Act of Relief, 1790 North Carolina Legislature
Revolutionary War Pension Application
Deposition of Thomas RIDGE aka Thomas Ridge McGee, 23 August 1804, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
...we have proceeded to take the deposition of Thomas RIDGE or Thomas Ridge McGEE, as the deponent says that he goes by and by some people called by the other name...
...this deponent denies that Wm T. LEWIS ever issued a warrant against him for house burning, neither does he believe he knew everything of one being issued until it was executed and himself committed by the justice that issued it and was carried by the constable by his shop to have a pair of hand cuffs put on.
This deponent says he left North Carolina before the war between America and Great Britain and never came into Surry County or the upper part of the State until after the Battle of Kings Mountain and that he had not seen Wm RIDGE for many years before his death until he saw him on the day that he was killed, for that he this deponent was in the action of the Hanging Rock in South Carolina in the year 1780 on the Whig side and he has been informed that William RIDGE was then killed on the Tory side.
This deponent further saith that he is a half brother to the deceased William RIDGE and that before the war with America and Great Britain that he this deponent lived with his brother & that Godfrey RIDGE & Nancy RIDGE now the wife of John FIELDER Junr. was then living with their father William RIDGE, and always called by him his children and them as brothers and sisters...
Sworn to and subscribed...this twenty third day of August in the year one thousand eight hundred and four...
Thos (his X mark) Ridge Megee
J. A. Parker, J.P. (seal)
E. Gamble J.P. (seal)
Deposition of Burrell Phillips, 23 August 1804, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
This deponent being first sworn deposeth and saith that he is well acquainted with Thomas RIDGE otherwise called Thomas RIDGE MAGEE that the said THOMAS can neither read nor write &...
Burrel Philips
J. H. Parker J. P. (seal)
E. Gamble J. P. (seal)
Legislative Acts to Clear the Name of Thomas Ridge (McGee)
Thomas Ridge was served a summons to testify for the plaintiffs in the estate settlement for William Ridge, re: Jonathan HAINES & William COOK vs William T. LEWIS. Thomas apparently never testified, and claimed that his appearance was blocked by William T. Lewis who had him arrested in Morganton, NC for house burning during the Revolution. William T. Lewis obtained depositions from neighbors and family members concerning Thomas Ridge's character, several of whom accused him of house burning.
Deposition of Jonathan Haines: ...And your Orators and Oratrixes further charge that Thomas RIDGE a cousin of the intestate was and is a material witness for your Orators and Oratrixes and was duly subpoened in the said action of trial on the part of your Orators and Oratrixes therein and that the said William Terrel LEWIS in order to deprive the same orphans ...of the benefit of his testimony on the trial of the said cause (line unreadable, torn) taken into custody on a Warrant issued by the said William Terrel LEWIS himself ___ of house-burning in the late War between America and Great Britain and thereby and by threats and unjust ___ so intimidated and frightened the said Thomas RIDGE that he broke custody and ran off and so your Orators and Oratrixes in the said action lost and were deprived of the benefit of his testimony at the trial....
Deposition of William Terrell Lewis: This defendant does not recollect to have seen him from the year 1782 til about 1789 or 1790- and then he was brot to a Smiths Shop belonging to this defendant in custody of an Officer under a charge of some felonies, which it was said he had committed in Morgan District, the Officer being about to convey him to the gaol of that District broat him to be Ironed- and after that was efected he carried him said Thomas RIDGE away and this defendant heared afterwards that somewhere in Wilkes County he escaped, but this defendant avers that he charge in the bill that this defendant was privy to such escape or in any wise concerned in procuring it is entirely false. This defendant also denies that he issued a warrant to apprehend said Thomas RIDGE or does not recollect such a thing or act.
Lewis was obviously lying:
March 1791 Surry Co., NC Court Minutes: Payment to Wm. T. LEWIS for the expense of a guard & 3 horses, in taking ironing, and carrying Thomas RIDGE to Morgan Jail £2:17:0. (Wells, p.57)
Deposition of Zenos Baldwin: Question the 2nd. Do you know anything of a Thomas Ridge and if you do relate when you first saw or hearn of him and what was his carrictor. Answered I lived in the nighbourhood of said LEWIS and Wm. Ridge and I never saw nor hearn of Thomas Ridge until after the Battle of Kings Mountain and that was long after Wm. Ridge joined the Tories and was said to have been killed and that he was said to be a House Burner and a man of most infamous carrictor.
Deposition of Elizabeth Fielder: This deponant further sayeth that said THOMAS RIDGE burnt a mans house in Wilks County No Carolina & was reported to be the most thieving & villainous man upon earth which she had no right to doubt, that being his true character
Deposition of John Fielder Senr: Question in behalf of the Defendants do you know anything of a certain Thomas Ridge that has been Calld upon by Jonathan HAINZ as a witness in said suite if you do relate the Time that you first knew of his coming into that Country and his Carrictor. Answered I never heard of him nor saw him until after the Battle of Kings Mountain and that he could not have been at any contracts that was made between Wm T. LEWIS and Wm RIDGE as said Ridge was before that time said to have been killd in an action at the Hanging Rock in South Carolina and that said Deponant lived a near neighbour to both Lewis & Ridge and further saith that he had burnt one or two houses and was a man of Infamous carrictor...
Deposition of James Martin Fielder: ...and that said THOMAS RIDGE bore and Infamous Carricter he pilfered and stold and burnt a pore mans house in Wilkes County by the name of BURCH and took from them nearly all they had...
Legislative Relief:
1790 Vol. XXI, p. 849. Senate Journal. "Received from the House of Commons...a bill for the relief of Thomas RIDGE"; each endorsed "Read for the first time and passed".
1790, Vol. XXI, p. 859. The Bill for the relief of Thomas RIDGE was read the third time, passed and ordered to be endorsed.
1790. Vol. XXI, p. 1019. Mr Speaker and Gentlemen: "...the Committee of propositions and grievances No. 2, to whom the petition of William COOK and Jonathan HAINS was referred, report- That from information before the committee, it appears that the petitioner, being guardians to the orphans of William RIDGE, dec'd, instituted a suit against a certain William Tyrell LEWIS, for the recovery of negroes belonging to the said orphans- That a certain Thomas RIDGE was their principal evidence in the cause, and that the said William Tyrell LEWIS, being a Justice of the Peace, did issue a warrant against him the said Thomas RIDGE for burning a house about ten years ago, then the property of a Tory, caused him to be brought before himself, and committed him to Morgan district gaol. It further appears, that from an idea the said Thomas RIDGE entertained of the influence the said William Tyrrell LEWIS had in that country, and the warmth he appeared to have in bringing forward and carrying on the prosecution, that he would be much injured; and in order to extricate himself, broke gaol and removed to the State of Virginia- Your committee after considering the circumstances, together with the testimony, are of opinion that the prosecution was malicious, and brought forward with no other view than that of preventing him the said Thomas RIDGE from giving evidence in the suit mentioned in the petition, and do recommend that the said Thomas RIDGE be exonerated from the said prosecution. Which is submitted. Wyatt Hawkins, Ch.
Resolved, That the House do concur with this report; where upon Mr. Hawkins moved for leave and presented a bill for the relief of Thomas RIDGE; which was read the first time, passed and sent to the Senate.
1790 Vol. XXI, p. 1024. Friday, December 10, 1790. ... Received from the Senate a bill for the relief of Thomas RIDGE, endorsed "Read the first time and passed."
1790 Vol. XXI, p. 1033. Received also a bill for the relief of Thomas RIDGE, endorsed "Read the second time and passed".
1790 Vol. XXI, p. 1036. A bill for the relief of Thomas RIDGE was read the third time, passed and sent to the Senate.
1790 Vol. XXV, p. 101, Chapter XXXVI. An Act for the Relief
of Thomas RIDGE. Whereas, it is represented to this General Assembly that Thomas
RIDGE, of Surry County, hath been charged with house burning in the course of the late
war, and as it appears that the said Thomas RIDGE proceeded in the matter charged against
him agreeable to the command of his officers. I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
the State of North Carolina, and it hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that the
said Thomas RIDGE be pardoned and clearly exonerated from the charge aforesaid, any law to
the contrary notwithstanding.
In 1833 he was 84 years old, born 17 February 1749 in Randolph Co., NC. He had no written record of his age and only stated the day and date of his birth from information derived from his mother. He enlisted July 1777 under Captain Templeton in Baltimore, marched to Savanna in Georgia and served in the 14th GA Battalion, thence he went to Augusta, Brier Creek. He was taken prisoner with Templeton for about 48 hours and made his safety swimming the Savanna River. He went to North Carolina, Burke County where he volunteered and joined with Drew Cade, Capt. and Col. Clark and returned to Augusta and besieged a party of British and Tories commanded by a Col. Brown, where he was wounded in the hip. He was at Kings Mountain but did not take part due to his wounds. He was conveyed by Col. Campbell along with British prisoners to Moravian Town. He then volunteered under Col. Joel Lewis in Wilkes Co., NC and joined Col. Cleveland who marched him to Guilford Courthouse, then under General Green to 96 district. He then volunteered in Capt. Thomas Harveys Company of Mounted Militia, Samuel Hammonds, Colonel, under Gen. Pickens. His service was scouting the country after Tories. He fought at Eutaw Springs.
He was living in Pittsylvania County at the time of or just previous to his entering into service, but had gone to Baltimore on business. After being dismissed from the service, he returned to Pittsylvania County and continuing a short time went to Stokes Co., NC where he married and continued for several years. He then moved to the State of Tennessee and has been a resident for about forty years and for the last 10 years a resident of Humphreys County. He refers to Ephraim Perkins, Esqr, Thomas Simpson, Joel Riddings & others and Isaac Little for his character and said there is no clergy in his neighborhood with whom he is acquainted.
Thos McGee
3 Oct 1833
John Thompson JP, Robert M Hawthorn JP, Urbane Harris, JP, Isaac Little JP
Henry Co., TN. Personally come Thomas Holloman who was aged sixty three years...that he was acquainted with said McGee when a soldier serving under Captain Drew Kade (or Cade)
Hickman Co., KY. Personally came Burrell Phillips who was aged sixty-five years....that he was acquainted with said McGee when a soldier in the Revolutionary war under Capt. Drew Cabe or Kabe.
Hickman Co., KY. Personally came Stephen Stubblefield who was aged sixty-five years....that he was acquainted with said McGee when a soldier in the Revolutionary war under Capt. Drew Cabe or Kabe.
Deposition of Isabell Bacon: This deponant further saith that Thomas RIDGE worked at the House of this Deponant in the fall of the year 1798 and this deponant understood that he was somewhat related to Wm RIDGE but that he had not been in Surry County for many years until the winter after the battle of Kings Mountain...and that he had been in the State of South Carolina and Georgia and was in the Service under one Captain ROUNDTREE and was wounded ... at an action in Augusta in the afoursaid 1780..
Stokes County, North Carolina
1790 US Census
Thomas Ridge 1mo16, 2mu16, 4f
Wilkes County, North Carolina
1798 Wilkes County, North Carolina, deed between James Campbell and Thomas McGee, Blacksmith..$100.00, 100 acres on Grassy Fork of Little River, being part of tract orginally granted to Henry Herriford. Witnesses: George Brown, Daniel McEwen, Nancy Brown. Signed: James Campbell, 8 January 17981801 Wilkes County, North Carolina, deed between Thomas McGee and Abraham Reed for $112.50, 100 acres on Grassy Fork of Lower Little River on Samuel Woods corner, part of survey originally granted Henry Harryford. Witnesses: Samuel Wilson, Clement Mosley; signed: Thomas (X) McGee, 30 March 1801
1801 Wilkes County, North Carolina, deed between Isaac Lowe and Nathan Brown, Rowan County, North Carolina, for £150, 189 acres on William McGee's line at Benjamin Hubbards corner...to Moravian Creek. Witnesses: John H. Owen, Caleb Lowe, William Mitchell; signed: Isaac (x) Lowe. 5 May 1801
Davidson County, Tennessee
1804 August 23 Depositions of Thomas Ridge McGee & Burrell Phillips1807 January 30 Marriage Bond. Elizabeth Ridge to Jonathan Reaves
1812 Tax List
William Ridge1814 Muster Roll of Capt. Robert Evans Company of Mounted Gunmen in Col. Robert H. Dyer's Regiment, Coffees Brigade from Sept. 28, 1814 to March 28, 1815
Jonathan Reaves1815 March 21 Marriage Bond. William Ridge to Telpha Shivers
1850 US Census
Jas Dove 25 M Laborer Alabama
Nancy Dove 23 f AL [Nancy Ridge, d/o Thomas and Elizabeth Belcher Ridge]
Hannah Dove 6 f Tennessee
Mary A Dove 2 f TN
Infant Dove 2/12 f TNCal__ Braunm 22 m Laborer TN
Jane Branum (?) 23 f TN [Sythe Jane Ridge, d/o Thomas & Elizabeth Belcher Ridge]
Minerva Dove 26 f TN 700
Paulina Dove 7 f TN
Ma J. Branun 10 f TN
Jno Dove 35 m Laborer Kentucky
Hiram Davidson 35 m Laborer KentuckyRich" Ridge 17 m Laborer Tennessee
Arey(?) Ridge 15 f TN
Winney Ridge 12 f TN
Hiram Ridge 10 m TN
Rob" Ridge 7 m TN
Rich" Dove 20 m Laborer AlabamaJohn Dickson 36 m Gardner Ireland
Mary Dickson 30 f Ireland
Armele Rudezenski 33 m ChemGardner Poland
M" Rudezenski 25 f Switzerland
Cath" Rudezenski 7 f Switzerland
Tho" Ridge 42 m Laborer Tennessee 240 [Thomas Ridge, s/o Thomas and Elizabeth Belcher Ridge]
Mary Ridge 36 f TN [Polly Dove]
Tho" Ridge 10 m TN
Martha A Ridge 4 f TNHickman County, TN
1820 US Census
p. 12 Thomas Ridge 1m10-16, 1m45+, 2fu10, 1f10-16, 1f45+ [Thomas Ridge McGee]
Humphreys County, Tennesse
1820 US Census
p 6 Thomas Riddge 2mu10, 1m16-26, 1m26-45, 1fu10, 1f 26-45 [b. 1775-1794 Thomas Ridge s/o Thomas Ridge McGee, h/o Elizabeth Belcher]
Burton Jordan 1mu10, 1m10-15, 1m16-18, 1m16-25, 1m26-44, 4fu10, 2f10-15, 1f26-44
Elizabeth Reaves 1mu10, 1fu10, 1f10-16, 1f26-45 (b1775-1794) [married Jonathan Reaves]
1830 US Census
p. 301 Thomas Ridge 1m80-90, 1f10-15 [Thomas Ridge McGee]
[note: son Thomas Ridge and wife Elizabeth Belcher had moved to Jackson County, Alabama]1833 Thomas McGee (Magee), Revolutionary War pension application, service in Maryland and North Carolina, age 84
1860 US Census
p. 186 John Ridge
References Cited
From Clark, The State Records of North Carolina, Vol. XXI, pp. 849, 859, 1019; Vol. XXV, p. 101 (1790).
NC State Library and Archives, CR085.508.136, Estate Records, Rowan Co., NC, Folder: William Ridge (1785)
1833 October 28, Revolutionary War Service Pension Application, Thomas McGee, Humphreys County, Tennessee
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