Lt. John Davis

From the Revolutionary War Service Declaration of Samuel Davis, brother of Lt. John Davis:

That he (Samuel Davis) entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated that is to say in the year 1779 his father was aresident of Rockingham County Va. and in the fall of that year (1779) he moved his family including this declarent to Kentucky and sometime in the month of October of that year they landed at Riddle’s Station on Hinkston in the now County of Bourbon – that about the first of January 1780 this declarent was enrolled inthe militia at that place for the purpose of aiding in the defence of the station and the frontier – that he immediately that is to say about the 1st of January 1780 volunteered and entered the service of the United States in the company of captain Isaac Riddle – that John Davis the brother of this declarent was the lieutenant of the company – that he was kept at the said station orfort as a part of the garrison thereof under the command of his said captain –that on the 10th day of March 1780 the Indians attacked the fort atthe said station and kept up a warm fire during the day and most of the succeeding night – that there was but one man wounded who was in the fort but there was several killed who were caught by the Indians out of it – He states that sometime afterwards he thinks on the ____ day of June a large body of Indians, British & Canadians under the command of one Col. Or Capt. Bird invested the fort and after a sharp conflict the for was surrendered to themand this declarent together with all who were in the fort became prisoners and were given up as such to the Indians – that he this declarent was taken by the Indians (who were of the Shawanee tribe) to the Indian towns on the Little Miami and was afterwards carried by them high up the Big Miami – that whilst he was with them there was two expeditions out against them upon the first of which 1780 their corn was destroyed in its green state and upon the second it was destroyed when dry which took place he thinks in 1782 both which events brought great distress upon the Indians – He states that he was kept by the Indians asa prisoner for about three years for it was not until the month of June 1783 that he was purchased through the agency of his brother John Davis from them and carried to the British post at Detroit which place he reached about the 20th of that month. He states that he was then set at liberty and remained in that country until the year 1785 for the purpose of procuring the liberty of his sister who had been taken prisoner at the same time that he was which object he effected and then returned to Kentucky.

References

• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:John_Davis_%28416%29