Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 3053, Joshua Dover, Ga.
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Ga. Dover, Joshua R. 3053
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State of Tennessee
Bledsoe County May Session 1834
County Court

On this fifteenth day of May 1834 personally appeared before the justice of the country court of Bledsoe country, Joshua Dover a resident of the country of Bledsoe and state of Tennessee, aged eight one years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his back makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States, at the time of the first enlistments made in the war, in the section of country where he resides, but is unable from loss of memory to state the years with Capt. John Burke, and served in the regiment of the Georgia line under the following named officers. He supposes it was the Georgia lines as his service was principally performed in that state. At the time he entered the service he resided on Santee river just below Rocky Mount, he is unable to tell now what state it was in, and at which same place he was enlisted as a private soldier for the time of two years to service in that class of
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the army denominator "Minute Men." He entered the service when he enlisted under the command of Colonel Elijah Clark, (af-terwards [illegible] Clark) Captain John Burk Lieutenant ________ Baldwin and Seargent Benjamin Blake--and was marched to [illegible] fort in the state of Georgia at which place he was stationed most of his term, but at times for short periods at other places--the service of the force with which he served being in guarding the frontiers--Capt. ___________ Baldwin, the father of the lieutenant above named, succeeded Burk as captain, and under whom ap-plicant served part of his time.-Appli-cant was on one occasion marched from [illegible] fort in Georgia under the officers above named on an expedition to St. Augustine which went to the St. Mary's river when Clark had a skirmish with the envy, got wounded by a shot in the leg and returned and discharged applicant at Sansbury he does not recollect the state--his dis-charge was written, and is lost, but in which manner or how applicant does not know.
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Applicant states that it was not his belief that he belonged to the regular army, no that he belongs to the militia but is advised that it was probably one or the other- He recollects enlisting for two years and at the time receiving the bounty of thirty dollars and getting a promise of land & more money for his services- but understood that he enlisted & served in what was called the "Minute services."- He does not know of any class of troops [illegible]- [illegible] "State Troops, though there may be such.- He was in actual service for the two years for which he enlisted. He does not remember the number of the regiment nor indeed does he recollect that it had service,- Beside his service as an enlisted soldier, he served in the militia after-wards, his service under this enlistment being in the first [illegible] [illegible] and while in the militia service was in the [battle of Stone under Captain Donny Pace- But being so confident that his name will be found on rolls
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of the war office as an enlisted soldier he will not now attempt to [illegible] his services in the Militia which he is advised he can do hereafter should this application be unsuccessful-

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity on [illegible] the present, and he declares that his name is no on the pension rolls of any agency in any state- 
[illegible] to subscribed this day and year aforesaid. Joshua X his mark Dover

State of Tennessee,
Bledsoe County, County Court, May Session 1834. And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.--
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State of Tennessee
Bledsoe County

On this 12th day of August 1834 personally appeared in open court before the justices of the county court of Bledsoe County State of Tennessee Joshua Dover who made the foregoing declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7-1832 who being first duly sworn according to law deposits and saith that in addition to and [illegible] the facts stated in the foregoing declara-tion he declares that he has no documen-tary evidence, nor does he know if any per-son whose testimony he can process, who can testify to his services. He states that he was in actual service for two years as stated in his original declaration, in station and in marching-and in addition to that the applicant states that he was ten months in the militia service as a drafted soldier under Captain Donny Pace, under whose command applicant was in the battle of "Stone."-these ten months served three separate terms of service but the time of entering on each or even the year ap-plicant is wholly unable to state from
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age and the consignment lap of memory - appli-cant does not remember getting any discharge from Captain Pace, but knows he served out his time.-

He was born on Haw River as he was in-formed by his parents who left there when applicant was an infant-he does not know the county or state but believes it was in North Carolina and according to the best account he can get in the year 1753.- He has no record of his age. 

He was living, when called into the service upon Santee river below Rocky Mount in the state of S. Carolina but does not rememeber the county. Shortly after the revolutionary war he moved to Rutherford county N. Carolina from there to Barker county N. Carolina. He has resided in Overton cty. Tennessee-in Jackson county Alabama and in this Bledsoe county Tennessee where he now resides.-
 
He has always believed that he was first enlisted and served two years as an enlisted soldier under Col. Clark in what was called the "minute service-He served ten months under Captain Donny Pace as a drafted soldier and as a private.- 

He has stated the names of his officers
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and the general circumstances of his services
as well as he can recollect them.

He received a written discharge from
Col. Clark at Simsbury but does not know
what became of it-he did not receive
any other that he remembers.-

He is known in his present neighbourhood
to Samuel Cathey and [strike through] William Johnson who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution. Applicant states that there is no clergyman living in the neighbourhood where he resides so as to enable him to procure the certificate of one.

Sworn to & subscribed
the day & year aforesaid
Joshua
his x mark
Dover

William Johnson

We Samuel Cathey and William Johnson residing in the County of Bledsoe and State of Tennessee do certify that we are well acquainted with Joshua Dover who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing original, and above amended declaration, that we believe him to be eighty one years of age - that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution
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and that we concur in that opinion.

Sworn & subscribe the day
and year [illegible]

Samuel Cuttey
William
his x mark
Johnson

And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interroga tories prescribed by the war department, that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states. And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Samuel Cathy and William Johnson who have signed the preceding certificate are residents in Bledsoe county Tennesse and are credible persons and that their statement is [illegible] to [illegible].

I Scott Terry clerk of the county court of Bledsoe county State of Tennessee do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original amended proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Joshua Dover for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and private seal (there being no pub-lic seal of said court) at office in Pikeville the 12 day of August 1834.

Scott Terry clk
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State of Tennessee
Bledsoe County

Best remembered that on this 8th day of April 1836 personally appeared before me Elisha Kirklen an acting justice of the peace in and for the county aforesaid Joshua Cover, the same person who made the accompa-nying declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the act of Congress passed June 7-1832 for the relive of revolutionary soldiers and in amendments of his said declaration, and in addition to the facts therein stated, after being by me first duly sworn according to law [illegible] and [illegible], that to the best his knowl-edge and recollection he first entered the service of the United States in the revolutionary war in the year 1776-that his first assignment was for two years, that he was in actual service during that time under the officers, and at the places stated in his original declaration, at the end of which time he was discharged-

Applicant cannot from mental weakness & defective memory remember the times of each subsequent engagement in the service-He was much in the army throughout the whole of the war--he recollected that he was in the Battle of "Briers Creek" under Capt Drury Pace--Applicant was in the battle at the Eutaw Springs in South Carolina under Genl Green--The Captain under whom he served at that place, and under
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whose command he was placed but a few days before, was killed in the battle--applicant does not remember his name--this battle was fought in the latter part of the war,--applicant thinks in 1780 or 1781.--In the Brier's creek battle appli-cant received a slight gun shot wound in his right leg just above the ancle.-This was a battle or skirmish with the [illegible].--

Subscribed & sworn to before
me this date above --
Elisha Kirklen
Justice of the Peace
for Bledsoe County

Samuel Cathey a citizen of Bledsoe county with whom I am well acquainted, and who is a man of [illegible] and respectability, also came before ma and after being duly sworn accor-ding to law deposeth and saith--that he was bornin the year 1776 according to the best infor-mation which he has received, that he was old enough before the close of the revolutionary war to notice & recollect some incidents which occurred in it--he has been well acquainted with Joshua Dover for about forty years (the same person who makes application for a pension under the act of 7th June 1832)--affiant about the time of his first acquaintance with Dover often heard him speak of his services in the revolutionary war.--He often
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boasted of his services, affiant often heard him recount the circumstances of this services in conver-sation with others who were then said to have been in the war--with Samuel Stout--a Mr. Burchfield, and with affiant's father, Archibald Cathey, who died in 1810, and whose return from the army on one of two occasions, affiant remembered, and which he believes are the earliest circumstances upon which his memory can [illegible].

This was in Burke County North Carolina where affiant was raised having been born in [illegible] district S Carolina--It was generally said, understood & believed there that Joshua Dover had been a soldier in the service of the United States in the revolutionary war.--Affiant has known Dover most of the time from that to the present has been intimate with him for many of the last years, and knows that he cannot from loss of memory, and mental imbecility detail the circumstances of his service as he formerly could.

Subscribed & sworn to before
me the date above.--                Samuel Cathey
Elisha Kirklen
Justice of the Peace
for Bledsoe County
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The State of Tennessee

I Scott Terry clerk of the County Court of Bledsoe County, do hereby certify that Elisha Kirklen esq, whose signature appears to the foregoing declaration and affidavit, is now, and was at the date of the same, an acting Justice of the peace, in and for said county of Bledsoe, duly commissioned and qualified to act, and that his said signature is in his own proper hand writing.

In [illegible] whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my private seal (not having a seal of office) at Office, the 8th day of April 1836. Scott Terry clk
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31.176
Joshua Dover
Transfer
e.k.m. 
J. A. Whiteside
Pokeville
E. Ten
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Sir:

The evidence in support of your claim, under the act of June 7, 1832, has been examined, and the papers are herewith returned.  The following is a statement of your case in a tabular form.  On comparing these papers with the following rules, and the subjoined notes, you will readily perceive that objections exist, which much be removed, before a pension can be allowed.  The notes and the regulations will show what is necessary to be done.  Those points to which your attention is more particularly directed, you will find marked in the margin with a brace, (thus: } ).  You will, when you return your papers to this Department, send this printed letter with them; and you will, by compling with this request, greatly facilitate the investigation of your claim.

Statement showing the Service of Joshua Dover
2  Pr  Capt Burke 81 No proof,
Col. Clarke Yrs. militia service there
Georgia militia
fore not in the roll
1779 not dates.

I am, respectfully,
your obedient servant, 
James L. Edwards,
Commissioner of Pensions.
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NOTE: This page is typed; no need to transcribe.
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NOTE: This page is typed; no need to transcribe.
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Joshua Dover
Tennessee
[illegible]
[illegible] 19 july 1838
J.A. Whiteside
Joshua
Dover
3053
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31.176
Declaration
Joshua Dover
for a
Pension
How. J. [illegible]
HR
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The State of Tennessee

I Scott Terry clerk of the County Court of Bledsoe County, do certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Joshua Dover for a pension.

In Testimony whereof, I I have here unto set my hand, and affixed my private seal (not having a seal of office) at Office, the 15th day of May 1834.

Scott Terry clk

I certify that Scott Terry is clerk of Bledsoe County Court and that his signature is in his own handwriting and that there is no seal of office for said court
June the 7th 1834 James Standefer
M E
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3053

Joshua Dover
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31.176
Joshua Dover




James A. Whiteside
Pokeville
E. Tenn
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Dovin, John Private Delaware
10756 100 September 27, 1791
to George Walton, assignee