James Espey Pension Application

Pension Application 1832

[A verbatim copy, including spelling errors, of a county court transcript written by a court clerk.]

State of Georgia
Clark County

In Clark Supr Court August Term 1832

On this 15th day of August One thousand and eight Hundred & thirty two personally appeared in open court before me Charles Dougherty one of the Judges of the Superior court of sd State aforesaid now setting in & for the county of Clark, James Espy a resident of the county & state above named aged seventy two years 8 months & eight days being born on the 7th of Decr 1759, there is a Record of his age in a small Bible in a popup urn & was born in Pennsylvania Cumberland County, 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 the 7th of June 1832, viz;

That he entered the service of the U.S. under the following officers & served as herein stated

1st John & James Espy, twin brothers residing in then Tryon, now Lincoln county N.C. engaged to do three months service in the company of Capt John Caruth, that James served one month & a half & was succeeded by his brother John who served the remaining month & half. The company was called at that time rangers & was employed in scouting through the adjoining country in defending the inhabitants against the attack of Tories & Indians. – The Lieutenant of the company was Benjamin Cirkindal & the Col. of the County Charles McLane. This service was in the spring & summer of 1778 as near as deponent can recollect.

2nd From the close of this service he served until about the 1st of June 1780 in the company of Capt John Barber as a volunteer sometimes in actual service & sometimes at home but held at any time liable to march. Was engaged much of the time in scouting parties. This service was performed while a resident of Tryon & under Barber because the regular Militia company of Capt Sam Espy to which he belonged had so many Tories in it that the friends of the American revolution united with those belonging to Capt Barbers company in an adjoining military district.

3rd About the 19th June 1780 joined Gen Rutherfords army & continued in the service until after the Battle of Kings Mountain in which battle he was engaged, being then in the company of Capt. Isaac White.

4th as near as can be recollected entered as a substitute for three months in the volunteer company of Capt Isaac White & was engaged during that period in constant service. Col Wm Grimes [Graham] was then Col.

5th At the close of the above service entered as a substitute for three months longer under Capt I. White. Was with Gen Rutherfords army pursuing the British to Wilmington, & engaged in a number of skirmishes with the Tories particularly at the brick house near Wilmington. Joseph Grimes [Graham] of Mecklenburgh was Major.

6th In the year 1782 served as Lieutenant in a volunteer company under Capt James Wilson, Col. Joseph McDaniel, & Gen Charles McDaniel a tour of service against the Cherokee Indians the precise time of actual duty not remembered.

That during the whole of the revolutionary war he was a resident of Tryon now Lincoln county N.C. & so generally engaged or holding himself in readiness to be ordered into service as to prevent him from attending any regular business. He can state that uniting his terms of service he served a period of two years during the war of the Revolution on the side of Liberty & that he has no documentary evidence of the foregoing facts & with the exception of his two brothers whose testimony is subjoined he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. If he was recd a discharge, which he thinks he did, it is lost.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State. He states he is Known to the Revd Alongo Church, President of the University of Georgia & A. Clayton, Member of Congress.

[signed] James Espey

Sworn to & subscribed in open
Court, being a Court of Record
this 15 day of August 1832
[signed] Robert Ligon Clerk

We Alongo Church a Clergyman residing in the town of Athens Clark County Georgia and Augustine S. Clayton of the Same place, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Espy who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration. That we believe him to be seventy two years of age that he is respected and believed in the neighbourhood where 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] A S Clayton
[signed] A Church

[signed] Robert Ligon Clerk