Revolutionary War Pension Application of Henry Overstreet State of Kentucky Jessamine County

On this 18th day of February 1833 personally appeared in open court, before the justices of the county court of the county aforesaid and now sitting, Henry Overstreet, a resident of said county, aged seventy years, 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. That he entered the service the first day of June 1780 as a substitute for one William Tate of Louisa County, Virginia, under the command of General Stephens and Col. Spencer as field officers and Capt. John Byer, Lieutenant Thomas Shelton, and Ensign James Winston as Company Officers. That he was substituted in Louisa County, Va , from thence we marched to Hillsborough in the State of North Carolina and there learned the manual exercise and remained there until General Gates came, then we marched from thence through North and South Carolina and crossed the Pee Dee River in South Carolina and joined the regular army near Camden, South Carolina and marched from the encampment and crossed a W--- Gorge at Rugby Mill and continued the march until our advance guard and the advance guard of the enemy met, and we had a little battle. We beat the British off and then we formed for battle in the night. The British showed themselves about sunrise and fired on us by platoons. We returned fire, then the British charged bayonets, and we were forced to retreat by scattering and making the best way back we could to the North side of the Pee Dee River where we had left some invalids (which place we reached three days after the defeat). General Gates was our commander at this defeat. We gathered a good company together after we reached the North side of the Pee Dee River and marched from thence to Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina, and there the tribe of Catawba Indians came and joined us at that place for they were very friendly to the Americans, and we remained there until the last of October 1780. When we were dismissed as discharged, he has no recollection of ever having a written discharge. This dismissal was after a five month tour. That he served another tour in 1781. The field officers he does not recollect, Captain Bullock was the commander of the company. It was raised in Hanover County, Va., that he served this tour as a substitute for one John Smith (as well as he recollects). We marched below Richmond and continued to remain in and about Richmond. We also marched to the south side of James River and returned again to Richmond where we met with the Genl. Marquis de Lafayette and his troops on the Schoco Hill near Richmond on a grand parade that had come down to go to Yorktown to meet with the enemy. This was a tour of two months, and we were discharged. That he served a third tour under the command of Captain Haydan in the year 1781. In September I went down to the army and joined in King and Queen County, Va, and we marched into Gloucester County, and I was called on guard at York River at the mouth of the P-------- Creek to prevent the negroes from running away to join the enemy whilst they were at York Town. From thence we marched down near to Gloucestertown and drove the British further in to prevent them from getting provisions. The siege ----- and --- two ---- at Yorktown, and Genl Wallace, the British commander in chief surrendered to us, and we marched down and took possession of Gloucestertown and near there I was dismissed as discharged, October in the same year after a lapse of about two months. That he resided in Hanover County, Va. when he first entered the service. That he was born 2nd February 1763 in King William County, Va. That since the Revolutionary War, he resided in part of the time in Hanover County, Virginia and Louisa County, Virginia and the balance of the time in Jessamine County, Kentucky where he now resides. That he has the record of his age in a family Bible at home, which was taken from his father’s bible. He has no written discharge nor a recollection of ever having received any, if he ever did, they are lost or misplaced. He further 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 the same. That he has received nothing for his service, except some continental money which was of --- little value to him. 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. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Henry (his X mark) Overstreet We Jacob Rohrer, a clergyman residing in the County of Jessamine and John Ogle residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Henry Overstreet, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Jacob Rohrer John Ogle And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after an investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named Henry Overstreet was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the court further certify that it appears to them that Jacob Rohrer who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in Jessamine County aforesaid, and that John Ogle who has also signed the same is a resident in said county and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit. I, Daniel B. Price, Clerk of the Jessamine County Court do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Henry Overstreet for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 18th day of February 1833. Daniel B. Price