Pension Application of William Tracey: S7751
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia County of Bedford S.S.
The declaration of William Tracey of Bedford County Virginia made in Bedford County Court this 22nd day of April 1833 to enable him to draw a pension from the Government of the United States under the act of congress passed June the 7th 1832. said William Tracey after being duly sworn in open Court sayeth ~ He was born in Bedford County Virginia 1761 agreeable to his fathers register now lost to him for he does not know where it is, where he has resided ever since and now resides, and was Seventy one years old the 8th day of July last agreeable to his fathers register & that he enlisted as a private and volunteer in August 1777 in this County for twelve months under Cap Charles Gwatkin and was marched by said Captain to old Boonsborough [sic: Boonesborough in present Madison County] in Kentucky to protect the fort and frontier settlers against the Indians and British– was under Lieutenant [William] Milam and part of his time when Boon [sic: Daniel Boone] was absent under Colo. Richard Callaway; he thinks our adjutant was by name May. That in February 1778 at the big blue licks in Kentucky [in present Nicholas County] he was with twenty odd others taken prisoner by the [Shawnee] Indians. Colo Boon was taken prisoner the day before by them we were at the licks making salt for the Garrison at the fort; he this deponent enlisted for Twelve months. He was kept as a prisoner of war by the Indians over five years. was carried to Chilicothe Town [Chillicothe in present Ohio] then high up said river, then to pickaway [sic: Piqua] Towns and many other places on big miama [sic: Great Miami River] to their towns; then to Detroit and was returned as a prisoner of war after the close of the war with great Britain. He enlisted in August 1777 during said time he underwent great hardships, dangers, and distress. John Hargis, Thomas James, Adam Ore, John Severe, had been taken prisoners at different times & were discharged with him. That he was sold by the Indians to the Brittish before his discharge and was finally discharged on lake Erie place not recollected. Those who were taken prisoner with him were scattered abroad many of them he never saw afterwards. Since the close of the war, he saw Colo. Boon since in Kentucky who gave him a certificate of the whole affair that he made us surrender &c to save his own life he being first taken &c. But have lost his said certificate not considering it of any particular value &c. He does not know of any surviving soldier or officer who knows of his services or enlistment but John Holley. He hereby relinquishes every claim to a pension or annuity whatever except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State. That there was no regular army or officers about where he served or known to him during his service. Sworn to and subscribed the day and year first aforesaid William Tracey
State of Virginia Bedford County to Wit
This day John Holley [spelled Holly on his pension application S9588] of lawful age came personally before me a Justice of the peace for the County aforesaid and made oath that he knows the fact having been present at the time that William Tracey who is about making a declaration in Bedford County Court to try to get a pension from the United States Enlisted as a private Soldier in August 1777 in Bedford under Cap Charles Gwatkin of Bedford County for Twelve months and marched to Boonsborough now in Kentucky that during his said service said William Tracey with Colo. Boon was as he has no doubt taken prisoner at the Big Blue Licks and was retained as a prisoner by the Indians about five years as he has always understood. That this deponant had an Uncle also taken at same time and was over five years retained as a prisoner.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 22nd day of April 1833} John Holley
said Holly is a very credible witness. David Saunders JP}
NOTE: Compare the pension application of Ansel Goodman S13175.