James Dowden

DOWDEN, James

State of Kentucky
Madison County

On this 13th day of Aug, personally offered before the Worshipful, the county Court of Madison, James Dowden, a resident of Madison County and State of Kentucky, aged 75 years on the 14th day of Oct. next, who being first duly sworn and according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the pension made by the act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States in the year 1779, with Maj. Thomas Bell [Beall], and served in the 1st Maryland Regiment of the Maryland line, under the following officers Maj. Thomas Bell [Beall], Capt. Anderson Tawneyhill [Adamson Tannehill, ____(or Josiah Tawneyhill) He enlisted on his return from serving a volunteer tour on the St. Lawrence [Fort Laurens] on the Muskinchum [Muskingum] river just above Fort Frederick, and marched Braddocks rear to Pittsburgh, and from thence to Fort St. Lawrence [Ft. Laurens], from thence back to Pittsburgh, from thence to the Munsee [Muncey] and Mingo towns, destroyed them and killed near 30 Indians, from thence to winter quarters at Pittsburgh, from thence to Fort Cotanian [Coshocton], from thence to winter quarters at McIntush [Ft. McIntosh] on the Ohio river, from thence to the Delaware towns and destroyed them and killed about 21 Indians, from thence to Anapolis [Annapolis] to Gen. Smallwood. The next spring (1782) re enlisted under Gen. Smallwood at Anapolis [Annapolis], and march under Capt. [Walker] Muse the balance of his officers he cannot recollect. From Anapolis [Annapolis] we marched to____ ___ and North river to Gen. Washington and wintered at Smoke-hill, from thence to Stony Point, from thence to Smoke-hill where we illuminated for the declaration of peace, from thence to Fredericktown Maryland and there wintered, from thence to Pittsburgh under Maj. Marberry [Joseph Marbury] and wintered and in the spring 1785 received discharge for six years, signed by Capt. Luckett, and left it in the war office at Anapolis [Annapolis] in the state of Maryland Col. Richard Campbell [13th Virginia] commander when I was at fort St. Lawrence [Ft. Laurens] the despondent was born the 14th of Oct. 1757. He has a record of his age in his father’s Bible, but he does not know where it is at present. I believe it was in Pennsylvania that my father resided. It seems to be a matter of some doubt. I enlisted as above stated, and live in Montgomery County Virginia about five years after my discharge, where I moved to Bourbon county in Kentucky, lived there one year and moved to Madison county, Kentucky where I now live. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in the state.

Sworn to and subscribed, the day and year aforesaid
his
James + Dowden
Mark

And said court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states

I, David Irvine, Clerk of the County Court of Madison in the state of Kentucky, doth say that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the applicant of James Dowden for a pension

In testimony where I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office, this 13th day of Aug 1832

The information on James Dowden was submitted to the Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation by Raider, Ran. “Re: Soldiers at Ft. Laurens.” E-mail to Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation. 09 January 2004. Pension available at http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5339/docs/dowpen.html. Pension application transcribed by Raider, Ran. 24 October 1998. His comments appear in brackets [].

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