Michael Freeman of Caldwell County Kentucky

S.30.426 Revolutionary War Pension Record of
Michael Freeman originally of North Carolina
Caldwell County Kentucky
Certificate of pension issued 22 August 1833
$95 and 82 cents per year to commence on the 4th day of March 1831
Arrears:
4th of March 191.62
Semi-?? Allowance ending 4 Sept 47.91
239.53

Pg 4 [answers written to a printed form]
Brief in the case of Michael Freeman of Caldwell Co in the State of Kentucky
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Court
2. If before a judge….
3. How old is he? 68
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.

Period: Volunteer in 1780 – 1781 6 months, 9 months, 10 months; horseman finding his home(?); General Davidson, Capt Polk, Col Davis, Capt Taggart, Col Irwin, Capt N. Martin

5. In what battles was he engaged? None named except skirmishes
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Mecklenberg Co NC
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? Living witness
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? And if so in what respect? Not corrected(?) as required by the regulations.

Certified by F G Bradford, clerk

Pg 6
State of Kentucky, Caldwell County
On this 18th day of October 1832 personally appeared in open Court, before us, James C Wellers, Morton A Rucker, Wm Mitchuson and John Weeks justices of the peace for the County and state aforesaid, now sitting Michael Freeman a resident of the County of Caldwell and State afo’, aged 68 years, who being first duly sworn according to ??, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of 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 he first entered the service as a militia man, a volunteer, in the company commanded by Capt Polk about the first of March 1780. That he was, at the time of joining the army, about sixteen years old, and an inhabitant of Mecklenburgh County, North Carolina.
That he was attached to a troop of horse, shortly after he entered the service as a ?? attched to a troop of which troop of horses was under the command of one Col. Davis, and found his own horse.
That the first duty assigned the Regiment to which he belonged was to observe the motions of the enemy in South Carolina, and to garrison or guard different fords on the Catawba River.
That about the middle of May 1780 Charleston surrendered to the British, at which surrender, two uncles and a brother-in-law were taken prisoner. Shortly after this time Col. Buford was defeated in the Washaws, not far from where he lived, at which time he was in the service as above stated in consequence of the surrender

Pg 7
of Charleston, the Tories in the neighborhood, became very bold, and began to embody themselves in Lincoln County under the command of our Col John Moore, who were stationed at place called Ramsour’s Mills.
That he the said Freeman was detached on an expedition under the command of one Capt Barnett to dislodge these tories or loyalists (as they were sometimes called, in which they succeeded, but at the loss of Capt Falls who was killed in the engagement but the troop to which he belonged still continued to reconnoiter and match the movement of the enemy, to prevent them from embodying, shortly after this time, his term of service expired, and he returned home, having served six months on this tour.
That in August of this same year he reenters the service under the command of our Capt Tagert and they were sent under the command of our Col Irwin to hold Lord Cornwallis in check, but they were too much to do any thing more than annoy the enemy, and cut off their foraging parties, until Cornwallis succeeded in taking the Town of Charlotte.
Some time after this, Lord Cornwallis left Charlotte in pursuit of Gen’l Morgan who had previously defeated Col Tarleton at the Coropeus(?) under the command of General Davidson was hung in the rear of Cornwallis for the purpose of annoying his rear, and cutting off his supplies, at which time they had a skirmish with the enemy, in which Gen’l Davidson was killed at a place called Tools? Ford on the Catawba River after which they joined Gen’l Green and continued to pursue Cornwallis and overtook him at Guild Ford Courthouse, where a seven(?) engagement was fought with the enemy, but he was not in the battle, being then

Pg 8
attached to the infantry.
But the Corps to which he belonged pursued on, after the Battle, as far as the Alamance River, from which the troops to which said Freeman belonged, returned to Mecklenburgh County sometime in May 1781.
That shortly after this he volunteered in troop of horse commanded by Capt N Martin and Jonas Clark Lieut: for the Term of ten months and furnished his own horse which company was attached to the Regiment of Col. Polk and under the command of Gen’l Sumpter and during this term of service he ws in the Battle of Friday’s fort on the Congaras? River and also at the Battle of Orangeburgh Courthouse and at the Battle of Stubrick’s plantation.
That he continued in the army until his term of service had expired and that he was then regularly discharged (which discharge is now lost) about the last of March 1782, after having served in all upwards of two years, eighteen months of which time is proven by the Certificate of Jonas Clark, whose affidavit is hereto annessed(?).
That during his first term of service of six months the said Clark was absent on a campaign in Georgia, and therefore knows nothing of his ?? Freeman’s first term of service: and he further states that he knows of living witness by whom he can prove his services during the said term of six months- The discharge for ten months was signed by Capt Nat Martin, as to the other terms of services he does not recollect by whom the discharges were signed, but is very well satisfied that he always took one, as he was apprehensive of being called a deserter.

Pg 9
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.
Michael C. Freeman
Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid before me Ja L Dallam

We F R Cositt a clergyman residing in the County of Caldwell and Enoch Prince and Jeremiah Rucker residing in the said County, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Michael Freeman, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be 68 years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he lives to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
[signed] F R Cositt, Enoch Prince, Jeremiah Rucker

Sworn and subscribed this day and year aforesaid before me Ja L Dallam

Questions:
1st: Where and what year were you born?
I was born in 1764, March 1st in Bertie County North Carolina
2. Have you any record of your age, and if so where is it?
I have and it is at my house.
3. Where were you living when called into the service; where have you lived since the revolutionary war and where do you now live?
In Mecklenburgh County North Carolina. The most of the time in this state and now in Caldwell County

Pg 10
4th: How were you called into service; were you drafted. Did you Volunteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom?
I volunteered
5th State the names of some of the regular officers with the troops where you served, such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service.
I am not certain of any knowledge of any of the officers being in the regular service except Gen’ Green and Gen’l Davidson. I do not recollect of any of the Continental Regiments, but of the militia there were Davis, Pickens and Lumpters regiment and Marions was also at that time a Col. I served 6 months in the Calvary with Capt Polk and others. 9 months with Capt James Tagert and 10 months with Capt Nath’ Martin under General Sumter.
6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service. By whom was it given and what has become of it?
I have. It was given by Capt Martin for 10 months service, but about any others I cannot now recollect. I left it in North Carolina with my father, who is since dead and I suppose it is now lost.

And the said Court as hereby declared their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier as he states and the Court further certifies that it appears to them that F R Cositt who has signed the preceeding certificate is a clergyman, resident in the County of Caldwell and that Enoch Prince and Jeremiah Rucker who have also signed the same are residents in the same county, and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
James C Weller, John Weeks, M A Rucker, Wm Mitchesson
I Nathan L Dallam Clerk of the Court of Caldwell County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court of the matter of application of Michael Freeman for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this 15th day of October 1832
N L Dallam

[a later letter, from the archives, to a requesting genealogist, further states that Michael Freeman died 9 Feb 1842 and that he had left Mecklenburgh County NC in 1806. The letter had been asking for information on Michael and Judith Freeman and also on Aaron Freeman.]

Madison County State of Tennessee 23 August 1832
Jonas Clark appeared to swear he was acquainted with Michael Freeman.
Items from his testimony:
He and Michael Freeman were raised together in Mecklinburgh County NC before and during the Revolutionary War until 1806 when Michael Freemen left that county and hadn’t seen him since, until they met accidently in this county. He reiterated most of the same battle and company information mentioned in Michael Freeman’s statement.

[a letter of 14 Aug 1916 from Mrs Anna G Rattliffe of Princeton KY to the archives is requesting information on Michael Freeman and states that he was her grandfather’s father.]

[The same file contains a letter to a genealogist requesting information on Aaron Freeman. The archivist states that Aaron Freeman was born 30 Jan 1758 in Bertie County NC to John and Ann Freeman. He enlisted in Dobbs County NC 1 Aug 1781 and served one year as private and sergeant in Captain Thomas Armstrong’s Company in Colonel Archibald Lytle’s North Carolina Regiment. He was allowed pension 24 Jun 1818 at which time he was also living in Caldwell County Kentucky. He died 26 Nov 1821 in Livingston County KY. He married 9 September 1777 in Bertie County NC Judith Fleetwood who was born 21 Feb 1759 and was the daughter of William and Elizabeth Fleetwood. The widow, Judith, was allowed a pension 13 Aug 1829 at which time she was also living in Caldwell County KY. Aaron and Judith had the following children:
Alexander b: 23 Apr 1778 d: 28 May 1829
Elizabeth b: 15 Sep 1779 d: 14 Nov 1805
John Parker b: 21 June 1781 d: 18 Apr 1786
Edmund b: 12 Feb 1785 d: 16 Mar 1790
Ann b: 22 Oct 1787
Christian b: 22 Mar 1790
John Parker b: 25 Feb 1792
Polley b: 2 Dec 1794
Delilah b: 3 Nov 1796
Jarsey b: 16 Oct 1798
Patsey b: 4 Sep 1800 d: 29 Nov 1805
Henry b: 7 Jun 1802
Hardy Fleetwood b: 29 Sep 1804
Mary is written in next to Delilah by hand, with no data

The following family data is also shown:
Christian Freeman married 27 Mar 1810, Willilam Evans
Delilah Freeman married June 18, 1818, Mathew Stepenson
Ann Freeman married May 17, 1810, Daniel Wormarlsdorff

Children of Daniel and Ann Wormarlsdorff:
Mary Luisey b: 20 Dec 1810
Henry b: 8 June 1812
Maryan b: 4 Mar 1814
Hariett b: 10 Feb 1816
Emeline Coanier b: 19 May 1818
Tilgath Pelnezer b: 7 Nov 1820

William Lessenton son of Jersey Freeman was born March 22, 1818
Matthew Stephenson Freeman, son of Mary Freeman [Delilah written in by hand] was born April 24, 1819.

The above letter signed by A D Hiller, Assistant to Administrator.]