The Ancestors Of George & Hazel Mullins

by Philip Mullins


Deposition of Henry Varnadore

The following is a deposition taken in Sullivan County, Tennessee to support the claim of a Revolutionary War Pension by Mathew Varnedoore in 1834. The original is on file in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. This is a copy of an item in the book of documents titled "Descendants of Leonard Vernadeau and Sarah Hutto: Three Generations, 1735-1850" that was put together by William Varnedoe, Frank Varnado and other Varnado descendants.

Sullivan County, State of Tennessee:

On the 18th day of February 1834 personally appeared in open Court before us: Janue Gragg, David Shaver, Wm. Holley & Thos. Rochholt, Justices of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of said county and state; Mathew Varnedoore, a resident citizen of Hawkins County and said state, aged Seventy-Eight years past, Who, first being duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress of the 7th of June 1832: that he entered the service of the United States as follows that he enlisted for three years in the United States army under John Wilson Sergeant with four others, John Davis, William Davis, Henry Jackson and Archibald Jackson, that he enlisted at Orangeburg, South Carolina, that he marched to Beaufort Island where he joined the army and was placed in a company under the command of Captain John White, William Blackstocks Lieutenant and George Stuart Ensin in a ridgement commanded by Coln Mayes in a Brigade commanded by General Sumpten. From Beaufort Island we marched to Charleston thence to Cambridge where we had a battle with the British- thence we marched to Holloe Creek. There we fought another battle. There Coln Mayes died, from thence we marched to Rocky Mount there Genl Sumpten took sick, then we were put under the command of Genl Green in a Regt. Commanded by Coln. Washington and Majr. Oliver. From there we marched to the high hills of Santee to winter quarters, from thence we marched to the Eutaw Springs. There we fought another battle with the British and there I received a wound in my left knee by a musket ball. Enlisted in Sept. 1778 and was discharged from service in Sept. 1781 by Capt. John White, which discharge was afterwards burnt up with this declarant's house. This declarant states that he thus served in the Regular Army as an enlisted soldier in the Revolutionary War for the term of three years, that he has no documentary evidence to prove his service and that he knows of no person who can testify to his service except James Bats whose affidavit is hereunto annexed. This declarant states that he was born in Orangeburg District, South Carolina, in the year 1756, that he lived there until the fall of 1832 when he moved to Monroe County in the State of Tennessee. Whilst there this declarant applied for a pension but was informed his name was not to be found on the roll names of Revolutionary soldiers filed in the War Department. This declarant then left Monroe County to wit in the fall of 1833 for the purpose of going to the State of Virginia to procure evidence of this service, but the person by whom he expect to make such proof died shortly before this declarant got to where he lived. He then returned to Tennessee and when he arrived in the County of Sullivan, he heard of James Bates, the person whose affidavit is hereto annexed who was in the service at the same time this declarant was stationed at Charleston though he was in the Militia Service. This applicant can produce no other testimony and if this will no answer to procure him a pension, he must depend on charity for his support being destitute of property and almost unable to walk. This declarant hereby relinquishes every claim whosoever to a pension except the present, and declares that his name is not on the roll of the pension agency of any state. This declarant states that he has lived in Hawkins County since last fall and that he resides there now. This declarant states that there is no resident clergyman in his vicinity by whom he can establish the facts required by the regulation of the War Department. Sworn to and subscribed in open Court

Feb. 18th, 1834
His Mathew X Varnedoore mark


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