Pension Application of David Johnson: S32349
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Indiana} SS On this 12th day of September in the year One thousand eight
Jackson County} hundred & thirty two Personally appeared in open Court before the Hon’ble Abel Findley Judge of the Probate court of Jackson County State of Indiana it Being a court of Record now sitting David Johnson a resident of Jackson County Indiana aged seventy four or five 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 7th June 1832 he was born the 10th day of October 1759 or 60 at Frederick County Virginia and lived there untill he was a bout 11 years old & then moved to Montgomery County in said state & in the year 1773 he moved to the head of Clinch River, and in the year 1774 the Indians drove us back across new river at Bells medows where we Forted then we in the month of November moved back to Clinch River, and in the year 1775 he was called out as a spy, Built a Fort at the little crab orchard 15 miles from the head of Clinch River, we was forted in the fort in 1776 and served as a spy, and in 1777 we Built a Fort at the big Crab Orchard 1778 he volunteered under Colonel [Evan] Shelby, Major Thomas Quirk, Captain Thomas Martin, and Rendezvoused at the long Island on Holston River [sic: Long Island of Holston River at present Kingsport TN] and went down the river to the Chigumaga [sic: Chickamauga] nation of Indians, where we killed some Indians and destroyed their towns [10 - 20 Apr 1779] then returned home we was out about 40 days in 1779 I was chose as a spy & served about six months in the year 1780 continued as a spy and in the year 1781 he volunteered under Captain James Maxfield and rendesvoused on New River at Harbers ferry 4 miles below the Lead mines [near Fort Chiswell in Wythe County VA] where he Joined Col [William] Preston and marched to north Carolina and joined General Green near Gilford courthouse [sic: Nathanael Greene near Guilford Courthouse] & served out my three months tower and was discharged at Gilford Courthouse & returned home – he has now [sic] documentary evidence of his discharge And that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure, who can testify to his services he is well known in his present neighbourhood by Jarrard B Hufman a Precher of the Gospel, and Joseph Stuart and Leonard Shewmaker Esq. who will Testify as to his character for veracity & their belief of his services as a spy & soldier of the revolution he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declare that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state Sworn to & subscribed the day & year first above written, sworn to and subscribed in open court the day and year aforesaid [signed] David Johnson
Jacksonville, Illinois
Feb 20, 1860
Secretary of the Interior
Washington D.C.
Mrs. Mary Ann Sutherland, who is now in the poor house of Morgan County says she is the daughter of David Johnson a revolutionary soldier. That three years ago, she gave a power of Atty to one James Hester then of Washington Cty. but now of Nashville Brown County Indiana, and she recei’d from him $176 dollars and that is all she ever recei’d. She is desirous of knowing what am’t was paid said Hester and that no more be paid him from the department.
Mrs Mary Ann Sutherland is now 65 years old. Her father David Johnson at the time of the revolution was a resident of Powell Valley on Clinch River Virginia. He moved from thence to Linn Camp near Laurel River Kentucky removed from that place to Washington Cty about 18 years ago, and died there some 12 years ago. She states that he drew his pension in Ky and at Washington and that she is the only heir. And information with regard to it will be very gratefully receiv’d, and if she is entitled to it, certainly she is in very great need.
Yours etc. J. T. Springer