| Notes |
- Pension Application of John Craig W8638 Jane Craig VA
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 19 Feb 2019.
[Punctuation partly corrected.]
State of Kentucky } SS
Wayne County }
on this the 20th day of September 1838 personally appeard before me Benjamin Hancock a Justice
of the peace in and for said County, Jane Craig aged Seventy Eight years the 2nd day of August last past.
She being entirely reputable and after being duly sworn for that purpose on her oath makes the following
Declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress passed the 4th July 1836, that she is the
widow of John Craig, who was a soldier of the Revolutionary War as herein after stated She states that she
saw her deceased husband the said John Craig enlist in the united States Service in Bedford County in the
State of Virginia to seve as a private soldier to serve three years that she saw Joel Devenport [sic: Joel
Davenport S39413], and his brother Moses Devenport [Moses Davenport] enlist at the same time they all
enlisted at the house of Thomas Brown on a Wedding day, said Brown’s daughter Edy Brown being that
day married to Ancel Goodman [Ansel Goodman S1375]. they all received the bounty money from a
recruiting officer named James Turner [S30757] to go on under Capt Charles Lamberd [later corrected to
George Lambert S8810 of the 14th Virginia Continental Regiment] who lived in Bedford County Virginia.
that the said John Craig came by the house of her fathers as he went on to Join head quarters. to her best
Recollection it was verry Early in the Spring season but owing to the great length of time she cannot say
with exact certainty but She believes it was in march and in the spring of Seventeen hundred and seventy
seven She cannot say with great certainty what Regiment or Col her said husband was attached to. She
recollects often to have heard her deceased husband talk of his marches and services and particularly of
being in the battle of the Storming of the Stony Point [16 Jul 1779] and of his having the Small Pox and
being at the hospital at the white Plains – and of being in a skirmish at or near the white Plains and of go
to many Points and places in the N. Jersey State and crossing the Susquehannah River on their marches
and of marching through the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland and nearly all of the north Eastern
States, and she thinks of being at Brandywine Battle [11 Sep 1777]. She well Recollects to have often
heard him tell of encountering great hardships in halting and travelling with the afflicted with Small Pox.
she recollects to have heard him speak of being at a skirmish at some cross Roads. she was well
acquainted with him when a child and knew of his absence for the whole Term of his enlistment that on
his return home in the spring of 1780, he came by her fathers, towit James Brown’s before he went [to] his
fathers, towit Joseph Craig’s he had a discharge from his said service which she has often heard Read,
which was in some way lost or destroyed a great many years before his death but she knows not at what
time. She states that in some short time after his return in the spring of 1780. that he engaged in the militia
service, as she believes a volunteer and was appointed Captain of the guard to guard the magazine at New
London in Bedford County [now in Campbell County] in Virginia, about ten miles from applicants fathers
residence and served at New London Six months as she believes at two continued three months
engagements, and was engaged in the said service at the time she was married to him it being on the 17th
day of September 1780 [later corrected to 1782] She was married to the said John Craig at the house of
Parson, John Holt, two miles from where her said husband was then guarding as a captain of the guard
which she has no Documentary evidence of except the Record that she has in her Bible as taken from the
record of her brothers Bible, who was at the wedding. She states that Chesley Calloway [sic: Chesley
Callaway S30917] who was at the marriage had been a soldier with her said husband, that her said
husband continued on to be captain of the guard of the magazine at New London, perhaps about three
months after their said marriage That some time in the Spring as well as she recollect and in 1781 the
precise month not recollected there was a hasty call for men and her said husband went a volunteer for that
tour of forty days against the enemy some of the Calloways some of the Moons were a long went a Light
horse service only forty days this tour and in a short time thereafter he went again as a militia soldier as a
foot soldier and served to three months tour went to Petersburg and Williamsburg and many Points and
places in virginia, and was making in the whole after he quit serving as captain of the Guard in New
London at least four months service
She states that she can prove as she has no doubt of the facts of her said husband’s enlistment and return
from the army, and his service at New london and the facts of her said marriage from witnesses whose
evidence whose statements will prove that her husband served as herein stated with whom she was
acquainted in the time of her husbands absence and service, towit a captain George Dabney [W3007] with
whom she was acquainted in the time of her husbands service and who saw her said husband in service at
Newlondon in Virginia and by Richard Wade [S3443] things conducing to the proof of facts, who are
Revolutionary Pensioners, and lives near her and she thinks by James Turner [S30757] another
Revolutionary Pensioner of this county, and by the whole of her said husbands intimate acquaintance who
was well acquainted with him in Wayne County Ky for near thirty years befor his death. that he has and
was reputed as having been a Revolutionary soldier and that the same never was doubted, and she thinks
she can prove by James Pearcy [James Piercy W2849] another Revolutionary Pension, things, fully
convincing of her said husbands said service. She has no doubt but she can prove by her said acquaintance
to wit. George Dabney James Turner and Richard Wade and from many circumstances and from her
record that she must have been married to her Deceased husband on the 17th of September 1780, and she
further states that her said Husband lived with her as husband and wife untill the day he died, which was
on the 8th day of June 1830. that he died of cancer on the mouth with which he was afflicted many years,
and that she has remained a widow ever since that time of his death, as will more fully appear by
refference to the proof hereto annexed Jane herXmark Craig
State of Kentucky }
Wayne County }
Personally appeard before me a Justice of the peace for said County James Turner a
Revolutionary Pensioner with whom I am personally acquainted, he being respectable and his
statements are entitled to credit and after being duly sworn for that purpose on his oath states that he was
well acquainted with John Craig and his wife, Jane Craig in Bedford County in Virginia in the time of the
Revolutionary War that he recollects that the said John Craig was married to the said Jane, whose maiden
name was Brown in the time he Craig was in the service at New london guarding the Magazine he witness
under the order of Col James Calloway was guarding the tories that Captain John Cotrell was the Captain
of the Company at the time he was guarding, and the said John Craig was Lieutenant the whole time he
was guarding that he witness servd three months at said place and left John Craig still in service, he thinks
it likely that he servd as captain of the guard after witness was discharged, but is not certain of ever
hearing so until now. that he recollects distinctly of the service of the said John Craig in the enlisted
service though he did not see him enlist but knows it to have been so from every circumstance being well
acquainted with the family of the said John Craig, and of his absence and said to be on an enlistment, that
he well recollects the Regimental Clothing worn by the said John Craig while serving as a Lieutenant of
the Guard at New london witness is no schollar and is not certain in what date he servd at Newlondon
under Cotrell and Craig, but believes it was in 1780 from his present calculation Sworn to and subscribed
before me Sept 24th Sept 1838 James hisXmark Turner
B Haden JP
State of Kentucky }
Wayne County } on this the 28th day of Feb 1839 Personally appeard, before me Benjamin
Hancock a Justice of the peace for said county Elizabeth Pearcey wife of James Pearcey, (a
Revolutionary Pensioner of this county whose statements are entitled to credit, on on her oath states that
she was raised from a child within one mile of her said husband James Pearcey Pensioner as aforesaid, and
that she was married to him about the 4th day of May the may come year after he said husbands Last
service in the Revolutionary war, she states that she well Recollects, her said husbands going and returning
from service two tours but she being unlearnd she cannot gives the dates of her said husbands service, but
well recollects the same, & well recollects, that some time in the summer, and in the Revolution, and his
last tour that she was at a quilting, at the house of affiant’s uncles, towit Thomas Dooleys in Bedford
County, some time in the summer season, she cannot state positively the month owing to the great length
of time and that Mrs. Jane Craig, who is the widow of John Deceased with whom she was acqanted from
that time was at said quilting She states that she was then the wife of John Craig (witness well recollects
that, there was cooking to do at said quilting and that it was agreed on that the maried women was to cook,
and that it was put on the said Mrs. Jane Craig to cook, that she is certain that Mrs. Craig was then
married. Witness states her opini is that Mrs Craig had been married some months but knows not how
long
Sworn and subscribed this 28th day of February 1839 Elizabeth herXmark Pearcy
State of Kentucky }
Wayne County } SS.
Personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace in and for said County James Coyle whose
statements are entitled to full credit, and on oath states he married to Rachel Craig, the daughter of
Jane Craig, now an applicant for a Pension She being the widow of John Craig, that I was married to her
on the 14th day of January twenty one years past, last January, that I am intimately acquainted with the
family for thirty years past, that there was of said John Craigs children older than the one I married, towit
Polly Hatfield, Anna More, Rebecca Savage, James Craiage, Robert Craig & Nancy two last being twins
then next two Twins that I Learn died when young children, then next John H Craig, Generally called
Henderson Craig, who died as a soldier from Wayne County at Neworleans [sic: New Orleans], shortly
after the Battle of the 8th January 1815, he was under Capt. Vicory. the next to him was Betsy Smith. my
wife Rachel Coyle is the next child to Betsy Smith, and there is one younger, to wit Linn Craig who I
suppose is thirty five or thirty six years, not knowing his precise age I always understood said John Craig
to have been a Revolutionary soldier from about the first of my acquaintance with him and family and I
have often heard said soldier and his wife talk of being married in time of the war and has no reason to
doubt the fact.
Sworn and subscribed this 11th day of April 1840 before me James hisXmark Coyle
B. Hancock JP
[The following are from bounty-land records in the Library of Virginia.]
I here by Certify that John Craig Enlisted with Capt George Lambert the First day of January 1777 &
Faithfully discharged the duty of a Soldier for the Term of Three years to wit Till the First Day of January
1780 & then was Legally Discharged, but in Formes me that he hath Lost his Discharge Certified by
Arch’s Moon [Archelaus Moon] 1st Lieut 14th Virginia Redg’t
April 26th 1784
True Coppy/ J Pendleton John Mead Preston[?]
I Believe the within to be the hand writing of Lieut Moon who was an Officer in the virginia Line
Genuine T Meriwether} James Wood Late B.G. [BLWt2419-500]
True Coppy/ J Pendleton
[The following are from rejected claims in the Library of Virginia.]
Lick Creek Clinton Ky/ August 12th 1841
Sir Robert A Dabny wrote to you sometime since upon the subject of the service of John Craig and your
answer was Duly recieved Stating that he served in the 14th Regiment under Capt. George Lambert as She
says she alleged in the [undeciphered word] But the name of the Col who commanded the Regiment She
Desires to know as it appears She is required to set forth John Craig was of the Continental line I hope
you will Be so kind as to send me the name of the col 14 Regiment Viginia Continental line
Your humble servt/ William Dabny
Governor of the common wealth of virginia/ Richmond Via
Can it be ascertained in your office who was Colonel of the [undeciphered]
There is no means of ascertaining who was Colo of the 14th Reg’t [see endnote]
NOTE:
The file includes a copy of the following minister’s return: “John Craigg & Jane Brown married,
September 17th 1782. John W. Holt Min.”
On 4 Jan 1840 R. A. Dabney stated that Robert Craig was married about 1810, that Rebecca
Savage was married with two or three children in the fall of 1810, and that Polly Hatfield was not very
young when she was married.
On 21 Nov 1840 Richard Wade (S3443) stated that John Craig came to Madison County KY as
early as 1794, as he estimated “from calculation and from the age of his grandson, Richard Wade, who
was Born november the 6th day 1794, at which time the said John Craig had four Children.”
The file includes a copy of a bond signed by John Hatfield and John Craig in Greenup County KY
on 5 May 1808 for the marriage of Hatfield to Polly Craig.
On 11 April 1840 Jane Craig certified a family register taken from the record of her deceased
brother, John Brown, and transcribed below. In this certification she stated that Anna Craig married David
More, Polly Craig married John Hatfield, Rebecca Craig married John Savage, and Robert Craig (the fifth
child) married Sooky Raines.
The 14th Virginia Continental Regiment was commanded by Col. Charles Lewis (VAS901) from
12 Nov 1776 until 28 Mar 1778, and then by Col. William Davies until 14 Sep 1778, when the regiment
was renumbered as the 10th.
John Craig was Born February the 14th 1758
Jane Craig was Born august the 2d 1760
John Craig and Jane Craig whose maiden name was Jane Brown was married September the 17th 1780.
John Crage Died June the 8th 1830
|
1758 - 1830 (72 years)
d. 1844, Wayne Co., KY 