Robert L. Hobbs: A Soldier’s Story

As part of my ongoing look at the Revolutionary War in honor of America’s 250th birthday, I turned to the service of my 5th great‑grandfather, Robert Hobbs. What follows is drawn from his 1843 pension declaration—the story he told, in his own words.

Robert L. Hobbs was 89 years old when he personally appeared before the Greene County Superior Court in 1843 and recounted his Revolutionary War service. His memory stretched back across seven decades, to a time when the Carolinas were a battleground and the young United States was fighting for its life. What he described was not a single enlistment but a series of dangerous tours that carried him from the outskirts of Charleston to the Cherokee Nation and back again.

Born on May 30, 1754, in Queen Anne County, Maryland, Robert moved as a child with his family to Craven County, South Carolina—later known as Chester District. He married Mary Marion Caldwell in 1776 or 1777 on Cherokee Creek, in what became Spartanburg District, and like many young men of the backcountry, he soon found himself drawn into the war.

Between 1779 and 1782, Robert served multiple tours in the Revolutionary War, first marching toward Charleston under Captain Terrill (or Terrell) and later fighting in General Nathanael Greene’s 1781 campaign at Ninety‑Six. He completed additional three‑month tours guarding settlements along the Broad and Congaree Rivers and volunteered for an expedition against the Cherokee, where his company saw two engagements. Altogether, he estimated about three years of active militia service in South Carolina and Georgia.

In addition to his later pension testimony, Robert’s service is also documented in South Carolina’s audited accounts—financial certificates issued to militia soldiers after the war. One of these records credits him for duty “since the fall of Charleston” in Colonel Benjamin Roebuck’s regiment under General Robert Anderson, the same backcountry command structure he described in his 1843 declaration. The state awarded him one pound, two shillings, and ten pence for this service, and a related note shows that he authorized an agent to collect additional indents owed to him for militia duty under officers Thomson, Brandon, and White. Although these records do not describe specific engagements, they confirm that Robert served in the upcountry militia during the dangerous years after Charleston fell in 1780, when local companies were repeatedly called out to defend settlements against British and Loyalist forces.

 

Robert’s service is also summarized in Bobby Gilmer Moss’ Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, which confirms the same sequence of tours he described in his pension declaration. Moss lists his 1779 draft under Captain Terrill and Colonel Brandon, his volunteer service under Captain George Taylor at the Siege of Ninety-Six, his later draft under Captain John Thompson, and his 1782 Cherokee Expedition under Captain John Mapp, Colonel White, and General Pickens. The roster also notes that he served at some point under Colonel Benjamin Roebuck, matching the South Carolina audited voucher that credits him for militia duty “since the fall of Charleston.”

Robert entered service in November 1779, when he was drafted under Captain Terrill and joined Colonel Brannon’s regiment. The company marched toward Charleston by way of Eutaw Springs and took up position at the Ten Mile House on Charleston Neck. For three months they held their post, waiting for an attack that never came. Robert received a written discharge at the end of the tour—long since lost by the time he applied for his pension. Robert testified:

“ … That he commenced his service in the month of November of the same year 1779 under Captain Terrell, 1st Lieutenant, John Jones, Orderly Sergt. James Mabry, and that our said company was attached to Col. Brannon’s Regiment to rendezvous at Col. Brannon on Brown’s Creek, and that from thence was marched towards Charleston by the way of the Eutaw Springs, to the 10-mile house on Charleston Neck and stationed there during our service, which was for three months. And at the end of which time, I received my written discharge, which was signed by the proper officers, but has been lost. The company to which I belonged had no engagements with the enemy during the tour. I returned home …”

After the British evacuated Charleston, Robert volunteered again, this time under Captain George Taylor. He joined General Nathanael Greene’s army during the famous Siege of Ninety-Six in June 1781. The fort, commanded by Loyalist officer Col. John Cruger, was heavily fortified. Greene’s men dug trenches, built towers, and prepared for a final assault. Robert remembered the siege lasting three weeks, with victory seeming close—until word arrived that Lord Rawdon was marching to relieve the garrison with a large British force. Greene lifted the siege and retreated toward North Carolina. Robert’s company followed the army to the state line before being dismissed. Robert testified:

“ … and did no further service until Charleston was evacuated by the British, after which time I volunteered under Captain George Taylor, 1st Lieutenant, Daniel McLeary, Ensign, Nat Robinson and was mustered into the United States service, under General Greene then marched to the fort known as Ninety-Six, in the month of June. The fort at that time was occupied by the British under Col. Cruger. The object of General Greene was to storm the fort which was invested at that time by the main army. The siege continued three weeks, and future success appeared certain when intelligence arrived that Lord Rawdon having received a reinforcement was approaching with a large army to the relief of the place. General Greene determined to evacuate his position and break up the siege. General Greene then retired towards North Carolina; our company went with to the North Carolina line when we were dismissed and returned to homes. During this year the inhabitants of the Carolinas endured calamity and distress, the country being ravaged and plundered by both armies. …”

Later that same year, Robert was drafted again for a three‑month tour under Captain John Thompson. His company rendezvoused on Brown’s Creek, joined Colonel Brannon’s regiment, and marched down Broad River to Friday’s Ferry on the Congaree. They crossed the river and took up station at Anderson’s Plantation, where they remained for the duration of their service. Robert testified:

“ … It was in the face of the same year (according to the best of my recollection) that I was drafted for a three-month tour under Captain John Thompson, 1st Lieutenant, Nicholas Jasper, our company rendezvoused on Brown’s Creek and joined Col. Brannon’s regiment. We were marched down Broad River to Friday’s Ferry and thence crossed and marched down the river to Anderson Plantation on the Congaree River, where we were stationed during the term of our service, which was three months. There was a portion of Col. White’s command stationed there with us, also some Dutch under the command of Captain Frazier. … ”

This was a dangerous region, plagued by Tory raids. Robert recalled one such attack—likely led by the notorious Loyalist commander William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham—in which mounted Tories crossed the river, burned property, plundered homes, and murdered a man. Robert’s company pursued them upriver but could not catch them. Their duty was to protect the settlement, and they remained until the danger passed. Robert testified:

“… A short time before the expiration of our term of service, a Tory scout of Light Horse commanded either by Cunningham or Guelph Committee some apprehensions on the other side of the river, where we were stationed, we went up the river in pursuit of the Tories, but were unable to come up with them, their operations were confined to burning and plundering and after murdering our man immediately departed. We were stationed there for some time for the protection of the settlement, when we were dismissed. We continued together until we had passed out of the region when the Tories were in force when we were dismissed. …”

In the fall of 1782, Robert volunteered once more, this time under Captain John Mapp. His company crossed the Savannah River at Cherokee Ford and joined South Carolina volunteers under General Andrew Pickens and Georgia troops under General Elijah Clarke. Together they marched the Hightower Trail deep into the Cherokee Nation. Robert testified:

“ … I arrived at home in January, and the succeeding fall, according to the best of my recollection, I volunteered under Captain John Mapp, 1st Lieutenant, Nathaniel Robinson. Our company marched and crossed Savannah River at the Cherokee Force, General Pickens, commanding the South Carolina Volunteers, and joined the Georgians under the command of General Elijah Clark on the Buffalo Fork of Long Creek in Wilkes County, Georgia. …”

At Long Swamp Town, between the Chattahoochee and Etowah Rivers, Robert’s company fought two engagements with Cherokee warriors, killing 10 and capturing 11. After the fighting, the Cherokee came under a flag of truce and negotiated a cession of land that would later form Franklin County, Georgia; Pendleton and Greenville Districts, South Carolina; and Buncombe County, North Carolina. Robert estimated this expedition lasted about three months. Robert testified:

“ … From thence we took the Hightower Trail and marched to the Long Swamp Town in the Cherokee Nation, between the Chattahoochee and Hightower Rivers. We had two engagements with the Indians, killing 10 and taking 11 of them prisoners; after taking the Long Swamp Town, the Indians came in with a flag of truce and had a talk, and at which time ceded the County that composed Franklin County, in the State of Georgia, Pendleton and Greenville districts in South Carolina, and Buncombe County in North Carolina. We volunteered for a three months tour, then six weeks in the Nation, but I cannot positively state, how long we were on our march, in going to and entering from the Nation, on this expectation, but to the best of my recollection we were on duty about three months, which was the last of my services in the Revolutionary War. …”

Taken together, these four tours formed the core of Robert’s Revolutionary War experience. They carried him across the backcountry of the Carolinas and Georgia, placed him under some of the most important commanders of the Southern Campaign, and exposed him to the shifting, often brutal realities of frontier warfare. Beyond these major tours, Robert also served in numerous short scouting parties—rapid‑response groups raised whenever Tories or Native groups threatened local settlements. These missions lasted anywhere from two days to a week. He believed he was liable for service for three to four years and spent roughly three years in actual duty. Robert testified:

“ … I served in many scouting parties against the Indians and Tories for short periods, these scouts were raised on emergencies whenever the Indians or Tories committed any depredations in the region of country where I was; as many now would be raised as could be in the neighborhood, and would then go in pursuit which trips would last from two days to a week. I served as a private in every expedition I was in. I never was wounded nor in any engagement with the exception of those mentioned as having occurred with the Indians. I am of opinion that I was subject to service by draft and otherwise between three and four years and was in actual service for the space of three years (see Davidsons certificate appended). …”

Robert’s pension testimony aligns well with the documented history of the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War. The movements he describes—marching toward Charleston in late 1779, serving under General Nathanael Greene at the Siege of Ninety‑Six in 1781, guarding the Congaree River during the height of Tory raids, and joining Generals Andrew Pickens and Elijah Clarke on the 1782 Cherokee Expedition—match the exact sequence, geography, and military actions recorded in contemporary accounts. Even his smaller details, such as the Ten‑Mile House near Charleston, Friday’s Ferry on the Congaree, and the Long Swamp Town campaign, correspond precisely to known events. For a man recalling service more than 60 years later, his testimony is remarkably accurate and provides a reliable, firsthand window into the war as it unfolded in the Carolinas and Georgia.

It is also fitting that Robert spent the last half‑century of his life in Greene County, Georgia—a place named in honor of Major General Nathanael Greene, the very commander under whom he served during the Southern Campaign. Greene was Washington’s most trusted general after the Commander‑in‑Chief himself, and his leadership in the Carolinas, including the Siege of Ninety‑Six where Robert fought, helped turn the tide of the war in the South. After independence, Georgia honored Greene by naming the county for him in 1786, and the general later settled in the state on land granted for his service. That Robert chose Greene County as his home in 1790 creates a remarkable historical echo: the young soldier who once marched under Greene’s command spent his final decades in a community that carried his general’s name.

Robert never took up arms against the United States, never shirked duty, and never received more than one written discharge. When he applied for his pension, he relied on the testimony of fellow soldier John Davidson, who had served with him and could confirm the truth of his account.

After the war, Robert remained in South Carolina until 1790, when he moved to Greene County, Georgia. He lived on the same land for more than half a century, raising his family and becoming a pillar in the county. By the time he gave his pension declaration in 1843, he was one of the last surviving veterans of the Revolution in his community.

He signed his name with a mark—old, frail, but still determined to tell the story of the service he had given his country.

Robert’s pension application was supported by the testimony of two respected Greene County men, John Davidson and William C. Dawson, both of whom affirmed his character and long‑remembered service. Davidson, a neighbor who had known Robert for decades, stated that he had served with him during the Revolution and could personally attest to the truth of his account. Dawson—later a prominent Georgia politician and U.S. Senator—likewise certified that Robert was well known in the community as a veteran of the war and that his reputation for honesty was unquestioned. Their affidavits provided the corroboration the pension office required, especially since Robert’s only written discharge had been lost many years earlier.

Robert died on June 7, 1845, at the age of 91, having lived more than half a century on the same Greene County land he settled around 1790. His pension—modest but meaningful—recognized his service during some of the most turbulent years in the backcountry South. His pension certificate, issued by the War Department on January 6, 1845, and signed by Secretary of War William Wilkins, confirmed his entitlement under the Act of June 7, 1832, payable semi-annually beginning March 4, 1831.

Robert’s name also appears in the Georgia pension rolls created under the Act of June 7, 1832. These tables record his payments beginning in 1833 and continuing each year until his death in 1845. Although they contain no narrative detail, they confirm the duration of his pension and match the timeline he described in his 1843 declaration.

When Robert died on June 7, 1845, his widow Mary was already an elderly woman. She had married him in 1776 or 1777 on Cherokee Creek in what became Spartanburg District, and she had followed him through every move of their long life together—from the backcountry of the Carolinas to the new settlements of Greene County, Georgia. They raised nine children, built a life on the same Greene County land they settled around 1790, and remained there for more than 60 years.

By the time Mary applied for her widow’s pension in 1853, she was 94 years old, nearly blind, and still living on the same property where she and Robert had raised their family. She had no marriage certificate to offer the government; instead, she relied on the testimony of neighbors and the Greene County court. One neighbor noted that she had children born as early as 1780, and the court declared her “reputable and of good credit,” fully worthy of belief. Judge James M. Davison certified that he had known her for decades and that she had lived in Greene County “upwards of 60 years,” never remarrying after Robert’s death.

Mary’s pension was first granted under the Act of June 17, 1844, at the rate of $20 per year, beginning on June 7, 1845, the same day Robert died. In 1848, her pension was continued for life under the Act of February 2, 1848, again at $20 per year unless she remarried. Too frail to travel, she appointed an attorney in Savannah to collect her payments on her behalf. Her final documented payment was issued on September 4, 1853, the last known record of her life.

She signed her name with a mark, just as Robert had. Old, widowed, and nearly blind, she still came forward to claim what was owed to her for her husband’s service. Her persistence ensured that Robert’s Revolutionary War story—and her own quiet endurance—would not be forgotten.

Together, Robert and Mary belonged to the earliest generation of settlers in Greene County, arriving when the region was still a frontier and living long enough to see it transformed by statehood, cotton, and the upheavals of the nineteenth century. Their lives—ordinary in some ways, extraordinary in others—link the Revolutionary era to the world that followed, and their stories survive because they insisted on telling them, even when age and frailty made the telling difficult.

References

• Accounts Audited of Claims Growing Out of the Revolution (S108092), South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
• Federal Census Schedules: 1850 and 1870 Greene County, Georgia, documenting the Hobbs household and Mary’s later life.
• Final Payment Vouchers, Georgia (1818–1864), NARA Publication M1746. Provides payment records for both Robert and Mary.
• Greene County, Georgia Court of Ordinary Minutes, guardianship and administrative entries.
• Historical context drawn from published studies of the Southern Campaign, including the Siege of Ninety‑Six, Cherokee campaigns of 1782, and militia activity along the Congaree and Broad Rivers.
• Moss, Bobby Gilmer, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1983), 430, entry for Robert Hobbs (W5300).
• Revolutionary War Pension File of Robert Hobbs (S5300), National Archives, Record Group 15. Includes his 1843 declaration, supporting testimony, and War Department correspondence.
• Robert Hobbs, Georgia, Pension Roll of 1835: Georgia Act of 7 June 1832, Greene County.
• United States War Department, Revolutionary Claim Certificate for Robert Hobbs, 6 January 1845, signed by Secretary of War William Wilkins and Commissioner of Pensions J. L. Edwards.
• Widow’s Pension File of Mary Hobbs (W5300), National Archives, Record Group 15. Contains her 1853 declaration, court certifications, and payment vouchers.