Revolutionary Pension Statement
John Wadkins
Warren County, North Carolina

The troops continued to come in all day.  We were then all marched back to Massey's Ferry, at which we crossed & found on this side some Virginia Militia. This affiant recollects Maj^r Stubblefield & Captain Greene of V^a militia. (Captain Searcy's & Captain Banks' companies crossed Peedee in their route southwardly  above Massey's Ferry).  From this place the troops were marched to one Cotton's Tavern in the western part of this state, N. C.,  which they reached in , he thinks, two days. Here they remained two or three days, and during this time took some Torries as prisoners and killed others, who were engaged in plundering the American troops as they returned from the defeat. After two or three days further march, the N. Carolina militia under Capt^s Searcy and Banks, separated from the other troops and were marched back to Granville Court House  where they received a furlough for a few days to see their families, when they were called together again and marched thru Hillsboro N. C. to a place called the Hawfields where they joined the troops under one Genl Butler, whose aid was Maj^r Sharp. At this place and about it they were employed against the Tories until this affiant's three months service expired, when he was regularly discharged. Very soon afterwards he was drafted again for three months, and met at Harrisburg in Granville aforesaid.  His company was commanded by Capt. William Gilliam and attached to the regiment of militia under the command of Col. William Moore and Maj^r Dempsey Moore. We were marched to Hillsboro N. C. and remained there about a week.  Here he learned some regular troops came in from the north but did not see them. We then marched southwardly & across Haw River at Butler's Ford, thence to Island Ford on the Yadkin,  then to Salisbury and Charlotteville to Six Mile Creek  where we joined the light infantry under Gen^l Davidson, the Regulars under Col.  Dixon and the Calvary under Col. Washington. During our stay at Six Mile Creek where we remained sometime, Col. Washington with his Horse took an excursion to the south and penetrated as far as Rugely's Mills, the seat of Col. Rugely who commanded the Tories, and took him & his company & and brought them in to Six Mile Creek. He understood then, and and it was common talk of the soldiers, that Col. Washington finding Colonel Rugely strongly fortified, got a pine tree & skinned it & planted it before the fort as if was a cannon, upon which Rugely & his men surrendered.  The N^o Carolina Regiment under Col. Morre to which he was attached carried two prisoners from Six Mile Creek to Salisbury, N. C. and put them in goal, where he remained to guard them until he was discharged.  During this service, he performed his three months tour for which was was drafted, and one month in addition as the substitute of one Samuel Moss of the militia. A short time before the Battle of Guilford, he was drafted again and and put under the command of Capt. Richd Harrison and Col. Taylor of the Regt of Militia, and marchrd to Hillsboro, where we joined the militia under General Butler and Major Sharp. We were marched from Hillsboro to High Rock Ford on Haw River and there joined the forces under the command of Genl Green. Here we made a good many excursions in pursuit of the Tories. We were thence marched to Guilford Courthouse. After being here there a few days (how many he does not recollect) the officers came round at night with information that a general engagement was expected next day and distributed ammunition among the soldiers.The next day there was some skirmishing a small distance from the main army, early in the morning.The North Carolina militia were stationed in the front line in the rear of a skirmish. This affiant was in the left wing. Orders were given us not to fire until the enemy passed two dead trees standing in the field through which they was to approach us, about one hundred yards from the fence. The morning was calm. Cannonading commenced on both sides which lasted a short time only. After it ceased, the enemy began to advance and fire and as soon as they reached the trees, the N. C. Militia fired, and that part of the line in which he was, exchanged three or four fires when they became alarmed by report that the enemy was surrounding them and fled. Col. Washington endeavored to rally the men but could not. This Affiant stopped at the Court House, about one mile in the rear and saw the engagement between the British and the Maryland line. Washington's Horse were at the Court House at the commencement of the engagement and formed and made over the branch to the opposite hill where the battle was raging and charged the enemy. Some of the Militia who had stopped at the Court House followed in the rear of the Horse to the Battleground. After some time I started again & went to a relations about fifteen miles distant where I remained three or four days - when understanding that the American soldiers had reassembled at certain iron works - called Troublesome Iron Works - about ten or twelve miles from Guilford Court House, he went back to that place and joined them.  From there they marched in close pursuit of the enemy who had gone off toward Wilmington, N. C. until they reached Ramsey's Mill on Deep River, near the junction of Deep & Haw River. When we got there found the mill had been set on fire by the British, and extinguished it.  Trees were cut down across the road in many places to impede our march.  The enemy crossed the river back by a bridge constructed by themselves of trees and fence rails taken from a neighboring place.  At this place (Ramsey's Mill) a strong force was left, this affiant being one of them, remained until he was regularly discharged, it being his last time of 3 months serving in the war and making ten months service rendered by him in his three campaigns.

This affiant hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.  He has no register of his age, but always understood he was born in the spring of the year 1762.  He has lived,  ever since his parents moved to N. Carolina, at and near the place he now occupies, with the exception of a few months spent in Virginia.  His discharges were lost or destroyed, he never considered them of any use after the war.  He does not recollect by whom they were signed but thinks by his respective Captains.

He has no other proof of his service within his reach except that set forth in the annexed affidavits of his neighbors and old acquaintenances.