* William Carver: Rev War Pension Request

Contributed by Walter S. & Maxine C. Gabennesch

WILLIAM CARVER: REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION REQUEST of DECEMBER 7, 1833.

Copied to the best of my ability and accurately as possible from an original transcript:

by Walter S. Gabennesch this 30^th day of October 1999.

State of North Carolina Court of Pleas and Quarter

Cumberland County Sessions December Term 1833

On this 7^th day of December 1833 personally appeare in open court before the court aforesaid now sitting William Carver Senr. A resident of Cumberland County State aforesaid, aged Eighty 2 years who being finally duly sworn According to Law doth on his oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress adopted 7^th June 1832. That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers and served on line in stated (viry/ In the month of August 1777 he was drafted as a private soldier into Captain William G McDaniels Company of Militia for a tour of six months This was in the County of Cumberland was marched from Said County to the Town of Wilmington where his company was stationed for some time from Wilmington we were Marched to Old Brunswick Town where we were stationed For some months the Tories becoming troublesome in the neighborhood of Cross Creek now Fayetteville we were marched back to that place in pursuit of them and after serving the County the six months having expired I was discharged ______?_______the month of February 1778 Captain McDaniels

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Company was attached to Col. Tho. Browns Regiment. In the month of April 1778 he again entered the service as a volunteer private soldier for a tour of three months in Captain Peter Robesons Company of Militia during this tour he was marched through the Counties of Bladen, Robison, Richmond and Cumberland in pursuit of the Tories, that on the expiration of his service of three months he was discharged early in the following winter either in the month of December or beginning of January 1779. The Tories being very troublesome in the aforementioned counties he again entered the service as a volunteer private soldier for three months in the company under the command of Capt. Peter Robeson and was employed in the three months in breaking up the Tories in the counties of Bladen, Robeson, Richmond and this County after which service he was discharged. During the first of these services Captain Robison’s Company was attached to Col. Robeson’s Regiment and during the last service it was attached to Col. Owens Regiment. That in May 1779 Captain Robison raised a volunteer company of Light Horse for the balance of the war who were called Minute Men which this declarant joined who were alone to hold themselves in readiness to perform any service which the Country might require that he continued in the company to the close of the War. Was very frequently ------------?------

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But the calls were so frequent and the length of times of service so various that it is impossible for him, now in his extreme old age and defective memory to ________ to specify them.

He however is fully satisfied with the belief that putting the various times of actual service together which he performed as a Minute Man and they will at least amount to twelve months. Though he again states it is out of his powers to specify more fully his service. He fully relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except this pursuit and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of this or any State.

his

William Carver

mark

Sworn to -------- entered the day and year aforesaid

Test A McLean Jr. clk.

The following answers were returned to the Interrogatories directed to be put by the War Department.

1^st I was born in the County of Cumberland State of North Carolina in the Month of April 1753.

I have no memory of my age.

3^rd In the County of Cumberland State of North Carolina.

4^th I have already stated my answer to this question in my Declaration.

5^th I recollect Col. --------- and Maj. Wm. Rowan I know many others but my memory is so bad that I have forgotten them.

6^th I do not recollect if I did & I believe so I have lost them.

7^th Col. Jno. Black late Sheriff of this County John Kelly Esq. Joshua ------ Esq. as Nis---- of this ------- Court and this that I could name.

We the undersigned Jonathan Evans and Neil Shaw Citizens of Cumberland County, duly certify that we are well aquainted with Wm. Carver Senr who has Subscribed and Sworn to above declaration that we believe him to be eighty years of age that he is reputed and believed in the neighborbood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.

Jonathan Evans Neil Shaw

Sworn to & Subscribed this day & year aforsaid

Test A. McLean Jr. clk.

William Carver’s record shows he was in the Bladen County, North Carolina Colonial Militia as early as 1775. He and his brothers Sampson, Robert and Samuel along with his cousin Isom Carver served under the command of Captain Arthur Council. Captain Council was at the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge with his Militia Company on February 27, 1776, according to Colonel Richard Caswell his commanding officer. Therefore all of the Carver’s named above were possibly there. This is according to the book “Roster of the Patriots in the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge” by Bobby Gilmer Moss.

The Bladen and Cumberland County Militia’s were very active in the early 1780’s in what was locally described as the “Tory” war. This war reached its climax in 1781/82 with the invasion of North Carolina by Cornwallis. In 1781 Cornwallis and his men marched through both counties on the way to Guilford Court House where they were fought to a standstill by a mixed group of Militia and Regulars of the Continental Army. After which they retreated and move to York Town, Pennsylvania. There is no doubt that after his last enlistment in 1779 William Carver had many call-ups as a “Militia Minute Man”.

NC Braswell cousins:

Richard Braswell V was born July 1755, Wayne Co. NC and served in the Dobbs Co. NC Colonial Militia under the command of Captain John Sheppard and Colonel Richard Caswell, along with his brothers Sampson and Shadrick. Shadrick served under the command of Captain Thomas William’s and Colonel Abraham Sheppard. All were at the “Battle of Moores Creek Bridge” according to the same source shown above.

William Carver and his brothers Sampson, Robert and Samuel were the grandsons of Richard Braswell II and Ann Carver as was their cousin Isom Carver.

Richard Braswell V and his brothers were the grandsons of Richard Braswell III and Elizabeth Bryant. This made them the great grandsons of Richard Braswell II and Elinor.