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Facts and Events
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
- ↑ .
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration HR 28A-G21.1, Jane Brackenridge and Elizabeth Wilson
[Petitions and support materials from the two women.]
State of Kentucky
Bourbon County
On this the 5 day of March 1844 personally appeared before me Joseph Wilson an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid Mrs. Jane Brackingridge aged upwards of seventy six years: who after being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain an allowance - according to the terms of the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832.
To wit: that she is upwards of seventy six (76) years of age: She was raised in the state of Virginia untill she was 10 or 12 years of age when her Father and all of the family came to Kentucky, Borbon County at Martains Station -- about the year Eighty to the best of her recollection -- where they were all taken prisoners by the Brititish and indians with all of his property and money which was thousands of dollars, and they were taken from Martains Station to Detroyett - where her father died - and was no more. From there they were taken to Montraal - and there remained untill they were exchanged for - to the best of her recollection they were prisoners from two years and nine months to 3 years.
[2nd page] during which time they were nearly faint with hunger and fatigue: Bird was the Brititish officer that like to have starved the poor prisoners to death: She states that they lost all of their property - and her father; and landed back without any thing - which reduced them so low, that she has never recovered from the fall. Therefore she prays Congress that she may be enroled on the Pention List, according to the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832 and this she will forever pray: She further declars that she has a sister living in Woodford County Kentucky that is about 10 or 12 years older than herself and she was taken prisoner at the same time and returned with her at the same time: She further declars that she has appointed C.N. Trabue her attorney to receive her Certifficate of Pention: She further declars that she is not able to appear in Open Court owing to her old age and frailty of body.
Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above writen
her
Jo. S. Wilson JP. Jane X Brackingridge
State of Kentucky mark
Bourbon County
I the foregoing subscribed Justice of the Peace do Certify that I am personally acquainted with the above subscribed declarant and I do believe that the above declaration to be true and I have heard for a long time back that she was taken prisoner at Martains Station [new page] and that she is a lady of truth and what she has stated is to be relied on. She is a lady of verasity.
Given under my hand this 5th day of March 1844.
/s/ Jo. S. Wilson J.P.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration
RG233
Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
HR28A-G21.1
Jane Brackenridge
Memorial of Jane Brackenridge
Pet. for a pension
in consideration of
3 years imprisonment
in the revolutionary
War.
Apl. 22d 1844, refd. to
Comee. On Rev. Pensions
Refered to the committee
on Revolutionary Pensions
on motion of G. Davis
To The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.
The memorial of Mrs. Jane Breckenridge of Bourbon County Kentucky, a prisoner of the British and Indians during the War of the Revolution.
Your memorialist will respectfully represent: That her Father set out from Virginia with his family, consisting of several children & some few Negroes and likewise all of his property & effects, the latter part of the year 1779 to what is now called Kentucky, and arrived at Martins Station, now in the county of Bourbon, State of Kentucky, the last day of Christmas 1779 or new years day 1780. That they there remained (occasionally some of them being at Ruddles Station) from the time of their arrival until the month of June 1780, when Martains Station, and Ruddles Station, were attacked by the British & Indians, both of which surrendered or were taken -- & those of the prisoners who were not massacred were carried to Detroit near the Lakes, where the Father of your memorialist, from the bad treatment received from the Indians and British, departed this life.
From Detroit the prisoners were carried to Montreal in Canada, where those of them who survived remained until the close of the War - at which time as prisoners of war they were liberated. Then those of the family of the deceased Father of your memorialist who survived, except the Negroes, returned by way of their native Commonwealth to what is now called Kentucky, once again to seek for themselves homes in the Wilderness. That since which time, the grave has closed over each of the unfortunate returners, except a sister of your memorialist now of Woodford County Kentucky, whose name is Elizabeth Wilson, and your humble petitioner. Their condition upon their return was truly lamentable, having upon the surrender of the station lost their few Negroes, horses & other effects, were upon their liberation as prisoners of War compeled to return half clad, distressed and as orphans. That their condition in encountering the difficulties of a journey from Virginia in the winter of 1779, their sufferings by starvation, fatigue and abuse in a journey from Martins Station to Detroit, thence to Montreal, and their endurance of toil, labour, hunger, and the veriest of abuse during their imprisonment at Montreal can be more easily imagined than described.
Your memorialist has the pleasure of knowing, and now stating that her Father was a true American and lover of his country, and so evidenced the soundness of his principles in leaving, during the greatest rage of the War, his civilized home, with his all, to aid in protecting and defending the Western frontier against the ravages of the merciless savage.
Your memorialist is informed that by a resolution of Congress of the 14th July 1832, the time of imprisonment as a prisoner shall be taken and computed as service in the execution of the act of 7th June 1832, for the benefit of which act she would long ago have applied at the War Department, but for the reason that she was informed that the language of said act was such as would not admit of females being embraced by its provisions, such words "he, his, & him" being made use of, while the words "her, she, or anyone" are not at all used. Now your memorialist insists that in justice, she is as much entitled to a Pension according to the terms of said act for three years imprisonment as any man or male person is for the same duration of imprisonment. She will insist that the principle which would grant a male, because of his being of the male kind, a Pension for three years imprisonment by the British, and at the same time restrict her from a Pension for the same duration of imprisonment, because of her being of the female kind, is flagrantly unjust and cruel. She conceives the injustness of such principle to be too apparent to need further comment. She is informed that the said act of the 7th June 1832 grants a sum equal to full pay for two years imprisonment or service commencing the 4th March 1831 & continuing during life - therefore she conceives that she is entitled to a Pension according to the terms of said act, she having been a prisoner for three years, having been taken a prisoner in June 1780 & continued as such in Canada until the close of the War - which was in the spring or summer of 1783.
Your memorialist will further represent: That she is informed that the act of Congress passed the 4th July 1836 makes generous provision for those females whose husbands were in service or imprisonment by the enemy during the War of the Revolution by granting them Pensions commencing the 4th March 1831, from which your memorialist cannot for a moment believe that your Honourable Body will restrict her, from a Pension according to the same terms, who personally encountered the toils and dangers in the onset of a journey to the haunts of the Indian, who personally endured the privations and sufferings consequent upon a march to Detroit & journey to Montreal, and who personally endured the toil, labour, hunger, and vilest of abuse for years while a prisoner of the unmerciful British.
Your memorialist has the pleasure of herein referring to the declaration made by her said "surviving sister" on the 1st March 1844 before Oscar Pepper Esqr., a magistrate in & for Woodford County in order likewise to obtain a Pension, and which declaration sets forth the fact that your memorialist was her companion - and by her side - during the whole of her captivity.
Your memorialist believing it to be right, as well as her duty, has made a declaration under oath, in conformity to the act 7th June 1832, in order to obtain a Pension according to its provisions, which declaration is herewith filed, and now respectfully ask your Honourable Body that an allowance may be granted her as a Pension, according to the terms of the act of Congress passed 7th June 1832. But if your Honourable Body should be of opinion that the amount granted by said act to be inadequate to her dues, she most respectfully prays for such relief as the wisdom of your Honourable Body may conceive her entitled to - and thus she will ever pray.
I am, Very Respectfully
Your Ob't. Servant
her
Jane X Breckenridge
mark
Witness
C. N. Trabue
http://www.frontierfolk.net/ramsha_research/breckenridge.html
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