Gallatin County, KY Early Records

From the Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Statements: http://southerncampaign.org/pen/index.htm#g
With permission from C. Leon Harris.

Pension Application of Charles Gowens: S31072
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

State of Kentucky}
Gallatin County} Sct
On this 22 day of October 1832 personally appeared d before Lomsan Blunt a Justice of
the peace in and for Gallatin County Ky and one of the Justices of the Gallatin county Court
Charles Gowens a resident of the said county and state aged 70 years who being first duly sworn
according to law upon his oath makes 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 is to say being a resident of Henry County Virginia He did about the
1st of September in the year 1779 enter the service of the United States as a private volunteer
soldier upon a tour of six months in the company of Captain Jonathan Hamby [or Hanby]. that
the name of his lieutenant was Edw’d Tatum – that he rendezvoused with his company at the
neighbourhood muster ground and was marched from thence by his captain into South Carolina
and there was attached to the Regiment of Col. Munroe that he was marched to a place called
96 near Charlestown [sic: Ninety-Six SC, about 160 miles northwest of Charleston] where he was kept for some time and then was marched as part of the guard for some prisioners from 96 to Winnsborough [sic: Winnsboro] where he was kept stationed guarding said prisioners & some
public stores until the full expiration of his term of service and having fully and faithfully
performed the same he was discharged and returned home.
He further states and declares that in the month of May 1781 as well as he remembers he
again entered the service of the United States as a private volunteer soldier upon a tour of three
months in the company of Captain Shelton. that he rendezvoused with his company at the
Russell Creek meeting house in the said County of Henry Va. [now in Patrick County] and was
marched from thence by his Captain up the Dan River. that the tories were very bad in that
quarter of the County and that the company was raised by Capt. Shelton on purpose to act
against them did keep them down. that the said company acted separately from any other and
that he this declarant and his said Company were most of their time at a place called the hollow
on the Dan and from that point made frequent excursions against the tories. that he continued
actively and actually engaged in the service as above named during the whole period of his said
tour and at the termination thereof he was discharged and returned home.
He states that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose
testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.
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–
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid Charles hisXmark Gowens

Interrogatories put to the abovenamed applicant by the said Lomsan Blunt Justice of the peace
as aforesaid
1st Where and in what year were you born?
Answer I was born in Henry County Va. [formed in 1776 from Pittsylvania County, which was
formed from Halifax County in 1767] in the year 1763.
2d. Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?
Answer I have none.
3d. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the revolutionary
war, and where do you now live?
Answer I lived in Henry County Va when I was called into the service and there continued to
reside after the war till about the year 1797 and then moved to the state of Kentucky and have
been there residing ever since and about the year 1815 I left Harrison cty. Ky & moved to
Gallatin County Ky. where I still live.
4th. How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a
substitute and if a substitute for whom?
Answer I volunteered.
5 State the names of some of the regular officers th who were with the troops where you served,
such continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of
your service
Answer. Upon my first tour I was in South Carolina and whilst there in the service I saw Capt
Small Col. Munroe & Col. Martin I was finally discharged at Winnsborough at the expiration of
my tour. Upon my second tour my company acted separately against the tories on the Dan river
in Virginia and I saw no officer that I now remember except my own.
6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given and what
has become of it
Answer I rec’d discharges signed by my officers which I have lost
7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood and who
can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the
revolution
Answer I will name Benjamin Tillen & James Furnish
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid
Charles hisXmark Gowens

State of Kentucky}
Gallatin County} Sct
On this 7th day of April AD one thousand eight hundred and fifty five personally appeared
before me a Justice of the Peace within and for the county and state aforesaid Charles Gowens,
aged 93 years a resident of the County and State aforesaid who being duly sworn according to
law declares that he is the identical Charles Gowens who was a private in the company
commanded by Capt. J. Hamby in the Regiment of Virginia Militia Commanded as he know
remembers by Col Monroe in the Revolutionary war. that he volunteered in Henry County
Virginia about the 1st of September 1779 for the term of six months, and continued in actual
service in said Revolutionary war for a period of more that fourteen days and was honorably
discharged at Petersburg Va as he now remembers. He cannot now say what has become of his
discharge. He further states that he is now a Revolutionary Pensioner and draws the sum of $30
per annum half yearly to wit – the fourth of March and 4th of Sept. $15. each. by virtue a his
Revolutionary pension Certificate now in his possession dated the 14th day of December 1833.
and signed “Lew Cass” Secretary of War He refers to the papers on file in his application for
pension for the evidences of his services and the Rolls of s’d Hamby’s Company.
He makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which he may be
entitled under the act approved March 3rd 1855. He also declares that he has not received a
warrant for bounty land under this or any other act of Congress nor made any other application
therefor He hereby appoints H J Abbett of Warsaw Kentucky his true and lawful attorny to prosecute this his claim for land to receive a certificate or warrant when issued and do all other acts necessary and proper in the [illegible word]. Charles hisXmark Gowens

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