Person:Ephraim Sayre (1)

Likely the same person as Ephraim Sayre (1770-1848), son of David Sayre and Hannah Frazee (Frazier). In examining the Revolutionary War Pension Application declaration of the Ephraim Sayre supposedly born in 1763 and the records of the Ephraim Sayre born in 1770, the migration pattern appears to be almost identical, which appears to lead to the conclusion that the declaration given by Ephraim Sayre born in August 1770 MAY have intentionally listed an earlier birthdate (August 1763) in order to qualify for a Revolutionary War Service pension (which was untimately rejected by the Pension Board).

It should be noted that in the 1830 & 1840 U.S. Census of Meigs County, Ohio, there appears ONLY ONE Ephraim Sayre, indicating that the Ephraim Sayre, born 1770 is likely the same person claiming that he was born in 1763 in the earlier Revolutionary War Service declaration. Additional research may be necessary.

American Revolutionary War Veteran

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Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 5, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Sayre, Ephraim - born 8/1763 in Augusta County, Virginia; entered service 1780 in Monongalia County, Virginia in Virginia company as indian spy; moved to Harrison County, Virginia, thence to Meigs County, Ohio, where he applied for Pension in 1833 & Pension Application rejected. F-R9249, R2129.

References

Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.

Pension application of Ephraim Sayre R9249 f11VA
Transcribed by Will Graves 1/15/12

State of Ohio Meigs County SS
On this 25 day of December 1833 personally appeared before the subscriber a Justice of the Peace in and for said County of Meigs and State of Ohio Ephraim Sayre a resident of said County of Meigs and State of Ohio aged 71 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 June the 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated that in the year 1780 in the month of March declarant thinks about the tenth [?] day in the County of Monongahela State of Virginia he volunteered his services as an Indian spy as a private soldier and was placed under the command of Lieutenant Evans Ensign Charles Stuart. Declarant [states] that it was customary in those day [days] for the spies to be detached and for the Captain and his subalterns to divide the Company – and each command a portion of the Company – and who the Captain of the company was Declarant does not know but recollects that he was placed under the command of the officers last above named. Declarant states that he joined the spies at a station on paw paw [Paw Paw Creek] a stream which discharges itself into the Monongahela River on the West side the station was about 18 or 20 miles from the place where Morganton now stands in the County of Monongahela State of Virginia. Declarant states that there ordered out on spying Towers [tours] by Lieutenant Evans and spy the Country from said Fort across the Country to the head of Buffalo Creek a branch of the Monongahela River down said Creek to its Junction with the Monongahela River up said River to the mouth of the West fork of the Monongahela River thence across the Country to the head of Buffalo Creek thence a [indecipherable word] direction across the Country to paw paw Station or Fort this route was about 50 or 60 miles which Declarant was required to perform once per week which he did until sometime in the month of December 1780 at which time he was discharged at paw paw Station or Fort by his said Lieutenant Evans having served nine months as an Indian spy as a private soldier – Declarant states that he remained at his residence during the winter of 1780 and when spring returned it was anticipated that the Indians would again visit our Country so we thought it wise to take every precautionary measure to [indecipherable word or words] their hostile invasions so in the early in the month of March 1781 in the County of Monongahela State of Virginia Lieutenant Evans raised a Company of the Indian spies. Declarant states that he volunteered his services early in the month of March in the year 1781 in the County and State last aforesaid and was placed under the command of Lieutenant Evans – other officers names not recollected. Declarant states that he met and joined the spies at the place where Morganton now stands then in the County of Monongahela Virginia about the 8th day of March 1781 – was then marched to West liberty – near to where the town of Wheeling now stands a distance from Morganton of about 50 or 60 miles was there reviewed by Captain or Colonel McMahan and remained there about one month and was marched back to Monongahela County Virginia and was there stationed at paw paw Station or Fort and remained here until sometime in the summer of 1781 engaged in repairing the station or Fort at paw paw and guarding the same and sometime in the month of August 1781 we was moved from paw paw to the Fort on Dakards [sic, probably Dunkard Creek] Creek a quarter of the Monongahela River and was engaged in spying the country from the Fort on Dunkards Creek to paw paw Fort or station – until sometime in the month of December 1781 declarant thinks that he was discharged just a few days before Christmas by his officer Lieutenant Evans after having served this tour as an Indian spy as a private soldier nine months. Declarant states that he remained at his home in the County of Monongahela Virginia during the winter of 1781 and in the spring of 1782 sometime in the month of March in the County of Monongahela State. Declarant states that he again volunteered his service as an Indian spy as a private soldier and was placed under the command of Lieutenant Levi Morgan Ensign John Scott. Declarant states that he was ordered to spy the Country West of the Fort on Dukards Creek in the said County of Monongahela Virginia which he states he did in Company with his Lieutenant Levi Morgan and others from about the month of March 1782 until sometime in the month of December of the same year. Declarant states that he spied on the waters of Dunkards Creek from thence to the waters of paw paw from thence to Buffalo Creek a branch of the Monongahela of the Monongahela River then down the money hale River to the mouth of Dunkard Creek up said Creek to the Fort. Declarant states that he continued to spy as aforesaid over the Country aforesaid by regular Towers until sometime in the month of December 1782 at which time he was discharged by his said Lieutenant Levi Morgan at the Fort on Dunkard Creek aforesaid after having served this Tower nine months from about the month of March 1782 until late December of the same year – making nine months this Tower as an Indian spy as a private Soldier. Declarant states that this terminated his services as an Indian spy he further states that he was frequently engaged in scouts when the Indians would come in and plunder the neighborhood he would pursue them but never was engaged on regular duty after December 1782 – Declarant states that he knows of no person by whom he can prove his service he is now very frail and lives far remote from those if any there be living with whom he served – he hereby relinquishes all claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State whatever.
In Subscribed and sworn to the day and year aforesaid.
S/ Ephraim Sayre
To the several interrogatories presented by the war Department Declarant answers as follows and says
1. I was borned in the County of Augusta State of Virginia in the year 1763 in the month of August.
2. I have no record of my age. I have the recollection of my parents who told me the year and month I was borned in
3. When called into service I was living in the County of Monongahela State of Virginia since the revolution I have lived in the Counties of Monongahela and Harrison State of Virginia and I now live in the County of Meigs State of Ohio
4. All my Towers I was a volunteer soldier and Indian spy –
5. In consequence of my service being confined to the Western part of Virginia I became acquainted with but very few Officers and if I belonged to any Regiment I do not now recollect. I saw and became acquainted with Colonel Benjamin Wilson Colonel William Lowther Captains Scott and Jackson
6. All my discharges are lost or mislaid they were given in writing and signed by the officers under whom I served
7. I know of no person by whom I can prove my services. I am known to Jeptha Hayman and John Sayre who can testify to my character and honor and as to their belief of my having been a soldier of the revolution.
Subscribed and sworn to the day and year aforesaid
S/ Ephraim Sayre
[Jeptha Hayman, a clergyman, and John Sayre gave the standard supporting affidavit.]