|
|
|
|
|
|
John Brown -- John Cutright -- William Powers -- William Radcliff
John Brown
In the application for pension as a Revolutionary soldier, made in Lewis County, Aug. 7, 1833, it would appear that Brown was born in 1764, and was raised in Hardy County, Virginia. March 1st, 1781, he volunteered from Hampshire County, in the Virginia Militia under Capt. Michael Stump, and marched to Fredericksburg, Va., and from thence, under orders of Gen. George Weedon, to Richmond, where they encamped on the hill where the capitol now (1833) stands. He was in the command of Col. William Darke, under Gen. Porter Muhlenberg. They continued in camp about three weeks, when the enemy entered the city, and the Virginia troops retreated to Raccoon Ford, where they were joined by Gen. Anthony Wayne. The Americans then turned and drove the British back to Richmond. Wayne's army encamped for seven days near Bacon branch, preparing to make an attack, but on the morning of the intended assault, there was a dense fog, which enabled the enemy, whom Brown believed was commanded by Lord Cornwallis [correct], to escape towards New Kent Court House. The Americans pursued and came up with the enemy near New Kent, and the two armies skirmished for two days, alternately pursuing and retreating. Wayne was then joined by Gen. Lafayette, and the British retreated towards their fleet. The American forces went to Williamsburg, and later to Yorktown.
About October 1st, 1781, just prior to the surrender of Gen. Cornwallis, Brown received his discharge from Capt. Anderson, and returned home, having served seven months.
Brown then moved to (now) Lewis County, West Virginia, where he was still living in 1833. On November 1st, 1781, he was ordered out as an Indian spy by Col. Benjamin Wilson, under Capt. Christopher Carpenter, and spied in that part of Virginia, which in 1833 comprised Wood, Nicholas, Harrison and Lewis counties. He continued under Carpenter until August, 1782, when he left his company, and was commissioned an Ensign of Spies under Colonels Lowther and Wilson, and was in command of Indian spies from August 1st, 1782, to June 1st, 1783, when he ceased to act as an Ensign. Brown was allowed $146.66 per year.
Subsequently, there were doubts as to Brown's integrity and his right to a pension; and adverse testimony was taken by W. G. Singleton, U. S. District Attorney, Virginia, Nov. 4, 1834. John Waggoner, of Lewis County, had known Brown all his life. They had, when young, resided in Hardy County, and afterwards were neighbors in Lewis County. He (Waggoner) had never heard of Brown doing service as a soldier in the Revolution, nor did he believe that he did. Henry Flesher, of Harrison County, stated that Brown came to western Virginia after the close of the Revolution, at which time he was not quite grown. Flesher was of the opinion that Brown had been a soldier. Isaac Washburn, of Harrison County, had known Brown from his earliest recollection. Brown and himself had been posted or stationed at Brown's Fort (built by Brown's father) after the close of the Revolution. Brown was then a young man of twenty years or more. Edward, a younger brother of John Brown, stated "That his brother John was in service as a soldier of the Revolution for three months, but he thinks not longer."
The testimony most damaging to the claimant was made by William Powers. Mr. Powers was a man of integrity, and his statement is interesting. It reveals the military and social status of the Trans-Allegheny during the Revolution.
I quote as reported by Singleton.
"Wm Powers resided in W. Va. now Harrison Co. all the time except 1 year during the Rev. war Knew Brown in Hardy county in 1778-1779. He Powers was at school there at that time. Brown settled in w. Va. where he now [1834] lives in 1785 removed from Hardy county in that year, knows nothing of Browns Rev. service. Brown was an Indian spy after his removal to the west in 1785 as before stated. Brown was not in the settlement (w. Va) in 1782, 1783, 1784 as stated by him he could not have been without his (Powers) knowledge, there were but few in the settlement at that period, every man engaged in defending the country was known to each other. Powers knew every man able to bear arms, and almost every woman and child, the settlement to which he refers is embraced in the present limits of Harrison, Tyler, Lewis and the n. part of Kenhawhas co. having heard Browns statement read Mr Powers states confidently that Brown is mistaken. "Capt. Copelaw also argues browns statements are false.
(Signed)
W. G. Singleton
Nov. 4, 1834."
Mr. Singleton in transmitting this testimony, spoke derogatory of Brown's character, and adversely to his right to a pension. He also submitted a statement from Brown of his military services, which were at variance, in some respects with his first declaration.
[Source: pgs. 37-39, "The border settlers of northwestern Virginia from 1768 to 1795 : embracing the life of Jesse Hughes and other noted scouts of the great woods of the trans-Allegheny", by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, 1915]
John Cutright
John Cutright developed into one of the most daring scouts on the Virginia border. He was also a soldier of the Revolutionary War. In his original declaration for pension made August 7, 1832, in Lewis County (Virginia), it would appear that he was born near Moorefield, Hampshire (now Hardy County, Virginia), in 1754, but he had no record of his age. In May, 1778, he volunteered for a term of eighteen months as private in Capt. James Boothe's Company of Indian Spies, at West's Fort on Hacker's Creek. He spied throughout most of (then) Monongalia County, until Capt. Boothe was killed on Boothe's Creek June, 1779. After the death of Capt. Boothe he continued spying under the Company's Lieutenant, Edmund Freeman, until November, 1779, when his term of enlistment expired. Lieutenant Freeman left for Kentucky without officially discharging any of the Company. "The Indian hostilities continuing, Capt. George Jackson was required to raise a company to spy in the same territory of country which Capt. Boothe's Company had been spying." Cutright joined this company as a private, a few days after his service under Capt. Boothe and Lieutenant Freeman had expired. Jacob Brake, an ex-Indian captive, was Lieutenant of this company, and the afterwards notorious Timothy Dorman was Ensign. Cutright continued in the service until the latter part of 1781, and was in "several skirmishes with the Indians."
David W. Sleeth, who was in service with Cutright, testified that he once saw Cutright wounded by an Indian. Jacob Cozard [Cozad], a clergyman, and Alexander West, the scout, both testified in behalf of Cutright. His claim was allowed and on May 18, 1833, a certificate was issued granting him eighty dollars a year, dating from March 4, 1831, including back pay. Cutright was afterwards examined by Special Pension Agent Singleton, who sent the following report to the Commissioner of Pensions:
"July 3, 1834. Saw Cutright at his home, and received from him the statement here following:
Says he will be 79 years old in August next, born on south branch of Potomac; was brought west of the Alleghany mountains when 8 years old and settled on the place where he now lives. He enlisted under Capt. Booth for twelve months. Joined his company at Nutter's Fort in the Spring; in the Fall removed to West's Fort. Remained there until his time expired. That was in the year in which Capt. Booth was killed, and before the war of the Revolution had commenced. After the commencement of the war of the Rev. and whilst residing at Buckhannon Fort (Lewis Co.) he was drafted for an 18 mos. tour. He refused to go. A Col. Wilson who then resided in Tiger's Valley sent a guard of men after him, caught him, tied him and marched him to Staunton. A Sergeant Lack commanded the guard. On reaching Staunton, he enlisted under a Capt. Matthews for two years. Matthews enlisted 6 men including himself. They were sent on under Sergeant Samuel Warner to join Washington's main army then at the White Plains. They set out from Staunton in the summer, went through Winchester, Reading, Philadelphia; on getting to Phil, rested 4 days in the Barracks, set out again and pushed on without stopping until they joined the main army at the White Plains. The original number 6 was neither increased or diminished on the march above mentioned. Joined the main army in July. The army marched from the White Plains to West Point and from there to Middlebrook where it went into winter quarters. Remained there till warm weather. When part of the army (himself included) about 100 in number went up the North river as a guard. Gone at least 2 weeks. Can't recollect who commanded the guard nor the name of any officer that was along on that occasion. On returning was sent to a bridge on the North river where a colonel's (don't recollect his name) baggage had been broken down as a guard, remained there about a month. Think there were 10 or 12 of them. They were under the command of Sergeant Campbell, The main army marched from Middlebrook but can't recollect where. It got back to West Point where his time expired and where he got his discharge and returned home. His discharge was signed by a Colonel, whose name he don't recollect. On his way home met General Washington who also signed his discharge. Can't recollect the years in which the service above described was done.
"I have been unable to procure any evidence in reference to this man. Com-paring his statement here given with his declaration it may be readily discerned whether or not he is an imposter.
W. G. Singleton, S. A."
Owing to the marked discrepancies between his original declaration and his statement to Singleton, Cutright's name was stricken from the pension roll, along with several others, from Lewis County, who were not entitled to pensions. Subsequent investigation evoked the fact that Cutright had never enlisted in Capt. Jackson's Company of Scouts. Mr. Johnson F. Nowlan, Nculan or Naulon (name uncertain), who was Cutright's agent or attorney, visited him at his home and drew up his declaration for pension, and unknown to the scout, who could neither read nor write, and for the purpose of strengthening his case, added that part of it which alleges service with Capt. Jackson. For this work, Cutright was forced to pay to the unscrupulous attorney, eighty dollars from the first money drawn.
It now devolved upon Cutright to substantiate his Revolutionary record, as it had developed that those who served as border scouts alone were not entitled to pension. On August 20, 1835, Solomon Ryan testified in behalf of Cutright, corroborating the statement of the old soldier to Singleton. The following testimony is of historic interest, and I give it unabridged:
"Lewis County Va.
"Susanna Stalnaker, in the 70th year of her age appeared before me the subscribed, one of the Commonwealth's Justice of the Peace for said county, and being sworn as the law directs, sayeth that she believes that it was about the year 1778. John Cutright was taken from the fort on Buckhannon, where she then lived, as a soldier draughted from Capt. Samuel Pringle's Company for a term of 18 months against the British, and to the best of her recollection it was 2 years before he returned, and the next spring after his return he was wounded by the Indian, when on pursuit of them when they had committed depredations near the place where they were then posted. She also remembers hearing some one that returned from taking them to Staunton say that the above mentioned Cutright being dissatisfied with his officers, he enlisted for two years' service, at Staunton, Augusta Co. (Va.)
(Signed) Susanna Stalnaker - Her Mark X
Sworn to August 1835. William Powers, J. P."
Cutright was restored to the pension roll, but at the reduced rate of $43.33 per year from March 4, 1834, until his death, March 8, 1850.
It will be noted that Cutright could not recall the years in which his service in the army occurred, nor is it probable that the date can at this time be fixed.
[Source: pgs. 97-99, "The border settlers of northwestern Virginia from 1768 to 1795 : embracing the life of Jesse Hughes and other noted scouts of the great woods of the trans-Allegheny", by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, 1915]
William Powers
William Powers was born in Frederick County, Virginia, November 9, 1765. He came with his father, John Powers, to Simpson's Creek, a tributary of the West Fork, where, in 1781, a certificate of homestead entry was granted "John Powers, 400 acres on Simpson's Creek, adjoining lands of James Anderson, to include his settlement made in 1772."
William Powers at a very early age became a scout of prominence. In March, 1781, when but fifteen years old, he enlisted for nine months (during the scouting season) in Captain Joseph Gregory's Company of Indian spies; place of enlistment, Monongalia County, Virginia. March 2, 1782, he re-enlisted for the same length of time, in the same company. During this time, he was stationed, at Power's Fort (probably named for his father) on Simpson's Creek, and was engaged in spying from that fort to the Ohio River and over the territory that afterwards comprised the counties of Ohio, Tyler, Wood, Lewis, Harrison, and Randolph. In March, 1783, he was made ensign of a company of scouts until the first day of September, following. During this enlistment he was engaged in scouting throughout Monongalia County. .............
Powers, in His declaration for pension, October 1st, 1833, states that it was in 1781 that John Owens and John Juggins were killed by Indians on Booth's Creek, in (now) Harrison County. Withers says that this tragedy occurred in June, 1780. Powers also states that it was in 1782, that the Indians killed James Owens, and took prisoner Gilbert Hostead (Hustead) in the same region. This is again in contradiction of Withers, who gives the dates of these transactions as 1778. In March, 1783, he enlisted for the third time, and was elected Ensign, or Second Lieutenant of scouts, by his company. On April 4th he marched from Powers Fort to the mouth of Bingamon Creek, in now Harrison County, where he "stationed part of his men on the site of an old Indian town;" the remaining ones he stationed "at the mouth of Jones Run, a branch of Ten Mile Creek, about thirty miles from Bingamon Creek." These men he left to make regular scouting tours, while he traveled from station to station in the capacity of commander. During this season Indians came to the neighborhood of Simpson Creek and stole several horses belonging to Major Benjamin Robinson, who with others made a fruitless pursuit of the marauders. This was evidently the Major Robinson mentioned by Withers. Powers disbanded his men in September, 1783.
Powers' discharge papers, with his commission of Ensign, were all misplaced, or lost in a fire which destroyed his house with its contents. John Brown and John Schoolcraft both testified to the good character and veracity of William Powers, who also gave as reference Alexander West and Adam Flesher. Powers was granted a pension, but in April, 1840, John H. Hays, of McWhorter's Mills, Lewis County, Virginia, contrived to have it stopped by reporting to the Pension Office that Powers was not entitled to a pension. In his protest Hays mentions the "Messrs. Bonnetts,Adam Flesher, Hezekiah Hess and several others" who had been granted pensions for services similar to those of Mr. Powers, but later their names had been dropped from the list, and they required to refund the amounts paid them.
Notwithstanding Hays had declared to the Pension Office his ability and intention of proving his charges by affidavits, only one, that of Phoebe Cunningham, was submitted. Her testimony was "that she was acquainted with William Powers since the close of the Revolutionary War and believes that he was about thirteen years of age." Sworn to April 1st, 1840, before James Malone, Justice of the Peace for Lewis County, Virginia. In October of the same year, in response to an inquiry, Powers received official notice that his pension was stopped, but it seems he took no immediate steps to have his name restored.
On the 16th of December, 1846, the following testimony in behalf of Powers was forwarded from Weston, Lewis County, Va., to the Commissioner of Pensions:
Sir:
"I have been acquainted with William Powers for more than 30 years. He has acted as Sheriff for Lewis County, Va., and has discharged the duties of a Justice of the Peace in Harrison and Lewis counties for more than 30 years. He stands well before the community where he is acquainted, as an honest and upright man and I believe that any statement he would make under oath or otherwise would be believed by those who are acquainted with him. I will add that John H. Hays is a man of bad character and not to be relied on."
(Signed) J. McWhorter.
A similar letter was signed by Weedon Hoffman, Minter Bailey, Levi Maxwell, William I. Bland, John Lorentz, and Thomas Bland, all men of unquestionable repute. At length the case was referred to the Secretary of the Interior with the following result:
"Department of the Interior
October 28, 1850.
J. L. Edwards, Ksq.,
Commissioner of Pensions.
Sir:
"I herewith return the papers in the case of William Powers, Esq., of Lewis County, Va., and I am of the opinion that his name should be restored to the Pension roll under the Act of June 7, 1732, at $80.00 per annum from the period when he was last paid.
"From examination of papers I can find no ground for the action of the Pension Office, but on the contrary the U. S. District Attorney for the Western District of Virginia who was especially charged with an examination of the case, reported in writing that Mr. Powers was entitled to his pension, and recommended his continuance, whilst the individual who was instrumental in his being stricken from the roll is shown by the records of Lewis County to have committed crime for which he was indicted by the Grand Jury, and is returned by the Sheriff as a fugitive from justice. I am, very respectfully Your obedient servant,
Alex. H. H. Stuart, Secy."
Thus, after a period of ten years, the name of William Powers was restored to the pension roll. The offense for which Hays was indicted was forgery, committed August 1st, 1841. He moved to the Northwest and was never apprehended. It is probable that he located on Military Bounty Lands, for it is found that in 1841 he was negotiating for 4000 acres due Captain John Baily, or heirs, as a Revolutionary soldier, Virginia Line.
......... William Powers was about five feet six inches in height, well built, spare and very erect, even at eighty-nine. His complexion was light with dark hair. He married Hannah Stout, a sister of Dr. Hezekiah Stout, and settled near West's Fort. He died June 6, 1856, and was buried under the honors of war in the Broad Run Cemetery, Lewis County, West Va. His wife is also buried there.
Their children were:
Thomas, married Millie Hart; John, married Percella Chenverout; Ezekiel, married Miss - Jones; Benjamin, married Miss - Stout; William, Jr., married Charity Paxton, second wife, Miss Lightburn, sister to Gen. Joseph Lightburn; Sarah, married Abel Bond; Prudence, married Richard Bond; Margaret, married Eli Vanhorne.
Abel and Richard Bond were brothers; sons of Richard Bond, a son of Samuel Bond, native of England, and whose descent can be traced to the nobility of knighthood.
[Source: pgs. 42-46, "The border settlers of northwestern Virginia from 1768 to 1795 : embracing the life of Jesse Hughes and other noted scouts of the great woods of the trans-Allegheny", by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, 1915]
William Radcliff
One William Radcliff was a pensioner of the Revolutionary War, whose certificate for eighty dollars per year was issued May 16, 1833, at which time he was a resident of Lewis County, Virginia. His original declaration for pension is missing, and the only narrative of his services that we find is from Special Pension Agent, W. G. Singleton, in his report to the Commissioner of Pensions, after a re-examination of Radcliff in 1834.
Singleton's Report:
"In a conversation between Radcliff and Weeden Hoffman, Radcliff states that he only served six months in the war and that he only claimed six months' service in his declaration.
"On July 30th I saw Radcliff and received from him the following narrative of his services in the Revolutionary War. In his sixteenth or seventeenth year of age, he served as substitute in the place of Adam Harpole for two months, and marched from Hardy County, Virginia, under he don't recollect whom nor where to, and immediately after the defeat of Cornwallis at Little Fort, Virginia, he marched from Hardy County to Winchester, Virginia, under Capt. James Stephenson, and served under him at latter place for two months, guarding the British prisoners. Capt. Stephanson's company, except five or six men including himself, were discharged at the end of two months, at which time Capt. Jas. Berry came to Winchester with a company. Himself and the four or five men above mentioned were attached to Capt. Joseph Berry's company and served under him, guarding the prisoners for two months. Then Capt. Berry's company (except the five or six men including himself above mentioned) was discharged; then the five or six men including himself were attached to Capt. James Simeral's company and served under him two months. A Colonel Kennedy commanded at Winchester thinks he went to Winchester about October 1st and got his discharge about May 20th, which was signed by Col. Joseph Holm's captain. Wamsley with his declaration expects that the narrative now given is the same given to Wamsley by contract. Wamsley was to have the half of the first pay drawn."
(Signed) His Mark. X William Radcliff.
Witnesses: Nathan Goff.
Note: "The statement of Radcliff is untrue in all particulars except as to the contract with Wamsley. This is one of the cases upon which suit has been instituted. The original papers are missing."
(Signed)
November 1, 1834. W. G. Singleton.
[Source: "The border settlers of northwestern Virginia from 1768 to 1795 : embracing the life of Jesse Hughes and other noted scouts of the great woods of the trans-Allegheny", by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, 1915]
© Genealogy Trails