Revolutionary War Pension Application of Robert Simpson State of Kentucky County of Jessamine

On this 18th day of November 1833 personally appeared before the Justices of the Jessamine County Court, now sitting, Robert Simpson, a resident of said county and state aforesaid, aged 76 years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following amended declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by 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. That in the spring of the year in the month of March 1779 he resided in Montgomery County, Virginia near Fort Chism and volunteered under Capt. Henry Francis at Chisms land mines for the purpose of suppressing the torries. William Glober, Lieutenant, and himself, ensign. We went from the land mines and New River crossed Cripple Creek and went up New River to the --- forks of the river. The torries fled before us, and we took some prisoners and some got away. When we returned down the other side of the river and came back to the land mines, and there discharged without a written discharge after a tour of four weeks, as well as he recollects. That he served a tour as ensign under Capt. Robt Sawyer and Col. Campbell in the same year as above stated. We redis--- at the Chism land works we from thence crossed New River and went into North Carolina, then called the North State of Carolina, in Surry County and ranged some time in that county and came to the Moravian towns, when Col. Campbell hanged a man. And after some time we came on to Harbert’s Ferry on New River about three miles below the land mines and crossed the river at said ferry and went up to the --- mines where we redis-- and there discharged after a tour of four weeks, as well as he recollects. Without a written discharge that he knows of that in the same year in the month of August, he served a tour as ensigned in Col. Abraham Trigg’s regiment, Isaac Campbell Captain and his brother, William Campbell, Lieutenant we met at Chisms land mines and went into the North State of Carolina crossing the New River at Wallensbottom. And from thence we went on and crossed the Yadkin River in North Carolina and went through the country to Salsberry and from thence back to the Moravian town. And from there on to Harberts Ferry and New River and crossed and went up to the land mines. We ----- some of the torries off and brought some of them to trial. Then discharged without a written discharge after a tour of three weeks as well as he recollects. That in the year 1780 in the month of May, as well as he recollects, he entered the service as Second Lieutenant in Capt Robt Sawyer’s light horse company, in which James Marcs was lieutenant, that since Sawyer lived in a mile or two of Fort Chism and Red Creek, we rendis-- at Fort Chism and went from there to the mines and went on and crossed Cripple Creek above the mines, thence up the river to Grayson County then crossed the river at Wallandsbottom and ranges thence toward the Yadkin River near the Shallowford where the torries had crossed. We had a battle with them at that place, killed some, took some prisoners and others made their escape and ran off. Col. Joseph Floyd was our --- commander in our company as rangers in this service and was our duty and we did range all through the county round about in almost every direction for one year and three months for the purpose of suppressing the torries was in the Battle of Guilford in this year 1781 and was under the command at the Battle of Capt John Thompson Sayers and Col. William Preston. The captain got wounded very bad and we got him off the battleground and saved him from the British and he got home. This was in service, as well as he recollects, of one year and three months that he was discharged at Fort Chism by Captain Sawyer of the light horse and had a written discharge, which was signed by said Sawyer, which has been long since lost or misplaced. That in the year 1781 he was called on by Capt. Sanders to go and guard the magazine at the Chism land mines and he went down as a private to the mines and was there placed under said Sanders as a guard. Col. Lynch was the overlooker or manager of the works. He served, as well as he recollects, three months and was then discharged by said Sanders without a written discharge, as well as he recollects or believes. That he was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia in the year 1756. That he has no record of his age, that it was registered in a book that his father kept which has been lost or destroyed. That since the Revolutionary War, he lived a part of the time in Wythe County, Virginia and moved from there in the year 1795 to Kentucky, where he has ever since lived and now lives in Jessamine County, Kentucky. That he was a volunteer in the various services rendered by him. The names of the different officers and general circumstances of his service set forth in the foregoing. That he had a commission as Lieutenant in the light horse company of Capt Sawyer. That said commission has been long since lost, and he does not recollect by whom it was signed. No distinct recollection of ever having a commission as ensign, but to the best of his belief he had. That James Bryant, David Hockersmith, Benjamin Bryant, Edmond Bryant, James Trotter, David Majors, and Benjamin Netherland are persons to whence hes known in this county, and the most of whom reside in his present neighborhood, who can testify to his veracity and character for truth and also to their belief of his services aforesaid. That owing to the many deaths and --- and the length of time since the services were performed, he knows of no surviving witnesses who can testify to his services; that Hugh Simpson whose affidavit is hereto --- has departed this life since making the same and consequently he has no person who can testify or the means of obtaining any better evidence than this affidavit bears on its face. 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 of any state that he knows of. Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Robert Simpson