Revolutionary War Service of William

The Revolutionary War Pension Application (Pension Claim # 8931) of William Hicks contains much information. In June of 1818 William Hicks, aged about 62, states under oath that he enlisted in the 12th Virginia Regiment, a continental establishment in Captain William McKee's Company under the command of Col. James Woods, on or along the 25 day of Sept. 1776, for the term of two years and served out his time in the corps aforesaid at the mouth of the Great Kanawha, and was regularly discharged in the fall of the year in 1778. The discharge given him by Capt. McKee, he states is either lost or deposited at some of the offices in Richmond, Virginia. He further states that sometime in the year 1780 he again engaged in the second Virginia Regiment attachment under Col. Samuel Hawes and in Capt. Frank Cowherd's company and served the time of eighteen months and was discharged from the same on the 17th day of January 1782, as will more fully appear by the original discharged filed and dated the 17th day of January, 1782.

He further says that during his service he suffered much from exposure as well as in battle having served the whole campaign under General John Green to the South. He further states that his circumstances are such as to render personal labor on his part are necessary to obtain the means of tuberculosis and his age and infirmity places it out of his power to do much. He therefore states that he is need of the aid and the assistance of his country to render his latter at all comfortable.

An official report on file shows that the above noted pensioner died 19 Dec 1822 in Garrard County, Kentucky.

William Hicks married 2 January 1784, Mary Swanger, the date of her birth and the name of her parents are not known.

Mary Hicks, the soldiers widow, was allowed pension on her application executed 19 Nov. 1838. She was then a resident of Jessamine County, Kentucky, aged seventy-two years. An official report on file shows that she died 22 August 1847, in Jessamine County, Kentucky.

In Nov. of 1838, Suffiah Combs, a daughter of the soldier William Hicks, and his wife Mary, was a resident of Jessamine County, Kentucky, she was born 20 September 1790, and was the parent's fourth child. Her husband, Edward Combs, died in Oct. 1825.

The following data pertaining to the other children are shown: the first child, name not given, died when about 3 months old; Moses the next child, was born 7 Sept. 1786, Abraham was born 30th Oct. 1788; Samuel was born 16 Jan 1792; William was born 4 Dec 1794; Abaigail was born 20 May 1796.

In 1845, William Hicks was living with Mary Hicks, the widow, in Jessamine County, Kentucky. It was not stated however, that he was the son William. (The above was an answer from A. D. Miller, Executive Assistant to the Administar to Mrs. J. H. Freeman of Springfield, TN. letter dated 15 Feb. 1933.)

The deposition of William’s daughter, Suffiah Combs, in included in the pension claim file. Click here to see a transcription.

Questions or comments?  Contact me at webmaster@hill-ky.org.  This page was last updated on 06/15/2008