Southern Campaigns American Revolution
Edward Jackson was the great, great grandfather of John Seaborn "Seab" Jackson (and father of Isaac Jackson; grandfather of Stephen Pugh Jackson; and great grandfather of Isaac Thomas Jackson). His brother, Stephen Jackson gained some fame for his exploits in the American Revolution. He was known as Killing Stephen Jackson. While there are at least two Stephen Jackson's who served in the Revolution, our Stephen was the son of Benjamin and Mary Lively Rushing Jackson. His wife was Nancy Ann Cook.
Pension Statements & Rosters
Pension application of Stephen Jackson R5522 Nancy Jackson f41NC[sic, SC]
Transcribed by Will Graves 12/19/07 rev'd 1/25/16
[Methodology: Spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected in some instances for ease of reading and to facilitate searches of the database
Where the meaning is not compromised by adhering to the spelling, punctuation or grammar, no change has been made. Corrections or additional notes
have been inserted within brackets or footnotes. Blanks appearing in the transcripts reflect blanks in the original. A bracketed question mark indicates that
the word or words preceding it represent(s) a guess by me. The word 'illegible' or 'indecipherable' appearing in brackets indicates that at the time I made
the transcription, I was unable to decipher the word or phrase in question. Only materials pertinent to the military service of the veteran and to
contemporary events have been transcribed. Affidavits that provide additional information on these events are included and genealogical information is
abstracted, while standard, 'boilerplate' affidavits and attestations related solely to the application, and later nineteenth and twentieth century research
requests for information have been omitted. I use speech recognition software to make all my transcriptions. Such software misinterprets my southern
accent with unfortunate regularity and my poor proofreading skills fail to catch all misinterpretations. Also, dates or numbers which the software treats as
numerals rather than words are not corrected: for example, the software transcribes "the eighth of June one thousand eighty six" as "the 8th of June 1786."
Please call material errors or omissions to my attention.]
[p 7]
State of Tennessee, Humphreys County
On the fifteenth day of June 1840 personally appeared before me, William McCasland an acting Justice of the Peace for said County, Nancy Jackson , a resident of Tennessee and County of Humphreys County, aged 86 years, who being 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 July the 4th, 1836. That she is the widow of Stephen Jackson, deceased, who was a militiaman in the serviceof the United States, and that the aforesaid Stephen Jackson entered into the service in the spring of the year of 1777 in South Carolina, having been drafted and sent on a tour of duty to Charleston in South Carolina (name of the Captain or Regiment not recollected). Sometime in the same year he was called on and performed a second tour of duty at Charleston (officers not recollected) and returned home, just before the defeat of General Gates at Campden [Battle of Camden, August 15-16, 1780], after said defeat, Stephen Jackson, together with many others fled from South Carolina with their families and sought protection in North Carolina, in the month of August of the above date. The aforesaid Stephen Jackson together with many others returned to South Carolina in pursuit of the Tories and continued in service until near Christmas of the same date. Some time in the year 1778, Captain Joseph Griffy [perhaps Captain Joseph Griffith, from being disabled, became unable to perform the duty incumbent upon him as Captain, and the aforesaid Stephen Jackson was appointed in his stead, a Captain of a Company, and acted in that capacity until the Siege of York and surrender of Cornwallis in 1781 [October 19, 1781]. Having been during the time of the service in many parts of South Carolina, in a part of North Carolina, in many skirmishes with British and Tories, at the battle of Ramsour's Mills [June 20, 1780] and many other places, this statement having been made to the dependent by her husband the aforesaid Stephen Jackson deceased.
And after the surrender of Cornwallis the aforesaid Stephen Jackson was honorably discharged by General Greene [Nathanael Greene], which discharge is lost or mislaid, so that the same cannot be obtained. Deponent further states, that agreeable to the best of her recollection, that her husband the aforesaid Stephen Jackson was again Commissioned as Captain by General Greene to aid in the suppression of the Tories in South Carolina, and that the aforesaid Stephen Jackson did faithfully act, the part assigned him until the consummation of the definitive treaty of peace in the year 1783.
She further declares that she was married to the aforesaid Stephen Jackson on the 16th day of February 1771 in the State of South Carolina, and that her husband the aforesaid Stephen Jackson died in South Carolina on the 10th day of September 1832, and that she has remained a widow ever since that period, as will fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed.
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written before
Attest: S/ William Teas
S/ Nancy Jackson, X her markS/ William McCasland, JP
[p 8]
The above deponent Nancy Jackson, not knowing how long her husband the aforesaid Stephen Jackson was in the service of the United States has in order to amend her declaration, made the following affidavit —
Personally appeared before me the undersigned a Justice of the peace for said County Nancy Jackson, who being duly sworn according to law Deposeth and saith, that by reason of old age and consequent loss of memory she cannot swear positively as to the precise length of the service of her husband the aforesaid Stephen Jackson, but recounting to the best of her recollection, after so long a lapse of time, that he served faithfully for the term of five years, and for such service I claim a pension.
She hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that her name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State, and she further declares that she does not know of any person by whom she can prove the services of her husband the aforesaid Stephen Jackson.
Sworn to & subscribed the day and year above written, before
S/ William Leas
S/ Nancy Jackson, X her mark
S/ William McCasland, JP
[p 4: On June 15, 1840 in Humphreys County Tennessee, the widow testified that she had no record of her marriage or of the births of her children.] [p 6]
State of Tennessee, Perry County
Personally came before me David B. Funderburke an acting Justice of the Peace for said County of. Phillip Rushing1 originally of the State of North Carolina, now a resident of the County of Perry & State of Tennessee Revolutionary Pensioner of the United States, aged 86 years, and after having made oath in due form of law, says that he was personally acquainted with Stephen Jackson deceased of South Carolina, a Revolutionary Soldier, in the hard struggles between the Whigs of that day and the British and Tories, and that the said Stephen Jackson did to his deponent's knowledge, both as an officer & soldier, bravely defend the rights of the oppressed, for a series of years, being in many hard skirmishes with the Tories with him, the said Stephen Jackson, but deponent's recollection from age having rather failed him does not attempt a detail of all the services rendered during the war by said Stephen Jackson, but a rumor prevailed during the struggle, that he said Stephen did actually kill at different times nineteen Tories, Deponent has not the least doubt that there are now many pensioners of South Carolina at this time who served under the command of Captain Stephen Jackson deceased,
Deponent further states that from his earliest recollection he was acquainted with Nancy Cook of South Carolina, now Nancy Jackson & widow of the said Stephen Jackson and resident of the County of Humphreys and State of Tennessee and that the said Stephen Jackson and Nancy Cook were lawfully married in the State of South Carolina on the 16th day of February 1771, deponent being at the marriage, & that the said Stephen Jackson died in the State of South Carolina on the 10th day of September 1832, and the aforesaid Nancy Jackson is now a widow and has been such since the death of her husband, the aforesaid Stephen Jackson deceased.
The word North in the third line, interlined before the subscriber.
Sworn to and subscribed this 12th day of October 1840.
S/ D. B. Funderburke, JP
S/ Phillip Rushing, X his mark
1 Philip Rushing S21458[p 18]
State of Tennessee Humphreys County: County Court December Term 1853
This day appeared in open Court before me James Yeates Chairman and Presiding Magistrate of
the County court of Humphreys County in the State of Tennessee Abel Jackson age about sixty six years with whom I am personally acquainted-- who being duly sworn according to law declares that he is the son and only surviving child of Nancy Jackson deceased the widow of Stephen Jackson a revolutionary Soldier and who was an applicant for a widows pension under the act of Congress passed July 4th 1836 that the said Nancy Jackson died in the County of Humphreys in the State of Tennessee on the 9th day of May in the year 1853 and that he makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the pension to which his mother Nancy Jackson may have been entitled up to the time of her death .
Sworn to before me in open court and subscribed this 5th day of December 1853
S/ James Yeates
S/ Abel Jackson, X his mark
[p 9:
On December 5, 1853 in Humphreys County Tennessee, James Thompson, about 60 years old, gave testimony that he was well acquainted with Abel Jackson, son of Nancy Jackson, widow of Stephen Jackson a revolutionary soldier; that he, affiant, has known Abel Jackson about 37 years; that Nancy Jackson died in Humphreys County in the month of May 1853; that Abel Jackson has always been considered and reputed to be the only child and heir of Nancy Jackson being her only surviving child. P 15: On February 6, 1855 in Humphreys County Tennessee, James Thompson then stating his age as 59 years, corrected his earlier affidavit as to the time for the death of Nancy Jackson stating that
she died in 1843, not 1853.] [p 17]
"Abel Jackson was born on the 24th day of August 1786” p 14]
State of Tennessee, County of Humphreys
On this 6th day of February in the year of our Lord 1854, personally appeared before me an
acting Justice of the Peace, duly appointed, &c commissioned, Abel Jackson, aged about Sixty-Eight years, appeared; who being duly sworn, says that he is the son of Stephen & Nancy Jackson, late of the County & State aforesaid and that he was born in the month of August 1786. That he had a brother named William, who was ten years older than himself, who is now dead, and that there were two children older than his said brother William, both of whom died during the war of the Revolution, as he has always heard from his parents during his lifetime. That his mother, Nancy Jackson, applied for a pension under the act of Congress of 4th of July 1836, during her life time, but that she died before receiving it; to wit, on the 9th day of May in the year 1843 and did not in the year 1853, as erroneously & by mistake written in his affidavit of the 5th of December 1853 and did not in the year 1853, as erroneously
& by mistake written in his affidavit of the 5th of December/ Abel Jackson, X his mark
S/ W.M. Hendrix, JP {Seal}
[p 37: Certificate from the South Carolina Comptroller General showing that payments were made to
a Stephen Jackson Jr. for 30 days service and 37 days service both under General Marion
p 38: Do showing payments made for militia service in 1782 for 90 days in the militia on Horse
p 39: Do showing payments made for 21 days driving cattle for the militia in 1780, 1782 and 1783]
