My list of Branch men residing in NC who served in the Revolutionary War.
This is a list of Branch Men Paid for Service in Revolutionary War From North Carolina that I have compiled. No one source has a complete list of all of these men. As far as I can tell, all these men fought in NC or SC conflicts or were standing members of a home militia. The pension applications of two Branch men are included on this blog. Burrrell Branch lived in Duplin County and lived to be in his 80’s as a veteran. Col. John Branch was of Halifax County and had passes away so his widow, Elizabeth Branch of Franklin County, in her 80’s, applied for a widow’s pension.
Annotations of notes about each man. Birth/death are approximate. Listed geographically.
(Dawn Branch King, June 2017)
Burrell Branch of Northampton and Duplin NC, Pension Application
Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statements and Rosters
Pension Application of Burrell Branch S6698 NC
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 13 Nov 2014.
State of North Carolina } Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
Duplin County } August Term 1832
On this the twenty eighth day of August Anno Domini 1832 personally appeared before the
Justices of the Court aforesaid viz Alfred Ward, Robert Middleton and Richard Miller now sitting Burrell Branch a resident of Duplin County and State of North Carolina aged seventy five 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 provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States in the year 1781 with whom I do not now recollect and served in the tenth regiment of the North Carolina line under the following named officers Gen’l Green [Nathanael Greene], Gen’l Brown, Col Blount, Major Doherty, Joseph Rhodes Captain, Curtis Ivey Lieutenant, the Ensign he does not recollect. that he left this term of enlistment he thinks in May 1782, that when he entered the service he resided in the County of Duplin N.C. that he was not in any battle, but was in hearing of the battle at Eutaw Springs [in South Carolina, 8 Sep 1781], that he was engaged for one year, that he rendezvoused at Duplin old Court House and marched from thence to Hillsborough N. C. from thence to Salisbury N.C.
from thence by Charlotte to Camden in South Carolina, from thence to Thomson’s fort, he thinks, on either the Wateree or Congaree [Belleville, fortified home of Gen. William Thomson near confluence of Wateree and Congaree rivers], from thence on towards the Eutaw Springs. from thence he was detached with some wounded men to Camden where he remained till he was discharged &c. That he entered the service as a militiaman under the command of Captain Thomas Williams, Barrell Moring [sic: Burwell Mouring] Lieutenant, Thomas Rutledge Colonel, & Col. James Moore. that he does not recollect the day, month or year but it was before he was in the regular services. neither does he recollect the time when he left the service, that he engaged his first term in the militia for three months, that he served under the officers aforesaid; that he engaged another term of three months in the militia under, he thinks, as well as he can recollect, the same officers as in the first term of militia service, that he resided in Duplin County N C. when he entered each of these terms of service, that he thinks he was a volunteer in both terms, that he was in no battle, that he does not well recollect where he rendezvoused but thinks it was at Duplin’s old Court House, that he marched through New Hanover County N.C. to Wilmington and Jumping Run a mile or two from Wilmington, that he remained there sometimes guarding & keeping sentry till both terms of his militia service was out; that he served with no continental regiments or companies while in the militia regiments, that while he was in the Militia service
he was acquainted with no regular officer but Curtis Ivey; that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service in the militia. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State Interrogatories propounded to Burrell Branch an applicant for a pension on account of Revolutionary services
1st Where & in what year were you born
Ans. I was born in Dobbs County N.C. now Greene County in the year 1757
2nd Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?
Ans I have no record of my age. I think I once had but it has been destroyed in some way
3rd Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary
War, & where do you now live.
Ans. When I entered the first three months of militia service above spoken of I lived in Duplin County N.C. but I served seventeen days before that time and when I entered the seventeen days service I lived in Dobbs County N.C. Since the Revolutionary War I’ve lived in Duplin County NC. except one year that I lived in New Hanover Cty & I now live in Duplin.
Col. John Branch of Enfield and Halifax NC, Pension Application
Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statements and Rosters
Pension Application of John Branch W5925 Elizabeth Branch NC
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 12 Nov 2014.
State of North Carolina }
County of Franklin }
Court of pleas & quarter Sessions, December Term A.D. 1850.
On this the second Monday of December, being the ninth day of the month, in the Year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and Fifty, personally appeared before the Justices of the Court of pleas and quarter sessions in open Court, Elizabeth Branch a Resident of the state of North Carolina in the County of Franklin, aged Eighty years who being duly sworn according to Law, doth on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the act of Congress passed the 29th of July 1848. that her husband the late John Branch who was a Colonel in the militia of North Carolina and went from the County of Halifax in said State of North Carolina in the Revolutionary War she further declares that she was married to the said John Branch on or before the fourteenth day of May one thousand eight hundred that her said husband the aforesaid John Branch died on the fourteenth day of March anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and six, that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but that the marriage took place at the time above stated. She further swears that she is now a widow and that she has never before made any application for a pension. She further declares that there is no family record of the marriage, or of the death of her said husband John Branch.
Sworn
and subscribed in open Court [signed] Elizabeth Branch
State of North Carolina }
Halifax County } On this the 14thday of October 1853, before me the undersigned a
Justice of the peace in and for the county aforsaid personally appeared William Cullum aged 88 years, a person well known to me and whom I certify to be fully entitled to credit, who being first duly sworn according to law doth upon his oath declare that he is wholey disinterested in the statement which he now makes As follows; That he was well acquainted with John Branch who lived and died in the County of Halifax NC at place called the Old Marsh Store, that the said John Branch was a Colonel of the Militia of Halifax County when the British army was in Halifax Town, That the said John Branch was Colonel as before stated, when Cornwallis was taken [19 Oct 1781], and when peace was made, and that he mustered under the said Col John Branch several years after peace was made, but when he was appointed Colonel he does not know, the day and date above written William his X mark Cullum
State of North Carolina }
Franklin County }
On this the Fifteenth day of November in the year of our Lord 1853 personally appeared before
me Joseph J. Jones one of the acting Justices of the Peace for the County of Franklin and State aforesaid Mrs. Elizabeth Branch of the said County and State, aged Eighty three years and seven months who being first duly sworn according to Law, doth on her Oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed on the Third of February A.D. 1853 granting Pensions to widows of persons who served during the Revolutionary War, to wit, That she is the widow of John Branch who was a Colonel in the Revolutionary War of the Militia from the County of Halifax North Carolina. She further declares that she was married to the said Colonel John Branch in the month of May A.D. 1800 she thinks on the 1 th day thereof, which marriage took place in the County of Franklin North Carolina. She further declares that her said husband died at his residence Elk Marsh in the County of Halifax North Carolina on the 14thof March A.D. 1806. That she was not married to him prior to the second of January A.D. 1800 but at the time above stated. She further declares that she is now a
widow. [signed] Elizabeth Branch