Sister Yvonne has sent us a PDF copy of the attached document, which is the pension application of Thomas Kimbrell (Kimbrill) R5927, circa 1838.
Thanks Yvonne.
She included this note with the doc...
I have sent this doc to some of you before but I'm sending it again. This, I believe is my Kimbrell forefather, a Revolutionary War soldier who settled with his family in Spartanburg, SC after the Indian War over.
You can download a copy of the PDF file here if you would like a copy for your records:
Download PDF File ... or...
View PDF File in another webpage.This is a copy of the full text:
Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters
Pension application of Thomas Kimbrell (Kimbrill) R5927 fn36SC
Transcribed by Will Graves 10/20/09
[Methodology: Spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected in some instances for ease of reading and to facilitate searches of the database. Also, the handwriting of the original scribes often lends itself to varying interpretations. Users of this database are urged to view the original and to make their own decision as to how to decipher what the original scribe actually wrote. Blanks appearing in the transcripts reflect blanks in the original. Folks are free to make non-commercial use this transcript in any manner they may see fit, but please extend the courtesy of acknowledging the transcriber?besides, if it turns out the transcript contains mistakes, the resulting embarrassment will fall on the transcriber.]
State of South Carolina Spartanburg District
On this __ day of April 1838 personally appeared in open Court, to wit, the Court of Sessions and Common Please, now sitting for the said District, -- Thomas Kimbrell, a resident of said District, aged seventy-eight years 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, passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.
That he entered the Army as a substitute for some man whose name he has forgotten, at Brunswick in Virginia, as near as he can recollect in the fall of 1778, and marched to the Main Army at Valley Forge at the time the British lay in Philadelphia. And was then attached to the old 5th Virginia Regiment, which was afterwards reduced to the 3rd Virginia Regiment -- And placed under the command of General Muhlenberg. That he then marched toward New Jersey, across the Schuylkill [River], where there was a small skirmish with the enemy. And thence he marched to Banbroke in Jersey -- thence to theWhite Plains, and thence to Middlebrook where he was discharged, having served, according to the best of his Recollection, eighteen months, and during which time he was engaged in the Battle at Monmouth. That he then removed with his relations to the State of South Carolina, and after a short time returned to Virginia and again substituted himself in the place of wonder Reuben Blanton, for a tour of 3 months, during which term he was at the capture of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. That he then returned to South Carolina, and joined the service against the Tories and Indians and served about 4 months in various scouts under captains Earle and Wood, as his services were most required -- during which term he was at the Battles of Little River and Timrugee [?] Junmys [?] Creek. And afterwards continued in the service, at broken periods under Captains McDowell, Collins and Prince, as the necessity of the circumstances required, until the Indian war was at an end and peace in entirely restored.
The declarant further states that from his great age and consequent infirmity, his mind has been so much him paired, as to white from his recollection the names of many of his officers, and many, and most of his acts of service -- And being fall removed from the scene of his principle service he does not at this time know of anyone who served with him, who reside in the Country -- That 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.
In answer to the questions propounded by the Court, the Declarant, answers, to the
1st I was born in Dinwiddie County Virginia but do not know the date.
2. I have none.
3. I lived in Virginia at the time I first entered the service and have lived in South Carolina ever since the Revolutionary War --
4. & 5. See within. --
6. I cannot distinctly recollect -- but believe I did, and if so it has been long since lost.
7. See above. --
Sworn to & subscribed in open Court -- this 10th day of April 1838
S/ J. Tapp, Clk S/ Thos. Kimbrell, X his mark
[Benjamin Hicks, a clergyman, and R C Poole gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
State of South Carolina Spartanburg District: Personally came before me, the subscribing Magistrate, of the said District -- Thomas Kimbrell who being sworn in due form of law, on his oath saith, in addition to his Declaration for a pension, heretofore made, that he did render the services in Virginia, as stated in his Declaration and believes the eighteen months tour was as a substitute, but cannot recollect the name of his principal, and that he was not known, as a member of his company until the rendezvous at Valley Forge -- And it may be possible that all the said Service was rendered in the name of his principal and that his own name may not have been substituted -- The great decay of his mind however, has destroyed his recollection of the principal facts, as well as the names of his officers and fellow soldiers. And he knows of no person now living, who knew, or served with him in Virginia -- he however recollects one officer named James Hodge -- who found provisions, at Valley Forge -- as to his services in South Carolina he can say no more than is stated in his Declaration, and supported by the affidavits here with presented -- more than that he did serve until the fall of 1782.
Sworn to & subscribed before me the 5th of June 1838
S/ Jehu Wells, JP S/ Thomas Kimbrell, X his mark
State of South Carolina Spartanburg District
Personally appeared before me Thomas Kimbrell who being sworn according to law deposes and saith that at the time he drew up his first declaration to obtain a pension that he claimed to have performed service in South Carolina, & that Major Trimmier who prepared his papers, advised him that it was unnecessary to State his services in this State. He further states that he told Mr. Trimmier that his services performed in Virginia was in the militia -- that from his statement that he drew off his regimentals were he left the Army in Virginia & other circumstances he (Trimmier) came to the conclusion that it was in the regular Army -- this deponent states that he is very old and infirm, being now about eighty years of age, but to the best of his recollection he served in the Revolutionary war in the State of Virginia eighteen months at one time & 4 months at another time that he then came to South Carolina where he served under Captain Samuel Earle, & Lieutenant HarryWood in Colonel Benjamin Roebuck's Regiment that he was also under Captain Robert McDowell, that his impression is that most of his services in South Carolina were under Roebuck, but he recollects distinctly that he was commanded by Colonel Thomas & also by Colonel Brannon [sic, Thomas Brandon?]. That while he was in the Virginia service he drew pay at Valley Forge that he was in the old 5th Virginia Regiment in Muhlenberg's Brigade. That after he came to South Carolina, he continued in the Army until peace was made that his recollection has so failed him that he cannot give the dates of his service -- but knows there was no other man commanded by Colonel Roebuck whose name was either Kimball or Kimbrell. That it has not been his fault that he has not applied & obtained a pension before now -- that under the act of Congress 1818 he was advised that he
could not obtain a pension that as soon as he heard of the act of 1832, he employed Mr. Trimmier to obtain a pension for him, that he made out a Declaration, & sent it on that he lived at a considerable distance from the Court House & from old age & infirmity was unable to attend to it -- & he hopes his misfortunes are not to deprive him of justice he is aware that strong objections are made to the manner in which his declaration is made out, but it was done by a lawyer & a man that he supposed would do it right. This deponent prays that you may have the Comptroller's office in Columbia searched & if there is any other name in Colonel Roebuck's Regiment which could possibly be so spelt as to have any similarity to his he will willingly give the matter of. This deponent is illiterate & a mistake in his commander to spell his name should not prejudice his claim to a pension.
Sworn to before me the 24th of September 1839
S/ E. G. Foster S/ Thos. Kimbrill, X his mark
South Carolina Spartanburg District
Personally appeared before me the subscribing Justice Solomon Crocker,1
Sworn to & subscribed before me 2nd September 1839 who being duly sworn according to law, deposes & saith, that he was in the Revolutionary war that he served under Colonel Benjamin Roebuck of South Carolina -- This deponent further states, that he has a distinct recollection of Thomas Kimbrill, that the said Thomas was in service with this deponent -- and there was no other man commanded by Colonel Roebuck of that name -- that he has been well acquainted with Thomas Kimbrill ever since the Revolution that they have both resided in this District -- This deponent is well satisfied that, that Thomas Kimball mentioned in the return of the Comptroller General's office in this State, is the one who served with him in the war & the one who is now applying for a pension -- and the deponent can only account for the mistake by supposing that it was an error in spelling the name.
S/ E. C. Leitner, QU S/ Solomon Crocker, X his mark
State of South Carolina Spartanburg District: Personally came before me, Captain John Collins,2
Sworn & subscribed before me 10th day of April 1838 a Soldier and Officer of the Revolution, who being sworn saith, that he knows Thomas Kimbrell, who is now applying for a Pension -- that he has no distinct recollection of him during the war, nor does he know of any particular act of service rendered by him -- But this deponent has conversed with the said Thomas Kimbrell, and the said Thomas has related particulars, which come within the knowledge of this Deponent, which has brought him to the conclusion that he was a Soldier of the Revolution.
S/ John Collins
South Carolina State Spartanburg District: Personally came Solomon Crocker of the District aforesaid and an old Revolutionary Soldier and made oath before me one of the Justices for said District that he was acquainted with Thomas Kimbrell in the old revolutionary war about 1780, 1781 and 1782 and that he was a good Soldier [3 lines of text obliterated] of General Pickens brigade and that to the best of his recollection the said Thomas Kimbrell was pretty constantly engaged in that line of service for the term above mentioned. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 10th April 1838.
1 Solomon Crocker W9398
2 John Collins S8248
S/ Washington Cantrell, JP S/ Solomon Crocker, X his mark
[fn p. 34 be an affidavit given by John Vaughan in which he appears to give a statement supportive of the veteran having served in South Carolina in the summer after Cornwallis's surrender. The affidavit is so poorly written and the spelling so atrocious that it is virtually impossible to meaningfully decipher this affidavit. I could find no veteran by the name of "John Vaughan" as a pensioner for services rendered in South Carolina.]
[fn p. 36: Abstract of an indent showing the payment of ?297 "to Thomas Kimball For Militia duty in Roebuck's Regiment since the fall of Charlestown."]
