Declaration of Lewis Boan
The State of South Carolina }
Chesterfield District }
Henry Boan of the District and State aforesaid says on oath that he is the son – the oldest living child of Lewis Boan and Mary Boan. Deponent always understood and believes that his father Lewis Boan was a Whig and served in the War of the Revolution. Deponent has often heard his father say that he turned out as a volunteer against the Torys at the age of sixteen, but deponent doesn’t recollect to have heard him say how long he served on his first tour. Deponent also heard him say that he served near Charleston on Sullivans Island, Bulls Island and other places as a drafted Soldier, a tour of six months. Deponent has also heard his father say that he served another tour, but how long deponent doesn’t remember, but deponent does remember that his father said in the time of this last tour he was in the fight at Bettis Bridge on Drowning Creek in North Carolina, where he was wounded and taken prisoner, and that he was afterwards paroled by Fanning the Tory Colonel who commanded the enemy at Bettis Bridge. His father was wounded in the thigh four or five inches above the knee. Deponent has often seen the scars – one on each side of the thigh where the ball passed. Deponent doesn’t know under whom his father served in the first tour above mentioned. In the second tour above mentioned his father said he and Aaron Knight (now dead) served as soldiers together, but deponent can’t say under what officers he served. In the Battle at Bettis Bridge, deponent thinks his father was under the command of Col. Wade and was under the immediate command of a Liet. or Ensign Jordan. Deponent has heard his father say that he served under Major Speel, but how long, at what time, or at what places deponent can’t say further than that he was with Speel on the Pee Dee River.
Deponent don’t know the age of his father at the time of his death or the year in which he was born, nor can deponent state precisely when his father and mother were married, but feels confident that they were married as early as or before 1753, for deponent will be sixty one years old the twelfth day of next February (1850) and he has always understood that he was born less than two years after the marriage of his father and mother. Deponents mother lost a child by miscarriage before deponent was born, which is the reason deponent says above he is the oldest living child of his parents.
Deponent can’t say where his father died but knows he died upwards of thirty years ago and left deponents mother a widow and she continues a widow up to this time of her death. She (deponents mother) died the tenth day of April in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty five leaving at the time of her death this deponent Henry Boan, Elizabeth Boan, Killis Boan, Aggy who married Jacob Holly, Phoebe who married Edward Boan, Gilly Boan, and William Boan, and perhaps Rachel and Winney Boan. Rachel and Winney left his part of the country many years ago and whether they be alive or dead deponent don’t know. Gilly Boan died unmarried since the death of her mother. All the above named were the children of Lewis and Mary Boan. Deponent makes this declaration on behalf of himself and his aforesaid brothers and sisters in order to obtain for himself and for them any pension from the Government of the United States the right to which had been conferred on his mother in her life time by the Act of Congress.
The above Declaration sworn } Henry Boan (his mark)
to before me this 2nd day of Feb }
AD 1850 Given under my hand }
and seal of Office }
Turner Bryan
Judge of the Court of Ordinary
for Chesterfield District
The State of South Carolina }
Chesterfield District }
Aaron Knight of the District and State aforesaid personally came before me Turner Bryan Judge of the Court of Ordinary of the District aforesaid in the State aforesaid and being duly sworn, saith, that he knew Lewis Boan in his life time, deponent knows he was old enough to have served in the War of the Revolution. Deponents father Aaron Knight served in the War of the Revolution and deponent has often heard his father (who is now dead) say that Lewis Boan served with him in the said War and that said Lewis Boan was a good Whig and a good Soldier. Deponent believes that his father and said Lewis Boan served together under General Wade. Deponent has always understood and believes that Lewis Boan served some time in the neighborhood of Charleston, SC – particularly on Sullivans Island. Deponent has also been informed and believes that said Lewis Boan was in the Battle of Bettis Bridge on Drowning Creek in South Carolina and that he was there wounded and taken prisoner by Col. Fanning who commanded the British and Tories in that battle. Deponent has heard his father say that he served six months in the neighborhood of Charleston and deponent believes Lewis Boan was with him the whole time. Deponent knows that Lewis Boan and Mary Boan were regarded and passed as husband and wife – Lewis Boan died upwards of thirty years ago leaving Mary his wife surviving. Mary the widow never married again, but continued a widow until she died. Said Mary Boan died as deponent believes in the Spring of the year 1845. Henry Boan is a son of said Lewis and Mary Boan. There are now living of the children of said Lewis and Mary Boan the following, viz: Henry Boan, Elizabeth Boan, Killis Boan, Aggy who married Jacob Holly, Phoebe who married Edward Boan and William Boan. Rachel and Winney left this part of the country many years ago and whether they are now alive deponent does not know.
Deponent has seen the wound on the thigh of Lewis Boan which it was said he received in the Battle of Bettis Bridge.
Sworn to before me in } Aaron Knight
the Court of Ordinary at }
Chesterfield Court House in }
the District and State }
aforesaid }
Given under my hand and seal}
of Office this 26th March 1849}C
Turner Bryan
Ordinary CD
State of South Carolina } Personally appeared Aggy
Chesterfield District }
Melton before me Turner Bryan, Judge of the Court of Ordinary for said District, who after being duly sworn saith that she is about eight years of age and that she was well acquainted with Lewis Boan and Mary Killingsworth, who was married to said Lewis Boan as was said by them and the neighbors generally by one Reverend Lewis a Baptist minister of the Gospel and that the said Lewis Boan and his said wife Mary resided together as man and wife during their joint lives – and that Henry Boan their son was born in Wedlock about one year after marriage and that the said Lewis Boan paid the marriage expenses.
Sworn before me this } Aggy Melton (her mark)
first January 1849 }
Turner Bryan, Judge }
of the Court of Ordinary }