Pvt. Stephen Gapen
Gapen, Pvt. Stephen
PA S. 8,545
State of Virginia
County of Monongalia
On this 27th day of August, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, personally appeared before the County court of Monongalia aforesaid, Stephen Gapen, a resident of said county, aged seventy one 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 provision made by the act of Congress, passed June 7th 1832. That he enlisted in the army of the United States, in the year 1777, at Minors fort, on Big Whitely creek now in Green county Pennsylvania, with Capt. John Minor, for the term of six months__ that Capt. Minor, Capt. Pigman, and two other captains were commissioned as he understood at the request of Genl. Hand, commander of the army at Fort Pitt, he raise four companies in this part of Virginia and Pennsylvania__that he supposes these companies were called Pennsylvania troops__that he believes that it was in the early part of summer that he marched to Fort Pitt under the command of Capt. Pigman, and encamped on Grants hill, where we remained a few weeks, and then went into the barracks_that he believes that it was in September, that an express arrived at Fort Pitt that Capt. Foreman of the south branch of the Potomac, his son and nineteen others were killed by the Indians about eight miles below Wheeling on the Ohio river. that upon receiving intelligence, he with about two hundred of the troops volunteered to go and bury Foreman and his men, and we accordingly descended the Ohio in two boats under the command of Major Chew and buried the dead_we then returned to Wheeling where we remained (being sick with measels) about a month, from thence he returned to Fort Pitt, where he remained untill the end of his term and was discharged_
That during the year 1778 and 1779, he frequently turned out as a spy and scout in pursuit of the Indians, and was employed in this service during the said years at least six months_
That he believes that it was in March 1779, he turned out as a volunteer under the command of Capt. Philips, to guard provisions out to Fort Lawrence [Laurens] to feed the men that were suffering there, and returned in about one month.
That in the spring of 1781 he turned out as a volunteer for six months, at the request of the county Lieutenant James Marshall of Washington county Pennsylvania for the purpose of guarding the frontiers and acting as spies back of the settlements__that he continued in this service six months and two days, and returned home, the said Marshall making out our pay roll for which service he received a certificate which he believes he gave to his father.
That he thinks it was in 1782 he again went out as a volunteer for three months as a spy in Washington county Pennsylvania and served out his time for which he received no pay and furnished his own provisions_
That he is confident if he could recollect dates and circumstances more particularly, that he was in the service between two and three years
He hereby relinquishes evry claim whatever to a pension or an annuity, except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any agency in any state, except, that he receives a pension of forty dollars a year from the state of Pennsylvania, granted by an act of the Legislature.
Sworn to, and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
Stephen Gapen
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states.
I Thomas P. Ray, clerk of the County court of Monongalia, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court, in the matter of the application of Stephen Gapen for a pension. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 28th day of August, in the year 1832 and 57th year of the Commonwealth.
Tho. P. Ray
Greene County I George Garrison of the county aforesaid being duly affirmed—deposes & says that Stephen Gapen & this deponent volunteered for three months & served together & afterwards were scouting together & following the Indians.
George Garrison
Affirmed & Subscribed
before me 14th
May AD 1832
Jas. Garrison
Greene County I Jonathan Morris of the County aforesaid being duly sworn deposes and says that Stephen Gapen and this deponent volunteered and went to Fort Lawrence on the tuscaraway River and guarded provisions to the men in the fort who where starving
this was in the month of March the spring after General McIntosh’s campain the year this deponent Cannot now Recollect and they Returned together to fort McIntosh Genl Mackintuch Commanded & Col. Broadhead
his
Jonathan X Morris
Mark
Sworn and subscribed
before me the 19th day
of May AD 1832
David Taylor
I omitted in my Petition the Campaign I went to Fort Lawrence and near the Tuscaraway River in the State of Ohio--- ---- General Mcintush and Corl. Brohead Commanded us
Stephen Gapen
Pvt. Stephen Gapen was born May 29, 1761. He was living in Washington County, PA (later Greene County, PA) when he entered the service in 1777. His pension application was approved on 27 August 1832 while he was residing in Monongalia County, VA. Gapen also referred to seven children and two grandchildren in the pension application but he did not provide any names. Gapen had a brother named John who was living in Greene County, PA in 1832. Stephen Gapen died December 26, 1838 leaving a widow whose name was not given.
Initial information regarding Pvt. Shepherd Gum and his role at Fort Laurens was obtained by Shemenski, Pat, of North Canton, OH and submitted to the Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation on 5 June 2008. Gapen’s pension application was transcribed by Fisher, Scott, Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation on 09 November 2009.
Pension File of Gapen, Stephen PA S-8,545. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files. NARA. 27 Oct. 2009 http://www.footnote.com/image 23967108.
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