Military: Rev War: ABIJAH McCLAIN - Greene County, Pennsylvania

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SUBJECT: ABIJAH McCLAIN - Greene County, Pennsylvania
SUBMITTER: Don Marsh
EMAIL: McClainExchange@mexia.com
DATE: Oct 02, 1999
SURNAMES: McCLAIN

GREENE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ABIJAH McCLAIN, W 7408, bounty land 17584-160-55, 8th PENNSYLVANIA
State of Pennsylvania, County of Fayette. On this 23d day of October 1832
personally appeared before The Hon. Thomas H. Baird this Afsociate Judge
of the Circuit for said County now sitting ABIJAH McCLAIN a resident of
Cumberland Township, in the County of Greene and State of Penna aforesaid
aged 78 years, 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 the Said ABIJAH McCLAIN
enlisted in the Service of the United States in the year A.D. 1776 in the
neighbourhood of the Flats of Grave Creek Va. under the following named
officers: Viz. first under Captain Pegot for the term of three years, and
attached to the 8th Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment commanded by Colonel McCoy
and Lieutenant Col George Wilfon, Major Butler etc. and that the Said Regt.
was all recruited west of the mountains, for the exprefs purpofe of guarding
the weftern frontiers, but after marching up to the Kittaning, in Armftrong
County, in the State of Penna aforesaid and after remaining there for some
time, there was an exprefs came for the said Regt. to march immediately
to the east and to rendivous at the City of Philadelphia and to which place
they was obliged to march, & from thence to the State of New Jersey, and
had a battle at a place called Bound Brook where many of the said 8th Regt.
was kild, wounded, and many taken prifoners to the City of New York, and
that soon after which the said Col. McCoy died at the City of Trenton,
N. Jersey, and his Said Col. Wilson died at Quible Town, New Jersey, and
that the whole of the Surviving troops was then commanded under Col Daniel
Broadhead, and that Some time after which, he the deponent with about 100
others of the Said Regt. Volunteered under Col Daniel Morgan for one year
and marched in the northern campaign, in pursute of the British army commanded
by Major General Burgoyn, against whom they fought at Saratoga, and from
there returned and rejoined his Regt. in the Spring or Summer of 1778 at
the Valley Forge, from which the Survivors of the 8th Pa. Regt. afforesaid
was permited to return back to west Point, to Pittsburg, and from thence
to the building of Fort McIntush in the said year of 1778, and from thence
out into the Indian country to the building of Fort Lawrence, & there remained
for a confiderable time & from there Spring they returned to Fort Pitt
aforesaid where said deponents time of service approved, and their leaves
they honorably discharged by Lt. Col Stephen Byard in the month of September
1779, as Setforth in his preceding declaration for a pension long since
tranfmited to the of the Honorable Christian Farr, then a member of Congrefs
for the County of Fayette & Greene aforesaid, also agreeable to his second
declaration executed before the Hon. Court on the 10th day of September
1830, at Waynesburg Penna aforesaid, with Said County of Greene. Said Declarant
further recollects that after they has returned from Fort Lawrence to Pitt
aforesaid, they was taken out in a two month campaign up the Alegheny,
& headwaters of Sufquehanna after the Indians, and that after they returned
from that to Pitt aforesaid where said deponent was discharged as aforesaid,
deponent states that this two months campaign aforesaid had never been
reported in his preceeding declarations. That he was entirely too frail
to attend at either of the preceeding courts at Wayneburg in the County
of Greene, and that he resides equally as near to the Town of ison in the
County of Fayettte aforesaid and where he was also well acquainted, and
also obliged to attend there on other bufinefs, and likewise, could have
bufinefs done gratis, and that his health was somewhat recruited which
enabled him to attend. And that he deponent was born in the State of New
Jerfey Midlefex County on the 2d day of September AD 1754, and lived in
the County of Monmouth until the age of 20 years, and from then he and
his parents moved to the Flats of Grave Creek Ohio County, in the State
of Virginia, and there remained until he enlisted as aforesaid under the
said Captain Pegot of the 8th Pennsylvania Rifle Regt. as aforesaid, and
that after being discharged as aforesaid, he refided for some time in the
County of Fayette aforesaid, and got married, after which he refided for
about ? years in Allegheny County Pa. and from thence he migrated to the
Said County of Greene, about 60 years since, where he has ever refided
And that relatives to his documentary evidence ? he had tranfmited his
discharge by the Hon. C. F??r aforesaid to the War Department, who states
that he left the Same in the Clerks office before the close of the sefsion
of Congrefs of which he was a member, and that he has no other document
except his for his , which will be within he will delay in indeavoring
to pronounce the affidavit of one of his only service support of his claim,
who it is Said refides in the State of Kentucky, and that he years in the
said Service.

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Declaration of Mrs. LYDIA McCLAIN, widow of ABIJAH McCLAIN, late of the
County of Greene in the State of Pennsylvania . For a revolutionary pension
under the act of Congrefs of 3th Feby 1853. State of Pennsylvania, Greene
County } On this Eighteenth day of Feby A.D. 1854 personally appeared before
me one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. in and for the county
of Greene, in the state aforesaid. aged about eight years, who being first
duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath. make the following declaration,
in order to obtain the benefits of the provision of the act of Congress
of 3th Feby 1853. granting pensions to widows of persons who served during
the revolutionary war. That she is the widow of ABIJAH McCLAIN who was
a soldier in the war of the revolution and a pensioner of the United States
under the act of Congress of the amount of said pension and the agency
at which it was paid being unknown to your declarant. She further declares
that she was married to the said ABIJAH McCLAIN on the day of February
A.D. 1835 at the house of William Mitchener in Jefferson Township in said
County by one Baker, a clergyman of the Presbyterian Church that there
is no county town or church record of said marriage. and that your declarant
does not know of the evidence of any family record thereof. That her name
before the said marriage was LYDIA WAY. And that her husband the aforesaid
ABIJAH McCLAIN died at her house on the said county of Greene on the Seventh
day of July A.D. 1854 and that she has remained his widow since the death
of her said husband. Sworn and subscribed on this day. LYDIA (X) McCLAIN

 ....................................
Letter of Nov. 9, 1931 from Commissioner of Rev. War Section, Record Division
to Hon. H. W. Temple, House of Representatives:

From the papers on file in the claim, Widow 7408, it appears that ABIJAH
McCLAIN was born in Monmouth or Middlesex Co. N. J. September 2, 1754,
and while living in Ohio County, Virginia, enlisted in August 1778, served
in Captain James Piggott's Company, Colonels Aenas Mackey and Daniel Brodhead's
Penn. Regiment, and in Colonel Daniel Morgan's Va. Regiment, was at the
battles of Boundbrook and Saratoga and was discharged in September 1779.

He was allowed pension, on his application executed October 23, 1832, while
living in Cumberland Township, Greene County, Penn., where he died July
11, 1848.

He married in Jefferson Township, Greene County, Penn. in Feb. 1836, LYDIA
WAY. She was allowed pension on her application executed Feb. 18, 1854,
at which time she was 80 years of age and a resident of Greene County,
Penn. It is not stated whether he had any children.