REV. WAR PENSION APPLICATION - Joseph JOHNSON (1837); Westmoreland Co., PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Raymond H. Stoudt Jr., . Transcriber comments and additions in [brackets]. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Military: Rev War: Pension File, Joseph Johnson, R5639, Westmoreland Co, PA ____________________________________________________________ [Beginning of page: Item 1] State of Indiana} Jackson County } SS On this 10th day March 1837 personally appeared in open Count before John H Thompson presiding judge of the Jackson County Circuit Court now sitting at Brownstown in said County Joseph Jonson[sic] a resident in West Jack Township in said County of Jackson aged Seventy Six years last Christmas day, towit 25 of Dec 1836 who being first duly sworn according to law doth? on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benifit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832 and such other acts of Congress providing for the allowing of persions to revolutionary soldiers as may be applicable to his case, viz That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herin states. General Broadhead Commander in Chief. Col Campbell Major Byrun & Major John Finly The Militia Coloner [sic] was George Tibondrgon[?] or [?]ilondrgon[?]. My Captain was Ross his first name I do not distinctly recollect but my impression is it was Stephen or Phillip The Lieutenant was Charles Ried[?] I think I entered the service in the year Seventy nine but my memory is not very good. I cannot state the month of the year it was after harvest and I rember[sic] that the first battle I was in was a battle with about 40 or 50 Indians near Monchitown[?] We went there in 2 or 3 days after we started, then were a s?????ing party that had left the main army which had gone to attact General Sullivans army There fighting was done by a party sent forward in advance of Broadheads army as spies and was over a few minutes before the main army reached the ground from [--?--] [End of page: Item 1] [Beginning of page: Item 2] We went to one of the [--?--] towns which was about 9 miles from the principal town it took us not more than 2 days after the aforesaid Battle we then destroyed M??town and cut up the [?] of the Indians which was then getting hard[?] and it is from these[?] [--?--]. I fix the time of the year when I entered the service I was a resident of the State of Pennsylvania in the County of Washington County as the State was then divided. I volunteered into the Service as a Militi Man We rondivoued[?] at the town of Pittsburgh. I was a member of the Company of Capt Ross as before stated - I cannot remember for what period of time I volunteered. I remember I served the full period out and that it was late in the fall when the army returned to Pittsburgh where we were discharged but I remember it was the same fall and that my servises were all rendered that were rendered the first tour between harvest & Christmas so that the period for which I volunteered on the above [--?--] could not[?] be more than from 3 to 6 months. During this service I was in no other Battle than the one above named --- We marched from Pittsburge up the Allegany River to the above town called one of the Munch[?] towns, there we destroyed the town & crops & took what plunder we found & sent it down the river to Pittsburgh, We returned from thence to Pittsburgh & were there discharged. The Companies of the Continental troops with which I served[?] at the above time I do not remember. I remember that Bady[?] & Peterson were Captains of Continental Companies that were with us, I have no documentary evidince of my servises. I once had a certificate I think[?] but I cannot now tell what has become of it. Nor am I certain that I ever had [--?--] I know of no person by whom I can prove my servises. I could prove it by my brother who formerly lived in Kyntucky in Fleming County, he was living there 2 or 3 months since. He is very old being but 2 years younger than I am but he is frailer[?] than I am and I think it posbilie[?] he is stile alive, but I am not certain he is [End of Page: Item 2] [Beginning of page: Item 3] After the above period of service I was discharged and returned home[?] sick and [--?--] about 6[?] weeks I then volunteered under Captain Reid[?] As a minute man, and held myself in readiness[?] From March of the year 1780 until the fall of 1782 as near as I can remember. I was during this period almost constantly on the march guarding the frontiers against Indians but fought no battles. I cannot say whether Reids company was formed by order of either the State or United States or whether it was merely a volluntary[sic] ??ac??tion for the protection of the inhabitants. I am certain I was at least six months in actural service during this last period We marched on the frontier of Pensylvania[sic] on the wat?? [--?--] [--?--] run on to the Ohio River I have no documentary evidence of this service, nor is there any person living, known to me except my brother above spoken of, by whom I can prove the same Either before this last period of service or after wards and I cannot tell now which. I hired myself as a substitute for William Conyers who was drafted to go[?] under Captain Andrews as a spie to Haledays[?] Cove a station on the Ohio River between Pittsburgh and Wheeling near the mouth of Yellow Creek. I hired myself to fill his full period of service and I served out the whole time and was regularly discharged, but I cannot remember what period of time it was nor can I tell whether this service was rendered before or after my service above as a minute man but the strong impression on my mind now is that it was before --- After this service I think the service of minute man comes in and after that peace was mad[sic] with the indians. I served under Andrews as a militia man [End of Page: Item 3] [Beginning of page: Item 4] The above Statement is as nearly accurate and as full as I can now give it, knows[?] no written evidence to which to refer as proof of or to refresh my memory of said servises, and being now so advance in years my memory has mercefully[?] failed me, though I can state that I have often thought of the above servises and the time spent in actual service as a militia man during the revolutionary war, in my younger days when those things were fresher in my memory and when all the faculties of my my [sic] mind were more[?] vigerous than now And I can now say that the impression on my very[?] mind in past time and I am now statisfied that the whole period of my servises[sic] amounted on the whole to at least Eighteen months. I would be willing to say two years but I had rather be under it than over it and have far greater certainty fixed[?] the period at 18 months as above to which I swear positivily and unequivoucally[?] I further State that I have never before applied in any manner for a pension. And that I can prove none[?] of my servises[sic] by any body but my brother if living, and I do not suppose[?] his memory is better than mine, so that he could state it now[?] distinctly and probably[?] not so distinctly, I hereby relinguish every Claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that my name is not on the pension role of the agency of any State. Sworn to and Subscribed The day and year aforesaid [signed] Joseph Johnson In open court } William Crenshaw Clk. 10th March 1837 } [End of Page: Item 4] [Beginning of page: Item 5] State of Indiana} Jackson County } SS In Open Court On this fifteenth day of October A.D. 1855 before the Court of Common Pleas held within and for the County and State aforesaid - personally appeared Avis Blair Aged 69 years a resident of Grassy Fork in the County of Jackson and State of Indiana: who being duly sworn according to law does on her oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefits of the provisions of the act of the 7th of June 1832: That She is one of the children and heirs at law of Joseph Johnson deceased who was a soldier in the War of the Revolution - That her said father - as She believes entered the service from Washington County Pennsylvania, in the latter part of the year 1779, and continued in the service a large part of the remaining time until the close of the war. She further states that her said father filed a declaration for pension in the Pension Office some time in the year 1837 as she thinks - in which is a detailed statement of the different tours of service and the names of the officers under whom he served - to which She respectfully refers for the necessary evidence of his service - She is further informed and believes that a pension was granted her said father but that he never availed himself of it during his lifetime. That he left no evidence? At his death which occurred at Washington County Indiana on the Eleventh day of May A.D. 1852 - That the following are the only surviving children oof the said Soldier. Viz: Avis Blair and Delilah Blair [End of Page: Item 5] [To be continued...] [Transcription of Joseph Johnson Pension File R5639, Version 1, 29 July 2002]