Abernathy Document
Revolutionary War Pension Application
David Abernathy S1609
State of Tennessee, Giles County:
November Session of the Court of Pleas and Quarter sessions for the said County for the year 1832
On this the 20th day of November A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the justices of said Court now
sitting & holding said Court David Abernathy aged seventy three years the 29th of July last - a resident of
said County who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following Statement or declaration
in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed Jun 7th, 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated.
Applicant first entered the service of the United States under the command of Colonel McLain [McCain?] in the County of
Lincoln in the State of North Carolina and marched to the place of Rendezvous with the expectation of going on towards
the North against the British, But employed a man by the name of James Newby to go in his place as a Substitute, and
applicant returned home. -- He received a discharge from this service which he has lost.
Applicant next volunteered & entered the service under the command of General Rutherford [Griffith Rutherford], this
expedition was undertaken for the purpose of defending the frontiers against the Cherokee Indians. He marched out of
North Carolina & said Lincoln County over the mountains into the Cherokee nation as far as the old hill towns and Valley
Towns in said nation - they had no battle or skirmish during this expedition the Indians having fled from the towns &
left that part of the Country. He states, that they set out on this expedition some time in the month of August & returned
home again some time in the month of October having been in service about three months, he does not believe that they
received any regular discharges from this service.
Applicant was not anymore in service until some time in the year of 1781 after Cornwallis had marched through North Carolina,
going on towards Little York in the State of Virginia, where he was captured in the fall of said year when Applicant was drafted
for three months, he went under the command of Captain Jack in General Polk's [Thomas Polk's] brigade, the rendezvous in
Charlottetown in Mecklenburg County & said State of North Carolina. He marched into South Carolina, to the neighborhood of Camden.
He was joined to General Green's [sic Nathanael Green's] forces about twelve miles from Camden at Rugeley's[?] old field
shortly after Greene had had an engagement with the British in the suburbs of Camden - from thence, they marched on to
Ninety Six where the British were then lying, and after the firing of some Cannon at a distance the British vacated
Ninety Six, and went towards the Eutaw Springs where the celebrated battle was fought between Green & British, after
having served out his term of three montha, he was discharged & went home, which completed his services during the war.
He has no documentary evidence of his said services and he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure by whom he
can prove any of the above facts.
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 if the agency of any State or on the
rolls of any State.
signed: David Abernathy
Sworn to and subscribed in Open Court the day & year aforesaid
signed: German Lester, Clk
State of Tennessee, Giles County: the amended declaration of David Abernathy
In the case of the application of David Abernathy for a pension
Personally appeared before me the undersigned a justice of
the Peace for said County, David Abernathy aged seventy four years the 29th day of July last,
who is a resident in the said County of Giles, & who being duly sworn deposes and saith that by reason
of old age & 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 mention below and in the
following grades, in the first service mention in said declaration, he served for the term, he thinks, of
one month before he employed a Substitute, as a private soldier in the militia under the Command of
Colonel McLain [McCain?]. The next term of service, mentioned in his declaration, lasted to the best
of his recollection, three months, he was during said term, a private soldier & served as a Militia man
under the General Rutherford - he also served as a militia man & private soldier in the last term of
service mentioned in the said declaration and that he served therein for the term of three months as
therein mentioned. In all of which term of service Applicant served in an embodied corps.
signed: David Abernathy
Sworn to & subscribed before me this 12 day of August 1833
signed: Robt. Oliver, JP
Initial transcription by Will Graves; html coded for display on this site by Elizabeth Ferguson, 7 Aug 2007