Joseph Patton – Revolutionary War Soldier\
Declaration for Benefits made in open court in Morgan County, Oct. 13, 1832
by Joseph Patton a Revolutionary war soldier who died in Morgan County in 1849\
JOSEPH PATTEN No. S.3632 Declaration in order to obtain the Benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th, 1832
State of Tennessee, Morgan County
On this 13th day of October 1832, personally appeared before the worshipful
Justice of the Court of Pleas and Quarters sessions for said county now siting it being a
court of record, Joseph Patton a resident citizen of the county of Morgan aforesaid in
the State of Tennessee aged 70 years agreeable to his record as taken from his father’s
record and after being sworn according to Law make the following Declaration in order
to obtain the benefit of the aforesaid act of Congress passed 7 June in the year of our
Lord 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States in the Revolutionary War in the
State of North Carolina, Rowan County under Captain William Bell, Col. Frank Locke
and Major White his first name not recollected, he is not certain of the dates not recollected
but it was in the summer season of the year and believed to be in the year 1779 and marched
from said county and crossed the Catawba River at Shearl’s Ford. He went a horseback
and all the men that went with him, we went on to Ramsours Mill and fought the Tories at
said mill and conquered and drove them away and wounded and killed many, and then we
returned home having been in service about ten days and in three or four days thereafter was
called again to fight the Tories and he marched off under Captain William Bell and aforesaid
Col. Locke and Col Davidson was along that was afterwards General and we marched to
Coalston Greek and there had a Battle with the Tories and conquered them easy and then
returned home having been absent some short time this was another light horse trip and after
staying at home about two weeks was drafted to serve three months against the British and
Tories. The British then lay in Camden. He marched off under Captain William Heart and
Col. Davis, his first name not remembered and marched on toward Camden and stationed
some time at Warsaw Creek and while at that place Two hundred of us and he was of the
number left the main force and fought the Tories at a place on the Catawba river and
defeated them, and he togather with the balance of said soldiers returned to their former station
at Warsaw Creek and rejoined our former troops and then there came word that the British
was coming on toward Charlotte in Mecklenburg County and we then marched back toward
that place and there remained until Tarleton and his forces came to that place we gave him (?)
we that were of the horse and retreated the British remained in Charlotte some time and we
stationed at Rocky river about 24 miles off we were engaged for some time in
watching round where the enemy was stationed and in keeping them from plundering and at
one time we took about forty of the British that were out foraging with their wagons and teams.
He was in a skirmish at Col. Polks Mill the British were guarding said mill we thought it was
the Tories until we fired a few times on them they wounded 17 (or 7?) Of our horses and killed
one man of ours named Hugh Gray, we took one of their guards and retreated and then returned
to head quarters at Rocky river and went on to Salisbury And was their verbally discharged for a
three months tour and returned home and in about two or three weeks afterward was called in
great haste to go against the British at the time they crossed at Shearl’s ford and he was (?)
The same day that the British crossed said river in a skirmish with them at that place but we had
to retreat and went home being in some few days and in sometime there after he substituted in the
place of a certain Daniel Baxter who had ben drafted to serve three months tour he marched off
under his former Col. Locke and Capt. Higgins and marched on after the British and crossed the
shallow ford of the Yadkin and marched night and day for some distance and marched near
Hillsborough and joined General Greens army and then marched to fight the British at the revolution
battle ground near Haw river and the British retreated and was finally marched by General Green
a cross Haw river at the reedy fork and was there publicly and verbally discharged and Col. Locke
and his men returned home having served out our times and in about six or eight weeks after he
returned home he himself was again drafted and states that his uncle Robert Patten his father’s brother
was employed in carrying on work for the Benefit of the army in fixing cannons, cartridges and in
shoeing horses for the Light horse and in doing so it was necessary to have a good strong hand to
help him and by the arrangement of White this applicant was put to assisting his uncle in black
Smithing for the use of the army this was to stand as his tour for which he was drafted he accordingly
servd out a three months servitude engaged at the most land labor and after said three months
tour was expired he was requested by order of Col.White to continue in service with an understanding
that it should stand as so much time in the way of service in the army and served on till his uncles time
was out making at least four months after my first three months for which I had served at said work
was expired for while in service he never was promised to be paid nor never received any pay for
only the rations that was then allowed him by said officer by whom he was employed and applicant
states the he must have been in the United States Service during said War about fourteen months
in the aggregate the applicant has no documentary evidence of his service and knows of no person
by whom he can prove his services he states that he was born in the State of Pennsylvania he does
not know the county can just bearly recollect being moved to North Carolina Rowan County was
raised in said county near Catries meeting house and there continued to live until about two years
after the revolutionary war and moved to the State of Kentucky Madison County, staid there some
few years and moved to Montgomery County said state staid there 17 years moved to Cumberland
County said state staid there 16 years moved to Overton County, Tennessee lived there 8 or nine
years moved to Morgan Tennessee has lived ever since.
He hereby relinquishes every claim what so ever to a pension or annuity except the present and
declares his name is not on the pension role of this agency of any state.
Signed: Joseph Patten
Sworn to in open court
attest John Brown, D.C.
We Maj. Shadrach Stephens residing in the County of Morgan and State of Tennessee
and Col. Saml. Scott residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with
the Joseph Patten who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration that we
believe him to be 70 years of age and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood
where he resides to have been a soldier in the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Signed Shadrach Stephens, Saml. Scott
Sworn to and subscribed in open court
attest John Brown, D.C.
Result of claim:
He estimated that he served about 14 months in all. The War Dept.
Disallowed any credit for blacksmith work, they finally granted him
$36.38 per year in six months installments of $18.19.