Joseph Summers, Revolutionary War Soldier

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Brief in the case of
Joseph SUMMERS
[Revolutionary War Soldier]

Submitted by Nanette Riley

County of Morgan in the State of Illinois
(Act 7th June, 1832)

State of Illinois Morgan County. s.s.

On this twenty-second day of September in the year of our lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two years personally appeared in open court before William WOODS, James SIRUS and William GILLHAM, judges of the county commissioner's court of said county now sitting. Joseph SUMMERS, a resident of said county aged eighty-three years, who being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress June 7th 1832 that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated. About the time of the commencement of the Revolutionary War he resided in the county of Guilford and state of North Carolina. There was a call upon the Militia for volunteers to go after some Indians who had been committing some depredations upon the Americans, he volunteered in a company commanded by Capt. Thomas FLACK, attached to a Regiment commanded by Col. James MARTIN. The regiment was organized at Guilford courthouse in the fall of the year, but deponent does not recollect the year. He recollects seeing a Liberty pole at Guilford courthouse at the time the regiment was organized. The Regiment marched from Guilford to the Indian Village, but the Indians had left the place. The village was destroyed by the Militia. After the village was destroyed the troops returned, and were dismissed, deponent cannot state the time that he served on this expedition with confidence. He volunteered to serve three months and his recollection is that he served from August or September until about Christmas. Following not long after he was discharged from this company's service, he volunteered to serve a tour of duty of three months in Capt. Edward GRAYSON's company, John GRAYSON was the Lieutenant. The company was organized in Guilford County North Carolina. Deponent does not remember what Regiment the company was attached to. The company marched down to Chatham county, remained there some time and returned to Guilford and a short time thereafter marched to Randolph county where twenty-one Tories were taken prisoners. The were taken to Hillsborough and left there to be tried as deponent understood. Deponent served at this time three months and was discharged. Shortly after this discharge he volunteered again under Capt. Edward GRAYSON to serve three months. The company was formed in Guilford county aforesaid the company was employed in scouting through the country and defending the inhabitants from injury by the Tories and British. Deponent thinks he was employed in this service three months. Upon being discharged from this service deponent volunteered to serve another tour of duty of three months in Capt. ELLIOTT's company. The company was organized in Guilford county, and joined Genl. GREEN's Army not far from Guilford courthouse. He does not remember the Regiment to which he was attached, but ELLIOT's company was made up of mounted volunteers, and deponent thinks that the company was attached to a Regiment commanded by Col. LEE. Deponent furnished his own horse on this expedition and served three months. He was discharged only two days before the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The deponent says that his memory is treacherous. That he cannot recollect dates. According to the best information that he has been able to obtain he was born in the year 1749 in Kent County Delaware. He removed to Guilford County North Carolina when he was about twenty-three years olde. He resided in Guilford County North Carolina most of the time until about thirty-six years ago he removed to Sumner County Tennessee. He remained there until about two years and nine months since, when he removed to Morgan County Illinois where he now resides. He has no record of his ages and speaks of the same from information which he believes to be true. He has no documentary or other witness evidence of his service in the Army. He does not now know of any one living who can testify to his services except Joseph JACKSON of Morgan County Illinois [two words unreadable] that deponent served but does not know how long. Deponent is personally known to Lawrence HILLEBNESS and Thomas COWHICK, Jesse B. SCHULL, Robert GATES, and others who reside in the neighborhood where deponent now resides. Deponent never received any discharge from any tour of duty which he performed. He has never received any pay or compensation for his services. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state or territory.

Subscribed and sworn to the day and year aforesaid.

[Joseph SUMMERS' mark]

[witnessed by William WOODS, William GILLHAM, James SIRUS]