Carter Brothers Saw Action in the
American Revolution
by Jane Wade(Thanks to Jane Wade for allowing me to include this article on the carterlaws.com web site, and to Michele Lee Grant for bringing it to my attention, and e-mailing it to me...Kenny Carter)
While alive, Wendell Grogan, one of the founding members of theGenealogical Society of Rockingham and Stokes Counties, was always ready to help other researchers. Now, his collection of genealogical research is housed at the Madison Library's Research Room, and is still helping researchers. On a recent trip to the research room, I found the following materials on brothers Henry and William Carter of Albemarle County, Virginia (brothers to my ancestor Susannah Carter, wife to Daniel Payne). Henry moved to Stokes County, NC , while William moved to Patrick County, VA. These siblings are the offspring of Bernard/ Barnett Carter who married Elizabeth Tureman, daughter of Ignatius Tureman of Berkeley Parish, Spotsylvania County, VA (Will recorded 2 March 1784, Will Book E: 572). I found the accounts of their service in the American Revolution and the family facts found in their pension applications extremely interesting. Abstracts of their pension files were included in John Frederick Dorman's Virginia Revolutionary Pension Applications: Vol. 16. A copy of Sarah Carter's widow's pension application follows this article. Copies of the above came from the Wendell Grogan Collection.
Henry Carter (widow Sarah)
File- #w. 394013 March 1829: Stokes County, NC. Henry Carter of said county, aged 67, declares he enlisted for eighteen months in September 1779 in Albemarle County, VA, under Captain John Marks in the 2nd Virginia Regiment of Colonel Hawes and after the resignation of Captain Marks, was commanded by Captain John Anderson. He was discharged at Salisbury, NC, by Major Jones. He was in the battles of Guilford Courthouse, Camden and Eutaw Springs and Ninety Six. He owns one colt, one mare, six head of cattle, six head of sheep. He sold a tract of land for $400 to his sons George W. Carter and Anderson and Winston Carter. George is in Illinois and Anderson is in Virginia. He is a farmer. He has a wife and one daughter with him.
13 March 1829: Stokes County, NC. Winston Carter declares he and his two brothers George and Anderson purchased the above land for $400 which H. Carter owed them for extending to them the means of subsistence. A part of the debt was contracted in 1823.
18 October 1823: Promissory note from Henry Carter to Winston Carter for $270. Witnesses: John N. Carter and Wm. F. Moore.
26 January 1827: Stokes County, NC. Isaac (x) Bullen declares he was a soldier in the 2nd Virginia Regiment under John Anderson and knew Henry Carter, a private in the army until his discharge in Salisbury.
20 August 1828: Henry County, VA. Daniel (x) Burchel of said county declares he knows Henry Carter served in the regular army eighteen months. They were both at Chesterfield Courthouse, VA in the 2nd Virginia Regiment under Col. Hawes in Capt. Jones' company. From thence they marched to Petersburg, then to North and South Carolina in 1781 under General Greene and were at the Battles of Guilford Courthouse, Camden and Eutaw Springs and were both discharged in Salisbury, NC, in February, 1782.
1 October 1828: Deed of Henry Carter of Stokes County, NC to George W. Carter of same. For $370. 137 1/2 acres dividing Ward's former tract by a straight line running east and west, situated on the north side of said tract, containing the home house where Henry Carter now lives and on the head of Hughes' Creek. Witnesses: John N. Carter and Elijah Moore (Deed book 9:376).
1 October 1828: Deed of Henry Carter of Stokes County, NC to Winston Carter of same. For $300. Two tracts of Callaham's Creek, containing 300 acres...Ward's Corner...the tract entry begins at James Davis' corner...Houston's line...
9 April 1843: Stokes County, NC . Sary (x) Carter of said county, aged 72, declares she is the widow of Henry Carter. They were married in December 1785 and he died 28 February 1843.
7 June 1843: Stokes County, NC . John Carter, son of Henry and Sary Carter, declares the family register is in his father's hand with the exception of George's birth.
"October 8th 1786 John Carter was born the above date
Elizabeth Carter was born December 28th 1788
Poley Carter was born November 9, 1790
Nancy Carter was Born in the year 1794 March the 21
February the 15th in 1798 Winston Carter was born the above date
Anderson Carter was born the 6 April 1801
I George Washington Carter was Born 5 July 1804"13 December 1785: Albemarle County, VA Marriage bond: Henry Carter to Sarah White. Security, Jesse White.
13 June 1843: Stokes County, NC . George W. Carter was appointed guardian of Sarah Carter who was not capable of managing her won affairs.
13 December 1844: Stokes County, NC . Anderson Carter was appointed guardian of Sarah Carter , George W. Carter having left the state.
11 March 1846: Stokes County, NC . Anderson Carter, guardian of Sarah Carter , declares she has resided there about thirty years.
3 October 1848: Stokes County, NC . Sarah (x) Carter of said county aged 78, applies for continuance of pension.
Henry Carter of Stokes County, NC, private in the company of Captain Marks in the regiment of Colonel Haws in the Virginia line for eighteen months from September 1779, was placed on the North Carolina pension roll at $8 per month from 22 March 1832 under the Acts of 1818 and 1820. Certificate #20429 was issued 4 April 1832.
Sarah Carter, widow of Henry Carter, private in the company of Captain Marks in the regiment of Colonel Haws in the Virginia line for eighteen months, was placed on the North Carolina pension roll at $60 per annum. Certificate #8282 (Fayetteville, NC , roll) under the Act of 1838 was issued 9 April 1844, #7717 under the Act of 1843 was issued 1 May 1846 and #2968 under the Act of 1848 was issued 12 January 1849.
Carter, William (Martha)
File- #w. 37732 November 1832: Patrick County, VA . William (x) Carter of said county aged 74 on 17 October last, declares at an early period of his life he was drafted for three months in
Albemarle County, VA, where he resided, in the company of Captain John Hunton and marched to Richmond, VA , and joined the regiment of Colonel Richardson. He served until his time expired.
Again, he went as a substitute for his father, Barnett Carter, who was drafted for three months under Captain John Martin and marched to Richmond where he joined the regiment of Colonel Lindsay. They marched to a place near Williamsburg and then up to King William County and moved from place to place. He was discharged in Richmond and returned to his residence in Albemarle.
Sometime afterward he was drafted in a company of militia under Captain John Miller and marched to Richmond and to Malvern Hills. The regiment was frequently marched about watching the movements of the enemy. When his three months expired he was discharged at Malvern Hills and returned home.
Soon afterward, he went as a substitute for John Saunders who was drafted for three months under Captain Richardson and marched to Richmond and then to Williamsburg and joined the regiment of Colonel Towles. They marched to Yorktown and the Halfway House near Hampton. The vessels of the enemy were lying in the bay of Hampton Roads when a storm arose and blew some of them ashore. A number of their men were captured by the Americans. When Colonel Towles' regiment arrived in Hampton they were met by the Americans who had the prisoners in charge and they were given up to Captain Richardson who immediately moved off with them to Richmond where the prisoners were lodged in jail and the company was discharged.
Soon after he returned home, he was drafted in a company of militia for three months under Captain Benjamin Harris and marched to Richmond where he joined the regiment of Colonel Matthews of Augusta. He marched to a position between the lines of the American army commanded by Generals Lafayette, Nelson, Wayne, and Steuben and the enemy, where they remained until relieved by General Wayne and he was discharged.
He was a substitute for William Jones who was drafted for three months under Captain Brown and marched from Albemarle County through Richmond to Williamsburg where he joined the regiment of Colonel Stubblefield. The enemy being then in Little York, he was marched about from one place to another watching the enemy until his service expired and he was discharged and returned to Albemarle County.
In 1781, he was drafted for three months under Captain John Key and immediately marched to Richmond and joined the regiment of Colonel Lewis who immediately marched to join the American armies at Little York where Lord Cornwallis was besieged. He remained until about a week before the enemy surrendered when he was taken sick and discharged.
He was drafted in a company of Captain Benjamin Wheeler for three months to guard the prisoners belonging to the troops of General Burgoyne who were taken at Saratoga and stationed at the Barracks in Albemarle County. At the expiration of the term, the company was relieved by regular troops enlisted for that service.
He served three months under Sergeant Barnis Brown of Charlottesville guarding some Tories of public notoriety, one named Goodrich and another McCann.
14 June 1839: Patrick County, VA . Martha Carter of said county, aged 76, declares she is the widow of William Carter. She was married 9 January 1782 and he died 9 October 1833.
7 October 1840: Stokes County, NC . Henry Carter declares his brother William Carter was married by publication of banns to Mrs. Martha Carter in Albemarle County, VA. He heard the banns published three times by Pastor Irvin, a Presbyterian preacher. William Carter and Martha McKinsey were married in January 1782. He went after William Woods, a Baptist preacher to marry them. In going for the parson, his horse fell and he received a hurt in his knee, which did not get well for a long time. Martha Carter has resided in Patrick County, VA, upwards of thirty years.
19 August 1841: Stokes County, NC . Henry Carter and Sarah Carter declare William and Martha Carter had the following children:
Alexander Carter, born in 1784;
Elizabeth Carter in 1786;
Nancy Carter in 1788;
Milly Carter in 1790; and
William Carter in 1792, all born in Albemarle County, VA.25 August 1841: Alex B. Clark writes from Patrick County, VA, that the original family register has been lost.
17 August 1843: A. B. Clark writes from Patrick County, VA, that he is the grandson of Martha Carter.
29 June 1844: Patrick County, VA . Martha Carter of said county, aged 78 or 79, applies for continuance of pension.
16 December 1848: Patrick County, VA . Martha Carter of said county, aged 80 (notice discrepancy of age), applies for continuance of pension.
William Carter of Patrick County, VA, private in the company of Captain Hunton in the regiment of Colonel Lindsay in the Virginia line for two years, was placed on the Virginia pension roll at $80 per annum under the act of 1832. Certificate #6444 was issued 1 March 1833.
Martha Carter, widow of William Carter who died 9 October 1833, private n the company of
Captain Hunton in the regiment of Colonel Lindsay in the Virginia line for two years, was placed on the Richmond, VA , pension roll at $80 per annum. Certificate #6669 under the Act of 1838 was issued 30 May 1842, #5656 under the Act of 1843 was issued 5 June 1844, and #2891 under the Act of 1848 was issued 9 January 1849.