His Revolutionary War Pension statement (his own words):
On this fifth day of September 1832, personally appeared in open Court, before
the Court Shelby Circuit Court now sitting. Matthew Brown a Resident of
Union Township in the County of Shelby and State aforesaid aged Seventy Nine
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 act of Congress
passed June 8, 1833. And says that he entered the service of the United States
under the following named officers, and served as herein Stated:
" I enlisted on the 29th day of June 1776, under
Captain Benjamine Kilgore, a captain of Rangers & Spyes, for three months,
at the time of my Enlistment I lived in the State of South Carolina. In
what was then called the ninty sixth district, I served three months under
Captain Kilgore. I then immediately Enlisted for a term of Three months
under Captain Thomas Mc Crary we were stationed at Ellisons Fort on Dearborn
Creek, I served the full time of three months under Captain Thomas Mc
Crary {until the} Fourteenth day of March 1779. I again Enlisted for the
term of Three months under Captain Benjamine Kilgore (the same Capt that I
first enlisted under) we were stationed at Killets Block house on Rayburns
Creek the full term of three months under Captain Benjamin Kilgore and was
dismissed on the fifth day of June 1779.
At the time of my first Enlistment, Captain Benj
Kilgores Company was under the Command of Colonel James Williams a Militia
Colo & Major Jonithan Downs, our Company officers were Captain Kilgore and
Lieutenat David,.{Lt,} David about the time or within ______ a few days
of the time that General Lee Arrived at Charleston and took the Command of the
troops, a British fleet Crossed the Bar at Sullivans Island & the Indians
and Tories made an attact on the frontiers of South Carolina and Killed and
scalped thirty odd persons, in a few days after our Company repaired to the
Plase and Bured the Dead two or three weeks after we were about thirty
miles in the Indian Country from Lindys Fort, we met a Tory he informed us
that the Indians and Tories about six hundred strong, were then on their way
to take Lindleys Fort, we Repaired immediatly to the Fort as soon as possible
to inform them of their danger and assist in the defense of the plase, we
arrived at the Fort the Same Evening, we found many if the troops {int**p**ated}incapacitated?,
and not Expecting an attact, one {L***is ***eaul}L*** perso nel?
attempeted to shoot Lieutenant {Mc} David for bringing them such words, the
Commandant Major Jonithan Downs ordered the {Ruan} to be stoped {&} the
Companies that were around the Fort to come in at this Eriliest moment Colonel
Beard arrived with three hundred troops on their way from a plase called the
Dutch Forks to join the Expedition against the Indians Commanded General
Williamson, about midnight the Indians and Tories Surrounded the Fort the
alarm was given by the Sentry and the men fired out of the Fort, and shot down
two Tories at the Fort door. We found a plenty of blood but no Indians
found we got about ten stands of Indians Colours our men made a sally from the
fort the Indians & Tories retreated in great haste, in the morning we
pursued the Enemy. Our Lines were about half a mile wide we took Eight
or ten of the Enemy prisoners they were painted like the Indians but were
Tories, - we followed the trail about three miles to a small field and found
about thirty Horses Saddles, Saddle bags, and Blankets, amongst them we found
Colonel Lindlys Saddle and Saddle Bags and in his Saddle Bag we found his
Commission (Colonel Lindly was soon after this taken Prisoner and Hung)
about an acre of ground all Scattered over with Bags of parched Corn meal, the
Indians had taken a prisoner killed him and took from him {two} Scalps
the next day our Company of Scout{ies} took Eight of ten Tories at their
homes, still painted like Indians. I continued as horseman or ranger
until my first three months were out and then Enlisted for three months more
as above stated under Capt Thomas
McCrary, we were stationed on the frontiers at Ellisons Fort, and I continued
there performing the duty of a Private Soldier for the full term of three
months, nothing of consequence took place during this term of service, during
my third and last three months service, our Company and Capt Kilgores Company,
were stationed at Killets Block house some twelve miles from Ellisons Fort,
about the first of June 1779 a day or two before my time was out, the Indians
Killed a man about two miles from the Block house, scalped him & left a
war tomahawk sticking in his back and a war club laying at his head. I
can not recollect of any other circumstances of consequence
that took place during my last three months service excepting our Captain
forged orders and drew the pay for the Company, and Cheated us out of it.
The Capt was imprisoned for near two years for Cheating his men.
1. I was born in County Wexford, Ireland in 1752.
2. Came to America when 12 yrs. old (1764) (Into Charleston)
3. I was living in Ninty sixth district of South Carolina when called into
service and lived there until 1803 when I emigrated to the State of
Ohio in Hamilton County, and lived there until April 1826 when I Came here to
the County of Shelby(Indiana) where I now live.
4. Col. James Williams Major Downs & Col Beard,
5. I never received any discharge, we were dismissed but not discharged.
I do not know of any person in this County who has a
personal knowledge of my service neither have I any documentary evidence to
prove the {service}."
He hereby relenquishes every claim whatever to a
pension or anuity except the present, and states that his name is not on the
Register roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn to and Subsribed, at day and year aforesaid
Sworn to and Subsribed, at day and year aforesaid
Sworn to and Subscribed in open Court the day and year aforesaid
Sylvan B. Morris, Clerk S.C.C. (Shelby Co. Court)
Images of Matthew Brown's Revolutionary War Papers
Images of Matthew Brown's Revolutionary War Papers