From "Kith and Kin of James Lawson" by Verne Marsh 1989

DECLARATION " In order to obtain benefits of the acts of Congress of June 7,1832, STATE OF TENNESSEE, County of Henry.

On this the first day of September 1845 personally appeared before the county court of said county, James Lawson a resident of District fourteen in said the county of Henry and State of Tennessee, James Lawson aged eighty-seven years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth make the following declaration, in order to abtain the benefits of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed 7 June 1832.

That he enlisted in the army of the United States in the year 17 ________, with a recruiting officer named Joshua Shaw and served with a regiment of United States troops commanded by Col. McIlvane in the Company of Capt. William Kinsey. He enlisted at a place called Newton in Pennsylvania and was mustered into service at Bristol, Bucks Co.,Penn. opposite Burlington, N.J.; was in the battle of Germantown; from Germantown was sent with a detachment to Frankfort where he was stationed about three months and from there made excusions into the neighborhood. The British then had possession of Philadelphia. When the British left Philadelphia my regiment went in pursuit. I was in the battle of Stony Point. Gen. Wayne commanded. We stormed British redoubts with trailed arms. From Stony Point we returned to Newton, seven miles from Bristol where he was stationed a whole winter in winter quarters.

Col. Johnson was in command and sometimes Col. Chambers. General Wayne was the Commander in Chief of all the Pennsylvania troops. After the capture of Cornwallis he was discharged, or rather dismissed, at New York. General Knox was the officer who rode along the lines and dismissed the men telling them that they would be provided for. I served the revolutionary army two years and 8 months.

I afterward served in Col. Harmon's (Harmar's) expedition to the west. I then lived in Poughkeepsie. New York. I enlisted with Capt. John (could be Ira) Hamtramek and was soon appointed Sargent. We rendezvoused at West Point. Our regiment was commanded by Col. Harmar the other Captains besides Hamtramack were Hart, Strong, and Zeigler. We marched 29th October from West Point to Pittsburg passed Reading, Carlisle, Bedford. These baggage wagons were said to have been the first wagons ever to cross the Alleganies. Got to Pittsburg 29th November - staid there 3 or 4 weeks - Major Daughty was sent to Ft. Mackintosh at the mouth of Big Beaver. The Indians threatened to burn the fort. We were ordered there to assist Major Daughty. About the first of March, I went from Mackintosh with Capt. Hamtramack's company under the command of Major Willis to the Mingo towns of Mingo Bottoms. Norris, the head man, among the Tories sent in a flag of truce and the parties came to a compromise. The Indians and the Tories agreeing to move off in ten days. We went to the mouth of Muskigun and staid with Daughty in a forsaken fort until the ten days were out and then returned and found the Indians and Tories partly gone and in the act of going. From the Mingo towns we returned back by the river to Mackintosh where I was discharged by Capt. Hamtramack."

(Copied from the original application for a Revolutionary War pension; file number 6203 on record in the National Archives.)

The 1790 cesus of North Carolina shows a James Lawson but lists no family. We find a marriage record for James in Orange Co.,N.C. to Catherine Waggoner on 25 May 1793 with bond signed by James Lawson and John Waggoner. The 1800 census of Orange County shows James as head of household with two daughters under 10 years of age. Family legend says, "James left grown children in N.C. when he moved to Tennessee in 1814." James and his new wife Jurutha left N.C. in 1814 arriving in Bedford County,Tn. 12 Dec 1814 with the following children: James, a son by his former wife Catherine, Shadrach, a son of Jurutha, and Elizabeth, a daughter by Catherine.

In February of 1818 the family moved to Defeated Creek in Hickman County,Tn. In 5 March 1827, James entered land on Defeated Creek consisting of two hundred acres for 1 cent per acre.(grant No. 9395) He is listed in the 1830 census with three daughters.

In 1833 he, Jurutha and two daughters Sarrah and Jane moved to Henry Co.,Tn. Family tradition says that he abandoned his property when he moved west. In 1978 his farm was known as the "old George Littleton Place". The 1850 census finds him in the northern section of Henry County near Coyersville.

His will of 17 March 1846 was proved August 1852:

"In the name of God Amen, I James Lawson of the County of Henry, State of Tennessee, being feeble in body and much advanced in age, but, thanks to God of perfect and sound mind and memory, but knowing by the course of nature that I cannot live long, I have therefore thought proper to make this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all others, of the little property of which I possess, viz, In the first place if I owe any debts I wish them paid, In the next place I wish my beloved wife Jurutha Lawson to have all the property I have and own consisting of land, stock, household and kitchen furniture, tools of every kind and all singular the goods and chattels, that I may own at the time of my death togather with all the debts which may be owing to me at the time of my death, together with all the debts: which may be owing to me of every nature and kind wgatsoever, during her lifetime at her death, I wish my daughter Jane Johnston Lawson to have the whole of what is remaining or left by my wife at her death. Let it consist of what it may. I do this because she is the only child living with us in our old age and I have nothing worth dividing amongst all my children.

I can only say that they have my dying prayers for their welfare and prosperity and whatever I may have give each one of them heretofore is hereby confirmed. I wish my beloved wife and daughter Jane Johnston to be the executrix of this my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have this day hereunto set my hand on this 17 day of March 1846."

(All of this from "Kith and Kin of James Lawson" by Verne Marsh)

1800 Census Orange Co., N.C.
LAWSON, James 00010-20010-00 (1 male 26-45, 2 females 0-10, 1 female 26-45)

1810 Census Orange Co.,N.C.
Lawson, James

1820 Census, Duplin, N.C.
James Lawson
(1 male 10-16, 1 male 16-18, 1 male over 45, 1 female 26-45, 1 male slave over 45, 1 female slave under 14)

1830 Census, Hickman County, Tn.

1840 Census, Henry Co., Tn.
James Lawson
(1 male 80-90, 1 female 60-70)

1850 Census Henry County,Tn.
LAWSON, JAMES 89 M W FARMER 150 IRELAND
LAWSON, JERUTHA 75 F W NORTH CAROLINA LAWSON, JANE J. 33 F W TENNESSEE