Declaration:

State of Tennessee

Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed the 7^th June 1832.

On this 10^th day of November in the year Of our lord one thousand Eight hundred and Thirty two personally appeared in open court before the worshipful John L. Neill, Samuel Phillips and John B. Armstrong Gentlemen Justices of the peace appointed to hold the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions in and for the County of Bedford and State of Tennessee, John Connelly aged Seventy two years, Nine months and fourteen days. 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 7^th June 1832.

That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named Officers and Served as here in Stated. That he entered the Service of the United States as a drafted Militiaman in the County of Brunswick in the State of Virginia some time he thinks in the year 1778 and he thinks the Captain, that he was placed under was by the Name of Harrison but is not certain, and was marched from that to General Muhlenburg’s Headquarters, at Cabbin Point, in the County of Prince George in the State last aforesaid, where he States he was Stationed for the term of three months, when he was discharged & returned home, deponent States that Sometime after returned home Col John Jones the Colonel of Brunswick County in the State of Virginia proposed to each young Blacksmith in said Regiment that would repair and put in complete order twelve muskets each should be exempt from the next tour of duty, and deponent says that himself, an Older Brother, and an apprentice boy repaired and put in good order thirty six guns and delivered them to Col Jones, the time he was engaged in repairing said guns was a month or more.

He further states that afterwards in the spring of the year 1779 he was again called out as one of the drafted Militia in the same County to wit Brunswick and State of Virginia, and placed in Mark Stead or William Blalock’s Company but he is not positive which and was marched form that place under the Command of Cols Halkham[Holcombe] and St. George Tucker to the fork of James River called Painty Fork to General Steuben’s Headquarters. He states that on the same evening that the troops that he was with joined General Steuben that the British commenced a discharge of cannon across the river at the American army and General Steuben retreated an marched his army about twelve miles from that place and encamped, he says he was then marched to Cumberland Court House, Prince Edward Court House, and there he was discharged making in the whole a term of active Service of Seven Months in the Army of the Revolution.

Interrogatories by the Court

Ques. 1^st When and in what year were you born

Ans. I was born in the County of Brunswick and the State of Virginia on the 27^th of January in the year 1760 agreeable to the information I secured from my parents.

Ques. 2^nd Have you any record of your age and if so where is it.

Ans. I have a record of My age at my house in this county, in my Bible taken from my Fathers family record.

Ques. 3^rd Where were you living when called into Service, where have you lived Since the Revolutionary war and where do you now live.

Ans. I was a citizen of Brunswick County in the State of Virginia when called into Service and from there I removed to the State of North Carolina about two years after the close of the Revolutionary War and remained there in the County of Mecklenburg on Catoba[Catawba] river forty four years and that I then removed to Bedford County Tennessee.

Ques. 4^th How were you called into Service, were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute, and if a substitute for whom?

Ans. I was a drafted Soldier during all my Service

Ques. 5^th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you served, such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your Service.

Ans. I recollect Genl. Stuban personally and I also recollect to have seen a number of his officers but cannot now remember the names of any of them except his Adjutant  Abner Grissom and I believe I have given the most prominent circumstances of my Service in the forgoing declaration.

Ques. 6^th State the names of Persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and good behavior, your service as a Soldier of the Revolution.

Ans. I have not been living long enough in my present neighborhood to form an acquaintance with many persons, but I was well acquainted with Doctor William Houston and William Means, Esqrs., in Mecklenburg, Iredell and Cabarrus Counties in the State of North Carolina who are now citizens of Bedford County, Tennessee, but have not formed any acquaintances.

Declaration:

In order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress of the 7^th July 1838 entitled “An Act Granting half pay and Pensions to certain Widows”.

State of Tennessee

Maury County

On this 1 day of June 1846, personally appeared before me, Isaac N. Bills, one of the Justices of the Peace in and for Maury County in the State aforesaid and one of the members of Maury County Court of the County of Maury in the Sate aforesaid, aged seventy-nine years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made be the Act of Congress of the 7^th July 1838 entitled an act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows, that she is the widow of John Connelly who was a Soldier of the Revolution. That in July or August 1780, her husband, John Connelly entered the service of the United States in the Virginia Line, was a Private, that he was drafted and was ____ _____, that he resided in Brunswick County in the State of Virginia at the time he went into service. That owing to the great lapse of time and the consequent loss of memory, she does not at this time recollect any of his officer’s names. That after he joined the army of the United States, he marched to the town of Hillsborough in the State of North Carolina in Scouring against the British and continued there but a very short time. He then left Hillsborough and marched through different parts of the United States till the expiration of his first tour. That his first tour was nine months and at the expiration of said nine months, she does not know whether he received a written or verbal discharge and at the expiration of said first tour, he returned home to Brunswick County in Virginia and continued there a few days then went into the service again as a Private in the Militia, that he was drafted. 

Thereafter, he joined the Army of the United States, the second time, he marched to a point near Hillsborough in North Carolina, at which place he was taken very sick and was compelled to go to the hospital and continued at said hospital two weeks, at the expiration of which time he left the hospital and marched through different parts of North Carolina, against the British and Tories till his second tour ended, that his second tour was three months. At the expiration of his second tour, she does not recollect whether he received any written discharge or not. At the expiration of service second tour, he returned home to Brunswick County in Virginia, and continued there but a short time and then went into the service again. That he went into the service, the third time as a Private in the Militia. That he was drafted, that after he joined the Army of the United States, the third time, she does not know what part of the country he marched through, but his third tour was six months but she does not know whether he received a written or verbal discharge, that he served in all, eighteen months. That sometime after the year 1830, her husband, the said John Connelly, applied for and obtained a pension from the government of the United States, that said pension was twenty dollars per annum. That her husband, the said John Connelly, left the service of the United Sates sometime in 1782. That in Mecklenburg County in the State of North Carolina, on the second day of March 1790, she married the said John Connelly, that their said marriage was put down in a book called Brown’s Dictionary of the Bible by said John Connelly himself in his own hand writing, and afterwards said book and record was kept in possession of said John Connelly himself till his death and afterwards returned and kept in the possession of this declarant herself, sworn to this to me, declarant states that after they married, the said John Connelly, she continued to live with him as his wife till the 29^th day of June 1835 at which time he died, his death was set down by one James M. Connelly, in his own hand writing in said book, called Brown’s Dictionary of the said Bible which record of the said John Connelly’s death and book has been kept and returned by this declarant herself to this time. And the record of said death and marriage aforesaid were marked as documents in this cause. Declarant states after the death of said John Connelly, she delivered the Pension Certificate which he obtained to a gentleman who resides in Bedford County in Tennessee to get a pension for her. But she has not yet obtained said pension and said Certificate is at this time in the possession of said gentleman, but she will endeavor to get the same form said gentleman, and if she can obtain the same, she will send it on with the other papers in this cause. She further states that she was married to said John Connelly on the 2 day of March 1790, and that her husband the aforesaid John Connelly died on the 29^th day of June 1835. That she was not married prior to his leaving the service but marriage took place previous to the first of January seventeen hundred and ninety four, viz at the time ______ stated, declarant further states that after the death of her husband, the said John Connelly, she remained single and never had married any person whatever.

Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year                Aforesaid written before me.

Isaac N. Bills                                             Mary (X) Connelly

Justice of the Peace, M.C.

State of Tennessee]

Maury County]

On this 1^st day of June 1846, personally appeared before me, Isaac N. Bills, one of the Justices of the Peace in and for the County Court of Maury County and State of Tennessee said, John B. Connelly of County of Maury in the State aforesaid, aged fifty two years, who being first duly sworn according to law states as follows, that he was well acquainted with John Connelly in his life time and that he died on the 29^th day of June 1835 in Bedford County, in the State of Tennessee, and that he resided in Bedford County in the State aforesaid at the time of his death. Applicant further states that the copy of the marriage of said John Connelly married and is in the handwriting of the said John Connelly.

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Bible Record of John Connelly

Births:

“Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth,”

Gen. XI:1

      Milton H. Connelly was born January 22^nd, 1810

      James M.C. Connelly was born December 21^st, 1811

      Jefferson Connelly was born November 3^rd, 1803

      Charles L. Connelly was born August 10^th, 1807

Marriages:

“This is now bone of my bones…therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh.” Gen. II:23-24

      John Connelly was born January 27^th 1760

      Married March 2^nd 1790

            Died June 29^th, 1835

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John Connelly married March 2, 1790 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mary Stanford.

The widow, Mary Connelly, was allowed pension on her application executed June 1, 1848, at which time she was seventy-nine years of age and living in Maury County, Tennessee. She was living in 1850 in Giles County, Tennessee.

In 1846, James M. Connelly was a Missionary in Africa, and John B. Connelly was fifty-two years of age and a resident of Maury County, Tennessee. One Robert Stanford was in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in 1790. (The relationship of these people is not known)

West Tennessee, Mary Connelly, widow of John Connelly, under Captain Harrison, Virginia, who served in the Revolutionary War as a Private.

            Inscribed on the roll at the rate of $20 dollars and __cents per annum, to commence on the 4^th day of March 1848.

            Certificate of Pension issued the 5^th day of November, 1850 and sent to Milton A. Magnes, Cornersville, Giles County, Tennessee.

            Recorded on Roll of Pensioners under _____February 2, 1848

Vol 8(?) page 287

H.E. Robinson

1835, aged 76, Bedford County Pension List.

            Ref: GSA Report, Washington, D.C.

            Ref: Widow’s Pensions

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Sources: “Soldiers of the Revolution in Bedford County TN.”  Complied by Helen C. & Timothy R. Marsh, Shelbyville Tennessee., Rev. War Pension Application file W74 for John Connelly form Brunswick Co., Virginia sent to Mr. Milton P.Connally ion April 28, 1937.

This record is presented here for use by anyone researching the Connelly Family and is free for your use..