in the possession of his daughter, Ann Brown, who resides in
Obion County, Tennessee. That after the termination of the war he resided
for some time in the city of Philadelphia; then from there he removed to
Campbell County, Virginia where he resided about ten years and thence he
removed to Davidson County, Tennessee, where he resided about twenty years.
That about fourteen years ago he removed to this county where he has since
resided and still resides. That he believes he had a discharge, but does not
remember what officers signed and as he considered it of no value or
importance he took no care of it and it is now lost or mislaid; so that he
has no documentary evidence by which he can prove his said services. And he
knows no person now living whose testimony he can procure that can testify
to his services except Benjamin Watkins, his younger brother.
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 any
agency of any state.
[signed] Wm Watkins
Sworn to and subscribed in open court 28th August 1832
[signed] Preston Hay, clk
Benjamin Watkins, a resident of Williamson County and state of Tennessee
aged 73 years next October, being duly sworn according to law doth on his
oath make the following statement.
That he is the brother of the said William Watkins, and that he was present
at the muster ground or place of rendezvous of the soldiers of Chester
County, state of Pennsylvania whence they marched to the army of the United
States during the Revolutionary War with Great Britain. That said William
Watkins marched off with the troops having as the deposed understood
enlisted or volunteered as a Sergeant for the space of three months in the
service of the United States. Deposed remembers that on said day of
rendezvous said William Watkins was ordered to take a parcel or file of men
and go and take an old Tory who lived some miles off by the name of David
Jenkins and he did go and he saw the men when they returned with the said
David Jenkins under guard. This was some time in June or July 1776. Deposed
then didn’t see said William Watkins again until he returned home from New
York where he had as deposed understood been a prisoner. That he returned
some time in the winter following for deposed remembers that snow was on the
ground the day said William returned. That said William was much indisposed
when he returned and continued so until the spring following. That after
said William recovered his health, he again enlisted or volunteered under
Captain Sadler for the tour of one year, as the deposed understood and said
William went to Yellow Springs which he and a company of artificers with
whom he enlisted, continued nearly a year erecting a hospital whilst said
William, continued deposed, was frequently there and said brother and the
said company of artificers at work erecting said hospital. The first time
the deposed saw said William was after he had returned from Yellow Springs
and with General Washington’s army at Valley Forge. At this place in said
army deposed saw said William repeatedly during the winter of 1777 or 1778.
That from this place deposed said William was ordered, as deposed
understood, to Philadelphia where deposed saw him repeatedly at work with
other Artificers. That deposed did not see him again until he returned home
about the close of the war. But deposed frequently heard of said William and
that he was at work on the chevauxdefriese[?] near Mead Island. Deposed
distinctly remembers hearing of the said William’s discharge after he
returned home the last time about the close of the war. That said William
showed said discharge to the family and some of the neighbors; but deposed
does not know what ever became of it.
[signed] Benj Watkins
Sworn to in open court and subscribed the date above.
[signed] P Hay, clk &c
We, Garner McConnies and Andrew Craig, clergymen and Silas Stephens, William
Thomas, James Turner and Elisha Davis, laymen all residing in the county and
state first above named hereby certify that we are well acquainted with
William Watkins who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that
we believe him to be 77 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 and give full faith and credit to his said
declaration.
Sworn to and subscribed the date above.
[signed] P Hay, clk &c
[signed] Garner McConnies; Andrew Craig; S Stephens; Wm Thomas; James
Turner; E Davis
And the 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 Garner McConnies and Andrew Craig, who have signed the preceding
certificate are clergymen in the county of Williamson and that Silas
Stephens, William Thomas, James Turner and Elisha Davis who have also signed
the same are residents in said county of Williamson and state of Tennessee
and are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit.
[signed] Thos Stuart
I, Preston Hay, Clerk of the Circuit Court for the county of Williamson and
state of Tennessee do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the
original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of
William Watkins for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and private seal (there
being no seal of office provided) this 28th day of August AD 1832.
[signed] Preston Hay {seal}
Be it remembered that at the February term of the Court first above
mentioned the year of our lord Christ 1833, on this the 7th day of February.
The Honorable Thomas Stuart, Judge, first above mentioned, presiding
personally appeared again in open court, William Watkins, the declarant,
first above named, being again first duly sworn according to law, doth make
this further declaration addition to same of his above and foregoing
declaration. that he can not now specify precisely and with undeniable
certainty, the day of the month on which he entered the service of the
United States, in his first three months tour; but he can state with certain
precision, that it was not later than the first days of July 1776; and he
knows certainly and hereby states with most positive precision, that he was
engaged in the active and actual and constant service of the United States
for and during the space and period of two whole years and nine months by
virtue of his three several enlistments above mentioned. The first under
Capt. Thomas Miller for nine months, the second under Capt. Jacob Sadler for
one year; and the third under the same Capt. Jacob Sadler for one year more.
All of which through several enlistments or times of enlistments, he knows
and so states, and that these two years and nine months service is exclusive
of his first three months tour, in the militia of Chester County,
Pennsylvania, first above mentioned and also exclusive of the time and
service on the chevauxdefriese[?], as above stated. That in the first tour
of three months and for one whole year of his enlistment, he served as and
in the capacity of and had the rank of Sergeant; and that for the remainder
of the time he served as a private only.
[signed] Wm Watkins
Sworn to and subscribed in open court ))
7th February, 1833 [signed] Preston Hay, clk &c ))
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion of the after further
investigation of the matter, that the above named applicant, William Watkins
was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he has above stated. And the Court
do hereby further certify that Benjamin Watkins, who has made the above
statement, signed Benjamin Watkins, is a resident of said Williamson County,
state of Tennessee and that he is a credible person and that his statement
is reliable credit.
[signed] Thos Stuart
August 9, 1929
Mrs. J. H. Hoskins
809 Monk Street
Brunswick, Georgia
Dear Madam:
I advise you from the papers in the Revolutionary War Pension Claim S. 3464,
it appears that William Watkins was born in 1755 in Chester County,
Pennsylvania, while a resident of that county he enlisted and served with
the Pennsylvania troops as following:
From June or July 1776; three months as Sergeant in Captain John Ralston’s
company in Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bull’s regiment.
Soon after the battle of Long Island, he enlisted and served nine months as
Sergeant in Captain Thomas Miller’s company in Lieutenant Colonel Bull’s
regiment, was taken prisoner at the battle of Fort Washington and held in
New York until the following winter.
From some time in the spring of 1777, he served one year as private in
Captain Jacob Sadler’s company of Artificers and was engaged in erecting a
hospital at Yellow Springs in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
He again enlisted, date not given and served as private in Captain Jacob
Sadler’s company until about the close of the Revolution.
After the Revolution he lived in Philadelphia, from there he moved to
Campbell County, Virginia, from there to Davison County, Tennessee and from
there to Williamson County, Tennessee.
He was allowed pension on his application executed August 28, 1832, at which
time he was a resident of Williamson County, Tennessee.
In 1832 he stated that a daughter, Ann Brown, was living in Obion County,
Tennessee.
The name of the wife of William Watkins is not given in the papers of the
Pension Claim.
The Revolutionary War records of this bureau fail to afford any information
in regard to William Watkins S. 3436, or to any Edmund Collingsworth, and
the war of 1812 records fail to show a claim for pension was ever made on
account of the services of Edmund Collingsworth.
Very Truly Yours,
Earl D. Church
Commissioner
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