Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 2,938, John Dickinson, Va.

SERVICE
SERVICE U.S. Air Force
Dickinson, John
NUMBER _____
NUMBER R 2.938
CONTENTS

John Dickson
No. 30. 170
Direct to Major Wm. M c Leod Huntsville Virginia

We Jacob Cook - a Clergyman residing in the County of Monroe and State of Virginia and John Swope residing in the said County and State hereby certify that we are well acquainted with John Dickinson of said County who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; that we believe him to be seventy one years of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighbourhood where he resides to have been a Soldier and Indian Spy of the Revolution and that we concur in that Opinion
Sworn to and subscribed before me Joel Stodghill a Justice of the peace for the County and State aforesaid the day and year aforesaid
Jacob Cook John Swope
Joel Stodghill
And I the said Joel Stodghill a Justice of the peace for the County and State aforesaid do hereby declare my Opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and Indian Spy - and served as he states. And I further certify that it appears to me that Jacob Cook - who has signed the preceding certificate is a Clergyman residing in the said County of Monroe and that, John Swope who has also signed the same is a resident of the said County of Monroe and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
Joel Stodghill

Subscribed to and Subscribed before me a Justice of the peace for the County and State aforesaid the day and year aforesaid
Interrogatory 1. When and in what year were you born
Ans. I was born on Smiths Creek 11 miles below Harrisonburg in the County of Rockingham & State of Virginia in the year
2. Have you any record of your age and if so where is it.
Ans. I have no record of my age and never had that I know of.
3. When were you living when called into Service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary War, and where do you now live.
Ans. I lived when called into Service on the South branch of Potomack River in the County of Hardy and State of Virginia and remained there until the 1792 when I moved to the place where I now live and have lived at ever since 4 How were you called into Service; were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a

Substitute and if a substitute for whom Ans. I was drafted for the first town to go to York Town and I then Volunteered as an Indian Spy 5. State the names of some of the Regular officers who were with the troops where you served; such Continental and Militia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service.
Ans General La Fayette Command- ed on the Gloucester side as it was called. General Wayne Command- ed the line of Regular and the Regiment to which I belonged was under the imme- diate Command of General Washington and I cannot give a more detailed account of the circumstances of the service than I have detailed in my declaration Sworn to and subscribed before me J. John D. Dickinson.
And I the said Joel Stodghill a Justice of the Peace for the County of Monroe and State of Virginia do hereby certify that the said John Dickinson who has subscribed and sworn to the foregoing declaration from age and bodily infirmity cannot attend the County Court of Monroe
Joel Stodghill
I John Hutchinson Jr. clerk of the Court of Monroe County do certify that Joel Stodghill is a magistrate as above & the foregoing signatures purporting to be his are genuine.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal at office at Union this 5 th day of February 1834. In the 58 th year of the Commonwealth J. Hutchinson Jr. C.M.

State of Virginia Monroe County } To wit:
On this 25 th day of January 1834 personally appeared before me Joel Stodghill a Justice of the peace for the County of Monroe and State of Virginia aforesaid: John Hickinson a resident of the said County of Monroe and State of Virginia aged Seventy One years on the 29 th day of March last past; who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated. That he was drafted on the first or second day of September in the year 1781 to march to York Town; that at the time he was drafted he lived on the South Branch of Potomack River in the County of Hardy and State of Virginia and mustered in a Company of Militia commanded by Captain Christian Simmonds: that the Officers that he marched under and who commanded the Company to which he belonged was Captain Thomas Neal Lieutenant William Donhat and Ensign Scott that he and the Company to which he belonged and in which he marched to York Town in defence of the Liberty of his Country were first Rendezvoused at a Small Town called Moorfield and from thence they marched through Romney, Winchester, Fagier Court House and on to Fredericksburg where they remained two days to have their guns repaired, and from thence they were marched on by way of Williamsburg to York Town where Lord Cornwallis with the British Army were then lying; at York Town he and the Company to which he belonged were attached to a Regiment

Commanded by Colonel Samuel Vance, (When Forty Miles distant from York Town on their March to that place) he heard the Cannon firing between the British and American Armies Stationed at that place; That from the time he arrived at York Town until the Surrender of Lord Cornwallis he remained there actively engaged in such employment as he was commanded to perform such as standing on picket guard and assisting in opening new entrenchments and throwing up new breast works against the enemies of his country
Their Battery from which they seemed to annoy the enemy (most was on top of Pigeon Hill which was directly between their Regiment and a Regiment of Regulars which had their tents pitched in a line in front of them and York Town which was in possession of the British Army
That they at one time opened their Battery on the enemy lying in York Town and succeeded in injuring the Chimneys and Houses very much and he supposes killed a number of their men. The company which he belonged was what was called a Rifle Company and upon occasion himself and four or five others volunteered their services to annoy the enemies picket guard by creeping unperceived behind a Hedge within about one hundred and fifty yards of where they were stationed: they succeeded in killing a member before discovered by the enemy when they fired a Cannon loaded with canister and grape shot, which happily done them no other injury except to cut up the hedge and destroy their place of concealment
That after the Surrender of Lord Cornwallis

Wallis and the British Army he marched as one of the guard over the prisoners to Winchester where he remained until the expiration of his three months term when he was discharged by his Captain who gave him a written discharge which has been lost upwards of thirty years He again entered the service of his Country as a Volunteer Indian Spy on the first day of April 1782 and his first excursion was in company of the late Jacob Warwick of the County of Bath then West Augusta; himself and the said Warwick set out on the day aforesaid from Warwicks Fort on the head waters of Greenbrier River and passed by Clinchick Fort, on to the Kingow Flats thence on to the head of Elk and making no discovery of Indians after being out something like eight or ten days they returned after which he went to Westfalls Fort in Tygart Valley situated where he understands the Town of Beverly now the County Seat of Randolph County is now situated and thence to Wilsons Fort four Miles further down the River.
From this last named Fort he crossed the Mountains back to the Waters of the Potomack on what was called the Northfork where he joined John Philips and Adam Radin two other Spies. In company of these two last he continued until the first of November following. That the nature of his services were to spy the Mountains and traces leading into the infant Settlement then just forming in Tygart Valley and to guard and escort persons from Rockingham and Augusta who were engaged in packing Hams and other supplies into the Valley. That he was frequently out five and six days at a time subsisting on such provisions as he could pack in his

knapsack or upon such fruits and berries as the Mountain afforded as they were laid under a strict injunction not to fire a gun unless in the most imminent danger or in defence of life but never to kill game unless when in a state of starvation
That he faithfully performed these Seven Seven Months Services as an Indian Spy. He has never seen or heard of Phillips or Rader since they separated in the Fall of 1782 and Jacob Manwick he understands has been dead six or seven years. He was not engaged in any Civil pursuit during the time he was thus engaged as an Indian Spy nor did he ever receive any pay for any services he rendered his country either against the British enemy or while acting as an Indian Spy. That he has no documentary evidence and knows of no person living by whom he can prove his said services or any part of them. He hereby relin- quishes every claim whatever to a Pension or annuity of Pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State
Sworn to and subscribed before me Joel Stodghill a Justice of the peace for the County and State aforesaid the day and year aforesaid
his John Dickinson Mark
Joel Stodghill

2938 !
P. O. _____
John Dickinson
Service: _____
Enlisted: _____, 18
Discharged: _____, 18
REJECTED
Application filed: _____, 18
Reasons: The printed list of 1852 gives cause of suspension entitled as "No proof of service documentary or otherwise."
Attorney: _____
P. O. _____
_____ Recognized. _____ Contract.
_____ Cert. of Dis. Searched for _____, 18

✓ 14.672
5 Neo Rams
M c Dickinson 76
No correspondence
2938