ISAAC SOWELL
To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, now
Sitting
The petition of John Sowell of Moore County - Humbly Sayith, That your Petitioner
as heir at Law of Isaac Sowell who died in the Service of this state in the
continental line, in General Greene camp in South Carolina during the American
Revolution, conceive himself intitled to the quantity of land that the state
has granted to the heirs of those who died in service, but your Petitioner
being ignorant of such Grant, or being so intitled, until some short time
since, mad application to the secretary of state for a Land Warrant immediately
after he came acquainted with his claim, but on examining the returns and
muster rolls in the secretarys office, the name of Isaac Sowell is on the
musteroll returned or marked Diserted. your Petitioner therefore could
not obtain a warrant from the secretary as he was intitled. Your Petitioner
can produce a cloud of Testimony to show that his Father died in the American
service as above mentioned, and that the return on the musteroll in the
secretarys office is erronious. He therefore conceive it a cruel Hardship
to be deprived of his right by the errors of returning officers or of
transcribers, as the Bar to his claims must have originated with them.
Your Petitioner relying with full confidence on the equity of his claim,
commits the merrit of his case to the Rectitude, the Justice and Humanity
of your Honorable Body, as the only source from whence he can obtain relief,
with full reliance that the testimony which accompany this will induce your
Honorable Body to have a warrant issued for your Petitioner as Heir at Law
to said Sowell, as he can produce the most undoubted proof that he died int
he American Service as aforesaid and your Petitioner as in Duty bound will
ever pray
John Sowell
Moore County Dec 5th 1806
In the House of Commons 15 Dec 1806 read and refd to the Committee appointed
to confer with the Secretary - By order J.Hart
In Senate December 15th 1806 - Read and refered as by the House of Commons,
By order L. Stokes clk
North Carolina
Moore County
Personally appeared before me Murdock Martin one of the Justices of the peace
for said County, Neil McLeod and Thomas Graham and being duly sworn Deposeth
and Say that they were acquainted with Isaac Sowell who went into the American
Service as a private soldier towards the latter end of the American Revolution,
and that they always heard that he died in General Greens camp in South Carolina,
that they have been acquainted with his family before and since his entering
into the service and that they are convinced the said Sowell never returned
to his family, to which he formerly paid Great attention - and they further
say that it was reported by soldiers that served with him that he died in
the hospital while in Service
Sworn and Subscribed before me this 3rd Dec 1806
Test - Murdock Martin JP Neil McLeod
Thomas Graham
North Carolina
Moore County
John McLeod of Montgomery County personally appeared before me Neil McLeod
one of the Justices of the peace for said county and being duly sworn Deposeth
and Saith, that he served in the first Batalion of the North Carolina Regiment,
in Captain Anthony Sharpe company, commanded by Colonel John Armstrong in
the American Service in the Revolutionary War And he further deposeth
that Isaac Sowell was a private in said Regiment in Captain Moore's Company
- and he further Deposeth and saith that he was creditably informed by several
of the soldiers of said Regiment, that he the said Sowell was sent to the
General hospital for recovery of his health, and further saith that when
enquiring of the soldiers about said Sowell Several of them told him, the
said John McLeod that the aforesaid Isaac Sowell had Died in said hospital
and was buried on Ashly Hill in the State of South Carolina and this Deponent
further saith, that all the above information Concerning his going to the
hospital and dying there, he received while encamped on Ashley Hill
Sworn and subscribed before me this 3rd December 1806 John McLeod
- Neil McLeod JP
North Carolina
Moore County
Hector McNeil personally appeared before me Murdock McAuley one of the Justices
of the peace for said County and being duly sworn Deposeth and saith that
he served in the 2nd Batalion of the North Carolina Regiment commanded by
Colonel John Armstrong in the American Service in the Revolutionary War.
And he further Deposeth that Isaac Sowell was a private in said Regiment
in the Company of Elijah Moore, and that he was present, when said Sowell
was sent to the hospital for the recovery of his health and that in a few
days, news came into the camp, that the said Sowell died in said hospital,
while encamped on Ashely Hill under the command of General Green and he further
saith that he and said Sowell were in one mess while in Service, and that
he went to the hospital to Enquire about the Death of said Sowell, and that
he was shown the Ground wherein he was buried, and that he was told there
were some few Clothes in the hospital that belonged to him - Sworn and Subscribed
before me this 1st December 1806
Hector (his X mark) McNeill
Test Murdoch McAulay