Pension Application of Joshua Atkinson 

Submitted by Rhoda Taylor Fone

Re: Revolutionary War service.

State of Kentucky

Adair County Sct

On this 11th day of March 1833 personally appeared in open Court before Benjamin Monroe Esquire sole Judge of the Adair Circuit Court holden for the County of Adair and State of Kentucky Joshua Atkinson aged 78 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 the 7th 1832 that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. Some time in the spring of 1781 he was drafted in Amelia County and state of Virginia, he entered the Service immediately under Captain Edward Booker of Amelia County Virginia for three months and served the time, he joined the army at Richmond Shocko Hill Virginia and was marched by Scottstown to Culpepper County in said State where he was discharged his term of service having expired, during which time he was under Colonel Green and Commanded by Genl. Lafayette and Baron Stuben, the other officers names he cannot recollect at this distance of time by reason of the failure of memory consequent upon old aged, he again was ordered out during the same year for three months he does not recollect the precise time of the year for the reason above mentioned, during this term of service he was under Captain Knight of Prince Edward County, he cannot recollect the name of the Colonel, but Lawson was his General, he was still under Lafayette and Stuben he was marched during this Second tour from Amelia County Virginia where he was rendezvosed to Petersburg and fromm thence to Wilton [?] and to divers other places during this tour which he cannot now recollect, and was discharged at Wilton [?] at the end of his second tour which he served faithfully, he served another tour of three months under Captain Winn of Nottaway County Virginia, was rendezvosed above Petersburg and was marched to various places about the Country which he does not now recollect, but recollects that after his term of service had expired he was discharged at Mimm's ferry on James River in Virginia, Booker was his Colonel during the last mentioned tour, but he cannot state who were the other officers, nor whether the last mentioned term of service may not have been the first which he served or performed, he is so old and his recollection so frail that he cannot recollect particulars, & for this reason he is unable to state what regiment he served in during any one of the three tours which he served or the names of all of his officers, there is no living witness by whom he can prove his service, and he has no documentary evidence by which he can prove his service, having lost his discharges if he ever procured written ones, he further states that he was a Sergeant and served as such during one of the terms of service above specified, he thinks as well as he now recollects that it was the last tour which he served, all the service which he performed was in the Virginia Militia, but he was never in any battle during his service but was often in sight of the enemy and was present when Captain Knight was taken prisoner with some others, & he should have shared the same fate if he had not taken to the bushes for shelter. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state whatever. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first aforesaid.
[signed] Joshua Atkinson

We Joel Hughes a Clergyman residing in the County of Adair and William Caldwell residing in the same County hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Joshua Atkinson who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration and that we believe him to be 78 years of age, that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
[signed] Joel Hughs
[signed] Wm. Caldwell
Sworn to & Subscribed the day
And years aforesaid.

And the said Court do hereby declare its opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states and the Court further certifies that it appears to it that Joel Hughs who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergy man in the County of Adair and that William Caldwell who has also signed the same is a resident of the County of Adair and is a credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit.
I William Caldwell Clerk of the Adair Circuit Court do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Joshua Atkinson for a Pension.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of Circuit Court Clerks office this 11th day of March 1833.
[signed] Wm Caldwell Clerk of the
Adair Circuit Court