On this 20 day of May 1833 personally appeared in open court, before the Justices the of the Court of pleas and quarter sessions of said County, now in session at the Courthouse in the Town of Jasper, William Bowman, a resident in the County and state afforesaid, aged seventy four years on the 4th day of this Inst. 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 June 7th 1832.

      That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated, viz – That in the County of Henry in the state of Virginia, in the month of March (the day of the month he cannot recollect) in the year 1780, he was drafted to serve a three months tour of duty, as a private, under Captain [blank space] Hanby, Lieut. [blank space] Tatum (the Ensigns name he has forgotten).
That when he was drafted to serve said tour of duty, his father was on his Remove from Virginia to the state of North Carolina and this applicant being doomed yet to serve his father, was by him prevented from serving said Tour of duty, and was compelled to go with him to the state of N. Carolina; That he went with his father to North Carolina, where he staid til the spring of the year 1781, when he returned to Henry County, Virginia, where he remained during the summer season, and til sometime in the month of September 1781, when he was, for his delinquency ordered into service by Captain Hanby, the officer he had been drafted to serve, to perform a six months tour of duty; That he was sent by said Captain to Prince Edward Court House, Va. (where (in the month of Septr. 1781) he was placed under the command of a Regular officer by the name of Rice, whose given name he has forgotten, nor does he know his grade of command as he has heard him called by different titles, from Major to Lieutenant. That he continued to serve said officer, as a private, from the [blank] day of September 1781 til the [blank] day of March 1782, making six months, the time he had been doomed to serve. This applicant states that he was not engaged in any battles during said service. That he was marched under said officer, Rice, from Prince Edward C. H. to Richmond in the state of Virginia, where he was shortly placed as a guard over the magazine that had been Captured with Lord Cornwallis, and that he remained there as a guard until his term of six months expired. This applicant states that the only officers he has any recollection of during his service at Richmond, were Col. Hamilton, Captain Ewing and the officer he had been placed under to serve, that they were all Regular officers and the only ones he was with at any place.   This applicant states that he has no documentary evidence of his service, and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his service.

       This applicant states that he was born in Halifax County, in the State of Virginia on the 4th day of May 1759. – That he had a Record of his age in his bible, but the Book has been lost or destroyed, though he retains good recollection of his age. – That he was living in Henry County, va, when he was first called into service, but went with his father to North Carolina, and returned to Henry County, va. before he performed any service, as he has already stated. – That after he was discharged from the service, he returned to Henry County, va. where he lived about one year, from there he removed to Grayson County, va. where he lived about fourteen years, from there he removed to Surry County N. C. where he lived about five years, from there he removed to Grainger County Tennessee, where he lived about Eight years, from there he removed to White County, Tennessee, where he lived about two years, from there he removed back to Grainger County, Ten. where he lived about fifteen years and from there he removed to Marion County, Tennessee where he now lives. – That he was first drafted to perform a three months tour of duty and was taken by his father from Henry Coty. Va. to North Carolina, that he returned to Henry Coty. va. where he was by his officer ordered into the Regular service, as he has before stated and that he was never a substitute. – That he has already stated the names of the only Regular or Militia officers he knew, that he was with no other officers or troops except those at Richmond, va. – That he was regularly discharged from the service, by [blank space] Rice, the officer he served, in the City of Richmond, va. in the month of March 1782 and that brought his discharge with him home and left in a family he was boarding with, and has never since been able to find it.

        This applicant states that he is acquainted with and refers to the following named gentlemen of his neighborhood, viz, Revd. Imanuel Rogers, Johnny Lassater, John Williams, John Roberts, Aaron Smith, Revd. Darwell Rogers Edward Seabourn, Greenville Dockery and Jesse B. Sherrill & Revd. David Nelms some of whom can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the Revolution. – 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.

Transcribed and Submitted by Byron Bowman on 10/28/2014