Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2776, Jonas Dawson, S.C.
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Service Number
S.C Dawson, Jonas R.2776
Bowman SC
Contents
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State of Georgia
Rabune County
Personally appeared in open court before the The Justices of the Inferior(?) Court of said county (this 11th October 1832) -?- Jonas Dawson aged ninety seventy two years who being duely 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 the 7th 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following (named?) officers and served as here in stated in first (tour?) that he entered the service about the first of June 1781 in Spartanburg District(?) South Carolina in General Br(___?) brigade Col Fair Regiment Captain Matunder officers Mat Reeblleeted(?) was drafted as a militia man three months. (Tour?) marched to Granby in South Carolina (carotina) rendezvoused 4 miles south of Granby either upper end of Lords (?) on the ____ River was in pursuit of the British marched from Th___ to where he supposes now to be ____.  There was discharged from service in (no?) gu?___ment.
20 troops from the same place volunteered for days troops in General Pickins(?) brigade Col White regiment Captain Gorven(?) Cornping(?) Lieutenant Bratcher marched to the Cherokee Nation of Indians had ____ with said Indians at various Indian towns at one called the Buzzard(?) ___the long swamp(?) at which place a treaty was concluded with said Indians.
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Service                                              Number
S. C.                  Dawson, Jonas             R.2776


Born in SC
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Service                                                Number
S. C                       Dawson, Jonas              R. 2776

Born in S.C.
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Service                                          Number

S. C                    Dawson, Jonas            R. 2776

Born in S.C.
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Service                                                 Number

S. C                   Dawson, Jonas              R. 2776

Born in S.C.
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Georgia           {
Rabun County { We do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jonas Dawson the above appleant and that he is a man of both ... and that he is  ... ally ... to have been a revolutionary soldier and ... as he states this 23rd act. 1832.

M Cerre M J
A Miller
Edward Coffee
Sam Farris
H S Mosley
Wm Gillespie
William Kelly
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N23423
James Dawson 
Rabun Co - 
Georgia

Rejected
J Moxley
May 23, 11[8]33
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Service                                           Number
S. C                    Dawson, Jonas               R. 2776


Born in S.C.
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Service                                                  Number
S. C                   Dawson, Jonas                 R.2776

Born in S.C.
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3
will be indispensable to a favorable action upon his case.  The facts stated will afford one of the principal means of corroborating the declaration of the applicant, if true, or of detecting the imposition, if one be attempted; and unless, therefore, these are amply and clearly set forth, no favorable decision can be expected.  All applicants will appear before some Court of Record in the County, in which they reside, and there subscribe and be sworn to, one of the declarations above provided, according to the nature of his case.

The Court will propound the following (m) interrogatories to all applicants for a pension, on account of service in the Militia, State troops, or Volunteers, except the Militia of New Hampshire and the State troops of Virginia.

1. Where and in what year were you born?
2. Have you any record of your age, and if so, where is it?
3. Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, and where do you now live?
4. How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?
5. State the names of some of your Regular Officers, who were with the troops, where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstance of your services.
6. {To a Soldier. {Did you ever receive a discharge from th service, and if so, by whom was it given and what has become of it?
{To an Officer. {Did you ever receive a commission, and if so, by whom was it signed, and what has become of it?
7. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood, and who can testify as to your character for veracity, and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.

The Court will see that he answers to these questions are embodied in the declaration, and they are requested to annex their opinions of the truth of the statement of the applicant.

The applicant will further produce in Court, if the same can be done, in the opinion of the Court, without too much expense and inconvenience to him, to respectable persons - one of whom should be the nearest clergyman, if one lives in the immediate vicinity of such applicant, who can testify, from their acquaintance with him, that they believe he is of the age he represents, and that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood to have been a Revolutionary soldier, and that they concur in that opinion. If on one these persons is a Clergyman, the Court will so certify, and they will also certify, to the character and standing of other persons, giving such certificates.

The traditionary evidence of service is deemed very important, in the absence of any direct proof, except the declaration of the party. And the Courts are requested to be very particular in the enquiry whether the belief is general, and whether any doubts have ever existed upon the subject.

Applicants unable to appear in Court by reason of bodily infirmity, may make the declaration before required, and submit to the examination, before a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record of the proper county, and the Judge or Justice will execute the duties, which the Court is herein requested to perform, and will also certify that the applicant cannot, from bodily infirmity, attend the Court.

Whenever any official act is required to be done by a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or by a Justice of the peace, the certificate of the Secretary of State or Territory, or of the proper Clerk of the Court or County, under his seal of office, will be annexed, stating that such person is a Judge or Justice of a Court of Record, or a Justice of the Peace, and that the signature annexed is his genuine signature.

No payments can be made on account of the services of any person, who may have died before taking effect of the act of June 7, 1832; and in case of death subsequent thereto, and before the declaration herein required is made, the parties interested will transmit such evidence as they can procure, taken and authenticated before a Court of Record, showing the services of the deceased, the period of his death, the opinion of the neighborhood respecting such services, the title of the claimant, and the opinion of the Court upon the whole matter.

----------------------------------
[a]The declarant must appear in open Court, unless prevented from doing so by reason of bodily infirmity; in which case the declarant will follow the rule laid down for his guidance.
[b] The declarant must make his declaration in the county where he resides. If he should fail to do so, he must assign a sufficient reason for not conforming to the rule
[c] The age of the claimant must invariably be mentioned.
[d] The declarant must mention the period or periods of the war when he served.
[e] Every continental officer or soldier must give the name of the Colonel under whom he served; otherwise a satisfactory examination of the claim cannot be had. Every claimant must state, with precision, the length of his service, and the different grades in which he served, in language so definite as to enable the Department to determine to what amount of pension he is entitled. In a case where the applicant cannot, by reason of the loss of memory, state precisely how long he served, he should amend his declaration by making an affidavit in the following words:
"Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, a Justice of the Peace, &c. A. B. who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that, by reason of old age, and the consequent loss of memory, he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of his service; but, according to the best of his recollection, he served not less than the periods mentioned below, and in the following grades: -- For ---- year ------- months, and ------- days, I served as a -----------. For ------- months and ----- days I served as a ------; and for such service I claim a pension"
It is important, in all cases, to determine with precision the period for which each applicant served, and the particular rank he held, as the law directs the pension to be paid according to the grade of the pensioner and the length of his service. The use of the phrase about three or four months, is too indefinite, and all such qualifying expressions are objectionable. Some persons who apply for pensions merely state that they served two years in the militia, &c. without specifying the tours, the names of the officers, and the other particulars respecting their service. This form of a declaration is the particular place or places where the service was performed; that the applicant served with an embodied corps called into service by a competent authority; that he was either in the field or in garrison; and for the time during which the service was performed, he was not employed in any civil pursuit.
[f] The law makes the relinquishment indispeusable.
[g] The opinion of the Court is always required.
[h] The Clerk must give his certificate in every case.
[i] The Clerk must affix his seal, and if it has no device or inscription by which it can be distinguished from any other seal, or if he has no public seal of office, the certificate of a Member of Congress, proving the official character and signature of the certifying officer, should accompany the papers.

Mode of authenticating papers.
In every instance where the certificate of the certifying officer who authenticates the papers is not written on the same sheet of paper which contains the affidavit, to other papers authenticated, the certificate must be attached thereto by a piece of tape or narrow ribbon, the ends of which must pass under the seal of office or the certifying officer, so as to prevent any paper from being improperly attached to the certificate.

Proof of Service. 
[j] In a case where the name of the applicant is not found on the records of the Department, he must prove his service by two credible witnesses, who are required to set forth in their affidavits the time of the claimant's entering the service, and the time and manner of his leaving the same, as well as the regiment, company, and line to which he belonged. The magistrate who may administer the oaths must certify to the credibility of the witnesses and the official character and signature of the magistrate must be certified by the proper officer, under his seat of office. 
--> The notes from [a] to [i] are all equally applicable to the cases of Militia men, Volunteers, and State Troops. The proof required by rule in note [j] applies to continental troops only.
[k] This traditionary evidence is indispensable in militia cases.
[l] If a witness cannot be found, the declarant must state the fact.
[m] The answers to the interrogatories must all be written, and sent to the War Department, with declaration

John N Ashton
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No. 23423
James [crossed out] Dawson
Jonas
Ga
2776
Rejected - see letter to J. H. Moxley of the 23rd May 1833 -
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2776
P.O. [blank line]
James [crossed out] Jonas Dawson
[stamped REJECTED]
Enlisted: [blank line], 18
Discharged: [blank line], 18

Application filed: [blank line], 18

Alleges: [blank line]
Re-enlisted: [blank line]

Attorney: [blank line]
P.O.: [blank line]

 [blank line] Recognized. [blank line] Contract.
 [blank line] Cert. of Dis.  Searched for  [blank line], 18