BURKE COUNTY, NC - MILITARY - Joseph Dobson, Jr., Revolutionary War Pension Application ----¤¤¤¤---- Pension Application of Joseph Dobson, Jr. State of North Carolina Burke County On this 22nd day of October 1832 Personally appeared in Open Court before the Justices of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions now sitting Joseph Dobson, Esq. a resident of said State and County aged 76 years. his age was recorded in a large Family Bible by his Father which Bible the said Joseph now has and which testify that he the said Joseph "was born on the 4th day of June 1756. "Who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the Act of Congress passed the 7th June 1832". That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as hence stated. He first Volunteered in the month of March 1776 for - months under Capt. John Harding Col. James Brittian our Regt. was commanded by Charles Beckman and Charles McDowell afterwards Gen. McDowell Gen. Alexander Martian (afterwards Gov. Martian) commanded the expedition. I Volunteered in Burke County (then Rowan County). We were marched down to Cross Creek now Fayetteville xxx against the Scotch Tories. The foot troops under Gen. Martian did not get on in time to aid Gen. Caswell in whipping and taking the Tories. He Caswell had a battle with them on Black River our Horse got on and was in the battle. We were then marched down to Wilmington where we remained some time. we were then marched back to Lincoln Capt. McDowell discharged by Col. Beckman as well as I can recollect. we were discharged in July or August. I was between 4 or 5 months in the service. I next Volunteered under Capt. Joseph McDowell in the fall of the year 1776 he believes Francis Locke was the Colonel. The whole commanded by Gen. Rutherford were marched to the Valley Towns in the mountains[?] there was no general battle fought and scouting parties and spies a number of skirmishes we destroyed their Towns crops and took a considerable amount of plunder. We returned and said company was discharged near the head of the Catawba River in Burke County NC during the campaign I was transferred from Capt. McDowell's Company to Capt. Thomas Lylles company of spies and served under him for some time He believes there was no written discharge given to the army of his company but they were just dismissed by the officers and sent to return home. He next Volunteered at Sherrells Ford in Lincoln (then Rowan) County NC and was placed under the command of Capt. Thomas Davidson Col. Archibald Lyttle and Gen. James Thasston. I Volunteered for nine months and was marched through NC across Dan River into the edge of Virginia. Our officers then received orders to return to the state which they done and took up quarters at Moores Creek and remained there till the Legislature which was then sitting at Hillsborough took up. This he thinks was in the month of November (I think 1778) The men were then furloughed till next March We resumed the expedition after provisions at Charles Wards in Lincoln County NC (then Rowan County) and were marched to South Carolina we crossed Savannah River and were put under Gen. Ashe we were attacked at Briar Creek and defeated by the British we retreated as fast as we could the attack was before day and some of our troops were thrown into such confusion that every man had to fight for himself. There was a number of us that got to a Flat on the Savannah River and commenced crossing but before we could cross we were British got to the bank and fired upon and killed six or seven men and wounded some others we collected together on the South Carolina side and were then marched back towards Charleston and to the Stono Battle which battle I was in under my service Capt. Donoho and Col.Lytle. from thence we marched up to Perrsburg and discharged. this I think was in 1779 - This service including my furlough was over eighteen months. He next Volunteered under Capt. Joseph McDowell who commanded a company of horse. we started in February or March 1780 - and were kept roaming the country after Tories On the 20th day of June 1780 - when we attacked the Tories at Ramseures Mill this was where Lincoln Town now stands. here commenced the action between brake and seven o'clock we defeated the Tories and took a number of prisoners. He was wounded slightly in the hip and his right knee cap slightly cut with a bullet which passed through his horse and killed him. He is enabled to fix the precise date of the battle from a record made of his Brother John Dobson's death who was killed in the battle. John Dobson was a Captain at said Battle He continued under Capt. McDowell and was with him at the Skirmish with Ferguson's men on the head of Cane Creek (now Burke County NC). We followed after that Skirmish and an action around Silvers Place on Muddy Creek both of which were in August 1780. That we were not able for Ferguson and we retreated across the mountains to Watauga River now Carter County Tennessee. We then joined Sevier and Shelby and afterwards fell in with Col. Campbell after recrossing the mountains. We then perused on after Ferguson till we overtook him at Kings Mountain where we had a great engagement and gave him a total defeat. The battle was in October 1780. He was wounded by a ball passing through his right arm near the elbow joint and also by another which struck him on the left side and passed around his back and lodged in his right shoulder and was cut out by a British Doctor who was taken prisoner at the battle. He was hulled in a wagon by Col. Johnson up into Lincoln County to the house of George Wilfong and there left where I remained for nine days till I was well able to ride a horse. Mr. Wilfong then sent his son with me and allowed me a horse to ride home. I got my written discharge after that battle but was sent home as a wounded man. I was nine or ten months in service during that tour. I was afterwards elected a Captain of a Light horse Company and went out (August 1781) a tour and expedition against the Cherokees Maj. Joseph McDowell commanded us. There were only 98 men went out. we took some prisoners and plunder and returned home after being a few weeks absent I remained a Captain till the close of the War. I was then under the orders of Gen. Charles McDowell and kept in service off and on as necessarily required. At one time I commanded at Wafords Fort against the Indians and also at Cathys Fort and was kept shifting about as the engagements of the company required some time on scouting parties and some time in the Forts. He had no regular commission as a Captain was elected by his men and recognized as a Captain. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present one and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any State. Sworn and subscribed day and year aforesaid Joseph Dobson ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: William F. Brown, III Oct 19 1999 ====================================================================