State of Tennessee Robertson County: County Court November Term 1832
On this 12th day of November 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the justices of the County Court of Robertson County the same being a Court of record John Crane a resident now of the County of Stewart previously a resident of the County of Robertson State of Tennessee aged seventy-three years on the sixth of February next – who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of an Act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832 - That he volunteered in the year 1776 - the month not recollected at this time Colonel Christy [sic, probably a reference to Colonel William Christie and of Virginia] was the Colonel and Gilbert Christy was the Captain under which he served - declarant states that his tour of service under the foregoing officers lasted about three months - this was the first expedition that ever went against the Cherokee Indians. This expedition is known by the name of Christy's Campaign. The expedition was encamped on the banks of the French Broad [River] - expecting in a little time to have an engagement with the Indians when a flag peace was received from the Indians - and no battle took place. The Army then went into the following Indian Towns - Chota, [indecipherable], Tellico & Big Island Town. Those towns were situated on the Tennessee River - declarant states that this County was at that time in the State of North Carolina - the Army from those towns returned - they received at those Indian towns some small pieces of artillery which were carried by water to the Long Islands of Holston [River] where there was a Fort which Fort went by the name of Long Island Fort. Declarant states that in the year 1777 - he volunteered again under Colonel Montgomery & Captain Gilbert Christy - the month in which he entered as a volunteer is not now recollected - but he thinks it was in the spring Season. This was an expedition against the Chickamauga Indians who at that time lived on the Tennessee River not far from a place called the Slick - the entire Army went by water in a species of Boats called perague [sic, pirogue or piragua—a canoe made by hollowing out a tree trunk] - descending the Holston River until its junction with the French Broad - and then down the French Broad - and Tennessee rivers until we came to the Indian towns situated above the Slick on the Tennessee River where we [several indecipherable words] the Indians had fled in consequence we supposed of having been informed by the Tories of the approach of the Army - declarant states that a detachment was sent from the Army by the command of its officers to intercept the Tories who were like mice descending the [indecipherable word or words] also we arrived at the Town where a skirmish took place between the men that composed the detachment and the Tories - and several guns were fired this skirmish happened in the night. Declarant further states when they reached the Towns as above stated near the [indecipherable word or words] the Indians had fled and a detachment was then sent from the Army at the Indian towns in pursuit of the Indians in the mountains. Declarant states he composed one of the detachments. We found the Indians in a cave under a [indecipherable word] rock - where we took a few prisoners after killing two of the Indians - declarant states that he served in this Tour about four months. Declarant further states that he received a written discharge for both of those Tours but that he has [several indecipherable words] that they are not now in his possession. Hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any state whatever.
Sworn to in Open court
This day personally appeared in open Court Caleb Winters [?] and states upon oath that he is acquainted with John Crane who has subscribed the foregoing declaration and he knows he enlisted under Captain Gilbert Christie as a volunteer and went as a soldier under the said Christie - and he further believes that he served as he has stated in his declaration.
[fn p. 20: this is an amendment to the declaration but it is in the same challenging handwriting as the original declaration. From what I could make out of its text, it does not appear that the veteran added any significant information to his declaration of services. Consequently, I chose not to subject myself to the aggravation of trying to decipher it for transcription.]
[Facts in file: The veteran died March 23, 1838; there is no family data in this file.]
[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $23.33 commencing March 4th, 1831, for seven months service as a private in the North Carolina militia.]