Joshua Dean Pension Application.
Page #1
State of South Carolina, Edgefield District
On the 20th day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty one (1841) personally appeared before the undersigned one of the official Judges of the Court of Commons Pleas, Tabitha Dean, a resident of the District of Edgefield and state aforesaid, aged seventy three years who being duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the provisions made by the act of Congress passed 7th of July 1838, entitled an act granting half pay pensions to certain widows. That she is the widow of Joshua Dean who during the war of the Revolution, served as an enlisted soldier in the Continental line of Virginia, as will be made appear by the accompanying documents from the pension office of the United States from this ?? office of the State of Virginia. She knows nothing personally of her husbands service, but learned from himself that he was in the battle of Brandywine and at the taking of Trenton and was transferred to S. Carolina and made prisoner when Charleston in that State was taken by the British. That he escaped from confinement and returned to Virginia in a state of great distinctions, where he substituted and joined a corps of Virginia Militia and served at the siege of Yorktown and that he was present at the capture of Cornwallis. The thinks that he enlisted twice, reentering the service at the expiration of his first enlistment. She cannot say with any certainty who was the officers under whom he served, but thinks that he was first of the time of his service under the command of Gen’l Smallwood. She further declares that she was married to the said Joshua Dean on the 28th day of December seventeen hundred eighty five (1785). That her husband the said Joshua Dean died of pleurisy on the 20th day of May eighteen hundred and one (1801) and that she has remained a widow ever since that period as well more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto awarded.
Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written before me in open court
John Bilton Wiell
Presiding Judge
Tabitha X Dean
1841 Her Mark
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State of South Carolina, Edgefield District
Personally came fore me Lewis Culbreath a magistrate in and for the said State Sarah T Wate and sayth on oath that she knew Joshua and Tabitha Dan during their life time and knew they lived together as man and wife until the death of Joshua Dean which took place in the year one thousand seven hundred ninety nine sometime during that year and that he was buried in war like manner by some of the Revolutionary Soldiers but does not recollect their names and she believes him to be the Joshua Dean that served in the Revolutionary war and does believe that Small Dean and his sister Sarah Waitts is Joshua and Tabitha Deans children and that she has heard Joshua Dean speak of being in several battles and that Tabitha Dean died in the year on thousand eight hundred and forty four sometime in April.
Sworn to before me the 6th day of June 1853
Lewis Culbreath
Sarah T x Wate
Her Mark
Page #3
State of South Carolina, Edgefield District
Personally appeared before me, Lewis Culbreath, a magistrate in and for the same state Sarah Turner and sayeth on oath that she is seventy four years old says she knew Joshua Dean before he was married and knew he was married to Tabitha Mays, and they was married by the Rev. James Heill and that her Father and Mother was at the wedding and Joshua and Tabitha Dean moved ?? house the next day after they was married and remain there until the death of Joshua Dean and they had six children of which there is two living children. Smallwood Dean and Sarah Waitts and that she had heard Joshua and Julius Dean, a brother of Joshua Dean speak of being in the Revolutionary War and heard them speaking of several battles on at the Cowpens and several others not recollected, and that she believe him to be the Joshua Dean that served in the war and that he died in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety nine sometime in the summer of that year and that Tabitha Dean the wife of the above mentioned Joshua Dean died in the year one thousand eighty hundred and forty four some time in April.
Sworn to before me the 1st day of April 1853
Lewis Culbreath
Sarah x Turner
Her Mark
Page #4
State of South Carolina, Edgefield District
Personally came before me C. B. Turner and sayeth on oath that he was born in the year on thousand seven hundred and sixty four the 10th day August at Halifax North Carolina and has been acquainted with Joshua Dean ever since he was born or ever since he could recollect and that Joshua Dean’s father raised his father (an orphan) and that his father died and left him and his mother in the care of the Deans and was three or four brothers Joshua, John, and William, the name of the other not recollected. When the war broke out Joshua Dean and William Dean and Julius Dean all went into the Army and did not see them in a year. Afterwards during that time my Mother moved to Sandsbury or Salisbury. The enemy had taken Julius Dean and put him jail at Salisbury. Joshua Dean came there to lay some plan to get Julius Dean out of jail. Joshua Dean succeeded in get him out. The enemy ordered every house to be set on fire. Among all the rest my mothers house was set ?? fire. Joshua Dean took me and my mother an put us in ambush until he could get a place for us. He carried us to a little place called Guilford. There he saw Joshua Dean and many others under Arms and recollects the name of the General was Smallwood. The general was very much ?? to me as small a boy in camps an noticed him a grate deal which make him recollect him. They was stationed at Guilford a while and had a battle there. Before the battle orders was give for woman and children to leave until after the battle. By the time Americans gain the fight and we all went back and saw Joshua Dean and several others in scouting parties after the Tories. Recollects at one time there was a scout and there was a very noted Tory by the name of Stuart. He was riding a very fine note horse. They took Stuart and his horse. The company caste lots for the horse. The lot fell to Joshua Dean and has seen the horse a grate many times after the war. Joshua Dean had the horse when he was married to Tabitha Mays. Was at the wedding but did not get there in time to see them married. Did not reach there until a half hour afterwards and he is the identical husband of the claimant that served in the war and they lived together as man and wife for fifty six years.
Sworn to before me
The 20th day of April 1854 C B Turner
State of South Carolina, Edgefield District
… that I Smallwood Dean of Edgefield District and State aforesaid, have constituted made and appointed Thomas B. Morgan ?? and lawful attorney to act and transact for me as if I was personally fore scant myself in prosecuting my fathers claim Joshua Dean in the pension office at Washington City D.D. and I Smallwood Dean have hereby given granting unto my said attorney; by these presents full and ??, strength and authority in and about the said office to have use and take all lawful ways, and means in my name for the recovery thereof and upon the receipt of any such pension due or sum of money aforesaid, ??, or other sufficient discharge for me and in my name to make and deal and deliver and generally all and every other act and ?? think and things device or devices in the Law, whatever, needful and use ?? to be done in and about the said pension office ??? and in my name to execute and perform as fully largely and amply to all intents and purposes and might or could do if I was personally fore scant or if the matter required more special authority then this herein given and attorneys one or more under Thomas Pl Morgan for the purpose aforesaid, to make and constitute and gain at pleasure to revoke, ratifying allowing and holding for firm and effectual all and whatever the said attorney shall lawfully do in and about the office. And I do hereby revoke all other powers of attorney theretofore given by me to any person or persons by virtue hereof in witness whereof I have been unto set my hand and seal. In the year of our Lord on thousand eight hundred and fifty six. ….
Smallwood x Dean
His mark