“John McCroskey applied for revolutionary pension while living in Sevier County (TN.). He was born in Virginia September 26,1757. He moved with his family to North Carolina and served in Captain William Beattie’s company, North Carolina regiment. He was in the Chickamauga Expedition and the battle of King’s Mountain. He had a brother, Robert McCroskey, who was also in the Revolution.”
The following is a transcription of the pension application for John McCroskey:
"The DECLARATION of John McCroskey in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June the 7th, 1832... State of Tennessee; Sevier County.
On this eighteenth day of May one thousand eight hundred and thirty three personally appeared before me John Pitner, one of the acting justices of peace, for the county aforesaid, John McCroskey, a resident of the State and county aforesaid, aged seventy-five years seven months and twenty days, being born on the 26th day of September in the year 1757, in the County of Rockbridge, Virginia, as appears from the record of his father 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 the 7th day of June 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States and served under the following named officers and served as herein stated that he was drafted when between 18 and 19 years of age, in the county of Rockbridge and state of Virginia, to perform a tour of duty three months for the protection of the frontiers against the incursions of the Shawnee Indians and joined a company of militia commanded by Capt. Andrew Moore, as a private soldier in the month of May one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six and was marched with said company from Kerr's Creek in the county of Rockbridge to Jackson's River then up the said river to the waters of Green Briar and passed the station at the leads of Green Briar then to Donala's station eight miles from the leads which station had been attacked by the Indians on a few days before and was in service three months in August of the same year, John Caruthers was lieutenant in said company, affiant received no discharge that he recollects of affiant states that afterwards he moved to the County of Washington and state of Virginia, and in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine he entered the service of the United States as a volunteer to perform a tour of duty against the hostile Cherokee Indians, and joined a company of volunteers commanded by Capt. Aaron Lewis and Lieut. Robert Edmonton (who was afterwards killed at the Battle of Kings Mountain), and marched from Abingdon under said officers in company with a company under command of Capt. Montgomery through the big island of Holston River. Affiant states that about 500 men rendezvous at the said island of Holston and that Col. Evan. Shelby and Robertson command that affiant with said troops descended the river in company to the mouth of Chickamauga Creek in the Cherokee nation near the great such in Tennessee, had some skirmishing with the Indians and served two months as a private soldier in that campaign. The most of which time was active and fatiguing service and that affiant joined in Capt. Aaron Lewis company in the month of March in the year aforesaid, to wit: 1779, and dismissed by the said Capt. Lewis in the May following without receiving any written discharge; affiant further states that in the month of June in the last mentioned year, to wit: 1779 he volunteered to perform a tour of duty for the protection of the frontier settlements on Clinch River against the hostile Indians who were committing depredations on the settlements and marched from Abingdon in Washington County in the State of Virginia under command of Lieut. Samuel Edmonson across Walker's Mountain to the new Garden Station on Clinch River and served two months as a private soldier under Lieut. Edmonson and dismissed without receiving any written discharge:
the said McCroskey further states that he joined the service of the United States in the month of June in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty, being drafted to perform a tour of duty against the Tories and common enemy of the country and was attached to a company of militia. commanded by Capt. Wm. Edmonson and Col. Arthur Campbell to a Tory settlement called Baker's settlement on the three miles fork of New River, when we hung one Tory and disbursed a great many who fled to the mountains; affiant states that he served one month as a private soldier under said officers that campaign, dismissed by said Capt. Wm. Edmonson without receiving any written discharge; the said John McCroskey further states that on the 23rd day of September in the last mentioned year, to wit: 1780 in the county of Washington and State of Virginia he volunteered to perform another tour of duty for the protection of the Carolinas against British and Tories and joined a company commanded by Capt. Wm. Edmonson and marched from Abingdon in the County of Washington, State of Virginia, to Sycamore Shoals on Watauga River, the place of rendezvous where we were joined by Cols. Lewis and Shelby with about 440 men. Col. Wm. Campbell had about 1400 men, the officers held a council and the command was given to Col. Campbell - we then crossed the Yellow Mountains into North Carolina and across Tow River and through the old settlements of the Catawaba Indians and across Catawaba and broad river. After crossing the mountains we were joined by Cola. Wm. Cleveland and. Blandon with about 300 men; affiant was a mounted gunman this campaign and the mounted men rode all night the night before the action on King's Mountain, leaving (text illegible) foot behind and got up with the enemy about two o'clock in the evening having captured their picket before we got up with the main army; affiant was in battle and done his duty as a private soldier and assisted in defeating, capturing and guarding the Tories and British to the Mulber (text illegible) fields near Hillsborough in North Carolina and was in the service one month this campaign, and was dismissed by Ca. Wm. Campbell without receiving any written discharge.
The said John. McCroskey further st... (text illegible) that in the month of February in the year one thousand and seven hundred eighty-one he volunteered to perform a tour of duty against the British in North Carolina, and in the County of Washington and the State of Virginia the place of his residence he joined a company commanded by Capt. Jas. Montgomery and was marched from the said County of Washington the nearest direction to the Moravian Town in North Carolina. Cal. Wm. Campbell commanded the troops from Washington County Virginia; Capt. James Dysart also commanded a company (repeated words omitted) from Washington County from the Moravian town we marched to Guilford County and joined Gen. Green and his forces connecting foot and horse. The cavalry was commanded by Cols. Washington and Lee. The day after joining Gen. Green, Col. Wm. Campbell with Maj. Reed and about 300 men, one of which was this affiant, having by some mistake separated from the main army had a severe skirmish with the British on the Rudy Fork of Haw River in which 25 men was killed. From the Rudy Fork of Haw River, affiant under command of said Capt. Jas. Montgomery and Col. Wm. Campbell was marched to Dan River; affiant states that he served one month this campaign as a private mounted gunman and was dismissed by Col. WM. Campbell at Dan River in North Carolina wihout any written discharge.
The said John McCroskey states that he performed all of said tours of duty in time of the Revolutionary War. Affiant further states that all the time he served in the Revolutionary War does amount to ten months actual service. He further states that he has no documentary evidence of his service and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to the whole of his services and that said McCroskey hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annunity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any, affiant states that he is well known to Wm. Snoddy, John Houk and Edmond Hodges in his neighborhood who can testify to his credibility.
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year first written above. John Pitner, J.P. John McCroskey
The Pension Application above was numbered 2781."
Private, Virginia Line, $33.33 Annual Allowance $99.99 Amount Received August 2 1833 Pension Started Age 76 (1835 TN Pension Roll)
Sources Used:
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Book: Some Tennessee Heroes of the Revolution by: Zella Armstrong