State of
Kentucky
County of Floyd |
Abuid Fairchild |
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On this 18th day of February, 1834,
personally appeared in open court before
the Justices of Floyd County now sitting
Abiud Fairchild, a resident of
Kentucky, in the county of Floyd, aged
seventy-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 provision made
by the act of Congress of the 7th of
June, 1832.
That he entered the service of the
United States under the following named
officers and served as herein stated. He
resided in Wilkes County, in the State
of North Carolina, when he first entered
the service as a drafted soldier on or
about the 10th day of October, in the
year 1778, in a company of North
Carolina Militia of which John Robbins
had been appointed Captain. He met his
company at Wilkesborough, in Wilkes
County, North Carolina, and Captain
Robbins not joining us, William Gillery,
the Lieutenant of the company, took the
command and commanded the company
throughout the whole tour. William
Sutton, the Ensign, acted as Lieutenant,
and the Sergeant, whose name, to the
best of his recollection, was James
Lewis, acted as Ensign.
From Wilkesborough we marched down to
Salisbury, in Rowan County, North
Carolina, where we lay three or four
days, and then marched out to the town
of Charlotte, in Mecklenberg County,
where we did no halt, but marched
directly on to Camden in South Carolina,
where we halted and staid about a week.
From Camden we marched across Santee
River at Nelson's Ferry, at the mouth of
Eutaw Spring Branch. At Nelson's Ferry,
where we lay one night only, we took the
right-handed road and marched on to
Dorchester and came near to Perosburg,
the headquarters of the North Carolina
troops. The South Carolina troops were
there when we arrived. We encamped about
a half mile from the town where we
remained about six weeks. Colonel John
Brevard was the commanding Colonel of
the regiment to which his company
belonged. From the encampment near
Perosburg, we marched up the Savannah
River to the Three Sisters, were we
staid but a short time, when Captain
Gillery and his company left the other
troops and we marched down the river
about three miles to a place called the
White House, where we went as garrison
to guard a ferry on the Savannah River.
But a few days after, his company left
the Three Sisters. General Lincoln
having under his command about six
thousand regulars (as he, this
applicant, was informed) came on to the
Three Sisters and remained there but a
few days. During our stay at the White
House, Colonel Syms having under his
command about two hundred Light Horse
troops, came there, and encamped with us
one night, and next morning left us.
Every morning during our stay at the
White House a Corporal and six men were
sent to the ferry as sentinels where
they remained until they were relieved
by another Corporal and six men more.
After remaining at the White House, to
the best of his recollection, about six
weeks, his company was marched around a
swamp call the Black Swamp, lying near
the river, to a place called the Turkey
Hill, where the company discharged, on
the 10th of April, 1779. His discharge
was signed by Captain or Lieutenant
William Gillery.
From the 10th of April, 1779 to the 1st
of June, 1780, he was out as a volunteer
on short excursions, receiving orders
from Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, in what
direction to proceed in pursuit of the
Tories, and if the Tories should be to
strong, to return and give information
to the Colonel so that he could go or
send a force sufficient to take them. In
these he was accompanied, generally, by
ten, fifteen, or twenty men detached
from the men under Colonel Cleveland. In
excursions of this kind and sometimes in
service under Colonel Cleveland, with
the other troops of the regiment, he was
in service a few days over twelve months
between the 10th of April, 1779, and the
first of June, 1780, in the counties of
Wilkes, Burke, and Rutherford, but
mostly Burke.
In the last of June or the first of
July, 1780 he went as a volunteer and
joined Colonel Cleveland at
Wilkesborough, in Wilkes County, North
Carolina. He was placed in a company by
Colonel Cleveland, the names of none of
the officers of which he can recollect.
Colonel Cleveland had under his command
about two hundred men. We marched on to
Ramsour's about ten o'clock, A.M., the
day of the month not recollected but he
thinks it was between the 5th and 10th
of July, 1780. When we arrived the
battle between Mecklenberg troops and
the Tories was over, and the Tories had
been defeated. He then understood that
in this battle about one hundred Tories
were slain and two hundred taken
prisoners. From Ramsour's he returned
home to his residence, in Wilkes County,
having been in service about two weeks.
He next went into the service as a
volunteer in a company of which William
Jackson was Captain. The names of the
other company officers he does not now
recollect. Colonel Benjamin Cleveland
was his commanding Colonel. He joined
his company at Wilkesborough, in Wilkes
County, on or about the 1st day of
September, 1780. From Wilkesborough we
marched on to Krider's Fort, in Burke
County, North Carolina, where we
remained two or three weeks, and then
marched up and crossed the Catawba River
at Greenleaf Ford, near Morgantown. From
there we marched to the head of Cane
Creek, a branch of Little Broad River.
Between Greenleaf Ford and the head of
Cane Creek we fell in with the Virginia
troops under command of Colonel
Campbell. From here we marched to
Colonel Walker's old place (then so
called) on Little Broad River, and
halted but a very short time, when
Colonel Campbell, whose troops were all
horsemen, and Colonel Cleveland, after
raising all the horses he could, marched
on with what mounted soldiers there
were, and left the footmen, about one
hundred in number, to follow on with all
possible expedition. From Colonel
Walker's old place, he, this applicant,
marched on under command of Captain
William Jackson, and crossed Broad River
and went down by Buck Creek and passed a
place called the Cowpens. We then passed
down Buck Creek some distance and left
Buck Creek and crossed Broad River again
at Cherokee Ford. We then marched on to
King's Mountain-arrived the next day
after the battle, a little after dark,
at the encampment of the American
forces, about two miles from the battle
ground. Colonel Ferguson, the commander
of the British troops at King's
Mountain, was killed and the troops
under his command defeated, and, to the
best of his recollection, about -
hundred of them taken prisoners. The
battle was fought, to best of his
recollection, on the 4th or 5th of
October, 1780.
From King's Mountain we marched back to
Colonel Walker's old place and then
turned back towards King's Mountain
again, to Vickerstaff where we remained
about two days. Here ten Tory prisoners
were sentenced to be hanged. Nine of
them were accordingly executed, and the
other escaped. From Vickerstaff we again
marched to Colonel Walker's old place.
Here this applicant and six or seven
other soldiers were left with directions
from Colonel Cleveland to bring on a
wagon which he had taken at the battle
of King's Mountain, and the other troops
marched on and left us. We went on
towards Wilkes County, and on Cane Creek
we met four or five men sent back to
assist us with the wagon. We then went
on to Wilkes County with the wagon, and
he received a discharge signed by
Captain Jackson for a three month's
tour. The time when he received this
discharge he does not recollect, but he
is able to state positively that he was
in service three months on this tour.
He next went out as a volunteer under
John Cleveland, a young man, the son of
Colonel Cleveland, who commanded as
Captain. He met the company at
Wilkesborough on or about the 3rd of
March, 1781, and we then marched down
(there being about forty of us under
Captain Cleveland) to the old Trading
Fort on the Yadkin River, in Rowan, and
returned from this expedition about the
25th of April, 1781, and received no
written discharge, to the best of his
recollection.
He has no documentary evidence, and
knows of no person whose testimony he
can procure who can testify as to his
services.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year
aforesaid.
Signed Abiud Fairchild
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The Court then propounded to the said
Abiud Fairchild the following
interrogatories, to wit:
1. Where and in what year were you born?
Ans. I was born in the 1762 in the
County of Westmoreland and the State of
Virginia.
2. Have you any record of your age, and
if so, where is it?
Ans. I have no record of my age. My
father had a record of my age, but what
has become of it since his death I do
not know.
3. Where were you living when called
into service, where have you lived since
the Revolutionary War, and where do you
live now?
Ans. I lived in Wilkes County, North
Carolina, until about twenty-five years
ago, when I moved to Floyd County,
Kentucky, where I now reside.
4. How were you called into service;
were your drafted, did you volunteer, or
were you a substitute, and if a
substitute, for whom?
Ans. In my first tour of service I went
as a drafted soldier, and in all my
subsequent service, as a volunteer. I
never was a substitute.
5. State the name of some of the regular
officers who were with the troops when
you served such Continental and Militia
regiments as you can recollect, and the
circumstances of your services.
Ans. These are as fully set forth in the
body of the declaration as I am able to
do from my recollection.
6. Did you ever receive a discharge from
the service, and if so, by whom was it
signed, and what has become of it?
Ans. I never received but two discharges
that I recollect of. The first was given
by Captain William Gillery, and the last
by Captain William Jackson, both of
which were lost many years ago, but in
which manner they were lost I do not
know or recollect.
7. State the names of the persons to
whom you are known in your present
neighborhood, and who can testify as to
your character for veracity and the
belief of your services as a soldier of
the Revolution.
Ans. I will name the Rev. Ezekiel Stone
and John Colvin.
Ezekiel Stone and John Colvin signed his
sworn testimony and he received his
pension. |
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