An excerpt transcribed from the Revolutionary War Pension of John Adair, S*W2895:

I do hereby certify that in the month of April or May 1780, Charles town having been surrendered to the Enemy, with all the regular Troops under the command of General Lincoln and the Govr. of the State having fled from the State, there being then no legal authority in the State and the British Troops under the command of Tarlton, Rawdon and other officers, were marching through and taking possession of all parts of the state about three hundred men who had fled from the Enemy of whom I was one did assemble in North Carolina where we had fled, and enter into a solemn obligation to place themselves under the command of Genl. Thomas Sumpter and to continue in a body and serve under his command until the war was at an end, or until their services were no longer necessary, they were to find their own horses and arms, clothing and all necessaries—It being absolutely necessary that they should act on horse back they immediately returned into South Carolina and made their first attack on a party of British and Torys amounting to between five and six hundred men (commanded by Capt. Hoock of the Horse & a Coll. Ferguson who commanded the Torys at Williamson's plantation —the Enemy were defeated—Hook & Ferguson both killed and a Capt. Adamson (who commanded the British Infantry) wounded and taken with between thirty and forty men—our numbers increased daily after this action and two or three weeks after, we were led to an attack on a British Garrison at Rocky Mount but the Genl. finding the works too strong to be taken without cannon (of which he had none) he abandoned the enterprise and eight days after (having a reinforcement of 30 men from North Carolina under a Col. Ervin he attacked a strong British force at the hanging Rock —this I believe was the hardest fought Battle during the War of 1812 Service war in the South.  We continued in service until the end of the war and fought many Battles which it is not necessary to name—soon after the battle of the hanging rock, I was appointed on commission by Genl. Sumpter a Capt. in which rank I served till in the fall I was then appointed a major in which rank I served until the end of the war, except a few months in the fall and winter of eighty, when I was a prisoner with the British and in close confinement until exchanged for a Capt. Cambel of the British Army in a partial exchanging effected by the Genl. when I received from the commanding officer in Camden a passport to go to Genl. Sumpter's Camp where I immediately served three tours in succession, in Col. J. Winn's regt. of militia in the year 1779 & the spring of eighty, and was on the lines in service when Charles town was surrendered to the Enemy —I was in fourteen Battles, the last of which was at the Eutaw Spring under Genl. Green —I found my own horses, arms & clothing, and only drew rations when acting under the immediate command of Genl. Greene and with his Troops—for which services & expenses I have not yet been paid—I have not attempted to describe in detail half the services we performed and battles we fought but do assert that we were in continual service from May 1780 until the end of the war and that I myself led one of the advance parties into Charles town when the Enemy evacuated the city —I cannot be particular as to dates, having no record, and having understood that all Genl. Sumpter's papers have been destroyed or lost—and I further certify that the foregoing relation of facts and services are true to the best of my knowledge and recollection.

Given under my hand this 12th day of July 1832.

John Adair

I have read and carefully examined the above and within narrative made by Genl. John Adair.  It accords with my recollection of the history of the times referred to.  We were school fellows at the Waxhaw's academy, I a boy, the Genl grown when he left it.  When the British advanced and overran the country, this academy was burnt by Major Coffen's corps, under the command of Lord Rodney.  At this period all were compelled to leave the country that would not take protection under the British.  Genl. Adair was one of those who rallied under the Eagle of his country, fronted the battles storm, and at the close of the war ranked a major.

Andrew Jackson

July 13th, 1832