Person:Richard Tankersley (10)

Records of Richard Tankersley in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records:

• William Pryor's Declaration, October 15th, 1832: Born on Pedlars River in Albemarle; age 79 or 80 years. In 1773 he moved to the Great Kanawha, but was driven back by the Indians; he returned and was at Point Pleasant in 1775, and there saw Capt. Isaac Shelby, late Governor of Kentucky, who was left in charge of the wounded after the battle of the 10th October, 1774. In 1776 he entered the Army as substitute for James Frazer under Capt. Mathew Arbuckle, commandant of the Post at Point Pleasant. Arbuckle's subalterns were Lieut. Andrew Wallace, Lieut. James Thompson, Ensigns Samuel Wood and James McNutt. In 1776 he enlisted under Arbuckle for two years under Capt. William McKee and Lieut. Gilmore; served as spy. In the fall of 1777 Colonels Skileron and Dickerson came there in command of the expedition against the Shawnees. On this expedition were James Harrison, now of Rockbridge, and Micajah Goodwin. Lieutenant Gilmore was killed by the Indians, and when his body was found by the men of that expedition, they immediately murdered Cornstalk and his son, Nipseko, who had been held by Arbuckle as hostages for the safety of the men of the fort. While Skileron and Dickerson were there, General Hand of the Army came and ordered the men to return as it was too late to go on the expedition. General Hand complained to Arbuckle that his men lived too high, when every man shouldered his musket and started home when a Colonel McDowell compromised the affair. In consequence of the murder of Cornstalk, the Shawnees attacked the fort in 1778. They killed Paddy Shearman and wounded Lieut. Gilmore, but were repulsed and started for the Greenbrier settlements, but their plans were betrayed by the sister of Cornstalk who had previously taken refuge in the fort. Capt. McKee called for two men to go and appraise the Greenbrier settlements. John Intchminger and John Logan volunteered, but returned; then Philip Hammond and applicant volunteered, but applicant's brother, John Pryor, took his place, being more experienced. They followed the Indians and passed them about ten miles from Donnelly's Fort, where they arrived and gave the alarm. The Indians attacked the Fort. Capt. Arbuckle was at home on furlough when he and Capt. Lewis raised a company and forced their way into the Fort and drove the Indians off. During this expedition of the Indians, General Clarke stopped at Point Pleasant, on his way, to take possession of a place called the Post, but now Vincennes. In the autumn of 1778, at the Fort was a man named Morgan who had been a prisoner with the Indians for many years and had a squaw with him, said to be his wife. Morgan had been ironed to hold him and to obtain the reward offered by his father, but escaped, with his wife, and was never heard of. Applicant and Zedekiah Shumake, and others whose terms were about to expire, were discharged before the expiration in fear that Morgan might inform the Indians who would attack them on the way home. In 1779 he was drafted in Amherst, under Capt. Samuel Higginbotham, in the Regiment of Colonel Christian; fellow soldiers were Zedekiah Shumaker, William Brown and Samuel Allen. Again, in 1780, he was drafted under Capt. Richard Ballinger; fellow soldiers were Richard Tankersley and Nicholas Pryor, his elder brother. This tour was performed at Fort Powhatan, on James River, now Fort Jefferson. Abran Carter, aged 70, testifies to declarant's services. Zedekiah Shumaker, aged 79 or 80, testifies to declarant's services.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 FamilySearch: Unidentified database - please replace source when identified.