Author: Ralph Edward Bischak
Thomas Dickerson was the Great Great Grandson of William Dickerson, who came to America around 1640 from Brampton, England, settling in Prince Georges County, Maryland, where the Dickerson’s lived as Planters for the next three generations.
Thomas Dickerson was born in Tazewell, Virginia on October 15th, 1757. Eventually the Dickerson Family moved to Western Pennsylvania
In August of 1776 Thomas Dickerson, along with two of his Brothers, enlisted into the 8th Pennsylvania regiment in Kittanning, Pennsylvania.
In December, 1776, the 8th Pennsylvania received orders from General Washington to march to Continental Headquarters in New Jersey, arriving in January of 1777 after walking over 450 miles, across Pennsylvania in the dead of Winter, lacking adequate food, clothing and shelter!
A short time later 100 men from the 8th Pennsylvania, including Thomas Dickerson, were reassigned to Colonel Daniel Morgan’s Rifle Regiment. In August the Rifle Regiment was assigned to General Gates Northern Campaign, where he participated in the Battles of Freemans Farm and Bemis Heights, (collectively known as the Battle of Saratoga.)
After the British Defeat at Saratoga, New York, Morgan’s Riflemen returned to Headquarters near Philadelphia, where a small detachment of Riflemen, including Thomas Dickerson, joined the Virginia Troops, under General La Fayette.
In December of 1777 the British retreated to Philadelphia and General Washington’s troops went into Winter Quarters at Valley Forge.
In June of 1778 Thomas Dickerson rejoined the 8th Pennsylvania Line and marched first to Fort McIntosh in Beaver, Pennsylvania and then to present day Zoar, Ohio, to construct Fort Laurens.
In August of 1778 Thomas Dickerson was discharged in Pittsburgh, after serving over three years of service.
In 1790 Thomas Dickerson married Margaret Davis of Western Pennsylvania and they settled in Western Virginia, near Wheeling. Over the next fifteen years Thomas and Margaret had nine children, four sons and five daughters.
In 1795 Thomas Dickerson travelled to Kentucky, looking for a new homestead. Finding most of the choice property already taken, he then travelled north to Marietta, Ohio and purchased a farm near the village of Grandview, approximately twenty miles east of Marietta.
Here Thomas and Margaret remained for the rest of their lives, serving as farmers and well respected citizens of Washington County Ohio.
Margaret Dickerson died in 1822 and Thomas died in August of 1827 (some records show that he died in 1836). Various efforts have been made over the years to locate their graves, however, to date, the final resting place of Thomas and Elizabeth Dickerson has not been found?
Some speculate that they were buried somewhere on their farm near Grandview, Washington County Ohio. There is a memorial plaque honoring Thomas Dickerson, located in the Revolutionary War Veterans Cemetary in Marietta, Ohio.