Halifax County State of Virginia
} SS.
On this 25 day of November 1835
personally appeared in open Court before the Court of the County aforesaid now
sitting John Coates sr a resident of said County and state aged 73 years the 24
day of the present instance who being first duly sworn according to law doth on
his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the
provision made by the act of Congress
passed June 7 1832. That he was drafted for a six months tour of duty in the
County of Spotsylvania in the state aforesaid (in which County he then resided)
in June in the year 1780 and marched on the 10 day of the aforesaid month from
the aforesaid County of Spottsylvania in a company of Malitia commanded by
Capt. [Thomas] Minor of said County of Spottsylvania: we marched from the
aforesaid County of Spottsylvania to Richmond where we remained several days
and drew our arms. From thence we marched through Petersburg – thence to
Hillsborough in the state of North Carolina. and at Hillsborough Capt Holiday
[sic: John Holladay; see note below] took command of our company and there we
were attached to the second Regiment commanded by Col. George Stubblefield, Lt.
Col. [Joseph] Spencer and Major [William] Mosby and the said Regt together with
several others remained at Hillsborough several days. From Hillsborough we
marched under Genl. [Edward] Stevens to Rutldges Mills [sic: Rugeley’s Mill] in
the state of South Carolina at which place we joined the main army under General
[Horatio] Gates the evening before the battle near Camden in the state of South
Carolina which said Battle took place on the 16 day of August 1780 and I fought
as a soldier in said battle and the said Capt. Holiday was killed in said
battle and our second Lieutenant John Chew lost one of his arms in said battle
and he was taken a prisoner and the aforesaid Lieut. Col. Spencer was also taken
a prisoner. And from the aforesaid Battle-ground we returned to the river Pedee
[sic: Pee Dee] where we remained several days and from whence we marched back
to Hillsborough where we remained about two or three weeks. From thence we were
marched off in the aforesaid state of N.C. probably about 50 miles and
stationed in an old field (the County I do not recollect) three or four weeks
and we were occasionally marched from place to place in the adjacent country
for a considerable time and at length we were marched back to Hillsborough where
we delivered up our arms and were discharged. And our company at that time was commanded
by Lieutenant Lewis Holaday [Lewis Holladay] under the aforesaid Col
Stubblefield and General Stephens. The second tour of duty I performed was a
two months tour I was a substitute for William Rash of the aforesaid county of
Spottsylvania in the spring of 1781 and took the said Rashes place in Capt
Chews company (commonly called little John Chew) in the county of Hanover near Dandridges
mills: and our company was attached to Col. Mearaweather’s [sic: James
Meriwether’s] Regt and Major Hardaman [sic: Hardiman] commanded as a Major in said
Regt and we never remained long at a place we spent our time in marching – from
place to place some times in pursuit of the enemy and sometimes retreating and
at length we were stationed in the woods on the river Chickahominy where we
were discharged. The third tour I was drafted as a private in the said Capt
Lewis Holadays company from the aforesd County of Spottsylvania for a two
months tour which I performed faithfully. I was at the siege of york [28 Sep -
19 Oct 1781] and the surrender of Lord Cornwallace [sic: Cornwallis] the 19 of
Octo 1781. and was one of the guard who guarded some of the prisoners from york
to winchester and we gave up our arms when we returned to Fredericksburg at
which place I was discharged. 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. Sworn to and subscribed the day and
year aforesaid John Coates Sr.
The amended declaration of John
Coates Sr in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made
by the act of Congress passed
June the 7 1832, who states upon Oath that he is utterly unable to furnish the
War Department with a more accurate account of his Revolutionary Services
relative to the periods lengths and grade of each time of service with the
names of Officers than that given in the former declaration bearing date the 25
day of November 1835, a copy of which is herewith inclosed. He is considerably
advanced in Years and his Memory very deficient to what it was in the early
part of his life and he regrets very much indeed that he is unable to furnish
the information above alluded to. The reason he did not make an earlier
application to the War Department he removed shortly after the close of the
Revolutionary war from the County of Spottsylvania in which he resided in the
time of the Revolutionary War to the County of Halifax in which he now resides
and did not know of any person by whom he could prove his services until a
considerable time after the passage of the pension law, of the 7 June 1832. He
received information in the aforesaid County of Halifax (from a Gentleman from
Spottsylvania) that Thomas Cason and William Cason were then living whose
affidavits are also herewith inclosed and after receiving the information
aforesaid as soon as circumstances would permit Viz in November 1834. he visited
the said Thomas Cason who then resided in the County of Caroline and William
Cason who then resided in the County of Spottsylvania and he obtained their
affidavits. But on his return to the County of Halifax he was informed that the
affidavit of William Cason was not in due form, and he posponed the retaking of
the said affidavit of William Cason untill November 1835. He was compeled to
make his visit at a leisure time of the year as it respected ploughing &c
as he was at that time and remains to be the owner of only one horse he is in
very indigent circumstances old and infirm. The distance from his residence to
that of his witnesses is about 150 miles Consequently in making the two trips
he traveled about 600 miles: And after completing his testamony and making his
declaration before the County Court of Halifax he requested his agent Mel
Sprague not to forward his papers by mail that he prefered that his papers
should be presented by his Agent in person, and as such they were not presented
to the War Department untill very recently.
Subscribed to this 10 of August
1836. [signed] John Coates Sr
Spotsylvania County State of
Virginia to wit }
I William Cason an old
revolutionary Soldier of the county aforesaid do hereby certify that John
Coates (now a citizen of the county of Halifax and State aforesaid) an old
revolutionary Soldier marched with me in a tour of duty of six months in a
company of Malitia the 10th day of June 1780 from the aforesaid county of
Spotsylvania which said company was commanded by Capt. Minor of the aforesaid
county of Spotsylvania; we continued together in the aforesaid company and
march together to Hillsborough North Carolina at which place Capt. John
Holladay took command of our company and we were marched from Hillsborough by the
said Capt. Holladay under Genl. Stevens to Rutledge’s Mills at which place we
joined the main Army under Gen’l Gates the evening before the Battle near
Camden in the State of S. C. which said Battle took place on the 16th day of
August 1780; And then said Coates and myself were in said Battle; and I was
taken a Prisoner in said Battle; consequently we were parted; and I saw the
said Coates no more until I returned home which was after the expiration of the
six months term of him the said Coats and from the frequent conversations which
I have with said Coats after my return home before and immediately after the
end of the revolutionary War I have no doubt but what he the said Coats did
serve out the balance of the said six months faithfully and was honourably discharged.
Given under my hand this sixth of
Feb.[?] 1835 [signed] William Cason