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The following excerpts describe the Revolutionary War service of William Hurst, a horseman in Lochry's Expedition against the Ohio Indians in 1781. Hurst was captured when the expedition was defeated on the Ohio River August 24, 1781. He was held prisoner roughly eighteen months first by the Indians--who planned to burn him at the stake until ransomed by the British--and then by the British before being exchanged at New York City in December 1782. He returned home to Westmoreland in January 1783. The following 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 Hurst's pension file (not transcribed or shown) is devoted his seeking to retain his pension when he moved from Indiana to Illinois in 1835, and to requests for his pension record from relatives. A complete account of Lochry's Expedition including the testimony of other participants is available here.
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The State of Indiana
Washington County ct
In the Probate Court of Washington County September Term 1832
On this 12th day of November 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Probate Court of said County now sitting, being a court record, William Hurst born some time in the year 1755 in Berkeley County in the State of Virginia 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 the June 7, 1832 –
That he entered the service of United States under the following named officers and served as here in after stated
That in the month of July 1780 in the County of Westmoreland in the State of Pennsylvania, he entered into the service of the United States as a volunteer in a corps of Horsemen in a company commanded by Capt. William Campbell in a regiment commanded by Colonel Archibald Loughery and furnished his horse and equipment at his own individual expense, the destination of which mounted corps was to join Genl. George Rogers Clark in his expedition against the British posts in the then Northwestern Territory and intended to have joined him at Wheeling but when they arrived there are they found he had proceeded on down the river, upon which they immediately embarked and followed on after him with the intention of overtaking and joining him and that they had proceeded as far down the river as the mouth of Loughery Creek or river, where they were attacked by a body
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of Indians and about one half of them killed & the rest taken prisoners and among the killed were Colonel Loughery and Capt. Campbell – From there he was taken by the Indians to old Chillicothe thence to an Indian Village the residence of McKee a White Chief by whom he was ransomed from the Indians who had condemned him to be burnt alive – That from thence he was taken to Detroit in the charge of one Elliot another White Chief to whose care he had been delivered by the said McKee – That he remained at Detroit as a prisoner in until sometime about the first of May next following – when he (inserted: was) put on board a vessel and conveyed down to the Falls of Niagara, where he was landed and traveled around the falls on foot, then was re-embarked on Lake Ontario and carried down it and then down the St. Lawrence to a place near Montreal, where he remained still as a prisoner of war in until he was exchanged and sent home to the United States and was landed at the city of New York about Christmas 1781 and within about one month (inserted: afterwards) he again reached home in Westmoreland County Pennsylvania making in ?? from the Time he first volunteered into the above service in July 1781 to the time of arriving at home in January 1782 about a period of 18 months and upwards – That he believes his age was put down by his father in the family bible, but his father having married a 2nd wife by whom he has some younger children the said bible fell into their hands in consequence of which he is not able to produce any record of his age, but from the best information received from his parents he verily believes his age to be
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correct as above stated – He has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service as aforesaid – having a never rec’d any discharge – He states that after the close of the Revolutionary War he continued to live four years in Westmoreland County Penn after which he removed to Fayette County Kentucky where he lived about thirty years and from there about fifteen years ago he removed to Washington county Indiana where he at this time resides –
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
Subscribed and Sworn to the day and year aforesaid
William (his mark) Hurst
We Joel Coombs and Henry Dawatt of the County of Washington aforesaid do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with William Hurst who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be 77 years of age, that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a Soldier of the Revolution & that we concur in that opinion –
Sworn & Subscribed the day year aforesaid
Joel Coombs
Henry Dawatt
And the sad Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department that the above named
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applicant was a revolutionary soldier and served as he states – And the court further certify that it appears to them that Joel Coombs and Henry Dawatt who have signed the preceding Certificate are residents of the County of Washington and State of Indiana and are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit
I William M? Carter clerk of the said Probate Court of Washington County in the State of Indiana do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of William Hurst for a pension
In testimony where of I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 12th day of November 1832
Wm M? Carter clk |
Fisher Family Genealogy
