Thomas Kyle has a Revolutionary War marker in the Old Mud Cemetery in Mercer County.  According to information from war records Thomas Kyle made a pension application on May 6, 1833, claim S. 2716.  I so enjoy reading the adventures our Revolutionary War soldiers had while fighting for our freedom.

In his will Thomas lists the following children:  Rebeccah, married to a Mr. Nourse; John Wesley, Jane Davis married to a Mr. Largant; and Andrew Galbreath Kyle.  I do love that he makes provision in his will for a family graveyard to be marked off and surround by a stone wall.

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 declaration 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 belonged 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 Plains, after which we were driven out of the York state 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 Sommerset 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 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 Stockton and remained with him upwards of

four months when we were honorably discharged by General Putnam from his brigade 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 of which battles were fought in 1777.  After which I returned home, and in the year of ? I cannot recollect the month, 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 the White Marsh 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 the 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 broken out and were committing murders and depredations upon the inhabitants and succeeded in rescuing the inhabitants.  During this time, he suffered very much being exposed to all kinds of weather.  Again, the year 1779 I volunteered under Captain Campleton, a tour of three months, our principal station was at Wallace Mills.  We marched up the western branch of the Susquehanna and acted as scouts 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 this

loss of having his house burned up together with money and papers.  He well recollects of having his discharges filed away in his desk and that he has rudimentary evidence of his service.  He hereby relinquishes every other claim whatever to a pension except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll or 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 this above declaration, that we believe him to be the age he states himself to be, the age he states himself to be in his declaration, and we do know that he is respected and beloved 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

Will of Thomas Kyle

In the name of God, Amen.  I do appoint and ordain this my last will and testament in the manner and form following to wit.  I will and bequeath forty feet square, including the front enclosure at the north end of my garden (the cane cedars and graves therein) for a family burying place forever, not to be sold or given away to which the family shall have free access to bury, repair graves, etc.  Also, I will and bequeath to my daughter Rebeccah Nourse ten dollars more than I have already given her, to be paid at my decease by my son Andrew Galbreath Kyle.  Also, I will and bequeath to my son John Wesley Kyle ten dollars more than I have already given him to be paid at my decease by my son Andrew Galbreath Kyle.  Also, I will and bequeath to my daughter Jane Davis Largant one hundred and fifty dollars more than I have already given her to be paid at my decease by my son Andrew Galbreath Kyle.  Also, I will and bequeath to my

son Matthew Walton Kyle one hundred and fifty dollars more than I have already given him to be paid at my decease by my son Andrew Galbreath Kyle.  Also, I will and bequeath to my son Andrew Galbreath Kyle one hundred and forty acres of land, including my home improvement and dwelling house.  Also I will that my son Andrew Galbreath Kyle make a good sufficient stone wall round the above named grave yard and put a good firm gate and lock to it out of the legacy I bequeath to him – this being done and the above legacy paid and he, Andrew, supporting me in this life is to have all my good, chattels, household, kitchen and farming utensils of every description that is mine.  And I ordain my son Andrew Galbreath Kyle my sole, whole and altogether executor of this my last will and testament, March 20, 1837.

Thomas Kyle

Acknowledged in the presence of Thomas Allin, Phil. T. Allin, James C. Westerfield

Mercer County July County Court 1846

The foregoing last will and testament of Thomas Kyle, deceased, was this day produced in court and proved by the oaths of Thomas Allin, Phil. T. Allin and James C. Westerfield, witnesses thereunto and ordered to be recorded.

Attest – Thomas Allin, C.C.

Thomas Kyle, Pvt. Gen Putnam’s Brig PA Line, 1757-1846, Bunker Hill, Trenton, Germantown.  Old Mud Cemetery, Mercer County, Kentucky.