Samuel Gann of Winchester Va Family

From Paul Thurman Butler, Joplin, MO. From Nina Graham, 806 S 3rd St, Odessa, MO 64076-1455 (816)633-4094 4/23/96.

Revolutionary War Pension Application No. S-3388, approved March 4, 1834: On 29th of Aug 1832 Thomas Gann appeared in open Court of Pleas and Quarter sessions, Hamilton Co, TN, age 68 years, on his oath made the following declaration. He entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated that is to say he was drafted and entered, the service under Captain William Trimble and Col. John Sevier in the upper part of North Carolina and now Washington County, TN, he was immediately marched under the before mentioned officers to the high hills of Santee in South Carolina and joined the Army under Genl. Greene where the regiment to which this applicant belonged remained two or three days and was marched to Genl. Marion's headquarters above Charleston, S.C. and joined him under whose command this applicant served about four months. This applicant was discharged while at Genl. Marion's station he believes, by Col. Sevier and returned home. This applicant served about five months as a horseman finding his own horse this tour. Soon after this applicant returned home. He was appointed Capt. of a light-horse company and commissioned by Governor Martin of North Carolina as such in which command as a Capt. this applicant served off and on as a ranger on the frontiers of North Carolina until the termination of the Revolutionary War, during which time this applicant was in several skirmish in the immediate vicinity of King's Mountain. On that date battle was fought at that place, in which skirmish this applicant received a wound on the crown of his head by a British dragoon. He was not directly engaged in the battle at King's Mountain. After the termination of the revolution this applicant served under Genl. Sevier, formerly Colonel Sevier, until the termination of the Cherokee War, and was in several skirmishes with the Indians and was in a sharp engagement with them at the fork of Coosa and Hightower Rivers or a little above. This engagement was the last which this applicant remembers to have been in. The Indian War soon after terminated and this applicant returned home. This applicant from the commencement of his services in the Revolution till the termination of the Indian War considered himself in the service of the United States or State of North Carolina about six years and received pay in the Continental money from paymasters Green and Guess and others not recollected except the last payment after the termination of the Cherokee War which was in good money and paid to Major James Steward at the War Department and by him paid over to this applicant.

This applicant states that he was born in Virginia and moved with his parents to Tennessee (Washington County which was North Carolina at that time) when he was about 14 or 15 years old. He said that the record of his birth was in a book of Cato's in his brother's possession in Tennessee, where he lived between 20 and 25 years before moving to Rhea County, where he lived 8 to 10 years before moving to Hamilton County. There is a pay record for Thomas Gann No. 3352, granted by Carter & Williams, 12 June 1783 for 9 pounds, 3 shillings, 8 pence, 23 Oct 1783. This is found is "Revolutionary Army Accounts" Vol. 1, P. 15, Folio 4, in Raleigh, NC.

Hamilton Co, TN 27 May 1834. Thomas appeared before Saml. Igou, J.P., and saith by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service but according to the best of his recollection he served not less that the periods mentioned below and in the following grades: for five months served as a private under Capt. William Trimble and Col. John Sevier & seventeen months as captain of a company of rangers during which I was actually engaged as a ranger by order of the State government of North Carolina making in all twenty eight months I was in actual service before the close of the Revolutiona;ry War, besides my service afterwards against the Indians at different times. He don't know that he can prove as required by the department of war, that he received a commission or had one in possession yet such was the fact, it was lost about twenty two years ago in moving by water down Holston river - re believes that he can by being at some trouble and expense procure testimony that he acted as captain in the service before the close of the Revolutionary War but is advised that it would not be satisfactory evidence to the War department of his grade, he Therefore claims a pension as a private for twenty eight months which is not less than the actual time he served during the Revolutionary War.

Treasury Department, Jan'y 21st 1842, to the Commissioner of Pensions. Sir: Under the date of the 6th of April, 1838, entitled "An act directing the transfer of money remaining unclaimed by certain Pensioners, and authorizing the payment of the same at the Treasury of the United States," the administrator of Thomas Gann, decd., a Pensioner on the Roll of the Knoxville Agency, at the rate of Fifty Dollars and -0- Cents per annum, under the law of the 7th June 1832, has been paid at this Department, for the 4th of March [1835], to the 25th July 1840.