The District of West Tennessee
On this 19th day of May 1820,
before me the Subscriber, a Judge of the Courts of the United States for the
Districts of East & West Tennessee personally appeared William Coates aged
fifty-nine years, resident in the County of Davidson in said District, who,
being by me first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the
following declaration in Order to obtain the provision made by the late Act of
Congress, entitled, An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land
& naval service of the United States in the revolutionary War: That he the
said William Coates enlisted for two years, and the next enlistment for three
years and during the War, that first enlistment in the fall of the year 1775 in
the State of Virginia in the company commanded by Captain Samuel Hawes in the
2nd Virginia Regiment commanded by Col. Spotswood [Alexander Spotswood] in the
line of the State of Virginia or the Continental establishment. That he
continued to serve both of his said terms faithfully and that he was discharged
after the battle of the Eutaw Springs [September 8, 1781], that he was in the
Battles of Germantown [October 7, 1777], Brandywine [September 11, 1777],
Monmouth [June 28, 1778], at the taking of Stony Point [July 16, 1779], and
many other battles, that he is in reduced circumstances and stands in need of
the assistance of his country for support & that he has no other evidence
now in his power of his said Service.
S/ Wm. Coates
I Certify that William Coates was
a Soldier in Captain Samuel Hows [sic Samuel Hawes] company of the 2nd Virginia
Regiment in the Continental establishment and that he served three years in the
said Regiment which was the term of his enlistment and that at this time he is
old, poor & infirm and that he stands in need of the aid of his Country for
support.
S/ Tho. Overton [Thomas Overton] Late
Captain in the Continental Army of the United States
[Attested May 19, 1820]
District of West Tennessee
On this the 26th day of July 1820
personally appeared in open court in the court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
for Davidson County in the State of Tennessee it being a court of record,
William Coates, aged fifty nine years and seven months, who being first duly
sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order
to obtain the provision made by the acts of Congress of the 18th of March 1818,
and the 1st of May 1820. That he the said William Coates enlisted for the term
of two years, the first time in the fall of 1775; in the State of Virginia, in
the company commanded by Captain Samuel Hawes in the regiment commanded by
Colonel Alexander Spottswood in the line of the State of Virginia on the
continental establishment; that before the first enlistment was quite expired,
he enlisted again for the term of three years, in the State of Pennsylvania at
Valley Forge Camp in the company of the said Captain Samuel Hawes in the
regiment commanded by the said Colonel Alexander Spottswood in the line of the
State of Virginia in the continental establishment; that after serving about
two years of the second enlistment he enlisted again for a term during the war
in the company of Captain William Bentley in the regiment commanded by Colonel
Christian Phebegger [Christian Febiger] in the line of the State of Virginia in
the continental establishment, which last enlistment also took place in
Pennsylvania at Valley Forge Camp; that he continued to serve in said camp
until the fall of 1781, having before that period exchanged his last term of
enlistment with an eighteen months man, when he was discharged from said
service at Thompson's Farm in the State of South Carolina. That he was in the
battles of Brandy Wine [Brandywine], the taking of Stoney Point, in the battle
of Guilford [March 15, 1781], in the battle of Campden [Camden, probably a
reference to the battle known as the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill, April 25, 1781],
in the siege of Ninety Six [May 22-June 19, 1781], and in the battle of the
Eutaw Springs, and that he has no other evidence, now in his power, of said
service except his own oath. And in pursuance of the act of the 1st of May 1820
I the said William Coates do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of
the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that
time by gift, sale, or in any manner dispersed of my property or any part
thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the
provisions of an act of congress entitled "An act to provide for certain
persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the
Revolutionary War" passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have
not nor has any person in trust for me any property or securities, contracts or
debts due to me; nor have I any income other than what is contained in the
following schedule hereto annexed and by me subscribed-- that is to say not one
article of property either real or personal in the world. My occupation has
been that of a planter, which I am now unable through age and infirmity to
pursue any longer. My family consists of myself and wife, and we subsist at
present upon the bounty of our son, Austin Coates, who has no family of his
own, who is the owner of two slaves and a fine house, but who is about to leave
this State and fix his residence in Virginia this coming fall. I was an orderly
sergeant for the last eighteen months of my servitude.
S/ William Coates
Sworn to and declared on the 26th
day of July 1820, before us Thomas Claiborne, Thomas Edmiston & R.C. Foster
justices of said court of pleas and quarter sessions of Davidson County
Tennessee in open court it being a court of record. As declared by statute of
the State of Tennessee 26th day of July 1820
State of Tennessee, Davidson
County
On this the 8th day of November
1845 personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace, Mrs. Susannah Coates
formerly Susannah Dismukes, a resident of Tennessee in the County of Sumner
aged Eighty years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her
oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the
provision made by the act of Congress passed the 17th of June 1844 entitled an
act to continue the pensions of certain widows-that she is the widow of William
Coates, who was a pensioner and drew at the agency at Nashville Tennessee at
the rate of ninety six dollars per annum until his death which occurred on the
sixth day of October one thousand eight hundred and forty four.---She further
declares that she was married to the said William Coates in Spottsylvania
County [Spotsylvania County], State of Virginia by a parson named John Waller
on the 4th day of March one thousand seven hundred and eighty two, and
furthermore that the cause of making her declaration out of the county wherein
she resides is that the dividing line between the counties of Sumner wherein
she now lives and Davidson is in a very short distance and that all business
she may have to transact in relation to a pension will be more convenient in
Davidson County. The distance to Nashville Davidson County being nearer than it
is to Gallatin the County seat of Sumner. Sworn to and subscribed on the day
and year above written.
S/ Susannah Coats
Before me E P Connell Justice of
the Peace For said county. I hereby certify that I have been acquainted with
Mrs. Susannah Coates for the last twenty years and that from old age and bodily
infirmities she is unable to attend in open court, and that she still continues
to be the widow of William Coates.
S/ E.P. Connell
Veteran was pensioned at the rate
of $8 per month commencing May 19, 1820 for service as a
Sergeant in the Virginia
Continental line. His widow was pensioned in a like amount.