Howard Co., MO

This is the Rev. War Pension application for Jesse Walker. I transcribed it from a copy obtained at the National Archives. Some of it was difficult to read so anyone needing an official copy should probably contact the Archives. Jesse was in the Revolutionary War from Burke Co., NC but a resident of Howard Co., MO when he applied for his pension.

Jesse Walker - born June 26, 1748 - Prince William County, VA Died February 19, 1849 - Howard Co., Mo.

Submitted by Ruth Kent
eruth@swbell.net

State of Missouri )
County of Howard )

On the 26th day of November, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty three, personally appeared before the Judge of the Howard Circuit Court (the Honorable David Todd) Jesse Walker, a resident of the County of Howard and State of Missouri aforesaid, aged between 85 and 86 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declariation in order to obtain the benefit of the provison made by the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the army of the United States in the year of our Lord 1776, in the county of Burke, and State of North Carolina, as a Private in Captain John Hardin's Company of Rangers, under Col. Charles McDowell, and camped over the counties of Burke, Rutherford, Lincoln and Wilkes for the space of three or four weeks, in search of Tories, from whom dozen(?) were apprehended.

During the latter part of the summer and first of the fall of 1777, he performed a three month tour under the officers aforesaid, the Company to which he was attached camping from the head waters of Board River to the head waters of Catawba River, over a mountainous country, along the frontiers of Reatherford, Burk and Wilkes Counties, in the State of North Carolina aforesaid.

During the year 1778, he served two terms of three months each, under the officers aforesaid, ranging in the same direction as aforesaid (to the distance as well as he recollects it of about 80 miles) from the headwaters of broad river to the head of Catawba.

In the year 1779, he served two terms, of three months each, under Captain Matthew Kirkendoll, along the frontier of Rutherford, Burke & Wilkes, as aforesaid.

In the year 1780, he served three terms, of three months each under Captain George Walker, and ranged, as aforesaid, along the counties of Reatherford, Burke & Wilkes.

In the year 1781, he remembers to have served a term of three months under Captain Thomas Canada, and to have marched from Burke County, N.C. across to Gilbert Town, on Broad River, in Reatherford County-- thence down said river, about 20 miles to the Fish dam ford-- thence to Prince's Fort on the Packoleth-- thence to the state line between North and South Carolina-- thence along said line east, and thence across to the Cataba in the Dutch Settlement, where he was discharged, about 30 miles from home.

In the same year (1781) he served a three months tour under Captain Joseph McDowell & this he remembers commenced on the 15th day of September (1781) and terminated on the 15th day of December, 1781. During this service, he marched from Burke County (N.C.) through Rowan Co. (N.C.) leaving Salisbury on the left, and cross Adkins River at Monford ferry, marched thence down & crossed the Cape Fear, thence across the Black River-- thence across the Brown Marsh-- thence to Drowning Creek-- thence to the raft swamp-- thence to Swan's Bluff-- thence down the River Cape Fear to Wilmington, where he was discharged, being about 300 miles from home.

He was born in the County of Prince William, in the State of Virginia, on the 26th day of June, 1748, and was living in Burke County, North Carolina, when he was called into service as aforesaid. He knows of no living witness by whom he can prove his service as aforesaid and has lost all his original discharges. His great age (?) and consequent loss of memory is the reason why he cannot render the narative of his service more ample and minute without incurring the risk of mistaking dates and thus confusing instead of aiding the Commissioner of Pensions in the investigation of his claim. He left the Bible wherein his age is recorded in the county of Wayne and State of Kentucky, several years since with Mrs. Rachel Walker, his daughter-in-law. The manner in which he was called into service was this. All persons able to bear arms in his county were numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. and whenever a regimention was made, it was filled according to numbers. Some times the regimentions were small and sometims large according to the danger apprehended from the British and Indians. He remembers that in the last term he served, nearly every man in Burke County had to turn out.

The Court then propounded to the applicant the following interrogations, and received the answers annexed thereto.

Question by the Court. Where & in what year were you born? Answer. I was born in the County of Prince William, Virginia, on the 26th day of June, 1748.

Question by the Court. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it? Answer. I have no record of my age. I left the Bible containing it with my daughter-in-law, in the State of Kentucky, about 15 years ago.

Question by the Court. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War; and where do you now live? Answer. I was living in the County of Burke, State of N.C. when I was called into service. After the close of the war, I removed to Greene County, Georgia, and from there to Wayne County, in Kentucky, and from there to Howar County, Missouri, where I now reside.

Question by the Court. How were you called into service; were you drafted; did you volunteer, or were you a substitute. Answer. I have stated the manner in which I was called into service in the body of my declaration. It was called classing(?) in that day. In addition to the officers named in the foregoing declaration, I recollect that Genl. Butler, with a large command & Col. Cleaveland with a smaller one joined the command under Genl. Rutherford (in one of whose companies my last tour of duty I was serving) a few miles below Sallisbury, and that they all proceeded together to Wilmington then occupied by the British but which they evacuated as the American troops appeared.

Question by the Court. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service? Answer. I received a discharge from my Colonel, Charles McDowell, for ever term of service as detailed in my declaration but neglected to take care of them, deeming them of little or no use.

He states that he is known in the present neighborhood to Davis Todd and Thomas Turner who 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 he declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of any agency in any State.

Jesse Walker

Sworn and subscribed to the day and year aforesaid.

Davis C. Reeves D. C.

Mr. Thomas Turner, a Clergyman, residing in Howard County, Missouri, and Davis Todd, residing in the same, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jesse Walker, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we beleive him to be 85 or 86 years of age,; that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a solider of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.

Thomas Turner Davis Todd

Sworn & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

D. C. Reeves, D.C.

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states. And the Court further certified that it appears to them that Thomas Turner who has signed the preceeding Certificate is a clergyman, resident in the County of Howard and that Davis Todd who has also signed the same is a resident in the County of Howard aforesaid, and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.

David Todd
Judge of 1st Ind..(?) Circuit

I, Gray Bynum, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Howard County, Missouri, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Jesse Walker for a pension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal of Office, the 27th day of November, eighteen hundred and thirty three.

Gray Bynum, clerk
by
Davis C. Reeves, dc.

Submitted by: Ruth Kent (eruth@swbell.net)