State of Kentucky, Perry County

On this 10th day of December, 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the Court of the County of Perry now sitting Samuel Stidham, a resident of the county and state aforesaid and eighty five years old 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 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under Capt. James Giddens, Lieutenant David Humphrey & Ensign Benjamin Humphrey--Col. Martin Armstrong & Maj. John Armstrong & Gen. Rutherford at Surry Court House, North Carolina, and at that time he was a resident of the said county of Surry, that he was with the company stationed at Surry Court House, aforesaid as a guard of the magazine at that place. The tour was for three months and during the time it was said that the tories were rising about the mulberry fields on the Adkin and he with others were marched there after them but the Tories had fled and the company returned back to the magazine. At the end of the 3 months he was discharged. Afterwards he was drafted and was again placed at the magazine where he served 3 months and was discharged. He states that he was again drafted and taken to the same magazine as a guard where he was detained a part of the tour of 3 months, that the company commanded by the same officers were marched on near to Sorceymore Mill on Dutch Buffalo Creek in Rowan County, same state where the company joined the main army and where they met Gen. Rutherford. That the company took down to the main army ammunition. They then marched on towards Gen. Gates Army about one day and night and took up camp on Long Creek where a man got killed by the falling of a tree on him and that himself and another soldier was left to bury the dead man, which they done, and started on in pursuit of the army the next day and met the company returning after delivering the ammunition as they said and that he then returned with the company, they having been discharged. That he got discharges but does not know what has become of them.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

Samuel Stidham
His X Mark

Personally appeared in open court, Stephen Codell, and after being duly sworn states that after conversing with Samuel Stidham and hearing his declaration is fully convinced that what he has stated is true and that he himself was present when the man was killed as described in the declaration.

Stephen Codell His X Mark

We, Daniel Duff, a clergyman, and Jesse Bowling, residing in the County of Perry, state of Kentucky, hereby certify that we are well aquainted with Samuel Stidham who has signed & sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be 85 years of age; that he is respected & believed in the neighborhood where lives, to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.

Sworn and subscribed the day and year aforesaid

Daniel Duff
Jesse Boling

And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter & after putting the interroggatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier & served as he states; and the Court futher certifies that it appears to them that Danl. Duff who signed the preceeding certificate is a clergyman resident in Perry County Ky. and that Jesse Bowling who has also signed the same is a resident in the same and is a credible person & that their statement is entitled to credit & that Stephen Codell who signed the Certificate before the other is a credible person & entitled to credit.

I Jesse Combs clerk of the County Court of Perry County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Samuel Stidham for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my private seal there being no seal of Office this 10th day of Decemberr 1832.

Jesse Combs

I know Jesse Combs to be the Clerk of the County & civil servant of Perry Co. Ky and that the above signature is geunine

R P Letcher
17th Jany 1833