Fisher Family Genealogy

Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. S22413, Samuel Murphy



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  • Title Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. S22413, Samuel Murphy 
    Short Title Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. S22413, Samuel Murphy 
    Publisher National Archives Textural Reference Branch 
    Call Number Pub No M804, Pension No S22413 
    Repository National Archives 
    Source ID S495 
    Text The following excerpts (highlighted in blue) from Samuel Murphy's Revolutionary War pension file describe his service in Lochry's Expedition of 1781. Samuel Murphy was an indentured apprentice (trade unknown) before becoming a career soldier in 1775. He served under many officers in many regiments before volunteering in 1781 to join General Clark's expedition to the Falls of the Ohio (at present day Lexington, KY) under Captain Field. While he does not mention Colonel Lochry by name, Murphy was part of Lochry's Batallion when it was attacked and defeated by Iroquois, Shawnee, and Wyandot warriors led by Joseph Brant near the mouth of the Big Miami River on 24 Aug 1781 per the list of soldiers killed and taken prisoner from Lochry's Battalion held by the British Museum. (Curiously Murphy gives the date of Lochry's defeat as 13 Sept 1781.) During the battle Murphy reports being wounded in the left hip. Like Mathias Fisher he recounts being taken prisoner and held in the Indian villages of Ohio for several months, then sold to the British at Detroit. Murphy states he was transported to and imprisoned at "Prisoner's Island," located at present day Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec, Canada, Murphy states that on 11 July 1782 "he in company with Ezekal Louis (Ezekiel Lewis) made his escape and returned home having been absent about one year." He makes no mention of others in the escape perhaps because of the escapees only Ezekiel was present in court at his declaration for pension. The timing and circumstances of Murphy's statement match declarations of escape in the pension applications of Ezekiel Lewis and Mathias Fisher. Mathias Fisher mentions Murphy in his account:
    ...about the 13th of July 1782 as I believe myself and four other American prisoners to wit Ezekiel Lewis, Samuel Murphy and James Dougherty & George Bailey...made our escape in the night by knifing the guard and constructing a small raft out of drift wood found at the head of the Island on which we drifted about five miles before we got to land and that was on the Cana Shore where we concealed ourselves during the day & at night got a canoe and crossed to the American Shore and steered for Lake Champlain which we struck at the mouth of Otter creek and crossed the lake on a raft, which we thought was about four mile broad at that place. We then went to Pittsford in Vermont and to Allentown where Governor Chittendon lived from whom we got a pass and went to Newbury the headquarters of General Washington from thence thru Jersey – to Eastern Penna from whence I returned to my home in Westmoreland County Penna which was about the 12th of September (1782).
    After returning home, Murphy remained a soldier until 1795.

    All transcriptions are as faithful to the source material as possible including spelling oddities (Colonel Lochry's name is frequently miss-spelled) and punctuation (often lacking). The remainder of Murphy's pension file (not transcribed or shown) is devoted to correspondence relating to his pension application and requests for information from his pension file. A complete account of Lochry's Expedition including the testimony of other participants is available here.



    (page 6) —————

    State of Pennsylvania
    County of Armstrong SS

    On this Eighteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight Hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before his Honor John Young and his associate judges of the Court of Common pleas of Armstrong County now Sitting Samuel Murphy a resident of Buffalow Township in Said County of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania aged seventy years on 12 day May last past who having 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 he enlisted in Westmoreland County in the year 1775 under Captain John Stevenson and marched to wenchester Virginia and from there to Williamsburg from thence to the great bridge (1) thence back to Suffolk where we joined the Eight Virginia Redgt Commanded Colonel Peter Mulenburg (Muhlenburg) then marched to Charleston South Carolina and was there the day that Independence was declared from thence we marched to Savannah Georgia and was Sent to a place called Sanasbury - at this time my first enlistment expired havens served one year and in the year 1777 he enlisted under Capt Robert Bell for the term of three years and marched Fort Pitt and joined the 13th Virginia Redgt Commanded by Col John Gibson and Major Sindsend? was at the battle of Ports Mouth and 28th day January 1780 he was discharged at Petesburg (Petersburg) by Conl Gibson which said discharg I afterward gave to Conll John Gibson at Petesburg in the 1781 he turned out? a volunteer under Capt Benjamin Field and went under General Clark to the falls of the Ohio - and on the 13 Sept 1781 he was taken and receved a wound in the left hip which lames? him at this time prisoner by the Indians and taken to Detroyt (Detroit) and some time in November of the same year he was sold to the British and was taken to a place Cald prisoners Island and on the 11th day July 1782 he in company with Ezekal Louis (Ezekiel Lewis) made his escape and returned home having been absent about one year for which last served has not received one of anything and in the year 1792 he was out? under

    (page 7) —————

    Capt John Guthory in the State? Serves for the term of six months and in the year 1793 he was Lieutenant in Capt Patterson? Company and served a tour for six months against the Indians and in 1794 he served under Capt Denny a tour of six months and in 1795 he served Capt Buckhanes? as Lieut for six months
    He hereby relinquishes every Claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the persent and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State or ?
    Sworn and Subscribed in open Court the day and year aforsa
    Fredk Rohrer Pro Samuel Murphy (his mark)

    We Ezecal Louis (Ezekiel Lewis) and Robert Orr Esq residing in the County of Armstrong Do hereby Certify that we are well acquainted with Samuel Murphy who has resided in this County to our knowled for more? than thirty years who has Sworn and Subscribed to the above declaration that we believe him to be seventy five years age that he his reputed and beloved in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion and further we to our personal knowledg knew him to have been a prisoner with the Indians for a long time
    Sworn and Subscribed in open court the day and year aforesaid
    Fredk Rohrer Pro
    Robert Orr
    Ezekiel Lewis

    (page 8) —————

    Armstrong County SS
    and this said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogations prescribed by the war Department that the forenamed applicant was a revolutionary Soldier and Served as he Stated and the Court further Certify that it appears to them that (a lot crossed out) who has signed the preceding certificate is one of the associate Judes (Judges) of the Court residing in the County and that Ezecal Louis who also has signed the same is a residant of the County and that he is a creadible (credible) person and that here statement is entitled to credit
    John Young
    Robert Orr
    Joseph Rankin

    Questions put by the Court
    1. where and in what year was you born
    Answered was born in Fredric County Virginia in the year AD 1758
    2 Have you any record of your age
    Ans none save my indenture stating my age as I was bound an apprentice (?)
    3 where were you living when cald out to serves &where have lived hence the revolution and where do you now live
    Ans I lived on Jacobs Creek in what was then Bedford County Since that I have lived most of the time in Armstrong County I have more than thirty years where I swam in the allegheny river
    4 How were you cald into the service were you drafted and you volunteer or were you as Substitute
    Ans I was at no time Substitute and all the Registrations? are answered in my application

    (page 9) —————

    5 State some of the names of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served Such and militia regiments as you can recall with
    As. all this the above questions are answered in this my application
    6th Dis you ever secure a discharge
    As. I did and gave it to Colonel John Gibson
    7 I did you ever receive a command
    I Red as ? receive a Lieutenant command (unreadable) of which are last
    State the name of Several persons to whom you are known - I am acquainted with the Honr Wm Wilkins the Honourable Herman Denny and others of Petesburg

    Application of Samuel Murphy for Pension (on center fold)

    Pennsylvania
    Armstrong County ?
    I Frederick Rohrer, Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas of Armstrong County, State of Pennsylvania, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said court in the matter of the application of Samuel Murphy, for a Pension In testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand and seal of office, at Kittanning, the 24th day of September, A. D. 1832
    Fredk Rohrer Pro
     

  • Documents
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy - p6
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy - p6
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy - p7
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy - p7
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy - p8
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy - p8
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy - p9
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy - p9
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Samuel Murphy

  •  Notes 
    • Images from Fold3.com
      Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files
      Content Source: The National Archives
      Publication Number: M804
      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
      Publisher: NARA
      Record Group: 15
      Roll: 1794