Fourth Generation Inclusive

Original Claim

State of North Carolina, District of Edenton, County of Pasquotank.  On this 8^th day of March 1825 personally appeared in open Court being a Court of record for Pasquotank Samuel Overton a free man of Colour, resident in said County aged [illegible] six Years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration In order to obtain the provision made by the acts of Congress of the 18^th March 1815 and the first May 1820.  That the said Samuel Overton enlisted for the term of three Years in the Year 1776 in the State of North Carolina in the Company commanded by Captain Isaac Moore, in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Peter Lange in the line of the State of North Carolina, on  the continental establishment, that he continued to serve in said Corps until the death of Captain Moore, when a certain Devisha[?] Davis commanded that he continued in the Service of the United States until the taking of Yorktown in Virginia, when he was discharged in the City of Philadelphia in the Year 1781, that he was at the battles of Germantown, Charlestown S.C. and at the taking of Yorktown in Virginia, and at the Battle of Germantown received two wounds. That he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension, except this present, that his name is not on the roll od any State, and that the following are the reasons for not making earlier application for a pension. That as long as he was able he was desirous to maintain himself; but now he is to infirm to support himself and family by his labour, and in addition had the misfortune to lose all his property by fire in July 1824.  And in pursuance of the act of the first May 1820 I do solemnly swear, that I was a resident Citizen of the United States on the 18^th day of March 1818, and that I have not since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress entitled “An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval Service of the United States in the Revolutionary War” passed on the 18^th day of March 1818, and that I have not, nor has any person in Trust for me, any property or securities, contract or debts, due to me, nor have I any income, other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed and my be subscribed To wit one Cow and two shoats. That since the 18^th of March the change in my property has been its loss by fire in July 1824.  My family consist of my wife and Son David five years old        Samuel X Overton

From the file of Samuel Overton, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, National Archives and Records Administration.