- Information is taken from Jacob Dobkins' application
for a military pension in 1832. The spelling and some punctuation have
been modernized to aid in readability. This is a partial transcription.
Note that the writer slips back and forth between third person and first
person as the narrative goes along.
Jacob
Dobkins, aged 81, . . . states that he has not attended any Court of Justice in
fifteen years. . . .and that he is very infirm and decrepit and about fifteen
years ago he met with the misfortune of having his shoulder and collar bone
broke [sic] which has greatly disabled him from getting about. He also states
that he is much afflicted with the pneumatic pains.
He also
states that he entered the service of the United States under the following
named officers and served as herein stated. That in the year 1779 and in the
month of May in said year he resided in Kentucky at Harrodsburgh where he
enlisted in the service of his country under Capt. Todd, which said company was
attached to the troop commanded by Colonel Bowman. Colonel Bowman shortly
afterward marched to the Chilicothe towns against the Indians and the company
to which this applicant belonged to [sic] commanded by Capt. Todd was left to
guard the fort at Harrodsburgh where he remained until the spring 1780 and this
applicant states that he was then transferred to a company commanded by Capt.
McGarvy [?] and we marched to the falls of the Ohio with the view of guarding
the artillery up the river which we accordingly did and joined the troops
commanded by General Clark. Sometime in the month of July in the year 1780 we
were then ordered by General Clark to march up the river with a view to kill
provisions for the army [hunt?]. We accordingly marched up the river to the
mouth of the Kentucky River where we attempted to cross the river to join the
main army who were camped on the other side of the river. The Indians made an
attack upon us and in the engagement we lost ten of our men. We then marched up
the river to Cincinnatti where we joined the troops commanded by Colonel Logan.
We then built a block house and stationed a guard and the whole of the balance
of the army mached to the Chilicothe towns and the Indians evacuated the towns
and would not give us battle. We then pursued them to the Pickway towns where
we arrived in the month of August in said year. We then found the Indians
collected together and we had a very severe battle which lasted about three
hours and a half. We killed a considerable number of them, and I think our loss
was about 28 men. This applicant states that he did not receive any wounds in
the battle but that there was [sic] several bullet holes through his clothes
and applicant states the whole of the army then marched back to the Shawnee [?]
Springs where this applicant was stationed until the month of May [unclear]
1781 and during which time we had no general engagements, that a great portion
of our time was spent in skirmishing parties through the country. Said
applicant states that he actually did serve in the army of the United States
putting the whole together more than two years. Applicant states that he does
not remember that he ever did receive a discharge and if he did he has lost or
mislaid it so that he cannot produce it. He states that he has no documentary
evidence of his services nor does he know of any living testimony by whom he
can prove his service. He duly relinquishes every claim to a pension or an
amount equal to [unclear] and declares that his name is not on the pension roll
of any agency of any state whatsoever.
[The court
at Claiborne County accepted the testimony and granted the pension.]
http://geneabloggers.com
Source:
National Archives and Records Administration.
|
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files,
1800-1900
|
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