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REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE RECORD OF
GIPSON (GIBSON) SOUTHERN, 1753-1833
Application for Pension, 1818 and 1820Gipson/Gibson Southern's given name is spelled two ways. Most North Carolina records of the 1780s (tax lists, state census, and deeds) made when he was living among other Southerns in Surry County (later Stokes County) show his name as "Gibson," as does the 1790 Greenville County, South Carolina census. Documents in his pension application consistently show his name as "Gipson," though a letter on file written by his grandson J.P. Southern to the War Department in 1860 gives the name as "Gibson."
Gipson's pension applications state that he was "about" sixty-five in 1818 and "about" sixty-seven in 1820, placing his birth year about 1753. It does not give his place of birth, but states that he enlisted in Buckingham County, Virginia in November 1776. Buckingham VA was the home until 1774 or 1775 of the family who became the North Carolina Southerns. After the Revolution, Gipson lived among the N.C. Southerns for several years in the 1780s. Thus he is assumed to be a close relation to William Southern I of Stokes County. Various researchers have concluded that he was William's oldest son, though there is no known documentation for that relationship.
Gipson's papers indicate that his pension ended April 3, 1833, and that is presumed to be his date of death.
For those who subscribe to Ancestry, scans of the actual Revolutionary War pension applications may be seen for this and other applications, including that of Gipson/Gibson's probable younger brother William Southern II, at U.S. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900.
Fort Morris, GA, where Gipson Southern was taken prisoner by the British
in early 1779. Now a Georgia State Historic Site.
1818 Application
The State of South Carolina Greenville district
On this Eighteenth day of May AD 1818 before me the subscriber, a Judge of the Court of Ordinary for the district of Greenville in the said State, personally appears Gipson Southern aged about sixty five years, resident in the district and State aforesaid, who being by me first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the provision made by the Act of Congress, entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the revolutionary war": That he the said Gipson Southern enlisted in Buckingham County in the State of Virginia on the 25th of November two years previous to the Fall of Savannah [here " '76 " was later written in the left margin] in the Company Commanded by Captain Joseph Pannell of the 2d. Battalion, 2d. Regmt. Col. Elbert, of the Georgia Brigade, Genl. Howe -- That he continued to serve in the said Corps, or in the service of the United States, until a few days after the fall of Savannah(1), when he was taken prisoner by the Brittish at Sunberry in Georgia, about 50 miles from Savannah, at Ft. Morris(2); was detained about 6 months a Prisoner, and then made his escape at a place called Ebenezer (3). Rejoined the American forces at Genl. Lincolns Camp in So. Carolina, from whence he was marched to Charleston and there discharged from Service by order of Genl. Moultree, in September after the fall of Savannah; was in the Battle at Gilford (as a substitute) [Guilford Court House, NC (4)] was in the affair at Midway in Georgia when Genl. Screven was killed(5), was in a skirmish near St. Mary river, where his Capt. Ward was killed(6); was on the Row Gally called the Congress at the taking of three small vessels of the Enemy at Fredericca Island near the mouth of Darian River(7), & That he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of the assistance of his Country for support; and that he has no other evidence now in his power of his said Services, Except the Evidence Mr. Smith here unto annexed --
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Sworn to and declared before me this day and year aforesaid.
[Signed] Spartan Goodlett J.C.O. [signed] Gipson Southern
Also at the same time and place personally appears before me the subscribing Judge, Mr. Thomas Smith aged about fifty six years & made oath in due form that he is well acquainted with Gipson Southern who has made the above declaration & affidavit; and Served with him in the said 2d. Regiment of the Georgia line, for about two years, until the said Southern was taken prisoner at Sunberry in Georgia - And he believes the said declaration of the said Gipson Southern to be true, in substance & in fact -
[signed] Thos. Smith
Sworn and subscribed to before me the day and date aforesaid.
[signed] Spartan Goodlett J.C.O.
I Spartan Goodlett Judge of the Court of Ordinary for the district of Greenville in the State of South Carolina as aforesaid, do Certify that it appears to my satisfaction that the said Gipson Southern did Serve in the revolutionary War, as stated in the preceding declaration against the Common Enemy: And I now transmit the proceedings and testimony taken and had before me to the Secretary of the Department of War, pursuant to the directions of the aforementioned act of Congress-
Given under my Hand and Seal this Eighteenth day of May AD 1818.
[signed] Spartan Goodlett J.C.O.
Notes:
1. Savannah fell to British forces on December 29, 1778.
2. Fort Morris, near Sunbury GA is on the Medway River, about 25 miles south of Savannah (not 50 miles as stated in the declaration). It fell to the British on January 9, 1779. Gipson was apparently at Fort Morris when it was taken. Fort Morris is a Georgia State Historic Site open to the public.
3. Ebenezer is now a ghost town on the Savannah River a few miles north of Savannah. It was founded in 1734 by immigrants from Salzburg, Austria. It was abandoned in 1855. One major building remains: Jerusalem Lutheran Church was completed in 1769 and is the fourth oldest building in Georgia.
4. The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was fought March 15, 1781 near Greensboro NC. (Gipson's account of his service is not in chronological order).
5. The Battle of Midway Church took place at Midway, Georgia on November 24, 1778, a month before the fall of Savannah. It is about 12 miles upstream from Fort Morris. General (or Colonel) James Screven was wounded and captured by British, and soon died in British custody.
6. St. Marys River forms part of the boundary between Georgia and Florida. The city of St. Marys is on the north (Georgia) side of the river.
7. The Darien River is at the port of Darien GA, about 50 miles south of Savannah.
Old post card of Jerusalem Lutheran Church, Ebenezer, GA. Built in 1769, this church was standing
when Gipson escaped from the British at Ebenezer in mid-1779, and he is likely to have seen it.
It remains standing today.
1820 Application
Gipson Southern made a second declaration of his service on November 1, 1820, which largely repeats his declaration of May 1818, though it does not mention his presence at the Battle of Guilford Court House in N.C. This declaration includes a detailed accounting of his assets and debts, apparently to document his reduced circumstances and his continued need for assistance. This document also names his wife Mary "aged about 60 years."
Schedule [illegible mark]
District of South Carolina To wit
On this first day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty, personally appeared in open Court, being a Court of Record, of General Sessions and Common Pleas held for the district of Greenville in the State of South Carolina before Abraham Nott Esqr. one of associate Judges of the said State, Gipson Southern aged about Sixty seven years, resident in Greenville district in the said State, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath, declare that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows, to wit, that he enlisted for the term of three years on or about the 25th November 1776, in Buckingham County in the State of Virginia in the company commanded by Capt. Jos. Pannel, in the Regiment commanded by Col. Elbert in the line of the State of Georgia on the [blank space before next word] Continental establishment; that he continued to serve in the said Corps (excepting while a prisoner to the Enemy) until about the 12th of September 1779, when he was honorably discharged from the said service in Charleston in the State of South Carolina by Genl. Wm. Moultree: That he was in the Skirmish at the mouth of St. Mary's river, where his Captn. (Ward) was killed in Florida, was also in the battle or affair at Midway in Geo. when Genl. Screven was killed; was afterwards shortly after the Fall of Savannah taken prisoner by the Enemy at Sunberry, from whom he made his escape at a place called Ebenezer & rejoined Genl. Green in So. Carolina. And has no other Evidence of his said service now in his power except what he has heretofore rendered to the War Department; being now a Pensioner under the said Act of Congress by virtue of a Certificate No. 6703, dated 9th February 1819.
And in pursuance of the Act of May 1st. 1820, I Gipson Southern do solemnly swear that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the eighteenth say of March one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, and that I have not since that time, by Gift, sale, or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to being myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress entitled "an Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in
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the Revolutionary War," passed on the eighteenth of March one thousand eight hundred and eighteen; and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property or securities, Contracts or debts due to me; nor have I any income other than that what is contained in the schedule hereunto annexed and by me subscribed. To wit.
One pine table and Cupboard worth about three dollars $3.//
5 knives & forks, 1 pitcher, 2 bottles & 2 wine glasses...............1.50
3 Jars, 1 looking Glass & 1 churn ...............................................2.75
1 Cup 3 Saucers, 1 bowl, 2 pots & oven.....................................3.25
2 chairs, 1 stool, 4 tn cups, 1 pr. fire dogs..................................2.25
Spinning wheel & cards, 1 plough & [illegible]..........................3.50
1 hoe, 1 axe, 1 mattock 3 augers & 1 gimblet............................4.//
1 hand saw, 1 draw knife, 2 chissels 1 gouge.............................1.75
1 Loom, 1 tool box, 1 fire shovel, 1 iron wedge& flat iron........ 5.62
1 Coffee Mill, 1 case Razors & spectakles & case.......................1.25
2 Cows and calves $20 & 12 head hogs $12.............................32.//
Fowls $1.12 1/2 - 1 bee hive, & 1 tub $1.50 Hymn book 25c....2.87 1/2
A small crop of corn (illegible mark) worth about ....................20.//
$83.75
Some [illegible] worth about $15
Lands or real Estate I have none.
Debts against me: vis.
To Jeremiah Cleveland.....................$23.40
T.&S. Crayton...................................24.//
Sloan & Brown..................................2.56
W. Toney...........................................7.93
M. Southern...................................15.00
A. Kemp..........................................10.//
J. Stovall, a Court Judgement abt. 110.50
$193.39
Witness my hand [signed] Gipson Southern
And the said Gipson Southern further swears that his family consists of himself and his wife Mary Southern aged about Sixty years; that she is afflicted with the [illegible] & Rheumatism so that she is entirely unable to support herself, and that he is afflicted with the dropsy, so much that he is unable to labour sufficiently for a support (his occupation being that of a farmer) he cannot support without the assistance of his Country &
Sworn to and declared on the 1st day of November AD. 1820
Before [signed] Abm. Nott [signed] Gipson Southern
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South Carolina
Greenville District
I George W. Earle Clerk of the Court of Sessions and Common Please for the said district, so hereby certify that the forgoing Oath, and the Schedule thereto annexed are truly copied from the Record of the said Court; and I do further Certify that it is the opinion of the said Cout that the total amount in value of the property exhbited in the aforesaid Schedule is Eighty three dollars and seventy five cents.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of the said Court this 1st say of November AD 1820.
[signed] Geo. W. Earle c.
clk of the Ct. of the Dist. Greenv.
