JOHNSTON, Sr., Zopher
ZOPHER JOHNSTON SR.
APPLICATION FOR PENSION – REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Transcribed and submitted by Stevie Hughes, 2009
NOTE: Spelling and punctuation are 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 August 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.