Moses MacKenzie

A Patriot of the American Revolution for MARYLAND with the rank of NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER. DAR Ancestor # A211499

Moses was a drummer boy in the Revolutionary War.

http://www.genealogy.com/users/m/c/k/Joseph-E-Mckenize/FILE/0003tex...

http://www.blubaughfamily.info/history_appendix_03.html

GEDCOM Note

Moses McKenzie was born about 1760. He married Sarah Ann McKenzie, a daughter of Gariel McKenzie (b. abt 1715). Together they had the following children: Joshua, Sarah, Rachael, Nancy, Jesse, Elizabeth, Margaret, Priscilla and Moses, who died in 1838.
Moses served as a drummer boy in the Revolutionary War beginning at age 18. He enlisted at Frederick Town, Maryland and was discharge at Annapolis. He fought in the battle of White Plains 1778, the Battle of Monmouth, and the Siege of Yorktown. He was a member of the Maryland Line.

Bobbie McKenzie provided the following information in March 2011:

"Among the Civilian Soldiers who first took up arms in the time of emergency was a group of local volunteers who responded to the call of the Continental Congress on 7/14/1775. Along with Capt. Michael Cresap, 1st Lt. Joseph Warren and 2nd Lt. Richard Davis, the volunteers from this area painted themselves to look like Indians and answered the call. They marched the 551 miles to Boston, Ma. in just 21 days, where they reported to General George Washington. The march began 7/18/1775 and ended 8/9/1775. The enlisted men who fought brilliantly under their able leaders included such men as Thomas Clinton, their fifer, ...Other volunteers included Moses McKenzie, William Roberts, William Davis, John Comp, William Taylor, George King, Daniel Recknor and James Byron. These men, as part of THE MARYLAND LINE, which gave the State its nickname, 'Old Line State', fought in the battle of Long Island in 1776. They were mustered out in 1783...."

Following the war, he received Federal Land Warrant Number 11,514 on 8 Apr 1793 for 100 acres of land for his service in the Revolutionary War. In addition to Moses McKenzie's Federal Land Warrant, his brothers also applied for and received warrants of their own. Jesse McKinsey received Federal Land Warrant 11,513 and Joshua McKinsey received Federal Land Warrant 11,514. In view of the sequential numbering of these warrents, it appears that the brothers applied for them at the same time which suggests a family relationship between the three.

Moses McKenzie was a new recruit on 5 Sept 1778 at White Plains. The muster rolls reflect that his brother, Joshua McKenzie was in the same battalion and also served as a drummer boy. Both were Privates.

By an Act of the Maryland Legislature in 1777, it was ordered that a bounty of 50 acres of land should be given to each able-bodied recruit who enlisted and served in the American Army for a period of three years. An additional Act was passed in 1781 directing that these lands should be chosen from the territory of the State of Maryland laying West of Fort Cumberland.

Moses McKinzie puchased Lot 3416 in Allegany County in 13 Dec 1795. He then sold that lot to Daniel Lawrence Speelman in 1798 and signed the deed as "Moses of Bedford County, Pennsylvania" with Sarah, his wife, relinquishing her dower rights. The Cumberland area was not very populated at the time Moses McKenzie moved to the area. There were settlements in an area called Old Town as well as in Cumberland. Moses McKenzie along with Gabriel McKenzie, Joshua McKenzie, Daniel McKenzie and Samuel McKenzie were listed as being some of the first settlers living on land lying West of Fort Cumberland.

When one studies the names associated with the 1788 Deakin’s Survey, two entries for a Moses McKenzie appear. The question naturally arises, “were these references to the same person?” Bobbie McKenzie answered that inquiry in October, 2013, as follows: “I believe that the two lots were assigned to the same Moses McKenzie. Remember the 1787 law that gave each soldier a certain number of lots for RW service? Moses served as a private in the German Regiment. Many of these lots went unclaimed and reverted to the state. When Deakins/Deakus came to survey the lots, he found a lot of early settlers “squatting” on land so he just assigned them a lot number but didn’t move them. Although I’ve never researched the saga of Lot 3020, Moses qualified in both categories, veteran and settler.” For ease of reference the McKenzie entries from the Deakins survey are set forth below. Although many familiar names appear, the author has no idea who Patrick, Roderick and Thomas McKinsey are or from whence they came. Colonel Rawlings recruited men from all over Maryland, as well as outside the State of Maryland. As a result, given the names of these three individuals, the author surmises that they are either from eastern Maryland or lived outside the State of Maryland.

In 1812, Moses acauired a piece of land from David Shriver, Jr known as "Western Road" consisting of 127 acres. Moses conveyed that property to his son Moses (d 1838) on 29 Nov 1823 (Sr and Jr actually were used in the deed). Wife, Sarah, released her dower rights.

On 23 Jan 1816, the State of Maryland passed a resolution on behalf of Moses McKinsey granting him a pension from the State of Maryland entitling him to a sum of money equal to half the pay of a drummer boy during the Revolutionary War.

In April 1818, Moses McKinzie, a resident of Allegany County, State of Maryland, applied for a pension by right of his services during the American Revolution. He swore before the Circuit Court of that county that he was aged 58 years, and had enlisted at Frederick Town, Maryland in the German Regiment as a drummer boy-date of enlistment not given. He was assigned to the company of Captin Baltzell, and participated in the Battles of Monmouth and Yorktown. he further swore that he had in his immediate household who were dependent on him for support a wife aged 56 years, a daughter aged 16 years, a son aged 18 years and two grandsons aged 7.

In October 1841, Moses' widow, Sarah Ann McKenzie, of Cresaptown, Maryland, aged 76 years, applied for a widow's pension by rights of her deceased husband's service in the Revolutionary War. She swore that she married Moses McKenzie sometime in the month of December, 1784,

John Durbin of Knox County, Ohio made an affidavit that he was present at the wedding which took place at the residence of Jacob Slagle in Hampshire County, Virginia, and that the ceremony was performed by a Catholic priest. Lucy M Vicker, of Allegany County, Maryland, aged 69, submitted an affidavit stating that she was present at the marriage of Moses McKEnzie and Sarah McKenzie, the latter also being named McKenzie. The claim of the widow, Sarah McKenzie, likewise was approved by the Commissioner of Pensions, Washington, DC.

In 1848 a Complaint was filed in the Court of Equity of Allegany County, Equity Case 734, Maryland by the brothers and sisters of Moses McKenzie (d 1838) (who died intestate about 1838 in wheeling, Virginia, now West Virgina), son of Moses McKenzie, requesting that a parcel of land (known as the "Western Road") owned by Moses Jr. be euqitably partitioned and the proceeds distributed amongst Moses' brothers and sisters. This was the same parcel of land that was conveyed to Moses McKenzie Sr by Daniel Shriver, Jr on 13 Sept 1812 and otherwise referred to in that deed as the "Western Road" property. The case lists all of Moses Jr's brothers and sisters (who were alive in 1848) and their spouses and siblings where applicable. The Equity Case file consists of twenty plus pages of material including interrogatories to then living people asking them about Moses McKenzie Sr and his children.

Moses McKenzie died on 24 MAR 1824 in Cresaptown, Maryland.