Declaration of Service
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But
the truth he did not know. They then searched the woods – they came all
around me and I nearly believed (here?) they had got me. My hair
stood on end for I knew that I would not live two minutes after I was detected.
I was nearly scared to death in that hollow Poplar tree. I was a___ed
there some two days. At length they concluded that I had made my
escape to the barracks and quit the place. I then went on safely
to the barracks and I did not linger on the way. I shall never forget
the hollow tree whilst I recollect a (base?) Tory.
My last period of service was [a] 3 months tour. I was drafted in the state troops at Pittsboro, marched to the general rendezvous [at] Ramsay’s Mills and from there to the ____ to be ready for a call. The first excursion was to meet Col. [David] Fanning, a noted Tory. News arrived at about midnight that the Colonel had plundered Hillsboro [on September 12, 1781] and was making his way for the east now. That he would be at Cane Creek better known by the name of Lindly Creek. Soon we started and met them. We had a desperate encounter – for a few moments. [Almost two lines scratched out here. It includes the phrase “they broke our line…”]