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General Statement of Service Page 1 On this 4th day of April 1851. Personally appeared, Isaac Brewer, before me Jonathon B. Starnes, one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid, being a resident of the said county and state and after being duly sworn deposith and saith , that his services as well as he can recollect, as a soldier in the defense of this our common country is as follows. He was raised in North Carolina and was there in the ending of the revolutionary war, and toward the latter part of it was in the service himself. He says he was, as he learned from his parents, born in the year 1763 on the 15th day May, and was first taken to the war by his uncle John Brewer. That he went with him to gratify curiosity and went with him wherever he went. That he went with him to a place called the Pine tree on the Catawba River in South Carolina, but soon after and ever since called Camden. He says he arrived there about 3 weeks before Gates defeat and was ignorant of the way people down in the wars, but they gave him a gun and he mustered with them, answered to his name and obeyed orders. Soon there was preparations making among them for a battle and in about 3 weeks from the time he arrived there the battle came on and the clash of arms and the struggle of death (cont.) Page 2 took place in which our people were defeated, many of them slain, but many more ran and he is sorry to have it to say of his uncle John (peace to his ashes) that he ran, and affiant was induced to run too because uncle John ran. He and Uncle John however were taken prisoners & after serving in the sepulture of the dead they were turned at Liberty. From there they got into their company again, in a few days and marched to and fro south country and finally got in a few miles of Guilford courthouse N. Carolina at the time of a battle which took place there, fought by Genl. Green. They could not get there in time to be in the battle and our men again got whipped. From there they ranged about as before a short time, said were permitted to go home, the time that he was in that service he supposes to be 6 or 7 months but was under, or was mustered by different officers, the names of which with much that occurred he has now forgotten. He says that families were all on the stroll from place to place and his father�s family was there living in Chatham County North Carolina and in a few months from the time of leaving the service above he went under a call, which was a sort of call or draft for soldiers to meet the exigency of the troublesome time then existing, under this call (cont.) Page 3 He went for 3 months that being the term that calls were generally made for those parts at that time. Under Colonel Dick Literal and Capt. Martin Nalls, which service was performed in scouting after the Tories principally in the said Chatham County. He says he felt a degree of hardy hand which prompted him to go into the service without his Uncle John and upon his own hook. Then at the expiration of the 3 months, joined in again for 3 months and went to the barracks in Chatham Co. near Haw River and worked till that time expired under the same commanders. The next was 3 months under Col. Bill Gholson in the same County, and Capt. Martin Nalls still continuing to be the Capt., this service was performed in the scouting after the Tories in the same and adjoining counties. The next he volunteered under Col. Bob Maburn or Mayburn for 3 months service. Capt. Bill Smith was the Capt. and served this tour out in scouting in the same and adjoining counties. The adjoining counties alluded to are Orange, Moore, Randolph, Franklin & Wake Counties. Page 4 And at the expiration of this service, he volunteered under Col. Lee of the horse. The balance of the names not remembered nor does he recollect the name of the Capt. In this service. This service was done in scouting in many counties. He served some 2 months in this service and was granted a furlow to go home, and the other month of the service was not required in any other way than to rest and refresh up. The next he joined under Col. Bob Mayburn again as a volunteer, Capt. Bill Smith still the Capt., for another 3 months, the object of this was to prevent the Tories from taking Hillsborough in Orange County. This was done as the others were in scouting after Tories, he says he had been in the service about 5 weeks and a battle came on at Lindleys Mills on Cane Creek in Orange County N. Carolina. In this engagement Mayburn had, or was said to have had between 4 & 500 men & the Tories was said to have over 900, the battle lasted some 3 or 4 hours, and the Tories were commanded by old Hector McNeil and David Fannin or so they were called. They ultimately (cont.) Page 5 proved too hard for our men and were slaying our ranks down by scores. Col. Mayburn thought it best to order a retreat instead of being taken and did so. The result of which was that they mowed us down more rapidly than before. In carrying out this order the Affiant Declarant says that he received a ball or shot of some kind in the back after which he ran about a � of a mile and fell and there was a John Carigan who was there issuing commissary of powder & shot & the doctor of the company whose name he thinks was Whulington or something like it. They turned him over on his back and it was said a gallon or more of blood ran out. He was then soon put on a litter and carried away about ___ miles & stayed under another doctor for 9 or 10 weeks until he recovered. This service took place not long from the time of the battle at Ransoms Mills in Lincoln County in N.Carolina. But whether prior or subsequent the Affiant does not now recollect. He returned back no more to the war until he heard peace was made which ends his service in the revolutionary war. Page 6 The Affiant Declarant states in addition, that he never knew by what authority this service were called for, it being his rule to go and do service when it said was needed, it was not a question to him who called or by what authority so the service was necessary and the country protected. He says further that there was not much system or regularity in these matters at that time, that Companies were many times only parts of Companies, Battalions & Regiments more frequently only a fractional part and knows better by such a Colonels regiment, such a Majors Battalion, or a Capts. Company than any number, letter or initial of any kind nor was it customary to have these corps. regularly offered. Sometimes a commissary would be lacking, sometimes a doctor or surgeon, sometimes one or another and rarely a full set of officers or men. But paymasters especially were hard to find; the result of which was they served for the glory, for it was seldom they got anything else. He remembers the name of persons who were in the same services with him. Some of whom were 1. his father Howell Brewer 2. his uncle Bill Brewer 3. uncle John 4. Henry Bagly 5. Bill Buckhannon 6.N___ Powell 7.Jacob and Andy White 8. J___ Kirk & all these are dead as he has understood & (cont.) Page 7 Has reason to believe, he does not know any living witness and it was not a custom for soldiers to take certificates of discharge in those days, for himself he had never one in all his service in the revolutionary, nor does he remember the exact dates of the battles he was in or of those in the region round about, but says that he was but a boy when he performed the service alluded to, his age during said service was about 16-17 & 18 years old, of country life and uniformed. He further says that he ranged about among his rotation, lived at his father�s until about 1791 or 2 and then came to Georgia, and the Creek Indians being troublesome or as well as other Indians he was induced to enlist at Greensboro, Georgia under Capt. Martin his last name forgotten and Major Call his first name not known of the 4th regiment of ___ of the term of 3 years actually served two years & 6 months, then hired a substitute by the name of John Codi or Cody not recollected which, who served out the balance of the time, as well as he can recollect he was Second Sergeant in the Company which was called the Yellow ___ or Company Y. Page 8 This service was performed in guarding the frontier between the Creek Indians and the whites up and down the Oconee River and said state of Georgia. The Indians being very troublesome it was necessary every year & spring in particular to split up skirmishing parties, the affiant says that he very soon found it necessary to join in these services and did so under a Col. Thomas Lamar and Capt. Hugh Horton of the Militia and served about 2 months, then the next spring continued the said service under Capt. Mark Sanders and Major Adams of the Militia for about 2 months. Then volunteered under the same commanders for two years as an Indian spy, all which service he actually performed within the frontier country up and down the said Oconee River and all about wherever ordered. Then rested a few months & again volunteered under Capt. Ben Harrison of the militia in Washington County Georgia, for 3 months and still performed the service in skirmishing about. And in the spring of the year the (cont.) Page 9 dates of the year not recollected. His Company had an engagement with a party of Creek Indians at a place called the Sand bar on said Oconee River not far from Sandersville Washington County, in which they killed 9 of the Indians, but he in a ___ contest with one of them received two severe stabs or wounds with a butcher knife which went through the thick part of his left thigh which weakened him and thr___ him under the power of the Indian but the Capt. came to his assistance & they dispatched him. In this encounter he also received a severe cut on his left hand. At the same time, many others of his company were wounded but none died of wounds. It was several weeks he lay under the Doctor and never did recover his strength and action as well as before. In these skirmishing parties there was but little military order about them and there was but little formately in mustering in or out, certificates and discharges were not expected, but every one did the best he could to combat the Indians who were very troublesome and expect in these excursions many of them killed as to prisoners there was no use for them. Page 10 Some 3 or 4 years after the last mentioned service, he volunteered under Col. Newman of Georgia in Warren County for 3 months to go against the Seminoles, and did go to the Apalachi cola Bay and performed the service in the regiment of horse, the Captains name he does not recollect, among the affairs there was one Capt. White, there was also a Capt. Gray & a Major Ramsy that he recollects & this service he thinks was performed somewhere between 1798 and 1800 but as to the exact date he cannot recollect. The service was a skirmishing tour in which there was a good many little running fights with Negroes that had got in among them somehow, there was a number of them killed and about 25 of our men killed. From this time up to the War of 1812 with Great Britain he says that he enjoyed domestic life with his family and moved from Warren County Georgia to Jackson County in the up country, and then worked at farming and sometimes carpentry & millwrighting, and supported and raised his family in that time. At length the War of 1812, came on and he (cont.) Page 11 being used to a soldier�s life went again in the service. While in said county there was a great call for soldiers and he being off the Muster List years back, encouraged up and joined a company of silver grays. Which were old gray headed men who still felt Patriotic, and determined to show that if the country needed them they were ready, also to excite younger persons. This company was not called for however and he restless to be in the service, hired himself to two men by the name of Pentecost & Lowry to drive a team in said service and went on to Fort Hawkins on the Oak mulgy river on the Frontier of Georgia, then was received into the service in March & to the best of his recollection in 1814 for three months and actually performed said service under the command of Capt. Simons who was the Capt. of the wagon yard. Col. Graham of N. Carolina was the Militia Col., Major Cook was also in command, the whole under Genl. Pickney. The place they sent him to alternately was Fort Decatur, Fort Mitchel, Fort Hull, Fort Laurence, Fort Bainbridge and Fort Jackson all in the Indian country or Creek Nation but now (cont.) Page 12 in Georgia and Alabama. The next service he engaged in was as a substitute for one John are of Jackson County Georgia which he went into about the first of Nov. 1814 for the time of 6 months under Capt. Hanamiah(?) Garrison & Capt. David Booth of the 4th Regiment Georgia Militia under Genl. Mackintash and went to Mobil and served the term out there. Which service ended the war & peace was made he received his discharge and returned home about the 1st of April 1815, which ended his service as a soldier in the Battle of his country. He then led a domestic life with his family in the calling of farming, carpentering & millwrighting as before mentioned. Not long after this he moved to Tennessee in the Eastern part of it & then followed his said business sometimes adding mill keeping to it. He was in several counties there for several years and about 9 years ago came to Talladega County Alabama where he now lives and is too old to do anything else but farming and not much of that, but still lives for which he thanks his Maker with an overflowing heart. A man little (cont.) Page 13 narration and he is done, Not long after he came to the state of Georgia in one of the spells that he was allowed to rest from the wars, he among other neighbors was occupying a fort called the Cedar Shoal Fort on the Oconee River which was then the line between the Creek and whites and in those days family and everybody else had to live in forts unless they were under arms. On one evening he took his gun and walked out alone about a short mile from it and in sight of a house where a family was venturing to stay, he heard 3 guns fire supposing some mischief�s he slipped up near to see, and just then a young woman came running by him and as she passed he understood her to say Indians, she passed a little distance and seemed to fall down, at that he saw a large Indian fellow following with his gun, and raised it apparently to shoot the young woman. At that instant Affiant drew upon him and killed him before his gun fired. The others then came running but Affiant took the gun of the killed Indian, and hollered come on boys, here they are, come on and in that way (cont.) Page 14 frightened them so that they ran. It so happened that the guard from the fort came in sight and seeing the flying Indians, pursued them, fell upon them and killed them all = 5 in numbers. He returned back to succor the young woman & took her in a fainting condition to the fort and had her nursed until she revived of her fright. Her name was Elizabeth York. Not long after she married a man by the name of Turk. He further says that he has had two wives, and has raised seven children of his own and two orphan children not kin to him. His oldest child being 57 years old and the youngest 37. And he was about 30 years old when he married his first wife. All which he respectfully submits as the most authentic account that he can give of his war service & the way in which he has spent great portion of his time in life.
Sworn to and subscribed }
his
J. B. Starnes} Claimant says that he does not know of any family record containing his age in existence. Page 15 Petitions of Claimant
State of Alabama}
The Petitioner Isaac in the case for a Pension showeth that he is old and infirm and has felt some disability from the wounds received in the wars. That owing to his employing so many years in the service of his country and the effect of losses & misfortunes he has never accumulated or grown rich as some have but is now and has been for some time in a needy condition. That he now has old wife who is some 78 years old & one daughter now an old girl, and himself all of which he considers helpless as regards the struggling and success in life or won in that of living. That he has children that are in need themselves and could not help him with convenience, also that he is not able to buy or to have any at his home but to live on little improvement wedged up in the spurs of the mountains, on public or government land, and knows not how soon he may be deprived of that by the ___ made by some one else. That all the support for his family basically consists in a small pony mare, two or three cows and a few pigs, with what they can make on this (cont.) Page 16 little farm each year, and that he has shown as well as he can, that his service as a soldier in the revolution in all various tours, to 7 years and that he has not even been able to give in all at that. He further shows that he is unacquainted with the laws making provisions for soldiers in these wars but understands that there are persons, and have been persons who have drawn pensions and bounties who were in the same wars, and that he has never had anything of the kind. He would show that he always tried to be a faithful soldier and discharge his duty, that he never deserted or left his post, except the one time which he stated under the influence of his uncle John when he first went in the war in his boyhood. He refers to the statements of various persons here with appended, which will give some light on his case to which he prays a favorable consideration and to his claim throughout he prays a patient investigation and allowance in proportion to his service all which is respectfully submitted and as in duty bound your petitions will ever pray. J.B. Starnes J. P. his Isaac X Brewer mark Page 17 On this sheet the Declarant makes an amendment to his statement which has occurred to his recollection since the making of his main statement, found from pages 1 to 16.
State of Alabama} Personally appeared before me Jonathon B. Starnes one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said county and state aforesaid Isaac Brewer, the claimant aforesaid and makes the following amendment to his foregoing Declaration included from page 1 to 16. First, that he remembers the names of Caswell, grade not recollected. He remembers Col. Dixon and believes that he was under him. He remembers to have seen Gates and Decalb. He says he recollects a Major McDowell that he thinks was there, He further recollects serving the enemy charge and seeing our men throw down their guns and run, which was the time that his uncle John and he did likewise, and he further says that the North Carolina soldiery strolled about over the country in all directions like sheep without a shepherd and got little squad or bands down in one place and some in another and was not ever collected together up to the time of Greens battle and Guilford courthouse and that there was several little squads of them that did not arrive in time for the engagement as well as the one he was in. He says the battle of Camden (cont.) Page 18 took place in the summer season but the year he doesn�t recollect though he had just turned 16 and was in his 17th year when he went, but was rather a small ______ boy. He say the Battle at Guilford Courthouse took place in the latter part of winter or in the first of the spring following. 2nd He says that the Col. Lee alluded to on page 4 of his former statement was the same Col. Lee that cut to pieces the Tory crowd under one Col. Pyle and that it was common when persons spoke of it in those times to call it Lees hacking-match, and that the same Lee afterwards got to be Genl. Lee, but how long after he does not recollect. 3rd He further says that the Doctor who attended to him at the house where he was carried after receiving his wound at the Cane Creek Battle alluded to on page 5 of his statement, was by the name of Doctor Carrol the name of the proprietor of the house was ___ And He further says that as to the battle at Ransoms Mills alluded on the same page that he is definite in memory as to the date of it or at what time of the year not being near to the place but he thinks upon reflection that his service as a soldier took place after that battle for he recollects that old Ezekiel Polk (or Palk) and a Col. Or Capt. Crump (cont.) Page 19 With whom he was aquatinted was said to be in the affair and that he also had some knowledge of a Capt. Falls who was said to have been killed in the said Battle and that the name Whig was given to our people, or was changed from that of Liberty men to that of Whig from something that was said to have took place about the said Battle. And 4th that his father Howell Brewer ___ had a family record, but that he married a second wife and had children by her and lived at the time of his death in West Tennessee somewhere, and this claimant knows not how to come at it or where it is, nor does he believe that the said record is now in existence.
Sworn to and subscribed}
his J. B. Starnes J. P.
State of Alabama} A.D. 1851, I Jonathon B. Starnes J. P. Aforesaid do hereby certify that the said Isaac Brewer Claimant is old and infirm, that he is now in bad health, helpless and unable (cont.) Page 20 To travel or attend to the courts or plans required in the customary way of preparing up such claims and that he is unable to leave home or give attention to any business requiring exercise or travel, given under my hand and seal, day and date above. J. B. Starnes J. P.
Source: Nancy Bellzona's Picture Book: Isaac Brewer.
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