Person:Samuel Davis (146)

Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 2, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Davis, Samuel - born Pennsylvania in 1765; entered service 1779 when father resided in Rockingham County, Virginia; father moved in fall of 1779 to Kentucky where soldier entered service 1780 at Riddle's Station in area now Bourbon County in same company as brother John who was a lieutenant; was Prisoner of War of Indians for 3 years; freedom purchased by brother John at Detroit; soldier staying there to 1785 to get release of sister, who was also a Prisoner of War of Indians; back to Kentucky after sister freed in 1785 moved to Danville, Mercer County; resided there till after death of wife & then resided with children in that County, Todd County, Kentucky & Henry County, Kentucky; received Pension in 1834 Henry County, Kentucky. F-S37878, R764.

Revolutionary War Pension Application

Samuel Davis, Henry County, Kentucky, S-37878

Be known that on this 6th day of February 1834 personally appeared before William McCrackin a justice of the peace in and forsaid county and a member of the Henry County Court Kentucky Samuel Davis a resident of Henry County Ky aged 68 years and upwards who being duly sworn according to law upon his oath makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated that is to say in the year 1779 his father was a resident of Rockingham County Va. and in the fall of that year (1779) he moved his family including this declarent to Kentucky and sometime in the month of October of that year they landed at Riddle’s Station on Hinkston in the now County of Bourbon – that about the first of January 1780 this declarent was enrolled in the militia at that place for the purpose of aiding in the defence of the station and the frontier – that he immediately that is to say about the 1st of January 1780 volunteered and entered the service of the United States in the company of captain Isaac Riddle – that John Davis the brother of this declarent was the lieutenant of the company – that he was kept at the said station orfort as a part of the garrison thereof under the command of his said captain –that on the 10th day of March 1780 the Indians attacked the fort atthe said station and kept up a warmfire during the day and most of the succeeding night – that there was but one man wounded who was in the fort but there was several killed who were caught by the Indians out of it – He states that sometime afterwards he thinks on the day of June a large body of Indians, British & Canadians under the command of one Col. Or Capt. Bird invested the fort and after a sharp conflict the for was surrendered to them and this declarent together with all who were in the fort became prisoners and were given up as such to the Indians – that he this declarent was taken by the Indians (who were of the Shawanee tribe) to the Indian towns on the Little Miami and was afterwards carried by them high up the Big Miami – that whilst he was with them there was two expeditions out against them upon the first of which 1780 their corn was destroyed in its green state and upon the second it was destroyed when dry which took place he thinks in 1782 both which events brought great distress upon the Indians – He states that he was kept by the Indians as a prisoner for about three years for it was not until the month of June 1783 that he was purchased through the agency of his brother John Davis from them and carried to the British post at Detroit which place he reached about the 20th of that month. He states that he was then set at liberty and remained in that country until the year 1785 for the purpose of procuring the liberty of his sister who had been taken prisoner at the same time that he was which object he effected and then returned to Kentucky.

He states that he served in the fort at Riddle’s Station upon his said engagement actively and actually from the period of his entry upon it about the 1st January 1780 till he was captured as above set forth and that he remained as a prisoner amongst the Indians until sometime in June 1783 and for these services and suffering he claims a pension.

Hestates that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person living whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.

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.

Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

(signed) Samuel Davis

Interogations put to the above named applicant by the said justice,

1st – Where and in what year were you born?

Answer – I was born in Pennsylvaniain the year 1765.

2d – Have you any record of your age, and if so where is it?

Answer – I have none – it has been destroyed.

3d – Where were you living when called into service. Where have you lived since the revolutionary War, and where do you now live?

Answer – I was living at Riddle’s Station in Ky when I eneterd the service, and after I was released from my captivity with the Indians, I remained at Detroit until I procured the release of my sister who was a prisoner with them which I effected in 1785 then I returned to Kentucky and went to Danville in the present county of Mercer in the neighborhood of which I settled and continued to live until after the death of my wife and I broke up housekeeping and having been living amongst my children for 5 years past some of whom live in Mercer County some in Todd County and some in Henry County Ky, where I have spent the last eighteen months.

4th – How were you called into service, were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute? And if a substitute, for whom?

Answer – I was a volunteer.

5th – State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served such continental & militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your service.

Answer – There was no officer of higher grade than captain with the troops where I served and he was not a regular officer I believe –there was no continental or militia regiments at the place of my service – I volunteered under Captain Riddle for six months service and was kept by him at the fort at Riddle’s Station as a part of the garrison of that place and served as a private soldier accordingly until the fort was surrendered to the Indians, British & Canadians in June 1780 and I was then carried by the Indians into captivity and remained a prisoner with them until sometime in June 1783 and wasthen purchased of them carried to Detroit and liberated.

6th – Did you ever receive a discharge from the service andif so by whom was it given and what has become of it?

Answer – I never did.

7th – State the names of persons to whom you are known in your neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution.

Answer – I will name Will Peck and Kanard Younger.

Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

(Signed) Samuel Davis

Notes

From "The centenary of Catholcity in Kentucky", by Benedict Joseph, pg. 19:

The family of Samuel Davis, residing in 1782 in the county of Lincoln, was surprised by Indians when the husband and father was but a few rods from his own door. Returning, after a brief absence, he was horrified to find the cabin filled with Indians. Though seen and followed by one of the band, he managed to escape to the station of his brother, about five miles distant. His appearance told the tale of his distress before he could tell it himself. Obtaining a spare gun, and followed by the entire force of the station, he made his way back to his cabin, only to find it tenantless. There being no appearance of bloodshed about the premises, it was rightly conjectured that the Indians had carried off his wife and children. Pursuit was immediately made, and after going a few miles, the attention of the party was attracted by the howling of a dog. The animal belonged to the family, and had been wounded by the Indians in their attempt to kill it. Knowing by this circumstance that they must be in the vicinity of the savages, they pushed forward and soon had them in view. Two Indians had the woman and children in charge, and these discovered the approach of the whites and gave the alarm. One of these latter, hastily advancing, knocked down the oldest boy, aged eleven, and was fired on. Ineffectually, however, while in the act of scalping him. Mrs. Davis saved herself and the infant she had in her arms by jumping into a 'sink-hole'. The entire family was rescued without casualty, except to the eldest son, who, on regaining his lost consciousness, rose to his feet and exclaimed: "Curse that Indian; he has got my scalp"!

From Rootsweb Message Board:

JOHN VARDEMAN, William Pope's father-in-law, entered lands "called the Crab Orchard" next to the SAMUEL DAVIS family. In the fall of that year, Samuel Davis' wife and children were captured by Indians and his young son scalped. Men of Crab Orchard joined in pursuing the Indians and were able to rescue the captives. The young lad who had been scalped was greatly disfigured, but lived another ten years, to die in an Indian ambush when the townsmen were attempting to recover their stolen horses.

[Source: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/POPE/1999-08/0935605347].

1.   Kentucky, United States. Tax Lists, 1799-1801. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006).

   Name: Samuel Davis
   Residence County: Mercer
   Residence Year: 1800

2.   Jackson, Ron V. Kentucky, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1810-1890.

   Name: Samuel Davis
   State: KY
   County: Mercer County
   Township: No Township Listed
   Year: 1800
   Record Type: Tax list
   Database: KY Early Census Index

3.   United States. 1810 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M252).

   Name: Samuel Davis
   Home in 1810 (City, County, State): Mercer, Kentucky
   Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 1
   Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25: 1
   Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44 : 1 [b. bet. 1766-1784]
   Free White Persons - Females - Under 10: 4
   Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15: 2
   Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44: 1 [b. bet. 1766-1784]
   Numbers of Slaves: 1
   Number of Household Members Under 16: 7
   Number of Household Members Over 25: 2
   Number of Household Members: 11

4.   United States. 1820 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M33).

   Name: Samuel Davis
   Home in 1820 (City, County, State): Mercer, Kentucky
   Enumeration Date: August 7, 1820
   Free White Persons - Males - Under 10: 2
   Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 15: 1
   Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over: 1 [b. 1775 or before]
   Free White Persons - Females - Under 10: 2
   Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over : 1 [b. 1775 or before]
   Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture: 2
   Free White Persons - Under 16: 5
   Free White Persons - Over 25: 2
   Total Free White Persons: 7
   Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other: 7

5.   The Pension Roll of 1835: Report from the Secretary of War, in Obedience to Resolutions of the Senate of the 5th and 30th of June, 1834, and the 3d of March, 1835, in Relation to the Pension Establishment of the United States. (Washington, District of Columbia: Duff Green, 1835).

   Name: Samuel Davis
   Rank: Private
   Age: 68
   Birth Year: abt 1763
   Pension Enrollment Date: 4 Mar 1831
   Residence Place: Henry, Kentucky, USA
   Service Description: Virginia militia