LOVETT REED, a resident of Bledsoe County, Tennessee, aged 78 years: “He was drafted for five months and entered the service in the militia in Guilford County, North Carolina in the company commanded by Captain ___ NELSON, Lieutenant CHARLES HUGHES and ensign ___ MCBRIDE (he thinks JAMES). He was marched from Guilford County to Salisbury where he thinks he fell in with General RUTHERFORD. He, at all events, was under the command of General RUTHERFORD during all this time of service and was in the regiment commanded by Colonel PAISLEY. Colonel LOCKE was along but declarant thinks he was under Colonel PAISLEY’s command.”
“From Salisbury he was marched to Camden, SC, from there across Santee River passing by a place called Bacon’s Bridge and to the Savannah River where the British had possession on the Georgia side. This was just above a little town called Purysburg and near a place called the Two Sisters. General ASHE was also on this expedition. He crossed the Savannah River with his forces and had a battle with the British at the mouth of Briar Creek [per Heitman, June 20, 1779] on the Georgia side of the Savannah in which he was defeated.” “Declarant served out his term, being some times at one place and sometime at another along the river, which was for five months, and was discharged by Captain NELSON at Camp Turkey Hill on the 16th of March. He cannot remember the year in which he performed in this term of service, but refers to Ashe’s Defeat at Briar Creek to fix the date, as his defeat then happened during this time of declarant’s service. Declarant was a sergeant in Captain NELSON’s company for part of the time during the foregoing tour but cannot remember how long. He claims nothing additional on account of it.”
“Not long after aforesaid tour, he again entered the service (this time in Caswell County, NC, where he had moved from Guilford County) in the militia light horse in the company commanded by Captain REYNOLDS, Lieutenant SAUNDERS and the declarant coronet. He, this time, went as a substitute for a certain JOHN JONES. This tour declarant was principally employed against the Tories down on Rocky River, Pedee and Cape Fear, in which section of country he served out his tour, which was for three months and was discharged on the bank of Cape Fear River. Major MCCLARY (or MCCLEARY) was the commander this tour, and FANNING commanded the Tories.”
“Very shortly after the last-mentioned tour, declarant again entered the service in Caswell County in the militia light horse in Captain HARRELL’s company who was under the command of Major MCCLARY as a substitute for a certain HENRY HAYS. About the time he entered the service the last time, General GREENE came on through Caswell County, with whom declarant fell in with him. He marched to Camden, which the British had just evacuated. From thence to the High Hills of Santee, from there up the river about 20 miles across it and down again in the direction of the Eutaw Springs, where General GREENE had the battle with the British, but shortly before GREENE arrived there, declarant was taken with the small pox and left behind, when Major MCCLARY gave him his discharge and also discharged a certain BARRY HUDSON or HUTSON BERRY to take care of declarant. He states that his last time was for three months and that during this and the preceding tour of three months he acted as a coronet in the light horse…”
Sibby Reed, widow of LOVETT REED-“…She was married the June of 1779… but knows that the June one year after, and the March then next after was the noted Battle of Guilford. This she distinctly recollects from calculation and fact that her husband came home a few days before said Battle on furlough, and her oldest son George Reed being born on the next day after said battle. She, declarant was in hearing of the cannon at the time of the battle, on County- Line Creek where she was married and lived.”
“She states that her said husband was drafted shortly after they were married. She thinks that he had done no service against the British when they were married, had served a little against the Indians…that he served under an officer named LOCKE, GILL and MCCLARY, and was at Savannah Sand Hills and after FANNING.”
Pension Application Of Lovett Reed, Natl Archives Microseries M804, Roll 2017, Application #W5671
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