Pension Application of Jacob Cook R2257
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia } SS.
Monroe County }
On this fourteenth day of March in the year of our Lord 1834 personally appeared before me Joel Stodghill a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Monroe & State of Virginia Jacob Cook A Resident of the County and State aforesaid aged Seventy one years in July next 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 7th 1832
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named Officers and served as herein stated — That he moved from Rockingham County in the State of Virginia in the year 1773 to Indian Creek one of the Tributary Streams of New River into what was then called Greenbrier County [sic: formed in 1778 from Botetourt and Montgomery County] now Monroe County — That in the year following 1774 there was a Fort Erected on the place to which his Father had moved to on Indian Creek [near present Red Sulphur Springs] called and known afterwards by the name of Cooks Fort. That in the year 1779 he was enrolled in a company of Militia under the command of Captain John Hutchison. That he immediately entered the Service of his Country in Cooks Fort with an embodied Corpse who were placed there for the purpose of defending the Fort and to form small spying parties whose business it was to watch the Aproach of the Indians, he thinks it was on the 1st day of August 1779. he commenced his services in Cook’s Fort as an Indian Spy under the command of the aforesaid Captain John Hutchison and continued in Fort that year until the first of November following. That nothing verry serious happened during this year except the killing of William Bradshaws Wife. the Circumstances are as follows Bradshaw had remained at his Cabbin which was between Cooks Fort and Lafertys Fort [Fort Laverty on Indian Creek] notwithstanding the danger of doing so and also having been advised by two men (Howard & Mann) to leave his Cabbin and go to the Fort. the House was attacted in the afternoon by a small party of Indians and the door being fast one of the Indians fired at the door the ball punctured through the door and lodged in or went through the boddy of Mrs Bradshaw and wounded her mortally so that she died that night – on Bradshaws firing his gun through the door from the inner side the Indians retired without doing any farther damage.
That as early as the 1st day of May 1780 he again entered the service of his Country as an Indian Spy in Cooks Fort. That during that Summer nothing of any serious impact took place in the Settlement except the Surprising of Jno & James Pauler & their families who were moving through the Country from somewhere East on their way to Kentucky. while passing the East Fork of New River they were surprised and fired upon by a party of Indians and both of the Paulers Wives and their Children were taken prisoners. John Pauler was badly Wounded notwithstanding he made his escape and died the second night afterwards James Pauler also made his escape a party were immediately dispached from Cooks Fort to the place where the depredation had been committed but the Indians availing themselves of the advantage of the Horses which the Paulers were traveling and packing on had gotten so far the start that pursuit was thought to be useless—
That in the year 1781 the Settlement was destined to see greater troubles than they had experienced the preceding summer that as early as the first day of March of that year a party of Indians came into the Settlement and attack’d the House of William Meck who lived on Indian Creek and took him and his whole family prisoners. A party was immediately dispached in pursuit of them and after a march of Three or four days they came up with the Indians and prisoners and suceeded in rescuing them from the Hands of the Savages – that this circumstance created considerable excitement in the Settlement and the People immediately betook themselves to their Respective Forts. That as early as the 3d day of March 1781 his services commenced as an Indian Spy and continued until the 1st of November following. that he served this year in Cooks Fort or Ganison with an imbodied Corps under the Command of the before named Captain Hutchison. That in the year 1782 he again served in Cooks Fort from the 15th day of March until the 1st of November following. that the circumstance of the Indians coming into the Settlement so early the preceding year induced the people to repair to their Forts at so early a date fearing that they might again be surprised in the same way when they were not prepared to defend themselves. That in this year there was nothing of consequence transpired notwithstanding the Spies were kept actively imployed and those who were in the Fort were kept constantly on the Watch during the whole of the above named time. That during the whole of his services as aforesaid he was under the command of the aforesaid Captain Hutchison and that during the whole of the aforesaid time he was in Fort or Garrison with an imbodyed Corps and was not ingaged in any Civil pursuit — [answers to interrogatories prescribed by the War Department] (first) that he was born in Rockingham County [sic: formed in 1778 from Augusta County] in the State of Virginia in the year seventeen hundred & sixty three in the month of July. (Second) That his Father had a record of his age but since his death his mother moved to Kentucky and took the Bible that contained his age with Her (Third) That he was living on Indian Creek in the County of Greenbriar and State of Virginia now Monroe County & State aforesaid when called into service where he has lived ever since. (Fourth) that he was called into service by Order of Captain Hutchison (Fifth) That he has stated the name of his Captain and that he does not recollect the names of the under Officers (Sixth) That he never Received any written discharge for any of his Services. (7) that he is known to Samuel V. Garvin [sic: Samuel B. Garvin] and James Willson [sic: James Wilson] who live in his preasant neighborhood who can testify to his good Character for Veracity and their belief of his Services as a Soldier of the Revolution that he has no documentary Evidence
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity of Pension except the preasant and declares that is name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State
[signed] Jacob Cook
State of Virginia } SS
Munro County }
On this 9th day of April in the year of our Lord 1834 personally appeared before me Joel Stodghill an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Munroe and State of Virginia Mary Swope a resident in the County and State aforesaid and after being first duly sworn according to Law doth on her Oath make the following Statement. That she has been well acquainted with the Rev’d Jacob Cook who has subscribed and sworn to the above or foregoing declaration That she was in Cooks Fort at the time or during the Periods that he has mentioned in his Declaration. that there was a company of men stationed in Cooks Fort for its defence and that Jacob Cook was one of that Company and that she believes him to have served about the length of time in each year that he has stated