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The following excerpts from George Mason’s Revolutionary War pension file describe his service in Colonel Archibald Lochry’s expedition against the Ohio Indians in 1781 (in blue. Like the pension files of William Roark, Abraham Hiley, Henry Franks, and friend Jacob Lawrence who provide declaration in support of Mason's pension application, Mason's deposition does not mention that he was likely a deserter from General Clark's army that preceded Lochy's men down the Ohio. Lawrence states that he enlisted and joined Lochry's expedition under Captain Michael Catt and Lieutenant Melichor (or Melekia) Baker at Wheeling. In fact, Catt and Baker's company were not part of Lochry's regiment. There were part of General Clark's army that left Wheeling before Lochry's men arrived. The diary of Lieutenant Isaac Anderson (see here and here) states that Baker's men joined Lochry's party when they were captured as deserters from Clark's army. Anderson's entry from Aug 13 reads, "Moved down to Fishing creek; we took up Lieut. Baker and 16 men, deserting from Gen. Clark..." Further evidence supporting this conclusion is the fact that Baker's commanding officer, Captain Michael Catt, was not among the killed or taken prisoner at Lochry's defeat. Catt remained with General Clark all the way to the Falls of the Ohio at present day Louisville, KY. Baker's company after capture by Lochry's men were forced to join Lochry's regiment and continue with them down the Ohio until the expedition was defeated by Indian attack on August 24, 1781. According to Lawrence's affidavit, he and Mason were captured and held together until released at New York in 1783 when the Treaty of Paris was signed ending the Revolutionary War. Is this true? In his pension file, Lawrence mentions escaping the Indians after about a year of captivity. He then states he was recaptured by the British on his way home, imprisoned first at Detroit, then Montreal, before being released at New York 1783. Mason makes no mention of any of this history nor what happened to at all him after he was captured.
All transcriptions are as faithful to the source material as possible including spelling oddities (Lochry's name is frequently miss-spelled) and punctuation (which is often lacking). The remainder of Mason’s pension file (not transcribed or shown) contains letters and records related to payment of his pension. A complete account of Lochry's Expedition including the testimony of other participants is available here.
(page 4) ————-
Dearborn County
Indiana SS
On the 24th day of September in the year one thousand Eight hundred and thirty three personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Dearborn Circuit court of Common Pleas of the said county & state now sitting George Mason a resident in the county & state aforesaid who being 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 7th of June 1832.
That he entered the service of the United States under the following names officers & served as herein stated
That the entered the service as a volunteer about the first of July 1781 in Fayette County Pennsylvania where he then resided to go against the indians on the Western Frontier under Captain Michael Cat 1st Lieut Melchior Baker that they marched first to Wheeling Virgn where they took boats and descended the Ohio below the mouth of the big Miami where they landed nearby where Lawrenceburgh is now situated and joined a detachment under the commend of Col. Laughery shortly after this they had an engagement with the Indians in augt 1781 at that place in which the whole detachment was either killed or taken prisoner by the Indians accounting to something more than one hundred men Col Laughery was among the killed that he was taken prisoner and kept by the Indians and by the British in Canada as a prisoner for about one year and five months that is from the time of his capture in August 1781 till the first of January 1783 when he was released with a number of others of the same company at New York where they were carried to be exchanged but he thinks they were released without an exchange in consequence of the cessation of Hostilities that the whole term of his service and detention as a prisoner was Eighteen months to wit from the first of July 1781 to 1st January 1783 where he was released at New York & several weeks on his way home to Fayette County Pa - That he has no documentary Evidence or discharge that he knows of no living witness
(page 5) ————-
Whose testimony he can procure to prove his service Except Jacob Lawrence who served & was prisoner with him they having went out and returned together who has he understands already received a pension & whose testimony is herewith transmitted.
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 & that he is about seventy five years of age
That in answer to the interrogatories required to be put to the applicant by the court he answers as follows viz.
1st that he was born in Hampshire County Virginia about the years 1757 or 1758
2 That he has no record of his age
3 That he lived in Fayette County Penna when he entered the service & where he continued to live after the revolution until about fourteen years ago when he removed to Dearborn County Indiana where he now lives
4. That he entered the service as a volunteer as before stated
5 It will be seen from the foregoing statement that there was no regular officers with him or other troops than those of the detachment under Col Laughery who were all killed or taken prisoners by the Indians as above mention
6. He never received any discharge or any compensation for his services
7 That the names of the persons who will certify to his veracity & their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution are
He further states that he lives about Eighteen miles from the seat of Justice the court of Dearborn County and that he is not acquainted with any clergyman whom he can procure to testify for him - Sworn to and subscribed in open court the 24th September 1833
George (his mark) Mason
James Dill Clk
(page 6) ————-
We James Dill, Philip Mason & Thos Poster of Dearborn County Indiana hereby certify that we are well acquainted with George Mason who has subscribed & sworn to the foregoing declaration and that we believe him to be 75 or 76 - years of age and that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn & subscribed this 24th day of September A.D. 1833
James Dill
Philip (his mark) Mason
Thomas Poster
The said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories on the opposite paper 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 is appears to them that James Dill, Philip Mason & Thomas Porter as residents in Dearborn County Indiana — and are credible persons and their statement is Entitled to credit
M. C. Egglesston Pres Judge
forming the Court
I James Dill Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas Dearborn Circuit Court of Dearborn County Indiana do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the matter of the application of George Masonrfor a pension.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 24th day of September 1833 —
James Dill Clerk of the Dearborn Circuit Court
(page 12) ————-
Fayette County
Pennsylvania SS
Personally appears before me a Justice of the Peace in & for said county Jacob Lawrence Who being duly sworn according to law deposeth & saith. That he this deponent and George Mason now of Dearborn County Indiana volunteered together in Captain Cats Company of Penna Militia. — That they were together in the Engagement with the Indians near where Lawrenceburg now stands. that they were taken prisoner together were together during the whole period of their bondage. and released together or at the same times. Third This deponent knows that George Mason was in the service & a prisoner full eighteen months . this from the start the 1st July 1781 to 1st Jany 1783 as he was with him the whole of that time. and further saith not.
Jacob (his mark) Lawrence
Sworn & Subscribed Before James Lindsay May 29 1833
Fayette County Pennsylvania SS
I Henry W Beeson Prothonotary of the Court of Common Peas in & for said County do certify that James Lindsay Esq is a magistrate as above & that the above signature purporting to be his is genuine.
In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand & affixed the seal of Said Court at Union town the 29th day of May 1833
Henry W. Beeson
Prothy
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Fisher Family Genealogy
