Rev Pension of Obediah Hammons
Submitted by Gene Newman
JOB BROUGHTON'S REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION APPLICATION On this 26th day of August 1833, there personally appeared before Joseph Pritchard, John Fuson, and A. Y. Anderson, parties of the Knox County Court, state of Kentucky, Job Broughton, a resident of Goose Creek in the county of Knox and state of Kentucky, aged 78 on the 30th of October next, who first being duly sworn according to law, who on his oath makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. I was born on the 30th of October 1755. On the 20th of June 1774, I was married to my wife who now sits by my side. In the spring afterward, in 1775, I volunteered under Col. Martin Armstrong, Capt. Jabes Jarvis, Lt. James Freeman, and an ensign not remembered for a tour of six weeks. I lived at that time in Surry County, NC, on the Yadkin River where we rendezvoused to the Crossroad, as it was called then, now Randolph Courthouse, where we joined Col. Martin Armstrong with the troops he commanded. Thence to Campbelltown on Cape Fear, a distance of 160 miles from where I lived. There we were stationed until discharged. I received no written discharge for this or any other service. It was always word of mouth. This expedition was dispersed against the Scotch who had risen in North Carolina to aid the British. News reached us on Cape Fear River that Caswell, or perhaps Lazwell, had defeated them, which prevented us from going any further. During this year, I volunteered several times to go against the Tories, but they were each of short duration, not exceeding 10 to 15 days. I set up no claim for service on this account. In the year 1777 I removed to the state of Georgia, Wilkes County, and settled there on the 24th of February. In the fall of that year I was enrolled as a minuteman and took up quarters in Stephen Herd's fort. I was here stationed until 1781, at which time I was discharged. When I was first enrolled, Richard Austin was my captain. He got wounded accidentally by one of his own men and died of the wound. After his death, Richard Herd was my captain. During this enrollment I was ordered out as a spy for 18 months. I believe I was released from this service before the 18 months had quite terminated, but still not released from duty. When not acting as a spy, my constant duty was guarding the fort except when I was ordered out to perform some particular service. One of them of the most important in consequence or time was in going to besiege Savannah. I was engaged in this service under Gen. Linkhorn, Col. John Doolie, and Capt. John Stewart. In the fall, I was discharged and removed back to North Carolina, and on the road I heard he firing at the Battle of Eutaw Springs. For my services as a minuteman, I was promised eight dollars per month, full rations for myself, and half rations for my wife. The rations we got, but as far as the money, I never got it, and if I had it would have taken five dollars to buy even a half-pint of whiskey. I never was in any general engagement except at Savannah; I was in many with the Indians when ordered out of Herd's Fort. At Savannah I saw Gen. McIntosh, Count D'Estany, and another officer, I think General Pulaski, seated on a log, when a cannon ball struck the log and split it. I was born 30 October 1755 in Brunswick County, Vir. I had a record of my age�it was in my father's bible, now in the possession of my sister, Winny Davis. I was living in Surry Co., NC, when I volunteered in the service. Afterwards, I was a minuteman in Wilkes Co., Ga. In 1781, I moved to Bute Co., NC I have since then moved about a great deal. For the last 25 years I have lived in KY and for the last 13 years upon the creek where I now live in Knox County. In my several tours from Surry County I acted as a volunteer. After I went to Wilkes Co., Ga., I was enrolled and forced to perform military duty. There were first, second, and third divisions who took it by turns to march out of the fort against the British, Indians, or Tories, while the balance stayed to guard the fort, to act as spies to prevent a surprise, and would guard the women when they went out to milk or get water from the spring. General Linkhorn, Count D'Estany, and General Pulaski were with the troops when I served. I do not remember any of the Continental Regiment except the commander, Lt. Col. Parker, though I know there were several at the siege of Savannah. I never saw a discharge. I am know to the Rev. William Hickey, Rev. Richard Herndon, Lewis Garland, Ambrose Cobb, William Williams, together with many more who if present would testify to my character for veracity in this receipt of my services as a soldier of the Revolution. I was also well acquainted with Laymon Catchings who acted as my Lieutenant during a portion of my service in Wilkes County and who departed this life in this county a few weeks ago. I hereby relinquish any claim whatever to a pension or an annuity except the present, and I do declare that my name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any state. Job Broughton We, William Hickey, a clergyman residing in the county of Knox and State of Kentucky, and Ambrose Cobb, residing in the same, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Job Broughton who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy-eight years of age, that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid. Job Broughton William Hickey Ambrose Cobb
MARY BROUGHTON'S WIDOW PENSION APPLICATION State of Kentucky Knox County Court On the 12th day of August 1838, personally appeared the undersigned acting Justice of the Peace for Knox Co., Ky., Mary Broughton, a resident of Stinking Creek, about 17 or 18 miles from Barbourville, the seat of justice in the county of Knox and state of Ky., aged 82 years on the 10th of March, and who first being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain benefit of the provision made by an act of Congress passed July 4, 1836, that she is the widow of Job Broughton who was a Private in the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War as was fully set forth by him in my presence when the declaration to procure a pension was proposed which is now on file in the War Department, as she is informed and to which she refers for an accurate account of his service. She further declares that she was married to the said Job Broughton on the ? day of ?, 1772. And that her husband, the aforesaid Job Broughton died on the 27th day of March 1837 and that she has remained a widow ever since that period, weak now and feebly appearing by reference to the proof how to answer and that she is unable from bodily infirmity to go to the courthouse of the county when the courts are held and that she know of no one living by whom she was known. Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written before me Ran Adams, J.P. Frank Ballinger states that he was employed by Job Broughton to prepare his declaration that the present applicant was present and recognized by Job Broughton as his wife, that he frequently conversed with her, that it was then stated that they were married during the Revolutionary War, and from the conversation held between them, the applicant has no hesitation in saying they were living together during the war as man and wife, and that he has never heard an insinuation from any quarter that they were not married. He states that the history of the declaration is examined and will then be found and sworn to by him, that he knows of no person by whom he could prove his service except his wife who was then sitting by his side. Whether such declaration be found or not, he has a distinct recollection it was made in his presence, that to the best of his knowledge he never saw the present applicant to know her until the day he prepared her husband's pension papers, that she seems to be of the age represented by herself, that her husband is dead and her son, William Broughton, his administrator, that she resides with her son, William Broughton, on Stinking Creek, in Knox Co., Ky., a distance of 17 or 18 miles from Barbourville, the county seat of Knox, and from her appearance he supposes she would be unable without danger to her life to go to town. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 12th day of August 1838. Ran Adams, J. P. William Broughton states that he is 52 years of age, that he is the reported son of Job Broughton and the present applicant, that he never heard their marriage brought in question, that he has often heard his parents speak of their marriage during the war of the Revolution, what his mother did while his father was in the service. He stated that his father died at this applicant's home on the 27th day of March 1837, and that his mother, the present applicant, has continued to reside with him ever since and not been married to any person since the death of the applicant's father, and that from bodily infirmity she is unable to attend court. He further states that in the last illness of his father and only a few days before his death, and when he expected to die, he heard him say that he had been married to the present applicant 61years. Sworn to before me under the word he heard him say and he word about his testimony before sworn to. Ran Adams, J. P. Randolph Adams, an acting Justice of the Peace of Knox County, certifies that on the 12th day of August 1838, the above applicant, Mary Broughton, swore to the above declaration before at the house of William Broughton on Stinking Creek in Knox County, about 17 or 18 miles from Barbourville, the seat of justice for said county, and that Frank Ballinger and William Broughton on the same day and at the same place swore to these statements as contained above. I also certify that from personal observation, as well as from the testimonies above that the applicant can not from bodily infirmity attend court. Ran Adams J. P. The above information was extracted from microfilm copies of the original records maintained at the National Archives in Washington DC. In some cases, the text was unclear and my best interpretation is given in those situations.

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