Chesley Dobbs  (1749-1834)  P-148688

From the Revolutionary War Pension Application of Chesley Dobbs:

State of Tennessee Claiborne County: This day being the 19th of June 1833 personally appeared before the Court of Pleas and quarter sessions the same being a court of Record Chesley Dobbs aged about 84 years a resident in said County who being first duly sworn on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832. He states that he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. That sometime in the year of 1776 that he resided in the County of Culpeper in the State of Virginia and that he was then drafted to perform a three months Tour of duty under Captain Tut [sic] which said company was attached to the Regiment commanded by Colonel Edward Stephens [Stevens] and marched to various places in the State of Virginia on scouting parties but were in no Engagements and after my time of service had expired I received my discharge and returned home which said discharge I have lost or mislaid so that I cannot produce the same and this applicant states further that he still resided in the County of Culpeper in the State of Virginia until the fall of the year 1779 and that he was commanded by the same officers and that he was what was called a minute man and the said applicant states that he did actually serve in the Army of the United States from the year 1776 up to the fall of the year 1779 the term of nine months and applicant states that he then moved to North Carolina and settled himself in the County of Burk [Burke] and that he there volunteered himself in the Army of the United States for the term of 10 days under Captain Dobson in the company to which he belonged was attached to the Regiment commanded by Colonel Lock[e] and we marched from there to Ramsour's Mills and on the 10th day of June in the year 1780 we fought the battle at the said Mills in which we had a victory over the Tories and in the same day in the Evening and on the same day we joined the Brigade commanded by General Rutherford and then the General discharged all of the Volunteers and that this applicant then Returned home after having been about ten days in the service of his Country and applicant states that sometime in the month of August then next ensuing he was taken prisoner by the Tories while on his own plantation and that he was then paroled by Colonel Husbands one of the Tory colonels and so he remained under the parole until a few days before the battle of King's Mountain Battle and the said applicant states that he was then [illegible] by Colonel Cleveland and then the Colonel Cleveland discharged me saying that if I was again taken a prisoner that the Enemy would hang or shoot me when they found may without I was exchanged according to the Rules of war and so I remained a prisoner until the end of the war. He states that he has no documentary evidence of his services nor does he know of any person now living that he can prove his services by and he states putting the whole of his time of services together that he did serve as a private in the revolutionary war in the Army of the United States for the term of two whole years, and he hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any State whatsoever.

Sworn to in open Court June 19th 1833

Benj. F. Cloud, Clk                           Chesley Dobbs, X his mark

On November 14, 1838 in Claiborne County Tennessee, Hannah Dobbs, 84, filed for a widow's pension under the 1838 act stating that she is the widow and relic of Chesley Dobbs deceased, a pensioner of the United States for his services in the revolution at the rate of $31.12 per annum; that her husband died January 25, 1834 in Claiborne County Tennessee.

The Last Will and Testament of Chesley Dobbs names his wife Hannah Dobbs, daughter Lucy, son Caleb, other children are mentioned, but not by name.  William Graham named as executor of the estate.

Family Register

Joel Dobbs son of Chesley Do & Hannah Dobbs was Born February the 22nd day 1791

Phebe Moore Dobbs daughter of the said was Born Octr 16th Day 1793

Caleb Dobbs Son of the Sd Was Born June 6th Day 1795

 Joshua  Dobbs Son of the Sd Was Born August the 24th Day 1799

Levina Dobbs Daughter Lucy Dobbs Was Born June 1st Day 1809

Dobbs Son of the Sd Was Born August the 24th Day 1799

Belinda Daughter of Phebe Dobbs Was Born June the 4th Day 1813

[illegible]

John Dobbs son of the Sd was Born May the 8 Day 1780

Mary Dobbs Daughter of the Sd was Born December the 6 Day 1781

Lucy Dobbs Daughter of the Sd Was Born Sptr the 7 Day 1783

Rheubin Dobbs son of the Sd Was Born May 28th Day 1785

Mayson Dobbs son of the Sd Was Born June the 16 Day 1787

James Dobbs Son of the Sd Was Born February the 23 1789

State of Tennessee McMinn County

Personally appeared before the subscriber a justice of the peace for the County and State aforesaid John Dobbs of said County & made oath in due form of law that the annexed register of the ages of Chesley Dobbs children by his wife Hannah is the original register made & kept I myself for that purpose sworn & subscribed to this 15th day of October 1839.

John Dobbs

Chesley and Hannah were married December 25, 1784 in Fauquier County, Virginia; her maiden name is not in the file; the widow died November 28, 1838; the file contains the record that Cynthia Oaks, wife of John Dobbs, was born November 24, 1787.