State of 0hio ) On this thirtieth day of April in the year of our Lord one
Putnam County ) thousand eight hundred and thirty five personally appeared in open court: before the Hon. George B. Heath President judge of this court of common pleas of the First Judicial district of the state of Ohio and their honors William Cochran Esqr Silas McClish Esqr and Henry Morris Esqr his associates now sitting; Isaac McHenry a resident of Putnam County aforesaid in the said state of Ohio, aged 72 seventy two years on the 27th twenty seventh day of December last (1834) who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits 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. Sometime in the month of March in the year 1780 seventeen hundred and eighty but on what particular day of the said month of March (owing to the great lapse of time, and the advance of age upon the said Isaac McHenry the declarant and the consequent failure of his memory) he cannot tell. He entered the service as an Indian spy, and served as First sergeant in Captain Alexander Maxwell's company of Indian spies, Lieut George Westfall, under the command of Major George Parsons, Col Benjamin Wilson and Gen George Jackson of the Virginia Militia. In this company and in this capacity Isaac states he served until the First day of the month of November the next ensuing, serving seven months, when his said term of service ended and he was dismissed, (crossed out), and on the fifteenth day of the same month/November/in the year 1780 seventeen hundred and eighty, the said declarant again did volunteer and entered the service in the same company in which he had served the said organization as above/ mentioned as First Lieutenant, for the term of two years or during the war and served out the term of two years without intermission as one continuous term of service, which ended on the Fifteenth day of November in the year 1782 seventeen hundred and eighty two, making two full years service, when he was discharged. Making the whole of his service two years and seven months.
That during all this term of service of two years, he had the same captain Alexander Maxwell, he was First Lieutenant himself, Major George Parsons, Col Benjamin Wilson the First of the said term, but he resigned, and Col Henry Deleay was appointed in his place who was his Col during the latter part of said term of two years, and Gen. George Jackson of the Virginia Militia was his general commanding officer. That he was a volunteer. That when he entered the service in both the above terms, he resided in what was then Monongahelo, now Randolph County Virginia. That during the above named two terms of service he was not in any general engagement or battle, but was frequently engaged in skirmishes. That the whole of the said two terms of service was performed in the aforesaid county, then Monogohelo now Randolph. The spy range included eight Forts, all in said county which was then very large, namely, Friends, Wilsons, Westfalls, Cassidys, Westfalls again, Crouches, Headens, John Warricks Forts All these forts were in the aforesaid county and his duty was to pass round from one Fort to another and attend them all. That there were no continental Regiments or companies where he served as his company was in a detached situation -, and in consequence thereof he cannot give the names of any of the officers of the regular army with whom he was acquainted. That there was one militia company stationed at the different Forts alternately above named, as a guard on account of the increased danger from the Indians. This company was marched from the South Branch of Potomac, under Lieut. Pancake, and was commanded after they came in to county of Mongahelo by Captain Joseph Friend who was a resident of the county; That he received a commission (crossed out) signed by Gen George Jackson and he also received a written discharge from his last term of service, which was given him by Col Henry Delea, and he also received a written discharge from his first term of service from Col. Wilson, but that his commission and discharges were all subsequently destroyed by the Indians, who robbed his house in the state of Kentucky after his removal to that place. That he was born in Hampshire County in the state of Virginia on the 27th day of December in the year 1763 seventeen hundred and sixty three. That he has a record of his age at his residence in Putnam County taken from his father's family Bible.
That since the revolutionary war he has lived in the following places, namely he removed from Virginia to Green County Kentucky he thinks in 1786 and from Kentucky to Pickaway County Ohio in 1807, and resided there until about five years ago when he removed to his present residence in Putnam County where he now resides. That he names William Boman, Abraham W Cochran, and Henry Foster to whom he is known in his present neighborhood, who can testify as to his character - for veracity, and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution whose certificate or deposition is hereto attached. He also states the name of Leman Cochran as Clergiman or clergyman of his vicinity who will also certify to his character, for honesty and veracity and his belief of his revolutionary services - He here states that all the above named persons reside in Allen County, which immediately joins Putnam - the county in which he resides and are in his immediate vicinity and remain his nearest neighbors and are as necessary who have been the longest acquainted with him, this with the additional reason that the part of the county in which he resides is so thinly settled he has very few neighbors in his own county and those only he says with whom he has very recently acquainted, is the reason why he has not named persons in his own county. And his residence is very near the line of Putnam County adjoining Allen county. But he names Caleb Goshel and Josiah Crawford who reside in his own county (Putnam) who certify to his character for truth and veracity, and their belief of his service as a soldier of the revolution, but he is not acquainted with any clergimen in his county which name he can give, but has given the name of one in Allen county whose affidavit is hereto attached. That he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can provide who can testify of his service, he hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension - roll of this or of any state.
Signed: Isaac McHenrySworn to an subscribed in open court this day and year aforesaid. Daniel W. Gray. Clerk P.T.
We Caleb Goshils and Josiah Crawford residing (crossed out) in the county of Putnam hereby certify that we are well acquainted with the said Isaac McHenry who has subscribed and ____ declaration that we believe him, he is seventy two years of age, that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides, to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn to and subscribed in open court this 30th day of April 1837 (?)
Signed: Caleb Gashils, Josiah Crawford, Daniel W Gray Clerk per Tem.
Allen County ) On this eighteenth day of November In the year AD 1837 personally came before me H. D. V. Williams a justice of the peace in and for said Allen County, Isaac McHenry, a resident of Putnam County. This aged man stated In his original declaration, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following amended declaration, amendatory to his original declaration now on file in the pension office at Washington City, In order to obtain the benefits 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 hereinafter stated.
Sometime in the month of March AD 1780 (the precise day the declarant cannot state, it having been so long since, and his memory having failed him in some considerable degree; but is certain it was as early In March as the tenth day of March in year of 1780.)
He entered the service of the United States as an Indian spy, and in Captain Alexander Maxwell's Company of Indian Spies as first sergeant and served as first sergeant in said Company till the first day of November the next ensuing (1780) when he was dismissed, but he cannot recollect of receiving any written discharge, if he did it is lost or misplaced long since, but he is satisfied In his own mind he received same. Serving this tour he had for his officers, Capt Alexander Maxwell, Lieut George Westfall, for the Company, and Maj George Parsons, Col Benjamin Wilson, and Gen George Jackson, of Virginia, were officers of the term of seven months and twenty one days, it being a tour for that season.
On the fifteenth day of February the next ensuing AD 1781 he again entered the service of the United States as an Indian spy for the term of nine months, in the same company which he had served his former Tour, Commanded by Capt Alexander Maxwell, and in the same regiment Commanded by Maj George Parson, Col Benjamin Wilson and Gen George Jackson of Virginia, and served in said Company as a private till the fifteenth day of November AD 1781 when he was dismissed but received no written discharge. And on the fifteenth day of February the next ensuing AD 1782, he again entered the service of the United States as an Indian spy for the term of nine months, as in the last ----- and the same company in which he served his prior terms still commanded by Captain Alexander Maxwell, and in the same regiment commanded by Maj George Parsons, but Col Benj. Wilson having resigned the command of the regiment during this tour -----, and Col. Henry Delya Gen George Jackson was the commanding officer and served in said company as private till the twentieth day of November AD 1782. When he was discharged out received a written discharge which was destroyed In the manner set forth in this declarant's original declaration to which this is an amendment.
This declarant here states he tendered his services (in the two last named terms) carried the duties of Lieutenant: and so considered himself and has so stated it in his original declaration, but having been informed by the deponent ----- that his authority to act as Lieutenant was not regular or legal, he since became a ----- and has so stated his service in this amended declaration. And in his original declaration he has stated his last term of service to be for two years and to have commenced on the fifteenth day of November 1780. This he did including his time continuously and including the intervening time between the completion of each term of service, and dismissal, and the entering again into service in each of the two years being of nine months each as now stated.
This declarant is assisted in his recollection of this time when the two last terms of service commenced from the circumstance of the murder of a family by the Indians by the name of Conly in February 1780 and Col Wilson having stated that fact at the expiration of the first term of service and ----- first of March In the succeeding campaigns would be too late as the Indians had committed that murder before March, it would be necessary for them to turn out sooner and fixed on the middle of February - for all other matters and ----- this declarant refers to his original declaration now on file, of which this is now part.
Sworn to and subscribed before me a justice of the peace in and for the county of Allen and state of Ohio aforesaid this 18th day of November AD 1837. H.D.V Williams, Justice of the Peace in said County.
The Allegheny Regional Family History Society
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