Jonathan Prestwood

State of North Carolina }        Court of Pleas and Quarter
Bumcombe County }               Sessions October 1832

On this 18^th day of October 1832 personally appeared in Open Court before the Justices of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the County aforesaid now sitting Jonathan Prestwood a resident of said County and State aged 74 years 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 7, 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That he was drafted in what was then called Cheraw District South Carolina in the fall of the year 1778 that he marched soon after in the Company commanded by Captain Jacob Johnston who resigned shortly after they started after which the Company was commanded by Lieutenant Benjamin Hendricks in the Battalion commanded by Major Robert Lloyd, that he marched by Georgetown to SeeWe Bay in South Carolina where they were stationed two or three weeks; that he marched from there to Hadley’s Point where they were stationed two or three weeks; that he went from there to Fort Johnston on James Island near Charleston, SC where he remained until discharged having served about four months; that he entered the service again in March 1779 in the Company commanded by Captain Thomas Eleby as a drafted Militia man in the Battalion under the command of Major Robert Lloyd that he marched to Orangeburg in South Carolina where he was stationed for some time under the command of General William Moultrie, that he marched from there to the Savannah River to a place called Black Swamp, where he stayed but a few days until he was marched to Parisburgh in South Carolina where he remained one week and returned to Black Swamp; from there they marched to Charleston under the command of General Moultrie being closely pursued by the British, that he arrived at Charleston early in May where he remained until about the middle of July where he was discharged, having served about four months. That the Class to which he belonged was called upon again in the month of May 1780 when he marched in the Company commanded by Captain William Hendrick in the Battalion commanded by Major Lemuel Benton to Santee in South Carolina where they were stationed about a week from there they marched down the river to Lynches Crossway from there to Georgetown and from there up PeeDee to Lynches Creek near Society Hill where he was discharged having been out about one month. That he marched again in the month of October 1781 in a Company of Horse commanded by Captain William Hendricks to Santee where he joined the Troops commanded by General Francis Marion, that he continued under his command about two months when he was again discharged. That he joined the troops under General Marion again in the month of June 1782 and remained in the Army something up than one month when was taken sick and got a permit to return home. That he joined the Troops under General Marion again in the Fall of 1782 in the Company commanded by Captain Thomas Elerby that he remained under his command forty days when he was again discharged. That he knows of no person now living by whom he can prove his said services. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a Pension or Annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the Roll of the Agency of any State

Test John Miller Clerk
By N.W. Woodfin DC

• Q1: Where and in what year were you born?

Ans: I was born on Thompson’s Creek about fourteen miles of Cheraw Hill on PeeDee in Chesterfield District in South Carolina on the 1^st day of October in the year 1758.

• Q2: Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?

Ans: Yes I have it at home. I took it from my Father’s Family Bible and have preserved it ever since.

• Q3: Where were you living when called into the Service, where have you lived since the Revolution and where do you now live?

Ans: I was living in Cheraw District now called Chesterfield District in the State of South Carolina at the place where I was born and I remained at the same place about fifteen years after I returned from the Army and then moved to Darlington District South Carolina where I lived about twelve years. I then moved to North Carolina in the County of Buncombe which I now live on the waters of French Broad.

• Q4: How were you called into Service; were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom?

Ans: I was drafted, I never volunteered except in Scouting Parties after the Tories of which I have taken no notice in my claim, nor did I ever serve as a substitute.

• Q5: State the names of some of the Regular Officers who were with the Troops where you served, such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your services.

Ans: The first Regular Officers that I recollect to have seen after I went into the service at Orangeburg when we with General Moultrie with him were Major Simmons and some others whose names I do not now recollect but Col. Moses Simmons I believe was a Regular. General Pulaski was with the Troops and out with us to Charleston and there I saw him rush with a few men into the British ranks and lost about forty of his men. While under the command of General Marion I knew several Regular Officers among whom were Col. Holise, Col. Mayam both of whom commanded Troops of Horsemen. I recollect before I was under General Marion of the 2^nd Regiment commanded as by General Moultrie the 3^rd commanded by Col. Thompson both Continental of Militia Regiments one commanded by Col. Giles one commanded by Col. Howse believe where we marched and the one in which I served first commanded by Col. Hicks who resigned and was succeeded by Col. Colb who was some time afterwards killed by the Tories. After I went Gen. Marion I don’t recollect any Continental Regiment except those under his command. I still save the Militia Regiment above mentioned but do not recollect by whom they were commanded. The general circumstances of my service are mentioned in the forgoing Declaration. I was in no engagement except at one under General Moultrie at Coosahatchie between Parisburgh and Charleston in which we were routed by the British after a contest of about fifteen minutes and fled before them to Charleston where we remained until July and one engagement under General Marion when a Scouting Party of us came in contact with sixteen British and killed four and took eleven of them prisoners.

• Q6: Did you receive a discharge and if so where is it and by whom was it given?

Ans: Yes, I received a Discharge at the end of the first four months tour signed by Capt. Moris Murphy and one at the end of the 2^nd four months tour from Capt. Thomas Elerby and one at the end of the month tour from Major Lemuel Benton, one at the end of the two month tour from Capt. William Hendrick and the last one from Capt. Thomas Elerby at the end of my last service, but I have not any of them now, as I stated on the other page I sent them to the Treasury Office in South Carolina as an evidence of my service in order to receive an indent which I obtained. I have not seen them since nor do I know what was done with them.

• Q7: State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify to your character for veracity and their belief of your service as a Soldier of the Revolution.

Ans: David Nance and Thomas Stradly

Jonathan Prestwood

Test John Miller, Clk

By N.W. Woodfin DC Prestwood and David Vance a citizen residing in the same neighborhood hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jonathan Prestwood who has subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration that we believe him to be 74 years of age, that he is reputed in the neighborhood where he lives to have been a Soldier of the Revolution and that we concern in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed in Open Court the 1^st day of July 1833.

Thomas Stradley
D. Vance

Test John Miller by N.W. Woodfin DC

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogations prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he stated and the Court do further certify that it appears to them that Thomas Stradley who has signed the preceding Certificate is a clergyman in the County in the neighborhood with Jonathan Prestwood and that David Vance who has signed the same certificate is a citizen resident of the same neighborhood and that they are credible persons and that their statements are entitled to credit.

E. Hightower JP
John Clayton JP
John Thrash JP

State of North Carolina }
Buncombe County }

I John Miller, Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for said County hereby certify that the forgoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Jonathan Prestwood for a Pension in the testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office the Day of July 1833.

By N.W. Woodfin D Clk.