Alexander Carruth: North Carolina Militiaman

As part of my ongoing look at the Revolutionary War in honor of America’s 250th birthday, I turned to the service of Alexander Carruth, the father‑in‑law of my 5th great‑uncle, John Lankford, son of Nathan Lankford and Marion Caldwell. John married Linda Myra Carruth, daughter of Alexander and his first wife, Sarah Logan. Although connected by marriage, we share no direct ancestry.

Alexander served as a private in the North Carolina militia, completing two tours totaling just over six months. A later witness recalled hearing Alexander say that he had served “one tour” and was “in the Army when peace was made.” His service appears in the Salisbury District pay records for January 1783—records the federal government later relied on when verifying Revolutionary War claims. Although this service would have qualified him for a pension under the Act of June 7, 1832, Alexander died before the act was passed.

Because he died in 1826, six years before veterans were invited to submit detailed personal narratives, Alexander’s pension file contains no account of his campaigns, officers, or battles. The government instead relied entirely on North Carolina’s pay records, which documented only the length of his service—six months and eight days.

I located two surviving vouchers issued to Alexander. The first, approved by the Salisbury District Board of Auditors on September 26, 1782, shows that he was allowed £11.6.0 specie (actual gold or silver) under an act passed the previous year. These vouchers were North Carolina’s official method of compensating soldiers, and this one confirms that Alexander personally served in the militia during the war.

1782 pay voucher showing £11.6.0 specie allowed to Alexander
for militia service

The second voucher, approved June 30, 1803, shows an additional allowance of £5.12.6 under a 1791 act, again specifically for militia service. Like the earlier certificate, it affirms Alexander’s Revolutionary War service and the state’s later settlement of his pay.

1803 pay voucher granting Alexander £5.12.6 for additional militia service

After the war, Alexander settled permanently in Rutherford County. In 1787, he claimed 100 acres on Little Creek, using the land rights he earned through his militia service. A warrant for the tract was issued the same day, and the state later granted the land to him. The survey, completed in 1797, shows a square parcel crossing Little Creek, with Robert Carruth and John Forister serving as chain carriers.

Warrant issued in 1787 directing the survey of Alexander Caruth’s
land on Little Creek

Alexander married Sarah Logan, daughter of James and Mary Logan, on March 12, 1792, in Rutherford County. They had four daughters. Sarah died sometime before June 11, 1808, when her sister wrote her will and left Sarah’s share of the estate to those four daughters.

About 10 years later, in 1818, Alexander married Letitia (Letty) Scott, daughter of John and Letitia Scott. Several members of the Scott family witnessed the marriage, including William Scott. Alexander and Letitia continued to live in Rutherford County.

Alexander died in Rutherford County on August 30, 1826 (some records suggest 1827), at about 65 years of age. In 1856, decades after his death, Letitia applied for a widow’s pension in Benton County, Alabama. Because she married Alexander long after the war, she could not provide details of his service, and witnesses could only testify that he was widely known as a Revolutionary War soldier. In her application, she stated that he served “two tours,” one lasting about six months, but she could not name his officers or the battles he fought.

Her pension was approved on September 2, 1857, under the Act of February 1853, granting $20.88 per year, backdated to 1853. She remained a widow for the rest of her life and continued receiving payments, even petitioning for their restoration after the Civil War disrupted federal disbursements. Letitia lived until April 26, 1870, over 90 years old. She later moved to Calhoun County, Alabama, to live with her son, William Scott. Because William carried the Scott surname, he was likely born out of wedlock. Letitia appears in her mother’s 1824 will, but I have found no evidence that she and Alexander had children together.

Letitia’s widow’s pension certificate

References

• Alexander Carruth, DAR, North Carolina Revolutionary War Pay Vouchers.
• Alexander Carruth, North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741–2011.
• Alexander Carruth, North Carolina, U.S., Land Grant Files, 1693–1960.
• Alexander Caruth, US, Revolutionary War Pensions, 1800–1900, Fold3.
• James Logan, Rachel Logan, Letitia Carruth, North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665–1998.