Christiana McCune

Biography

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Christina_O%27Brien_%281%29

Included in her husband's Revolutionary War Pension file is a statement by Christiana McCune that she was age 72 in Kanawha County, Virginia in 1839 when she resided there, also that she married Peter McCune on 13 January 1781. This is problematic because if she truly was age 72 in 1839, she would have been born abt. 1767, making her just 14 years old when she married. As the marriage date of 1781 appears fairly solid [based upon the birthdates of their eldest children], Christiana O'Brien was likely born early, perhaps by abt. 1763, assuming that she was 18 years of age at the time of her marriage.

NOTES: On 1 Oct 1839 Christianna McCune of Kanawha County, 72, applied for a pension stating that she was married to Peter McCune on 13 Jan 1781 at age 14 by a Baptist preacher named Edwards while they were forted against the Indians in Fort Richards on West Fork River about 10 miles south of Clarksburg. She added “that her youthful affection was placed on the said Peter McCune as a soldier that she married him with the understanding that he was then a soldier in the service of his Country, guarding the fort, and she distinctly recollects that the said Peter McCune was married to her, dressed in his soldiers uniform, and that he rendered many and arduous services after their marriage, during the greater part of the Indian war… and that she herself has shared in all the dangers and toils incident to the wife of a soldier engaged in savage warfare and that she has slept by the side of her husband when he was ordered to lay upon his arms, and that such was the fondness of her late husband, Peter McCune for military life, that even in old age during the late war he substituted and performed at least one six months tour of duty.” She stated that she and Peter McCune had six sons and four daughters, and he died 15 Jan 1832.

In support of her application, Elijah Runion [pension application R9079], 78, deposed that he was present at the marriage of Peter McCune to Christianna, daughter of Adam Obrian, that Runion himself had married a widow with a daughter two or three years old. He added “that the appearance of the bride at the time she was married was that of a verry young girl, he says that he recollects Joking her on the occasion, and told her to roll up some handkerchiefs and put in her bosom to give appearance of breasts.”

On 9 Oct 1839 Adam Flesher [S18403], 75, deposed that he was also present at the marriage and that McCune wore “what was called a Mcaruona [macaroni] hat such as soldiers wore, and a blue coat faced with red.”

A letter in the file states that Christianna McCune had been a pauper since about 1836 and was living with a son-in-law in Kanawha County near Lewis County. Another document mentions a son-in-law, Barnabas Cook, who was a Justice of the Peace.

A 25 Mar 1840 letter to J. L. Edwards, Commissioner of Pensions, indicates that Edwards had suspended Christianna McCune’s pension because of a supposed contradiction between the dates of marriage given by Peter McCune and his widow. In addition, Edwards appears to have been suspicious that Peter McCune did not mention his Indian service, even though such service would not have been covered by the pension law under which he applied. On 5 Jun 1840 Christianna McCune reapplied for a pension, giving the same date of marriage, but stating that Peter McCune died on 15 Jan 1831. A letter dated 10 Jun 1840 states that Mrs. McCune remembered that her husband was still in service at the time of the marriage, and he later went to Pittsburgh to get his discharge. It may be relevant that because of numerous fraudulent pension applications from Lewis and Harrison counties under the act of 1832, Edwards soured on all pension applications from that region. For details see the pension application of David W. Sleeth (S6111). On 24 Aug 1843 Christianna McCune successfully applied for a pension under a law passed in that year.

http://revwarapps.org/w7412.pdf