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The following excerpts (highlighted in blue) from Ezekial Lewis' Revolutionary War pension file describe his service in Lochry's Expedition of 1781. On page 6, Lewis states that he joined Lochry's Expedition under Captain William Cambell (Captain of Light Horse), went with the Expedition down the Ohio, was captured and "held prisoner from the 24th day of August 1781 until the following year in July to wit the year 1782, and was kept during that time on “prisoner Island” ( near Montreal) in the river of the St. Lawrence." Page 20 presents testimony by Robert Orr who served with Lewis and was taken prisoner with him at the mouth of the Big Miami. Orr confirms Lewis' capture and that they were taken through the Indian villages of Ohio where they were separated. Lewis does not relate how he returned home - by escaping from "prisoner island" in the company of Mathias Fisher, Samuel Murphy, James Dougherty and George Bailey. This detail is alluded to in Lewis' testimony supporting a widow's pension for Elizabeth's Craig, wife of Lt Samuel Craig who led Mathias Fisher's company on the Expedition, when he states that he escaped from the British "with four others," Mathias Fisher describes the escape in detail in his pension file stating that ...about the 13th of July 1782 as I believe myself and four other American prisoners to wit Ezekiel Lewis, Samuel Murphy and James Dougherty & George Bailey...made our escape in the night by knifing the guard and constructing a small raft out of drift wood found at the head of the Island on which we drifted about five miles before we got to land and that was on the Cana Shore where we concealed ourselves during the day & at night got a canoe and crossed to the American Shore and steered for Lake Champlain which we struck at the mouth of Otter creek and crossed the lake on a raft, which we thought was about four mile broad at that place. We then went to Pittsford in Vermont and to Allentown where Governor Chittendon lived from whom we got a pass and went to Newbury the headquarters of General Washington from thence thru Jersey – to Eastern Penna from whence I returned to my home in Westmoreland County Penna which was about the 12th of September (1782). Samuel Murphy states in his pension file that on 11 July 1782 "he in company with Ezekal Louis (Ezekiel Lewis) made his escape and returned home having been absent about one year." Murphy makes no mention of others in the escape perhaps because only Lewis was present in court at his declaration for pension. Lewis supports Murphy's pension request in a statement appended to Murphy's pension application.
All transcriptions are faithful to the originals, which often feature poor penmanship, spelling errors, unusual grammar, and little punctuation. The remainder of Murphy's pension file (see pdf attached) contains routine correspondence concerning his petition and payments, and records requests for information from his pension file. A complete account of Lochry's Expedition including the testimony of other participants is available here.
page 6 ----------
Declaration in order to obtain the Benefit of the act of Congress, passed June 7, 1837
State of Pennsylvania
County of Armstrong ss.
On the Eighteenth (18th) day of September A.D. 1832, personally appeared in open court, before the honorable John Young Esquire Resident & Robert Orr & Joseph Rankin Esquire Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Armstrong County, now sitting, Ezekial Lewis a resident of Sugarcreek Township in the County of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania aged seventy seven years, who being first duly sworn according to the Law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein Stated. Colonel Archibald Lochery, Captain William Campbell (Captain of Light Horse) under whom he was, That entered about the first day of August A.D. 1781. That he was taken by the Indians on the way from Jacob's Creek in Westmoreland County in this state to the Mouth of the Big Miami where he was taken on the 24th day of August AD 1781 That he continued a prisoner from the 24th day of August 1781 until the following year in July to wit the year 1782, and was kept during that time on “prisoner Island” in the river of the St. Lawrence. Thinks that Thomas Stokely’s Company was one of the continental companies (if so) he served with that company. That they Traveled down the Ohio River. That he has no documentary evidence. That he knows of no person, whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service except the deposition of Robert Orr Esquire who was with him & commanded one of the companies under Col. Lochery, which said deposition 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 note of the the agency of any State.
Ezekiel Lewis
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Fredk Rohrer Pro
page 7 ----------
We, John Dickey a clergyman, residing in the Township of Sugarcreek, Armstrong County Pennsylvania, and Thomas Foster residing in the same Township, hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Ezekiel Lewis, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration; That we believe him to be Seventy Seven year of age; that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier in the revolution and we concur in that opinion
John Dickey
Thomas Foster
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Fredk Rohrer Pro
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 and hereto annexed that the above applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states, And the Court further certifies that it appears to them that John Dickey who signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman, resident in Sugarcreek Township in said County and that Thomas Foster who has also signed the same is also a resident in Sugarcreek Township Armstrong County Pennsylvania and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit.
John Young Robert Orr
Joseph Rankin
Pennsylvania, Armstrog County
I Frederick Rohrer, Clerk of said Common Pleas, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Ezekiel Lewis for a pension
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court the 18th day of September Ad one thousand eight hundred and thirty two
Fredk Rohrer Pro
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Interrogatories put To Ezekiel Lewis by the Court
1st Where and in What year were you born?
Ans. In Schammadore County (no county by this name in history of Virginia), in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty five -
2nd Have you any record of your age and if so whee is it?
Ans. There us a record of my age in my Grandfather’s bible, in the County where I was born, at the death of my Grandfather the bible was in the hands of Mordici Lewis his sone, who is since dead
3d Where were you Living when called into service; where have you lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live?
Ans. In Westmoreland County Pennsylvania, after I returned home from the Indians I lived 9 years in Westmoreland and since and I now live in Sugarcreek Township, Armstrong County Penna
4th How were you call into service (next unreadable) you volunteer, or were you a substitute? And if a substitute for whom?
Ans. I volunteered as before stated
5th 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 recall, and the general circumstances of your service.
Ans. I was not Joined with an Continental Company as before stated unless Captain Stokely’s Company, but I Know that Col. Locherey was under general Clark whom we were to meet at Wheeling, Virginia, who had left Wheeling when we arrived there, who left directions for us to follow him down the Ohio River, which we doing accordingly when taken by the Indians
6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, if, by whom by whom was it given, and what has become of it?
Ans. I never did the Captain having been killed by the Indians.
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7th 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 services as a soldier of the Revolution
Ans. The Revd John Dickey, The Honorable Robert Orr senr and Thomas Foster
These Interrogitories were put by
Robert Orr
Joseph Rankin
page 20 ----------
Armstrong County ss
Personally appeared in open Court Robert Orr Esquire who being duly sworn according to Law deposeth & saith, That he became acquainted with Ezekiel Lewis (the present applicant for a pension) about the first day of August seventeen hundred & eighty-one, That at that time he belonged to Light horse Company Commanded by Captain William Campbell in the regiment Commanded by Colonel Archibald Lochrey, That this deponent was then a Captain of a Volunteer company, and that he the said Ezekiel Lewis & this deponent were both taken prisoner below or about the mouth of the Big Miami on the Ohio River, That they were Taken through some of the Indian Towns to (insert Lower Sandusky) Canady where they were separated That the said Ezekiel Lewis did not return back to his place of Jacobs Creek in Westmoreland County until about the same time the following year — That this deponent has been acquainted with the said applicant since that time, That he is and has been an honest & upright-man and is throughout his neighborhood believed to have been a revolutionary soldier - & further this deponent saith not.
Robert Orr
Sworn to & Subscribed in open Court this 19 day of Sept. 1832.
Fredk Rorher Pro |
Fisher Family Genealogy
