Fisher Family Genealogy

Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. S31744, Abraham Hiley

Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. S31744, Abraham Hiley



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  • Title Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. S31744, Abraham Hiley 
    Short Title Lochry Expedition - Excerpt from Revolutionary War Pension File No. S31744, Abraham Hiley 
    Publisher National Archives, Textual Reference Branch  
    Call Number Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 
    Repository National Archives 
    Source ID S438 
    Text The following excerpts (highlighted in blue) describe Abraham Hiley's participation in Lochry's Expedition against the Ohio Indians in 1781. Like the pension files of William Roark, Jacob Lawrence and Henry Franks, Hiley's deposition leaves a lot out. He provides copious detail on his military service from 1776 through 1778 when he fought in many of the major battles of the Revolutionary War, including crossing the Delaware with General George Washington to fight at the Battle of Trenton. By comparison his testimony regrading his service in Lochry's Expedition contains almost no detail other than he served as a substitute for Philip Catt, was captured when the expedition was attacked and defeated, and held by the attacking Indians for almost four years. His testimony perhaps skips over the details of the expedition because history suggests that Hiley was a deserter from General Clark's party that preceded down the Ohio River, and only joined Lochy's men after being caught. Hiley was part of Lieutenant Melchor Baker’s company. Baker is mentioned on page 16 in Phillips Catt's testimony in support of Hiley's pension application. The diary of Lieutenant Isaac Anderson (see here and here), who copiously documented Lochry's expedition as it happened, reads on Aug 13, "Moved down to Fishing creek; we took up Lieut. Baker and 16 men, deserting from Gen. Clark..." Baker's company including Hiley was forced to join Lochry's regiment and continue down the Ohio until the expedition was attacked and defeated August 24, 1781. Hiley was certainly captured by the Indians as he states and may indeed have remained with them for some time. He does not say how he escaped captivity or came to be released.

    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 Hiley's pension file (not transcribed or shown) is devoted to correspondence related to his pension application. A complete account of Lochry's Expedition including the testimony of other participants is available here.



    (page 7) —————

    State of Indiana
    Perry County SS

    On this 12th day of November (inserted: 1833) personally appeared in open court before James Reily Esquire, Probate Judge of the county of Perry, Being a court of record, now sitting Abraham Hiley a resident of said Perry county, Aged seventy six years last February, 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 past June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated (First) that he volunteered as a private Soldier, in the month of December 1776 under John Cressop? Capt. of a Rifle company, who volunteered himself, and raised a company of volunteers of which is this declarant was one of the company – That he volunteered in Fayette county and state of Pennsylvania, and was marched from said county to Hagerstown in the state of Maryland, where are the parents of the said Captain then resided, and where we halted about two hours, for the purpose of the Captains, obtaining necessary clothing for the Campaign, and from thence we marched to Lancaster Pennsylvania, and from thence we marched to within about ten miles of Trenton, where (inserted: we) joined the army, which was commanded by Genl Washington – and was attached to the first regiment of Rifle Militia commanded by col. Joseph Haynes – the next day after joining the army we crossed the river, and attacked the town of Trenton, which town we took possession of without much resistance, and with it we took eleven or twelve hundred Hessians, or there abouts, together with some stores of arms, and recrossed the Delaware, the same day – from thence we marched to Morristown, and at that place, the small pox broke out in the army, and we remained there until ??, during which time, he was engaged in nursing those who were sick with the small pox, after which time he was regularly and steadily employed in foraging parties - sometimes under Captain Cressop?, and sometimes under Joseph Jones, the Lieutenant of said company, which service he continued in, until late in September

    (page 8) —————

    following, when we were called in to join the army – we marched to Germantown, was in that Battle, and in which battle Capt. Cressop was wounded, and Col. Haynes was killed. Shortly after the Battle of Germantown, he was again sent out in a foraging party under Joseph Jones, the Lieut. who was promoted to a Captaincy after Cressop was wounded and continued in the aforesaid employment until sometime in the winter following, when he again joined the army, at Valley Forge where he lay all winter, and was discharged by Joseph Jones the last of April or first of May, In the year 1778 by a written discharge, – at Valley Forge – from which place he returned home. In the foregoing tour of service, he served from the first week in September (inserted: December) 1776 until the last of April or first of May 1778. Making one year four months and twenty three days. –

    (Secondly) that he entered the service of the United States early in the month of February 1780 as a volunteer and a private under Captain Michael Catt in Fayette County Pennsylvania, he then marched to Guilford Courthouse, we're he joined the army commanded by General Greene, was attached to a regiment commanded by Col. Howard, was in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, he was on the second line in the commencement of the battle, after the battle and the enemy retreated, We followed them about 50 miles, from thence we marched to Camden South Carolina, from which place we were compelled to retreat, and we crossed the Saluda River, after which he was steadily employed in foraging parties and scouting, sometimes under Capt. Catt and sometimes under James Scott his Lieut. and in one or two instances was under General Marion, until sometime in the fall of 1780 at which time he again join the army commanded by Genl Greene, and was again attach’d to Howard's Regt. and in a few days we marched to Eutaw Springs, was in that Battle, at which both Capt. Catt was slain, and this declarant was severely wounded and shortly after was discharged, by a written discharge, by James Scott – In the second tour as aforesaid he served ten months –

    (page 9) —————

    (Third) he entered the service of the United States in July 1781 in the county a Fayette aforesaid as a substitute for one Philip Catt – brother of Capt. Catt, who is drafted for three months to march against the Indians – was commanded by Thomas Stokely of Washington County Pennsylvania, we undertook to march to join the army commanded by Geo. Rogers Clark, at the falls of the Ohio, and when descending the Ohio, in open boats, we were attacked by the Indians, a little below the Miami River, at Laugherys Creek where the company was either all killed or taken prisoners, by the Indians, this declarant was then and there taken a prisoner and remained with the Indians about three years and ten months – in (inserted: this) third tour as aforesaid he served one month, Making in the first, second and third tours as aforesaid, two years, three months and twenty three days. – That he was born on the 27th day of February 1757 in Hampshire County State of Virginia, his age was recorded in his father's Bible, after the death of his father, said Bible was given, by his mother to his brother, and he supposes it to be now in his possession. That when he was called into service, he resided in Fayette County state of Pennsylvania – in the year 1788 he immigrated to the thin Northwestern Territory, Near where Cincinnati now stands, and the now State of Ohio, he resided there about nine years, from thence he removed to Breckenridge County in the state of Kentucky, we are he resided about six years, from thence he removed to the territory now state of Indiana, Perry county, he has resided ever since and where he now resides – That he received a written the discharges for the first (inserted: and) second and third tours, which discharges were burned in Breckenridge County Ky. when his house was burned in the year 1802. He has no documentary evidence whereby to prove his services, does he know of any personnel living by whom can improve his services – he gives the names of David ? Presley Hall Torrence? Conner? and John J Lang – of his neighbors to whom he's personally known, and who can testify to his character for truth and veracity, and of their belief of his service as a soldier of the Revolution – He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the president heading clears that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any state

    (page 10) —————

    Sworn and subscribe to an open court the day and year aforesaid
    Abraham Hiley

    We David Quick a Clergyman residing in the County of Perry and state of Indiana (inserted: and Presley Hall) residing in the same hereby Certify that we are well acquainted with Abraham Hiley who has subscribed and sworn to to the above declaration and that we believe him to be seventy six years of age, that he is reputed to and believed to in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution, and we concur in that opinion

    Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court
    David quick
    Presley Hall

    And he 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 David quick who has signed the preceding Certificate is a clergyman resident in the county of Perry, and that Presley Hall, who has also signed the same is a resident of the county aforesaid, and is a Credible person, and that their statement is entitled to credit –

    I, Solomon Lamb Clerk of the Circuit and Probate courts of Perry County State of Indiana do hereby Certify, that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of said court, in the matter of the application of Abraham Hiley for a pension – in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal office, this 12th day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty three

    Solomon Lamb Ck

    (page 16) —————

    State of Indiana
    Knox County SS

    Be it remembered that on Eighth of February in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and thirty four personally came Philip Catt before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said County who being duly sworn deposes and says that he this deponent was drafted in Fayette County in the State of Pennsylvania sometime in the month of June or July in the year seventeen Hundred and Eighty one to perform a Tour of Militia in What was called Clarks campaign, and that he hired Abraham Hiley to take his place and that the said Abraham Hiley entered the service of the United States then in the month of July or June aforesaid in the year seventeen Hundred and Eighty one and shortly after marched with some troops to join General George R. Clark there at the Falls of the Ohio river, that the said Abraham Hiley remained About three or four years, and that this deponent heard from his brother John Catt and Melcher Baker both of whom were attached to said expedition and both of whom are since dead that he said Abraham Hiley was taken prisoner by the Indians and remained a prisoner to or three years and further sayeth not. –

    Philip (his mark) Catt

    Sworn & subscribed to before me Feb 8 1834
    Martin Robinson JP
     

  • Documents
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Abraham Hiley, No. S31744
    Revolutionary War Pension File: Abraham Hiley, No. S31744
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 7)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 7)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 8)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 8)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 9)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 9)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 10)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 10)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 16)
    Military: Hiley, Abraham - Revolutionary War pension file No. S31744 (p 16)

  •  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: Hiley
      Veteran Given Name: Abraham
      Service: Penn.
      Pension Number: S. 31744