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REVOLUTIONARY WAR SERVICE RECORD OF
WILLIAM SOUTHERN II, 1758/59-CA.1835
Old post card of Nathaniel Greene Monument, Guilford Battle Ground, Greensboro NC, where
William II served in the guard of "Baggage & Military stores" during the battle of March 15, 1781.
Gibson/Gipson Southern, believed to be William II's older brother, was also at the battle.
Application for Pension, 1833Note: Though William is here identified as Senior, this designation probably is used to distinguish him from the younger William, son of Ford Southern, who was living in the same neighborhood in Stokes County in the early 1830s. He is not believed to have had a son named William himself, and he should not be confused with William Southern (also called Senior in some records) who was married to Magdalen and who died in Stokes County in 1794. That older William (born ca. 1720), also from Buckingham County, Virginia, is believed to have been this man's father, though he may have been an uncle.
For those who subscribe to Ancestry, Revolutionary War pension applications may be seen for this and other applications, including that of William's probable older brother Gibson Southern, at
U.S. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900.
(Explanatory notes appear as bold numbers in parentheses and are cited at the end of the narrative. To view a note as you read the text, click on the note number. Then use your "back" button to return to your place in the text.)
State of North Carolina
Stokes County
Be it known that on the 30th Day of July A.D. 1833 personally appeared before me Charles Banner one of the Justices of the peace in and for the County aforesaid William Southern Sen. at his own place of residence in said County aged about seventy five or six years, who having 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 June 1832.
First he states that from the infirmaties of old age also he being badly Ruptured that he is unable to travel to Germanton the Seat where the Courts of Record are held in the County of Stokes aforesaid it being upwards of twenty miles distant from his residence, and he further states that from old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot precisely mention the different periods or dates where he entered into & returned out of the Service of the United States. But as well as his memory will serve him, that he entered the Service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as hereinafter stated (to wit)
The first Service he entered and served as a private volunteer Militia Soldier of Infantry under the Command of Captain William Meridith in Surry County North Carolina [ insert: Lieut. Hill & Ensign Hickmon] for three months and marched from Surry Court house to Salisbury N.Carolina & there joined head quarters under the Command of General Rutherford, & from thence marched to a place called Rageleys Mills near Camden in South Carolina and after remaining at that place a week or ten days perhaps there being a call for a reinforcement to join General Sumpters Brigade to Scour the Country & Rout a party of British & Tories around about the Cataba [Catawba] tribe of Indians on the Cataba River. This applicant turned out with seven others of his Capt. Meridiths Company under Ensign Thos. Hickmon & march.d & joined Genl. Sumpter on the said River near the Nation of Indians during this Rout the Notorious Battle of Genl. Gates defeat happened and our army was compelled to flee from the Enemy & were irregularly dispersed and retreated homewards.(1) He thinks this happened in the month of
(Page 2 of original document)
August 1780 he was [illegible] with a Capt. Joel Lewis & his Lieutent. Robt. Hill who was accidentally wounded by the fall of a tree near or in Cabarrus N.Carolina. In this service he served three months & was discharged in Salem N.Carolina by his Capt. Meridith some time in September 1780 --- He thinks he can prove this Service by [illegible] Lieut. Robt. Hill or Wm. Merritt if in this County.
The next Service this applicant performed was he was drafted in Surry County N.Carolina and marched from Richmond (2) in said County commanded by Capt. Arthur Scott to Haw River & thence to the Water Course call.d Allemance [Alamance] in Guilford County N.Carolina at which place we joined the Army under the command of General Green and marched from thence towards Guilford Court house when & where the Notorious Battle of Guilford happened which was in March of 1781 (3) in which Battle this applicant served as one of the Guard of the Baggage & Military stores and after serving nine weeks or two months & 7 days [insert: a private] was discharged by his Captain & returned home very sick. He knows of no person that he can get to testify as to this Service.
The next Service he rendered was as a drafted private Militia Soldier under Capt. David Humphries at old Richmond in Surry County N.C. which was not long or many Months after Guilford Battle aforesaid and marched from thence to Guilford & then joined Col. James Martins Regiment then marched towards Wilmington in N. Carolina crossing Deep River & through several counties he does not recollect the names, to a place called the Raft Swamp (4) & to a Brick House near Wilmington. General Rutherford was our Commander in Chief during this Tour, when some time in Novem. 1781 we were ordered to form in a line which being done our officers came riding along the lines making proclamation aloud that the Enemy had surrendered; Cornwallis was taken; with his whole Army; by Washington & his forces -- whereupon our Officers ordered a Salute to the Glorious News by firing several rounds.
(page 3 of original document)
In this Service the applicant served three months, and can prove the same by John Maib Senr. Edwin Hickman & John Quillin (?) if living Stokes County which he believes they are, he rec.'d a discharge but has lost it.
He has no documentary evidence of his services. And after propounding the 7 interogatories prescribed by War department - he answers as follows to wit
1st that he was born in Buckingham County in Virginia in the year 1758 or 59.
2nd that he has no record of his age only Traditionary information.
3rd, 4th, & 5th that he lived in Surry County N.Carolina when he entered each Tour of duty, the first as a volunteer & the two last as a drafted private each time; that he knew & served with all the Officers named in the foregoing, that he now resides in the same Neighborhood (which from the division of Surry is now Stokes County) where he resided ever since the Revolutionary War.
6th that he only rec'd one written discharge as he can Recollect from his Capt. or Col. Jas. Martin he does not recollect which has been lost.
7th that he is acquainted with many good Citizens in his county that can Testify as to his Character for Veracity and will name Col. James Martin & James Davis Esq. that there is no Clergiman in his neighborhood but Itenerant preachers that is not Settled Citizens of the 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 this 30th day of July 1833 before me
C Banner J.P.
his
William Southern
mark
(Appended to the bottom of page 3)North Carolina
Stokes CountyWe James Martin Senr. and James Davis Senr. do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Southern Senr. who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy five or six years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution & that we concur in that opinion. Sworn and subscribed the date above mentioned before me this 2nd day of October 1833.
Banner J.P.
[Signed by Martin and Davis at bottom corner in their own hands:]
Js. Martin Sr. formerly
Colonel of Guilford Militia
Js. Davis Senr.
NOTES
1. The Battle of Camden (S.C.) was fought on August 16, 1780. The British force under Cornwallis routed the patriots under Horatio Gates. The Americans made amends later that year, defeating Patrick Ferguson's British force at Kings Mountain (S.C.) on October 7 and beating Bananstre Tarleton at Cowpens (S.C.) on January 17, 1781.
2. Richmond was the county seat of Surry County prior to the partitioning of Stokes County in 1789, when Rockford became the county seat of Surry and Germanton became the county seat of Stokes. Richmond was located in what is now northwestern Forsyth County. There are no standing buildings at the site today, but it is of archaeological interest and the site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
3. On March 15, 1781, Cornwallis's force of 2,000 British regulars drove Nathanael Greene's American force of about 4,000 from the field at Guilford Courthouse, N.C. Cornwallis lost about a fourth of his army and was forced to retreat to Wilmington, N.C., for reinforcements and supplies. He never recovered his balance after Guilford Courthouse. Moving next into Virginia, he surrendered to Washington at Yorktown on Oct. 17-19, 1781.
4. From William S. Powell, The North Carolina Gazetteer: "Raft Swamp rises in s Hoke County and flows se into central Robeson County where it enters Lumber River. Much Tory activity during the Revolution was centered here, and the name is frequently mentioned in records of the time."
Testimony Supporting William Southern's Pension Application by William Merritt, John Maib [Mabe], and Robert Hill
State of North Carolina
Stokes County
On this 14th day of September 1833 personally appeared before me Charles Banner a Justice of the Peace in and for the County aforesaid William Merritt now a Pensioner of the United States a man of Character for Veracity & truth he being first sworn according to Law to State what he knew of Services rendered by William Southern Sen. to the United States during the Revolutionary War, deposeth and saith that some time in the Spring or Summer of 1780 he saw(?) said Southern & March.d in the same Regiment & Company from Surry County N.Carolina this Deponant under lieut. Robt Hill with said Southern under a Capt. Meredith he believes and met at Salisbury & Joined head quarters under Genl Rutherford march.d from then through Charlotte N.Carolina Crossing Rocky River to a place near called Barringers N.Carolina he thinks at some Mills the name he has forgotten near that place his Lieut. Hill was wounded by the fall of a tree & this Deponant was ordered to Nurse and take his lieut. aforesaid with other assistance, at which place he saw said Southern for the last time in that Tour
Sworn and Subscribed the date first above mentioned
before me C.Banner J.P. William Merritt his X Mark
On the day first aboved mentioned John Maib Senr. an aged old man of Good Character for Veracity & Truth who being first sworn according to Law deposeth and Saith that he is Well acquainted with William Southern Senr. of Stokes County & has been acquainted with him for at least Sixty years past that he served one Tour of Service in the Militia with him, both as privates & messmates three months under a Captain David Humphries marched from Richmond in Surry old Court house N.Carolina to or near Wilmington N.Carolina a distance of upwards of two hundred miles and Served together three months at least & was [illegible word] this was about the Close of the Revolutionary War when the News came to General Rutherford our Commander in Chief that Lord Cornwallis had Surrendered to Washington. James Martin was our Colonel. The said Wm Southern is the identical same person that I served with who is at this time my Neighbor & can Scarcely travel about his [plantation?] owing to a large Rupture in the [illegible word-rim?] of his Belly.
Sworn and Subscribed this 14th September 1833
before me C. Banner J.P. John Maib Senr. his X mark
N.Carolina
Stokes County
On the 18th day of September 1833 personally appeared before me Charles Banner a Justice of the Peace in and for said County Magr.[Major] Robert Hill a respectable Citizen of said County & he being Sworn according to Law, delcares on his oath that William Southern who claims a Pension agreeable to the declaration this day read to me by C. Banner that he recollects of said Wm Southern Serving in Capt. Meridiths Company in which this Deponent acted a Lieutenant in an Expedition from Surry County N.Carolina towards the South about the time of Gates Defeat, in which this Deponant was wounded by the fall of a tree & was conveyed home by a Wm Merritt & others that he believes the Applicant Wm Southern Served as he States in his declaration. Sworn and subscribed the date above mentioned by said Deponant a Pensioner also
before me C. Banner J.P. Robert Hill (signature)
North Carolina
Stokes County
I Charles Banner an acting Justice of the Peace in an for said County certify that the above named Robert Hill (who was formerly a Captain and Mager [Major]) William Merritt John Maib who have sworn and subscribed the foregoing depositions are all men of Respectable Character for Veracity and their statement is entitled to Credit
Given under my hand this 3rd day October 1833
CBanner J.P.
State of North Carolina
Stokes County
I John Hill clerk of the County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for said County of Stokes aforesaid certify that Charles Banner is a Magistrate as above and that the foregoing Signature purporting to be his is Genuine
In testamony whereof I have hereunto affixed by Seal of office and subscribed my name this 3rd day of October 1833.
Jno Hill
State of North Carolina
Stokes County
Be it known that I Charles Banner an Acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County Do hereby declare my opinion after Investigation of the Matter and after puting(?) the Interogatories prescribed by the War department that the above named applicant William Southern Senr. was a Revolutionary Soldier and Served as he States, and that he is a decriped old Man afflicted with an uncommon large Rupture that prevents him from traveling to Court, and further I Certify that it appears there is no Clergiman convenient to him and that Col. James Martin Senr. & James Davis Esquire who signed the preceeding Certificate are residents of Stokes County aforesaid and are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit. In Testamony whereof I have hereunto Set my hand this 3rd day of Octobr 1833
C Banner J.P.
State of North Carolina
Stokes County
I John Hill clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County of Stokes aforesaid Certify that Charles Banner is and was an acting Magistrate at the time of signing & Testing(?) the foregoing Certificates and foregoing Signature purporting to be his is Genuine
In Testamony whereof I have hereunto affixed my Seal of Office and Subscribed my Name this 3rd day of October 1833
Jno Hill
