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(a) Joshua was born on Greasy Ridge, Lawrence County, Ohio, the son of
Creed C. Dillon(1811-1879)and Abigail Rebecca "Betsy" Smith, grandson of
Squire Dillon(1785-1857) and Celia Ward from Franklin Co., Virginia. (Squire
and family had been quite probably the earliest of this Dillon clan to resettle to
Lawrence Co., Ohio by the late 1820s to what is now Rome Twp., later
moving to Windsor Twp.) Joshua enlisted in the Army at the age of 17 in 1861.
He served in Company D, 5th Regiment, Virginia Infantry, and with Company
E, 1st Regiment, West Virginia Veteran Infantry Volunteers. Testimony attests
that Joshua Dillon was a member of a special scout unit known as "Blazer's
Scouts," after their commander, Captain Richard Blazer. Blazer's unit was made
up of some of the best men from Ohio and West Virginia, chosen for their
knowledge of the woods and their expert marksmanship. After the War he
returned to Lawrence Co. and married Lucy Roach in 1866. This union
produced nine children. Joshua served as the 16th pastor of the Zoar
Missionary Baptist Church in Coal Grove before passing away due to paralysis
at the age of 63 in 1908. (photo and information courtesy of Michelle Dillon at:
mdillon@cannet.com)
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