Pike County Misc.. William Fortune Memorial 1783 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.genrecords.net/alpike/ ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb by: Patsy McCoy pmccoy@pacifier.com May 2003 The Memorial of William Fortune Memorial # 3 (this is the third one in my possession). Document is Undated, estimate it is written in 1783 after his arrival in England. To the Commissioners appointed by Act of Parliament for enquiries into the Losses and Services of the American Loyalists. The Memorial of Wm Fortune late a Colonel of Royal Militia in the Province of South Carolina in Camden District. Humbly Sheweth That on his arrival in this Kingdom with a helpless Family and being unacquainted with the expenses attending such in London, as also ignorant how to make proper application as a Loyalist to the Commissioners is deficient of such support as would supply him with the common necessaries of life Your Memorialist therefore begs leave to lay before you his case more fully explained that there by he may be reconsidered, shewing his situation in the aforementioned province before the late unhappy Dissentions in America. Likewise his sufferings, and Losses sustained in consequence of adhering to his principles before the arrival of the Royal Army with a small account of his Services after their arrival in supporting the cause of his Sovereign and standing in defense of the same. That in or about the year 1766 your Memorialist’s Father and Mother with their Family consisting of four sons and three daughters arrived in Charles Town in the province aforesaid, from thence proceeding to the Frontiers thereof. Followed Agriculture and rearing horses, cattle, sheep which increased fast, that part of the country for some years being almost uninhabited. That after a few years your Memorialist settled on a Plantation of his own and being well acquainted with the situation of the country on application obtained a Deputation to survey lands in any part of the province which gave your Memorialist the greatest opportunity to procure lands for himself, as also much benefit arising therefrom by surveying for other people. That your Memorialist’s Father and two of his brothers in the course of 15 years from the above period departed this life to whose lands your memorialist became heir being the eldest son ___________ added to the property of your Memorialist was of considerable amount having every necessary accommodation to make him comfortable and independent to any. That your Memorialist’s attachment to his Sovereign from the earliest date, being inviolable caused him to suffer many grievances that accrued to an opponent of the American States by being taken prisoner eight different times, tried and inhumanly dealt with, his house plundered sundry times, his other effects made use of by the enemy without any return or pay more than to threaten your Memorialist’s life, which caused your Memorialist to abandon all society chiefly for the space of 3 years before the arrival of the Royal Army in said province and secretly retire to the lonely wilds being several weeks together at sometimes without seeing of one human creature except when in a starving condition your unfortunate Memorialist at the hazard of his life would venture to an appointed place in some swamp or thicket to see his distressed and over grieved wife who brought your Memorialist a bit of victuals (food?) with all to spend some of the solitary hours chiefly of which was in tears in the dark and dismal hours of the night. There being no safety in day light to see each other there being often a watch of the enemy to take prisoner your Memorialist for whom 500 pounds So. (South Carolina) Currency was bid when taken dead or alive. All which sore trouble and unparalleled grief with once being obliged to flee into the mountains of North Carolina, your much impaired and long suffering Memoralist underwent for adhering to the cause of his King and Country with the loss of all his property. But your Memorialist being providentially spared and delivered out of the hands of his cruel enemies was ready on arrival of the British Troops to be of service to them. That your Memorialist having great knowledge of the country in general and the inhabitants thereof, he was appointed a collector of provisions for the army, a pilot, a spy and one of the earliest Captains of Loyal Militia as also carrying express at the most eminent danger of his life. That from the certain knowledge the Captains of different Regiments of Loyal Militia had of your Memorialist’s constant assiduily and conduct they made application to the commanding officers of the army for your Memorialist to command them as their Colonel which was granted. Your Memorialist beg that his certificates formerly put into the office, be read after this memorial by which his voluntary services will better appear and that all may be found to corroborate together. Your Memorialist therefore prays that his case may be taken into consideration in order that your Memorialist may be enabled under your report to receive such aid or relief as his losses and services may be found to deserve. Wm Fortune Source: Document received from Lucy Sussex, a writer in Australia. She obtained from the New York Public Library, Transcript of Loyalist Claims v. 52, no. 105-109. This document in my possession is a hand written document copied from the above source. It is not in William Fortune’s original handwriting. Some words are written exactly as shown although some may have had their spelling corrected. Glen Porteous March 23, 2003 Thanks to Glen for sharing