Fisher Family Genealogy

Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. W4079, Thomas Stokely



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  • Title Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. W4079, Thomas Stokely 
    Short Title Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. W4079, Thomas Stokely 
    Publisher National Archives, Textual Reference Branch  
    Call Number Revolutionary War pension No. W4079 
    Repository National Archives 
    Source ID S409 
    Text Thomas Stokely served as a Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain in many battles of the Revolutionary War including Brandywine Germantown, Paoli, and important to Fisher genealogy, Lochry's Expedition. His military service is summarized in the 1841 pension declaration of his widow Elizabeth Stokely. Thomas Stokely testifies in support of pension applications for several fellow members Lochry's Expeditions including Robert Orr, ..., but his pension file suggests he never filed for pension himself before his death in 1824. Stokely's pension file is instead devoted entirely to his wife's efforts to secure and maintain a widow's pension for his service under the Pension Act of July 7, 1838.

    Regarding Stokely's service in Lochry's expedition, Elizabeth Stokely relates that Stokely raised a company of Rangers in service of General Clark and Colonel Lochry's expedition against the Indians of Ohio in August, 1781. The expedition was attacked and defeated by an Indian ambush on August 24, 1781. Stokely survived and was taken prisoner. He was marched to Detroit "suffering incredible hardships & cruelties from his Savage Captors." He was then turned over to the British and imprisoned. Stokely was later moved to Montreal and again imprisoned "until the close of the year 1782, being a period of about fourteen months, & a part of the time in irons." Stokely was released in early 1783 in an exchange of prisoners in New York (state). "He arrived in Philadelphia in the year 1783 in a very forlorn and destitute condition but immediately on his return to the Western Country he again raised a company for the defense of the frontiers & continued to do his duty until the close of the War of the Revolution & on the first day of July 1783."

    In addition to Elizabeth's deposition, Stokely's file is unique in containing extracts of minutes from the Supreme Executive Council for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ordering Stokely in February 1781 to form the company of Rangers that later served on Lochry's Expedition, ordering payment to Stokely and a Captain Robert Hughes on their return from captivity in June 1783, and finally orders to discharge the Ranger companies near the close of the Revolutionary War in July 1783.

    All transcriptions are faithful to the originals, which often feature poor penmanship, spelling errors, unusual grammar, and little punctuation. The remainder of Stokely's pension file (see pdf attached) contains routine correspondence concerning his wife's petition and payments, and various records requests for information from his pension file.

    A complete account of Lochry's Expedition including the testimony of other participants is available here.


    (page 4) —————

    State of Ohio Jefferson County SS

    On this first day of March Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred & forty one personally appeared before me the undersigned a judge of the Court of Common Pleas with in & for The County of Jefferson aforesaid Mrs. Elizabeth Stokely a Resident of said County of Jefferson and the widow of Col. Thomas Stokely dec’d age seventy five years & eleven months who being duly sworn first, according to law, doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the pension made by the Act of Congress passed July 7th 1838 entitled “An act granting half pay & pensions to certain widows .”That she is the widow of Thomas Stokely who was a non-commissioned officer in the Regular Army of United States, & afterwords a Captain of Rangers in the service of the state of Pennsylvania, & served on the frontiers, & in the Revolutionary Army as near as your deponent can now state as follows Thomas Stokely entered the service of the Confederated States on the 12th day of August A.D. 1776, enlisted many soldiers, & became First Sergeant of Captain Piggot’s [James Piggot] Company in the Battalion commanded by Col. Enos McCoy [Aneas Mackey], of which company one Nehemiah Stokely, a near relation of said Thomas Stokely, was a Lieutenant – Sergeant. Stokely marched with his Company and Regiment to Kittaning on the River Allegheny in the fall of 1776 & there assisted to build a Fort. After the reverses and disasters of the Grand

    (page 5) —————

    Army of Revolution in the Jerseys, Sergeant. Stokely marched with his Company and Regiment from the Allegheny River, In midwinter to reinforce that Army, & they arrived in Philadelphia in January, where the first articles for the use of the camp were drawn His Company and Regiment joined the lines of the Grand Camp at New Brunswick & remained in full Service and on duty untill May – during which time Col. E. McCoy & Lieut. Col. George Wilson of the Regiment died & Col. Daniel Broadhead took command of that same Regiment Your Relator is informed that it was the 8th Regiment & formed a part of the 88 Battalion which formed the Pennsylvania quota for the United or Confederated States Service in the Revolutionary war & She believes he was in service for two years in the Regular Line Sergeant. Stokely served under the command of Gen. Wayne (inserted was) in the battles of Brandywine German Town & at the Skirmish war massacre at the Paoli - At the latter place he had the good fortune to save the life of his Colonel – He remained in the line of the Regular Army until sometime in the year 1778 – in the latter year he was appointed an Ensign of a company of New Levies call Rangers for the defence of the Frontiers against the Indians – He continued in this service during the remainder of that year & the years 1779 and 1780. He commanded a company of the same kind of light troops then called “Rangers”, which he enlisted, organized and disciplined himself for the defense of the Frontiers against the constant

    (page 6) —————

    incursions of the Savages – In March A.D. 1781 he raised a new Company for the same purpose, which were enlisted for & during the War In August of that year, being ordered & invited to join Col. Clark in his expedition against the Western Indian Towns, in the attempt to do so with his company, he & they were attacked, defeated, & the survivors taken prisoner by the Indians on the Ohio River near the mouth of the Siota River After marching on foot from thence to Detroit suffering incredible hardships & cruelties from his Savage Captors, he was delivered into the hands of the British Authorities of Canada by Capt. Brant whose captive & slave he had been since that time of his capture by the Indians He was conveyed by the British Authorities to Montreal and there imprisoned, on account of some harsh Retaliatory Measures between the two Countries until the close of the year 1782, being a period of about fourteen months, & a part of the time in irons. Out of forty five officers closely confined at Montreal he was one of only nineteen who survived the rigorswant of air & provisions during that cruel confinement On 15th of October A.D. 1782 he was put on board a Cartel with other prisoners & Sent to New York – He arrived in Philadelphia in the year 1783 in a very forlorn and destitute condition but immediately on his return to the Western Country he again raised a company for the defense of the frontiers & continued to do his duty until the close of the War of the Revolution & on the first day of July 1783 he & his company were honorably discharged from Service with the thanks of the Public.

    (page 7) —————

    Said Thomas Stokely resided in Westmoreland County Pennsylvania at the time he entered the service of the United States in the Continental Army – He was a Volunteer in the Service – And the Documentary evidence of the claim is, so far as it yet remains forwarded or referred to – Said Thos Stokely died in Washington County Penna on the 25th day of July A.D. 1824, & he was married to this Relator on the 9th day of June in A.D. 1788 (seventeen hundred & eighty=eight) She further declares that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the first of January seventeen hundred & ninety four viz. at the time above stated And she has never Since been married, but continuous the widow of the Said Thomas Stokely who service is proved by the affidavits of Joseph Pyles – Said Stokely never was a Pensioner

    Elizbth Stokely

    State of Ohio Jefferson County SS
    I do hereby certify that Mrs. Elizabeth Stokely did personally appear before me at the County aforesaid & was duly sworn to the truth of the facts stated in the above declaration, in which in the second page the word “was” was interlined & the words “some time in” written on “rasure” before the saying was Sworn to – and I further certify that Said Elizabeth Stokely is unable, by reason of bodily infirmity & age to attend in Court – Sworn and Subscribed this 1st day of March A.D. 1841 Before me
    N Dike Esq?
    Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in aforesaid County

    (page 15) —————

    I certify that it appears from the Documents in this Office that Thomas Stokely was Captain of a Company of Seven Marks Men in Westmoreland County in the year 1780
    Sam Bryan
    Comptroller Sens office
    29th of January 1803

    NB These 7 months men were not Discharged When the Term was Expired But remained some time in Service afterwards
    Thomas Stokely

    (page 31) —————

    No. 1

    In Council Saturday, February 10th 1781

    Present Honourable William Moore, Esquire., Vice president W. Read, W. Gardner, W. Potter, W. Van Campen and W. Piper

    The council taking into consideration the appointing officers for the four companies of Rangers to be raised in this State for the defence of the Frontiers — On consideration
    Resolved, That the following gentlemen be appointed and commissioned accordingly viz. Thomas Robinson Captain, Moses Van Camp Lieutenant and (blank) Ensign of the Company to be raised in the County of Northumberland.
    Thomas Stokely Captain, John Cummins Lieutenant and (blank) Ensign of the Company to be raised in the County of Westmoreland —
    Philip Shrawder Captain, Jacob Kreamer Lieutenant and (blank) Ensign of the company to be raised in the County of Northhampton
    John Boyd Captain, Richard Johnston Lieutenant and (blank) Ensign of the Company to be raised in the County of Bedford. —
    The foregoing are true Extracts
    January 28th 1818
    James Trimble
    Deputy Sectry

    (page 32) —————

    No. 2

    Extracts from the Minutes of the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

    "The Council met
    Philadelphia Thursday, January 2nd 1783

    Present The Honorable James Ewing Esquire Vice president, Honorable James Irvine, George Wall, Sebastian Levan, John Piper} Esquires

    A petition from Thomas Stokely and John Boyd Esquires, Captains of two of the ranging Companies on the Western frontiers of this State. Setting forth that they have just returned from captivity, entirely destitute of money, and almost so of cloathing and praying some relief from this Board, was read – and Thereupon Ordered That warrants be drawn on the Treasurer in favor of the said Thomas Stokely and John Boyd for the sum of fifty pounds specific each, in part of their pay for which they respectively are too account."

    ——————————

    The Council met
    Philadelphia (inserted Friday) June 6th 1783

    Present his Excellency John Dickinson Esquire President, The Honorable. James Irving esquire, Vice President James Irvine, John Byers, George Wall junior Esq.
    Upon consideration Ordered, That the Bedford Westmoreland and Washington ranging companies be immediately discharged from the service of the State, but that in a settlement of accounts, they be entitled to pay and rations till the first day of July next. It is expected that Captains Boyd and Stokely will come prepared to settle with the Comptroller General for the whole. The oldest officer of the Company lately commanded by Captain John Hughes is therefore directed to put all of his vouchers & etc. into the hands of these gentlemen. - The corps is also informed that Council under a sense of their many services will take some early moment to call the attention of the Assembly to their situation, and that no disposition, for good offices Shall be wanting to render it as easy as possible.

    ——————————

    Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth

    I certify that the foregoing are true Extracts. In Testimony where of I have hereunto set my hand and seal the twenty eight day of January one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
    James Trimble
    Deputy Sectry 

  • Documents
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 4)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 4)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 5)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 5)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 6)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 6)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 7)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 7)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 15)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 15)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 31)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 31)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 32)
    Military: Stokely, Thomas - Revolutionary War pension file (p 32)
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Thomas Stokely
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Thomas Stokely

  •  Notes 
    • Images from Fold3.com
      Original data:
      Publisher: NARA
      National Archives Catalog ID: 300022
      National Archives Catalog Title: Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, compiled ca. 1800 - ca. 1912, documenting the period ca. 1775 - ca. 1900
      Record Group: 15
      Short Description: NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files.
      State: Pennsylvania
      Veteran Surname: Stokely
      Veteran Given Name: Thomas
      Pensioner Surname: Stokely
      Pensioner Given Name: Elizabeth
      Service: Penn.
      Pension Number: W. 4079