Benjamin Arnold ¹

  Notes:

31 Jan. 1833. Warren Co., Tenn. Benjamin (x) Arnold of said county, aged 70, declares he was drafted in Lawrence County, S. C., to go to guard Arrington's 92 Station in the upper part of South Carolina on Tugler River. He was under Capt. Ford and Col. Cleaveland and served three months. They were frequently engaged in scouting in search of Indians and a few times discovered a scouting Indian or a few Indians together and fired on them but never had anything like a general engagement. They also scouted after Tories who always fled on their approach. Shortly afterward he volunteered and joined the troops under Gen. Morgan near Cowpens at the residence of Charles Moore on Tiger River. He was in Capt. McDowel's company under Col. Cleaveland and Maj. James McDowel. He was in the battle of Cowpens which began early in the morning on 17 Jan. 1781 and saw Col. William Washington who commanded the American Light Horse. He marched with the prisoners to Beaty's Ford where the British under Cornwallis fired on them. He understood that a message was sent to Cornwallis informing him that if he did not desist all the British prisoners would be put to death and there afterward was no more firing. They then marched to Salisbury where he was discharged. He returned to his grandfather's with whom he resided in Lawrence Co., S. C., his father having died. His grandfather then moved to Henry Co., Va. and he accompanied him. About six weeks after he went to Henry County he substituted in the Spring of 1781 for three months for a man named Cox who had been drafted. He served in Capt. George Hairston's company and thinks --- Dillard was Lieutenant. They marched into North Carolina and his captain was the highest officer in command until they joined the army under Gen. Green on Deep River near Rudeley's Mill, a few days after the battle was fought There. Gen. Lafayette, or as he was commonly called by the soldiers, La Marquis, was also a commanding officer. He was in the regiment of Col. Perkins. They marched in pursuit of the British back into Virginia. He remained a Considerable time until discharged at Moppin Hill where Sen. Green then had his headquarters. He went to Amherst County where his uncle Hendrick Arnold resided. His uncle had just been drafted to march against the British and he substituted for him and marched in Capt. David Woodruff 's Company under Col. Merriweather, Maj. Samuel Higginbotham and Lieut. Brown. They marched toward Little York but received news of Cornwallis's surrender and returned to Amherst Court House where they were discharged. Since he considered the war over and lived 15 or 16 miles from the Court House, he did not go to get his discharge on the day appointed. On-this tour he served six weeks. He was born in Buckingham Co., Va., 28 Jan. 1762. The record was in his father's Bible but he does not know what has become of it. After the war he lived in Amherst County two years, in Henry County about 15 years, in Rowan Co., N.C. about five years, in Greenville Dist., S. C. 12 years, and then moved to Warren Co., Tenn. Benjamin Arnold of Warren Co., Tenn., private in company of Capt. Ford in regiment of Col. Cleaveland in South Carolina militia for A months from 1780, was placed on the West Tennessee pension roll at $31.66 per annum under the Act of 1832. Certificate 25123 was issued 25 Nov. 1833.


²

Benjamin married Elizabeth Johnson.