"Under their command, I was in the battle called the Guilford Battle, in the state of North Carolina and at said battle I got a

The Bobbitt Family In America

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"Under their command, I was in the battle called the Guilford Battle, in the state of North Carolina and at said battle I got a musket ball shot through my thigh. I was sent home and was not able to do duty for some time. In about fifteen months, I was drafted again for three months. After I was drafted there was an offer made that any person that would find their own horse and serve two months, it would clear them for the three months for which they were drafted. I found my own horse and served as a horseman for two months and then was dismissed and served no more during the Revolutionary War. The whole time I served I was disabled with my wound, so that I was not able to raise a crop for nearly eighteen months."

WILLIAM BOBBITT

William Bobbitt was granted his pension of $34 per year for his service in the war. William died on November 12, 1839 and his widow, Susannah (James) Bobbitt went before the court to claim a pension as the widow of a pensioned soldier. An act passed on July 7, 1838 granted half pay to widows who were married before 1794 to a soldier of the Revolutionary War. In her declaration she stated:

"That she is the widow of William Bobbitt who was a private of the infantry and cavalry in the war of the Revolution, and would beg to offer to the declaration of her deceased husband, William Bobbitt, which she understands are on file in the War Office of the United States. She further declares she was married to the said William Bobbitt on some day in May 1784, but does not recollect the day of the month, and her husband, the aforesaid, William Bobbitt died on the 12th day of November 1839, and that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the 1794 date.

SUSANNA X BOBBITT

J. W. White, Clerk of the Warren County Court provided a sworn statement that the records of Warren County show that William Bobbitt and Sukie James were married on the 15th day of May 1784. The marriage bond and the clerk's sworn statement was made part of the pension application papers and are on file in the National Archives.

In part of the application papers dated November 1840 it is stated:

"Susannah Bobbitt, aged seventy four years ...........

Susannah was born in 1766 and died on November 19, 1844. Congress passed a resolution of 23rd day of January 1845 which declared that pensioned widows and their heirs were entitled to certain benefits. The application for these benefits was made by Samuel S. Bigham.

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Samuel S. Bigham was a son-in-law of William and Susannah Bobbitt. His statement was taken from the pension application, and it lists the names of the children who were living in South Carolina at the time.

"on this day of April 1847, Samuel S. Bigham, aged 40, son-in-law of the late Susanna Bobbitt, widow of the late William Bobbitt, deceased.... on behalf of himself, and the heirs of the said Susanna .... makes further oath, that the said, Susanna Bobbitt deceased on the 19th day of November, 1844, leaving surviving the following named children, Namely: Temperance Hargrove, Susannah Patterson, John Bobbitt, Sarah Bigham, and Stephen Bobbitt, all of lawful ages."

From our census studies we know that the children who were mentioned in the pension papers were the children who were living in South Carolina, and were the surviving children living in 1847. No effort was made to share the pension benefit with the children who had left South Carolina for Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. In fact it would have been expensive and time consuming to file a petition with each county in each state where the other survivors lived.

In 1810, William and Susannah Bobbitt had been married for 26 years. The census of 1810 in Chester County, South Carolina probably represents the entire family better than any other record.

William Bobbitt:

1 male under 10 (1800-1810) 2 females 10 16 (1794-1800)

1 male 10 16 (1794-1800) 1 female 16 26 (1784-1794)

3 males 16 26 (1784-1794) 1 female 26 45 (1765-1784)

1 male 45 & over (-1765)

The census compares mathematically with the 1800 census taken in Anson County, North Carolina. By 1810 one female is married and with her own family. The five sons are all listed in the 1810 record. Lemuel Bobbitt was married before 1810 and is not listed with the group in this record.

William Bobbitt born in 1761, died in 1839 at the age of 78.

William and Susannah (James) were married May 15, 1784.

Susannah Bobbitt born in 1766, died in 1844 at the age of 78.

The family of 6 sons and 4 daughters were born between the years of 1785 and 1810.

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