Person:Joseph Proctor (10)

Military Service

American Revolutionary War Veteran

Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 4, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Proctor, Joseph - entered service 1777 in Virginia, when resided on Holston River, in Virginia regiment; entered service 1778 in General George Rogers Clark's regiment to fight Indians in Kentucky territory; granted Pension 1832 in Estill County, Kentucky, age 76. F-S11270, R1980.

Will Transcript

Will of Joseph Proctor:

The Last Will & Testament of Joseph Proctor of Estill County, Kentucky who being of sound mind and memory do make, ordain and constitute this my last Will and Testament as follows:

It is my will and desire that all of my estate both real and personal, be given to my wife Polly for her support and maintainance, and I further wish my wife to pay all the just debts that may be against me and my funeral expense, thought I know of no debts that I am owing.

I further wish the money that is in the hand of Robert Clark, that he should at my death pay the same over to my wife Polly and to be by her enjoyed.

It is my further desire that what little business I may have, may be settled and my wife have what property or money I may leave without an administration on my estate.

I wish my wife to dispose of it or get some person to do it for her, any property by me left for her support and maintainance.

I hereby revoking all previous or former wills made by me.

Given under my hand and seal this 28th day of February 1836

(Signed) Joseph Proctor

Witness

Benjamin Straughn

Robert Clark

I Joseph Proctor being of sound mind and disposing mind and memory, do make and publish this as a docile to my las Will and Testament, provided I should outlive my wife Polly. It is my will and desire that Elizabeth Noland, daughter of Joseph Noland, have one of my beds and furniture, and to his daughter, Mary Jane Noland I give my other bed and furniture to them and their heirs forever, and all the balance of my estate of all kinds I will and bequeath to Joseph Noland and his heirs forever. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 14th day of August 1843.

(Signed) Joseph Proctor

Witness

Robert Clark and James G. Trimble

The foregoing last Will & Testament of Joseph Proctor deceased, was this day produced to the court and proved by the oath of Robert Clark, one of the subscribing witnesses thereto and also the hand write of Benjamin Straughn and James G. Trimble was also proven by said Clark and that they witness it in presense of said Proctor. Given under my hand this 16th December 1844

Robert Clark, Clerk EC

Research Notes

• Fought side by side with Daniel Boone in defense of Ft. Boonesborough
• 19 Mar 1782 - Battle of Little Mountain (aka Estill's Defeat) - Proctor achieves legendary status due to his heroic actions in which he killed the Indian that had just slain James Estill and later saved the life of William Irvine
• Founder of Providence Methodist Church, in the northern part of Madison county, first called Proctor's Chapel
• Is mentioned in the Revolutionary War Service Pension files of his brothers-in-law, Mathias Horn (abt. 1755-1834) and Aaron Horn (b. 1762).

1.   Recorded, in Smith, Zachariah Frederick. The History of Kentucky: from its earliest discovery and settlement, to the present date ... its military events and achievements, and biographic mention of its historic characters. (Kentucky: Courier-journal job printing Company, 1892)
   190, 191, 192, 193.
2.   Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.

   Pension application of Joseph Proctor S11270 f31VA
   Transcribed by Will Graves 11/30/12
   
   State of Kentucky Estill County: SS
   On this 17th day of July 1832 personally appeared in open Court before me Richard French, Sole & Presiding Judge for the Circuit Court for the circuit of Estill aforesaid now sitting Joseph Proctor a resident of the County of Estill aforesaid aged 76 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated –
   That in 1777 he lived upon Holston River in Virginia, does not recollect the name of the County at that time, that he was drafted in the Militia in that year & served a tour of duty against the Cherokee Indians under Captain Aaron Lewis, Colonel Will Campbell [William Campbell] commanded – was absent about one month. In 1778 he enlisted in the Virginia State Troops under Captain Riddle & came to Kentucky to protect the Country against the Indians & was stationed at Boonesboro in the now County of Madison, the first year at Boonesboro he was under the command of Captain Benjamin Logan – that he reached Boonesboro in April 1778 – that during the year 1778 & part of the year 79 he did duty in the Fort at Boonesboro as a Soldier & was engaged in Scouting parties – was at Boonesboro during the great siege of 1778 – that in 1779 he thinks it was, he went out under Captain Logan, General George Rogers Clark commanding, crossed the Ohio River where Cincinnati now stands, went to old Chillicothe or the Shawneetons [sic, Shawnee Towns?] & also to the Piqua Towns & destroyed them – In 1780 he went a campaign across the Ohio against the Indians under Captain Vincent, General Clark commanding – that in the year 1780 he was part of the [indecipherable word] under Captain James Estill, acted under him as a Soldier & an Indian Spy – & continued to act as such till Estill's defeat in 1782, when said Estill was killed – that he was in said Battle – that in 1786 he was in a campaign against the Indians under General Logan across the Ohio – that from 1778 he acted during the revolutionary War as a soldier or an Indian Spy. That he has no written evidence in his possession of his services – That he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
   Sworn to & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
   
   
   
   [Samuel Kelly, a clergyman, and Mathias Horn gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
   
   [Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $80 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for service as a private for 3 years in the Virginia service.]
   
   http://revwarapps.org/s11270.pdf

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Louisville Post (Louisville, Kentucky)
   1916.

   [Excerpts from an article by J Green Trimble]
   
   ... I had the pleasure as well as the honor, of being personally and intimately acquainted with Mr. Joseph Proctor, having lived in the same town, Irvine and within 100 yards of him for two years, and I met with him almost every day. He was a large man, six feet high, weighing about 180 pounds. He was a local Methodist preacher, having been ordained by Francis Asbury [the first Methodist Bishop ever in America, who was born in England August 20, 1745, came to America in 1771, and died at Fredricksburg, Va. on March 31, 1816.]
   
   My acquaintance with Mr. Proctor was during the last three years of his life. His death occurred on December 2, 1844. I attended his funeral and burial. He was buried with military honors at Irvine. A company of fifty militia fired their guns as his body was lowered into the grave. He was buried in an old, dilapidated and unused cemetery, which has not been used for that purpose since, and there is not now a stone to mark his last resting place. I would suggest that the descendants of the man who was carried on the soldiers of Proctor from the battlefield to Madison county, a distance of twenty-five miles, erect a monument to perpetuate his memory. Capt. Estill was honored with a marble monument in Richmond, which cost several thousand dollars. Why not give one to Proctor, who was a very poor man, and had no property whatever?
   
   During my residence of two years at Irvine, I had the position of deputy clerk of the Estill Circuit and County courts, at the very large salary of $100 a year and board. Major Robert Clark [nephew of Governor James Clark, whose home was at Winchester] was clerk of both courts, and he being one of the principal pillars of the Methodist Church in that town, Proctor made the office his loafing place. During the summer season and in favorable weather he would spend much of his time in our office, and the people of the town and county would often call to see him and hear him talk and relate the many thrilling scenes through which he had passed with the Indians and the experiences he had had with Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, Calloway and many other pioneer heroes, which was always entertaining to the people and was a favorite subject with him for discussion.
   
   Mr. Proctor, on account of his advanced age, impaired health and other infirmities, did not preach any during my acquaintance with him, but he never failed to attend the weekly prayer meetings and Sunday School, and occasionally he would deliver to each of them eloquent exhortations and was able in prayer. I was never acquainted with a more devoted and consecrated Christian. I am perhaps the only man now living that was personally acquainted with a soldier that participated in that bloody conflict, which occurred 134 years ago.
   
   Capt. Estill with his twenty-five men, overtook the Indians with a similar number at Hinkston Creek, a very small stream not more than four or five miles to its head. He found three of the Indians on the west side of the creek engaged in skinning a buffalo, the balance of them having passed over to the opposite side of the creek and were taking their rest. The three Indians on the west side immediately joined their main body on the east side, and the firing then commenced; every man on both sides took a tree for protection, so far as was possible, with the creek between the conflicting sides. When the fight continued for some time without any apparent result, Lieut. Miller, with six soldiers of Estill’s command, withdrew from the company ostensibly for the purpose of of crossing the creek above and getting into the rear of the Indians, but instead they left for parts unknown, and never did return. This reduced Capt. Estill’s fighting strength to eighteen against twenty-five. It is supposed that the Indians must have guessed that there had been a division of Capt. Estill’s forces, on account of the slack firing, and they, therefore, made a charge in a body across the creek, most of them with tomahawks and knives.
   
   All the real hard, hand to hand fighting took place on the west bank of the creek, the result of which is so well described by Col. Henry L. Stone in his letter which you published, and which corresponds with the history I have of it from Joseph Proctor. I will, therefore, not allude to it, except to say that Capt. James Estill, who was a very small man came into contact with the largest Indian who belonged to the company, who would weigh over 200 pounds, armed with butcher knives. Mr. Proctor told me that he was standing near by but could give Estill no relief. He witnessed the giving away of his arm, which had been broken a few months previous, which placed completely in the power of the savage, who plunged a large butcher knife into into his left side, penetrating his heart, and Capt. Estill fell dead at the feet of the savage. Within ten seconds, thereafter the trusty rifle of Joseph Proctor, with its deadly and unerring aim, placed the lifeless body of the big Indian by the side of the dead body of Capt. Estill. Mr. proctor never did admit in my presence that he killed the Indian, but in speaking of the incident would say, “I never heard of that big Indian killing anybody afterward, nor committing any depredations."
   
   A few years previous to his death, Mr. Proctor was brought to this county [Montgomery] and taken over the supposed battle ground to see if he could identify the place where the battle occurred, but he was unable to do so. In 1782, when the battle occurred, the country was a wilderness - nothing but timber and cane; whereas at the time of his visit it was all cleared out and in cultivation and bluegrass. ...

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Ardery, Julia Hoge Spencer. Kentucky records: early wills and marriages, copied from court house records by regents, historians and the state historian; old bible records and tombstone inscriptions; records from Barren, Bath, Bourbon, Clark, Daviess, Fayette, Harrison, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Mason, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Scott, and Shelby counties. (Lexington, Kentucky: Keystone Printery, Inc., c1932)
   2:114.

   RANDOM NOTES FROM SUITS FILED IN OFFICE OF CIRCUIT CLERK
   
   Patty Harris vs. Pollock, Box 490
   
   In this suit some of the depositions were taken 1805, others in Clark Co., 1811. - Joseph McGuer states he came to Ky., 1779. ...
   
   - Joseph Procter aged 55 yrs. to Ky., 1778. ...