THOMAS DAVIS
Pension Application
Declaration of Thomas Davis in order to obtain the Benefit of the Act
of Congress passed June 7th, 1832.
The State of South Carolina}
Chesterfield District } On this seventeenth day of March in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, personally appeared in open court, before the court
of Common Pleas and General sessions, now sitting, Thomas Davis a resident of the State
and district aforesaid, who being first duly sworn according to law, 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 was born on the 22nd March 1760, in the district and State
aforesaid, that his age was set down first in a Prayer Book & afterwards in a Bible
both of which were his Fathers, that his eldest brother took possession of them after his
Fathers death, and this deponent does not know what has become of them.
* That he entered the Service of the United States under the officers
named & served as stated in the following account that he was drafted a short time
before Christmas in the year [blank space] and serves as a Private under Capt. Morris
Murphy & Maj. Robert Lloyd, that he does not recollect the regiment to which he
belonged; that he was marched to a place called the "Long Bluff" on Pee Dee
River in the State aforesaid, from there to Sea ............... from there to Had....
Point - and from there to James island near Charleston from which place he returned home
having served in this tour nine weeks. That he was again drafted and marched as a Private
under Capt. John Dewitt and Col. George Hicks to Cheraw in the District and State
aforesaid where he remained one month & returned home. That he was again drafted as a
Private & that on the 8th day of Feb'y (year not recollected) he marched under Capt.
Ellerbe & Col. George Hicks cross Black River at ... & crossed Santee at Larrusi
Ferry & proceeded to Charleston - That he was in Charleston at the time it was taken
by the British under Chiston where he was taken prisoner on the 11th day of May after his
march & was discharged and paid on the 19 of same month having served this tour up to
the time he was taken prisoner three months & four days.*
That he served two tours, of two weeks each, as one of a scouting
party.That he was again drafted and marched as a Private under Captain William Presswood
to McCord's Ferry on the Congaree River in the State aforesaid, when Col. Washington took
Command - that he returned home from McCord's Ferry having served this tour one month and
remained at home two months.
That he was drafted again and served as a Private under Capt' Benton
& Maj. Tristam Thomas for one month. That he never received a discharge. He hereby
relinquishes any claim to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his
name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any other State.
Thomas X Davis
Sworn to in open Court
the day &
Year above written
Richard Gantt
Presiding Judge
[17 Mar 1836]
We Lewis Ganny, a Clergyman residing in the district & State
aforesaid and Alfred M. Lowry residing in the same district & State do [blank space]
hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Thomas Davis, who has subscribed and sworn
to the above declaration, that we believe him to be of the age he states, that he is
respected and believed, in the neighborhood where he resides, and is generally believed,
to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion & that he
is entitled to credit.
Sworn to & subscribed in open
Lewis Ganny
Court the day & year above written
Alfred M. Lowry
John Craig CCP
And the said do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and
after ...........the interrogations prescribed by the War Department, that the above named
applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier, and served as he states. And the Court further
certify that it appears to them, that the said Lewis Ganny who has signed the prescribing
certificate is a Clergyman and resident in the said District and State & that Alfred
M. Lowry who has also signed the same is a resident in the same district & State &
is a credible person & that their statement is entitled to credit.
Richard Gantt
presiding Judge
I, John Craig Esquire Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas and General
Sessions for Chesterfield District in the State of South Carolina, do hereby certify that
the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the
application of Thomas Davis, for a pension.
In testimony, whereof, I have hereunto set my hand & seal of office this seventeenth
day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty six.
John Craig, CCP
NANCY [RIVERS] DAVIS
Pension Application
Pension application of Nancy Rivers Davis, wife of
Thomas Davis, Revolutionary Soldier,Application #8655,
Vol. A, Pg 168
South Carolina}
Chesterfield District} On this 16th day of December 1852
before me J. C. Craig of the Court of Ordinary in and for
the District aforesaid personally appeared William Davis,
who being first duly sworn according to law say that he
is 63 years of age and doth on his oath make the following
declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the
provision made by the Act of Congress passed 3rd March
1843 entitled an Act granting pensions to certain Widows
also the Act 17th June 1844 and 2nd February 1848 and
29th July 1848. That this declarant aforesaid William Davis
in behalf of his Mother Nancy Davis, widow of Thomas Davis
late of Chesterfield District deceased, states that the said
Thomas Davis was a Soldier in the Army of the Revolution as
the heirs understand and believes, and as such was allowed
a pension first by the State of South Carolina at the rate
of sixty dollars per annum and was afterwards pensioned at
the rate twenty-seven dollars & thirty two cents per
annum, and that he always understood from his Father, said
Thomas Davis that the principal part of his service was done
in the Light Horse or Calvary under Captains Presswood,
Pegues & others, Gen. Marion, and that the aforesaid
Thomas Davis was married to his aforesaid Mother Nancy Davis
in Chesterfield District South Carolina in the year one
thousand seven hundred and eighty seven or eight
(1787 or 1788) and as husband and wife they lived together
until the death of said Thomas Davis who died in the District
of Chesterfield South Carolina on the twentieth day of March
one thousand eight hundred and forty-five (1845) leaving his
wife Nancy a widow who is still living but from extreme old
age bodily infirmities is unable to attend Court to make her
declaration and that his said Mother has nor intermarried
since the death of the aforesaid Thomas Davis. This declarant
further states that his Mother has no record of her marriage
or the births of her children that the record of the births
of her children, issue of their said marriage was carried to
the western country by her son Samuel Davis some twenty-five
years pass which record is believed to be loss, but that
several of his declarant brothers have transcripts from said
record so far as their own ages are concerned which he believes
to be correct. He further declares that he makes the above
declaration for the use and benefit of his Mother said
Nancy Davis, who as above stated is unable to attend Court
to make her declaration.
W. Davis
In open Court
sworn before me 16 Feby 1853
J. C. Craig, Judge Court Ordinary
South Carolina}
Chesterfield District} I, J. C. Craig, Judge of the Court of
Ordinary for the District & State aforesaid certify that
it has been shown in evidence to the satisfaction of the
Court that Thomas Davis revolutionary pensioner of the
United States at the rate of twenty-seven dollars and
thirty two cents per annum died at his residence in
Chesterfield District on the twentieth day of March one
thousand eight hundred and forty-five (1845) leaving his
wife Nancy a widow who has not since intermarried and that
she is now and has been for many years unable to attend Court
to make this declaration in consequences of extreme old age
and infirmity and that the declarant Davis is a man to
whose statement full faith & credit is due and in the
opinion of the Court the widow is clearly entitled and that
Wm. Davis is the second child of Thomas & Nancy Davis an
issue of their marriage.
Given under my hand & seal of Office this sixteenth
day of February AD 1853.
J. C. Craig, Judge of
Court of Ordinary
South Carolina}
Chesterfield District} Before me personally appeared William Rivers,
Sen'r a resident of Chesterfield District aged 76 years, the 25th
last, who being first duly sworn according to law says that he was
intimately and personally acquainted with Thomas & Nancy Davis.
Since his first recollection that he was raised within one fourth of a
mile from the said Nancy Davis, then Nancy Rivers deponents Aunt and
well recollects the time they were married but was not present at the
marriage and to the best of his knowledge and belief would say they were
married about the year Seventeen hundred and eighty seven or eight
(1787-88) that the said Thomas Davis lived the year before he was
married with his deponents father and has known them as husband and wife
ever since in which relation they were respectable members of the
Methodist Church up to the time of his said Thomas Davis death and lived
within two miles of deponent where his widow is still living and raised
nine children and had ten issue of their said marriage the youngest of
whom was born in the month of December 1812 which fact he knows from the
birth of his own son Malachi who was born the 22nd day of August 1812
which record is now before him.
Sworn to and subscribed this 6th day of February 1852 in open Court.
J. C Craig William Rivers
Judge of the Court of Ordinary
Rilah Smith a highly credible citizen of said District aged
64 years past 28th last October being first duly sworn, on oath
says that he was born and raised within two miles of Thomas Davis
deceased Revolutionary pensioner and wife Nancy now an applicant
for a pension; that he intimately and personally acquainted with
both the above named and their family and was school fellow with
their two oldest sons Samuel and William issue of their said
marriage and had often heard his parents and the parents of
Samuel above named speak of their ages and always understood
that he was three months older than Samuel the first child of
said Thomas and Nancy Davis, which statement he always believed
to be correct as he & Samuel were near about the same size
and that he deponent - was born as above stated - a copy from
the original family register of deponents Father and Mother
reads as follows:
"Rilah Smith was born October the 28th 1788" which
record he believes to be strictly correct and has always been
in deponents keeping since the death of his Father and that the
marriage of said Thomas Davis has never been doubted.
Sworn to and subscribed this 16th day of February 1853
Rilah Smith
In open Court
J. C Craig Judge of
the Court of Ordinary
I, the said Judge do hereby certify that I am well acquainted
with Wm. Rivers & Rilah Smith the above subscribing witnesses,
and that their statements are ........... to the highest
confidence I have no testimony in ....... they are the .......
the represents themselves to be.
J. C. Ordinary
C. D.
FREDERICK RIVERS
Record of Service
Frederick Rivers
Frederick Rivers was paid for 36 days of service. There is
on record in the State Historical Commission Office,
Columbia, SC a receipt signed by Frederick Rivers
for two pounds, eleven shillings, and five pence
sterling for 36 days in the militia in 1782 as per
account No. 126068. He has a Revolutionary War grave marker
and is buried in the Old Rivers Graveyard in Chesterfield
County, SC.
JAMES McMILLIAN
Rev. War Pension Claim W-9559
James McMillian was a PRIVATE. He was at the Battle of Eutaw under the command of
Marion & Horry and received a bayonet wound through the thigh.
On 17 February 1847, Sarah [McMillian] Purvis appeared in Equity Court in the Cheraw District
before David S. Harllee stating that she was the daughter of James and Rachel McMillian,
late of Chesterfield District in the state aforesaid deceased, a resident of the District
last aforesaid aged about sixty years, who being duly sworn doth on her oath make the
following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of
Congress passed 7th July 1838 entitled "The Act granting half pay and pension to
certain widows also the benefit of the Act of 3rd March 1843, and 17th June 1844".
The following data was extracted from this pension application and provided here:
James McMillian
b. 10 Feb 1753, Scotland
d. 18 Aug 1837, Chesterfield, SC
Came to USA as small boy, landing at Wilmington, NC
Resided in Cumberland Co., NC Married in Montgomery Co. NC 1781 or 1782
James married Rachel CHISHOLM about 1781/82 in Montgomery Co. NC.
She was died 25 Oct 1844
James and Rachel children were:
1). Sarah McMillian md John Purvis b. abt 1796 (based on her statement of 60 years
old).
2). Isabella McMillian (d. 18 Jan. 1838) md Samuel Thompson
Children: Ann Thompson md John Gulledge
Rachel Thompson md John Adkinson
Mary Thompson
Sarah Thompson
James Thompson
Samuel Thompson
3). Mary McMillian md Bryant Owens
4). John McMillian
5). James McMillian
6). Daniel McMillian (died young, b. abt 1783) (oldest son)
7). Alexander (heir lives in Florida)
8). Nancy McMillian md Colin McMurphy - went to Alabama
The application indicates that James and Rachel had at least one other child that died
young, gender unknown.