CRAIG, John: Revolutionary War Pension, Wayne County, Kentucky SUBJECT: John Craig, Wayne County, Kentucky SUBMITTER: Francis C. Gill EMAIL: fra@utah.uswest.net DATE: Nov 19, 1999 SURNAMES: Craig, Brown, Hatfield Pension Request of Jane Craig Widow of John Craig, Revolutionary Soldier Wayne County, Kentucky 1843 (Cover Page) Kentucky, 1815. Jane Craig, widow of John Craig who was a private in the Revolution. Inscribed on the roll at the rate of 80 dollars per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March 1843. (Page 1) John Craig was born February the 14th 1758. Jane Craig was born August the 2nd 1760. John Craig and Jane Craig, whose maiden name was Brown, was married September the 17th 1780. John Craig died June the 8th 1830. (Page 3) On this the 20th day of September 1838 personally appeared 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 often 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 serve as a private soldier to serve three years that she saw Joel Devenport, and his brother, Moses Devenport, 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, they all received the bounty money from...a recruiting officer named James Turner to go on under Capt. Charles Lambert who lived in Bedford....(bottom of page not copied) (Page 4) ...season but owing to the great length of time she cannot say with...certainty but she believes it was in March and the Spring of seventeen hundred and seventy seven she cannot say with certainty what regiment or Col. her said husband was attached to when he joined headquarters. She states that she recollects often to have heard her deceased husband talk of his marches and services and particularly of his having the smallpox and being at the hospital at the White Plains and of being in a skirmish at or near the White Plains and of going 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 Northeastern states, and she thinks of being at Brandywine Battle. She well recollects to have often heard him tell of encountering great hardships in hauling and traveling with the afflicted with smallpox. 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 father's, to wit, James Brown, before he went, his father's, to wit, Joseph Craig. He had a discharge from his said service which she had often heard read, which was in some way lost or des (Page 5) troyed 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 in Virginia about ten miles from the applicant's father's 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 n the 17th day of September 1780. She was married to the said John Craig at the house of Parson John Holt, two miles from where her said husband was 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 brother's Bible who was at the wedding. She states that Chesley Calloway was at the marriage who 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 sometime in the Spring as well as there was a hasty call for men and her said husband went a volunteer for a short tour of forty days against the enemy... And in a short time thereafter he went again as a militia soldier a foot soldier (page 6) and served out three months tour went to Petersburg and Williamsburg and may 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 fact of her said husband's enlistment and return from the Army and his service at New London and the facts of her said marriage that her husband served as herein stated with whom she was acquainted in the time of her husband's absence and service, to wit, a Captain George Dabney with whom she was acquainted in the time of her husbands service and who saw he said husband in service at New London in Virginia and by Richard Wade things conducing to the proof of the facts who are Revolutionary Pensioners and lives near her and she thinks by James Turner another Revolutionary Pensioner of the county and by the whole of her said husband's intimate acquaintances who was well acquainted with in Wayne County, Ky. for near thirty years before 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, another Revolutionary Pensioner, things fully convincing of her said husbands's said service. (Page 7) 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 records that she must have been married to her deceased husband on the 17 September 1780. And she further states that her said husband lived with her as husband and wife until the day he died which was on the 8th day of June 1830, that he died of cancer of 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 reference to the proof here to annexed. Sworn and subscribed this 20th day of September 1838 before me, Benjamin Hancock, J.P. her Jane X Craig mark State of Kentucky, Wayne County, witness: James Coyle Residing in the vicinity of Jane Craig, widow of Captain John Craig, deceased, I certify that we were well acquainted with Captain John Craig in his lifetime and certify that he was reputed by his intimate acquaintances generally to have been a faithful soldier of the Revolutionary War and a man well esteemed in his neighborhood and of good standing in the Regular Baptist Church for nearly thirty years before his death....(rest of page and this document not copied) (Page 8) Know all men by these presents that we, John Hatfield and John Craig, are firmly bound unto his Excellency, Christopher Greenup, Esqu., Governor of Kentucky and his success in the sum of 5 pounds current money for the payment whereof will and truly to be made we bind ourselves, our heirs and jointly an severally firmly by these sealed and dated the 5th day of May 1808. The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas a marriage is shortly intended to be had and solemnized between the above bound John Hatfield and Polly Craig; If therefore there be no lawful cause to obstruct them, this obligation to be void else to remain in full force. Signed, Sealed, and Acknowledged before M. Taul, John Hatfield, and John Craig (Page 9) Personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace in and for said county (Wayne County, Kentucky) 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 Craig children older than the one I married to wit: Polly Hatfield, Anna Moore, Rebecca Savage, James Craig, Robert Craig and Nancy, two last being twins, then next two twins that I learn died when young children, their next John H. Craig, generally called Henderson Craig, who died as a soldier from Wayne County at New Orleans, shortly after the Battle of 8th January 1815, he was under Capt. Vicory (Adam Vickery), the next to him was Betsey Smith, my wife Rachel Coyle is the next child to Betsey 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 (Page 10) and family and I have often heard said soldier and his wife talk of being married in time of the war and have no reason to doubt the fact. his Sworn before me this........................ James X Coyle 11th day of April 1840 ...........................mark before me B. Hancock, J.P. ----------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. 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