Pension Application of Charles Craycraft W10228
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
[22 Jan 1827] State of Ohio Scioto County Ss – Personally appeared before me Ezra Osborn one of the Justices of the peace in and for the County of Scioto and state aforesaid Charles Cracraft now aged sixty one years [b. 1766 based upon this statement] a resident of Greenup County Commonwealth of Kentucky Born and raised in Loudon [sic: Loudoun] County State of Virginia who on his solemn oath says he did enlist into the Virginia line of Troops in the revolutionary war in the month of March 1781 under Capt. Anderson in Col’n Edmunson’s Reg’t for six months. He then enlisted for one year under Maj’r McFerson to go before the light Horse and remained with him till after the Surrender of Cornwallis [19 Oct 1781] and was then Honorably discharged – but his discharge by time and accident is now lost. Was in Waynes action with the British at the crossing of James River [Gen. Anthony Wayne, Battle of Green Springs Plantation, 6 Jul 1781] and was one of the guard at the time Richmond was evacuated [May 1781]. This deponent is now poor, has six children, but they are unable to support him – and subsists at present upon the Bounty of Capt William Dupuy. This deponent further says he has not any property either personal or real except a scanty supply of common wearing apparel, and has not directly or indirectly made over at any time any part of his property in expectation of receiving it again in order to assist him in procuring the bounty allowed by the United States to poor and infirm Seaman or Soldiers – neither has he any in expectancy remainder or reversion and further this deponent saith not.
(Signed) Charels [his X mark] Cracraft
[Joseph Cracraft, 59, certified the service of Charles Cracraft.]
Greenup C’y. Jan’y. 23rd 1827
Dear Sir [Maj. D. Trimble Esq’r] The within statements I prsume to be correct for the said Chal’s. Craycraft and youngest child is with me since spring 1826 in the manner within menti’d. I entertain no doubts of your feeling towards suffering humanity when & whare the prime life spent In garding frunteers Against the Savage Tribs for a scarus years in Addition To the early part life spent as soldier In surves united states. he’s old and infirm A man in a word descreet and Indeed I fell no doubts but you will use your Indevour on precureing a pension for him if Anything more is wanting write to me if you should get a pension let me know. or not. Chilicothe is most covenent. with due Esteem yours In hast.
[signed] William Dupuy
State of Kentucky } SS.
Greenup County }
On this 19th day of September [1832] personally appeared before me Clement H. Waring a Justice of the county court in & for the county of Greenup aforesaid duly commissioned qualified and acting as such at the house of Captain Charles Craycraft in the said county of Greenup the said Captain Charles Craycraft who is & for about the last five weeks has been confined to his bed by sickness & who is wholly unable to appear in court by reason of sickness and bodily infirmity and who is a resident of the said county of Greenup in the said state of Kentucky aged 66 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 7th 1832. That in the year 1781 & when this declarant was going on 14 years of age he entered the service of the United States in the Virginia Militia in the county of Hampshire as a substitute for a man by the name of Arnold he thinks Moses Arnold under Capt. Anderson – Higgins was Major – Edmond or Edmonds from Culpepper county was the Col. The crhistian names of these officers he has wholly forgotten. – This declarant thinks that he so entered the service in the month of March 1781. That some time after he so entered the service an order was issued authorising any of the militia to turn out under Major McPherson who commanded the light horse or Rangers & thereupon this declarant entered the service under Maj’r. McPherson as a light-horseman but the length of time he continued in the service as a substitute for Arnold he does not remember but thinks it was a little upwards of two months That he continued in service with McPherson until a short time before the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown but his memory does not serve him to state the day or even the month when he was discharged but he thinks he was discharged in September 1781. That after he had served out his time with Maj’r. McPherson he was verbally discharged and sent back to Capt. Anderson under whom he first entered the service to receive a written discharge but Capt. Anderson had returned home before this declarant saw him and he never attended to getting a discharge afterwards because he did not believe it important & did not know that it ever would avail him anything. That to the best of his recollection he was in the service at that time about six months or more. That when he volunteered in the horse under Maj’r. McPherson Capt. Michael Stump was his immediate commander and this corpse to which he belonged was called rangers & covered the retreat of the light-horse and occasionally went before them. That in that horse corpse called rangers Samuel Hornback was the Lieutenant. That at the time he so entered the service he resided in the county of Hampshire in the State of Virginia upon the South branch of Potomack [sic: South Branch Potomac River] That when he first entered the service he marched to Winchester in Virginia having Rendevouzed at Romley [sic: Romney] the County Seat of Hampshire. From Winchester they marched to Richmond and there drew their arms Gen’l. Muhlenburg [sic: Peter Muhlenberg] commanded at Richmond at that time.
Either on the same or the next day after he so drew arms A British Spy was taken by McPhersons corpse and immediately afterwards this corpse of rangers & the main army were moved out to a place called the Goldmine about 15 miles North of Richmond, and then this declarant was one of two hundred men that was sent back as a kind of rear guard to the big spring at the end of the lane near Richmond. That these troops had remained there but a few hours when they were assailed by the British Light-horse and put to flight & Cornwallis immediately entered & took possession of the City. The troops to which this declarant then belonged retreated and crossed the Pamunkey & moved up the Rappahannock to keep out of the way of the British until General Wayne and Gen’l. Lay Fayette [sic: Lafayette] came on. They then joined the army. Afterwards Waynes army was at a place called Bottoms Bridges between Richmond and Williamsburg and Gen’l. Lay-Fayette was some few miles from him a Battle was expected at bottoms bridges and the troops to which this declarant belonged were moved there, where they had a skirmish with the British light-horse. This declarant then belonged to McPhersons light-horse or Rangers [illegible word] that instance they took twelve of the British light-horse which was said to be the front guard of Tarletons light horse [Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s Legion] It was McPhersons rangers that took these twelve light horse and brought them to the army The American army with La Fayette and Wayne and he believes Gen’l. Muhlenburg at their head pursued after the British army till they got to Yorktown [1 Aug] where the British army fortified themselves and after being at York some time this declarant was discharged. That Gen’l. Wayne had a Battle with the British when they were crossing James River but this deponent was not in it The militia to which this declarant belonged was off to the left but near enough to hear the British guns having understood at that time that Gen’l. Wayne’s troops attacked them with fixed Bayonet & did not fire a gun.
That in the year 1782 Col. Wilson who lived in Tyger Valley [sic: Benjamin Wilson in Tygart Valley, present West Virginia] believed then to be part of Monongalia county since called Randolph county appointed this declarant as a Spy in which sevice he entered in the spring of 1782 & continued for three years, during all this time he was scouting on the frontiers & spying against the Indians and resorting to Wilson’s fort [Wilson’s Fort on Tygart Valley River near Arnold Hill] and Parson’s fort [on Cheat River in present Tucker County just north of present Parsons] and Marnier’s fort [possibly Minear’s Fort at present St George on Cheat River] on the waters of the Monongalia [sic: Monongahela] river. That during this service & when by himself spying he came in contact with some four or five Indians and this declarant killed one Indian dead and made his escape. That at another time during this service the Indians attacked the house of James Goff near Parsons’s fort & not being able to break open the doors the Indians retired and secreted themselves intending as this declarant believes to re-commence their attack before day. During the night & when all was quiet this declarant slipped to the house procured two women who were in the house & three children who were with them to open the door & come out & took them safely to the fort. This fort is believed to have been in the said county of Monongalia in the state of Virginia This declarant never recieved any pay or compensation whatever for these three years services although this pay was faithfully promised him.
This declarant has no documentary evidence whatever of his aforesaid services. That he knows of no person by whom he can prove any of these services except his brother Joseph Craycraft who is now present except also persons out of this state and whose attendance it is impossible for him to procure. But to shew that his services were approved by his country and that his credit & standing was fair he shews to the department of war that he afterwards recieved two several commissions from the State of Pennsylvania in the frontiers of which he lived at the dates of said commission in her militia which accompany this declaration marked A. & B. also an original instruction from the Governor of Pennsylvania to this declarant at the time he was so acting under his commission of Capt. (marked C.) also a commission from the Governor of Virginia as captain in the Militia of that State marked D.
He hereby relinquishes every 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 so far as he knows or believes although he once made application for a pension and received a letter from the War department directed to Maj’r. D. Trimble then a member of congress who was then attending to it & also the letter of said D Trimble on the other side thereof to Capt Dupuy the friend and neighbor of this declarant both of which letters also accompany this declaration marked E. This declarant is now very weak and infirm and has given the best account of his services &c. that his recollection will enable him and although his memory may not serve him to state every circumstance in detail that transpired and perhaps he has not called every thing by their right names or placed them precisely in the order in which they happened but he believes in all things he has told the truth and without any hesitation or doubt whatever he knows that he rendered the services
(Signed) Charles [his X mark] Craycraft
Also Appeared before me at the same time and place Joseph Craycraft aged about 64 years & 6 months who being duly sworn doth on his oath declare that he knows that his brother Charles Craycraft who has made the foregoing declaration did enter the service of the United States in the month of March 1781 in the Virginia Militia under Capt Anderson Major Higgins – Col Edmonds’s reigement and that he continued to serve in the militia until about the time Cornwallis surrendered in the fall of 1781. That this affiant went with his brother Charles into the army as a substitute for his father Samuel Craycraft and this affiant staid with his brother in the army until his said Brother joined the light-horse or rangers under Maj’r. McPherson. That the troops to which he and his brother belonged rendevouzed at Romley Hampshire county Virginia then went to Winchester thence to Richmond This affiant was not in the engagement with the light-horse of the British because before the light-horse came to Richmond this affiant with others was sent back to guard some baggage which he staid with until they got to Brock’s bridge on Pamunky where they left the baggage and went in pursuit of the British Army that was then retreating towards York, and in the progress of this pursuit the time for which this affiant had turned out expired & he was discharged and returned home and never saw his brother any more until his return home in the fall This affiant was not with his brother as a spy against the Indians but he was at the Horse Shoe fort on the lands of James Parsons on Cheat River in the County of Monongalia Virginia when his Brother brought in two women & three children that he had taken from a house that was besieged by the Indians in the night time the name of one of these women was Polly Anderson and the name of the other was Betsy Cameron or Camrell and this affiant knows the fact that his brother was then in the service as a spy and had been for some time before & continued for some time afterwards in that service.
(Signed) Joseph [his X mark] Craycraft
In the Name, and by the Authority, of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, THOMAS MIFFLIN, GOVERNOR, of the said Commonwealth, To Charles Craycraft Gentleman
Reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Patriotism, Valour, Conduct, and Fidelity, I Do, by these Presents, constitute and appoint you to be First Lieutenant of a Company of Riflemen belonging to the fifth Battalion of Militia in the County of Washington – Your are, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of First Lieutenant by doing and performing all manner of Things thereunto belonging. And I Do directly charge and require all Officers and Soldiers, under your command, to be obedient to your Orders as First Lieutenant. And You are to observe and follow such Orders and Directions as you shall, from time to time, receive from the Governor of this Commonwealth (except when the Militia shall be called into the service of the United States), or from your superior Officers, according to the Rules and Discipline of War, and in pursuance of the acts of Congress, or of the Act of the General Assembly of this State. This Commission to continue in Force, until the same shall be lawfully revoked, annulled and made void.
Given under my hand, and the less Seal of the State, at Philadelphia, this first Day of November in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and of the Commonwealth the seventeenth.
[signed] Tho Mifflin
By the Governor/ A. J. Dallas/ Secretary
In the Name, and by the Authority, of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, THOMAS MIFFLIN, GOVERNOR, of the said Commonwealth,
To Charles Craycraft of the County of Washington – Greeting:
Know That you, the said Charles Craycraft (being duly elected and returned) are hereby Commissioned Captain of the fifth Company in the Third Regiment of the first Washington Brigade of the Militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. To have and to hold this Commission exercising all the powers, and discharging all the duties thereto lawfully belonging and attached, for the term of seven years.
In Testimony whereof, I have set my hand, and caused the great Seal of the said State to be affixed to these Presents, at Philadelphia the fifth Day of December in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety-three and of the Commonwealth the Eighteenth.
[signed] Tho Mifflin
By the Governor/ A. J. Dallas/ Secretary
[The loyalty oath certified in the following was probably in response to the Whiskey Rebellion.]
Washington Township Washington County,
BE it KNOWN that on the 31 day of December 1794 before me Wm st Mutkirke Esquire, one of the Commonwealths Justices of the peace in and for the County of Washington came Charles Craycraft of Mercer[?] township and said county who took and subscribed the oath of Allegiance as prescribed by an address of his Excellency General HENRY LEE, to the Inhabitants of the four western Counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, dated the 8th, day of November 1794. Witness my hand and seal.
Wm Mutkirke [L.S.]
The Commonwealth of Virginia.
To Charles Crecraft Gentleman:
KNOW you, that from the special trust and confidence reposed in your fidelity, courage, activity, and good conduct, our Governor, with the advice of the Council of State, pursuant to the act, “For regulating the militia of this Commonwealth,” doth appoint you the said Charles Crecraft Captain of a Company of Rifelmen to the Second Battalion of the fourth Regiment the tenth Brigade and third Division of the said militia, to rank as such agreeably to the number & date hereof.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, These our letters are sealed with the seal of the Commonwealth, and made patent.
WITNESS Robert Brooke, Esquire, our said Governor, at Richmond, this 9th day of November 1796.
[signed] R’t. Brooke
(REGISTERED)/ Sam. Coleman.
The Commonwealth of Virginia,
TO Charles Crecraft
KNOW you, that from the special trust and confidence reposed in your fidelity, courage activity and good conduct and upon the recommendation of the Court of the County of Ohio our Governor, in pursuance of the act for regulating the militia of this Commonwealth doth appoint you the said Charles Crecraft Captain of a company in the [blank] Battalion of the fourth Regiment in the tenth Brigade and third division of the said militia, to take rank as such agreeably to the number and date hereof.
In testimony whereof, these our letters are sealed with the seal of the commonwealth and made patent. Witness, James Monroe our said Governor, at Richmond, this 28th day of June, 1802.
[signed] Jas. Monroe
(REGISTERED)/ Sam. Coleman.
[On 10 April 1834 Elizabeth Craycraft made a statement supplemental to the above declaration by her husband, Charles Craycraft, stating that he died on 23 Dec 1832 leaving herself and seven children as heirs. Joseph Craycraft made an additional statement certifying his brother’s service.]
On this 8th day of February AD 1851. Personally appeared before the undersigned a justice of the peace within and for the county & state afor’sd. Mrs. Elizabeth Price aged 62 years who after being duly sworn doth make the following declaration in order to obtain any pension monies that might have been due her deceased husband Charles Cracraft (under the act of 7th June 1832) That her husband Charles Cracraft served as a soldier in the Revolutionary army. That he enlisted in the United States service on or about the 13th day of March and in the year seventeen hundred & eighty one (1781) In Capt Anderson’s company in the Regiment commanded by Col Edmerson (or Emerson) and continued therein as a private for several months on the Virginia States Service and was then chosen as a ranger by Major Mcpherson to go before the light horse and remained in that service till he was discharged honorably, at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis the next Spring was called out as a Spy for three years then Commissioned a Lieutenant in the year (1792) in Captain Nathan Beans company in the Reg commanded by Col. Williamson and in the state sevice of Pensylvania he served ten months In the year (ninty five) he was appointed by Col Birde Washington as a Spy for the afos’d. year (1795) the whole of the last mentioned period on the frontiers.
That her husband Charles Cracraft was born in the State of Virginia in the year 1760. [? s/b 1766?] That he removed to the State of Ohio in year 1803 and from that state emigrated to Kentucky and in Greenup County where he lived, married and died That she was married to said Cracraft on the 16th day of February AD 1828 and lived him up to the time of his death. That he died on the 19th day of December eighteen hundred and thirty seven aged about seventy six That his death took place on the day & year aforesaid in the County of Greenup State of Kentucky that her marriage was solemnized by Nemiah A Cravens dec’d who was a resident of the County & State afs’d. That she had by the said Charles Cracraft one child (to wit) Henry Clay Cracraft who was born on the 20th day of January AD 1830 who was at the time of his fathers death under the age of sixteen years and now living
She further states that afterwards (towit) on the 8th day of September AD 1841 she intermarried with one John Price who died on the 11th day of January 1843 in Greenup County Kentucky That she has remained widow ever since the period of her last mentioned husbands death and that by said husband she had no child nor children. That she has no means of proving the services of her husband the said Charles Cracraft, other than by the papers herewith attatched which in his life time he died in possession of and that many times prior to the death of her said husband Chas. Cracraft he has narrated to her his suffering & privations during his period of service in the war of the Revolution and She doth further solemnly declare that her said husband said Chas. Cracraft never received from the United States any anuity or pension and to her knowledge his never was upon the pension Roll of any Agency in this or any other state. That her name prior to her marriage was Elizabeth Dillon. That the indigence of her circumstances prompts her to make this declaration. That as the widow said Charles Cracraft she prays that she may receive the allowance due him as a soldier and Lieutenant in the service of his Country in the war of the Revolution under the act of June 7th 1832
[signed] Elizabeth Price
NOTE: On 21 March 1857 Elizabeth Price, 70, of Portsmouth in Scioto County OH, applied for bounty land, stating the date of marriage to Charles Craycraft as 18 Feb 1828, the date of his death as 24 Dec 1832, and the date of John Price’s death as 1 July 1837. James T. Dillon, Carlisle Hunt, Jacob Price, and John Price made supporting statements. The last two were stepsons of Elizabeth Price.
http://revwarapps.org/w10228.pdf
