Henry Pettit, my 4th GGF:

Twelve year old Henry Pettit, my  4th GGF (my maternal GM’s line) stood in his father’s stead as a soldier in the Revolutionary War.  He is well documented in pension records and history books, but I find most interesting his own personal account of his war time activities as he recounted then in his 1832 application for his pension (Rev War Pension File W5528)

The following is a personal account of his service in the Revolutionary War.

Henry Pettit

(Revolutionary War Pension File W5528)            

           To the best of my recollection in the year 1776, my father was then living in South Carolina 96 [District 96], now Spartanburg District on Lawson Forks of the Pacolet.  We was called on to build a fort known as Wofford Fort.  I then volunteered myself in place of my father who was at work on the Fort.  Col. William Wofford was Commander of the Fort. I was under the command of Capt. James Wood.  This service began about the 1^st of June and lasted to the 1^st of November.  About that time the families generally went home.  This service was possibly in endeavoring to keep the Tories and Indians from Embodying.  We had many a chase after them. 

          My next service was when Ferguson and Dunlap marched their army through South Carolina into North Carolina.  On their passage they was met by the Americans at Brown Oats Field.  There was several killed.  I was sent from that place with an express to Col. McDowell to reinforce.  We pursued them, after being reinforced, to Musgroves Mill on the [unclear] River where we overtook them and defeated them in this service sweep under Capt. James Smith and Col. John Thomas, Commander.  We all returned home.           

          I was then placed under captain Henry White.  We scouted through the upper part of South Carolina to the border of North Carolina.  We took a good many Tory prisoners on our arrays in the neighborhood.  We was ordered on to meet the Main Army at Shier’s Ferry under General Sumter.  When we came to that place, they was in sight of us, that is the British and Tories.           

          There was some fighting across the River.  From that Post we was ordered on to Black Stock where we had a severe Battle.  Gen. Sumter was wounded at that Place.  The volunteer part of the Army pursued after them under Col. Lacy to the mouth of Tyger (?) River where we overtook a Party and had an engagement.  We went on down the river some distance and crossed to the east side.  In passing up the Country, we took a good many prisoners.  We came on the Main Army and gave the prisoners up to them.  I was then under Capt. Trammel and Dickson.  We was ordered on then to join General Morgan.  We joined him at the Grindle Shoals on the Pacolet.  We scouted on and met him again at Licketty.  We then kept with the army after the Battle of Cowpens.           

          In that Battle, I was wounded in my thigh which injured me very much.  At this time, as soon as I was able, I enlisted in the ten months service under Captain William Smith, first under Col. Thomas, then under the command of Col. Middleton.  We was marched to the Country below Columbia, kept in continual movements from one point to another from the Savannah to the Congaree and near to Charleston.  We had many skirmages, they had the better of us and sometimes we paid them back in their own caves.  We joined the Main Army some few days before the Battle of Eutaw Springs.  I was placed as one of the guards of the Baggage Waggons on that day.  If I could have had a choice, I would have been in the battle in preference of my station.  After the battle we was ordered up the country, {and} turned to Orangeburg.  We had a scrimmage near Orangeburg with some of their Rangers.  We had to give the ground to them.  We met another party above Orangeburg where we had an engagement.  They fled to the Swamp.  We pursued them and they escaped to Charleston.                

          About that time the British began to leave their Country Posts and take to their stronghold in Charleston.  We followed on after them occasionally annoying them, to the 4 Holes where we made a stand for a few weeks to search the swamps between the 4 Holes and the Cyrees.  From there we was at Round S and then on the Near Macon’s Bridge from there to headquarters.           

          We heard of the capture of Cornwallis and our times that we enlisted for was expired and we returned home.

          In fact, for me to undertake to give in detail my service during the Revolutionary War is not in my power, but one thing I do know well is that from sometime after the summer of 1776 to the end of the war, I was engaged in the Defense of my Country.  I then lived in the hottest part of the Tory Country on the Indian Boundary and a great place for the British to assemble.  We that belonged to the Liberty Party was compelled to be in readiness at all times.