February 4, 2013. JOHN WILLIAMS. From Brenda Twiford.
John Williams is my GGGGG Grandfather and Thomas Williams is his brother. They were born in Virginia, but moved to Knotts Island during the Revolutionary War and the family line continued on Knotts Island.
State of North Carolina
Currituck County
On this 29th day of August 1832 personally appeared in open Court
before John B. Jones, Benjamin T. Simmons, Caleb Etheridge, and
William Bray, the Justices of the Court of Pleas and Quarter
Sessions for the county and state now sitting John Williams a
resident of Currituck in the county of Currituck and State of
North Carolina, aged eighty one 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
7th 1832.
Viz. I entered the service of the United States as a volunteer
under Capt. Peter Singleton in the County of Princess Anne State
of Virginia in September 1775 and was stationed at Kempsville
Princess Anne County State of Virginia when the British made an
attack on that place and preceded in taking possession of it. Col.
Thomas Walker commanded our army which consisted of Militia or
volunteers belonging to the County of Princess Anne. We had one
man killed and two wounded, several drowned in attempting to cross
the Eastern Branch. Our army was completely dispersed. The greater
part of the inhabitants of Princess Anne went into the British and
took the oath of allegiance. Under these circumstances I left
Princess Anne for North Carolina procured a house for my family
and joined the army near the Great Bridge Norfolk County Virginia
and remained there untill after the Battle at the Great Bridge
which took place the 9th day December 1775. The British commander
Fordyce was killed and his army completely defeated with a very
considerable loss the number not known. The officers that
commanded at the Great Bridge was Col. Woodford of Virginia Col.
Jarvis of North Carolina and Major Scott of Virginia. I joined the
North Carolina line and was under Capt. Alexander Whitehall, we
next marched for the North West River Bridge Virginia and erected
a Breast work near the place. I remained with the North Carolina
Militia during the War and was frequently sent in command of
detached parties to detect refugees which were often committing
depredations. I was also employed at other times as a Blacksmith
made handcuffs for refugees. I also had fifty or sixty stand of
arms to repair at one time. I was appointed Captain of a company
and received a commission from his Excellency Governor Alexander
Martin dated at Hillsboro the 26th day of April in the 6th year of
our Independence which I now have and remained in that capacity
untill after peace was proclaimed. He further says that he was in
the service much more than two years in all the time he served
during the Revolution. He can prove by Hosea Ball that he was in
the American Army at the Battle of the Great Bridge at Fordyce
defeat. He further states that he is a native of Princess Anne
County Virginia but has lived in Currituck County North Carolina
from the time herein before mentioned untill the present time and
that he now resides in said County. 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.
Sworn and subscribed the day & year aforesaid. (signed) John
Williams
July 31, 1933
Mrs. W.C. Burnham
1525 West 33rd Street
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Dear Madam: Reference is made to your request for information in
regard to John Williams, a soldier of the Revolution. The data
furnished herein were obtained from papers on file in the pension
claim W.18436, based upon the Revolutionary War service of John
Williams.
(In Part)...In 1832 he was referred to as colonel. He was also referred to as major. The papers in this claim give no evidence of his having served as colonel or major. He died November 7, 1825 in Currituck County, North Carolina. The soldier married September 10, 1772, Abijah Morse. She was allowed pension on her application executed May 29, 1838 at which time she was eighty-three years of age and the application was made in Currituck County, North Carolina. Her pension commenced November 7, 1835 and her certificate number was 2126. In 1838 reference was made to children of John and Abijah Williams but no names were given. In 1838 one Thomas Williams stated that he was born in 1762 and that he was the brother of Colonel John Williams (the soldier). In 1838 the widow referred to her brother, Joel Morse.
Thomas Williams
State of North Carolina
Currituck County
On this 29th day of August 1832 personally appeared in open Court
before Caleb Etheridge, John B. Jones, William Bray and Benjamin
T. Simmons, Justices of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
for the County of Currituck and State of North Carolina now
sitting Thomas Williams a Resident of the county and State
aforesaid of the age of sixty years & eleven months 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 7th of June 1832. He saith that he was born in
Princess Anne County Virginia and turned out a volunteer under
Captain Amos Wicks of that County some time in the month of May
1778 and marched to North West Bridge in Norfolk County Virginia
and was placed under command of Colonel Thomas Matthews then
Colonel of the Virginia Troops in the Continental line and
remained in the Company for four months and was then discharged
without writings and have no documentary evidence to prove this
service but can prove I was a soldier at Northwest Bridge by John
Williams, Jesse Perry and Joshua Ball. He further says that he in
common with the other militia of Princess Anne County was called
in the Years 1779 & 1780 to guard the Coast along the Princess
Anne Shore and principally at Cape Henry. He says that this
service was performed in regular Rotation of the different
Companies of Princess Anne County and that in the 2 Years
mentioned he was in service six months under Captain Thomas Old
and Lieutenant Tully Moseley; that he has no documentary evidence
to prove
this service nor does he know any person living by whom he can
prove it. He further says that he volunteered in said County of
Princess Anne in January 1781 under the Command of Captain Amos
Wicks and Lieutenant George Walker and marched to Norfolk Virginia
and had a small skirmish in February and another soon after at
Kempsville Princess Anne County Virginia and on the 9th of March
1781 was taken a prisoner and remained a Prisoner in Portsmouth
Virginian untill the surrender of Lord Cornwallis in October of
that Year by which surrender he was liberated. He has no
documentary evidence to prove this service but can prove by John
Williams his confinement as a prisoner and that he carried him
clothing and that the family understood that he was a prisoner. He
hereby relinquishes every Claim 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 and Subscribed the day and Year
aforesaid signed Thomas Williams.
We Edward Hardy a Clergyman residing in the County of Currituck
and State of North Carolina and Foster Jarvis of the same place do
hereby Certify that we are well acquainted with Thomas Williams
who hath subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration that we
believe him to be of the age of 60 years 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.
Sworn and Subscribed the day and Year aforesaid signed Edward
Hardy signed Foster Jarvis