REVOLUTIONARY PENSION APPLICATION - MICHAEL LEONARD

Contributed by:  Beulah Franks

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State of Kentucky, County of Grant.

On this 12th day of October 1835 personally appeared in open court before the justices of the 
County of Grant, now setting Michael Leonard, a resident of Grant County and State of Kentucky, 
aged about __ years 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 passed June 7, 1832. 
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officer and served as 
herein after stated. That he was born sometime in the spring of the year 176_ (time not 
recollected) in the County of Rowan and what is now the State of North Carolina and there 
resided until the fall of 1779, that he then removed to what was then the District of Kentucky, now 
the State of Kentucky, at a placed called Ruddle's Station, near the junction of Hinkston and 
Stoner forming the south fork of Licking River, that some time about the first of June 1780 there 
was great alarm about the Indians and British, it being reported that a force consisting of British 
and Indians was expected to appear and attack the Stations, that although this declarant was not 
then of an age which required of him military entry, he volunteered and was received under the 
command of Captain Ruddle who commanded at the Station called Ruddle's Station and entered 
upon the duties of a private soldier and so remained doing the duties of a private soldier under 
the order of said Capt. Ruddle until after the middle of said month of June 1780, say about the 
20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, or 24th day of said June, the day not now recollected, when the force 
before expected, consisting of two or three hundred English and six or seven hundred Indians, 
under the comman of Capt. of Colonel Bird of the British Army made its appearance and we were 
prepared for resistance, but after the force of the enemy was ascertained and their means of 
attack, Captain Ruddle surrendered and the enemy entered the Station, plundered and destroyed 
everything which could not be conveniently removed and sent in charge of a portion of Indians all 
the persons, both men, women and children to Detroit. The prisoners were divided into parcels of 
from two or three to about twelve according as they were able to offer resistance and put under 
charge as many Indians as was thought necessary to secure them. This declarant was divided 
out with seven others, say two men, two boys, two women and two children, and under the 
charge of eight Indians, and while on our way to Detroit and somewhere in what is now the State 
of Ohio, while at breakfast one of the Indians became angry with this declarant and struck him on 
the top of his head with a tomahawk and came near killing him; he however survived and traveled 
on until we arrived at an Indian town of the Shawnee's where we were all compelled to run the 
gaunlet; we then proceeded to Detroit where we were divided out among the citizens to work and 
was watched so that taking into consideration the amence wilderness to be traversed the Indians 
and many other dangers we could not leave. Some however was sent to Quebec or some other 
places. After we had been divived out among the Indians at Ruddle's Station as before said, we 
then understood that the British and a part of the Indians were to proceed to other Stations in the 
neighborhood which turned out to be the case, for a short time after the prisoners of Ruddle's 
Station had been brought into Detroit, the British and Indians that had been left at Ruddle's 
Station came to Detroit with all the force of Martin's Station. This declarant remained a prisoner of 
war until the news of peace reached the authorities at Detroit when we all told that we were at 
liberty to go where we pleased, which happened as this declarant now believes in the latter part 
of the year in 1783, so that this declarant was in actual service of the United States which in the 
Station and a prisoner of war from about the beginning of June 1780 until about the fall of 1783, 
being the time he was liberated so that he has served the United States as a private soldier not 
less than three years and for such service he claims a pension. He was, not while in the service, 
with any other troops than those mentioned and therefore saw or knew of any other. This 
declarant received no discharge and has no documentary testimony of his service and know of no 
person whoe evidence he can now procure who is acquainted with his service except John Zinn 
and Elizabeth Franks both of Grant County, Ky. There is several others but they live at too great a 
distance for this declarant to travel and see so as to procure their evidence. This declarant has no 
record of his age and only states his age from the fact that he was told that he was 14 years old 
at the taking of Ruddle's Station. This declarant was living in what is now Bourbon County, Ky., 
when he was called into service and when he returned from his captivity which was in the year 
1784.