A few days ago I published some Mercer County marriage returns by a Rev. Thomas Kyle.  I have found that he was also a Revolutionary War soldier, and is buried in the Old Mud Cemetery, along with many other veterans.  Thomas Kyle was a son of James Kyle and Mary McArthur, of Pennsylvania.  At the young age of seventeen he joined the Revolutionary army and fought in many battles.  He came to Kentucky about 1800.  The following is his request for pension for his military service.

State of Kentucky – Mercer County Court

On this 6^th day of May 1833 personally appeared in open court Thomas Kyle, Sr., a resident citizen and clergyman in Mercer County and State of Kentucky, aged seventy-five years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declarations in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June the 7^th 1832.

That he left home in July 1775, then in his seventeenth year, and entered the army at Bunker Hill and in a very short time thereafter we fought the battle, this was his own voluntary act, he belongs to no particular detachment in this battle, he then remained with the main army until the Battle of Long Island when I became detached to General Putnam and rode as an express for him until the Battle of White Springs, after which we were driven out of the York State and through the Jersey State across the Delaware into Pennsylvania, when we received reinforcements and re-crossed the Delaware and came up with the Hessians at Trenton and defeated them with dreadful loss, and in a few days after we defeated the British at Princeton from which place we marched to Kingston and tore up the bridge and got to Somerset that night and the next morning we drew rations the first that we had got for three days.  General Washington then went into winter quarters with the main army at Morristown and Putnam with his detachment at Princeton.  Then I returned home to rest and get some clothing.  And in the winter of 1777, I volunteered for a militia tour under my friend and acquaintance Captain James Gibson of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and marched to Philadelphia and got our arms repaired and from thence we marched to Princeton and I saw General Putnam whose headquarters was in a Stockton brick house, and remained with him upwards of

four months when we were honorably discharged by General Putnam from his brigade, and we returned home.  The British having come around and landed at the head of Elkton and marched in the direction of Brandywine.  I without delay joined the detachment of General Armstrong and marched and we met the enemy at Brandywine when we were defeated.  I remained with the army until after the Battle of Germantown, both which battles were fought in 1777, after which I returned home, and in the year aforesaid, I cannot recollect the month, I joined Captain Crouch’s Company of volunteers and served a militia tour of three months during this tour we were marched to a place called White March Mills above Germantown, from this place we marched under General Irvine and attacked the British at Chestnut Hill and were defeated with the loss of General Irvine taken prisoner and 15 or 20 killed and wounded and we retreated into this country and our tour of three months having expired we were discharged at Lancaster in Pennsylvania and returned home.  And in the year 1778 or 9, I cannot recollect which, I volunteered with Captains Brady and Campleton and marched up the western branch of the Susquehanna, when the Indians had broke out and were committing murders and depredations upon the inhabitants and succeeded in rescuing the inhabitants.  During this time we suffered very much being exposed to all kinds of weather.  Again in the year 1779 I volunteered and under Captain Campleton a tour of three months our principal station was at Wallace Mills.  We marched up the eastern branch of the Susquehanna and acted as security and spies against the Indians and built stockades and block houses and gathered in the inhabitants.  He states that he would have had sufficient evidence of his service during the War of the Revolution, but he met with the

loss of having his house burned up together with money and papers he will recollect of having his discharges filed away in his desk, and that he has no documentary evidence of his service.  He hereby relinquishes every other claim whatever to a pension except this present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state.

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

Thomas Kyle

We, Jesse Head, a clergyman residing in Mercer County, and Peter Huff, residing in the same county and state, do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Thomas Kyle, a faithful and pious clergyman, who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be the age he states himself to be in his declaration, and we do know that he is respected and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a brave and faithful soldier of the Revolution.

Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.

Jesse Head, Peter Huff

Mercer County May County Court 1833

And the said Court do hereby declare this a pension after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogation prescribed by the War Department that the above named application was a Revolutionary soldier and served as he states and that the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Jesse Head, who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in Mercer County and that Peter Huff, who has also signed the same is a resident citizen in said county and is a credible person and that their statement is entitled to credit, and we do further certify that Thomas Kyle, the applicant for a pension herein, and Jesse Head, a clergyman, and Peter Huff, severally came into Court and swore to the statements by them respectively subscribed.

I, Thomas Allin Jr., Clerk of the Mercer County Court, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of Thomas Kyle for a pension.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal of office this 6^th day of May 1833.  Thomas Allin, Jr., Clerk Mercer County Court

$40

Statement shewing the service of Thomas Kyle, Mercer County Kentucky

Entered July 1775, private, given one year of service.  Fought during the battles of bunker Hill, Long Island, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown.

Thomas Kyle, Private, General Putnam’s Brigade, Pennsylvania Line, Revolutionary War.  1757-1846.  Bunker Hill, Trenton, Germantown.  Old Mud Cemetery, Mercer County, Kentucky.