- Transcription
Declaration
In order to obtain the benefit of the 3rd. Section of the Act of 4th. July, 1836, & of the 1st. Section of the Act of 3rd. March 1837; in either of said Acts.
State of Georgia} Ss.
On the first day of February 1842, personally appeared before the subscriber, Thomas E. Hardaway, a Justice of the Inferior or county court of Meriwether county, State of Georgia, being a court of Record, Margaret Strozier a resident of said county & State, aged one hundred & one years & five months, who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July 4th. 1836, & the act explanatory of said act, passed March 3, 1837; or either of said Acts.
1st. That the said Margaret Strozier was born on the 1st. day of September 1740; that she was married to Peter Strozier in October 1758, who afterwards became a Revolutionary soldier & whose widow she now is. Her husband died 18th. January 1807. Her husband died of common Bilious fever in Wilkes County, Georgia. At the time & during the Revolutionary War she had seven children, the two oldest were daughters & one of them then became grown. She was married in Rowan County, State of North Carolina near Salisbury, by Revd. John Whatman, a Protestant Minister by publishing the Bans of matrimony three several times. She has no record of her age in her possession at this time. She kept for many years a family Record of her childrens ages in which was the time of her own birth, & from which she has thus been able to recollect it. Her age was written down by her son John who is long since dead. The Bible in which was this Record was taken to the State of Alabama, near Tuscalousa, many years ago by her daughter Mrs. Darden; whether it is yet in existence she does not know. From North Carolina she removd with her husband, said Peter Strozier, & settled in Wilkes County, State of Georgia, on Kettle creek about six miles above the town of Washington. There they resided on the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, & for several years afterwards whilst its operations mostly affected the North.
2nd. Her husband said Peter Strozier, was a Private soldier, & served as such for five years during the Revolutionary War. He was a Volunteer. She has no documentary edvidence of her husbands service. He rendezvoused at Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia, in the month of May 1779; she recollects the time of the year from the growing crop; he there joined the company in which Paddy Carr was Captain, & Genl. Elijah Clark was then & there the commander of the Corps. He served in all of Genl. Clark's subsequent expeditions & such other connecting operations as Clark's produced. She said Margaret Strozier, remained on the Farm where her husband left her in 1779 for two years. About the end of that time she was broken up by the Tories & every thing of any consequence destroyed, she being known as the wife of a Whig who was absent in the Army with Clark, fighting. She fled with her family of little children through South Carolina, half begging & starving, suffering greatly from want & cold, exposure & raggedness during the months of January & February 1781, and joined her husband in North Carolina not long after the battle of Kings Mountain. Her husband served sometimes as cavalry & some as Infantry, but generally in the Cavalry. Captain Carr was intimate & often at her house before he went into the Army.
Said Peter Strozier "continued in the service of the United States until the third day of November 1783." Continued past that time, up to May 1784, as before statd, five years.
Said Peter & Margaret were not married "while her husband was in such service," it "took place before the last period of his service." Before commencement of service, as before statd.
He was discharged on his return home by Genl. Clark without any written discharge within her knowledge. She recollects hearing him speak of a Col. Dunn as perhaps at some time commanding his Regiment. At the time her husband joined & enterd the service at Washington, Wilkes county, Georgia, considerable discussion excitement & division existed amongst the people. She recollects some of her own relations joined the British, or consentd to remain neutral, accepting the terms of a Proclamation made by the British Governor or commander at Savannah. Her husband said he wishes no other protection but his Rifle; he to actd, & joined Genl. Clark as above statd, & was with him as a soldier in all his campaigns so far as she knows or believes. He served generally under Genl. Clark, also sometime with Genls. Shelby & Campbell, & served under the latter at the battle of Kings Mountain not far from the line of North & South Carolina. Besides this last battle particularly her husband was, also in the battle fought on Kettle Creek Wilkes County, Georgia. About the time he entered the service there was a notd British emissary operating amongst the people in that section of the County known by the name of Colo. Manson, who deluded many. When Clark & the Whigs had no longer a home in Georgia, overrun by the British, Tories & Indians he accompanied him to the Mountain districts of South Carolina, every where reconnoitering, defending, protecting & encouraging the people.
Whilst her husband was absent she seldom & only occasionally heard from him, such was her desolate situation, the broken intercourse of the country, & the disturbed state of the times. For four years of the time, out of five, the British were pretty well masters of the State. Of course, from personal & passing knowledge she could not then know, as she did not, much about his particular services, these however he often recountd to her afterwards: yet these from her great age & long lapse of time & memory she can not more specially narrate than she has done in the foregoing history of his service. She only puts down here what she distinctly recollects.
3rd. And the said Margaret Strozier further declares that she was a widow on the 4th. July 1836, & still remains a widow, as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed. Whatever was the Authority & nature of Genl. Clark's service was alike the character of the service of her husband, as Georgia Militia, United State service; and a general, constant mixed service as to grade & name merely, under the exigencies of Revolutionary times.
And the said Margaret Strozier further declares, that there is no resident Clergyman within any convenient distance whose testimony as to her Revolutionary claim she might procure who is acquainted with her reputation as such she having only removed to this section of the State about two years since.
And the said Margaret Strozier further declares that she presented her claim for this Pension as soon as he was informed of her right & advised to do so; that she did this once before about two years ago & that she has only recently ascertained the loss of the papers, their miscarriage, or neglect in being attended to.
her
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Sworn to & subscribed, on the day of year above written before me.
Thos E Hardaway J.I.C.
And I, the said Thomas E. Hardaway, Justice of the Inferior or County Court of Meriwether County, State of Georgia, aforesaid, do hereby certify that the said Margaret Stozier who has made the foregoing Declaration "is unable to appear & attend the court from bodily infirmity, & that the said affiant Margaret Strozier is of the most credible character."
Witness my hand & Seal officially the day & year above written.
Thos E Hardaway J.I.C. (seal)
State of Georgia
Meriwether County SS—
We, James Render & John Jones, residing in the County & State aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquaintd with Margaret Strozier who has subscribed & sworn to the above Declaration; that we believe her to be one hundred & one years & five months of age; that she is reputed & believed in the neighbourhood where she resides to be the widow of a soldier of the Revolution, & that we concur in that opinion. Certified & sworn to the day & year above written.
And the said Thomas E. Hardaway, Justice of the Inferior or County Court, aforesaid, does hereby declare his opinion after the investigation of the matter & after putting the Interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant is the widow of a Revolutionary soldier & that he served as she states. And the said Thomas E. Hardaway, Justice as aforesaid, further certifies, that James Render and John Jones who have signed the preceding Certificate are residents of the County of Meriwether, State of Georgia, that they are credible persons, & that their statement is entitled to credit, & that the same has been duly sworn to before me.
Thos E Hardaway J.I.C
I, John Robinson Clerk of the Inferior or County Court of Meriwether County, State of Georgia, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court, in the application of Margaret Strozier for a Pension.
And I do further certify & state officially, that the said Thomas E. Hardaway is a legal acting Judge or Justice of our said Inferior or County Court, & that his signature is genuine.
Witness my hand & seal officially this 1st. day of February 1842.
John Robinson Clk
No 5526
Hon: T. F. Foster HR
