Private John Carter (Caster): Verifying Claims in a Rejected Pension File (R1749)

Maria Williams-Cole,
SAR Grave Memorial Service, 2014

In 2014, at the culmination of my research for the North Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution (NCSSAR), I wrote a post entitled, Private John Carter: Revolutionary War Pension File (R1749) He was honored on March 16th of that year at the Grave Memorial Ceremony at Harlowe Community Center in North Harlowe, North Carolina--in the community where my father-in-law, Chester Carter Sr., was born and raised. 

Vetting Sources
When I worked with the NCSSAR, I not only researched the list of Patriots names the group supplied me with, but I gave them my database of over 2,500 descendants of Paul and Hannah Carter and Peter and Joan George, the progenitors of the Carter and George families in North Harlowe, along with the intertwined branches of that tree, including the familiar surnames of those still living in the community:

Anderson	Andrews	Bannister
Battle	Becton	Bell
Black	Boone	Braddock
Bryan	Cannady	Carter
Chadwick	Coleman	Culley
Dove	Falls	Fenner
Fisher	Frazier	Gaskill
Gaudet/Godette	George	Hardesty
Harkley	Hickman	Hodges
Hoyt	Huskins	Hyman
Johnson	Jones	Lewis
Martin	Mitchell	Moore
Perkins	Pickett	Richards
Roberts	Robinson	Smith
White	Whitehead	Whittington
Williams	Willoughby	Woods

Now that I'm working on the Forgotten Patriots Project with SOFAFEA.org, I'm going back to my old work and vetting claims and sources. What does that look like? Last week I completed the 9-Part series, Isaac Carter: Determining Identity in Same Name Rev War Soldiers. Today I'll be looking at the claims made in a rejected pension file for Private John Carter (Caster).

Claims Made in the Declaration

The Service-Pension Act of 1818 offered financial assistance to those Revolutionary War Soldiers who had served a minimum of 9 months or to the end of the war "in a Continental military organization or in the U.S. naval service (including the Marines)."[1] These benefits continued for life. There were three types of pensions offered: "S" files were for survivors, "W" for widows, and "R" were rejected, and these letters were followed by a file number. 

The Act of 1820 added the eligibility requirement that the veteran prove financial need and describe the state of health for everyone in the household. 

The Act of 1832 lowered the length of service to a minimum of six months of service and added a provision for those who served in the State troops and militia. These servicemen's files were often incomplete because of the lack of state-level records proving service and discharge. Applicants had to appear in court and have a witness corroborate their service.

All three Congressional acts relating to the survivor's pension required the applicant to give a social history in open Court in their home county. Questions included the date and place of enlistment & discharge, the regiment, commanding officers, troop movements and engagements participated in, property owned, financial condition, spouse's and children's names, and health.[2]

As you'll see when I get into the analysis of John Carter's pension application, some trouble spots caused his case to be rejected.

The claims made in file R1749

Enlistment, Discharge, Service

John Carter applied under the Acts of 1818 and 1820. He declared that he "enlisted for the term of nine months on the [blank] day of [blank] in the year [blank] in the State of No Carolina in the company commanded by Capt Quinn--in the 10th Regiment commanded by Colo Davidson in the line of the State of North Carolina--on the Continental Establishment, that he continued to serve in the said Corps nine months. when he was discharged from the said service at Halifax in the State of North Carolina." Right off, we can see that there are gaps in his history. 

It was customary for Wiliam Hill, the Secretary of State of North Carolina, to Certify the service record of North Carolina pension applicants, about John Carter, he said, "It appears from the muster rolls of the Continental line of this State in the Revolutionary war that John Carter a private in Capt Quinn's Company of the 10th Regt was mustered on the 20th July 1778 for nine months. The date of his discharge is not mentioned."

Encampment, Engagements, Compatriots

John Carter's declaration states, "he was not in any encampment but was in some skirmishes near West Point and at Kings Ferry. He has no other evidence of his services in his power except the adjoined deposition of Asa Spelman." 

Verifying the evidence

Just as we did in the Isaac Carter identity series, we can use the clues presented for analysis. 

When I first started researching Revolutionary War history, my late husband's friend who was a SAR genealogist in Western North Carolina told me that even though the 10th North Carolina Regiment had been reassigned at Valley Forge and the regiment disbanded, enlistment officers continued to designate it on enlistment records. It didn't mean much to me then; but, years later, I fully commiserate! 

Our clues:

1. enlisted on July 20, 1778,
2. nine months,
3. Captain Quinn's company,
4. commanded by Colonel Davidson,
5. Skirmish near West Point,
6. Skirmish at King's Ferry.

One of my go-to sources for researching free black families is Paul Heinegg's Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina (online database). The Revolutionary War page records an entry for the State Records of North Carolina (Vol. XVI: 1034). This is a "Roster of North Carolina Troops in the Continental Army (1791)," and the soldier's name was transcribed into the record as "John Caster." But you can also see on this page how many men who enlisted in this period didn't have a recorded discharge date. All the other facts (1-3) check out.

My next step, look up Captain Michael Quinn on Carolana.com, by J.D. Lewis. As you can see, from the Spring of 1778 to 1779 Captain Quinn was with the 3rd North Carolina Regiment New Levies, who were "nine-month men." 

In Colonel William Lee Davidson's bio, I learned that on June 1, 1778, he was transferred to the 3rd North Carolina Regiment--just 50 days before John Carter's enlistment--and that he commanded the regiment at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778.

Reckoning dates

So, now that we know that John Carter served in the 3rd North Carolina Regiment, it's time to compare notes and reckon dates. Compare notes? Yes. Two other soldiers I've researched, Private Isaac Perkins and Private Martin Black, served with the 2nd North Carolina Regiment and were also present for two skirmishes: 

• Near West Point: May 16, 1779, and 
• King's Ferry/Fort Lafayette: May 31, 1779.

Wonderful! But wait a minute. Wouldn't nine months from July 20, 1778, be in April 1779? And these skirmishes happened in May? 

Unit histories

Now it's time to check the unit history. Where was the 3rd NC Regiment in July 1778? On June 1, 1778, they were sent home from the Northern theater to recruit. So, it makes sense that John Carter enlisted as a New Levy in July. By late 1778, the unit was rejoined with Washington's main army, reassigned from the Middle Department to the Southern Department, only to be sent home again in April  1779. They weren't rebuilt again until November of that year.[3] 

Battle histories

J.D. Lewis records these skirmishes on his timeline, "North Carolinians Outside of North Carolina During the Revolution," but only records the NC Provincial, State Troops, or Militia involved in them:

• Skirmish Near West Point: "Col. Thomas Clark with the 5th NC Regiment and Col. John Patten with the 2nd NC Regiment skirmishes with 500 British Regulars."
• Skirmish at Fort Lafayette, NC: "Capt. Thomas Armstrong and 70 NC Continentals, remnants of the 2nd NC Regiment and the 5th NC Regiment forced to surrender to much larger British Army."[4]

Hugh Rankin in his book, The North Carolina Continentals, records the only details of the Skirmish near West Point that I've seen. "And it was Clark's First and Second North Carolina regiment that received the first spring thrust by the British." Two columns of about 500 soldiers crossed the Hudson River and marched toward New Bridge, their objective being Paramus Church. The British rounded up the cattle and pillaged the houses before falling back across the river.[5]

Fort Lafayette was situated at Verplanck's Point where the King's Ferry made river crossings between there and the garrison at Stony Point. On May 31, 1779, Clark spotted a large British force of about 6,000 disembark from 70 ships and 150 flat-bottomed boats on both sides of the river. Stony Point fell quickly; then, the British turned their force against Fort Lafayette.[6]

Analysis

There are issues with dates. The 3rd North Carolina Regiment had been sent home in April and these skirmishes didn't occur until May.

The troops present were recorded as being from the 2nd North Carolina and the 5th North Carolina Regiments. 

The survivors at Fort Lafayette had surrendered to the British. 

With three questionable items, Private John Carter was included in the SAR memorial, but I've decided not to include this soldier's service in the SOFAFEA Forgotten Patriots Project. 

Sources

[1] "National Archives Microfilm Publications, Pamphlet Describing M804, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land-Warrant Application Files." Washington, D.C., 1974.

[2]"Revolutionary War Veteran and Widow Pensions," National Park Service.

[3] J.D. Lewis, "Third North Carolina Regiment: Brief History of the Regiment," Carolana.com. 

[4] J.D. Lewis, "North Carolinians Outside of North Carolina During the Revolution," Carolana.com.

[5] Hugh Rankin, The North Carolina Continentals, UNC Press, 1971, p. 169.

[6] Hugh Rankin, The North Carolina Continentals, UNC Press, 1971, p. 170.

Isaac Carter: Determining Identity of Same Name Rev War Soldiers, Part 9

Compiled Service Records

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) didn't begin its database of Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR), beginning with Union Civil War veterans, until the 1890s. When I researched my husband's great-grandfather, Isaac Carter's United States Colored Troops (USCT) Civil War service, I ordered the file from NARA. All 175 pages of it. And yes, there are way too many Isaacs in the family.

But when the archives transcribed the Revolutionary War Service Records, the file contained the jacket and one muster roll card. It doesn't mean that other records don't exist out there. As researchers and authors, our job is to locate, compile, and analyze the extraneous pieces into a complete file. But how I wish for that one letter from the North Carolina Secretary of State authorizing our patriot's service found in other patriots' pension files.

So from here on out, I will create the compiled service record of Private Isaac Carter who lived on the South Side Neuse River, West Side of Clubfoot Creek in a community now known as North Harlowe in Craven County, North Carolina.

Carter, Isaac

Appears on a Roll

of Major John Tillman' s Company in the Craven County Regiment of Militia, commanded by Col. John Bryan.

(Revolutionary War)

Roll dated (account paid 1775-1776)

Craven County, State of North Carolina

40 days of service, paid 4 pounds [1]

1776, 1st August.

Isaac CARTER, Transportation.

No. in report: 34.

Specie dollars: 25.45. [2]

C.    2    NC

47. Isaac Carter

Appears on a Roll

of Captain Clement's Company in the 2nd North Carolina Battalion, Commanded by Colonel John Patten

(Revolutionary War.)

Roll dated: White Plains

September 9th, 1778

Time Enlisted,     17__.

Time Engaged for: [blank]

War, [blank]

Years, 3

Remarks: [blank]     [3]

Isaac Carter. 90009.

Regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Clark,

Paid to November 15, 1783 [4]

Allowed Isaac CARTER for pay to 1st January 1782 including Interest to 1st August 1783 (4 months & 4 days unsettled)

22 pounds, 19 shillings, 10 pence [5]

Isaac Carter

Appeared on a Roll of Capt. Silas Stevenson's company, 10th North Carolina Regiment, commanded by Col. Abraham Sheppard. Enlisted 1 September 1777, for 3 years, W, deserted 13 June 1783 [6]

Isaac Carter

Found on Payroll No. 2325.

Voucher No. 4409 paid: 20 pounds, 5 shillings, 0 pence.

Dated: August 27, 1783, District of Wilmington.

For Militia Duty.

Paid: 21 pounds, 3 shillings, 0 pence. 

(2 holes, 2 payments redeemed) [7]

Isaac Carter

Voucher No. 2337 paid: 1 pound.

Dated: February 20, 1784, District of New Bern.

For Militia Duty.

(payment redeemed) [8]

1. Isaac CARTER, Private. 

Amount charged: 355.07.

Amount credited: 21.76. 

Balanced paid & charged by the state: 333.21.

Balance actually found due: 244.74. [9]

Analysis of Compiled Service Record

Two main things stand out for me: Continental Line vs. Militia dates. 

• If Isaac Carter served in the Craven County Regiment of Militia before the establishment of Fort Macon, it would have been between 1775 and 1776, for 40 days.
• If Isaac Carter served with Isaac Perkins and Martin Black in the 10th NC Regiment and the 2nd NC Regiment, he enlisted on September 1, 1777, and deserted on June 13, 1783.
• If Isaac Carter served in the Craven County Regiment of Militia at Fort Hancock, it would have been for a year between June 1, 1778, and May 4, 1780.

Martin Black was listed on the same Militia Roll as Isaac Carter and Joshua Carter, in Major John Tillman's Company, for 40 days.

In another Militia Roll, Isaac Perkins and William Dove served on the same Militia Roll, in Major John Tillman's Company, for 40 days.

These five men were neighbors. 

So, when I see Isaac Carter's name on the muster roll with Isaac Perkins and Martin Black in the 10th and 2nd North Carolina Regiment, I tend to believe it's the same person. 

When I examine a timeline of the Craven County Militia and the 2nd North Carolina Regiment and its officers, I find the following:

• Sep 1, 1775: 2nd NC Regiment formed
• Sep 9, 1775: Craven County Regiment of Militia formed
• 1776: Capt. Silas Stevenson, under Col. John Bryan, Craven County Militia
• 1776-1778: Maj. John Tillman commanded Craven County Militia
• Feb 27, 1776: 2nd NC Regiment assigned to Southern Department
• Feb 5, 1777: 2nd NC Regiment reassigned to Northern Department
• 1777-1781: Capt. Clement Hall, under Col. John Patten, 2nd NC Regiment
• Apr 17, 1777: 10th NC Regiment formed
• Apr 19, 1777: Capt. Silas Stevenson, under Col. Abraham Sheppard, 10th NC Regiment
• Jul 8, 1777: 2nd NC Regiment assigned to the NC Brigade, Northern Dept.
• Aug 1777: 10th NC Regiment marches Northward
• mid-Feb 1778: 10th NC Regiment reached Hanover County, Virginia. At Valley Forge the 10th was attached to the 2nd NC Regiment
• Jun 1, 1778: 10th North Carolina Regiment formally disbanded permanently
• 1778-1783: Colonel John Tillman commanded Craven County Militia
• Jul 19, 1779: NC Brigade & 2nd NC Regiment reassigned to Highlands Dept.
• Nov 11, 1779: NC Brigade & 2nd NC Regiment reassigned to Southern Dept.
• May 12, 1780: 2nd NC Regiment surrendered 301 men to British Army at the Fall of Charleston, SC
• Apr-Jul 1781: reconstituted 2nd NC Regiment detachment, under Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene, sent to South Carolina, added to NC Brigade
• Jan 1, 1783: 2nd NC Regiment furloughed at James Island, SC
• Nov 15, 1783: 2nd NC Regiment officially disbanded

And these are my conclusions:

1. It is plausible that Isaac Carter served for 40 days in the Craven County Militia under Major John Tillman in 1776. We have them together on the same payroll (Haun, Journal "A").
2. If Isaac Carter enlisted in the 10th NC Regiment on Sep 1, 1777, he could have been in Capt. Silas Stevenson's Company with Isaac Perkins and Martin Black.
3. If Isaac Carter enlisted in the 10th NC Regiment, he was transferred to the 2nd NC Regiment at Valley Forge, in Capt. Clement Hall's Company, under Col. John Patten.
4. If Isaac Carter was in the 2nd NC Regiment, he deserted on Jun 13, 1783, after 5 years 9 months 12 days service.
5. But, it is not possible that Isaac Carter could serve in both the 2nd NC Regiment and at Fort Hancock, because if he returned from the War in 1783, he would not have been available for service at the fort in 1778-1780. 
6. However, if we go by the criteria that is now in place by the DAR, we can only claim 40 days militia duty as there is no pension file to verify if the Isaac Carter on the muster roll in White Plains, NY is the same Isaac Carter of Craven County, North Carolina.

The problem of Isaac Carter's service will never be certified by the Secretary of State of North Carolina as was Isaac Perkins' and Martin Black's was because Carter never applied for a pension. 

Sources

[1] North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Journal "A", [158].

[2] North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Vol. IV, Journal "G", [1446]-304.

[3] "US Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783", Fold3 (https://fold3.org). NARA publication no. M246, record group 93, NARA catalog id: 602384, Isaac Carter, 9 Sep 1778.

[4] "Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution," NCDAR,Ju 1932, p. 6.

[5] North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Vol. II, Book I, p. 168 [593].

[6] "Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution," NCDAR, 1932, p. 113.

[7] "North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WT-5YR1 : Fri Mar 08 21:03:03 UTC 2024), Entry for Isaac Carter, 27 Aug 1783.

[8] "North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WT-5SM6 : Fri Mar 08 21:00:54 UTC 2024), Entry for Isaac Carter, 20 Feb 1784.

[9] North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Vol. III, Journal "B", [765]-51.

Isaac Carter: Determining the Identity of Same Name Rev War Soldiers, Part 8

Reckoning Dates 

Library of Congress, Special Collections.

Of all of Haun's North Carolina Army Accounts transcriptions discussed in Part 6 of this series, those from Volume II, Book 1 were the most helpful in establishing service dates. The other account ledgers prove that these men served, but not when because payment dates could be anytime after service--sometimes months or years later. So let's take a look at the language of these entries.

• In Vol. II, Book 1, Page 120 [545]: Allow'd William DOVE Soldier for pay and defy. of Cloathing [sic] of October 1780 Including Interest to August 1, 1783....127 pounds, 2 shillings, 0 pence.
• In Vol. II, Book 1, Page 124 [549]: Allowed Martin BLACK Soldier for pay and Defy. of Cloathing [sic] to 1st. June 1780 Including Interest to August 1st, 1783....119 pounds, 9 shillings, 5 pence.
• In Vol. II, Book 1, Page 124 [549]: Allowed Isaack PURKINS Soldier for pay & defy. of Cloathing [sic] to June 1780 Includg. Interest to August 1, 1783....119 pounds, 9 shillings, 5 pence.
• In Vol II, Book 1, Page 168 [593]: Allowed Isaac CARTER for pay to 1st. January 1782 including Interest to 1st. August 1783 (4 Months 4 Days unsettled)....22 pounds, 19 shillings, 10 pence.

Each of these entries follows this pattern:

[Soldier's Name]_"for pay to [date]"_"including Interest to [date]"_ [payment amount].

By looking at the "for pay to [date]" clause, we can determine a time frame for service. Let's take a look at an example:

"Isaac Perkins...for pay...to June 1780...."

From Isaac Perkins' Pension File (S41953), I know that he enlisted in May 1778 for a 3-year term, and following the Siege of Charleston (March 29-May 12, 1780), he returned to North Carolina and was drafted into the Militia. 

Therefore, the above payment was for service on the Continental Line.

When we find a payment for Isaac Carter, "...to 1st January 1782...," I can't cross-check dates with a Pension File. He never applied for a pension. But I can see how that fits into other dates I've found for him and the places where he was said to have served.

Fort Hancock at Cape Lookout: April 1778-May 1780

Little is known of this fort, the only one built in North Carolina during the American Revolution, and no ruins or artifacts remain. I started by rereading a blog post by Mary Warshaw on More Beaufort, North Carolina History that I found a while ago, entitled, "Carteret County during the Revolutionary Period." It's a transcription from Jean Bruyere Kell's book, North Carolina's Coastal Carteret County During the American Revolution: 1765-1785 (1976). 

While I don't have access to the original source, this transcription doesn't have source citations. But that should never prevent a researcher from finding the sources! The best place to find them is in Clark's State Records of North Carolina. By finding the dates and keywords, I tracked down the following.

On January 31, 1778, Cornelius Harnett wrote Richard Caswell:

"I fear our State have neglected Cape Look Out Bay and Cape Fear River. The latter is such a harbor as may at all times be safe for the enemy to enter, and ravage the country at will, more especially at this time when all our Continental Troops are at the distance of 600 miles from that place. Cape Look Out is one of the finest harbors on the American coast, and would be a noble Asylum for the Continental and private ships of war, to wood and water, as also a place of security for trading vessels chased by the enemy. I am distressed beyond measure to find our sea coast so much neglected to please (I fear) a few individuals who may be interested in the matter, I am as before your Excellency's most &c. &c." (Vol. 13, p. 22).

A petition from Denis Nicholas de Cottineau entitled, "Defending the Landing at Capt Lookout Bay," dated April 1778: 

"About fifteen days ago Captain Cottineau came to this Town, on this Town, on purpose to represent to the Governor of this State that his frigate, now lying in Capt Look-Out Bay, was not in Security, and that she run'd the greatest risk of being insulted by the enemies of America....

"Cape Look-Out fortifications could assure...that one...might find a good shelter against the Winds and the Enemies, this Bay been fortified should prove of a great advantage to this State, being the only safe harbour from Capt Henry to Cape Fear, where strangers may go in without danger and almost without Pilots. 

"Captain de Cottineau has proposed to furnish 80 men and his boats to build a fort at his own expenses...even to put some of the frigate guns upon it until the Assembly should sent some, and Monsieur Le Chevalier De Cambray, officer of artillery, who came in this country on purpose to serve under George Washington, has talked the trouble of building the said fort, and showed to his Excellency the Governor two different plans of the necessary fortification....

"I expect that you'll be so kind as to allow a strong guard to the fort....that a guard should be sent to the present fort with an American flag....I think that 50 or 60 men will be sufficient, together with 25 I could send, in case of a near attack, to stand against 250, if the Enemies was to land them there. I intend to build a watch house or a Corps de guard to give necessary notice to the Country Militia....

"In case you should meet with some Difficulties in regard of sending proper guns to the fort, I can afford to offer 6 to this state, of 4 pounders each, which I shall Leave here....

"...this fort...requires fifteen days' work with about 60 men to be perfectioned in its capacity... (Vol. 15, pp. 215-218)."

On April 30, 1778

"Conocurred with, Mr. Coor...reported as follows, to which that: That John Tillman, Esq., was appointed Captain of Fort Hancock, Zephaniah Pinkham, First Lieutenant, and that no person had a majority of votes as second Lieutenant (Vol. 12, p. 638)."

On May 1, 1778

"Resolved, that the men to be raised to garrison Fort Hancock and Fort Johnston be enlisted for the time of one year, which being read was concurred with....that all such persons as shall enlist in either of the garrisons aforesaid previous to the first day of June shall be exempted from the vote for persons to be raised to complete the North Carolina Continental Battalions (Vol. 12, pp. 643, 650)."

On June 6, 1778, William Bryan wrote to Richard Caswell, saying:

"Mr. Green from New Bern this day says an account is come to Town, of the arrival of a large ship from France in Cape Lookout, with dry Goods (Vol. 13, p. 149)."

On June 26, 1778, Willis Wilson wrote to Richard Caswell from Ocracoke:

"The enemy (one ship, two sloops and a brig) take a peep at us every now and then, but are not disposed to venture in....The Pilots of Ocracock [sic] have finally stopped bringing in or carrying out vessels... (Vol. 13, p. 171)."

June 29, 1778, John Easton to Richard Caswell from Beaufort:

"...money is likewise wanting for the Fort at Lookout. The cruisers are constantly hovering about our coasts. Futteridge with a brig. in company drove 2 vessels into a small inlet against Hunting Quarters last week (Vol. 13, p. 176)."

Captain John Tillman wrote to Richard Caswell on December 12, 1778: 

"We have purchased a Boat for the use of Fort Hancock, as our necessity was so great and we could not possibly do without Col. Thompson was kind enough to advance the money for him. My soldiers have received their money which gives them new spirits, but are suffering much for want of their cloaks, as I have never heard from Mr. Craid since at Beaufort (Vol. 13, p. 327)."

On April 1, 1780, Le Chevalier D'Anmours wrote Governor Caswell :

"...for the encouragement of the French trade in this state, the want of which, I perceive, has been ruinous to that carried by France at the beginning of the present War; and of course disgusted the foreign merchants from sending any more ships into the ports of North Carolina (Vol. 15, p. 366)." 

A resolution by the North Carolina General Assembly dated May 4, 1780 states:

"Resolved, That on the first day of June next the Garrison of Fort Hancock be disbanded & discharged...(Vol. 15, p. 389)."

Next steps in the analysis

So there it is. The lifespan of the fort was only two years. While several sources say that the fort never saw any engagements with the British, this minimalizes the effect of the fort, because its proposed purposes were to have a safe haven and to deter the enemy from getting too close to their shores.

Now we know that Fort Hancock on Cape Lookout, North Carolina, was garrisoned with 50-60 men, to be raised before June 1, 1778, for one year, served between that time and May 4, 1780.

I am now ready to make some educated assumptions and start putting the timeline for the militiamen's combined service record, but I'll leave that for next time.

Isaac Carter: Distinguishing the Identity of Same Name Rev War Soldiers, Part 7

 I feel like the last post took us on a circuitous route that has left me a little breathless. Boiling it down, my next move is to look at commanding officers, locations, and dates:

1. Major John Tillman, Craven County Regiment of Militia,
2. Captain Silas Stevenson, 10th North Carolina Regiment,
3. Captain Clement Hall, 2nd North Carolina Regiment, and
4. Captain Robert Fenner, 2nd North Carolina Regiment.

I decided to work on them in this order because of the timeline of the regiments coming out of Craven County, North Carolina. For that, we'll have to look at a bit of North Carolina military history.

NC Patriots 1775-1783, Their Own Words

One of the best sources for regimental history is this book series by J.D. Lewis. The three-volume series is from part of his website, Carolana.com, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary (2004-2024)! It is searchable by the headings, The Patriots and their Forces; Known Battles & Skirmishes; Forts, Maps, etc. So, let's get started.

Major John Tillman (Tilman, Tilghman)

Looking at the North Carolina Patriot Majors table we see that Major John Tilman served as a Major from 1776-1778. 

• April 22, 1776, under Colonel John Bryan
• May 11, 1776, under Colonel Thomas Brown, 1st Battalion Militia (disbanded August 13, 1776)
• December 5, 1777, a known Major

From there, I followed the trail to North Carolina Military Units, starting with the Militia. 

The Craven County Militia was established on September 9, 1775, with five known Colonels: Col. Joseph Leech, Col. John Bryan Sr., Col. Christopher Neale, Col. John Sitgreaves, and Col. John Tillman. 

From Colonel Tillman's bio, we find his assignment in the second half of his military career:

• 4th Quarter 1778, 2nd Colonel, Craven County Militia
• June 30, 1779-1783, Colonel Craven, County Militia.

Remembering the entries from the Army Accounts, those Harlowe names were:

• Joshua Carter,
• Isaac Carter,
• Martin Black,
• Isaac Perkins,
• William Dove, and
• Mingo Stringer.

On the Craven County Regiment of Militia page, the name of one Captain stands out.

Captain Silas Stevenson (Stephenson)

Captain Silas Stevenson's service is listed as follows in the North Carolina Patriot Captains table:

• 1776, Craven County Regiment [of Militia] under Colonel John Bryan,
• on November 28, 1776, Lieutenant, North Carolina Continental Line,
• April 19, 1777, Captain under Colonel Abraham Sheppard, 10th North Carolina Regiment, and
• 1779, Captain in the North Carolina Militia under Colonel John Sitgreaves,

and he fought at the Battle of Briar Creek (1779).

On the Craven County Militia page, among the Known Privates, Drummers & Fifers, etc., we find the following names:

• Isaac Carter,
• William Dove,
• Isaac Perkins,
• Martin Black.

Because these names appear together and are known neighbors of the Harlowe community, depending on their times of service, they could have served in either the Craven County Regiment of Militia in 1776 or 1779, and/or the 10th North Carolina Regiment, 1777-1778. 

Captain Clement Hall

On the North Carolina Patriot Captains' table, Captain Clement Hall's service is listed as follows:

• 1777, Lieutenant,
• April 18, 1777, Captain,
• mid-1781, Captain under Major John Armstrong, 3rd North Carolina Regiment,
• February 6, 1782, 2nd North Carolina Regiment,
• September 30, 1783, Brevet Major, 2nd North Carolina Regiment,

and he fought in the Battle of Brandywine Creek (1777), the Battle of Germantown (1777), the Battle of Monmouth (1778), a Siege Near West Point (1778), the Storming of Stony Point (1779), and the Battle of Eutaw Springs (1781).

The September 9, 1778, muster roll at White Plains listed the names of Privates Isaac Perkins, Martin Black, Isaac Carter, and John Carter, and we have yet to determine if it's the same Isaac Carter who appeared with them on the list of known Craven County Militiamen. 

Captain Robert Fenner

Fenner served from 1777 to 1783 in the 2nd North Carolina Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel John Patten. He fought at the Battle of Brandywine Creek (1777), the Battle of Germantown (1777),  the Battle of Monmouth (1778), and the Siege of Charleston (1780), where he was taken prisoner and exchanged before January 24, 1782.

The only familiar name on his company's White Plains muster roll was that of Private Isaac Carter. None other. 

Next Steps

Now it's time to step back. Clear the mind. And refocus.

Isaac Carter: Distinguishing the Identity of Same Name Rev War Soldiers, Part 6

So far in our search for Isaac Carter, we've eliminated soldiers' and widows' claims in the US Revolutionary War Pension Files, and we've looked at muster rolls and service records, which gave us three more soldiers named Isaac Carter. One served in the 10th North Carolina Regiment under Capt. Silas Stevenson's Company and two served in the 2nd North Carolina Regiment, commanded by John Patten; one in Captain Clement Hall's Company, and the other in Captain Robert Fenner's Company.

We have yet to examine and analyze the records listed on Ancestry:

• US Revolutionary War Army Accounts,
• The State Records of North Carolina, and
• Pierce's Register.

US Revolutionary War Army Accounts

For the Army Accounts, I turned to a series of books by Weynette Parks Haun, entitled North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Secretary of State Treasurer's & Comptroller's Papers: Journal "A", Vols. III and IV (Part III), and Book: K, Part XVIII." (Note: The full bibliographic entries appear in the Source List in Part 4 of the series.) 

Journal A is a series of lists of amounts paid to units, headed by the company commander's name, the list of men being paid, the county militia regiment they belong to, and the amount paid to each soldier. And remember, whenever we go to a new source, we also need to look for the names of the soldier's compatriots.

On pages 140 [158] and 141 [159], we find Item 34. 181: "John TILLMAN of Craven County for his Services of part of the Craven Militia on an Expedo. to Wilmington," followed by the names of 96 men in his company, including the name of Capt. Silus Stevenson, who served 40 days.

• On p. 140 [158] we find Joshua CARTER, Isaac CARTER, and Martin BLACK who all received 4 pounds in Major John Tillman's Company. 
• On p. 141 [159] we find Isaac PERKINS, William DOVE, who served 40 Days and received 4 pounds in Major John Tillman's Company. 

The biggest problem with these records is that no service date was recorded for these payments. All we have to go on is that they were paid out in 1775-1776. 

Volumes I & II found in Part II of Haun's series are laid out differently than Journal A. It's a more detailed line-by-line account for individual soldiers who received pay for service and/or goods. 

• In Vol. II, Book 1, Page 120 [545]: Allow'd William DOVE Soldier for pay and defy. of Cloathing [sic] of October 1780 Including Interest to August 1, 1783....127 pounds, 2 shillings, 0 pence.
• In Vol. II, Book 1, Page 124 [549]: Allowed Martin BLACK Soldier for pay and Defy. of Cloathing [sic] to 1st. June 1780 Including Interest to August 1st, 1783....119 pounds, 9 shillings, 5 pence.
• In Vol. II, Book 1, Page 124 [549]: Allowed Isaack PURKINS Soldier for pay & defy. of Cloathing [sic] to June 1780 Includg. Interest to August 1, 1783....119 pounds, 9 shillings, 5 pence.
• In Vol II, Book 1, Page 168 [593]: Allowed Isaac CARTER for pay to 1st. January 1782 including Interest to 1st. August 1783 (4 Months 4 Days unsettled)....22 pounds, 19 shillings, 10 pence.

These entries at least give us some reference dates for service, which can later be correlated to dates found in other records. 

Volumes III & IV in Part III of the Haun series are from Journal B and look different still. It is a series of tables. The first reference in brackets followed by a dash and a number, is the page within Journal B, followed by the soldier's number name, rank, and the charges, credits, and balances of their accounts.

• [762]-48. 11. William DOVE, P; Amount charged: 349. 9; Amount credited: 31.32; Balance paid & charged by state: 317.67; Balance Actually found due: 229.88.
• [762]-48. 17. Martin BLACK, P; Amount charged: 334.33; Amount credited: 35.62; Balance paid & charged by state: 298.61; Balance Actually found due: 207.58.
• [163]-49. 4. Mingo STRINGER, P; Amount charged: 51. 8; Amount credited: (blank); Balance paid & charged by state: 51. 8; Balance Actually found due: 46.60.
• [765]-51. 1. Isaac CARTER, P; Amount charged: 355. 7; Amount credited: 21.76; Balance paid & charged by state: 333.21; Balance Actually found due: 244.74.
• [765]-51. 760. Isaac PURKINS, P; Amount charged: 333.33; Amount credited: 34.62; Balance paid & charged by state: 298.61; Balance Actually found due: 208.58.

The next sheet comes from Volume IV, "Book G." The heading states: "The United States are debited by the State of North Carolina for the following allowances made by Committees of Claim and Accounts, the Vouchers of which are missing." Only one soldier in our list, Isaac Carter, was found; but, I've included three officers connected with the above soldiers.

• [1445]-303. Clement HALL, Transportation; No. in Report: 16; Specie drs. 90: 15.--.
• [1445]-303. Colo. John PATTEN, Money advanced his regimt.; No. in Report: 19; Specie drs. 90: 40.30.
• [1446]-304. Isaac CARTER, ditto [Transportation]; No. in Report: 34; Specie drs. 90: 25.45.
• [1447]-305. Archibald LYTLE, provisions &c.; No. in Report: 60; Specie drs. 90: 78.67.

The last sheets from Haun come from Book: K, in Part XVIII. These accounts don't pertain to the individual soldiers we're researching but are related to Fort Hancock. If you remember from Moss & Scoggins's book, African-American Patriots in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution, the entry for Isaac Carter claimed that he "served under Capt. John Tillman (or Tilghman) in the garrison of Fort Hancock at Cape Lookout, North Carolina, along with Joshua Carter, William Dove (q.v.) and Isaac Perkins (q.v.)" (p. 45).  

"Examd. CR: William THOMSON Commissioner of Fort HANCOCK with the State of North Carolina CR: In Account Currency. [110/A lists DR:  110/A lists DR:           110/B lists CR:   ]

• By Cash paid John FULFORT for Schr. boar for use of Fort HANCOCK as p:accot. No. 1--300: -- : --.
• By ditto paid Officers and men of the Garrison at Fort HANCOCK from 1st. May to the 9th. Novemr. 1778 as p:Pay Roll No. 2--993:17: 1.
• By ditto paid ditto from 10th. November to 21st. May 1779 as p:Pay Roll No. 3--1099:16: 5.
• By Commissions and Expences for Hireing [sic] boat and two? hands to attend at Fort to pay the men @5 p:Ct. sundry Times and the Payment of the boat as above-- 109:13: 8.
• By Cash paid for Provisions for the Garrison as p:Voucher No. 4--958:14: -.
• By ditto paid Dedrick GIBBLE for bringing Money from Kingston as p:accot. No. 6: 16: 7: 4.
• By ditto paid Daniel ROGERS as p:receit. No. 7--40: -: -.
• [Total Amount with Currency] £5049: 5: 6.

• By Balance p:Contra due W. THOMSON Currency for January 1780 dep. 32 for one [Spicie] £2: 6: 6.

Note: Journal A and Book K were made in pounds, shillings, and pence, whereas the accounts paid in Book G were made in Specie dollars. The difference was that currency was made in paper money while Specie payments were gold, silver, and copper coins. While the value of paper money was often devalued, precious metals maintained their true value over time. Since payrolls were often delayed by long periods, the value of their pay seldom had the same buying power as if they had received it on time, as the state would often print more money when there were deficits. 

The State Records of North Carolina

Bear in mind that these references to the State Records of North Carolina came from Ancestry: Vol. XVI, pp. 113, 116, 118. Now, when I use this resource online, I'm doing one of two things: checking someone else's source citations or looking for new entries from the master index. In other areas of this research, I have had a great experience finding supporting information in this source; however, these Ancestry citations leave me puzzled.

Volume 16, Pages 1-177 refer to the Minutes of the North Carolina House of Commons, North Carolina, General Assembly, April 16, 1782-May 18, 1782. The portion of page 113 that applied to what we discovered in the Army Accounts is a portion of a letter written by Hugh Williamson, Chairman to the Senate:

"That there appears to be large arrears of Cloathes [sic] and other Articles due the Officers and privates, the amount being uncertain...perhaps it may be proper to allow them some months pay in Certificates that shall be negotiable as hard Money in prompt payment for some public property that may be sold...."

No mention of Isaac Carter.

Page 116 includes brief lines stating orders of business: a presentation of the resignation of John Taylor, Esqr., of the State Board of Auditors; the reading of a petition of Elizabeth Forbes, a petition of John Walker, et. al., a letter from Matthew Brooks, Commissioner of Surry County regarding Col. Joseph Martin, the recommendation of the Court of Guilford County that Robert Brasher be exempted from paying poll taxes; and, adjournment till the next morning at 9 o'clock. 

No mention of Isaac Carter.

The order of business on Page 118 begins with a letter dated 1781 from William Bryan, Chairman discussing why Colonel James Armstrong could not retire earlier than the day noted on the last arrangement, and he should be considered an officer in active duty of service; and, consideration of the memorial of Nathan and Lewis Bryan.

No mention of Isaac Carter.

Pierce's Register

In part 5, I recorded Ancestry's search results for Pierce's Register as:

1. Isaac Carter. p. Pierce's Register. 09990. Carter, Isaac; 09006. Carter, Isaac; 91489. Carter, Isaac.
2. Carter, John. p. 6. Pierce's Register. 91489. (For an explanation of this source, see: Pierce's Register. Certificates 89501-91855 were from the Regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Clarke, paid to November 14, 1783; R. Fenner, agent.)

There really can be no analysis of the certificate numbers above if the certificates no longer exist. Rechecking two payment vouchers that I had previously found for Isaac Carter, pictured below:

North Carolina Revolutionary War Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782

North Carolina Revolutionary War Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782

The first image is Voucher No. 4409, dated 27 August 1783, from the Auditors at the District of Wilmington for twenty pounds, five shillings, no pence, for militia service in Pay Roll No. 2325. The holes in the voucher are proof that it was paid out.

The image, Voucher No. 2337, issued by the New Bern District, dated 20 September 1784, was for one pound for Militia duty.

Apparently, the certificates found in Pierce's Register have nothing to do with payment vouchers. So, what do they refer to? Well, looking past the actual numbers, they were issued for service in Colonel Thomas Clark's regiment, paid on November 15, 1783. I remember reading about Clark in some battle histories, but Isaac Carter wasn't the soldier I was researching. Clark was engaged in the Battle of Monmouth, a Skirmish Near West Point, and the Siege of Charleston, where Isaac Perkins and Martin Black served in the 2nd North Carolina Regiment. So, did I just overlook Isaac Carter's service there? What records did I have for Privates Perkins and Martin that I didn't have for Isaac Carter? Their Survivor's Pension file. 

But there is a muster roll for Captain Clement Hall's Company where Perkins, Martin, and Carter are all listed. There's also a Robert Carter listed on that muster roll, and I mention this only because he was not a relative of our Isaac. He was most likely a white soldier. I only mention this because it shows that there could be others with the same surname recorded who are not the subject of our research. So, is that Isaac Carter the right one? I don't know yet. 

Tomorrow's another day.

Updated September 10, 2025