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This information is contributed by Belinda Bowman
William Tolley Application for Revolutionary War Pension
State of Kentucky
Mercer County
On this 21st day of November AD 1835 personally appeared before me, Samuel Ewing,
a Justice of the peace and one of the Judges of the Mercer County Courts, William Tolley a
resident citizen of the said County of Mercer and State of Kentucky aged seventy eight years
who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in
order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832
That he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers
and served as herein stated.
First ....That in the year 1776 shortly after the declaration of Independence He
entered Captain Rich (?) Singleton Company of NORTH CAROLINA MILITIA from the
County of RUTHERFORD {NC} and joined Colonel William Grimes Regt. and marched
through the County of Rowan to a place called cross creek when we arrived shortly after
a battle with the Tories, and where we were stationed until our tour expired which was
fully three months we marched back to Rutherford and was honorably discharged. .....
shortly after, he immigrated to this state {KY} and joined Captain Henry Prather Company
of Volunteers and marched and joined Col Geo Rogers Clarkes Regiment at Louisville
this was in the year 1780 we left home in the month of July. From Louisville we marched
up the River to the mouth of Licking River, where we built a block house, from there we
marched to {Unreadable}. The Indians learning of our approach left left the place after
setting fire to some of the houses. We then set fire to the balance of the Indians houses
and destroyed all their corn and marched to a place called Pickway (?) where we engaged
the Indians and defeated them we destroyed their corn and buildings & corn and marched
back to the block house at the mouth of Licking River where we were honorably
discharged and continued home having served in this Tour fully three months during
which tour I was duly appointed and served as Captain Prathers orderly Sergeant.
Again in the year 1781 He entered Captain John Cowan Company at Harrods Station
and marched around through the Shawnee run country to the Kentucky River and acted
faithfully as spies and scouts. This was a tour of one month we returned and was
discharged at Harrods Station, and again in the year 1781 or 2 he entered Capt. Carr
Company of spies or scouts and marched into the now County of Shelby on a creek
called Bullskin where we acted as Scouts and Spies for two months and was sent for
to come home as the Indians were killing the people near home. They killed John
Miller's family on the Roling Fork River - seven in number. We returned home and he
continued to act as spies and sometimes as the Scout until the year 1783, and after,
realy to speak the truth faithfully he can not remember the number of Tours he served
against the Indians, but he solemnly swears that he served 3 months in North Carolina
before he ..........to this country and from the year 1780 to the year 1783 he was
constantly engaged as a spie some times with Scouts acting in and out of the
different Stations as occasion required some times at Harbison Station some times
at Harrods Station and some times at Williams Station. He further states that he
was wounded in the left shoulder by a shot from the Indians near Harbisons Station,
he considers himself to have been in active service against the Indians in this country,
acting some times as a spie, some times with the Scouts and some times in the
forts fully two years and ten months. He further states that he has no documentary
evidence of his service and he knows of no person living in this County by whom he
can prove his services in North Carolina and knows of no person living by whom he
can prove all his Services in this County his Capt being long since dead, to wit,
Prather, Willis, Capt. John Little, John Harbison, Arthur Harbison, and Ebenezer Carr
under all of whom he served faithfully. His discharges have long since been lost he
never thought that they would be of any service and he took no care of them. He
further states that he is in feeble health and unable to attend the Mercer County
Court to swear to his foregoing declaration without pain and great inconvenience he
lives fourteen miles from Harrodsburg where the County Court sets which is the only
reason of his swearing to it before a single magistrate. He hereby relinquishes every
claim whatever to a pension or anuity except the present and declares that his name
is not upon the pension roll of this Agency of any State
Sworn to and Subscribed this day...................and year Sam'l Ewing J/P
William Tolley (Seal)
We, James T. Smith, a Clergyman serving in Mercer County & State of Kentucky
and Silas Harlan and James L. Williams residing in the State & County "afo" and
neighbors to the sd. William Tolley hereby certify that we are well acquainted with
him the sd William Tolley who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration.
That we believe him to be seventy eight years of age. That he is reputed and believes
in our neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and we
do fully concur in that opinion.
Sworn to and subscribed the day & year afd before me Sam l Ewing J. P. M.C.
James T. Smith (Seal)
Silas Harlan (Seal)
James L. Williams (Seal)
State of Kentucky
Mercer County
And I Samuel Ewing a Justice of the Peace and one of the Judges of the
Mercer County Court do hereby declare my opinion after a fair investigation of the
matter that the above named applicant is eligible for a pension.
The above original document was transcribed by me to the best of my ability. I left
the wording and spelling as it appeared in the original document. Orene W. Hemby
My Mother has passed away, but I have our information on this family
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