The couple lived in S.C. until 1785/86 when they moved to Lincoln County, GA. After moving to Jasper County, GA, Henry died in 1818. At the time of his death, the Smith’s had 12 children.
In 1845, Aaron Smith petitioned the courts to grant his mother, Sally, a widow’s pension from the Revolutionary War service of her late husband. Congress had passed a pension act for Rev War veterans in 1832 extending coverage to the spouse and heirs in 1836. The petition immediately ran into trouble because there were no surviving papers validating Henry’s wartime service. In the next few years there would be affidavits stating that Henry Smith had relayed to them that he had served under General’s Sumter and Marion. Henry's brother-in-law Jesse Matthews would make a statement about Henry’s service and a son-in-law would copy the Smith family bible to present to the court. Deeds of land purchase were found in the file along with actual service papers found by the South Carolina comptroller’s office. A handwriting analysis was done and it was determined Henry Smith’s handwriting on S.C. military papers and his later signature was one and the same! Unfortunately, Sally Mathews Smith would die (August 22, 1848) before her petition would be approved. Her seven remaining children were awarded their father’s pension in 1854. The pension was $33.00 a year (about $1,000 today).
Henry Smith (1852-1818) m. Sally Mathews Smith (1757- 1848)
Children:
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Other items found in the application:
Declaration. In order to obtain
the benefit of the third section of the Act of Congress of the 4 July 1836.
State of Georgia. Pike County. February 18th 1845. Special
Inferior Court. On this 18th day of February 1845 personally appeared before
the Honourable, the Inferior Court held in and for the County aforesaid in the
same being a Court of Record, Mrs. Salley Smith, a resident of said county and
state aged seventy-nine years, who, being duly sworn according to law, doth on
her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the
provision made the Act of Congress passed July 4, 1836. That she is the widow
of Henry Smith, who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution and served in
the South Carolina Militia as private and sergeant and in the Continental Line
and State Troops of South Carolina as she has always understood and believes
under the following named officers, viz, Capt. Ross, Col. Middleton, and Genls.
Sumpter and Marion. That she made the above representation to the Comptroller
of South Carolina and procured the documentary evidence hereunto annexed, which
she refers to for proof of her husband’s services as aforesaid with other
certificates of identity hereunto annexed. That she is unable to give a
narrative of her husband’s services as aforesaid, but is of opinion that his
services were rendered in the state of South Carolina and that prior to her
husband removing from said state he lost his discharges. Consequently, she has
no other documentary evidence than that hereunto annexed. That she knows of no
person now living who knew her husband while a soldier as aforesaid. And this
deponent further declares that she was legally married to the said Henry Smith on
the __ day __ seventeen hundred and seventy eight (1778) in Fairfield District
State of South Carolina by the Revr. Isaiah Gilson , a clergyman of the Baptist
order in accordance with the customs of said state and that they resided in
said state until the year 1785 or 6 when they removed from thence to the County
of Lincoln, State of Georgia, and that her husband in removing from his native
state procured the certificates hereunto annexed; and from the County of
Lincoln they removed to the County of Jasper, all of the said State of Georgia
where her husband, the said Henry Smith died on the seventeenth day of June,
eighteen hundred and eighteen (1818), leaving her as his widow and that she is
still his widow. That she has no documentary evidence of their marriage. That
she knows of no person living who could testify to the fact. That her only
family record is nowhere in Court, which is not her husband’s original family
record. But that her husband in his lifetime procured the aforesaid Bible and
that a gentleman by the name of Neil Urquhart made the entries therein from the
original family register by request of herself and husband in their presence
and by their approbation down to the age of Rachel Smith their youngest child,
which is of her own knowledge a true family register and is referred to as such
that the original family register has long since been worn out and destroyed
and the above named taken in the lieu thereof. That she has remained a widow
ever since the period of her husband’s death all of which will more fully
appear by reference to proof hereunto annexed.
Sworn to and subscribed in open court on this 18th day of
February 1845. Attest Wiley E. Maugham. Clk
Salley /her mark/ Smith
State of Georgia. Spalding
County. Be it known that before me in open court personally appeared Aaron
Smith, aged sixty-three years, a resident of Pike County in said state, and
after being duly sworn according to law states that he is the son of Henry
Smith and Sally Smith deceased; that his father, he always understood from his
earliest recollection, was a soldier in the War of the Revolution, a part of
the time as a private and a part of the time as a sergeant, in the State of
South Carolina, under what Captain and Colonel he is not now able to state, but
that he has been informed that a part of said service was und the command of
General Francis Marion; that he has frequently heard his father speak of being
in several skirmishes against the British and Tories during said war; that his
father died in the year eighteen hundred and seventeen in Jasper County in the
state of Georgia leaving his mother, the said Sally Smith, a widow, who in her
lifetime made a declaration for a pension as his widow, but from the stringent
rules and requirements of the pension office failed to be allowed a pension, as
he has been informed and believes. He further states that his mother died in
the year eighteen hundred and forty-eight leaving the following children of the
said Henry and Sally Smith: Aaron Smith (the declarant), Sally Head, Henry
Smith, Rebecca Reece, Patsey Smith, Rachael J. Smith, Nancy White. He therefore
makes the foregoing declaration for the purpose of obtaining the pension due
himself and the surviving children of the said Henry and Sally Smith deceased
under the several acts of Congress.
Aaron Smith
Sworn to and subscribed before me in open court this the 4th day
of March 1853. Wm L Gordon.
State of Georgia. Spalding County. I, William L. Gordon,
ordinary for said county, do hereby testify that I believe the foregoing
statements made by Aaron Smith are true and that he appears to be as old as he
represents himself to be.
Given under my hand and seal of office this 4th day [day] of
March 1853. Wm L. Gordon, ordinary
---
State of Georgia. Spalding County. Before me in open court
personally came Aaron Smith, who being duly sworn according to law deposeth and
saith that the annexed is his family bible, which said leaf contains and that
the Bible which he now produced before me and out of which said record was
taken in open court is his family Bible and that the entries upon said record
are true and genuine, and that the deponent’s birth was made on said record by
one Cornelius Urquhart who was then his brother-in –law and is in his
handwriting.
Aaron Smith
Sworn to and subscribed before me in open court & I do
hereby testify that said annexed record was taken from said bible mentioned in
the above affidavit in open court. This March the 4th 1853. Given under my hand
and seal of office the day and year above written.
Wm L. Gordon, ordinary
State of Georgia. Pike County. On
this the second day of February eighteen hundred and forty six, personally
appeared before me Blumer H. White, a Justice of the Peace in and for said
County, Jesse M. Mathews, a resident of Randolph County and state aforesaid,
aged sixty-five years past, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on
oath make the following statements. That he is a brother of Sally Smith,
whose name previous to her marriage to the said Henry Smith was Sally Mathews.
That he was too young to know anything of the services of that said Henry Smith
in the War of the Revolution of his own knowledge, but always understood from
the family and the acquaintances of the family that the said Henry Smith was a
Revolutionary soldier from Fairfield District, State of South Carolina. That at
the age of eighteen years deponent was sent by his parents to board with the
said Henry Smith in Lincoln County State of Georgia, boarding with the said
Henry Smith, he the said Smith requested deponent to assist him in looking over
his old papers for purpose of finding some for which he the said Smith had an
immediate use at that time, and whilst looking over the papers they found a
discharge of the said Henry Smith’s for three years’ service in the troop; they
found two papers which deponent thinks were certificates for militia services,
but does not now recollect the length of time, which papers deponent saw and
read, and heard the said Henry Smith say that he would take care of them as
they might be of some service to him at some future time. Deponent further
declares that he has not seen his sister the said Sally Smith for sixteen or
seventeen years before; and did not know that she was living till a few months;
neither did the said Sally Smith know that deponent was living tlll very
recently when by chance they learned that each other were living.
Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and year first mentioned. I do further certify that the affiant Mr. Jesse M. Mathews is an intelligent and creditable witness. Blumer H. White, J.P.
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