Today’s column continues the stories of veterans of the American Revolution who resided in Lowndes County. I have previously written about Willam Cocke and Silas McBee. Another veteran living here was John Murphy. Murphy was born in South Carolina in 1747 and was living there when the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. He enlisted in Continental service in 1778 and served as a private until March 1781. He was wounded at the Battle of Wright’s Creek and captured by the British at the Battle of Fishing Creek.
In 1818, Murphy moved to Madison County, Alabama in the Huntsville area. Then, in about 1820, he moved to Lowndes County, which at the time was believed to be part of Marion County, Alabama. His son-in-law Henry Greer had moved to Marion County by 1819. In December 1819, his residence, at the present site of Columbus Air Force Base, became the county seat of Marion County. In 1821, when it was announced that the western part of Marion County was actually in Mississippi, an organizational meeting for Monroe County was held at Henry Greer’s house. He died in 1834 at Greer’s house and is buried in Unity Cemetery at Caledonia.
In the National Archives, Carolyn Kaye found the petition Murphy submitted for a pension, which set out his Revolutionary War service. Though he was 86 years old with a memory clouded by time, he gave his own account of his military service in the founding of our country.
“On this 16th day of January 1833 personally appeared in open court before the county court of Lowndes County in the State of Mississippi aforesaid now in session, John Murphy a resident citizen of the county aforesaid aged eighty six years and nine months was born in the years 1747 & has no record of his age, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration… he entered the service of the United States, under the following named officers and served as herein after states,
The said John Murphy declares that he entered the service of the United States in York County State of South Carolina, where he resided in the early part of the year 1778, according to the best of his recollection at this time and as a volunteer under the command of Capt. Hugh Bratten and Col. William Bratten to go on an expedition or campaign against the Tories in the back parts of South Carolina. That the Tories on the approach of the whigs fled and dispersed and the army in which he had enlisted returned to their homes. He states that some time then after the precise time no recollected he was in Charleston S. Carolina with his waggon and Team when upon the reception of intelligence by the Americans that the British were about to invade Georgia under Col. Campbell he thinks, he and his team were impressed into the United States service and he and his team were marched from Charleston to Savannah with the main army under the command of Col. Moultrie, that they lay at Savannah until the British under Genl Howe came when the Americans retreated and the British took possession of the place. – This affidavit states that after evacuating Savannah he was frequently and almost constantly in the service against the British and Tories until the British came and took Charleston when his party and himself joined General Sumpter. General Sumpter was defeated the next day after the defeat Gates, the defeat of Genl Sumpter he thinks took place at Fishing Creek. This affidavit states he was taken prisoner by the British and sent to Camden jail where he was confined three weeks. That his wife prevailed upon the Tories to go his security, and he was liberated on parole. He states he can now repeat the words of his parole It was as follows ‘I John Murphy of Fishing Creek acknowledges myself a prisoner on parole to a detachment of his majesty’s troops under the command of the right Honorable Lieutenant Genl Earl of Cornwallis and I do promise that I will not act directly or indirectly against his majesty’s government nor stir up others so to do, that I wall not speak or say anything that shall be prejudicial to his majesty’s interest and will confine myself to my own plantation not exceeding one mile from thence until further eul___.’
This affidavit states that he afterwards went to the Camp of Genl Sumpter who persuaded him that no good man and patriot would be bound by such a promise, he then tore up his parole and joined Genl Sumpter under the command of Captain John Henderson, Col. Thomas Taylor. He states he was at the Battle of Right’s Bluff on Sante River when the British had a fort at which the Americans were defeated. This affidavit states he then got wounded by a ball through both thighs, and that he was not afterwards in the service of the United States, he has no discharge in form. He did not march through any other country but South Carolina and Georgia. He knew Col. Moultrie, Capt. Craig, and others of the regular officers.
He has no documentary evidence of his service nor does he know of any person by whose testimony within his power at this time he can prove his service. Some time since he applied to be placed on the pension roll as an invalid pensioner and then proved by his Captain (John Henderson) of his being wounded and forwarded his testimony to the War Department. He states that the period of his service was about three years….
Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid. R. D. Haden Clerk CC
By his deputy J. J. H. Morris
his X mark John Murphey Senr.”
In celebration of Veterans Day on Tuesday, the Bernard Romans Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will have a memorial service at 2 p.m. at John Murphy’s gravesite in Unity Cemetery on Wolfe Road in Caledonia honoring him for his service in the American Revolution. The public is invited to attend.
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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