[Henry Durham.FTW]
[Neill-Neal.FTW]
They were cousins.
[Henry Durham.FTW]
State of Tennessee
Robertson County.
I do hereby certify this 2nd day of December 1833, personally
appeared before me Bartley Pitts, one of the acting Justices of
the Peace in and for said county and state aforesaid Robert
Niell and after being duly sworn in according to law, Deposeth
and sayeth as follows, that James Neill and James Neill one of
my brothers came to my fathers during the Revolutionary war in
America and said that they was just from the american army, and
some time afterwards and I believe just after the battle at
Ramsowerses Mill, the said James Neill brought my Brother
William Neills clothing to my fathers and said that, he was
killed in the Battle at Ramsowers mill, which afterwards turned
out to be the fact that the said William Neill was killed and
at the time and place that the said James Neill had stated (1)
and further this deponent sayeth not this 2nd day of December,
1833.
Test. signed Robert Neill
Signed Bartley Pitts (J P seal)
".....I am also well acquainted with a man named Robert Neill
residing in the neighborhood of Bartley Pitts in Robertson
County and the same I presume who gave the precedeing affidavit
he has the character of an honest man and in my opinion
entitled to credit"
(can’t read signature)
[Henry Durham.FTW]
[Neill-Neal.FTW]
THE PENSION APPLICATION PAPERS OF ANDREW NEILL
State of: Tennessee
Marshall County
I, Vilet Cathey aged about seventy-four years being duly sworn
do say that I was well acquainted with Andrew Neill a citizen
of said Marshall County who is an applicant to the United
States for pension for his services in the war of the
Revolution, all the time of said war, and that I know that he
was in the Service under Captain Thomas Kennedy, on tour and
under Captain Jonathan Kemp, one tour and under Captain Joseph
McDowel two tours and under his father Captain William Neill one
tour. I cannot now recollect his having served under Captain
Davidson. I do not know anything of the time or duration of a
tour, more than recollect, hearing persons say when their
friends would go into service, that they would be gone three
months——I am very certain that Andrew Neill always served out
the time he was engaged for as he always bore the name of a
true whig and brave soldier in his neighborhood, and those who
returned before their time had expired were generally subject
to some sensure or ridicule.
her
Sworn to and subscribed Vilet (X) Cathey
before me this 21st day of mark
July the year 1840
Benj. C. Brantley, Justice of the Peace for said County.
_________________________________________________________________
_________ __________
On the 2nd day of March 1840 personally appeared.....Andrew
Neill a resident of said Marshall County and state of
Tennessee, aged 85 years, .....Declarant states that he entered
the service of the United States in the army of the Revolution
while a citizen of the said United States residing in the
County of Burke and State of North Carolina
as hereinafter stated:
"....Under Captain Thomas Kennedy, and marched from Burke County
North Carolina to South Pacolet, South Carolina, and was in an
engagement against the British and Tories at that
place.....declarant does not now recollect the month or year in
which he started but believes it was in the spring or early
part of summer."
"Declarant also served one tour of three months under Captain
Johathan Kemp, and thinks he started in the month of September,
against Colonel Ferguson of the British Army, and that Captain
Kemps company retreated over the Yellow Mountain, and remained
for about two weeks, and when the company commenced their
return, they received news that the Indians had come in and
done mischief on the frontier and declarant with others were
detached to stop them, and went accordingly but the Indians were
gone; Capt. Kemp with part of his own company and others went
on and fought Ferguson at King’s Mountain, where the Americans
were victorious. Colonels Campbell, Shelby and Sevier were at
the Battle of King’s Mountain. Declarant did not Join Capt.
Kemp any more until the three months expired. He then went home
to Burke County North Carolina where he met with Capt. Kemp (he
and declarant being neighbors) where he gave declarant a
discharge......"
"....three months under Capt. James Davidson....starting in the
month of August.....and guarded Forts Wafford and Davidson on
the North Carolina frontiers, and was employed at different
times in scouting after the Indians along the frontier. The
Indians crept up to Fort Wafford and fired in at the port holes
and killed one man named Lee and wounded another, but declarant
at that time was out with a scouting party..... Fort Wafford
was on the north fork of the Catawba River and Fort Davidson
was high up on the main Catawba River.
"..Served three months under Captain Joseph McDowel (cousin of
Major Joseph McDowell) commencing about the month of November
in the same kind of service as under Capt. Davidson only we
were mounted on horses, two men named Gardner and Justice who
came into Fort Davidson from the settlements were killed by the
Indians in hearing of the Fort as they started home and we
pursued the Indians but could not find them. This three months
were spent in guarding Forts Wafford and Davidson and scouting
after the Indians on the North Carolina Frontier."
"....another three months under the same Captain.....commencing
he believes in the fall soon after the frost had killed the
potato vines, he was marched...to Wilmington against the
British....the British were gone when they arrived....."
"Declarant also served three months under his father Captain
William Neill of Burke County North Carolina commencing shortly
after his return from Wilmington, this three months was taken
up in guarding Forts Wafford and Davidson and scouting after
the Indians and protecting the setlements against Indian
outrage. The Indians were very troublesome on the North
Carolina frontier; coming in small parcels and doing mischief
and disappearing, a small party come and killed John Davidson
his wife and child high up on the Catawba River and carried off
his negroes."
"....served all above named terms as a volunteer and had regular
discharges from all the captains under whom he served as named
but had his house burned with all his papers in Burke County
....declarant is now very old and frail and cannot recollect
the precise day, month or ‘year..."
"..would have applied for pension sooner but he has lived ever
since the year 1818 in Marengo County, State of Alabama, and
was never apprised that the law extended to Militia and
Volunteers until about three years ago and then he employed an
Attorney to attend to his pension who died before anything was
accomplished and being frail declarant then gave the matter
over until his stepson Joseph McDowell brought him back to
Tennessee, where he had formerly lived, this present winter.
"In answer to the interrogations of the War Department,
Declarant answers first: that he was born in Rowan County,
State of North Carolina: in the month of April seventeen
hundred and fifty—five. Second: that there was a record of his
birth and age in his father’s books but the Cherokee Indians
robbed his fathers house in Rowan County North Carolina and
destroyed his books among other things and if any record has
ever been made since declarant does not know it, but has been
informed and believes he was born in the month of April 1755
but if he has ever heard what day of the month he has forgotten
it."
"Third: that declarant lived in Burke County State of North
Carolina when he was called or went into service each and all
times and continued to live there for about four years or
perhaps more after peace was made and moved to Davidson County
Tennessee within about 10 miles of where the city of Nashville
now stands; and about the year 1806 removed south of Duck River
about 7 miles near a place called the Big Spring where the town
of Farmington now stands, in that part of territory which was
shortly ly after included in Bedford County...and resided there
until about the year 1818, and then removed to Marengo County
State of Alabama and resided there until the fall of 1839 and
then removed back to same neighborhood near the Big Spring
formerly in Bedford County but now Marshall County....where
declarant now lives."
"Fourth; Declarant was a volunteer in every instance, was never
drafted nor enlisted, nor did he ever-serve as a substitute."
"Declarant has no recollection of ever being under the command
of any regular officers nor does he know that he was not....if
they or either of them were regular officers declarant does not
now recollect. Declarants brother William Neill was a
Lieutenant in the Regular Ar;my somewhere in the North and come
home into Burke County N.C. to recruit men and went down on
Broad River and heard’ of some Tories, and joined the Whigs
against them and was killed at Ramsours battle. Declarant was in
the battle at South Pacolet South Carolina where the Americans
repulsed the British and Tories and started to King’s Mountain
after Colonel Furguson but was sent off with a scouting party
after the Indians.
‘Sixth:...received discharges....as set out in his declaration.
and they were all burnt....’
Seventh: Vilet Cathey and Esther Read are the only persons that
I know of now living, who can testafy anything as to my
services, and they can as well testafy as to my character for
varacity as any other persons.’
Andrew Neil
(in his own handwriting)
_________________________________________________________________
_________ __________
Yours through Hon. Mr. Matterson came to hand stating that
Andrew Neill would have to prove by other
testamoney (sic) than his own that he served out all the time
named by him in his declaration. We had learned that is was
possible that one William Devers who served a good deal of the
time with him was yet alive and residing near Jackson in this
State; but a correspondence on ‘the subject has not discovered
him: and I went to see Vilet Cathey and Easther Read, and
obtained the affidavits of Vilet Cathey but Easther Read is in
a very low state of health and almost entirely deaf - If
evidence as to general character would avail anything Mr. Neill
could obtain to almost any extent from persons who have known
him for the last thirty years. The applicant is dependant upon
his friends entirely for support - he was worth a handsome
living and was swindled out of it and his son murdered.
Should this evidence not be sufficient, let me know.
Wtth respect,
Yours Sc
B. williams