On this first day of July 1837 Personally appeared Rachel Debow a resident of the county of Smith and State of Tennessee before me Charles McMurry one of the acting Justices of the peace in and for said county aged Seventy eight years on last the 15th of last march. Who being first Sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July the 4th 1836

That She is the widow of Frederick Debow who was a waggon master General in the army of the revolution and entered the Service in that capacity in the Spring of 1777 as well as She can recolect. She left Edenton in North Carolina having in charge and under his command the bagage Wagons with amunition and Military equipments clothing &c for the Soldier and marched to Philadelphia. Major Tilman Dixon was then a Captain and was ordered he and his company to march as a guarde to the Wagons He was out a three months tour in this Service In about Six or Seven weeks after this tour of Service this applicant and the Said Frederick Debow were married in September of the Same year. He entered the Service again imedeately or rather was continued as he had a regular comission for wagon Master General and acted in that Capacity but sometimes acted as Comissary for certain detachments of the armies of North and South Carolina he served from the time they were married to the close of the war when Cornwallis was taken at Little York Virginia but this affiant cannot recolect whether he was detained in North Carolina or was in Virginia at that time. During the three or four years that he was in the Service He would frequently come home and Stay a few days and then Join the army more especially when he was not far off She Recolects but one battle that he was engaged in and that was the battle of Guilford

She recolects well the day for She lived in Caswell County adjoining and could hear distinctly canon firing in that direction She and her negro Woman were endeavouring to sow oats it was in the Spring of the year and an American officer rode by and asked her if She ^knew^ what was the cause of the firing of cannon and upon her answering in the negative he told her it was no doubt the great battle that was fighting at Guilford Court House. He even asked her if her husband was there and alighted Showed her negro woman how to sow the oats and then proceeded on his rout. She could give a history of most of the transactions of the wars in north and south Carolina but deems it unecessary as she can she thinks produce abundant proof of her husbands Services by living witnesses and will close this declaration by one or two other circumstances

After the battle of Guilford her husband and Major Archibald Murphy came home and the British was in the neighbourhood at the red house which was a considerable taver kept at the forks of the roads and She had to watch while her husband and Murphy slept they had their swords each of them and a gun a pair and they hid their guns out and directed her to watch so that on the aproch of a hostile foe they could get their guns and at least defend themselves and the house they rose early next morning and Joined the army under General Greene across the river Dame She thinks that his last tour of Service was after the Tories he acted as Captain and went to Hilsboro She cannot say whether he was in the Service three or four years but must rely upon other proof but She is convinced three years would not be more than he Served

S She further Declares that She was married to the Said Frederick Debow in September 1777 as well as She can now recolect That her husband the aforesaid Frederick Debow died in October or September 1810 and that she has remained a widow ever since that Period as will more fully appear by referenc to the proof hereto annexed. She further States that She had his commission for many years after his death together with a great many papers but She cannot Say whether any of them can now be found

T She further Declares that through old age and bodily infirmity She cannot travel to the court house in order to make this declaration in open court. Sworn to and Subscribed before me this day and date above written