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Josiah Dennis Pension Application (R2877) Declaration of Josiah Dennis in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June Seventh 1832. State of Georgia Morgan County September Term 1838. Superior Court in & for said County on this the Fifth day of September personally appeared in open court before the Superior Court for said County now sitting Josiah Dennis a resident of the 382nd District Georgia Malitia in the County of Morgan and State of Georgia. Aged Eighty Three years and three months on the third day of this month September as aforesaid. 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 7th 1832. That he entered His service of the United States under the following named officers and served as here in stated in to with. John Pope Mitchell, Capt. Daniel Fookes 1st Lieut. John Farlow, 2nd Lieut. does not recollect the names of the Field Officers but had mustered into the service of the United States by Adjt (?) Hamilton Carilow or Carilo at Princeton in Somerset County Maryland after having marched from Snowhill in Worcester County in said state last aforesaid. Does not recollect the year or month that he was mustered into the Service of the United States but in his .. not having any documentary evidence to refer to but it was in warm weather, but the . of time that has super the exact of the the service has departed this necessary (?) but perfectly recollects that it was on the commencement of the revolutionary war, served at least two months in this the first tour, recollects having served something longer but as his recollection does not serve him as to positive dates and times he prefers petitioning for the shortest time, does not also for the foregoing the exact month & year he left the service. Was never in any engagement but was stationed at Princess Ann to guard that place from the inroads of the British Forces and particularly to protect a wind mill that was expected to be attact by the enemy. He lived in the County of Worcester in the State of Maryland when he entered the service of the United States and volunteered and served as a volunteer the whole time. He volunteered as the .. and marched to Snowhill in Worcester County and from that place to Princess Ann where he was stationed as aforesaid, march and served with a company of United States soldiers that were commanded by Captain . and also another commanded by Captain Gunby (?) Lived as a private soldier and was not . at any time during the above stated time of service in any civil employment or persuit (?). Whilst stationed at Princess Ann made several tours by Wicimico River to the sea board to the Trap and other places to scour the country. Though declarant only served the time as above specified after time ceased, or in other words while his immediate experience of the case was over he was permitted to return to his home under the consideration of his being a minuteman to return to duty at a moments warning and was accordingly called out several times but only for short spaces of time at such times he performed the marching from Wicomico to the Traps(?) on the seaboard last above mentioned. That in his second tour of service he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as here in stated. Served as a volunteer under Capt Robert Handy on Wicomico River. Does not recollect exactly the time he was mustered into the service of the United States but recollects that it was between one and two years after he was married to his wife of which circumstances he has a record, to wit on the twenty first (21st) day of January Seventeen hundred and seventy eight (1778) making it the year seventeen hundred and seventy six when he entered his service. Of the field officers he only recollects Adjt (?) James Trussum, a drill officer. Made some tours during this last term of service, by water down Wicomico River to a place as well as he recollects called Hole where he was eventually discharged from the Army after serving two months to the best of this declarants recollection. and was never in any engagements with the enemy. Served as a private. He relinquishes every clause (?) whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the Pension role of the Agency of any State. Ansers to the Interrogatives provided by the court as follows to sit. 1st . Where and in what year were you born? He answers that he was born in the County of Worcester in the State of Maryland, on the third day of June Seventeen hundred and Fifty Six. 2nd. Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? He ansers he has a record of his age and that it is in his family Bible and is present in Court in which also is a record of his marriage as stated in the body of this declaration. 3rd. Where were you living when called into service, where have you lived since the Revolutionary War & where do you now live. He answers that he was living in Worcester County Maryland when called into served. That he as lived several years in Maryland since the War in the same county. Also four years in Henry County in the State of Virginia and has lived ever since in the State of Georgia for near forty eight years in this state part of the time in Hancock but mostly in Morgan County. And now lives in Morgan County Georgia. 4th. How were you called into service, were you draughted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom? He answers that he was a volunteer in both tours of service as above stated. 5th. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served such Continental & Malitia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service. He answers that he as particularly done same in the body of this declaration that preceeded these interrogatives as he can from his failure of memory and the great lapse of time that has intervened since the time of his service. 6th. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given and what has become of it? He answers that to the best of his recollection he never did receive a discharge from the service but that if he did it has long since been lost or destroyed. 7th. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighbourhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution. He states that were it necessary that he is of opinion that he could procure such an expression of opinion from his very countyman but in order to specifically to comply with the requisitions of the pension department he will state the Earnest L Wittiche, Elijah E Jones and John C Rees esq and George Spence sworn to and subscribed in your court Josiah Dennis September 5th, 1839 Jno C. Rees, Clerk Georgia, Morgan Co. In addition to the statement and affidavit personally appeared in open court Josiah Dennis, who being duly sworn and saith by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory, he can not swear positively as to the precise length of his service in either tour as stated in the above declaration but according to the best of his recollection he served not less than in the above declaration and in the grades there stated to wit, as a private soldier and for such service that he claims a pension. Sworn to and subscribed Josiah Dennis in open court, September 5th 1839. Jno C. Rees, Clerk. Georgia Morgan County Earnest L. Wittiche a minister of the Gospel residing in the town of Madison and in the County of Morgan and state aforesaid and Elijah E Jones and John C Rees and George Spence residing in the same County and here by certify that and well acquainted with Josiah Dennis who has subscribed and sworn to the above Declaration that we believe him to be Eighty Three years of age that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn and subscribed in open court this the day and year aforesaid. Jno C. Rees, Clerk signed: Earnest L Wittiche, Elijah E Jones, Jno C. Rees, George Spence Georgia Morgan County In the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatives prescribed by the War department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states. In the Court further certifies that it appears that Earnest L Wittche who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman of minister of the Gospel resident in the town of Madison and County and State aforesaid and that Elijah E Jones, John C Rees and George Spence who have also signed the same are residents in said County and State aforesaid and are each of them credible persons and that their statement is to credit. Carleton B. Cole Judge Superior Court of Georgia Georgia Morgan County I John C Rees Clerk of the Superior Court in the aforesaid County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of Josiah Dennis for a pension. In testimony where of I have here into set my hand and seal of office this the day of September 1839. Jno C Rees, Clerk |