Chesley Dobbs born abt. 1747

Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters Pension application of Chesley Dobbs W917 Hannah fn53NC[sic, VA] Transcribed by Will Graves 3/5/10 [Methodology: Spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected in some instances for ease of reading and to facilitate searches of the database. Also, the handwriting of the original scribes often lends itself to varying interpretations. Users of this database are urged to view the original and to make their own decision as to how to decipher what the original scribe actually wrote. Blanks appearing in the transcripts reflect blanks in the original. Folks are free to make non-commercial use this transcript in any manner they may see fit, but please extend the courtesy of acknowledging the transcriber—besides, if it turns out the transcript contains mistakes, the resulting embarrassment will fall on the transcriber.]
State of Tennessee Claiborne County: This day being the 19th of June 1833 personally appeared before the Court of Pleas and quarter sessions the same being a court of Record Chesley Dobbs aged about 84 years a resident in said County who being first duly sworn on the holy Evangelist of Almighty God doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832. He states that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That some time in the year of 1776 that he resided in the County of Culpeper in the State of Virginia and that he was then drafted to perform a three months Tower [Tour] of duty under Captain Tut which said company was attached to the Regiment commanded by Colonel Edward Stephens [Edward Stevens] and marched to various places in the State of Virginia on scouting parties but were in no Engagements and after my time of service had expired I received my discharge and returned home which said discharge I have lost or mislaid so that I cannot produce the same and this applicant states further that he still resided in the County of Culpeper in the State of Virginia until the fall of the year 1779 and that he was commanded by the same officers and that he was what was called a minute man and the said applicant states that he did actually serve in the Army of the United States from the year 1776 up to the fall of the year 1779 the term of nine months and applicant states that he then moved to North Carolina and settled himself in the County of Burk [Burke] and that he there volunteered himself in the Army of the United States for the term of 10 days under Captain Dobson [written over, could be "Dobbins"] in the company to which he belonged was attached to the Regiment commanded by Colonel Lock [sic, Francis Locke] and we marched from there to Ramsour's Mills and on the 10th day of June in the year 1780 we fought the battle at the said Mills in which we had a victory over the Tories and in the same day in the Evening and on the same day we joined the Brigade commanded by General Rutherford and then the General discharged all of the Volunteers and that this applicant then Returned home after having been about ten days in the service of his Country and applicant states that some time in the month of August then next ensuing he was taken prisoner by the Tories while on his own plantation and that he was then paroled by Colonel Husbands one of the Tory colonels and so he remained under the parole until a few days before the battle of King's Mountain Battle and the said applicant states that he was then [indecipherable word] by Colonel Cleveland and then the Colonel Cleveland discharged me saying that if I was again taken a prisoner that the Enemy would hang or shoot me when they found may without I was exchanged according to the Rules of war and so I remained a prisoner until the end of the war. He states that he has no documentary evidence of his services nor does he know of any person now living that he can prove his services by and he states putting the whole of his time of ervices together that he did serve as a private in the revolutionary war in the Army of the United States for the term of two whole years, and he hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any State whatsoever. Interrogatories 1st Where and in what year were you born? 2nd Have you any record of your age and if so where is it? 3rd Where were you living when called into service: where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live? 4th How were you called into service; were you drafted; did you volunteer or were you a substitute, and if in substitute, for whom? 5th State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops when you served, such Continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your 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? 7th State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief in your services as a soldier in the revolution. [no answers indicated to any of the above Interogatories] Sworn to in open Court June 19th 1833 S/ Benj. F. Cloud, Clk S/ Chesley Dobbs, X his mark [fn p. 43: Rice W. Whiteaker, a clergyman of the Baptist Church and citizen of Claiborne County Tennessee gave the standard supporting affidavit. John Hunt, high Sheriff of Claiborne County also gave a standard supporting affidavit.] [fn p. 8: on November 14, 1838 in Claiborne County Tennessee, Hannah Dobbs, 84, filed for a A widow's pension under the 1838 act stating that she is the widow and relic of Chesley Dobbs deceased, a pensioner of the United States for his services in the revolution at the rate of $31.12 per annum; that her husband died January 25, 1834 in Claiborne County Tennessee.] [fn p. 12: last will and testament of Chesley Dobbs in which he names his beloved wife Hannah Dobbs: daughter Lucy: son Caleb: other children referred to but not named. William Graham named as the executor of his estate] [fn p. 16 family register given verbatim: Joel Dobbs son of Chesley Do & Hannah Dobbs was Born February the 22nd day 1791 Phebe Moore Dobbs daughter of the said was Born Octr 16th Day 1793 Caleb Dobbs Son of the Sd Was Born June 6th Day 1795 [illegible1 Levina Dobbs Daughter Lucy Dobbs Was Born June 1st Day 1809 ] Dobbs Son of the Sd Was Born August the 24th Day 1799 Belinda Daughter of Phebe Dobbs Was Born June the 4th Day 1813 [illegible entry] [fn p. 17] John Dobbs son of the Sd was Born May the 8 Day 1780 1 The War Department's abstract of this file gives this name as Joshua ary Dobbs Daughter of the Sd was Born December the 6 Day 1781 Lucy Dobbs Daughter of the Sd Was Born Sptr the 7 Day 1783 Rheubin Dobbs son of the Sd Was Born May 28th Day 1785 Mayson Dobbs son of the Sd Was Born June the 16 Day 1787 James Dobbs Son of the Sd Was Born Frebruary the 23 1789 [fn p. 17] State of Tennessee McMinn County Personally appeared before the subscriber a justice of the peace for the County and State aforesaid John Dobbs of said County & made oath in due form of law that the annexed register of the ages of Chesley Dobbs children by his wife Hannah is the original register made & kept I myself for that purpose sworn & subscribed to this 15th day of October 1839. S/ John Dobbs [facts in file: Chesley and Hannah were married December 25, 1784 in Fauquier County, Virginia; her maiden name is not in the file; the widow died November 28, 1838; the file contains the record that Cynthia Oaks, wife of John Dobbs, was born November 24, 1787.]