Pension application of Edward Conner S21123 fn32SC/NC

The State of South Carolina Horry County No. 1. On this 8th day of November in the year 1833 personally appeared in open Court before me William D [ink blot obliterates the last name], one of the Circuit Judges of the said State and presiding Judge in the Court of common pleas for Henry District, at Horry Courthouse this day, Edward Conner, who being duly sworn according to law maketh oath to the following Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed on the 7th day of June 1832 viz. That he was born on the 31st day of December 1757 in Duplin County & State of North Carolina; that when ten years of age he removed with his father & family to Kingston County (now Horry District) South Carolina, where he has resided and where he now resides. That in the autumn of the year 1776 and as he believes in the month of September, he enlisted into the Continental service in New Hanover County & State of North Carolina as a private soldier under the command of Captain William Davis. The Regiment (he thinks the first Regiment) was commanded by Colonel Ash [John Ashe]; that he enlisted and served for six months; that soon after his enlistment, his Regiment was ordered to rendezvous at Rockfish Cumberland County North Carolina to watch the motion of the Tories; they (the Tories) retreated down the River Cape Fear; they the Americans descended the River in boats and under the command of General Moore; the Regiment passed below the Tories, landed on the North of the River, marched up and joined a detachment and the whole party were under the command of General Caswell and attacked the Tories at Moores Creek just about daylight and defeated the Tories; In this action Generals Campbell and McLeod who commanded the Tories were killed; his Term of enlistment soon after this expired; he was discharged and returned to his father in South Carolina. He remained at home but a short time when Sir Peter Parker's fleet having arrived on the coast, a draft was ordered to march to Charleston; he volunteered as a private under the command of Lieutenant John Sessions (his Captain Hawkins) having been already in service; Joseph Sessions was Ensign; his Company marched to Haddrells Point where they arrived just in time the British commenced firing on Fort Moultrie. At Haddrells Point he joined the main body and under the command of Colonel Daniel Horry who marched on the bridge from the [word obliterated] land to Sullivan Island where they arrived just about the conclusion of the engagement; he remained in the Service at this time one month when he was discharged and returned home; he remained at home but a short time and finding the militia service disagreeable, he enlisted into the Regular service by Captain Hawkins who was recruiting as agent for Captain Weekly [perhaps, John Weekly] of the 4th Artillery Regiment as a private. The Battalions of that Regiment were commanded by [paper torn name missing] (late Judge) Grimkie & Lieutenant Colonel Bateman [perhaps Lt. Col. Bernard Beekman] and the Regiment was commanded by Colonel Owen Roberts. He enlisted for three years; he joined the Regiment at Cat Island near Georgetown South Carolina. From thence he was marched to Fort Johnson where he was stationed and sometimes in Charleston working in the Laboratory; from Charleston he was marched to Purrysburg. That while the American forces consisting of about 200 men were stationed at Purrysburg, the British Army advanced at the American forces retreated up the River to Black Swamp; the British Army at that time encamped opposite to them in the State of Georgia; the Army remained at Black Swamp about two weeks; the British Army marched then up the River with a view of crossing the River into Carolina; the American forces advanced up the River having been greatly increased by the militia who joined them. On the march; the American Army crossed the Savannah River at Augusta upon which the enemy retreated down the River to Bryer Creek [Brier Creek] where they crossed to the Carolina side of the River; the American Army crossed at the same place & continued in pursuit in the direction of Charleston, near Dorchester they were joined by General Lincoln at which time the American forces were still greatly increased. At Bacons bridge they were attacked by a party of 500 Tories under the command of McGirt [Daniel McGirt]: during the fight Count Pulaski arrived with his cavalry, charged and routed the Tories; the morning after the engagement at Bacons bridge, they continued in pursuit of the enemy, we pursued them as far as the lines, but General Moultrie being then in possession of the city of Charleston, the British recrossed the Ashley River and encamped at Stono [June 20, 1779] and while there I Army under the command of Lincoln marched to attack them. That in this engagement which lasted about two hours the Americans were defeated & retreated, Colonel Roberts who commanded the Regiment was here killed. That shortly after this battle and having enlisted in his stead Nicholas Prince and Mark Marlow he returned home having served two years in the regular Service. He remained home for nearly six months when he was elected Captain (having before been elected Lieutenant) in the militia of the State of South Carolina and in Kingston County. That soon after he was appointed Captain he marched with a detachment of his company to Wardens camp on while, River and stayed there three months engaged in collecting and sending to St. Augustine such of the Tories as wished to go to the British. The Tories were delivered [words written over and illegible] Georgetown to be shipped to St. Augustine.

From Warden's camp he marched under the command of Major Warden & Colonel Livingston to Pedee River and marched to Chinners Swamp [?] and continued in that Section for six months keeping the Tories from committing depredations. He then marched with a detachment under his command into the State of North Carolina and was under the command of Colonel Leonard where he continued for twelve months; he returned home and was with only occasional respites and for very short periods continually in service until the end of the war. That he was in no regular engagement while he was Captain but only in engagements in small detachments with the Tories; he was compelled to be continually in service for his own personal security & safety. That he does verily believe that adding the different tours of duty together while he commanded and was in actual service as Captain he served at least two years. That he had only one regular discharge from and that together with his commission has long since been destroyed or worn out. That from old age, infirmities and consequent loss of memory he is unable to state with more certainty and articularity than he has done the dates and periods of his services before stated. The declarant further states that Nicholas Prince whose affidavit is hereunto annexed is the person to whom he has before herein referred.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever 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 whatsoever. The foregoing declaration sworn to & subscribed before me in open Court the day & year above written. /s/ Wm D. Martin, Presiding Judge S. E. Conner

Nicholas Prince, a clergyman appeared before me William D Martin one of the Circuit Judges as aforesaid and being duly sworn according to law deposes & says that he has been acquainted with Captain Conner who hath subscribed the foregoing Certificate, from his boyhood, that from his boyhood to the present time they have lived neighbors;that during the revolutionary war he was informed & has always believed that he enlisted in the Continental Service as he has stated in the foregoing declaration. That he did not see Captain Conner actually enlist in the Regular Service but he lived with the Father of Captain Conner at the time he was said to have enlisted and he knows that shortly after he was absent & said to have gone into the Army of which he has never doubted. He states his believed to be that Captain Conner enlisted as a private Soldier in the Spring of the year 1777. That sometime afterwards the said Conner returned home on furlough when on the 3rd day of August 1777 this deponent was enlisted by the said Conner as a private soldier in the fourth Artillery Regiment under the command of Colonel Roberts and at the same time he also enlisted Mark Marlow into the same Regiment and under the immediate command of Captain Weekly. That they shortly afterwards went to Captain & joined the Regiment at Cat Island. That after that Captain Conner remained in the service with this deponent in the Service until after the battle of Stono when he returned home. Deponent was captured at the Fall of Charleston and afterwards made his escape & returned to his former residence. When he arrived Mister Conner was in command as Captain until the end of the war and was absent the whole of the time afterwards in actual service as Captain. Deponent further states that he said Conner was a faithful brave & useful Soldier. That he believes him to be the age he has declared. That he has never heard his patriotism doubted, questioned or denied. Sworn to & subscribed before me in open Court this 8 November 1833
S/ Wm D. Martin, Presiding Judge S/ Nicholas Prince, X his mark

State of South Carolina Horry district: No. 3

On this the 9th Day of July A.D. 1835 personally appeared before me John Griffin Justice of the Peace for the Parish of Kingston in the District and State aforesaid; Edward Conner, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following supplemental or explanatory declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed June 17th, 1832 [sic]. That from the great lapse of time and the frailty of memory consequent upon old age, he is unable to recollect the precise time he enlisted in the 4th Regiment of Artillery, but upon more reflection, he thinks he must have enlisted either in the month of June or July 1777, and not in the year 1776 as is stated in his former declaration. That he enlisted with one Hawkins who acted as recruiting officer for Colonel Roberts, and also thinks that Jonathan Gann [?] and John Sessions enlisted as privates at the same time with this deponent; that he enlisted as a private, but upon joining the Regiment, he was promoted to the rank of a Corporal, in which capacity he acted during the time he remained in the Regiment, but does not know, whether he was entered upon the rolls of the Regiment, as a Corporal, or as a private.

That there were two others in the Regiment of the same name of Conner, one of whom was named Benjamin and the other he thinks was named John, both of them however were privates. There is also another circumstance which he omitted to state in his former declaration, namely, that in the action at Stono he was slightly wounded in the right thigh. This applicant further states, that in relation to his services while commanding a company in North Carolina, if he has convey the idea in his former declaration, that "he continued one term with his detachment under his command in the State of North Carolina 12 months," as a tour of duty prescribed by authority of the State, nothing certainly could have been more remote from his intention. That after the battle of Stono, he thinks about the month of June 1779, he returned to his home in Kingston Parish with a view of remaining some time, but finding that section of the State almost entirely in the possession of the Tories, who were burning the houses, pillaging the property, and threatening the lives of the Whigs, and especially those who had taken an active part in our revolutionary struggle, he found it impossible to remain at home with anything like security, and hearing that a detachment of Whigs were rendezvoused in Brunswick County, North Carolina, under the command of Colonel Leonard of that State, he determined upon joining them; that he served in a company commanded by one Captain Mooney for the space of two months, when he received a Captain's Commission from Colonel Leonard, which he held during the balance of the time he remained under his command. That although there were several in Colonel Leonards detachment, who had originally joined under the prescribed tour of militia service, was [has?] [indecipherable word] the principal part of them consisted of those Whigs who like this applicant, had volunteered their services to escape the vengeance of the Tories, the camp being at that time the only place of security. That whenever they succeeded in driving the Tories from that part of the Country, or they voluntarily abandoned it to seek for plunder elsewhere, and there was anything like a prospect of the Whigs returning to their homes with safety to themselves, the detachment would disburse & returned to their respective houses, still they always held themselves in readiness to reassemble at their place of rendezvous of upon the slightest alarm of an inception [sic, insurrection?] of the Tories; that during the time this applicant served with this detachment these intervals of repose occurred but seldom, and he is very confident that he was not at home more than two months out of the twelve that he served. That in the month of June 1780 shortly after the fall of Charleston he left Colonel Leonards detachment & returned again into this State, and was immediately elected Captain of a company called the "Simpson's Creek Company" to supply the place of the former commander Livingston, he having been promoted to the rank of Major, and received his commission from Major Warden of this State, which he continued to hold until the final termination of hostilities; that during the whole of that time he acted alternatively under the command of Majors Warden & Livingston & was constantly and actively engaged in skirmishing with the enemy as is partly detailed in his former declaration. That with respect to the two commissions which he held as Captain, not expecting that they would ever be of any service to him, no particular care was taken of them, and the last time he recollects seeing them, which was about thirty years ago, they were then so mutilated as scarcely to be illegible, and have since been lost or destroyed. Sworn to and subscribed before me the day & year aforesaid. S/ John Griffin, JP. S. E. Conner

State of South Carolina Horry district

On this the 9th Day of July A.D. 1835 personally appeared before me John Griffin Justice of the Peace in and for the Parish of Kingston in the District & State aforesaid Nicholas Prince, who being first duly sworn according to law made oath – that he was enlisted by the present applicant Edward Conner on the 3rd day of August A.D. 1777 in the 4th Regiment of Artillery. That when this said deponent joined the Regiment, the said Conner was acting as a Corporal, and that he continued in that capacity during the time he remained in the Regiment; that he recollects one other person in the Regiment of the name of Conner, that he was a private, this name was Benjamin. That towards the close of the War he frequently heard of the said Conner, as Captain of the "Simpsons Creek Company," that he was acquainted with several who served in that Corps under the command of said Conner; that he always heard him called Captain and in fact has never heard his titles to that rank called into question; and this deponent further says, that in addition to the declarations of the companions in arms of the said Conner, that he held the rank of Captain, during the latter part of the War; that it has been the general belief of all persons residing in this section of the Country ever since; and that he has never heard it called in question by anyone. That he is reputed and believed among all his neighbors to have been an active & efficient officer. This deponent further states that he is now a pensioner on the rolls of the Government, & was placed there in November 1833. Sworn to and subscribed before me the day & year aforesaid. S/ Nicholas Prince, X his mark

State of South Carolina Horry District

Personally appeared before me John Griffin one of the Justices of the peace for the parish of Kingston in the District & State aforesaid Stephen Blackman, who, being first duly sworn according to law, made oath, that he is about seventy-two years of age, that he resided in Brunswick County in the State of North Carolina during the revolutionary War, that he served in the militia in several tours of duty under the command of Colonel Leonard, that the present applicant Edward Conner served as a Captain under Colonel Leonard, that upon one occasion the deponent acted as a private under the command of said Conner, who commanded an expedition against the Tories under Major Benjn. Lewis, who had come down from Drowning Creek & plundered the surrounding Country; that they succeeded in recapturing several horses from these Tories. That upon another occasion, he was sent on an expedition under the command of the said Conner to a place called "Red Bluff" on the Waccamaw River against a party of Tories under the command of one Cox, and succeeded in capturing them; that after the said Conner had left Colonel Leonard's detachment, he frequently heard of him, that he always understood & believes that he continued in the capacity of a Captain until the close of the War; that he has known him from that period to the present time, and has always enjoyed the reputation of having been a good soldier & and efficient officer during the revolutionary war; that this has been the general belief throughout this section of the Country, and that he has never heard anything to the contrary.

Sworn to & subscribed before me this 9th day of July A.D. 1835 S/ John Griffin, JP. /s/Stephen Blackman, X his mark

[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $118 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for service in the North Carolina & South Carolina military.]