Transcript:Joshua Walker Pension Application, Hawkins County TN, 1834

[Methodology: Spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected in some instances for ease of reading and to facilitate searches of the database. Where the meaning is not compromised by adhering to the spelling, punctuation or grammar, no change has been made. Corrections or additional notes have been inserted within brackets or footnotes. Blanks appearing in the transcripts reflect blanks in the original. A bracketed question mark indicates that the word or words preceding it represent(s) a guess by me. Only materials pertinent to the military service of the veteran and to contemporary events have been transcribed. Affidavits that provide additional information on these events are included and genealogical information is abstracted, while standard, 'boilerplate' affidavits and attestations related solely to the application, and later nineteenth and twentieth century research requests for information have been omitted. I use speech recognition software to make all my transcriptions. Such software misinterprets my southern accent with unfortunate regularity and my poor proofreading fails to catch all misinterpretations. Also, dates or numbers which the software treats as numerals rather than words are not corrected: for example, the software transcribes "the eighth of June one thousand eighty six" as "the 8th of June 1786." Please call errors or omissions to my attention.] [fn p. 18]

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State of Tennessee Hawkins County: Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions May session 1834

[Preamble]] On this 27th day of May 1834 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions now sitting Joshua Walker a resident of Hawkins County Tennessee aged seventy-five years 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 the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

[Birth] This Applicant states that he was born in Louden [Loudoun] County in the State of Virginia on the 15th day of February in the year 1757. This Applicant further states that he has now in his possession a record of his age in a Bible.

[First Tour] This Applicant further states that he moved from Louden County into Washington County Virginia where he was living when he entered the Service as a volunteer under Captain Thomson [James Thompson] in the year 1776 as well as he remembers, not having any Documentary record of the time, the month he does not now remember, that the object of this force was to proceed to the frontiers & protect them against the Cherokee Indians who had become troublesome by their repeated depredations & murders, that at the time the Company to which this Applicant was raised, three or four other volunteer companies took up arms having in view the same object, that the Companies rendezvoused in Washington County & from thence they were marched to the frontiers, that the Company to which this Applicant belonged were rationed [?] about two months at a Fort called Shelby's Fort and from thence he was marched to a Fort which had been built by William Cocke called Heaton's Fort [sic, likely a mistaken reference to Eaton's Station], he was rationed about one month & his three months, the time for which he had volunteered, expired, that he did not receive any written discharge from the service, but was dismissed & had his choice either to return home or again volunteered in the service of his Country,

[Second Tour] [T]hat as the frontiers needed assistance he chose the latter & in the same year this Applicant states he again volunteered under the same Captain, that they remained at Heaton's Fort waiting an attack from the Cherokee Indians but while they were thus waiting for & expecting an attack they received information that a great body of Indians were on their march towards the Fort, that as soon as this information was received a consultation of the Officers then commanding in the Fort was had & it was [indecipherable word] that the forces in the Fort should march out & meet the enemy & not remain in the Fort till their arrival, accordingly, forthwith, they were commanded by their different captains to form the line of march, which they did & proceeded on towards the fork of Holston [River] & had not marched from the Fort more than 12 or 15 miles when the advance guard, one of which was this applicant was fired on by the advance company of the Indians, that the advance fell back, & drew after them the Indians, to the main body of the whites, that there the engagement [July 20, 1776] became general & raiged [raged] with great violence on both sides till the Indians who were superior in number gave back from the well directed firing of the whites, that when they commenced giving back, they got into confusion and were pursued by the whites some distance. This action was fought on what is called the Island Flats of Holston, Captains Thomson, William Cocke, Davis & Morrison were some of the Officers who commanded the Companies during this day's fight.

This Applicant further states that from the Island Flats they returned to the Fort where they remained some time, thinking that the Indians might augment their forces & attempt another attack, that from Fort Heaton he was marched to Fort Shelby where his three months expired, that he was dismissed from the service without any written discharge & returned home. This term of service lasted three months.

[Documentation] This Applicant further states that he has no Documentary evidence by which he can be guided in his Declaration of the length of time he did serve for he might have served longer at each time and the three months, & therefore he will not undertake to swear positively to the length of time he did serve, but to the best of his recollection he served not less than the periods above stated making in all six months & for such service he claims a pension.

[Proof of service] This Applicant further states that he knows of no one now living by whom he can prove his services, but that he is well known in his present neighborhood to Thomas White & Jesse Creech – who can testify to his character for veracity & their belief of his services during the Revolutionary War. He further states that there were no regular or Continental troops in the service with him, therefore he knew none of their Officers. He further states that he never received a Commission & that there is no Clergyman in his neighborhood.

[Residence]This Applicant further states that he has lived since the Revolutionary War in Virginia & Tennessee and that he now lives & has been living in the last mentioned State for the last 21 years.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the Agency of any State, or (if any) only on that of the Agency of the State of Tennessee.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

S/ W. B. Mitchell, D. Clk. S/ Joshua Walker, X his mark

[Thomas White and Jesse Creech gave the standard supporting affidavit.]

[Widows Statement] [fn p. 13: On June 2, 1856 in Hawkins County Tennessee, Amy Walker, 76, filed for a widow's pension under the 1836 act or the 1848 act stating that

she is the widow of Joshua Walker who was a pensioner for his service in the revolution at the rate of $20 per annum;
that she married her husband in September 1800;
that her name prior to her marriage was Amy Williams;
in about 1810 she and her husband removed to Hawkins County Tennessee;
that she gave birth to 11 children the eldest of which is not now living and would be about 55 years of age and that the youngest of which is now living and is about 32 years of age;
that her husband died January 16 1840 in Hawkins County;
and that she remains his widow.]

[BOunty Land] [fn p. 6: On June 6th, 1856 in Hawkins County Tennessee, Amy Walker, 76,

filed for her bounty land entitlement as the widow of Joshua Walker a pensioner for his service in the revolution at the rate of $20 per annum;
that she married him in Grayson County Virginia September 17, 1800;
that they were married by one George Keith, a Baptist Minister;
that her name prior to her marriage was Amy Williams;
that she has no record of her marriage either public or private;
that her husband died in Hawkins County Tennessee on or about January 16, 1840;
and that she continues his widow.]

[Reinstatement] [fn p. 54: On July 10, 1867, in Jefferson County Tennessee, Amy Walker, 90, a resident of Newmarket in the County of Jefferson Tennessee filed for the reinstatement of her pension benefit.

Benefit][Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $20 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for 6 months service as a private in the Virginia militia. Veteran's widow was pensioned at the rate of $96 per annum commencing July 27, 1868.]

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