Revolutionary War Petition Application, Ansel Goodman.

Rev War Petition Application: Ansel Goodman, a Bedford Co. soldier in Co. of
Capt. Charles Gwatkin.
Ansel G. Goodman’s Petition

(The following is the entire text of the Court proceedings, and attached 
statements of witnesses, of Ansel G. Goodman’s petition for a Revolutionary 
War pension. The exact spelling and punctuation has been retained, as 
closely as could be determined from the hand writtn documents.)

Ansel Goodman was a Revolutionary War soldier from Bedford Co., VA, b abt 
1752. He later settled in Adair Co., KY, which later was divided and where 
he was became Russell Co. This petition is interesting because it describes 
the events of early Boonesborough, KY, and establishes that many Bedford Co.
residents (at least the 50 in the Co. of Capt Gwatkins) were there to defend
the fort and settlement, and that this may have been one of the key events 
that caused so many Bedford families to remove to KY in its earliest days.
__________________________________________________________________________________

State of KY
Russell County JD
On this twenty ninth day of October 1832 personally appeared in open court, 
it being a court of record, setting in and for the county afd, Ansel Goodman,
resident of said county, aged about eighty 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 7th June 1832.

That in the state of Virginia, in the county of Bedford in the year as well 
as he can now remember 1777, he enlisted in the service of the United States,
under Capt. Charles Watkins, and was ordered to Kentucky with the balance of
the company for the purpose of assisting the inhabitants in their battle 
against the British and Indians. That the Company was composed of fifty odd 
men. That they were promised Forty shillings per month and the period of 
their enlistment was for six months. That very soon after their enlistment, 
they were marched to Kentucky by their Capn. and arrived at Boonsborough on 
the Kentucky River in the now state of Ky., which was a Fort, sometimes 
called a station at which place we found Col. Daniel Boon, and some men and 
families under his command. We were placed under the command also, of Col. 
Boon, and acted in the capacity of defenders of the Fort against the enemy 
and also as Indian spies.

Some considerable time after being so employed upon constant duty and very 
short allowance, himself, and as well as he can now recollect about thirty 
others under the command of Col. Boone, were ordered out upon an expedition 
to make salt for use of those in the Fort. They marched to a place about 70 
or 80 miles from the Fort then and now known and called the Blue Licks. 
After being there about three weeks, engaged making salt bsl. Boone was 
absent from the company hunting and trapping, when a party of Shawnees, of 
about one hundred Indians, commanded by their Chief Black Fish, fired 
several guns at him as he Boon told this applicant, and run him some 
distance and he Boone discovering he would be taken, stopped, and put his 
Gun behind a tree, stepped out, and gave up. The Indians then marched with 
Col. Boone, to where the balance of us were, and we were ordered by Col. 
Boone to stack our guns and surrender. We did so---

We were all taken first to the Indian Town, over the Ohio River on the 
Little Miame. Some of the company were taken to the British. This applicant 
and a few others were retained by the Indians, and from the day he was taken
up to the time he run off, a period of eight months, he suffered misery and 
wretchedness, hunger, cruelty and oppression of almost every sort. The night
after he was taken, his arms were tied behind him, a rope or Buffaloes Tug 
tied first around his middle, and then made fast to an Indian on each side 
of him, and the one around his arms, was made to go around his neck, and 
tied fast to a Tree, and in that position he had to sleep upon the snow. A 
little while before he reached the Indian Town, he was compelled to strip 
himself, cold at was entirely naked, his arms again made fast and a load of 
Bare meat packed upon him. It was a heavy load. Indeed he was packed heavily,
from the time he was taken until he arrived at the Town. And just as he got
there, he was met by many Indians from the Town, and run the Gantlet with 
the load of meat, and was very severely beaten & bruised in the race. Before
they got in sight of the Town, he was made to sing as loud as he could 
hollar. The object of that he afterward learnt, was to give notice of their 
approach. After running the Gantlet, he and the other prisoners were ordered
to dance like the Whites. A negro who was prisoner with them, acted as 
Interpreter. Col Boon was taken a while to the British, and they gave him a 
little horse and a saddle, and he returned with the Indians, and was taken 
off with a party mostly of Squaws to make salt. There he made out to run off,
and got back to Boonsborough safely.

This applicant, having stayed as he before mentioned eight months he in the 
company with two others, George Hendricks and Aaron Ferman, run away. And 
having learnt from some of the Indians before they started, that there was 
some White men at the Falls of Ohio, they made their course that way. Before
they arrived there, being beset with hunger, they were getting some Red Haws,
when a party of Indians came upon them, and after a chase, re-took George 
Hendricks, but his other companion and himself arrived at the Falls. He 
remained there upward of two months, having engaged as a soldier, and 
performed duty under Capt. Wm. Harrod. He has no discharge, no written 
evidence of his services whatever. From the time of his enlistment, until 
he got back to Virginia, was one year and nine months. He can prove by a 
living witness, Arahici Brown of the County Garrard the fact of his 
enlistment and his service.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or an anuity except
the present, and declares his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency 
of any state.

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year afd.		his
							Ansel    X   Goodman
								mark

The Court’s Reply:
Ansel Goodman this day produced his declaration for a pension which was 
signed and sworn to by him in open Court. And the Court after an 
investigation of the matter and an examination of the affidavit and 
certificate attached thereto and putting the interrogatories prescribed by 
the war department do hereby declare it to be their opinion that the above 
named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states.
						Signed: 	John L. [?]Briagu[?]

I Brian Y. Owsey Clerk of the Russell Circuit Court do hereby certify that 
the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the 
matter of the application of Ansel Goodman for a pension.

	Seal		
	In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal of office
				this 7th day of November A.D. 1832
						Signed:	Brian Y. Owsley Clerk

	4th Jany 1833
I certify that Ansel Goodman the applicant is reported to me to be a 
Preacher of the Gospel and a man unmachable character. I herein certify I 
have had a personal acquaintance with the witness Arahici Brown for upwards 
of twenty years & that he is a man of truth and respectability.

Ansel Goodman Dictation:
I hereby certify the statement made by the applicant and also by the 
witness is in my hand writing, and were written, each in the presence of 
the afd applicant & witness.
						Signed: R.P. [?]Litthew[?]

State of Ky.
Garrard County
This day came before me me Arahici Brown a justice of the peace in and for 
the county afd. and made oath that he was well acquainted with Ansel Goodman
both before and ever since he enlisted in the county of Bedford state of 
Virginia in the year 1777 under Capn Charles Watkins. He did not know, when 
this applicant made out his dictation before Lewis Laudsam, on the 13th day 
of Sepr 1832 that the sd. Ansel Goodman was alive-- He has however had the 
unexpected pleasure of seeing and conversing with one of his old fellow 
sufferers. He has heard his statement read, hearing date the 13th of Octor 
1832. He knows its all true, of his own knowledge up to the time the sd. 
Goodman went with a party to make salt under Col Boone. He always understood
he was then taken prisoner by the Indians with Boone and remained a prisoner
for the time he sets forth. He understood from this applicant himself ever 
since he returned from his captivity, also from Col Boone, and many others, 
and such has been the understanding always since the event occurred. He 
knows the sd. Goodman is a man of truth, that he was a good spy, and a 
faithful soldier, and that he places the utmost reliance in his entire 
statement.
	Given under my hand seal this 13th day of Octor 1832
					Signed:  (undecipherable)

Submitted by RonGoodman@aol.com

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