(Spelling and punctuation is unchanged.)
“WE JOHN HARDEN AND HUGH CARTER RESIDENT
CITIZENS OF GREENE COUNTY TENNESSEE DO HEREBY
CERTIFY THAT WE ARE WELL ACQUAINTED WITH ZOPHER
JOHNSON WHO HAS SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO THE
FOREGOING A DECLARATION FOR A PENSION AND WE
BELIEVE HIM TO BE SEVENTY YEARS OF AGE AND IT IS
REPORTED AND BELIEVED IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT
HE WAS A SOLDIER OF THE REVOLUTION AND WE CAN
ASSERT THAT OPINION SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED IN
OPEN COURT THIS 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER 1832.
SIGNED: JOHN HARDEN
V. SEVIER
HUGH CARTER
AND THE SAID COURT DO HEREBY DECLARE IT AS THEIR
OPINION AFTER THE INVESTIGATION OF THE MATTER
AND AFTER INSPECTING THE INTEROGATORIES
PRESCRIBED BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT, THAT THE ABOVE
NAMED APPLICANT, ZOPHER JOHNSTON, WAS A
REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER AND SERVED AS HE STATES.
AND THE SAID COURT FURTHER CERTIFIES THAT IT
APPEARS TO THEM THAT JOHN HARDEN AND HUGH CARTER
WHO HAVE SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO THE ABOVE
CERTIFICATE ARE CITIZENS OF GREENE COUNTY AND
ARE CREDIBLE PERSONS AND THAT THEIR STATEMENT IS
ENTITLED TO CREDIT.
SIGNED: R. MALONEY (SEAL)
J. BROWN (SEAL)
M. SIMON(??) (SEAL)
STATE OF TENNESSEE
GREENE COUNTY
I ANDREW PATTERSON CLERK OF THE COURT OF PLEAS
AND QUARTER SESSIONS IN AND FOR SAID COURT DO
HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THE FOREGOING CONTAINS THE
ORIGINAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE SAID COURT IN THE
MATTER OF THE APPLICANT ZOPHER JOHNSON FOR A
PENSION. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF I HAVE HERE UNTO
SUBSCRIBED MY NAME AND AFFIXED MY SEAL OF OFFICE
IN GREENEVILLE THIS 25TH DAY OF OCTOBER 1832.
SIGNED: A. PATTERSON
STATE OF TENNESSEE GREENE COUNTY OCTOBER SESSION
1832
ON THIS 24TH DAY OF OCTOBER 1832, PERSONALLY
APPEARED IN OPEN COURT BEFORE THE JUSTICES OF
THE COURT OF PLEAS AND QUARTER SESSIONS FOR SAID
COUNTY ZOPHER JOHNSON A RESIDENT CITIZEN OF SAID
COUNTY AGED SEVENTY 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 7TH JUNE
1832. HE WAS BORN ON THE FORKS OF DELAWARE IN
PENNSYLVANIA BUT THE COUNTY HE DOES NOT REMEMBER
AND HE ENTERED THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES
UNDER THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICERS AND SERVED AS
HERE IN AFTER STATED, TO WIT- HE ENTERRED THE
SERVICE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR HIS BROTHER JOSEPH
JOHNSON WHO WAS DRAFTED TO SERVE A TOUR OF DUTY
IN THE MILITIA IN FREDERICK COUNTY VIRGINIA IN
THE SUMMER OF 1781 FOR THE TERM OF THREE MONTHS
UNDER CAPT. GILKISON, LIEUTENANT ASHBY AND WAS
IN THE REGIMENT COMMANDED BY MAJOR SCOTT AND
COLONEL DARKE AND SERVED HIS TOUR OF DUTY AT AND
NEAR WILLIAMSBURGH VIRGINIA AND HE REMAINED IN
THE SERVICE UNTIL AFTER THE SURRENDER OF LORD
CORNWALLACE AT YORK TOWN VIRGINIA AND WAS THEN
DISCHARGED BY CAPT GILKISON WHICH DISCHARGE HE
RECEIVED AFTER HE RETURNED HOME AND HE WAS OUT
FROM THE TIME HE ENTERRED THE SERVICE THAT TIME
UNTIL HE RETURNED HOME FOUR MONTHS AND TWO
WEEKS. NEARLY ALL THE TIME HE WAS OUT THAT TIME
HE WAS IN THE HOSPITLE ATTENDING THE SICK AND
WAS IN THAT EMPLOY DURING THE SEIGE OF YORK TOWN
THEN HE HEARD THE GUNS NIGHT AND DAY DURING THE
SEIGE. AFTER THE SEIGE HE RETURNED HOME AND IN A
VERY SHORT TIME THE PRISIONERS WERE SENT UP TO
WINCHESTER NEAR WHERE HE RESIDED. AFTER THE
PRISIONERS CAME TO WINCHESTER HE WAS AGAIN
DRAFTED TO GUARD THE PRISIONERS AND THEN A
SECOND TIME ENTERRED THE SERVICE AT WINCHESTER
ON THAT DUTY UNDER CAPTAIN __EATH(??) AND
GUARDED THE PRISIONERS AT WINCHESTER UNTIL THEY
WERE MARCHED FROM THAT PLACE AND THEN WENT WITH
THE PRISIONERS TO POTOMAC RIVER AND THEN TO
HAGARS TOWN IN MARYLAND WHERE THEY MET ANOTHER
GUARD WHO RECEIVED THE PRISIONERS AND HE THEN
WAS PERMITTED AND DID RETURN HOME AGAIN. AND HE
WAS THEN IN SERVICE BEFORE HE RETURNED HOME
SOMETHING MORE THAN TWO MONTHS BUT THE PRECISE
TIME HE CANNOT STATE WHICH MAKES THE WHOLE OF
HIS TIME IN SERVICE AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AND TWO
WEEKS. HIS DISCHARGE IS LONG AGO LOST SO THAT HE
CANNOT NOW PRODUCE IT.
HE HAS LIVED IN GREENE COUNTY WHERE HE NOW LIVES
FOR FORTY YEARS OR MORE AND MOVED FROM NEAR
WINCHESTER TO THIS COUNTY. HE HAS NOT ANY
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE TO PROVE HIS SERVICE AND
DOES NOT KNOW OF ANY WITNESSES TO PROVE HIS
SERVICE EXCEPT THE AFFIDAVITS HERETO ANNEXED AND
THERE IS NOT ANY RESIDENT MINISTER IN HIS
NEIGHBORHOOD TO CERTIFY FOR HIM.
HE HEREBY
RELINQUISHES EVERY CLAIM TO A PENSION WHATSOEVER
EXCEPT THE PRESENT AND DECLARES THAT HIS NAME IS
NOT ON THE PENSION ROLL OF ANY STATE OR ITS
AGENCY. SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED IN OPEN COURT
THE DATE ABOVE.
| V. SEVIER |
Y
ZOPHER JOHNSON
HIS MARK” |
The last document in the pension file is a
cryptic letter sent from Jonesborough, Tennessee
dated 8-8-1836. The status of Zopher’s payment
is mentioned along with the pension claims of
other Revolutionary War soldiers:
“JONESBOROUGH, TENN
AUGUST 8, 1836
HON MR. ___ (NAME NOT READABLE)
ACTING COMMISSIONER
SIR:
THE RECEIPT & VOUCHER OF ZOPHAR JOHNSTON IS
ENCLOSED YOU FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING THE
OFFICIAL ORDER FOR ITS PAYMENT AS IT HAS BEEN
DEFERRED BY REASON OF NO APPLICATION BEING MADE
UNTIL THE GENT IS (INTER-???WORD NOT READABLE??)
WITHOUT AN ORDER TO THAT EFFECT.”
END OF TRANSCRIPTION
Postscript:
Zopher Johnston Senior, a Revolutionary War
Soldier of Virginia drew a pension of $20 a year
until his death. His date of death is not known;
however, the last document in the pension file
is dated 1836.
