Pension application of Lewis Lanier R6153 fn93NC[VA]
Transcribed by Will Graves 4/3/10
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State of Georgia Screven1
On this the 5th day of October 1843 personally appeared in open Court before the court of Ordinary and Inferior Court now sitting, Thomas B. Lanier, a resident of Screven County, State of Georgia, aged fifty-four years, 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. County
That this declarant is the son of Lewis Lanier, a soldier of the revolution, who, this Declarant has heard and believes first entered into the service of the United States, as a volunteer from the County of Essex and State of Virginia, about the year A.D. 1777 -- though this Declarant does not positively know at what period, his father, the said Lewis Lanier, entered the Revolutionary Army. This declarant dates the commencement of his father's service about the period of his father's first intermarriage with Nancy Butler, deceased, the daughter of General Thomas Butler, of Essex County Virginia; and Declarant's father it appears from reports, served for a considerable time as a volunteer under the said General Thomas Butler of Essex County, Virginia. But the said Lewis Lanier had served for a time under (viz. Declarant has heard) General Thomas Butler, prior to the marriage of this declarant's father with his mother, Nancy Butler. For which reason this Declarant dates the commencement of his father's service in the year 1777, or at furthest, in the beginning of the year 1778. This declarant has been informed by the members of his family, that his father served, as a volunteer and in the militia, for and during the term and period of 5 years, and this service was done and performed by the said Lewis Lanier, in the states of Virginia and North Carolina between the year 1778 and 1783. This Declarant has heard that his father served both as a private and an officer; he thinks he was elected Capt. of a Volunteer Company in the state of Virginia; he has heard the report in his family that his father held a higher military office and that of Capt.; but inasmuch as the said Lewis Lanier, after marriage and service in the State of Virginia, migrated to, and settled in the state of North Carolina where he likewise served as a volunteer or in the militia, declarant cannot say, or express his belief, whether his father was a major in Virginia or North Carolina. The said Lewis Lanier in his lifetime spoke often of his military adventures, but declarant recollects but few of the narratives detailed by his father. He mentioned Tankard's wharf -- he appears to have fought in a battle somewhere (in Virginia, declarant believes) called the Long Bridge or Long's bridge. The said Lewis Lanier is stated to have been present when Norfolk or some other city of Virginia was burnt; he was present and saw Ferdyce or Fordyce [Charles Fordyce] or some such name, a British officer when he fell in battle. The said Lewis Lanier also referred to having been
1 This is spelled "Scriven" throughout most of the documents in this file.
captured by the British, and confined for 9 months as a prisoner on board the enemy's vessels. A short time previous to this imprisonment on the enemy's ships his leg had been broken by a swivel shot, and suffered great pain during the first weeks of his imprisonment. He made frequent mention of being four miles below Yorktown when Lord Cornwallis surrendered: he was stationed there to prevent the junction of a reinforcement of British Troops with the Army of Cornwallis. He spoke of having been wounded in the arm, which remained stiff until his death. He spoke of being pursued by the British, and of swimming James River, and of being fired upon by four British officers while crossing that River. The said Lewis Lanier often spoke of Washington and Lafayette and General Green [sic, Nathanael Greene] and Col. Morgan; and he was personally acquainted with life yet, and intimately, with General George Washington with whom he claimed family relationship, and who presented the said Lewis Lanier with a sword, which he lost in a scuffle with some of the enemy while crossing a river. He often alluded to his acquaintance with one Gordorn [?], a revolutionary soldier, whom he met at intervals in the course of the war: he likewise spoke of being in a battle somewhere highland Scotch were taken prisoners by him and his men, and some 2 or 3 of those Scotch, who were captured by the said Lewis Lanier and his party, were accidentally drowned while crossing a stream.
Declarant's father in his lifetime had both a Commission and a Discharge, which, as Declarant has been informed, were placed in the hands of a man named Allen, in order to obtain a pension. Allen, or the man who had the Commission and discharge under a promise to obtain a pension for the said Lewis Lanier, died; and inquiry was made of Allen's brother, who stated that he could not find the Commission or Discharge among any of the papers or effects of his deceased brother; and this declarant concludes that his father's Commission and Discharge have either been sent by the said Allen to Washington City, or that they are otherwise lost. However, Declarant is quiet certain that his father, the said Lewis Lanier, never drew any pension in his lifetime -- nor placed on any pension Roll. The said Lewis Lanier, after his military service and marriage in Essex County, Virginia (which marriage is duly of record in the old Family Bible of declarant's father) removed to North Carolina where he also served as a volunteer or in the militia of that state in the very is campaigns of North and South Carolina. He was for several years a member of the legislature of North Carolina. Afterwards (deponent thinks about 54 years ago) his father removed to Greene County Georgia next to St. Mary's next to Screven, then to Jefferson County next to Bullock County, Georgia; and lastly to Screven County Georgia. He founded and aided in laying out the town of Louisville, in which state he was one of the framers of the Constitution of Georgia, as will more fully appear by a reference to his name subscribed thereto; and the town of Lanier in the County of Macon, in the State aforesaid, was named after, and in honor of Deponent's father. The said Lewis Lanier also served as a member of the Legislature of Georgia for upwards of 24 years, for the most part, as a member from Screven County, said State; which facts declarant mentions in order to establish the other fact of the notoriety of those Revolutionary services and reward of which, subsequent honors and promotions were bestowed on the said Lewis Lanier. Other or additional proof, then the imperfect reminiscences of this Declaration, and the affidavit of a revolutionary soldier, hereto annexed, and the certificate of the Comptroller of public Accounts of North Carolina, cannot be had or obtained, because not in the declarant's reach or power. This imperfect Declaration, the accompanying affidavit of a witness who saw deponent's father in service, and the record evidence from North Carolina is all the evidence that can be obtained concerning Lewis Lanier.
After his removal to Georgia about the year 1790 or 92 -- Lewis Lanier married Esther Thorn, about the year 1803, 1804 or 1805. He has now living eight children, namely Thomas B.,
Noel, James, Isaac Hill Lanier, and Amy Kelly, Elizabeth McCall, Sarah Strickland and Mary McCall; and his leaving widow, Esther Lanier. The date of his birth is not known; but from the best sources of information it was probably in the year 1756. He died on the 12th of February A.D. 1839, about in the 83rd year of his age.
This Declarant hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity, except the present, unless requested or required otherwise by the pension office) and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll or Agency of any State whatever.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
S/ T. B. Lanier
[fn p. 55: North Carolina's Comptroller's certificate dated February 19, 1847 showing payments to Lewis Lanier.]
[fn p. 58]
State of Georgia Screven County: Personally appeared before me Lewis Lewis a justice of the peace in and for said Screven County Benjamin Taylor2
Sworn to and subscribed this 25th of August 1846 before me a revolutionary soldier, who after being duly sworn says that he was well acquainted with Lewis Lanier during most of the war. Deponent testifies that said Lanier was wounded in the arm, which he had to carry in a slain, and in this State he met him several times, and believes that he served throughout most of the war. Deponent does not remember whether said Lewis Lanier had any office, but saw him frequently when he was a private, and is certain that he was wounded. Deponent afterwards saw him in Screven County Georgia, and testifies that he is the same Lewis Lanier who deponent often met and saw in the Army -- served through the war.
S/ Lewis Lewis, JP S/ Benjamin Taylor, X his mark

Thank you for the following information from contributor Ann Parkinson:

Captain Lewis Lanier b. 1756 d. 1839
Enlisted as a soldier in Essex Co., VA. He was later taken prisoner and held for 9 months on a British vessel. He drew land in the 1832 GA Cherokee Land Lottery as a Revolutionary War Soldier and resident of Screven County. Buried Little Ogeechee Baptist Church Cemetery, Oliver, GA
Source: GA Revolutionary War Soldiers' Graves compiled by H. Ross Arnold, Jr and H. Clifton Burnham Vol 2 Laurens-Worth Counties and General Index page 592

'The History of Screven County, Georgia' Dixon Hollingsworth, Editor
Copyright Curtis Media Corp. 1989 page 207
ISBN 0-88108-136-6
Biography of Lanier Family
Lewis Lanier, youngest child of Sampson Lanier, Jr , was born in 1753 and married Ann Butler of Sussex County, VA. He moved to Savannah, GA in 1791 where he lived until 1794. He then moved to Screven County, GA where his wife Ann died in 1802. He married the second time in August 1803 to Esther Butts Thorne and she died in 1855. Lewis was Justice of the Peace in Screven County. In 1798 he was a member of the Constitutional Convention from Screven County.
_____

The last child listed for Lewis Lanier is Clarissa Lanier Jackson, my wife's 4th G-Grandmother.

From: Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia - Volume 3 - Page 108
https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0806302194
Howard H. McCall, ‎Ettie Tidwell McCall - 2010
LEWIS LANIER, b. Va., 1756; d, Screven Co., Ga., 1839. Enlisted Essex Co., Va. as a private, was promoted to Captain. Was taken prisoner and held for nine months on a British vessel. (His son, Thomas B. Lanier, applied for pension of Lewis Lanier, 1846. BENJAMIN TAYLOR of Screven Co., Ga., in the application stated that he knew him and had served with him as a Rev. Sol. of Va.) He married. (1) Sept. 21, 1788, ANN BUTLER (dau. of THOMAS BUTLER, Rev. Sol. of Va.); (2) Ga., 1803, Esther (called Hester) Thorn (1775-1855). Will of Lewis Lanier recorded Screven Co.

Children by (1) wife;
1. James.
2. Thomas Butler.
3. Mary (called Polly), mar. Robert McCall (son of CHARLES McCALL, Rev. Sol. of S.C. and Ga., and g-son of FRANCIS McCALL, Rev. Sol. of N.C.)
4. Elizabeth, mar. Charles McCall (brother of Robert McCall).

Children by (2) wife:
1. Noel (1811-1890), mar. 1839, Sarah Tullis.
2. Isaac (1806-1890), mar. Sarah Hurst.
3. Sarah, mar. Henry Strickland.
4. Amy, mar. (1) James Johnson; (2) ---- Kelly.
5. Clarissa, mar. William S. Jackson.
Contributor: Jim Goodrich (47495705)