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Facts and Events
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. 5, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :
Stalnacker, Samuel - born 1763 in Hampshire County, Virginia, entered service 1780 in Monongalia County (area later became Randolph County), Virginia, in Virginia Company as Indian Spy, when Adam Stalnaker (no kinship given) was lieutenant of that organization; granted Pension at age 70 in Lewis County, Virginia, 1833; Thomas Brown & Ezekiel Powers made affidavit then there, per County Justice of the Peace Samuel Jones & County [title??] John Talbott; Pension Office decided soldier was too young to have been a Revolutionary War soldier & dropped his name from Pension rolls in 1834; surname also spelled Stalmacker. F-S9487, R2267.
Notes
From "The Stalnaker Family", written by Knight Wees, published in the Randolph Enterprise, Thursday, August 25th, 1932:
- Samuel Stalnaker, son of Jacob the first, married Susannah Ratcliff, daughter of William Ratcliff, February 26, 1788. (Randolph County Marriage Licenses.) The children of Samuel are not in evidence on the records as his children, though doubtless he has descendants among the many Stalnakers in Randolph county. The land records show that Samuel was in Randolph county in 1820. (Book 6, p. 25, Randolph Co., Land Records.)
References
- Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.
Pension application of Samuel Stalnaker (Stalmacker) S9487 fn26Va.
Transcribed by Will Graves
[Transcriber's Note: The digital images of both of the documents transcribed below are extremely faint. Use these transcriptions with care.]
State of Virginia, County of Lewis
On this 29th day of August 1833 personally appeared before me the Subscriber a Justice of the peace in and for the said County of Lewis, Samuel Stalmacker a resident of Hackers Creek Settlement in the County of Lewis and State of Virginia aged 70 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 he entered the Service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated: that in the month of April in the year 1780 he affiant volunteered as a private in the County of Monongalia (now Randolph) Virginia under Captain Cornelius Bogard as an Indian spy for nine months services that Adam Stalmacker was Captain Bogard's Lieutenant and John White his Ensign, that he was stationed at Westfall's Fort on the Tygarts Valley River and placed upon his spying incursions, that he spied through the Country and Counties of (now) Randolph, Lewis, Harrison, Wood, Tyler &c on the waters of Tygarts Valley, Buckhannon River, Stone Coat Creek, Hackers Creek, West fork River, Hughes River, Ten Mile Creek in Virginia State. That during which time he affiant pursued on the Indian Trails frequently on their retreat to their habitations in Ohio State, after having made excursions and committed theft and murders upon the (then) then settled Country through which he spied, but without ever being able to get any further redress than recovering stolen property in the first of his Servitude of nine months as a Volunteer under Captain Cornelius Bogard the winter of 1780, being an open one and favorable to the Savage Indians the volunteers were not discharged under Captain Bogard until 1781.
Then in March 1781 affiant again volunteered for eight months as a private to spy through the same Counties and Country as above enumerated namely Randolph &c on the waters of Tygarts Valley &c in Virginia State, under the same Captain Bogard, Lieutenant Adam Stalmacker, Ensign John White was stationed at Westfall's Fort (again) on Tygarts Valley River, Monongahalia [sic] County Virginia engaged upon his spiting expeditions was actively engaged during throughout that summer rescuing stolen property, pursuing Indians &c but without affiant or his company with him ever being able to kill any of the Savages.
That he was discharged in November 1781 by his Captain Bogard. In April 1782 affiant again volunteered under Captain Cunningham as a private to spy through the same Counties of (now) Randolph &c on the waters of Tygarts Valley &c in Monongalia County Virginia for six months and was again stationed at Westfall's Fort on the Tygarts Valley River, affiant again entered upon his spying excursions and during this servitude the Indians in one of their hostile visits killed five of William Lewis' family on the Tygarts Valley River, affiant was one that pursued after the Savages followed their trail 20 miles, and entirely lost any further tidings of them, and returned under Captain Cunningham who was along personally to Fort, that trip the Indians stole horses out of the Settlement. Affiant continued on his Servitude of six months for which he volunteered without any other occurrence of particular note happening and was discharged by his Captain Cunningham in October 1782. Then in April 1783 Affiant again volunteered as a private to spy through the (now) Counties of Lewis, Harrison, Tyler, Wood, &c on waters of West Fork River, Valley River, Hughes River &c (emptying in Ohio River) under Captain Stuffel Carpenter, Lieutenant James Tanner, Ensign John Brown for four months was stationed at West's [?] Fort on Hackers Creek (now in Lewis County) in Monongalia County, Virginia affiant entered vigilantly upon his spying Requisitions towards Ohio River, Remembers but one circumstance of particular note this last Servitude namely the killing of three of his neighbors and making prisoners of three more by the Indians in July 1783 which prisoners an active effort was made to save particularly by affiant, Elias and Jesse Heus [?] (two of the most renowned men of their day in defending the frontiers and surprising the enemy who out traveled the rest of those who pursued) but the Indians made such flight that they could not be overtaken, affiant continued until August 1783 spying, at which time he was discharged by his Captain Stuffle Carpenter. Affiant was never regularly placed under any Colonel, but knew Colonel Lowther [?] and Colonel Benjamin Wilson. Affiant has no documentary evidence, and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his Services. 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 & subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
S/ Samuel Stalmacker, X his mark
The said Justice of the peace then proceeded to propound to affiant the Seven Several interrogatories prescribed by the War Department to which he answered as follows Viz.:
As to the 1st affiant say as he was born in Hampshire County Virginia in the year 1763.
As to the 2nd Interrogatory, Affiant saith that he hath not.
As to the 3rd, Affiant saith that he was living in Monongalia County Virginia: that he has lived since in Randolph, that he now lives in Lewis County Virginia.
As to the 4th, Affiant saith that he volunteered.
As to the 5th, Affiant saith that he knew Captains Bogard, Cunningham & Carpenter all of whom he served under, Lieutenants Adair, Stalmacker and James Tanner & Colonels Lowther & Wilson.
As to 6th, Affiant saith that he was regularly discharged the two first tours by Captain Cornelius Bogard,
3rd by Captain Cunningham, and lastly by Captain Carpenter, but has lost or mislaid them all, so that he can't find them.
As to 7th, Affiant saith that he is known to Thomas Brown and Ezekiel Powers who can testify to his character for veracity, and their belief of his Services as a Soldier of the Revolution.
[Thomas Brown and Ezekiel Powers gave the standard supporting affidavit.]
Lewis County
Samuel Stalmaker aged 71 years served 2 years
In a conversation with this man he said that he was 71 years old in September of 1833—Cant recollect who wrote his declaration, nor does he recollect whether he qualified for it, in open Court or before a Single Magistrate—does not recollect how long he served as a soldier in the War of the Revolution nor where he done service, nor what Company or Companies he served in under what officer or officers can't recollect any of the officers names, nor the names of any of his companions in arms—don't recollect to whom he applied to get him a pension nor any thing about it—referred me to the man who how has his papers, but don't recollect who he is—corrects himself by saying that he served under Captain Bogard in Randolph County, all the service he done during the Revolutionary War was done in Randolph County—Said he had only received about Sixty five dollars out of all the money that had been redeemed [?] on his certificate, that sum he received of R. D. Camden of Weston - after the war of the Revolution closed he removed to Lewis County and after his removal was frequently out against the Indians
After the forgoing statement had been made by Stalmaker, I engaged him in conversation in reference to his settlement and history of Western Virginia—talked about the Indian troubles and all that sort of thing.
I found him to be a man of ordinary intelligence—his answers to my numerous questions were exceedingly precise [?] and shrewd and his memory of old transactions of 40 years standing. Strictly minute frequently quoting day and date, he is a harty [?] [?] man from his appearance I should think him about sixty years old, Mr. Goff my assistant thinks he may possibly be sixty five years old.
John Mitchel,1 Samuel Bennett,2 &William Powers3 (all old men exceeding 70 years) have known Stalmaker from a boy—they all say he is too young to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and that he is an imposter.
Stalmaker is one of Jonathan Wamsley's4 boys—this of itself ought almost to exclude him from the benefit of the Pension Law
Respectfully Reported
S/ W. G. Singleton
Special Agent
July 1834
______
1 This may be the John Mitchell of Lewis County, Va., who filed for a pension. FPA S5761
2 This may be Samuel Barrett of Wood County, Va., who filed for a pension. FPA S6590
3 This may be William Powers of Lewis County, Va., who filed for a pension. FPA S18164
4 Notes from the Internet: “Jonathan Wamsley of Lewis County helped many old timers to file pension claims for service
during the Revolution. Problem is, most of these were later rejected as being fraudulent.
Richard Phares says (9/97): Jonathan and Hannah fled to TX to escape prosecution after Jonathan and his brother-in-law were caught forging veteran's pension applications and as far as I know he never returned to WV.”
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/WAMSLEY/2000-10/0972920828.
http://revwarapps.org/s9487.pdf
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