State of North Carolina
Buncombe County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
October Term 1832
On this 17th day of October personally appeared in open court before the justices of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of Buncombe County State of North Carolina now sitting, Thomas Forster, a resident of said county and States his age 82 years who being duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. To Wit That he was born on the 22 day of January in the year 1751 in the State of Pennsylvania his parent removed to Frederick County in the State of Virginia when he was quite young. He lived in Frederick County until he was 24 or 25 years old. He moved thence to Augusta County in said state. He here enlisted in the year 1777 for the term of three years under Leftenent Bell in the Continental Army. He marched us to Winchester when he joined his Capt. John McGuire. His Capt. marched to Dumfries where they joined Col. Grayson 16th VA Reg. he commanded. He marched up the Potomac River and crossed at George Town.
He then marched to Baltimore remained there a few days and took shipping and landed in Philadelphia and sailed up to Trenton. He marched to headquarters in New Jersey and joined the main army commanded by General George Washington. He was here under the French decipline [sic] by Steuband. He marched to Trenton back and thence to Philadelphia and crossed the Schuykill River on a floating bridge. He went on the Battle of Brandywine and he was here in the battle. He then marched then back to Philadelphia or in five or six miles of Philadelphia and was then in battle of German Town. He stayed here and went to the Valley Forge winter quarters. He next went after (winter quarters) to the Battle of Monmouth and joined the Light Infantry commanded by General Scott. He next day joined the same company, Captain McGuire. He marched and crossed the North River and was made wagon master and was in that station until he received his discharge. He received his discharge in Philadelphia after serving his three years from General Muhlenburg at the Barax. Here it was enjoyned to march some British prisoners to Maryland which he did and returned home to Virginia where he lived until 40 years old and moved to South Carolina stayed eight or ten years, thence to Buncombe County, NC where he resides now and has for thirty years. (1832 age 84 years living in Buncombe Co.)
/s/ Thos Forster
Wit. by Jam W. Davidson, Nathan Horreson
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Thomas Forster was a son of William Forster and Mary Unknown Forster, and a brother of Jane Forster (1746-1824) and William Forster 1748-1830). He was born 22 January 1751 and apparently married a Miss Rafferty. The following is from A History of Buncombe County, North Carolina, F. A. Sondley (1930) at 759:
Thomas Forster (often called Thomas Forster, Senior, married a Miss [Mary] Rafferty of northwestern South Carolina. He had gone to live there afte spending some years in the Buncombe County region. Later he returned and lived on Beaverdam Creek. He was one of the commission appointed to acquire land for a public square in Asheville, which was so acquired by them in 1807. He was born 22 January 1751 in Virginia [Pennsylvania]. He died 12 September 1839 in Buncombe County, North Carolina.
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Note that one researcher claims (without supporting documentation) that Mary Rafferty lived 1785-1855 and that Thomas Forster had another wife, a Mary (Polly) Roberson, born 1751 in Pennsylvania. This marriage between Thomas Forster and Mary (Polly) Roberson purportedly took place 23 May 1814 in Pennsylvania. Source: Bley Family Tree on Ancestry.com (Owner: yvonneb0807); Accessed 15 April 2010.
His burial location is not known. However, other Forster family members are buried in the Newton Academy Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina. Whether he had children is not known.
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References
A History of Buncombe County, North Carolina, F. A. Sondley (1930)
The Scott Wallace/Linda Daugherty Family Tree on Ancestry.com (Owner: Scott Wallace); Accessed 15 April 2010.
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