| Text |
In the following excerpts (highlighted in blue) describe Henry Frank’s participation in Lochry's Expedition against the Ohio Indians in 1781. Like the narratives of William Roark, Jacob Lawrence and Abraham Hiley, Franks' narrative conflicts with the diary of Lieutenant Isaac Anderson, believed to be the most accurate account of the expedition. Anderson’s diary suggests that Franks was a deserter. Franks states that he was drafted under Captain Michael Catt and Lieutenant Melekia Baker in Fayette County, Virginia. He was then marched to WheeIng, joined General Clark's Army and proceeded down the Ohio with Clark to the Little Kanawha River where he then joined Lochry's regiment following behind Clark. Anderson's diary (see here and here) suggests that Catt, Baker and company did not "join" Lochry's regiment but were instead captured by Lochry deserting from Clark's army. Anderson's Aug 13 entry reads, "Moved down to Fishing creek; we took up Lieut. Baker and 16 men, deserting from Gen. Clark..." Baker's company including Franks was forced to join Lochry's regiment and continue down the Ohio until the expedition was defeated by an Indian attack August 24, 1781. According to Franks, he was captured by the Indians, adopted by a Shawnee named Tuton Kau Saw? (Thigh Bone of a Bear) for several months, then turned over to the British. In 1783, he was transported to New York and released with two other members of Baker's company, including Jacob Lawrence and George Mason, as part of a prisoner exchange with the British. Christian Fast, also a member of Baker's company, testifies in support of Franks' pension application on page 29 of Franks' pension file.
All transcriptions are as faithful to the source material as possible including spelling oddities (Colonel Lochry's name is frequently miss-spelled), poor grammar and punctuation (which is often lacking). The remainder of Franks' pension file (not transcribed or shown) is devoted to other correspondence related to his pension application, and requests for his pension file by relations in the early 1900s. A complete account of Lochry's Expedition including the testimony of other participants is available here.
(page 3) ----------
State of Ohio
Wayne County
On the third day of September AD 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Supreme Court now sitting at Wooster in and for the said County of Wayne and state of Ohio Henry Franks a resident of the Township of Chippeway in the said County of Wayne and State of New York and State of Ohio, aged sixty nine years who being first duly sworn, 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 United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. Captain (inserted: Michael) Catt commanded the company and Melchia Baker was is the Lieutenant. This deponent was drafted on the 29th day of June 1781 (as near as he can now recollect) that he then resided in German Township Fayette County and State of Pennsylvania That shortly after this deponent was drafted he was marched with his company to Wheeling Virginia where he joined the Army commanded by General George Clark and proceeded down the Ohio River (inserted: with said Army) as far as the Little Kanawha River where this deponent was placed under the command of Colonel Laughry and descended the Ohio River under his command as far as the Big Miami River where are the detachment (inserted: consisting of about 300 men) was attacked by the Indians and defeated and this deponent made prisoner on the 24th day of August 1781. Captain Thomas Stokely of the regular Army and Melakia Baker
(page 4) —————
were with the detachment and taken prisoner at the same time and Colonel Laughry was killed.
After this deponent was taken prisoner he was taken by the Indians to Shawnee Town situated at the Big Miami River, where he remained for several days and from thence to Zanes? Town on the headwaters of the Miami an Sandusky River and from thence to Upper Sandusky and from thence to Lower Sandusky where this deponent was adopted by the Indians by the name of Tuton Kau Saw? (Thy bone of a Bear) That sometime in the month of August 1782 this deponent was taken into the possession of the British Troops at Detroit, and was from thence sent to New York by the way of Montreal Quebeck and Halifax, in the company with Christian Fast Jacob Lawrence and George Mason who were taking prisoners at the same time with this deponent. This deponent believes that Captain Stokely came home in the same vessel with this deponent – After this deponent was landed at New York he was furnished with a pass buy some officer of the United States Army in command, to return home and also with an order which entitled this deponent to draw provisions on his way home. That this deponent arrived at his home in Fayette County Pennsylvania somewhere about the last of March or the first of April 1783 as near as this deponent can now recollect. That this deponent was in the services of the United States and a prisoner about twenty one or twenty two months as near as he can now recollect. That this deponent never received any written discharge from the service of the United States
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 and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court
Henry Franks
(page5) —————
Sworn to & Subscribed in open court 3rd Sept 1802
Wm Larwill Clk Sep Ct
W Nicholas Helmich residing in Chippeway Wayne County and state of Ohio and Jacob Mason residing in Wooster (inserted: and county and state aforesaid) certify that we are well acquainted with Henry Franks who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be sixty nine years of age That he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion.
Nicholas Helmich
Jacob Mason
Sworn and subscribed (inserted: in open court) the day and year of aforesaid 3rd September 1832
Wm ?? Clk
By the Court
Where in and what year wer you born
Answer I was born near Frederick Town in the County of Washington in the State of Maryland on the 29th Jan 1763
Question, Have you any record of your age and if so where is it
Answer, I have no record of my age in my possession but I have seen it as written in my Grandfathers bible in Fayette County State of Pennsylvania
Question by the Court: Where were you living when called into service, and where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live
Answer I was living at German Town Fayette County State of Pennsylvania went called into service, and after my return from captivity I resided there in till about the year AD 1801 when I removed to the County of Columbiana in the state of Ohio where I resided about 12 years. I then removed to the Township of Chippaway in the County of Wayne and State of Ohio where I have ever sense resided
Question by the court How were you called into service, were you drafted or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom
Answer I was drafted under the command of Captain Catt
By the Court State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the Troops where you served, such Continental and militia Regiments as you can recollect
(page 6) —————
and the General Circumstances of your services
Answer. Captain Thomas Stokely was the only officer of the Regular Army with whom I was acquainted Colonel Laugherys Regiment of militia is the only one I can now recollect, and Colonel Laughry Major Charles Craycraft and General George Clark (inserted: and Melekia Baker Capt. Michael Catt) are the only militia officers that I can now remember. The Troops when assemble at Wheeling Virginia would I should suppose amount to about fifteen hundred and when we descended the Ohio River Colonel Laughry (inserted: with his command) was left in the rear of the main Army
Question by the court Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given
Answer I never Received any written discharge to the best of my recollection
NowQuestion State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your service as a soldier of the Revolution
Answer Rev Henry Wiygandt? George Wellhouse Stephen Fisher John Roulson? and Genl Reason Beall
Henry Franks
Sworn to and Subscribed the (inserted: 3rd) day and year aforesaid (inserted: September AD 1832 in open Court
Wm Larwill Clk Sep Ct
And the said 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 applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states – And the court further certifies that it appears to them that Nicholas Helmich & Jacob Mason who have signed up proceeding certificate are residents of the County of Wayne are credible persons and that their statement is entitled to credit
I William Larwill Clerk of the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio sitting in and for the County of Wayne do certify that the foregoing Contains the Original papers & proceedings of said Court in the matter of the application of Henry Franks for a pension
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand & Seal of Office this 3rd day of September AD. 1832
Wm Larwill Clk
Certificate forPension by Henry Franks
20182
Filed 3rd Septr 1832
(page 29) —————
Certify that Henry Franks now residing in Chippaway Township Wayne Township (inserted: County) and State of Ohio was in the Revolutionary war as a Militiaman under Captain Michael Catt of Garmon Township Fayett County The and State of Pennsylvania Marched to Wheeling PA when he joined General Clark and by his orders remained there after the generals desent down the River to wait the arivel of Colonel Laughery with whom the company descended the River below the mouth of the Miami Big Miami where the said Henry Frank was Taken prisoner by the Indians and Remained with them nearly two years
Clearbrook township Richland County Ohio May the 6 AD 1833
I the said Christian Fast do solemly sware that the above statement is Just and True was it is above stated
Christian Fast
Sworn to and subscribed before me A Porter one of the justices of the peace for the County of Richland and State of Ohio given under my hand and seal this 6 day of May AD 1833
Alexr Porter (seal) |
Fisher Family Genealogy
