William Crain married his wife Mary before 1782, probably in Wilkes County, GA.

They had two identifed children:

1. Abijah CRAIN, SR., born 05-May-1785 in Georgia. Abijah married Emily "Milly" SPARKS about 1804, probably in Franklin County, GA. Abijah died 20-Oct-1862, Cane Creek, Van Buren County, TN.

2. Ann "Nancy" CRAIN who married James Sparks.

William went from Granville Co., NC to Wilkes Co., NC.

Following the American Revolution, he moved to Wilkes County, GA. By 1795 William & Mary sold 200 Ac., in Franklin Co., GA (Deed Bk. O-72. He bought 200 ac. for $100 in 1801 on the Tugaloo River & Toccoe Creek. Wm. left GA in 1804 to go to East TN (probably Grainger Co), then to Middle TN where he had Crain's Station, Cane Creek, in 1807 & a land grant on Cane Creek in 1811, White Co. He was a frontiersman in the truest sense. His last move was to Crainville, Hatchie River, Hardeman Co., TN in 1829.

In 1976 a memorial marker honoring William Crain and his younger brother, Joel Crain, was dedicated in the Hatchie Cemetery on Hornsby Road east of Toone, Hardeman County, TN.
Hatchie Cemetery on Hornsby Road east of Toone.

Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements

Pension application of William Crain S1753
Transcribed by Will Graves
State of Tennessee, Hardeman County: Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions January term 1833
Declaration of William Crain in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.

On this day the 10th of January 1833 personally appeared in open court before the justices of the County Court of Hardeman County now sitting William Crain a resident of said County and State aged

Eighty one years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following statement in order to obtain the benefit of said act.

That he was born in the year 1752 agreeably to the best information he has on the subject, in Granville County State of North Carolina. He has no register of his age, neither does he believe that he has ever seen any register of it.
That he entered the service of the United States in the Wilkes County North Carolina and served under the following named officers here after stated, viz:
He volunteered as minute man in the Spring of the year of 1781 [sic, 1780?] under Captain Walton in the month of March as well as he now recollects and went to Salisbury to learn the exercise and remained there 18 days during which time we were drilled by an officer but does not recollect his name. Returned home, remained there for but a short time when he again entered the service as a volunteer for ten months under Captain Walton and marched towards the head of the Catawba [River]for the purpose of keeping down the Tories. He was not long in the service before he joined Colonel Cleveland's Regiment [Benjamin Cleveland] and continuing on the Catawba for some time, but was in no engagement. Colonel Cleveland was in necessity to raise more men; had to put down the spirit of the Tories in that part of the Country. We shortly afterwards got in the neighborhood of Major Ferguson's brigade [Patrick Ferguson] but Colonel Cleveland was not then disposed to give him battle.
He remembers of seeing where Ferguson & his Army had passed and heard him frequetly spoken of by the officers and soldiers but never saw them until the battle. Colonel Cleveland was shortly afterwards joined by Colonel Sevier [John Sevier] & Campbell [William Campbell] and their regiments. The Army now appeared to increase every day and they made towards Ferguson in order to give him battle. He was in the battle of King's Mountain. He continued in the Army for some time after the battle and was engaged in guarding the prisoners until they were taken to the Moravian town-- when he returned home having served out his tour of ten months as he believes. He again entered the service under Captain John Cleveland, son of Colonel Cleveland, for ten months as a mounted Gun Man, and served some times on foot & sometimes on horse back; during this tour he was in the battle of Ramsour's Mill, and was engaged in keeping down the Tories but does not recollect of being in any other battle during this tour. He acted or served as a minute man and was at home several times during the time of ten months for which he had volunteered. He again entered the service as a volunteer. He does not recollect for how long. He believes that as he had volunteered as a minute man that he was liable to be called out at any time, at least he always went when called on; that during this expedition he was at the battle of Cross Creek, they then went down towards Wilmington and was away from home for some time but does not recollect how long. He again in the year 1782 in the latter part of the year as well as he recollects volunteered under Captain John Stonecypher, and marched to the Moravian Towns to put down the Tories but when they got there the Tories had dispersed. The people treated us very kindly & we had no fighting to do. We all had buck's tails in our hats. He does not recollect how long he was out during this expedition, neither is he certain how long he served during the above campaign spoken of, he is now old & frail & does not recollect dates nor times precisely, but can say with certainty that he performed as much & was as much engaged in actual service from the time he first volunteered until the close of the war as
any of the militia in that part of the Country [in] which he lived. He believes he served upwards of two years and a half.
He does not recollect of ever receiving a discharge. His military service was well known to the persons whose certificate is here annexed, marked A. That he moved from Wilkes County North Carolina to Franklin County Georgia, with Captain John Stonecypher, he does not recollect the year he left North Carolina it was shortly after the war. He remained in Georgia until the year 1795 when he determined to migrate to the West and he being a poor & illiterate man and expecting to go into a strange Country, procured the certificate here annexed; the most of the persons who signed said
certificate knowing to his service as a soldier in the revolutionary war. He moved in the year 1795 to what is now called East Tennessee from thence to middle Tennessee, thence to Henderson County in the Western District of Tennessee, & from thence to this County where he has resided for the last four years.

Joel Crain is acquainted with him and can testify to his actual service in the Army of the Revolutionary war. Samuel Jackson & Richard Fortune of this County are acquainted with me & can testify as to my veracity and what is reputed of my service as a soldier of the revolution.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the Agency of any State.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid -- 10th of January 1833.
S/ Thomas J. Hardeman, Clerk S/William Crain, X his mark
I Joel Crain a citizen of Hardeman County do hereby certify that William Crain who has sworn to & subscribed the above declaration served in the Army of the North Carolina militia for sometime during the revolutionary war, I believe for as long if not a longer time than he has stayed above in his declaration. I was out myself with him during the tour of three months as well as I now recollect and I had a substitute employed for 18 months (at different times) and I know that William was in the Army more than I and my substitute both put together. He was generally from home in the Army from the
time the British fleet was heard of at Charleston South Carolina until peace was made.
Sworn to & subscribed in open court the 10th day of January 1833.

S/ Thos. J. Hardeman, Clerk S/ Joel Crain, X his mark {seal}