Draper MSS, 11CC28.--James Breckinridge and his wife (Jane Mahan Breckinridge ) in their interview with Rev. John D Shane, said that Bird was "an inhuman wretch" who gave them for rations only a pint of musty flour which sometimes turned green, though he had ample supply. When George Girty killed some deer and brought it in, Bird purchased it for himself and his officers, but gave none to the prisoners. According to the Breckenridges, thereupon, Girty cursed Bird "as being meaner than any Indian, having plenty of rations and carrying his prisoners back to starve without them." They declared that the British officer at Detroit was very much displeased and talked of breaking Bird's commission.

Subject: Pension applications of the Mahan sisters
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 21:08:22 -0700
From: LSWark@aol.com
To: RUDDLESFORT-L@rootsweb.com

Carolyn Kent and I have located pension application records for Jane Brackenridge and her sister, Elizabeth Wilson, daughters of Patrick and Isabella Mahan, who were captured with their family at Martin's Station in 1780. The two women applied to Congress more than 60 years later seeking pensions covering the period of their captivity and imprisonment by the British.

Traditionally only soldiers or their widows were entitled to Revolutionary War pensions. These two women were ahead of their time in arguing for equal rights with their male captives, who were allowed to count their time in captivity as military service. (The women were ahead of their time, but their representatives in Congress weren't: The petitions were ignored.) Even so, the applications are filled with interesting detail, as you'll see when we post the documents in a few minutes. And it's possible that others among the captives sought relief for their suffering through the private claims process as well.

Carolyn found the names in a set of volumes titled "U.S. House of Representatives Private Claims," which consists of three volumes of indexes, in alphabetical order. These are indexes only, not abstracts, and give citations for private claims filed with the government (name, nature of claim, Congress and Session in which claim was brought, House Journal page number, committee to which claim was referred, disposition).

The private claims indexes are online at Ancestry.com (subscribers only) and also available at many libraries. (Carolyn is willing to do lookups, but don't swamp her: Krazymix@aol.com.) To get the documents themselves, you must write to the National Archives and Records Administration, Center for Legislative Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20408-0001. Make sure to provide the full citation. They'll write back, describing what's available and indicating the fee (responding by phone, using plastic, speeds things up).

For a $15 fee, I received 23 pages of documents, including a photocopy of the page from the House Journal (28th Congress, 1st Session) reporting the submission of the two petitions and their referral on April 22, 1844, to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions; entries from that committee's docket showing receipt of the petitions and that no further action was taken; copies of the petitions themselves and supporting material (20 pages) from the two women seeking government aid.

Transcriptions to follow.

Lois Wark

Subject: Brackenridge-1
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 21:18:22 -0700
From: LSWark@aol.com
To: RUDDLESFORT-L@rootsweb.com

Jane Brackenridge
Application to Congress for a Pension

Source: National Archives and Records Administration
RG 287: Publications of the U.S. Government
House Journal, 28th Congress, 1st Session
Page 840

[Reporting the submission of petitions on behalf of Jane Brackenridge and her sister, Elizabeth Wilson, daughters of Patrick and Isabella Mahan, for pensions covering the period of their imprisonment during the Revolutionary War, and referral of the petitions on April 22, 1844, to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.]

"By Mr. Garrett Davis: A petition of Mrs. Jane Brackenridge, of Bourbon county, State of Kentucky, praying to be allowed a pension in consideration of three years' imprisonment, and great sufferings endured, among the British and Indians, during the revolutionary war;

"Also, a memorial of Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, of Woodford county, in said State, praying to be allowed a pension in consideration of a like imprisonment and sufferings during the same war.

"Ordered, That said petitions and memorial be referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions."

* * * * *

Source:
National Archives and Records Administration
RG 233: Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Rev. Pensions, 28th Congress,
Docket HR 28A-D27.2

[Docket book, showing receipt of the pension requests by the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions, and showing that no further action was taken on them.]

28th Congress

Date. By whom presented. Subject matter.

1844 April 22d Mr. G. Davis Breckenridge, Jane

[separate page, filed alphabetically]
1844 April 22d Mr. G. Davis Wilson, Elizabeth

Source: National Archives and Records Administration HR 28A-G21.1, Jane Brackenridge and Elizabeth Wilson

[Petitions and support materials from the two women.]

State of Kentucky
Bourbon County

On this the 5 day of March 1844 personally appeared before me Joseph Wilson an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the county and state aforesaid Mrs. Jane Brackingridge aged upwards of seventy six years: who after being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain an allowance - according to the terms of the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832.

To wit: that she is upwards of seventy six (76) years of age: She was raised in the state of Virginia untill she was 10 or 12 years of age when her Father and all of the family came to Kentucky, Borbon County at Martains Station -- about the year Eighty to the best of her recollection -- where they were all taken prisoners by the Brititish and indians with all of his property and money which was thousands of dollars, and they were taken from Martains Station to Detroyett - where her father died - and was no more. From there they were taken to Montraal - and there remained untill they were exchanged for - to the best of her recollection they were prisoners from two years and nine months to 3 years.

[2nd page] during which time they were nearly faint with hunger and fatigue: Bird was the Brititish officer that like to have starved the poor prisoners to death: She states that they lost all of their property - and her father; and landed back without any thing - which reduced them so low, that she has never recovered from the fall. Therefore she prays Congress that she may be enroled on the Pention List, according to the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832 and this she will forever pray: She further declars that she has a sister living in Woodford County Kentucky that is about 10 or 12 years older than herself and she was taken prisoner at the same time and returned with her at the same time: She further declars that she has appointed C.N. Trabue her attorney to receive her Certifficate of Pention: She further declars that she is not able to appear in Open Court owing to her old age and frailty of body.

Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above writen
her
Jo. S. Wilson JP. Jane X Brackingridge
State of Kentucky mark
Bourbon County

I the foregoing subscribed Justice of the Peace do Certify that I am personally acquainted with the above subscribed declarant and I do believe that the above declaration to be true and I have heard for a long time back that she was taken prisoner at Martains Station [new page] and that she is a lady of truth and what she has stated is to be relied on. She is a lady of verasity.

Given under my hand this 5th day of March 1844.

/s/ Jo. S. Wilson J.P.

Commonwealth of Kentucky & County of Bourbon
I Thomas P. Smith clerk of the County Court of said County do certify that Joseph Wilson is a magistrate as above, & that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto
affixed my seal of office, & subscribed
my name this fifth day of March
1844.

Thos. P. Smith, clk.
By W.O. Hughart, D.C.

Subject: Brackenridge-2
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 21:24:09 -0700
From: LSWark@aol.com
To: RUDDLESFORT-L@rootsweb.com

Source: National Archives and Records Administration
RG233
Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
HR28A-G21.1
Jane Brackenridge

Memorial of Jane Brackenridge

Pet. for a pension
in consideration of
3 years imprisonment
in the revolutionary
War.

Apl. 22d 1844, refd. to
Comee. On Rev. Pensions

Refered to the committee
on Revolutionary Pensions
on motion of G. Davis

To The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.

The memorial of Mrs. Jane Breckenridge of Bourbon County Kentucky, a prisoner of the British and Indians during the War of the Revolution.

Your memorialist will respectfully represent: That her Father set out from Virginia with his family, consisting of several children & some few Negroes and likewise all of his property & effects, the latter part of the year 1779 to what is now called Kentucky, and arrived at Martins Station, now in the county of Bourbon, State of Kentucky, the last day of Christmas 1779 or new years day 1780. That they there remained (occasionally some of them being at Ruddles Station) from the time of their arrival until the month of June 1780, when Martains Station, and Ruddles Station, were attacked by the British & Indians, both of which surrendered or were taken -- & those of the prisoners who were not massacred were carried to Detroit near the Lakes, where the Father of your memorialist, from the bad treatment received from the Indians and British, departed this life.

From Detroit the prisoners were carried to Montreal in Canada, where those of them who survived remained until the close of the War - at which time as prisoners of war they were liberated. Then those of the family of the deceased Father of your memorialist who survived, except the Negroes, returned by way of their native Commonwealth to what is now called Kentucky, once again to seek for themselves homes in the Wilderness. That since which time, the grave has closed over each of the unfortunate returners, except a sister of your memorialist now of Woodford County Kentucky, whose name is Elizabeth Wilson, and your humble petitioner. Their condition upon their return was truly lamentable, having upon the surrender of the station lost their few Negroes, horses & other effects, were upon their liberation as prisoners of War compeled to return half clad, distressed and as orphans. That their condition in encountering the difficulties of a journey from Virginia in the winter of 1779, their sufferings by starvation, fatigue and abuse in a journey from Martins Station to Detroit, thence to Montreal, and their endurance of toil, labour, hunger, and the veriest of abuse during their imprisonment at Montreal can be more easily imagined than described.

Your memorialist has the pleasure of knowing, and now stating that her Father was a true American and lover of his country, and so evidenced the soundness of his principles in leaving, during the greatest rage of the War, his civilized home, with his all, to aid in protecting and defending the Western frontier against the ravages of the merciless savage.

Your memorialist is informed that by a resolution of Congress of the 14th July 1832, the time of imprisonment as a prisoner shall be taken and computed as service in the execution of the act of 7th June 1832, for the benefit of which act she would long ago have applied at the War Department, but for the reason that she was informed that the language of said act was such as would not admit of females being embraced by its provisions, such words "he, his, & him" being made use of, while the words "her, she, or anyone" are not at all used. Now your memorialist insists that in justice, she is as much entitled to a Pension according to the terms of said act for three years imprisonment as any man or male person is for the same duration of imprisonment. She will insist that the principle which would grant a male, because of his being of the male kind, a Pension for three years imprisonment by the British, and at the same time restrict her from a Pension for the same duration of imprisonment, because of her being of the female kind, is flagrantly unjust and cruel. She conceives the injustness of such principle to be too apparent to need further comment. She is informed that the said act of the 7th June 1832 grants a sum equal to full pay for two years imprisonment or service commencing the 4th March 1831 & continuing during life - therefore she conceives that she is entitled to a Pension according to the terms of said act, she having been a prisoner for three years, having been taken a prisoner in June 1780 & continued as such in Canada until the close of the War - which was in the spring or summer of 1783.

Your memorialist will further represent: That she is informed that the act of Congress passed the 4th July 1836 makes generous provision for those females whose husbands were in service or imprisonment by the enemy during the War of the Revolution by granting them Pensions commencing the 4th March 1831, from which your memorialist cannot for a moment believe that your Honourable Body will restrict her, from a Pension according to the same terms, who personally encountered the toils and dangers in the onset of a journey to the haunts of the Indian, who personally endured the privations and sufferings consequent upon a march to Detroit & journey to Montreal, and who personally endured the toil, labour, hunger, and vilest of abuse for years while a prisoner of the unmerciful British.

Your memorialist has the pleasure of herein referring to the declaration made by her said "surviving sister" on the 1st March 1844 before Oscar Pepper Esqr., a magistrate in & for Woodford County in order likewise to obtain a Pension, and which declaration sets forth the fact that your memorialist was her companion - and by her side - during the whole of her captivity.

Your memorialist believing it to be right, as well as her duty, has made a declaration under oath, in conformity to the act 7th June 1832, in order to obtain a Pension according to its provisions, which declaration is herewith filed, and now respectfully ask your Honourable Body that an allowance may be granted her as a Pension, according to the terms of the act of Congress passed 7th June 1832. But if your Honourable Body should be of opinion that the amount granted by said act to be inadequate to her dues, she most respectfully prays for such relief as the wisdom of your Honourable Body may conceive her entitled to - and thus she will ever pray.

I am, Very Respectfully
Your Ob't. Servant
her
Jane X Breckenridge
mark

Witness
C. N. Trabue

[Submitted by Lois Wark and Carolyn Kent]

Subject: Brackenridge-3
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 21:29:17 -0700
From: LSWark@aol.com
To: RUDDLESFORT-L@rootsweb.com

Source: National Archives and Records Administration
RG233
Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
HR28 A-G21.1
Elizabeth Wilson

[Jane Brackenridge affidavit in support of assistance for her sister, Elizabeth Wilson]

State of Kentucky
Bourbon County

On this the 5th day of March 1844 personally appeared before me Joseph Wilson, an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid, Mrs. Jane Brackingridge aged upwards of seventy six years, after being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following statement, to wit:

That she has a sister living in Woodford County Kentucky by the name of Elizabeth Willson about eighty-five years of age that was taken prisoner at Martains Station at the time Martains Station was taken by the British and Indians about the year Eighty, to the best of her recollection, and from Martains Station they was taken to Detroyett and there she lost her father - he died: from there she was taken to Montreal and there remained a prisoner untill she was exchanged for, and then she reterned home to Kentucky by the way of Virginia, and she thinks that her sister was a prisoner near three years but cannot precisely recollect. She further states that her sister Elizabeth is in a reduced circumstance and standes in need of assistance. She has neither husband nor child.

Sworn to and subscribed before me
The day and year above writen.
her
Jos. Wilson J.P. Jane X Brackingridge
Mark

[page break]

State of Kentucky
Bourbon County

I the foregoing subscribed Justice of the Peace is personally acquainted with the foregoing affiant, and I do believe the statements contained in the foregoing deposition to be true and all of her statements is to be relyed on: She is a lady of truth and varasity.

Given under my hand this 5th day of March 1844.

Jos. Wilson J.P.

Commonwealth of Kentucky & County of Bourbon

I Thomas P. Smith clerk of the County Court of said county do certify that Joseph Wilson is a magistrate as above, and that the foregoing signature purporting to be his is genuine. In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my seal of office and subscribed my name this 5th day of March 1844.

Thos. P. Smith, clk.
By W.O. Hughart, D.C.

[Submitted by Lois Wark
and Carolyn Kent]

Subject: Wilson-1
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 21:35:09 -0700
From: LSWark@aol.com

Source:
National Archives and Records Administration
RG233
Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
HR28A - G21.1
Elizabeth Wilson

[Pension application of Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, sister of Mrs. Jane Brackenridge of Bourbon County, Kentucky]

State of Kentucky
Woodford County

On this 1st day of March 1844 personally appeared before me Oscar Pepper, an acting Justice of the Peace in and for the County and State aforesaid, Mrs. Elizabeth Willson who after being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain an allowance according to the terms of the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832.

To wit: that she is upwards of eighty-five years of age; she was raised in the state of Virginia and removed to Kentucky when she was about 20 years of age. She was taken prisoner at Martains Station in the year 1780 by the British and the Indians, the same year that she came to Kentucky and was taken from Martains Station to detroyet and there her father was buried and lost all of his property; from there she was taken to Monteral, and there remained a prisoner untill the men that were with them were exchanged for, and she thinks from the time that she was taken prisoner at Martains Station untill she returned must have bin about three years - but her recollection has failed her very much and she cannot state [page break] precisely the length of time, but to the best of her recollection it was near 3 years from the time she was taken prisoner at Martains Station in Bourbon County, State of Kentucky, untill she got back again. So she thinks she must have been a prisoner near three years: She further declares that her father lost all of their property, and she have never recovered from the loss by the British and Indians, and she is reduced to extreme poverty and has no means of sustenance only as it is given to her by the members of the church of which she is a member - therefore she prays to be enroled on the Pention List according to the act of Congress passed the 7th day of June 1832, and this she will forever pray.

She further declars that she has appointed C. H. Trabue Esq. her attorney to recu (sic) her Certificate of Pension. She further declars that she is not able to appear in Open Court; for she cannot raise herself up out of her chear, without help. She has neither husband nor children.

Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year above writen.

She further declars that she has a sister living in Borbon County that was taken prisoner at the same time and came home at the same time with her; her name is Jane Brackingridg: Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and year abe (sic) wrten.

her
Oscar Pepper J. P. Elizabeth X Wilson
mark

[page break]

I the above-subscribed Justice of the Peace do certify that I am personally acquainted with the foregoing declarant, and she is a lady of truth, and her statements in her declaration is to be relyed on as facts. Given under my hand this 1st day of March 1944.

Oscar Pepper Jr.

State of Kentucky
Woodford County

I Herman Bowmar Jr., Clerk of the Court of Woodford and state of Kentucky certify that Oscar Pepper before whom the foregoing declaration was made is an acting magistrate in and for the County and State aforesaid duly commissioned and qualified and to all his official acts full faith and credit are due. And the foregoing signatures purporting to be his are genuine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto
affixed my seal of office & subscribed
my name this the 18th day of March
1844.
Herman Bowmar Jr.
Clerk Woodford County Court

[Submitted by Lois Wark and Carolyn Kent]

Subject: Wilson-2
Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2000 21:38:50 -0700
From: LSWark@aol.com

Memorial of
Elizabeth Wilson

Source: National Archives and Records Administration
RG233
Records of the U.S. House of Representatives
HR28A-G21.1
Elizabeth Wilson

Memorial of Elizabeth Wilson

Praying a pension
in consideration of
imprisonment & great
sufferings endured
during the revolutionary
war.

Apl. 22d 1844, refd. to
Comee. on Rev. Pensions

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.

The memorial of Mrs. Elizabeth Willson of Woodford County Kentucky, now a widow and a prisoner of the British and Indians during the War of the Revolution.

Your memorialist will respectfully represent: That her Father set out from Virginia with his family, consisting of several of children & some few Negroes, and likewise all of his property & effects, the latter part of the year 1779 to what is now called Kentucky, and arrived at Martins Station, now in the county of Bourbon, state of Kentucky, the last day of Christmas 1779 or new years day 1780. That they there remained (occasionally some of them being at Ruddles Station) from the time of their arrival until the month of June 1780, when Martains Station, and Ruddles Station, were attacked by the British and Indians, both of which surrendered or were taken -- & those of the prisoners who were not massacred were carried to Detroit, near the Lakes, where the Father of your memorialist, from the bad treatment received from the Indians and British while on his march, departed this life.

From Detroit the prisoners were carried to Montreal in Canada, where those of them who survived remained until the close of the war - at which time as prisoners of war they were liberated. Then those of the family of the deceased Father of your memorialist who survived, except the Negroes, returned by way of their native Commonwealth to what is now called Kentucky, once again to seek for themselves homes in the Wilderness. That since which time, the grave has closed over each of the unfortunate returners, except a sister of your memorialist now of Bourbon County Kentucky, whose name is Jane Breckenridge, and your humble petitioner. Their condition upon their return was truly lamentable, having upon the surrender of the station lost their few Negroes, horses & other effects, were upon their liberation as prisoners of War compelled to return half clad, distressed and as orphans. That their condition in encountering the difficulties of a journey from Virginia in the winter of 1779, their sufferings by starvation, fatigues, and abuse in a journey from Martins Station to Detroit, thence to Montreal, and their endurance of toil, labor, hunger, and the veriest of abuse during their imprisonment at Montreal can be more easily imagined than described.

Your memorialist has the pleasure of knowing and stating that her Father was a true American, and lover of his country, and so evidenced the soundness of his principles, in leaving during the greatest rage of the war, his civilized home, with his all, to aid in protecting, and defending, the Western frontiers against the ravages of the merciless Indian.

Your memorialist is informed that by a resolution of Congress of the 14th July 1832, the time of imprisonment, as a prisoner, shall be taken and computed as service, in the execution of the act of 7th June 1832, for the benefit of which act she would long ago have applied at the War Department, but for the reason that she was informed that the language of said act was such as would not admit of females being embraced by its provisions -- such words as "he, his, or him" being made use of, while the words "her, she, or anyone" are not at all used. Now your memorialist insists that in justice she is as much entitled to a Pension according to the terms of said act for three years imprisonment as any man or male person is for the same duration of imprisonment. She will insist that the principle which would grant a male, because he was of the male kind, a Pension for three years imprisonment by the British, and at the same time restrict her from a Pension, for the same duration of imprisonment, because she was of the female kind, is flagrantly unjust, and cruel. She conceives the injustness of such a principle to be too apparent to need any further comment.

She is informed that the said act of the 7th June 1832 grants a sum equal to full pay for two years imprisonment or service, commencing the 4th March 1831 & continuing during life. Therefore she conceives that she is entitled to a Pension, according to the terms of said act, she having been a prisoner for three years -- having been taken a prisoner in June 1780 & continued as such in Canada until the close of the War, which was in the spring or summer of 1783.

Your memorialist will further represent: That she is informed that the act of Congress passed the 4th July 1836 makes generous provision for those females whose husbands were in service, or in imprisonment, by the enemy during the War of the Revolution, by granting them pensions commencing the 4th March 1831 -- from which your memorialist cannot for a moment believe that your Honourable Body will restrict her from a Pension, according to the same terms, who personally encountered the toils and dangers in the onset, of a journey to the haunts of the Indian, who personally endured the privations and sufferings consequent upon a march to Detroit & journey to Montreal, and who personally endured the toil, labour, hunger, and vilest of abuse for years, while a prisoner of the despotic British.

Your memorialist has the pleasure of herein filing the deposition of her "surviving sister," who now resides in the very county of Bourbon, in which they first settled after leaving Virginia, and who was by her side, as her companion, during the whole of their captivity. Your memorialist will mention that she is not possessed of one dollars worth of property, and is dependent for her daily bread upon the goodness of the members of the church, of which she is a member in the county in which she lives. And believing it to be her dues, she has made a declaration under oath in conformity to the act 7th June 1832, in order to obtain a Pension according to its provisions, which declaration is also herewith filed.

Now with all the humility that becomes one of her condition, she most respectfully asks your Honourable Body that an allowance may be granted her as a Pension, according to the terms of the act of Congress passed 7th June 1832. But if your Honourable Body should conceive that the amount granted by said act to be inadequate to her dues, she prays for such relief as the wisdom of your Honourable Body may conceive her entitled to - and thus she will ever pray.

I have the honor to be
Most Respectfully
Your Unfortunate
But Obt. Servant.

her
Elizabeth X Willson
mark

Witness
C. N. Trabue

[Submitted by Lois Wark and Carolyn Kent]