Revolutionary War Pension Application of Thomas Kennedy State of Kentucky County of Garrard

On the 20th day of August 1832, Genl Thomas Kennedy, aged near 70, resident of the County of Garrard, personally appeared in open court, it being a court of record, held in and for the county aforesaid, who being first 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 June 1832. That he entered the United States service in the War of the Revolution in the County of Burke in the State of North Carolina (he believes early in the year 1775, but he cannot undertake to state the time with precision) as a volunteer, and was appointed a Captain of the mounted men, and was attached to Col. Christopher Bateman’s Regiment. That he served out the term of his engagement, which was three months. That Joseph White was his Major. That immediately he again volunteered for the same period of time, served in the same Regiment, and in the same capacity of Captain under the same officers, and was often engaged in skirmishes against the forces in the State of North Carolina. That shortly after the expiration of his latter engagement, he again volunteered for three months under Genl Ruthorford in the aforesaid State of North Carolina, and marched immediately against Wilmington, then in the possession of the British, that he was then a Captain of Dragoons, and was the first officer who entered the town, which being abandoned by the enemy, Genl Rutherford, in a few days thereafter, came up and took possession of it. That he and his company were regularly discharged at Wilmington after faithfully serving out the term of their engagement, and upon their return home, he and most of his men were taken prisoners by Col. Fanning and Col. Elrod of the British army. Col. Elrod was a Tory Colonel. That he was robbed of what little money he had, and his watch, and his commission of Captain and then paroled. That in the spring following, the year he does not remember, he was exchanged, and again engaged in the service as a Captain of mounted men, under Genl Charles McDowell in the State of North Carolina, for six months, and served out the full period of his engagement. That he marched through the State of North Carolina and South Carolina and also in a part of Georgia, and had various engagements with the British and Tories. He was in the battle at Ramsour’s Mill in North Carolina, and was a Captain of a company and had 17 men killed and wounded and was wounded himself in the leg by a rifle ---. Our party was commanded by Major Rutherford, son of Genl Rutherford, and the British and Tories were commanded by Col. Johnson and Moore. Our party was victorious after sustaining a heavy loss. After the expiration of this period of service, aforesaid, he again volunteered and was again a Captain, attached to the same Brigade, and commanded by Genl McDowell, entered for six months and served out the time faithfully. He does not pretend to recollect dates with accuracy, though he can establish most of his services by living witnesses. He can say however from the first day of his entering into service, until long after the battles at Kings Mountain, he was very constantly engaged in serving his country. He was in the battle at Kings Mountain, and commanded as a Captain and was attached to the --- under Col. Campbell during the battle. He was also in the battle at Head of Can Creek in North Carolina against the British and Tories commanded by Col. Dunlap, Capn of the Queens Rangers (so called) and being the oldest officer left, he commanded the Americans on that day, and was successful in the action. This last engagement took place before the battle at Kings Mountain, and during the period of his last six months service before spoken of under Genl Charles McDowell. He was also in the engagement at Hamptons in South Carolina, under Genl. C. McDowell, and commanded as a Captain where we were again victorious. He believes this was in his last six months engagement. He hereby relinquishes all claims whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency or any state. Thos Kennedy I, Robert Brank, of the County of Garrard and State of Kentucky, do hereby certify that I have been acquainted with General Thomas Kennedy since he was a boy, that we went to school together, was raised together in the County of Burke in North Carolina, served together most in the Revolutionary War, have lived right --- since we left North Carolina, in the State of Kentucky near fifty years, have rehearsed the War of the Revolution --- hundreds of times. That he has a personal knowledge of his, the applicant’s, serving as a Captain in every instance which he has mentioned, but the one in which he states to have served when he went to Wilmington, N.C., but he always understood and never heard it contradicted by anyone that the applicant did serve in that instance as a Captain. He will further add that the applicant was a valuable, persevering patriotic man of great energy and a brave soldier and --- distinguishing service to the cause of his country in the Revolutionary struggle. Robt Brank Benjamin Letcher made oath in open court that he has known the applicant for upwards of forty years. That his services as an officer and as a soldier have uniformly been spoken of in high terms of high communication by every one that he has heard converse upon the subject since his acquaintance with him. That he has often heard Governor Shelby state that the applicant was a Captain at the battle of Kings Mountain and distinguished himself in the action. He always heard the same from common reputation. He has also known Robert Brank, the witness, for near about the same period, and he can certify that he is a man of unreproachable character of high standing, for integrity and truth, no one more so in the state. Ben Letcher And the said court do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Robert Brank, the witness, and Genl Kennedy, the applicant, and have been for many years, that after putting the interrogatories directed by the War Department, and from general reputation, combined with the proof, we have no doubt the applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states. The court further certifies both of the witnesses are credible persons and their statement is entitled to the fullest confidence.