Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W 3962, John Dickey, N.C.
Page 1

SERVICE
N.C.  Dickey, John  W3962
Elizbeth
Page 2

Elizabeth Dick[ey]
widow of John
NC
who was a Captain
in the Revolution
[illegible] from $340[?]
Inscribed on the Roll at the
of 352 Dollars 00 
per annum, to commence
the 4th day of March, 1843[?]
27 September 1845
Certificate of Pension issued
18 day of June 1853 and
sent to
J. A. Coffman
Salisbury
N.C.
Acts of March 3, 1843 & J [?]
17, 1844
Recorded in Book A
Vol. 2, Page 151
153
Page 3

Elizabeth Dick
widow of John
C
who was a Captain
in the Revolution
Salem 40
Inscribed on the Roll at the
of 352 Dollars of
Cents per annum, to commence
the 4th day of March, 1843
27 September 1842
Certificate of Pension issued
18 day of June 1853
J. A. Coffman
Salisbury
N.C.
Acts of March 3, 1843 &
17, 1844
Recorded in Book
Vol. 2
Page 15
Page 4

State of North Carolina
Iredell County 
On this 12 day of September 1844 personally
appeared before the presiding Judge of the
Superior Court of Law and Equity for the
County of Iredell Elizabeth Dickey a resident
of the County of Rowan in the State aforesaid
aged about seventy nine years who being
first duly sworn according to law doth
on her oath make the following declaration
in order to obtain the benefit of the provision
made by the act of Congress passed July 7th
1838 entitled an act granting half pay
and pensions to certain widows. That she is
the widow of Captain John Dickey who
was a Captain in the Militia of North
Carolina and served one or more yours under
Genl Rutherford on the borders of South Carolina and one other tour under Genl
Davidson and was near the person of this
General when he fell in the skirmish with
the British when they crossed the Catawba
River at Cowans Ford and served as Captain
of a Company under Col Locke in the
Battle of Ramsours Mill, that he courageously
led on the attack in that battle, that when
a retreat was ordered by the Commander in that battle the said Captain Dickey refused to quit his post bravely fighting sword in hand
until the line which was broken and driven
back was restored and the Battle gained, that
he was nearly all his time in the army
from the time the British landed in the
City of Charleston till the close of the War
That he was in other battles & skirmishes the
name of which she cannot recollect.
Page 5

that he had the case of Several Barrels of
Powder which he kept hid about his own
House till about the time the British crossed
the Catawba, when finding he was watched
by some suspicious neighbours he procured the Removal of the powder through the aid of some trusty friend to a place of safety, that her
Husband John Dickey resided during the war
and afterwards till his death in the County &
State above named that he always served
as a volunteer that she has no documentary 
evidence as to her husbands services to support her claim. She further declares that she was married to the said Captain John Dickey on the 18th day of November 1793 and that her Husband the aforesaid John Dickey died on the 20th day of March 1808. That she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service but that the marriage took place previous to the first of January 1794
Viz at the time above stated. She further declare that her reason for making this declaration with County of Iredell aforesaid is that she has been spending the Summer at the Memorial Springs in the aforesaid County of Iredell, and further that she never knew until about the month of July last past that she was entitled to a pension or had any claim to one. All of which will more fully appear on reference being had to the proof hereunto annexed.-- Sworn to & Subscribed
before the Court as aforesaid
Elizabeth Dickey
her mark
Page 6

Know all men by these presents that
Mr John Dickey of Iredell County & Thomas
Harris of Mecklenburg County are held ?
bound to Richard Dobb Spright Governor
commander in chief of the State of North Carolina & his successors in office in the
penal sum of Five Hundred Pounds
Conditions as follows: Whereas the above
John Dickey & Elizabeth Leasey is about
to enter into the State of Marriage now
if there is no lawful cause why they
may not marry then the above obligation
to be void otherwise to remain in full
force & virtue Given under our hand this 10th Nov 1793
Signed
John Dickey
Thomas Harris
State of North Carolina
Mecklenburg County
I C. T. Alexander Clerk of Mecklenburg County Court do hereby certify that the foregoing is a
true & correct Coppy of the [illegible] in my office
In Testimony whereof I have
hereunto affixed my name & seal
office at Charlotte this second day
of October in the year of our Lord
One thousand Eight Hundred forty five
C.S. Alexander
Page 7

State of North Carolina
Court of Mecklenburg County
I C [illegible]
of the County Court of Mecklenburg County 
do hereby certify that C T [illegible] whose
name appears to the foregoing Certificate
is and was at the time Clerk of said Court & the signature purporting to be his is genuine & full faith & credit is and ought to  give as such
In testimony whereof I have
hereunto set my hand & seal this
Second day of October AD 1845
[illegible]
Page 8

State of North Carolina
Rowan County
on this 10 day of April 1852
personally appear before the undersigned a Justice of the peace in and for said County John Johnson a resident of said County aged thirty five years must make oath that he well acquainted with Elizabeth Dickey who was the widow of the late Capt John Dickey and who affiant was not acquainted with having and before affiant was born but who affiant
always understood was a captain in the Militia
seven in the Revolutionary war from said Rowan County that affiant was well acquainted with his widow the said Elizabeth Dickey lives has started resolution that previous to her death she was an applicant for a pension in the of his said husband John Dickey did but which claim affiant do not think was now allowed that she died in said Rowan County some time in the month of September 1845 that she left Margrett Anderson who is still living and who was the only living child and heir of her the said Elizabeth Dickey that after the death of the husband the said John Dickey his widow the said Elizabeth did not again inter marry that affiant from his ? resolution always understood from the old persons in the neighborhood that said John Dickey was a captain in the service of the United States in the
Page 9

revolutionary war that he was one of the first to visit the pension in North Carolina and he was one of the first whigs in the County
that at that day Sworn to and declared before the date above
Jas H Enniss jp
JS Johnston
I Jas Enniss Justice of the peace in
and for said Rowan County hereby certify that the above John S Johnson is personally known
to me that he is a man of truth & Verisity and
that full faith & credit is due and aught to be
given to his statement witness my hand
this 10th April 1852 
Jas H Enniss JP
Page 10

[from John Dickey Bible Apocrypha, chapter 34]

EDINBURGH
Printed by ALExANDER KINCAID His Majesty's Printer.
MDCCLXII.

John Dickey departed this life the 20th of March 1808
Aged 84 years
Page 11

Elizabeth Dickey was Born of July 12 July 1750
Mary Dickey was Born October 9 1759
Samuel Dickey was Born August 29 1765
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State of North Carolina
Iredell County This day personally
appeared before me Richmond M Pearson
one of the Judges of the Superior Court
of Law and Courts of Equity in and for
the State aforesaid Alexander Huggins and made Oath that the
above hand writing on the annexed
Bible leaf as to wit "John Dickey and Elizabeth
Lease was married November ye 18
1793, is as he believes in the proper hand
writing of John Dickey who was Soldier in the war of the revolution and whose widow to wit Elizabeth Dickey is now an applicant for a Pension. I further certify that satisfactory
evidence is before me that the said Alexander
Huggins is a man of high respectibility
and of undoubted verasity and that
full credit is due and ought to be given
to this affidavit and further that the
said Alexander Huggins is about
Seventy years of age and the said Alexander
Huggins further states that he is well acquainted
with the hand writing of the said John
Dickey having often seen his hand writing
12 Sept 1845 Richmond R. Pearson ?
Page 13

State of North Carolina
Iredell County
I Samuel R. Bell Clerk of Iredell Superior Court
of law do hereby certify that Richard M. Pearson whose name is signed to the foregoing affidavit is one of the Judges of the Superior Courts
of law and Courts of Equity of said State and that the signature purporting to be his is genuine and that the foregoing proceedings took place in open Court
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office the 13th day of September in the 76th year of
our Independence AD 1845
G. R. Bell Clk
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Ye word of god & Contains in this Book, both of old and new testament and the ? ? and is alowed to be made wife of in both in ? ? ? of good Worship ? ? general Locke
John Dickey and Elizabeth Leazey were married  ? 18 1793
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Rev. & 1812 Wars Section

January 21, 1924
I have to advise you that from the papers in pension claim W. 3962 it appears that John Dickey was a resident of Center Congregation, Rowan County, North Carolina, at the
commencement of the Revolution. He served from the beginning to the end of the Revolution as a captain of the North Carolina
militia and was engaged in the battles of Ramsour's Mill, Camden, King's Mountain and Cowan's Ford.
He married twice, the date of the first marriage and name of wife are not stated. Their children were: Elizabeth born July 12, 1780 or 1752; Mary born October 9, 1759; Samuel born
August 29, 1765.
Soldier married November 18, 1793, Elizabeth Leasey. He died in Iredell County, North Carolina, March 20, 1808, at the age of eighty-four years. She died September 27, 1845, aged seventy nine years.
Their children were: Peggy born September 21, 1795, and
John born October 8, 1799.
In 1852, Margaret ( Peggy Anderson of Rowan County, North
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Carolina, daughter and only surviving heir of the widow, was allowed the pension due on account of the services of Captain John Dickey.
Respectfully,
Commissioner
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[This document  if illegible except for the last two lines]
Dickey, John
(N.C.) W-3962
Page 18

This may certify that Richard(?) Graham (served fifteen days in the regiment command by Col. Lock against the British of the Cataba river and was discharged February 9th(?) 1782(?)
John Dickey Capt
Page 19

This notation was on a Bibleleaf, the one attached to the affidavit J. S. Johnston dated
April 10, 1852, on blue paper: "The Bible from which this leaf was removed (date of removal not known) is on file in this Bureau; no further data therein"
Oct. 7 - 1912.
I had an order for photos & did not want the pencil notation of a former clerk to be a part
of the photostat, so I erased it.
Keep this attached to that leaf to the
affidavit on blue paper in the future.
[initials illegible]
Page 20

Bounty Land Div
W B.E.
Washington, DC. June 7th 1877
Dear Sir
Please furnish this office with the names and Post Office address of some of the descendants of Elizabeth Dickey Widow of John Dickey late a Capt in Rev. War.
Application for pension was made last
by the daughter Mrs Magaret Anderson through
her agents J. H. Coffman and Burton Craig
all of whom formerly resided in your own
A Bible, containing a family record, was
filed in evidence. It is now desired
to return said Bible to the family
Please return this letter with your reply
To the Post Master
Salisbury N.C.
Very
respectfully
J A Bentley
Commissioner
Page 21

State of North Carolina
Iredell County
On this 26th day of Sept 1848 Personally
appeared before me Mr W T Cowan a justice of the peace in and for the County aforesaid
John Cochran aged about eighty years
a resident of the County State aforesaid
who after being duly sworn according to
law deposeth and sayeth that he is
well acquainted with Elizabeth Dickey
and that she is the widow of the identical
Captain John Dickey who served in the
Revolutionary war as stated in the 
declaration of Elizabeth Dickey his said widow
he further says, that he was well acquainted with the said John Dickey before during
& after the Revolutionary war, the
said Dickey served as a captain during the
said year, under Genl Rutherford
sometime, also that said Dickey
Captain of a company in the battle of
Ramsours Mill, when he acted with
great bravery during the battle so much
so that his conduct on that day as the chief
topic of conversation in his neighbor
& the country around for sometime 
afterwards, that he still recollects part of a
song that was composed immediately after the
battle & frequently sung, for a long time
afterwards - the only words or part of them
that has not escaped his memory is as
follows viz "as for old colonel [Locke?] he
held pretty well back, While brave Captain Dicky brought on the attack
He ordered them to retreat & form which made our old hero greviously storm
that was captain of a company & served
under Genl Davidson in guarding the
Page 22

forks on the Catawba River & was at
Cowans ford when the British camped
at that place when Genl Davidson
was killed & continued firing until
his men had nearly all left [home?] until members of the enemy had passed him, when he (Dickey) secreted himself under the bank of the river till the British had passed on, he then followed on & joined his company, that he does not remember any other Battle the said
Dickey was engaged in but has no doubt
he was in others, as deponent Wilkins
said Dickey was engaged as a volunteer
in various services, pretty much during the
whole of the war from first to last
and was accounted & revered in his 
neighborhood as a brave Captain of the
Revolution, up to the time of his death which
took place about the year 1808 - in the spring
that said Dickey was about fifty years of age
or upwards of fifty when he quit the service
that he the said Dickey & Elizabeth Leasey were married in the fall or winter of 1793 & that they lived together as man & wife up to the period of said his death that he was a
ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church for a long time before & up to the time of his
death further deponent saith not
Sworn to & subscribed before me the day &
year above written John Cochran
W. F. Cowan JP
Page 23

State of North Carolina
Iredell County
J. F. Alexander Clerk of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions for said County do certify that W.F. Cowan whose name is signed to the foregoing affidavit is an acting Justice of the peace in for said County and that the signature purporting to be his is genuine and I further certify that John Cochran whose name is signed to the said affidavit is a credible witness.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office this 23d day of November in the 69th year of our Independence
A. D. 1844
J. F. Alexander Clk
Page 24

[This seems to be an open book that is illegible.]
Page 25

[?] of North Carolina
Be it known that on or day the 13th of March 1844 before me matter as E Manly one of the judges of the Equity Court of her & Equity for the [?] aforesaid then presiding in the inferior Court for the County of Iredell in said the 
Elizabth Dickey appeared in open court
subscribed & made oath to the foregoing
declaration
At the same time it was made appear to me that E. F. Rockwell & Alexander Huggins whose certificate is annexed to the papers are persons
of respectability that the former is a
clergyman & that their statement on
entitled to full credit & I do accordingly certify the same from under my hand on the day
above stated in & for court
M.E. Manly Judge
State of North Carolina
Iredell County
I Samuel R. Bell Clerk
of Iredell Superior Court of Law do certify that M.E. Manly whose name is signed to the above certificate is one of the Judges of the Superior Court of Law and Courts of Equity of said State & that the signature purporting to be his is genuine
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my
Page 26

hand and affixed the seal of my office at Statesville this 23rd day of November in the 69th year of our Independence A.D 1844
T.R. Bell Clk
Page 27

Mr. E F Rockwell a Clergyman residing in Iredell
County State of North Carolina and Alexander
Huggins residing in the same place hereby
certify that we are acquainted with Elizabeth
Dickey Widow of Captain John Dickey, who
has signed the foregoing declaration that is
E.F. Rockwell has been acquainted with her for
a short time but has undoubted evidence of the fact that she the said Elizabeth Dickey is the widow of Captain John Dickey who was a
Soldier in the revolution and who commanded a Company as Captain, that she is a highly
respectable and a credible person and a pious
and constant member of the Presbyterian Church and Alexander Huggins sayeth that he has been acquainted with the said Elizabeth Dickey nearly all his life, that she is the widow of the said Capt John Dickey who was a soldier
and a captain in the War of the Revolution,
That he was raised from childhood in said
Dickey neighbourhood was well acquainted with Capt Dickey up to the period of his death
which took place about the year 1808, that
he was always reputed and believed in the
neighbourhood where he resided to have been a Soldier and a Captain in the Revolution.
That he was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church until his death, That Elizabeth Dickey the present applicant is still a widow; that she is a highly credible person.
Sworn to and subscribed before me in open Court
Elijah F. Rockwell Alexr Huffins
M.E. [illegible] Judge of the superior court
for North Carolina
Page 28

State of North Carolina Iredell County 
I hereby certify that the following is a true extract from the family record of Captain John Dickey as contained in their old family Bible exhibited before me by Elizabeth Dickey Widow of the said John Dickey who served in the revolutionary war exactly in words figures as it is there plainly set down Viz John Dickey and Elizabeth Leasey was married November ye 18 1790.
John Dickey departed this life March 21 1808
Given under my hand & this 12th day of
September 1844
W F Cowan

North Carolina Iredell County 
This day personally appeared
before me W F Cowan one of the Justices
of the peace in and for the County of Iredell
and State aforesaid Elizabeth Dickey Widow
of Capt John Dickey who was a soldier in
the war of the Revolution who after being duly
sworn according to law deposeth and sayeth
that the old family Bible containing the
record of the Marriage of her late husband
and herself from which the above extracts were taken has always since the death of her
late Husband John Dickey been in her own
possession and that she believes that the record is in the hand writing of her said Husband John Dickey and further that the record of the death of her said Husband John
Dickey is in the hand writing of her son
John Dickey who was born on the October
1799 who was the second child of herself
Page 29

and her said husband John Dickey
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 12 September 1844
Elizabeth her mark Dickey
W F Cowan JP
State of North Carolina Iredell County
Joseph F. Alexander Clerk of the Court of pleas and Quarter Sessions for said County do hereby
certify that W. F. Cowan whose name is signed to the above affidavit as an acting Justice of the peace in & for the said County and that the signature purporting to be his is genuine
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and of affixed the seal of my office this 23rd day of November in the 69th year of our 
Independence A D. 1844
J. F. Alexander Clerk
Page 30

State of North Carolina Comptroller's Office
I, William J. Clarke Comptroller of public
accounts in and for the State aforesaid, do hereby certify that it appears of record in my office, among the payments made by said State to Sundry persons, in the Revolutionary War, as follows, to wit:
John Dickey
Indent or army certificate No. 3071 issued by Auditors of Salisbury July 2d. 1782 [pounds] 1[shilling] 6 [pence] specie allowed Captain John Dickey for Militia service
Ditto No. 1570 Ditto August 29th. 1782 106 [pounds]10 10 specie -
Ditto No 4002 ditto date illegible 14 [pounds] 6 [shillings] 6 [shillings] specie
Ditto No.7713 ditto March 31st 1784 9 [pounds] 9 [shillings] Specie for Militia service
Ditto No. 3613 issued by Auditors of Hillsboro District August 20th 1783 22 [pounds] 10 [shillings] 2 [pence]2 specie
Book No. 5 page 40 14 [pounds] 3 [shillings] specie
[Book] Aii [page] 81 [pounds] 12 [pounds] 16 [shillings] specie
Vol. C. 4782 40 [pounds] specie
Vol. C. 3860 12 [pounds] 16 [shillings]
Vol. C. 3611 4 [pounds]
I furthermore certify that the above payments are all that I have been able to find of records, but it does not follow as a necessary
consequence that they
are all that were made, as it is perfectly certain
that many of the records are lost or destroyed, and the returns from the Western part of this State, where John Dickey lived are very defective. In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my
seal of office this 19th April 1852
Wm J. Clarke Compt.
Page 31

Hon A.W. Venable Sept 16/52
[illegible] to Hon J. P. Caldwell

9202
North Carolina
Elizabeth Dickey
widow of John
who was a Captain
in the Revolution
Inscribed on the Roll at the rate of 340 Dollars [blank' Center per annum, to commence on the 4th day of Marach, 1843 ending 27 Septr 1845
Certificate of Pension issued the
1 day of March 52 and
J. [illegible] Bryan
Present
[Acts of March 3, 1843 & June 17, 1844.}
Recorded in Book A, Vol. 2nd page 153
Page 32

11. 311
North Carolina
Elizabeth Dickey
widow of John who died on [blank]
of
in the State of [blank]
who was a Capt in the
by Captain
of the
Revolution
-
Inscribed on the Roll of Fayette
at the rate of 40 Dollars
per annum, to commence on the 4th
March, 1836.
Certificate of Pension issued the 1 day of
March 52 and sent to

J [?} Bryan Esq
Arrears to the 4th of
Semiannual allowance ending present
Recorded by
Revolutionary Claim Act Jully 7, 1838
Book D Vol. 1, page 287
R M Rae. Clerk
Page 33

Dear Sir 
Statesville 7th Oct 1845
Enclosed you will find the Marriage bond of Captain Dickey.
The reason it was not found sooner is that he was married by Major Thomas Harris who then lived in Mecklenburg. not far from Capt
Dickeys home in Iredell Co. They went then
& got married; some years afterwards
Majr Harris put up new buildings a few hundred yards from the old house. but on the Iredell side
of the line. Mrs Dickey had forgotten the
circumstance which as soon as it
came to my knowledge has looked
into & found the bond in the office
in Mecklenburg Co where it ought
to have been.
I somehow had proven Capt Dickey
hand writ & herewith enclose the leaf
with Judge Carson Certificate not
that it now be of any use but for
the reason that it may be more
satisfactory to the department. I could
I think proved his hand writing by two
other living witnesses. Mr Barringer made
probably write you on the subject to
W.F. Cowan
Page 34

Dear Sir
Oct 8th 1845
Sims writing the above as the within
I was handed your favor of 25th Sept wit & defend forwarding till the contents were known
I can only say that we can do no more
for Mr McKee at present as there is no
living witnesses to prove the fact require
we submit the case cheerfully
the discretion of the department
McKee was a thrifty farmer & was
one of those who never refund service
of any kind when called on by the officers
of the army either verbally or other with all
at these service, this he lost nearly his all
this is well known her from common form
by the old citizens nobody doubt it. but
we have done all for the old lady the
& therefor must stop.  she will be the
last to complain
With much regard his
W F Cowan
[the rest of the page is text that is upside down and illegible]
Page 35

Dr. of [illegible]
Dec. 18, 1844
Sir.
I enclose you the application of Elizabeth Dickey
for a pension.  I have no doubt from my knowledge of the proof & the witness that she is properly entitled.  If this is any defect in the form or substance of the application, I shall be glad to be informed thereof at an early date.  I am so little familiar thereof at an early date in such cases, as to have no opinion whether it is right or wrong.

If you have an abstract or compendium of all the pension laws now in force, I should be glad to get a copy.
With great respect.
D. M. Barringer

J. L. Edward [illegible]
Page 36

[illegible]
Feby 5, 1865
Sir:
I send you some additional proof in the case of J. Dickey.  Also a letter on the subject from W. F. Cowan.  You will oblige me by giving me an answer to his inquiry.
Be so good as to return this letter to me. 
Yours [illegible]
D. W. Parringer

J. L. Edwards [illegible]
Page 37

To the Commissioner of Pensions
Washington City
[illegible]
Page 38

North Carolina
Iredell County
J. F. Alexandeer  Clerk
of the Court of Pleas and Quarter
Sessions for the County aforesaid do
hereby certify that I have made diligent
examination in my office for the marriage
Bond of Capt. Dickey who intermarried
with Elizabeth Leasey. which I have been
unable to find and am fully of opinion that
it is not in my office at this time
I am aware that it was a number of years after
this County was established before their
was any right or place or office for Keeping
papers in belonging to the office of the County
Court, and from the deranged state of the
old papers the clerks must have been very
negligent in the discharge of their duty, as, I find almost impossible to find any papers of
about that date. I also certify that in the year 1836 our town near the Court House took fire which caused the papers to be taken from the office which was done as a matter of course in a very Hasty and confused manner and many papers I have no doubt were lost or misplaced so that they never can be replaced, I further certify that some short time subsequent to the fire passing through the Court yard and found
a marriage Bond given by one of our citizens
whom I was very intimate, which was filed a
very short time after this was a County.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my hand and affixed the seal of my
office this 15 March 1805
F Alxander Clk
Page 39


Raleigh NC
Compt office
 William L Collins Comptroller of Public
Accounts in and for the State of North Carolina
do hereby certify that it appears from the heads of this office that John Dickey had issued in his favor the following office certifies
in payment for Military services (by) and for

for Twelve shillings and six pence see Book [A?]
no 11, page 81 another for Nine Pounds Nine
shillings [illegible] see Book (AM) No 15 page 

19 another for Twenty Two pounds Ten Shillings and Two pence (pounds 22.10.2?) See 
Book No 3 page 24 another

for Fourteen Pounds three shillings (pounds?14.3) see Book

No 5 page 40 another for Forty One Pounds one shilling and six pence in Book No 8 page of another in same book page 10 for Five pounds Eight shillings and another for One Hundred and six pounds Ten Shillings see

Book No 10 page 34 given under my hand and
seal this 18th day May 1845

Wm Collins Compt
[pound sign]
0.12.6
9.9
22-10-2
14-3-0
41-1-6
5-8-0
101-10-
22 -10

198-14-2
Page 40

[seal saying in part] Statesville May 28
May 28, 1845
Elizbeth Dickey
D. W. Paringer? ?
L Edwards [Esquire?]
Com. Pensions
Washington City
D. C
Page 41

Stateville N.C.
May 23 184[1?]
Your letter of the 12th inst has
been recd in which you state that the
family Bible sent on to establish the
marriage of Elizabeth Dickey before 1794
is calculated to discredit her statement, as the Bible itself is very old & the entry appears
to be of recent date - I have mentioned the
circumstance to Wm F. Cowan Esqr who
had prepared her papers - and who
think that you must have looked to the
wrong entry, as the entry is made into
separate places in the Book - one by her
husband & the other, of more recent date
by her son-- I again ask your attested
to examine all the entries, as I am satisfied
beyond doubt that her statement is correct
as to the date of her marriage. Her
character is entirely above suspicion -
Address Wm F. Cowan Esqr Snow Creek
Iredell Co. N.C.
Yours,
S. W. Parringer
J.L. Edwards Esq.
Page 42

Snow Creek 30th May 18 18[45 o4 65]
Hon. J. L. Edwards
Comt of Pensions

Dear Sir
Your favor of 12th Instant to the Hon D. M. Barringer respecting the old Bible sent to the department, as evidence of the marriage of John Dickey & Elizabeth Leasey was handed to me, & Mr B. after an interview with myself, & several old persons acquaintances of Mrs. Dickey, promised to write to you on the subject.  I have no sort of doubt that the marriage took place at the time Stated, She gave me it as the date of her marriage before she knew that it would have to be proved to the department. The Magistrate who married them lived 21 or 22 miles from the Court house & was intrusted with blank marriage bond & probably did not file the bond as he should have done or it may have been destroyed at the time of a fire at our Court house which destroyed about 1/4 of the time. Capt Dickey was married twice as you will see from the records in the old Bible & a longtime had intervened between the
Page 43

two this fact may probably account
for the shade of different in the record
of the Marriages - or perhaps you had
reference to a wrong entry as it
Strikes me there was two entrys in 
different places of the last marriage
Thus I am not certain she still aware
that it is in Capt Dickeys hand with
then in a good many old people
who did not see them married but
who know it did take about the time
stated & will testify to that fact
if necessary - the old lady & the parties
concerned with her in this matter [?]
too respectable to endeavor to [?] get a
fraud on any one
Inclosed is the complete certificate in
Mr Dickeys case also the same
officers certificate in the case of W
McKee which I would hope may
lead to a favorable result, for I do
again assure you they are both
my cases 
With much regard
I am your Obt Sert
W.F. Cowan
Page 44

[Seal saying Statesville NC Aug 22]
Hon J L Edwards
Commissioner of Pensions
Washington [illegible]
[upside down, that part that is legible :
Aug 27, 1848 ??]
Page 45

Statesville 21st Sep 1845
Dear Sir,
Your favor of 12th 
Sep is to hand, enclosing a leaf from
Mrs Dickey, old Bible which contains
a record of the death of Capt John
Dickeys, on the side of the birth
of his 3 children, by his first wife
I would respectfully ask if
was not a mistake in sending
this leaf, instead of the leaf containing the record of the Marriage to Elizabeth Leasey?

I regret at all times, exceeding to trouble any man with communication, so uninteresting & special by one whose correspondence is so [illegible] missions as the one I am now addressing & who withal, is so very [illegible] in replying I that he will pardon [illegible]

Your favor of 14th Inst is also [illegible]
in which you [illegible] you consent again
give a satisfactory reply to mine of 1st Inst
unless I will give the christian name of the claimant & her husband

In this case, not being a copy
of my letter, I would most respectfully ask whether you alluded
Page 46

to Mrs Dickey or Mrs McGee's case.  [about 3 lines marked through] In the old Bible this will be found another leaf containing the record of the marriage of Capt. Dickey to Elizabeth Leasey. this I presume to be the one that was intended to be sent
Respectfully yours
W F Cowan
Page 47

Know all men by these presents
that whereas Margaret Anderson of the
County of Rowan and State of North Carolina by
my letter of attorney bearing date
some three of four weeks
previous to this present, did
make constitute & appoint
Wm E. Jones of the City of Nashville
State of Tennessee my Attorney
to procure from the United States
the amt of Pension that
may be due my mother Elisabeth Dickey deceased for the service of her husband my
father Captain John Dickey
deceased, as by the said letter
of attorney will appear. Now
Know ye that I the said Margt
Anderson for certain good cause
an consideration moving
me thereto have revoked or
countermanded annulled & made
the said letter of attorney &
all power and authority
thereby given or intended
Page 48

to be given to the Wm E Jones in witness whereof I have here unto let my hand & seal this 24th day of April 1852
Margaret Anderson
Witness S Craige

State of North Carolina
Rowan County
Be it known that on the 26th day of April 1852 before the Subscriber and Justice of the peace in & for said county personally appeared Margaret Anderson above named & acknowledged that the foregoing power of attorney to be her own act & deed.  Witness my hand & seal this 26th day of April 1852 
Obadiah Woodson JP
Page 49

Rowan Co. N. Ca. April 1852
To the Hon Com of Pensions
Dear Sir

Some two or three weeks since I gave a power of attorney to Mr Wm E. Jones of the State of
Tennessee authorizing him to act as
my Agent to procure my Mother
Elizabeth Dickey's, (now deceased) pension
for the services of my Father Captain
John Dickey in the army of the 
Revolution. the papers and evidences of which
case were procured and forwarded to
the Department by Mr W. T. Cowan of
Iredell County North Carolina who
was my Mothers proper agent during
her lifetime and my proper agent
since her death
I would state I live in a different
County distant some twenty five
or thirty miles from my said agent
I had not seen or heard any thing
from him on the subject for some
considerable length of time I thought
he had perhaps abandoned the case
I without thinking or reflecting
much on the subject impowered
the above named person
Page 50

to the very great injustice of Mr Cowan
(in who I have the fullest confidence)
I learned soon after impowering
Mr Jones that Mr Cowan
was still prosecuting the claim as I
had authorised him to do
he has been at a great deal of trouble
in procuring evidence as you will
see on a reference to the papers
I therefore or constrained to ask you
to Suspend any action on the power
given by me to Mr Jones for the present
as I have no reason or wish to take it
out of my said agent Mr Cowans
hands untill he may decline acting
I have so informed Mr Jones by letter
provided it may reach him.
In conclusion allow me to ask the
favour of you at your earliest
convenience to give the case a
thorough reconsideration as Mr Cowan
has requested
Hoping for a favorable result
I am your Obedient Servant
Margaret Anderson
Page 51

[illegible seal]
Sir
I have to report after making dilligent
inquiring that I am unable to find
any of the parties to whom your letter refers.
[illegible] Craig and Coffman are both dead,
Very Respectfully
David L. Bringle

Hon. J. A. Bentley
Commissioner
Washington DC
Page 52

[illegible] Sept 8th, 1852
I [illegible] Margaret Anderson
pension papers
please acknowledge the rest of the and
the receipt of this and [????] 
[illegible] A W [illegible]
[ illegible] Com of Pensions
Page 53

State of North Carolina
Comptroller's Office
I, William J. Clarke, Comptroller of public accounts in and for the State aforesaid, do hereby certify that it appears of record in my office, among the payments made by said State to sundry persons for Military services in
the Revolutionary War, as follows, to wit: in addition to the payments in this case by me heretofore given viz:
John Dickey

Vol. C entry  3417 3 [pounds] 8 [shillings] D8 [pence] specie

[Vol] A [entry] 4082 [pounds] 142 [shillings] 10 [pence] specie
Captain John Dickey for Military services of himself and Company.

The above payments were not embraced in my former Certificate dated April 19th, 1852, being found in book lately received from the pension office in Washington City, which book, belonged to this office but were loaned to that office, and were not indexed, at that time, hence the omission.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto
subscribed my name and affixed my
seal of office this 10th day of July 1852
Wm. J. Clarke Compt.
This certificate now issued this 28th day of February 1853,
the original having been lost.
Wm J. Clarke Compt
Page 54

Salisbury N. Carolina
April 26th, 1853
Sir-
The papers and letters on the
subject of my claim, being in the
hands of my former Agent, I shall
not be able to answer your inquiry
as to the time the application was the
with certainty.
My Mother Elizabeth Dicky, first
made application, through her Agent
Freelance Cowan, I think about the
year 44 or 45. After her death, which occurred
shortly afterwards, I made application
in my own name as the only heir of
Elizabeth Dickey, but on account of the
incapacity of my Agent, nothing
materially was done until some time
in April 1852 when I renewed my
application.  Mr Jones being my Agent
and sometime between the 1st & 10th of
May 1852 the Claim was allowed for
Seventeen months service. Shortly after
evidence of additional service was obtain
and sent to your office. The Certificate
containing this evidence will explain
to you why it was not included in
Page 55

the original application.  As it was the same
case, it was not thought necessary
to make another formal application. I
thought all that was necessary to be
due was to refer to your books which
certainly contain the original application
together with the evidence.
I hope my dear Sir you will
cause dilligent search to be made
in order if possible to discover these
papers, for they are certainly on file or
your honorable Predecesor had a strange
way of doing business.  If these papers
cannot be found it will cause me
immence trouble and expense to
furnish all the evidence [illegible] necessary
in this case.
As I have not a copy of the lot
I am not able to say under what act
the application was made unless it was
the act of -38 -41 & 42 which secured a
pension to the widow whose husband
served in the Rev. War and to the
she was married previous to the year 1800
The application was made from the
State of North Carolina Rowan Co
I hope you will inform me as soon as another
such case be made of the result. so that
Page 56

I may know what to ad, for if it cannot possibly be found I must try and collect the evidence again.
Write to me at Salisbury N.C. Case of John Coffman
Yours very Respectfully
Margaret Aderson
Mr. L. P. Weldo
Washington D.C.

P. S. As the first application was made in the year
44 or 45 the case has been
pending so long that it will be necessary
for you to examine your books back to
the year of 44, this will cause your
Clerk considerable trouble, for which
am willing to allow him a [illegible]
fee if he is allowed to receive it
M. A.
Page 57

Elizabeth Dickey died
widow of John
NC
Increased
Acts July 7, 1838.
17 March 1800 cash $352
per annum from
4 March 1836 to
27 Sep 1845
when she died, except 2 yrs
Deducting former payments at $340 per
Anum
Pay to Margaret Anderson only child.
cert to J. H Coffman
Salisbury N.C
Page 58

[(this is mostly printed form with very little entered in writing) 
Brief in the case of 
Elizabeth Dickey widow of John
County and State of North Carolina
As of 7 July 1838 

Claim, ("original")
Proof exhibited, (if original)
Is it documentary, traditionary, or supported by rolls?  If either, state the substance.

Evidence of service; Record & proof of marriage;
Record

(If for increase.)
has additional evidence been filed since the admission of the claim?  Is so, what?

Name and residence of Agent

J. Bryan [illegible]

Kirby

Examining Clerk
Page 59

Brief in the case of
Elizabeth Dickey Widow of John
County and State of North Carolina
act of 
July 7 1838
Claim
Proof exhibited, (if original)
Is it documentary, traditionary, or supported by Rolls. If either, state the substance or supported by rolls? If either, state the substance.

Additional Record evidence certified by the Comptroller of N.C. which have been found
in Books returned by his Office to here and which was for that reason not included in
his original certificate. The case Is for increase
therefore, increased $12 a year

Name and residence of Agent
J. H. Coffman Esq
Salisbury N.C.

Thornton Triplett
Examining Clerk.
Page 60

State of North Carolina
Iredell County
On this 30th day of Sept 1840 personally appeared before W F Cowan one of the acting Justices of the peace in & for the County aforesaid David
Hair a resident of said County who is a
pensioner of the United States aged
about eighty four years who after
being duly sworn according to law
deposeth & saith that he was well
acquainted with Captain John Dickey who
served in the revolutionary war, the
identical person who was the husband
of the present applicant Elizabeth Dickey.
That the said Capt Dickey resided
during the war in Center Congregation then Rowan County now Iredell
State aforesaid, in the neighborhood
of the Brevards, that he served
one Campaign of five months with
said Dickey who commanded a company under General Rutherford in
South Carolina at Camden in that
region of country.  The deponent and
Captain Dickey were both under Genl
Rutherford when that General was
taken prisoner that he a Capt Dickey served one other tour of three months together
under Genl Davidson & were both under
that Gereral when he was killed at Cowans
ford on the Catawba River when the Brittish crossed the said River at said ford
the said Dickey, still serving as Captain
commanding a company, that he
deponent, thinks all Capt Dikey served
with him in one other tour & [illegible]
Page 61

[illegible] State aforesaid of three months
he deponent is that certain of the
service but thinks so as he well known,
that Captian Dickey was almost continually in the service during the whole
war & generally acted as captain in
all his services, that he was usually
called Old Captain Dickey in consequence of his being as deponent supposes about fifty years of age at that time, that deponent in going from his house to join his company in
South Carolina, lodged with Capt Dickey
house over night at one time, that
he always understood that Capt
Dickey Commanded a company under
Col Locke at the battle of Ramsours
Mill deponent was not in that
battle, but his brother Robt Hair was & he often heard him, (Robt Hair) speak
of Capt  Dickey's gallant conduct in
that battle, that Capt. Dickey was
always reputed in this region of country up to this time of his death to have
been a soldier of the Revolution, that
from old age & loss of memory deponent
and cannot recollect any other particular services of Captain Dickeys, but
deponent knows that said Dickey was
in the service as aforesaid, & was almost
continually out during the year as aforesaid.
that from bodily infirmity, deponent
cannot appear in open court to make
this affidavit further he sayeth not
Sworn to & subscribed on the day & year
above written
before me
W F Cowan
David Hair
his Mark
Page 62

State of North Carolina
Iredell County
I W F Cowan a justice of the
peace in for the County aforesaid
do hereby certify that David Hair
whose signature is attached to
the foregoing affidavit is a
credible person and that from
frequent conversation with him
on the subject I have no doubt
of the correctness of his statement
in the foregoing affidavit, that
from old age & bodily infirmity 
I do not think he could
attend the Court without considerable 
risk of health & perhaps
of his life. Given under my hand & Seal this 30th day of Sept
1844
W J Cowan

State of North Carolina
Iredell County 
I Joseph F Alexander
Clerk of the Court of pleas & Quarter Sessions for said County do hereby certify that W. F. Cowan whose name is signed to the above certificate is an acting Justice of the peace in and for said County & that the signature purporting to be his is genuine
In testimony whereof I have here
unto set my hand and affixed
the seal of my office this 23rd
day of November in the 69th
year of our Independence
1844
J. F. Alexander Clk
Page 63

Salisbury April 25th 1852
Dear Sir
The enclosed papers were handed
me by Mrs. Anderson, an old lady
of respectability with a request that
I would forward them to Mr Caldwell
the member from this District
After she had left my office I
learned from a nephew of Mr
Caldwell that he was detained
at home by the sickness of his
mother, died as it is important
to her that it be immediately
attended to. I have taken the liberty
of enclosing them to you, and
of begging you to attend to the
matter for her. You will perceive
that when she gave the power
to Mr Wm C. Jones that she was laboring
under the impression that Mr Cowan
had abandoned her business.

I have also understood
from her that she entered into
are important agreement
with Mr Jones under the same
misapprehension of the facts by
which she obligated herself to give
him a part of the recovery. she
is desirous of getting up said agreement
with Mr. Jones, and has directed
him to surrender it to you and
she would pay him for any expense
done which he may have
Page 64

incurred.  Should you know such a person
and could be of any service to the old
lady in procuring the cancellation of
the agreement you could confer a
favor on her which would be extend by
me more than if conferred by me more than if confirmed on me personally.

We were all taken somewhat by surprise
 at the course of margin in these present making misstate did over what we expected.

Give us anyone but [illegible] and we can beat Scott in North Carolina provided he is sound on the slavery question.

Can Buchanan be relied on that question?
upon that date. He talks and writes well
about it.

At present the decided favorite of the North Carolina Democracy.

Believe me sincere & your friend
Burton Craige

Hon. A. Venable
[illegible]
Page 65


Salisbury N.C. March 7th, [illegible]
Mr. Heath.
Dear Sir.
That you may understand
this communication and the enclosed
Certificate. You will please refer to your
Books for the case of Capt. John Dickey
where you will find, that, in the month of
May last, there was claim allowed to
Mrs. Anderson as the Daughter and
only surviving heir of Cap John Dickey
Widow after this first claim was allowed
in the month of July, a certificate was
issued by Mr Clark Comp for this state
affording proof of additional services
by John Dickey. This Certificate was
sent by me to the Pension Office through
Hon. Jas. P. Caldwell six months ago and
heard nothing of it since, untill a few
days ago I was informed by Mr. Caldwell
that it was lost or mislaid and that must
obtain another Enclosed therefore you will
find the same Certificate referred, which
I hope you will take better care of Mrs
Anderson requests me to say that the
is exceedingly anxious that you should
pass upon her claim immediately
Page 66

she is now old and feble and stands
greatly in need of assistance. Let
me, [illegible] upon you to examine into
this claim at once Her application has
now been before the Office over six
months, and there can possibly be
no dificulty in the way
I have no interest in the world in this
matter, I am not her agent she has
no agent. I am writing this letter for
as a matter of accomodation, as
soon as you examine into this case
write to me at Salisbury N.C.
Yours &c
J.H. Coffman
Page 67

Dickey
McKee
Page 68

Washington City,
Decr 25,1845
Sir,
I enclose you an application for 2 pension

for Mrs. Mary McConnell of Iredell Co. N.C.

I am requested by Wm F Cowan her friend Agent
to enquire for the Certificate on behalf
Mrs Mary McKee, who was notified that she
could a pension allowed for nine month
service of her husband.  She is very infirm
and in great need of what may be due her under the pension laws.

Mrs. Dickey an applicant from the same County
of Iredell is dead. Mr Cowan desires to know through me, whether as she has died pending
her application, any further proceeding can
be had in the matter.
Your Obt Sert
J.W. Caning

Col. J. L. Edwards
[illegible]
Page 69

Ho of Refers
Jan 20, 1847
Sir:
I enclose you the application of Margaret Anderson for a pension as the daughter of Elizabeth Dickey & John Dickey an officer in the Revolution
Yours T
D. W. Parringer

J. L. Edwards Esqr
Page 70

April 22- 52
J. Dickey
Appl of Elizabeth Dickey decd widow of John
W. E. Jones by
Joseph Bryan
[illegible]
Page 71

State of North Carolina
Rowan County

On this the 14th day of April 1852
personally appeared before me Jas H Ennis
an acting Justice of the Peace in & for said County Alfred D. Kerr resident of
Iredell County, aged fifty seven years
make oath in due form of law that he is the son of James Kerr late of Rowan County, North Carolina who was Lieutenant under
Capt. Falls who fell at the Battle of Ramsours Mill, in the Revolutionary war in 1780, and that he now resides on the same plantation owned during the Revolutionary War by Adam Terrence and called Terrence Cross Roads
that he was in his youth, well acquainted with Capt. John Dickey who resided within two miles of said Cross Roads, that his father and the said Capt. Dickey lived in the same neighborhood were Elders in the same church at that time from affiants earliest recollection, that affiants Father said Dickey belonged to the same committee of Safety previous to the Revolutionary war in said Rowan County, that affiant has often heard his Father & said Dickey speak of the various occurrences of that day, that the said Dickey was Capt in command of a Militia Company in the Revolutionary War, & performed considerable service during said war. Affiant distinctly
recollects hearing his Father & said Capt Dickey speak of being in the same service at the Battle at Ramsours Mill, That when Capt Falls was shot down affiants father, being lieutenant under said Falls, his horse was shot from under him at that time, just at this time, as affiant always understood from his Father that the said Capt Dickey being in Command of a Company of infantry marched up immediately in the rear using the following words to wit Huzza Boys
Page 72

fight on take good aim I see some
of them
falling every time no shoot,"
That from affiants early recollection he has
frequently heard his Father said Capt Dickey
on that occasion and which since, affiant
can recollect he has often heard various others
repeat - having become a by word among the
old soldiers of that day. affiant does not
know how long said Capt. Dickey remained
in actual service during said war, but always
understood that he took a very active part
in & performed considerable service in said war. That he was among the first in said Rowan
County to resist the oppression of Great Brittain.
Affiant recollects that previous to his
Fathers death he was showed by his said Father the Battle Ground of Ramsours Mill - that his Father shewed him where Capt. Falls fell and shewed him where Falls, Bowman & Smith were all buried in the same grave, affiant does not recollect the precise time, when Capt. Dickey died - but that he died in the same neighborhood many years age - that at the time of his death he left his widow who survived him several years but the precise date of her Death affiant does not know nor does affiant now recollect who are her living children.
Sworn to & subscribed
before me this day
[perhaps Kerr]
Jas Eniss J.P.
Page 73

State of North Carolina
Rowan County
┃ I James H Ennis a Justice of the peace in and for said County do herby certify that I am well acquainted with Alfred D. Kerr who has this day appeared and made oath to the foregoing affidavit before me that he is a man of truth and veracity and that full faith and truth is
due and of right ought to be given to his
Statements. There is no man in said County
more respected.  In testimony whereof I
unto set my hand this 11th day of April 1852
James H Ennis

State of North Carolina
Rowan County

I James E Kerr Clerk of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions for said County of Rowan do hereby certify that James H Enniss Esqr whose name appears to the above certificate
& foregoing affidavit is and was a legal acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County of Rowan duly commissioned and qualified, and whose signature to be his is genuine

In testimony whereof I have hereunto
Subscribed my name and affixed the seal
of the said Court at Office in the Town of
Salisbury this the 15th day of April 1852
James E Kerr clk
by J.S. Myers DC
Page 74

State of North Carolina
Iredell County
On this 19th day of Novr 1846, personally appeared before the Court of
pleas & quarter session, for the County
aforesaid in open Court Margaret
Anderson a resident of the county of Rowan & State above named aged about fifty two years, who being first duly sworn according to law
doth on her oath, make the following
declaration in order to obtain
the benefit of the provision made
by the act of Congress passed July 7th
1838 entitled, an act granting half
pay & pensions to certain widows; that
she is the child of Elizabeth Dickey decd
late of Rowan County as aforesaid and
of John Dickey who was a soldier in
the army during the revolutionary
her in the North Carolina Militia
that her father the said John Dickey
served as a private in one or more
town on the borders & in South Carolina
under Gen Rutherford, & also one
or more tours (& other services as a minuteman of a confidential nature) under
Genl Davidson & was in the action has
the person of that Genl, when he was killed
at Cowan's ford on the Catawba
River, when the Brittish crossed that
river & at that time he belonged
to Capt Huggins company that
after said company was dispersed has
further the said John Duckey was either
placed in command of a few men
Page 75

who could be rallied, by the proper
offices, or by common consent with
whom he resolutely defended.  That of her said
 father John Dickey served under Col Locke at the battle of Ramsours Mill, & was assigned by the Colonel to the command of a company at that time & when in the course of events during that battle, the Colonel ordered a retreat in order to reform his line, the said Capt. Dickey who had gained an advantageous
position, refused to quit it & continued
the fight with order was restored in
the line & the battle gained that she
is not aware that her father was commissioned at this time, or whether he only
acted under the verbal orders of his Colonel, for the time being that she believes he
always had the title of Capt from this
period which may have been awarded
him, from this occurrence & from the fact
that he was usually appointed a leader of
the squad of Minute men.  Sent out
on services of a confidential nature, that
a quantity of powder was at one time during
his services confided to his care by Genl
Davidson which he with difficulty preserved. that he was generally serving in the army in some way or other from the time the Brittish landed in Charlestown South Carolina to the close of the war.  that her father resided previous to & during the war in Rowan County & State above mentioned before mentioned that after that time he resided in same place (Now Iredell County, that he always served as a volunteer, that her fathers
Page 76

the said John Dickey & her mother
Elizabeth Leary, were married on
the 18th day of November 1793. that
her father John Dickey died on the
20th day of March 1800. that her father
& Mother as aforesaid were not married
previous to her fathers last service, but
that the Marriage took place previous
to the first day of January 1794 that
is. at the time above stated.
She further States, that her said Mother
Elizabeth Dickey Widow of Father John
Dickey never married again but remained the widow of her father the said
John Dickey until the period of her death
which  took place on the 27th day of Sept
1845, leaving two children big John Dickey now deceased & this affiant that her mother the said Elizabeth
made application for a pension in December 1844  & prosecuted the claim without
success, untill the period of her death, as above
Stated, & filed various papers as proof in support
of her claim, in the office of the Commissoner of pensions at Washington, among which
were the marriage bond of her father & Mother
the bible containing the family register &
various other papers, all of which that may
apply to this case, the present applicant wishes
the benefit of & respectfully refers the department to them especially to the Comptroller of the
State of North Carolina's certificate showing the amount
of payments made to her said father John Dickey
services rendered in the malitia, as she is not
aware of any other evidence that she can
procure either documentary or paral than
that contained in the paper, alluded to
that she knows nothing of herself except
from tradition, which she has given in
Page 77

above declaration.
that her fathers papers except his will & a few others are destroyed or mislaid
such evidence in support her claim except those filed in her mothers (Elizabeth Dickeys) case, in the pension office all of which will more fully appear or a reference being had to the papers alluded to
Sworn to & subscribed in open court
this day & year last above written
Margaret Anderson

State of North Carolina
Iredell County 
I Joseph F Alxander
Clerk of the Court of pleas & Quarter Sessions
for the County aforesaid do hereby certify
that Margaret Anderson whose name appears
to the foregoing declaration personally appeared in open Court at its session on the 19th day of November Inst and was duly qualified to several facts as set forth in the aforesaid declaration and that satisfactory evidence was produced to said Court that Mrs Elizabeth Dickey widow of Capt John Dickey was a resident of Rowan County in the State of
North Carolina and that she died on the 27th day of September 1845 and that the affiant is the only child living and that the foregoing 
living in the foregoing declaration was done
before signing.

In testimony whereof I have
hereunto set my hand and
affixed the seal of my office
office in Statesville
this 19 day of Novr 1846
and in the 71 year of our
Independence
J. F. Anderson Clk
of Iredell county [illegible]
Page 78

[number illegible]
North Carolina Fayettville
Elizabeth Dickey was widow of John who died on the [blank] of [blank] in the State of N.C. who was Captain in the [blank] commanded by Captain [blank] of the [blank] commanded by [blank] in the Revolution
for 17 Months, 18 days

Inscribed on the Roll of Fayetteville at the rate of 352 Dollars 0 Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1836.
and from $340

Certificate of Pension issued the 18th day of
June 1853 and sent to J. H. Coffman Salisbury N.C.
Arrears to the 4th of Semi-annual allowance ending [blank]

Revolutionay Claim, Act July 7, 1838
Recorded by [name illegible] Clerk
Book D, Vol. 1, Page 287

287
Page 79

February 5, 1835
Ref/our
John Dickey W. 3962

Mrs. N. S. MacLean
04 N. Elm Street
Lumberon, North Carolina

Dear Madam:

Reference is made to your letter in which you ask to be furnished
with the date and place of birth of Captain John Dickey, a Revolutionary War soldier who served under Colonel Locke, Generals
Rutherford and Davidson. You ask also for the record of Captain William Johnston, who was made captain after the battle of Alamance
during the administration of Governor Martin.

In the papers on file in pension claim, W. 3962, based upon the military service of Captain John Dickey, the date and place of the
soldier's birth are not shown.

The Revolutionary War records have been searched for Captain William Johnston and no record found of a claim for pension or
bounty land having been made to the United States based upon the military service in that war of a William Johnston. In order to identify the record of a William Johnson, in which you may be interested edition to the full name of the soldier is essential that you furnish the state from which he served and as much as possible of the following data: approximate
dates of birth and death, places of residence at enlistment and after service and given name of widow. It will expedite the matter if you will return this letter with your reply.
Very truly yours
A. D. [ Hiller or Miller]
Executive Assistant to the Administrator.
Page 80

Honorable Addison T. Smith,
House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.

My dear Mr. Smith:

Since your visit of recent date in furtherance
of the request of the Honorable F. Bailey Lee, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Idaho, for the removal from the Administration files of certain papers, including the Bible which, with the family record, was submitted in support of the claim of his ancestor Elizabeth
Dickey, widow of Captain John Dickey who served in the Revolutionary War, I have had occasion to thoroughly review all aspects of the policy which denies compliance with the request, both from the standpoint of this particular pension claim as well as others of the same charactered.

In making this formal reply may I first report
that, being part of the permanent records of the Government, it is the duty of the Administration to preserve them safely for the purpose of maintaining the authentic
documentation of the claim upon which the pension was granted. It might be argued, of course, that the interest of the Government would be as well preserved by the retention of photostat copies thereof in the event we were to yield to the persuasions of any member of members of the family based on their readily understood sentiment and desire to supplement their genealogical history by
the addition of these old papers to the private family archives. I am constrained to advise you, however, that despite the fact that Judge Lee has submitted sworn statements from several persons claiming to be descendants of
Page 81

2
this Revolutionary soldier to the effect that he is the recognized historian of the Dickey family, I do not feel that there is sufficient reason for the release of these records to him.  I do not imply that Judge Lee would intentionally do anything with these documents which would make them less available to all descendants of the Revolutionary have both present and future, than they would be while part of the 
Government records. On the contrary he has indicated to make them more readily available, but he is by the nature of things limited to a restricted group.

I believe that a withdrawal for the benefit
of one individual or group of descendants of part of these records from the Government archives would destroy the value of the whole record at the expense of other descendants who may not be associated or acquainted
with the particular individual or group making
the present request, and of all other descendants in the future who will have equal right and reason to desire and claim possession. This family tree he branched out in so many directions since the demise of the common ancestor as to preclude reliance in the law of descent for a determination as to who might be entitled to take by inheritance, if we could agree on the Administration's right to release them. I feel safe in saying also, that it would not be long before other interested parties with just as good reason would
for other papers, which although probably not so interesting to Judge Bailey from a sentimental standpoint of the Bible, would, nevertheless, have a real appeal to others.

Apart from and perhaps above the interest
these papers and documents have for descendants of the soldier involved is their value to research workers and historians generally in the study of matters relating
to revolutionary personalities and events in which all American take so much pride. Their preservation in the archives of the Government seems to me to be argued for from every side.

As Judge Bailey has been advised, all documents in this claim, and in all others of like charge charac[ter]
Page 82

[charac]ter are preserved with the greatest care. To insure added protection to the Bible in question it was securely wrapped and tied in kraft paper, given the file number of the claim from which it was removed, and locked in a cabinet free from dust.  It is now reposing in a steel vault.  A request to examine it is easily and speedily complied with.

I sincerely hope that you will appreciate the
Administration's viewpoint on this matter as much as much is Judge Lee's sentiments in desiring to acquire these papers are appreciated by the Administration.

Very truly yours,
FRANK T HINES
Administrator

SIGNED AND MAILED
MAR 8 1932
ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE
Page 83

copy to Mr. Addison T. Smith, M.C.

JUN 18 1932
SIGNED AND MAILED
June 18 1932
Administrator's Office

Honorable P. Bailey Lee
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of the State of Idaho.
Boise, Idaho

My dear Justice Lee:

Following my conversation with you and Congressman B Addison Smith of Idaho on May 5, 1932, with reference to the possibility of releasing to you the old family Bible filed in the Revolutionary pension claim of Captain John Dickey, I referred the matter to the  Solicitor with instructions that the file and the Bible be examined for the purpose of advising me just what care had been taken of it and that the law be studied to determine what discretion I had in [illegible] in your representation that the Bile was not [illegible] of the pension file proper but there had been taken [illegible] it two pages which were a part of the file and that the bible itself and simply being retained by the Pension Service with other historical records.

Aa part of this study I have found that the
Bible itself with the leaves intact was originally submitted by Elizeth Dickey to prove her marriage to the soldier prior to January 1, 1774, as was required by the act of [illegible] dated July 7, 1833, under which she was seeking a pension, the regulations 
required under this law provided that "where proof exists, other than the family record, the original record must be produced and sworn by the person in whose possession it has been kept."

As a lawyer and a Judge I know it is unnecessary for me to explain to you the necessity for the submission of the Bible itself under the circumstances, although to facilitate your review of the precedence should you wish to do so, I would call your attention to the cases reviewed in the note to Supreme
Page 84

Court of case [illegible] to Magaret 
Denville [illegible] when the Bible was first [illegible] in it was not accompanied by the affidavit require by the regulations cited and it appears that the leaves containing the records were not [illegible] returned to the widow's agent for the purpose of securing the necessity affidavits.  You probably noticed in your examination of the bible that the part containing the old Testament purports to have been printed in 1742 while the part containing the New Testament was printed in 1769, both parts predate the same volume. This means that he complete book was printed in 1769.
You may or may not have reconised the three of the births recorded therein too place prior to 1749, to wit, 1750, 1753, 1746.  This fact evidently raised some question in the minds of the pension authorities with reference to the complete records, including the marriage record, inasmuch as it is quite well settled that a private record must be fairly contemporary with the [illegible] in order to be of any evidential vale.  It will therefore, be seen that the book itself was of was of prime importance to the proof of the claim and that it properly becomes part of the official pension records.

I found further that the best of care was taken of the Bible and [illegible] advised it was for further protections.  I have been advised that when it was first exhibited to you it was being well protected.  According to the correspondence in the file the book was "old" at the time it was submitted in the year 845 and it was probably at worst at the [illegible] and water stained at that time as it is today.  All the evidence points to is having well taken care of through the years.  There is no question in my mind but that it is a part of the official records f the Government and that it was necessary for the proper and justification and authenticated of the widow's claim.

With this in mind I have considered the question of my duty as Administrator to preserve it and my discretion, if any, with reference to its removal or [withdrawn] from the file.  The law with reference to the removal of destruction of public documents if generally stating page 149, section 22, siting Case Law as follows:

"We heretofore stated, public records and documents are the property of the state and not of the individual who happens, at
Page 85

the moment, to have them in his possession
and then they are deposited in the place designated for them by law there they must remain and can be removed only under authority of an act of the legislature and in the manner and for the purpose declared by law.  The custody of a public records cannot deface it or give it up without authority from the same sources which required it to be made.  So an indictment duly filed cannot be removed legitimately by anyone, including the district attorney, except for purposes of the trial thereon, or for purposes of evidence under a subpoena [illegible] or an order of court.  Unless, where a district attorney for the purposed of trapping a criminal [illegible] and indictment from the files, even though it is done with the knowledge and informal consent of a judge, the removal is improper, and the indictment is not legitimately in his possession but is to be considered as being in the possession of the state. So the photograph, description, and measurement of one [illegible] to a state prison, which the law requires the superintendent of prisons to secure and preserve, are a part of the public records which the superintendent has no power to remove or destroy, even though the prisoner's sentence is afterwards reversed, and he is subsequently acquitted of the charge against him.
[the next 10 underlined lines are illegible]
Page 86

in the Dickey case it if clear that the Commissioner of Pensions was required to obtain evidence of the marriage of the parties before paying the pension claim and that the Dickey Bible came into his possession and was accepted with other papers as proof sufficient to authorise payment under the law and regulation.  There is no question but that it is a part of the public records.  

[illegible] the provisions of the criminal code with reference to this matter [illegible] Title 13, is in the following language:

"whoever shall willfully and unlawfully conceal, removed, militate, obliterate, or destroy, or attempt to conceal, remove, mutilate, obliterate, or destroy or, with intent to conceal, remove, mutilate, obliterate, destroy or steal, shall take and carry away any record [illegible] map, book, paper [illegible] or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk of officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined not more than [?],000, or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."

This subject of the statute is stated, in [8 words illegible] the preservation of the public records and papers intact from all kinds of [illegible] mutilation, or destruction.  It has been held  that the words "record" and "document' are not limited in their meaning to the technical common-law records of courts as enrolled, or to technical documents, but are used in the common and ordinary sense, and include all and every part, not only of such technical records and documents of the Court or office, broadly [illegible] and is treated as a record of what it maintains.  [citation illegible].

In the event the argument is advanced that the Bible has served its purpose and is no longer of any use, we must next look to
Page 87

the provisions of the law with reference be disposition of useless papers, state 112, Title [illegible] United States Code, is as follows:

Except as otherwise provided by law whenever
that shall be in any one of the executive parts of the Government, or in the various public buildings under the control of such departments, accumulation of files or papers, 
which are not needed or vital in the documentation of the current business of [illegible] department have no permanent value or historical interest.
It shall be the duty of the head of such department to submit to Congress a report of of that fact, accompanied by a concise statement of the condition and character of such papers.  

Upon the submission of such report, it shall be the duty of the presiding officer of the [6 words illegible] of the House of Representatives, and the senators and representatives as [illegible] shall constitute a joint committee, to which shall be referred such report, with the accompanying statement of the condition and character of such papers, and such joint committees shall meet and consider such report and statement and the paper therein described, and submit to the Senate and House, respectively, a report of such committee and their recommendation.

"If such joint committee report that such files of paper, or any part thereof are not needed or useful in the  transaction of the current business of such department, and have on potential value, of historical interest, then it shall be the duty of such head of the department to sell as waste paper, or otherwise dispose of such files of [illegible] the best obtained, [illegible]the best available
terms after the due publication of notice inviting proposals therefor and receive [illegible] and receive [2words illegible] unto the Treasury of the United States and make report therefore to Congress."
Page 88

Under this statute it would be necessary for the Administrator to decide that the Bible was not needed in the current businesses of the Administration and that it has no permanent value of [illegible] interest, make report thereof to Congress and make proclamation to sell of otherwise dispose therof.  I do not think that is would be possible for me to make such a report in the case.

In view of the above, I cannot reach an opinion.
I am unauthorized as Administrator to turn this Bible over.

Very truly yours,

Frank T Hines
Administrator
Received
Precedent [illegible]
June 22, 1932
Solicitor's Office
Page 89

MEMORANDUM FROM MARY M. CONNELLY

I have examined the authorities bearing on the
discretion of the Administrator, if any, to remove articles such as the Dickey Bible from the files of the Pension Service and deliver then to any person or persons who may assert
right sentimental or legal thereto, while so doing I have in accordance with General lines instructions to study the file and the Bible, visited the Revolutionary War and War of
1812 section of the Pension Service, which is housed in the Interior Building, and found the Bible securely wrapped in kraft paper and deposited in a steel file looked up in a steel
vault on the fourth floor of the Interior Building given over to the protection of pension records, which in addition to their value as official records of the Government have great intrinsic and historical worth. These papers and documents include letters written and signed by General George Washington
while Commander in Chief of the Continental army of the United States and later when President, letters and papers signed by
Daniel Webster, Zachary Taylor, President Tyler, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Lincoln, and many other characters of greatest fame and glory, all of which were filed in connection with the proper authentication of claims submitted to the Pension Bureau. The Dickey Bible is obviously not in a class with the other papers
herein mentioned, and as Judge Lee says it even does not "identify itself" because it has no inscriptions, no covers, is dilapidated and water stained and were it not for the references in the folder containing the other Dickey papers, including the leaves which were taken from the Bible in an effort to prove the marriage of John Dickey to Elizabeth Dickey who filed the pension claim, it would not be possible to identify it.

I think that in considering this matter the Administrator might well be aided by a brief statement of the facts in the Dickey pension claim. The record shows that Elizabeth
Dickey filed a claim in 1844, alleging that she was the widow of Captain John Dickey of the North Carolina Militia to whom she claimed to have been married on November 18, 1793, and who died on March 20, 1808. This claim was filed under the Act of July 7, 1838, which required that the marriage to the soldier
take place before January 1794, in the event said marriage occurred after the expiration of the last period of his service.
Page 90

The regulations governing the proof of marriage were as follows:

"The legality of the marriage, and the
time when it took place, must be clearly
established. Record proof, as to the marriage,
is always required whenever it can be obtained. In a case where the town, county, parish, or family records afford no proof as to the period when the marriage took place, the fact must be established by the testimony
of one or more respectable persons, whose credibility must be certified by the officer who may administer the oath. And, in order to prevent any mistake or improper use that may be made of the affidavit of an officer who may have the custody of records, from which he may make transcripts of the record in relation
to a marriage, the officer who may give his
affidavit will, instead of copying the figures
contained in the record, certify that it is
a true copy of the record, with the exception
of the date, which is expressed on the record
in fair legible figures, as follows:" (Here
copy the day, month, and year in letters and
figures in exact conformity with the original. Then let him and the following words:

"I, A. B., above named, depose and say
that I hold the office of ___________, in the county town, and state aforesaid, and that the above is a true extract from the records of said ___________, with the exception above named, as certified by me.

" A.B., clerk of the ___________________, (or rector, or pastor, as the case may be.)
Sworn before me, C. D., Justice of the Peace."

"And then will follow the certificate of
the proper officer, under his seal of office, as
to the official character and signature of the
magistrate who may administer the oath.
 [the following is underlined] Where no record proof exists, other than the family record, the original records must be produces and sworn to by the person in whose possession it has been kept."  (Pension and Bounty Land Laws," by Triplett, page 34).

with her declaration the widow filed affidavits
from two "respectable persons" who testified that they
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3
know her to be the widow of John Dickey, and an affidavit from W. F. Cowan, a Justice of the Peace, certifying that the following was a true extract from the family record of Captain John Dickey as contained in their old family bible:

"John Dickey and Elizabeth Leazy was
married November ye 18, 1793, John Dickey
departed this life March 20, 1808.

The widow's proof appeared to be in proper form, but she was requested to furnish further proof of her marriage it not being possible to prove the same by a certified copy of the private family record. On this point, we may consider in addition to the provision of the regulation requiring the production of the original family record, the cases reviewed in the following note to Supreme Council of
the Golden Star Fraternity V. Margaret Conklin, 41 L. R. A. 449, 454:

"The family record itself must be offered in evidence, and where a witness gives
in his deposition a copy thereof, or rather
recites in his deposition the contents of
the record his evidence is not admissible
for the reason that the Family Bible is not
such a record that it may be proved by an
examined copy, but it must be proved by its
production in the same manner as all private
writings. If, however, its absence be properly accounted for secondary evidence, as a
copy or proof of its contents, is admissible.
Greenleaf v. Dubuque & S.C.R. Co. 30 Iowa,
301, 303.

"So, a witness, seeking to prove that the
defendant in an action was an infant at
given date, who produces a paper which she
says contained a copy of an entry of birth
made in the Family Bible must produce the
Bible itself, otherwise, her evidence is 
inadmissible, even though the copy produced is sworn to by her as having been made by her daughter in her presence and compared and found correct by herself with the entries made in the Bible.  Ryerson v. Grover,
 I N. J. L. 450.

"And the introduction of a witness, to
prove the infancy of a defendant, who stated
Page 92

"that he had acquired his knowledge from a family register or memorandum in the
Family Bible, is not of itself sufficient evidence
to prove the age, for the reason that the private memorandum of an individual
is of itself no evidence, and when
produced must be supported by an oath.
Taylor W. Hawkins, 1 McCord, L. 164.

"Again, in Kreitz V. Behrenameyer,183 111, 141, 105, a contest election case, a voter was not allowed to be examined as to the showing of the family record or Bible with respect to his age, without producing the same.

The file contains an affidavit dated March 5, 1845, by the Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions County Iredell, North Carolina, certifying that he had made unsuccessful search in his office for the marriage bond of Captain Dickey and Elizabeth Leasy. Later, however, the marriage bond dated November 10, 1793, reciting intention of the parties to marry and conditioned on there
being no lawful impediment thereto, was found recorded in the County Court of Mecklenburg, an adjoining county, and
a certified copy furnished on October 2, 1845. This was not proof of marriage prior to January 1794. In the meantime, the Bible appears to have been forwarded to the Pension Office, which is proven by a letter signed by
W. F. Cowan, the widow's agent, dated Statesville, North Carolina, August 21, 1845, as follows:

"Dr. Sir
Your favor of 12 inst. is to hand, enclosing a leaf from Mr. Dickey's old Bible which contains a record of the death of Captain John Dickey, on one side & of the birth of three children
by his first wife on the other. I would
respectfully ask if it was not a mistake
in sending this leaf, instead of the leaf
containing the record of the marriage of
John Dickey to Elizabeth Lesay? *** In
the old Bible there will be found another
leaf containing the record of the marriage
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-5-
"of Capt. Dickey to Elizabeth Leasey. This
I presume to be the one that was intended
to be sent.

Respectfully yours,
W. F. COWAN,

The leaves from the Bible are in the file. The
one containing the record of the birth of three children
as follows:

"Elizabeth Dickey was born ye 12 day of July, 1750, Mary Dickey was born October ye 9, 1759, Samuel Dickey was born August ye 29, 1765,

is fastened to an affidavit by J. S. Johnston dated April 10, [illegible], who swears that he knew Elizabeth Dickey, that she died in the month of September 1845, leaving a daughter, Margaret Anderson, as the only living child. On the other side of this leaf is inscribed the following:

"John Dickey departed this life 20th of March, 1808, age 84 years."
The other Bible leaf is inscribed on the side as follows:
"John Dickey and Elizabeth Leasey was married
November 18, 1793,
Peggie Dickey was born September 21, 1795,
John Dickey Junior was born October ye 8, 1799."

On the other side appears another inscription,
John Dickey and Elizabeth Leasey was married
November 18, 1793.

The two inscriptions on the same leaf relating to the marriage appeared to be in different handwriting. The leaf is fastened to an affidavit by Alexander Huggins dated September 12, 1845, swearing that the above handwriting on the annexed Bible leaf, to wit: John Dickey
and Elizabeth Dickey was married November ye 18, 1793" is as he believes in the proper handwriting of John Dickey. This latter affidavit was unquestionably filed in connection with the widow's claim while the first mentioned was filed in connection with the daughter's
claim, Margaret Anderson, the " Peggy Dickey", whose birth is recorded thereon.

At this point it is interesting to note that the
Bible was printed in 1769, whereas three of the
births recorded therein took place prior to that date, to wit: 1750, 1759, 1765. It will be readily seen that
Page 94

[page number illegible]
these facts place some doubt immediately upon the authenticity of the records inasmuch as it is quite well settled that a private record in order to be of any evidential value must be made fairly contemporaneous with the event
of which it purports to be evidence. Here we may consider the following discussion in the note to the case above cited:

"It is generally conceded that the entries
must be made at the time the event happens or within some period of time thereafter, so far
remote from the purposes of the suit in which
they are to be given in evidence as to prove
that they are not made for the purposes thereof, or with the particular litigation in view
at the time when made.

" f a person takes up a family Bible with
the idea that it is subsequently to be produced
in evidence, and the writes down at once, the
births, and deaths of his children, such Bible
is not admissible in evidence, as it must appear
that such declarations are made under such circumstances that the relation may be supposed to be without an interest and without a [illegible].  Chapman v. Chapman, 2 Comm. 347, 349, 7 Am. Doc. 277.

"So, where the entries made in a Bible are
years after the events recorded, and the time
comes from the possession of an aunt without
evidence to show when or by whom, or under what circumstances the entries are made, they are entitled to little or no weight as evidence on the question of age. Amey v. Cockey, 73 Md. 297, 302.

"And where a family Bible produced, instead
of being kept as a record of events at the time
of their occurrence, appears to contain several
entries made with the same pen and ink, and apparently at the same time, and a blank is left
for the date of the birth of a party to the
original proceedings who was then a minor, and the witnesses testify of general recollections after lapse of fifty-one years, and not one of them refers to any distinct, positive fact occurring at the time by which the date of his birth can be satisfactorily fixed, such evidence is inadmissible in an action to set aside the judgment instituted by his heirs, especially when
Page 95

-7-
"such proceedings are acquiesced in for
thirty years by the miner. Greenwood
v. New Orleans, 12 La. Ann. 426, 440.

It will therefore be seen that the book itself was of prime importance to the proof of the claim and that it properly becomes part of the official public records and has been preserved as such.

It is interesting to note further, that verity
was finally given to these Bible records by a comparison of handwriting on a discharge given under the hand of John Dickey to Robert Cochran in the following language:

"This may certify that Robert Cochran
served 15 days in the regiment commanded by
Col. Lock against the British at the Kataba
River and was discharged February ye 2, 1781.

John Dickey, Capt.

It is clear that it took a long time to authenticate this claim and that the Bible which was originally sent in by the soldier's widow contained intact the leaves on which the records were made, but that it was imperative to have the discrepancies appearing on the face of the records
cleared up by supplementary sworn statements of parties who had knowledge of the events in question and it was for this reason that they were cut from the book and
returned to the claimants, who later returned them.

There was no vandalism as Judge Lee has charged, nor has anything but the best care been given the Bible. It was "old" at the time it was sent in and undoubtedly worn and torn. I say this because of Judge Lee's unqualified assertions that he "stumbled upon the raped remains" of the volume which had been "junked".

With the necessity for the submission of the Bible in mind we may now come to the consideration of the question of the duty of the Administrator to preserve it
and his discretion, if any, with reference to its removal or withdrawal from the file. It is said that a public record is one required by law to be kept, or necessary to be kept in the discharge of the duty imposed by law, or directed by law to serve as a memorial and evidence of something written, said or done, in all instances whereby law or regulation a document is filed in a public office and required to be kept there, it is of a public nature, but this is not quite inclusive of all that may properly be considered public records.
Page 96

- 8-
For whenever a written record of the transactions of a public officer in his office is a convenient and appropriate mode of discharging the duties of his office, it is
not only his right, but his duty to keep that memorial, whether expressly required so to do or not; and when kept it becomes a public document public record belonging to the office and not to the officers it is the property
of the state and not of the citizen and is in no sense a private memorandum. So it is held that while a public officer may not be required to prepare an index to the books in his office, yet if he does so in the administration of the office, the index is so far a public record that he can not remove it at the end of his term. A person who sends a communication to a public officer relative to the public business can not make his communication
private and confidential simply by labeling it as
such. The law not the will of the sender determines its character. Public records include generally legislative, executive, and judicial records, when a public officer is required to gather information, and in the performance of his duties and to those who can furnish
the desired information blanks containing questions, such circulars, when returned with the answers to the questions and filed in his office, are public records.  25 Ruling Case Law, page 135, section 2.

The law with reference to the removal or 
destruction of public records or documents is generally stated on page 169, section 22, Ruling Jose Law as follows:

"As heretofore stated, public records
and documents are the property of the state
and not of the individual who happens, at
the moment, to have them in his possession
and when they are deposited in the place 
designated for them by law there they must remain, and can be removed only under authority of an act of the legislature and in the manner and for the purpose designated by law. The custodian of a public record cannot deface it or give it up without authority from the same source which required it to be made to an indictment duly filed cannot be removed
legitimately by anyone, including the
district attorney, except for
Page 97

-9-
"purposes of the trial thereon, or for
purposes of evidence under a subpoena [illegible] or an order of Court. Hence, where
district attorney for the purpose of trapping a criminal removes an indictment from
the files, even though it is done with the
knowledge and informal consent of a judge,
the removal is improper and the indictment
is not legitimately in his possession, but
is to be considered as being in the possession
of the state; for neither the act of the district attorney nor the consent of the judge is binding on the state. So the photograph, description, and measurement of one sentenced to a state prison, which the law
requires the superintendent of prisons to
secure and preserve are a part of the public
records which the superintendent has no power to remove or destroy, even though the prisoner's sentence is afterwards reversed, and he is subsequently acquitted of the charge against him.
[the rest of the paragraph is underlined]
A. record, made under the direction of a statute, is in effect made by the state, and if the state has not authorized the officer to destroy it under any circumstances, not even to relieve a citizen from an unjust reflection on his character, it would be usurpation of power for him to surrender the records, or for the court to direct him to do so.  And mandamus will not lie to compel a public official to surrender or destroy a record which his official duty requires him to preserve.

In the Dickey case it is clear that the Commissioner of Pensions was required to obtain evidence of the marriage of the parties before paying the pension claim and that the
Dickey Bible came into his possession and was accepted with other papers as proof sufficient to authorize payment, under the law and regulations. There is no question but that it is
a part of the public records.

We may now consider the provisions of the Criminal Code with reference to the matter, section 234, Title 18, is in the following language:

"Whoever shall willfully and unlawfully conceal, remove mutilate, obliterate or destroy, or attempt to conceal, remove, mutilate
obliterate, or destroy, or with intent

In the Dickey case it is clear that the Commission
er of Pensions was required to obtain evidence of the marriage
of the parties before paying the pension claim and that the
Dickey Bible came into his possession and was accepted with
other papers as proof sufficient to authorize payment, under the
law and regulations. There is no question but that it is
a part of the public records.
may now consider the provisions of the Criminal
Code with reference to the matter, section 234, Title 18,
is in the following language:
whoever shall willfully and unlawfully
conceal, remove mutilate, obliterate or
destroy, or attempt to conceal, remove, mutilate
obliterate, or destroy, or with intent
Page 98

-10-
"to conceal, remove, mutilate, obliterate, destroy, or seal, shall take and carry away any records, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined not more than $2,000, or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."

The object of this statute is as stated, in
U. S. v. De Grost, 30 Fed. 764, the preservation of the public records and papers intact from all kinds of spoliation, mutilation, or destruction. It has been held that the words "record" and "document are not limited in their meaning to the technical common-law records of courts as
enrolled, or to technical documents, but are used in the common and ordinary sense, and include all and every part, not only of such technical records and documents, but of
any paper filed and which becomes a part of the records of the court or office broadly speaking, and is treated as a record of what it maintains." McInerney vs. U. S., 143
Fed. 729, 74 C.C.A. 655.

In the event the argument is advanced that the
Bible has served its purpose and is no longer of any use, we must next look to the provisions of the law with reference to disposition of useless papers, Section 112, Title 5, United States Code, is as follows:

"Except as otherwise provided by law, when
ever there shall be in any one of the executive
departments of the Government, or in the various public buildings under the control of such departments, an accumulation of files of papers, which are not needed or useful in the transaction of the current business of such department and have no permanent value or historical interest, it shall be the duty of the head of such department to submit to Congress a report of that fact, accompanied by a concise statement of the condition and character of such papers.

"Upon the submission of such report, it
shall be the duty of the presiding officer of
the Senate to appoint two Senators, and of the
Speaker of the House of Representatives to a
point two representatives, and the Senators and Representatives so appointed shall constitute
Page 99

-11-
"joint committee, to which shall be
referred such report, with the accompanying
statement of the condition and character of
such papers, and such joint committee shall
meet and examine such report and statement
and the papers therein described, and submit
to the Senate and House, respectively, a
report of such examination and their 
recommendation.

"If such joint committee report that
such files of papers, or any part thereof
are not needed or useful in the transaction
of the current business of such department,
and have no permanent value of historical
interest, then it shall be the duty of such
head of the department to sell as waste paper,
or otherwise dispose of such files of papers
upon the best obtainable terms after due
publication of notice inviting proposals
therefor, and receive and pay the proceeds
thereof into the Treasury of the United States,
and make report thereof to Congress."

Under this statute it would be necessary for
the Administrator to decide that the Bible was not useful in the transaction of the current business of the Administration and that it has no permanent value of historical interest, make report thereof to Congress and secure permission to sell or otherwise dispose there
of. If such permission were given it would be possible to turn the Bible over to Judge Lee.

In view of the above I can not reach an opinion
that the Administrator is authorized to turn this Bible over to Judge Lee even were it proved in the last analysis that he is entitled to it as the representative of all descendants from John Dickey. The names of those
persons who have authorized Judge Lee to act for them are as follows:

T. Bailey Lee,
Clara Knox
Susan Simonton Padgett,
Susie A. Blalock,
Thomas P. Johnston,
Joseph B. Johnston,
J. K. Hall,
Ossie Maclean,
E. L. Gaithen,
John B. Johnston.
Page 100

-12-
The files contain letters from
following persons who at different times requested information from the Dickey files for genealogical purposes and whose names do not appear among those furnished by Judge Lee:

Mrs. S. W. Stevenson (year 1913),
Olive Dickey Gilham (year 1907),
Mrs. George C. Gorman (year 1907)
Mrs. Ellen McConnell
Mrs. W. A. Ellison (Year 1917),
Mrs. John D. Reid.

It may be, of course, that the first list includes all the now living descendants, but when it is
remembered that John Dickey married twice and according to the records in the Bible was the father of three children by his first marriage and two children by his second marriage Judge Lee's assertions that he represents all, need not be accepted without question.  Margaret Anderson was the only surviving child of the second marriage, according to the records, at the time she was
paid the pension in lieu of her mother. Whether she left descendants is not shown nor is it developed that her brother John Dickey, Jr., died without issue. We have no information whatever as to the descendants, if any of the three children by the first marriage, although
Olive Dickey has claimed through Samuel, son
of John listed as a child of the first marriage. I
would suggest that in the event Judge Lee pursues this matter any further he be requested to furnish better evidence as to his representing all of the descendants than he has heretofore. In 1877 the Commissioner of
Pensions wrote to the Postmaster at Salisbury, North Carolina, the last address of record of Margaret Anderson, inquiring for heirs with the idea of returning the Bible and received the advice that none could be found.

In passing I wish to refer to the original
discharge [illegible] Cochran so generously submitted for comparison with John Dickey's handwriting. No pension claim was ever filed by Cochran or anyone claiming through him, but we can readily see how his descendants
would value the discharge were they cognizant of its existence. It could have been surrendered after it
Page 101

-18-
served its purpose in the claim years age, and could be [illegible] now if anyone having a rightful claim appeared,

Judge Lee's request should also be regarded with a view to the situation which would be precipitated were it complied with.  It would be a precedent, and withdrawals and attempted withdrawals would soon destroy these old files.

M. M. CONNELLY
CAB-1

Approved by the Solicitor May 28, 1932
J. O'C Roberts

Approved by the Administrator
May 31, 1932
F. T. H.
Page 102


August 15, 1931


SIGNED AND MAILED
AUG 15 1931
ADAMISTRATOR'S OFFICE

Hon. T. Bailey Lee
Chief Justice, Supreme Court
Boise, Idaho

My dear Mr. Chief Justice

Reference is made to your letter of July 30, 1931, in which you request, for your possession, the separation from the Revolutionary War pension claim, W. 3203, of Elizabeth Dickey, widow of Captain John Dickey, the Bible which, with the family record, was situated in part of her claim for pension, and which is now in the custody of the Veterans Administration.

May I first state that all documents in this
particular claim, as in all others of like character are preserved with the greatest care to insure added protection to the Bible in question, as well as many more frail pieces, it was securely wrapped and tied in kraft paper, given the file number of the claim from which it was removed and locked in a cabinet free from dust.   By this method a minimum length of time is concerned when the request is made to see them, as in your case.

Further, contrary to the inference in your letter there are expressions in the papers on file in this pension claim which lead one to believe that the family of Captain Dickey removed the family record from the Bibe.

If the policy had been established to release parts of these old claims from the archives of the Government, the records would be most incomplete and the parts, this old Bible included, scattered throughout the United Sates.  December
Page 103

of the applicants for pension now dispersed through all of the states would see in vain the whole record, which they can now examine intact in Washington, as many do. 

To withdraw, for the benefit of one individual or descendant, parts of the records from the government archives would destroy the value of the whole record at the expense of future research matters, and other descendants with equal right to make claim.

I regret to advise you therefore, that after careful consideration, it is not deemed advisable as a matter of policy to establish the precedence which would result in granting your request.

Very truly yours

[illegible]
all carbons should have my initials typed on them.

Personal sig
FANK T. HINES
Administrator
Page 104

June 29, 1931


Rev. & 1812 Wars Section
[illegible]

Hon. Burton L. French
Member of Congress
Moscow, Idaho

My dear Mr. French:

Reference is made to your letter of May 12, 1931, requesting, on behalf of Justice T. Bailley Lee, Supreme Court, Boise, Idaho, the withdrawal from the files of the Pension Bureau, certain Bible leaves, and the Bible from which they were taken by the family of Captain John Dickey, War of the Revolution, and submitted to this bureau as material evidence in support of the claim for pension of his Widow, Elizabeth W. 3962).

You were advised on May 25, 1931, that the matter had been taken up for consideration.

The records of the Revolutionary War pensioners constitute an important and much consulted portion of the archives of the United States Government, and it is not deemed advisable to impair their value by withdrawing documents, or any parts of the claims, thereby removing the record evidence upon which such claims were based, in addition to leaving the files incomplete.

For many years the Pension Bureau has adhered consistently to this practice which is approved by the Veterans Administration.

Many descendants of soldiers of the Revolutionary War are scattered throughout the country, unknown to each other, and it
is now impossible to determine any particular descendant who would have the exclusive right to have seen a document stripped from
the files for his or her possession, even if the bureau were to establish a precedent for other such withdrawals.

The greatest care is taken of the papers on file in Revolutionary War pension and bounty land claims and it is

[Handwritten on the side] [illegible] decision of the Administrator General Hines, locked in the vault.
Page 105


believed that the public need is considered in the largest sense by preserving these old records intact at the seat of government where they are most accessible for historical records, therefore, it is regretted that the bureau cannot comply with the request to withdraw and forward to Judge Lee a part of the documents on file in the above not pension claim.

Very truly
yours
Personal Sig
E. W. MORGAN
Acting Commissioner
Page 106


May 25, 1931

Rev.& 1812 Wars Section
[illegible]

Hon Burton L. French
Member of Congress
Moscow, Idaho

My dear Mr. French:

Reference is made to your letter of May 12, on behalf of Justice T. Bailey Lee, Supreme Court, Boise, Idaho, in regard to the Revolutionary War pension claim, W. 3962, based upon
the service of Captain John Dickey, War of the Revolution, and from which claim Justice Lee requests the withdrawal of certain documents submitted in support of the claim.

The matter has been taken up for consideration and you will be advised further in regard thereto.

Very truly yours

E. W. MORGAN
Acting Commissioner
Page 107

List to T. Bailey Lee:

Widdow decl Sept. 12, 1844 -2 pages

Elijah F. Rockwell & Alex. Huggins affid - 2 pages

W. F Cowan's affid marriage & death [illegible] -4 pages 

John Cochran's Sept.26-1844 Court record -3 pages

David Hair's affid. Sept. 30, 1844 & Court record - 3 pages

Margaret Anderson decd. Nov. 19, 1846 &
Court rec. -4 pages
Count rec. April 9-1852 &
Court rec -4 pages

Alfred D. Kerr affid. Apr. 14-1852 & Court record - 3 pages

Comptroller's ctf April 19. 1852 - 1 page

Burton Craige & letter to Hon. A. Venable Apr 25 1852 - 2 pages

Comptroller's ctf, July 10 - 1852 reissued  -1 page

Robt Cochran discharge Feb. 2, 1781 Signed  Capt. John Dickey - 1 page
Page 108

May 4, 1931
541
Bureau of Pensions
Rev, 1812 Section.

Rev. War pension claim of John Dickey,
File No. W. 3962. Actual 1 or each page.

Remitter:

T. Bailey Lee,
c/o Mrs. Sarah Bailey Lee,
Mocksville, North Carolina.

$ 4.3........29 pages

Kindly leave margin of1 1/2 in. a top of each page and return papers in each case in folder with corresponding name and number.  The word 'omit" written in pencil on those pages which are not to be copied.
 
Chief, Rev.&1812 Wars Section
Page 109

May 4, 1931

Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:

Please furnish uncertified photostatic copies of twenty-nine pages from Revolutionary War
pension claim of John Dickey, W. 3962.

Very truly yours,

Cash $4.35
FINANCE Divison
MAY 6 1931

T. Bailey Lee
c/ Mrs. Sarah Baily Lee
Mocksville
Davie Co. N. C

T. Bailey Lee
% Mrs. Sarah Bailey Lee
Mocksville, North Carolina

Received payment
May 4, 1931.
$4.35

Margaret M H. Finch

Rev.&1812 Wars Section.
of
Page 110

T.Bailey Lee, of Boise, Idaho, requests photostatic copies of four pages from the pension record
Capt. John Dickey of Rowan County, NC
Copies to be sent to Mocksville
Davie Co. N. Car-


Kindly save margin of 1½ inches
at top of each page and return papers
in each case in folder with corresponding name and number.

Chief of Rev. & 1812 Wars Sect.
Page 111

Rev #98
[illegible]

May 9, 1932

Rev. & 1812 Wars Section       541

Rev. War pension claim, John Dickey, W. 3962 Actual 1 of each page

$060    4 pages

Kindly leave margin of 1½ inches
at top of eachpage and return papers
in each case in folder with corresponding
name and number.

Chief of Rev. & 1812 Wars Sect.
Page 112

Rev. and 1812 Wars Section AWF/ee

June 24, 1929

T. Bailey Lee
Supreme Court
Boise, Idaho

Sir:

I advise you that photostatic copies of six pages from the Revolutionary War pension claim of Robert Luckey, 8.36157, have been mailed to you on this day.

You are herewith furnished the histories of Captain John Dickey, of Rowan County, North Carolina, and of John Bailey, of North Carolina.
Due to the very large number of requests similar to yours and the lack of a clerical force available for the purpose, only two histories are furnished each inquirer.

From the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, W. 3962, it appears that John Dickey was a resident of Center Congregation, Rowan County, North Carolina, at the
commencement of the Revolution. He served from the beginning to the end of the Revolution as a Captain of the North Carolina Militia and was engaged in the battles of
Ramsour's Mills, Camden, King's Mountain and Cowan's Ford.
Page 113

He married twice, the date of the first marriage
and of wife are not stated.
Their children were:

Elizabeth Jully 12, 1750 or 1752

Mary born August 9, 1759

Samuel born August 29, 1765.

Soldier married November 18, 1793, Elizabeth Leasey. He died in Iredell County, North Carolina, March 20, 1808, at the age of eighty-four years. She died September 27, 1845, aged seventy-nine years.
Their children were:

Peggy born September 21, 1795

John born October 8,1799

In 1852, Margaret (Peggy) Anderson, of Rowan County, North Carolina, daughter and only surviving heir of the widow, was allowed the pension due on account of the services of Captain John Dickey.
Page 114

Dept. of the Interior
Bureau of Pensions
Washington, D. C.

My dear Sirs:
Will you kindly send me the birthplace and when, of Captain John Dickey, who served under Col. Locke, Generals Rutherford, and Davidson
I am trying to prove he lived in America prior to 1750.

Also the record of Capt. William
Johnston who was made Captain at or
after the battle of Alamance against
the regulators- this was during the
administration of Gov. Martin. I desire
to establish his recoded at that battle.
Thanking you most sincerely
I am

Mrs. N. A. Mac Lean
604 N. Elm St
Lumberton, N.C.

Jan 22, 1935
Lumberton, N. C.

Received Jan 23 1935
Page 115

Affidavits exhibited by Hon. Addison T. Smith and returned to him after letter of Mch. 8, 1932 was sent him.

T. Bailey Lee
Feb. 5, 1932. Boise, Idaho

Susie A. Blaylock Jan 12, 1932 Rabun Gap, Ga.

Thos. P. Johnson Kingsport , not dated nor sworn

Miss Clara Knox Salisbury, N.C. Jan. 30 - 1932

Jos B. Johnston, Barnum Springs N.C. June, 1932

J. R. Hall [illegible] N.C. not dated and not sworn
.
Essie Stewart MacLean Lumberton, N.C. not dated nor sworn

John B Johnston & E.L. Gaither, Mocksville, N. C. not dated and not sworn

Thos. P. Johnston Salisbury, N.C. not dated not sworn
Page 116

t. Bailey Lee Chief Jutice
Justices:
Alfred [illegible]
Raymond L. Givens
Bentrar S. Varian
W. F. McNaugton
The State of Idaho
Supreme Count
Boise

Administrator's Office Received Aug 3, 1931

THE STATE OF IDAHO
SUPREME COURT

July 30th 1931

My Dear General:-

I am presuming to write you direct upon a purely personal matter, as the only methods I understand are those of a soldier and lawyer. God save me from civilian bureaucrats

While in Washington, attending the Law Institute, I discovered by mere chance down in the Pension Office dumped in an old box, the mutilated remains of a bible two hundred and nineteen years old, once the property
of a forbear, Capt. John Dickey, of Rowan County, N. Car. who swung a "mean" sword at Ramsour's Mill, King's Mountain, etc.

Some vandal had torn out the pages containing the marriage and birth entries, placed them in the original files and tossed the wrecked volume into the scrapheap, instead of including it intact as an integral part of the
record.

I realize that original files are sacred, and I
have no request to make as to the raped pages. But, I do want the rest of the volume. As it lies there in an isolated box, it's mere junk, proves nothing, can prove nothing, and is about as valuable to Uncle Sam as a copy of the Whisbang or an empty bottle of Lydia Pinkham's. There's no earthly reason for keeping it at all.

My object is to have it chemically treated, cleaned up rebound and placed on the ancestral shelves in North Carolina where, together with the old Valiant's sword and Will the multitudinous kin can examine and gloat to their heart's content.

For years, I have been recognized as the Historian and Curator of the clan, the only one apparently who has devoted his time and
money to recovering the tracks of our colonial forbears.

When any of the family dispersed through a dozen states want to break into some patriotic society, I'm immediately bombarded for facts: they are all urging me to secure this
bible, if humanly possible.
Page 117

As I told Secretary Wilbur: "If Uncle Sam can return captured battle flags to my rebel sock in Dixie, surely he can give a boy his granddad's old bible."  The Secretary expressed the opinion that such a disposition might be consistently arranged.

I trust I haven't bored you with my importuning.  But, I had four grandads fighting Red Coats and Tories, and I want every blessed memento of 'em.

Respectfully and sincerely, 
T. Bailey Lee
N. Car. '94

Major Gen. Frank T. Hines,
Director Veteran's Bureau,
Department of the Interior,
Washington, D.C.
Page 118

Burton L. French
1st Congressional District
Idaho
Home Address:  Moscow, Idaho

Committee on Appropriations

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WASINGTON, D. C.
12 May 1931

Honorable E. W. Morgan,
Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.

Re: Captain John Dickey, Revolutionary War,
Roan County, North Carolina.
(engaged in King Mountain Battle)

My dear Mr. Morgan:

In connection with application for widow's pension in the above case years ago, I understand that there was submitted a family Bible that was printed in Edinburgh more than 200 years ago. Also I understand that as
part of the records in the case certain pages formerly in the Bible were stripped from the book, probably pages showing birth and marriage data, etc.

I wonder if the Bible and also these particular pages that were at once time made part of the records are of any further value to the Bureau.
If not, I shall be very glad if you will separate them from the records in the old case and send them to

Justice T. Bailey Lee,
Supreme Court,
Boise, Idaho.

Probably I should say that Justice Lee who is a member of the State Supreme Court, is a lineal descendant of this old warrior and would take
greatest pride in keeping as part of the family heirlooms the Bible together with the sheets that at one time were necessary in connection with certain pension proofs.

Will you kindly let me know what can be done.
Yours very truly,
Burton L. French

[seal] U. S. Pension Office, May 14 1931
Page 119

Mrs. JOHN D. REID
no. 407 E. [illegible] St.
Pana, Ill.
Dec. 13/23

War Dept.
Washington D.C.

Gentlemen:

If John Dickey born 1740 in Va.  joined army in N. Car. and served six years in war of Rev. rec'd pension will you kindly send me a cer. of name.  Wife Sarah Robinson dau. Mary think Mary married a Sam'l Dougan.

Very truly
Mrs. J D Reid

[seal]  U.S. Pension Office Dec 15, 1923
Page 120

Chief of Department,

My dear Sir:

Will you send me a copy of the Pension record of Capt. John Dickey?
Capt. John Dickey lived near the boundary line of Rowan and Mecklenburg Cos. but I think his home was in Rowan Co.  He served at Ramsour's Mill, Kings Mt., & Cowan's Ford.  I shall appreciate your kindness.
Very truly

Mrs. W. A. Eliason
146 E. Sharpe St.
Statesville, N.C.
Page 121


Lumberton N.C.
March 6, 1914

Department of Interior:
War Section
Washington D. C.

In 185 [illegible] Margaret Peggy Dickey
daughter & only surviving heir of Capt. John Dickey was allowed the pension that was due her mother Elizabeth Leasey Dickey you have this record in your department, also the
Page 122

record of the pension received by the heirs of William Johnstone of Rowan Co. N.C.
I am sorry to trouble you so often but am obliged to have these records if you will kindly furnish me with a copy.
Respt.
Mrs. W.A. McLean
Page 123

[stamp saying] U. S. Pension office Sept 29 1913

Mooresville N.C.
Sept 26 1913

Dear Sir:
Will you please give me the war record
of Capt. John Dickey of Center Congregation Iredell Co N.C.

of Robert Johnston of Rowan Co. N.C.
and of

Lewis Fellow of Mecklenburg Co. N. C.

I know they all served in the Revolutionary war
Page 124

2

but have not been able to get all
the information I want -  anything you
can do for me will be greatly appreciated
Very respectfully
Mrs S. W. Stevenson
Mooresville
Iredell Co
N.C.
Page 125

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WASHINGTON

June 14, 1910.

Honorable J. L. Davenport,
Pension Commissioner

Dear Sir:
Will you please advise me whether or not the records in your office disclose the names of James Blakely and Capt. John Dickey. An inquirer states that they enlisted in the Revolutionary War from South Carolina, and it is thought served under General Frances Marion, I will thank you to
have the Revolutionary Records investigated, and if the name of either is found thereon, to furnish me with such information as the record discloses, and oblige,
Yours very truly,
Joseph W. Byrns
Page 126

[ stamp which is legible] Apr 5 1907

Mooresville, N.C.

Apr 2nd

[illegible] of Pensions
P. Warner
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:
Would you please endeavor, at your earliest
convenience, to find a Revolutionary pension
record of one Capt. Dickey - William Dickey
I think was
Page 127

his name.

I desire this information in order that a line
in the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution may be established.

Capt. Dickey was a N. Car. soldier from Rowan County, but do not know which Company etc
he
Page 128

was a member.
Thanking you -
[illegible]
Mrs. George C Goodman
Mooresville

[stamp] U. S. Pension Office Apri 4 1907
Page 129

Greensburg, Ind.
Feb 22, '07

To whom this may concern,
Pension Department
Washington D.C.

Dear Sir -

I am seeking information regarding an ancestor who the family traditions say, fought in the Revolution with Wahington at Valley Forge. If this is true his name, I presume would be enrolled. But I do not know whether he enlisted from Kentucky or from North Carolina
his former home.  My uncle tells me that
Page 130

his grandfather had often talked to him of Samuel Dickey his father, and of the terrible winter with Washington at Valley Forge.

The Dickeys came originally from North Carolina in which state they settled on their arrival in America. They were Scotch Presbyterians and were banished from Scotland because of their religion. A son was born in mid- Atlantic, from whom trace our descent. I mention this because my uncle who has been a cripple from boyhood,
Page 131

spent much time with his grandfather who lived to be nearly hundred, and talked much of the early history of the family; and he thinks the child born on the ocean was Samuel Dickey, his great grandfather, if his name is enrolled with other soldiers of the Revolution, and the place of his birth is given, it will be either on the ocean or in North Carolina.  My father believes it was Samuel Dickey's father, instead of himself.  During the Civil War while Father was stationed in New Orleans
Page 132

-4-
he came across a dentist whose name was
Dickey. He showed Father a very old paper
giving the account of the banishment of the Dickeys and the birth of the son on the ocean.  Father thinks his name, as given there was John, and that he was afterward the father of Samuel Dickey.
Samuel Dickey's tombstone in the old Elk Creek
cemetery near Middletown gives his birth as
1753 but does not mention the place. He
came to Kentucky with Daniel Boone, but
whether he enlisted from
Page 133

Kentucky, or went back to North Carolina & enlisted.  I am unable to say.  but he settled intimately in Kentucky near Georgetown, and thence came to Ohio & settled in Butler Co. near the Elk Horn creek among the [illegible]

As Boone went to Ky, from the Yadkin river in North Carolina, we think Samuel Dickey must have gone from the same vicinity.

I am very anxious to prove the truth
of this history, and any information you can
give me will be thankfully received.  If it is
Page 134

true, I am eligible to the Daughters of the American Revolution which I am very anxious to join.
Hoping to hear from you and thanking you in advance.

Very respectfully,
Olive Dickey Gilham
406 N. Ireland St.
Greensburg, Ind.
Page 135

W. Armstong, President
W. Boynton [illegible]
F. P. MacConnell [illegible]
The Isbell National Bank of Talladega
Talladega, Ala., May31st 1892
[N or W] 8668
9467 [marked through] 

To Clerk in
Pension Office, War Department, Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:
I wish to join the Daughters of the Revolution. I write to ask you to please look in the records to see if there is anything regarding two of my 
ancestors, James Blakeley and John Dickey both of whom fought in the Revolution, participating in the battles of Eutah, Cowpens, and many other battles.

In a book called the "Scottish - Irish of America", published 1884
(Robert Clarke & Co. publishers, Cincinnati) there is mention of the above named persons
on pages 202, 204, 205. They were Scottish Irish, and came from Ulster, Ireland, and in 1730 -1734 settled in Williamsburg, South Carolina, of which Kingstee is the county seat, their families afterwards removing to Maury Co. Tenn.
Any information you can give me will be greatly appreciated
Very Respectfully,
Mrs Ellen Mc Connell
Talladega, Ala.
Page 136

[This whole  page is illegible]
Page 137

State of North Carolina
Rowan County
on this the [illegible] June 1852 personally before the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in and for said County Mrs Margret Anderson a resident of said County aged fifty six and who on sworn oath [illegible] following due to all had the written at the amount of pension that is to me [several words illegible]
Elizabeth Dickey and [several lines illegible]
and who was the daughter of her father the late Captain John Dickey as [several lines illegible] Dickey as he always understood from [illegible] was one of the first Captains who commanded a company from [illegible] Rowan County at the commencement of the Revolutionary war in 1775 that he continued in said service and in command of a Company for the greater part of the said war he has often heard him say that he was at the battle of Ramsours Mill, and at Kings Mountain was present in command of his company when Genl Davidson was killed by the British at Cowan's ford on the Catawba River and that he with [his company?]
Page 138

was ordered to and served said General Davidson that at this time the land in said
Rowan County near Torrance [illegible] that he served Capt John [illegible] and she thinks he was under Colo Matthew Lock and General Rutherford and that she entirely recollects having often heard her father say that he was the greater part of his time in the service for the reason that the Torries was so bad that it was dangerous for him to stay at home that
her father also was the captain in whose charge the Gunpowder was placed for the use of the army that in consequence of the fear that the Torries would take it away from him that he on one occasion removed it to his
meadow and covered it up with his hay
this affiant has repeatedly heard her father
tell.  She has further not heard him speak
of Captain Harden Armstrong McCorkle and
other captains who was in service as being
brave offices and good whigs declarant is 
satisfied therefore from what she always understood from her father the said John Dickey that he was in actual service for the grater part of the whole revolutionary war or at
least that he served as captain for more
the two years she further states that her
father & mother was the said Elizabeth Dickey was married.  She understood from time in the month of November Seventeen hundred ninety three as well as she now recounts tho she has not now those old family record as it
was sent by her mother to the City of Washington with her first application for a pension which record contained the date of their marriage
Page 139

that her father and mother at the time of their Marriage was near r the county line of the
and Rowan County and she thinks her mother buried and in Mecklenburg County the
[illegible] to have was Elizabeth Leasey that her
father the said John Dickey died in Iredell
County North Carolina on the 20 day of March
1808 that he was then eighty four years of age
that he left his widow the said Elizabeth Dickey
who survived him and remained his widow
until on the 28th September 1845 one thousand eight hundred and forty five that at the time of her death she left one child affiant
who is the only surviving child and heir of
at law of her mother the said Elizabeth Dickey
was  that person to the [illegible] of her mother.  She had made application for a pension but which claim was not allowed.  She therefore is the only surviving heir of her mother request that her claim in [illegible] of her mother may be [illegible] and allowed and that she doe hereby direct the commissioner of pensions to deliver to [illegible] to her agent
Wm Jones her said pension certificate as soon as the same is allowed and to no one else who she does hereby appoint her agent and [illegible] to prosecute & recover her said claim.

Sworn to and subscribed before me the date above. Margaret Anderson

A. J. Fleming JP

declarant the said Margret Anderson
in further states that she understood that David Hall and Matthew McPherson both served under affiants' father and also David Buty was a private in her father's company as the understood sworn before me
A. J. Fleming JP
Margaret Anderson
Page 140

State of North Caroline
Rowan County

I said J. Fleming a Justice of the Peace foresaid County that I am well acquainted with Mrs Margret Anderson who has this day appeared and made [illegible] to the within declaration before me that veracity and that full forth and credit is [illegible] and of [illegible] might ought to be given to her statements.

Set my hand and seal this 9th day of April 1852
A. J. Fleming


State of North Carolina Rowan County
I James E. Kerr Clerk of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Session for the County of Rowan
State aforesaid, hereby certify, that A I Fleming
and James H Ennis whose name appear to the
foregoing certificate and affidavits are and now of at the date of said signatans, acting
Justices of the Peace within and for said County, duly commissioned and qualified, and the signatures thereunto perforating to be this are [illegible]

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my official sealat Salisbury, this the 10th day of April A.D. 1852.
James E Kerr Clerk