Abraham White

Direct descendant is highlighted in red

Abraham White

Fought in the American Revolution

Married
    1st: Abt. 1784 in PA to Unknown

    2nd 11 Sep 1800 Shelby Co., KY to Abigail White - Joseph White witness.

    3rd: 10 Jan 1808 Bullitt Co., KY to Milly Hopewell

According to his Revolutionary War pension application, Abraham White was born in Washington Co., MD on June 21, 1762. At the time of his birth, however, this area was part of Frederick Co., MD. He moved with his family to the Redstone Fort area of Fayette Co. PA sometime before 1777. His father, Leonard White, died about 1776/7, possibly fighting in the American Revolution, when Abraham was about fourteen and his brother John about twelve. In Jan 1777, when he was fourteen, Abraham volunteered in the Revolution and served for two months as a Captain's Courier. (1)
In 1777 his father had died; the American Revolution had begun; he was a volunteer in the army; and, his mother Mary remarried at about that same time to Benjamin Brownfield, a man that was only 22 years old, just 8 years older than Abraham. His half-sister, Mary Brownfield, was born shortly thereafter in Jan 1778. The childhood of Abraham White was over.
He and his brothers lived on the land of their father. Abraham and his brother John must have been active in the fort militia since in Sep 1778 they were both drafted as Rangers on the Frontier. (2) Abraham was then 16 and his brother 14. They enlisted several more times over the next few years. (3) His last service was in 1782 on a mission that eventually became known as Crawford's Defeat. Abraham and John went to Sandusky, OH, where they were outnumbered by Indians and British. Col. Crawford was captured and tortured and burned at the stake. A few managed to escape running swiftly back to Pennsylvania with the Indians in pursuit. A thunderstorm struck and scared off the Indianans, allowing the Abraham and his brother and some of the others to keep running home. (4)
Some time after that, maybe about 1784, Abraham married for the first time in Fayette Co. By 1787 he was listed in Georges township, Fayette Co., PA paying taxes on 100 acres of land. (5) In the 1790 census he had three children, two sons and a daughter. Abraham was living in a dwelling house 22 by 20 feet of one and on-half stories made of logs. (6)
Abraham continued to pay taxes on this land until 1801 when the tax record show "Changed to John White." (7) In March of 1802 this same John White asked for a resurvey of the land and in deposition, Edward Brownfield said that he had sold the land to "Leonard White, deceased, father of John White". (8) John White was "disappointed in means" at this time.
There had been a suit in 1790 between Abraham White and Robert Brownfield. (9) Apparently the brothers had obtained legal custody of the land, but times were hard, hence John was "disappointed in means." However, in 1799 Abraham had been on the Fayette Co tax list and his 100 acres had been valued at $350 and his home at $446. (10)
Their uncle James White, brother of their father Leonard White, had died in 1790. Thus about 1799 Abraham and his cousins, the children of James White, and Sarah, the widow of James White, decided to move to Kentucky. Possibly Abraham's wife had died leaving him with young children, the youngest about six. His cousin Abigail White may have stepped in to care for his children. Abraham was 38 years old and his cousin was about 20.
Abraham White married this first cousin, Abigail White in Shelby County, KY on 11 Sep 1800. (11) Abigail's brother, Joseph White, was a witness to this marriage. Abraham and his wife, Abigail, were selling 167 acres of land in Shelby Co, KY "on the waters of the Wolf Run" a branch of the Brashears for $1200 on March 9, 1807. (12) He sold additional 11 acres on that same land in Shelby Co on 19 Jul 1808 and there no mention of his wife Abigail. (13) His second wife, Abigail White must have died by that time.
By Jan 10, 1808 Abraham was in Bullitt Co., KY marrying his third wife, Milly Hopewell. (14) He was 45 and Milly was 25. In 1808 Abraham White was on the Jefferson County, KY tax list, the only male in the household with 2 blacks over 16 and 6 horses. Leonard White, over 21, with 1 horse was on the next line. (15) This leads us to believe this Leonard White was a son of Abraham White from his first marriage and that he had just turned 21.
In 1820 Abraham White was living in Paris, Bullitt Co., KY and the only other family in Paris named White was an Isaac White. This Isaac White was between 26 and 45 and had a young son. There is also a listing of an Isaac White marrying Peggy Rollins on 26 Nov 1817 in Bullitt Co., KY. This Isaac White could be one of the sons of Abraham White from his first marriage. (16) Ten years later in 1830, Abraham White had moved to Vermillion Co., IN and there is a listing for an Isaac White between 30 and 40 also in Vermillion Co., IN.
Abraham and Milly had six children. The first five were born in KY. Abraham and Milly then moved to Vermillion Co., IN about 1821 with these five children ranging in ages from 10 to 4. Their sixth child was born in Indiana in 1825. Abraham was 59 when he made this last move to a new territory. They had five small children; needed to secure a shelter for the winter and get the crops in the land. Quite a feat for a 59 year old man. He must have been a very hardy man because he lived to the age of 92. Abraham White died 21 Jun 1853. (17)

Milly White received a land bounty warrant on Aug 2, 1856, based on the act passed on March 3, 1853, which entitled her to 160 acres of US public land. (18) Millie died on Oct 26, 1857 without having assigned the warrant. Her son Jacob then sued his brothers and sisters who with him were the heirs to her land warrant because on the 1st of Feb 1857 "said Milly White on the 1st day of Feb. 1857 sold said warrant to your petitioner (Jacob White) for the following considerations, that he should live with and wait upon her, the said Milly White, as long as she should live." (19) However, she never assigned the warrant to her son Jacob so after her death Jacob sued his brothers and sisters because according to the court document, "that said Milly White left as her heirs your petitioner, and Alexander White, Enoch White, John White, Abraham White, Nancy Blakesly intermarried with Joel Blakesly." Jacob then won the court case and received the land warrant. None of the other siblings apparently contested the claim.
Jacob, in turn, assigned the land warrant to Samuel White who then applied for the land warrant in Nebraska.
At the time of the petition, 1859, only Enoch White and Alexander White were residents of Vermillion Co., IN. In a newspaper notice at that time, "comes now the petitioner by Washburn, his attorney, and files his petition herein, in also the affidavit of a competent witness that said defendants, John White, Alexander White, Nancy Blakesly and Joel Blakesly are not residents of this state. Notice, therefore is hereby given to the said defendants, John White, Abraham White, Joel Blakesly and Nancy Blakesly, of the pendency of this action, and that unless they appear at the term of said court, to be held at the courthouse in the town of Newport, on the 3rd Monday April 1860 and answer the same, the matters and things therein alleged will be heard and determined in their absence."

Sources

(2) PA Archives Series III V. 23 p. 228 lists Abraham White and John White (listed next to each other) as "Rangers on the Frontier"
Fayette County was formed from Westmoreland County in 1783

Sept 1778 Abraham White and his brother John were drafted as Rangers on the Frontier and served 4 months under Capt James Dougherty, Col. Evans, Maj. Zadoe Springer in Gen. McIntoch's expedition against the Indians west of the Ohio River. Built Ft. McIntosh on the Ohio and Ft. Lawrence on the branch of the Muskingum.

(3) Pension Application

Abraham enlisted Aug 1781 under Capt Ickabod Ashcroft, Col. McLeary Regt. went in Gen. Clark's Expedition to the falls of the Ohio. Served about 3 months as orderly - Sergeant.
Abraham enlisted Mar. 1782 and served about 2 months on guard at Barr's Fort under Sergeant John Ashcroft.
Abraham enlisted May 1782 under Capt Thos, Carr, Col. Crawford at Sandusky Plains, commonly called "Crawford's Defeat".

They were under command to destroy the Indian town of Sandusky which was the headquarters of the hostile Indian tribes. They took off on the morning of May 25, 1782 cutting their way through forests going due west. They moved quickly and reached the town of Sandusky on June 4^th. But when they spotted the village in the clearing, they found it was deserted. The Indians had known they were coming and had moved to another village about 8 miles away. And they had also sent runners to the British and to their neighboring bands of Indians asking for help. The Delaware and Wyandot forces numbered about 500 and with the arrival of the British and Shawnee, the Americans were totally outnumbered. The two sides met just outside the village. After two days of fighting the Americans decided they had to retreat. However, the Indians discovered their movement and hardly had the head of the column begun to move when it was fiercely attacked. About 350 men managed to escape to the deserted village of Sandusky, but their Colonel, guide and surgeon were missing. A Major took over the command and ordered the men to retreat but the British and Indians were gaining on them and they had no choice but to stop and stand for battle. After an hour of desperate battle the British and Indians withdrew probably because a furious thunderstorm had just begun, drenching the men, and most of the gun powder. The Americans took off in retreat again. On June 13^th they reached and crossed the Ohio river and "the men not being compelled to wait for a formal discharge, dispersed to their homes."

"It had been fully and finally decided by the chiefs that he (Col Crawford) should suffer death by the torture of fire, and as all, the barbarian preparations had been made there was but little delay before the commencement of the infernal orgie. The fatal stake had already been set, and fires of hickory sticks were burning in a circle around it. About forty Indian men and twice that number of squaws and young Indians were awaiting to take part in the torturing of the unfortunate prisoner.
Immediately on his arrival the colonel was stripped naked and made to sit on the ground, with his hands firmly bound together and tied behind him. Then the yelling, screeching crowd fell upon him and beat him without mercy until he was exhausted and covered in blood. When they had tired of this the victim was dragged to the centre of fiery circle preparatory to the last act in the hellish drama. A rope had previously been tied around the stake near its foot, and now the other end of it was made fast to the cord with which his wrists were bound together,. The rope was some six or eight feet in length, allowing him to pass two or three times around the stake. He could also sit or lie down at will. ----- After this satanic procedure was concluded the fires which up to this time had been burning but slowly were replenished with fresh fuel, and as the heat grew more intense, and the sufferings of the victim became more and more excruciating, the joy and shouting of the red devils rose higher and higher."

Abraham White has 100 acres valued at �51. He is married. Isaac White is listed right next to him with no land. Others listed are James White Sr. John White, Big, John White, Jr. James White, single, and Ruth White with no land.

Isaac White with no land is listed right next to Abraham White who has 100 acres of land, 2 horses and 3 cows, valued at �47

The land which had been surveyed for Edward Brownfield in 1769, then sold to his brother Robert Brownfield, and from Robert sold to Leonard White was being split between John White and Stephen Mackey. John White was "Disappointed in means."

(9) Continuance docket. Abraham White vs Robert Brownfield
Capias Case 1790 by consent, all matters in variance referred to George Tobin, Enoch Abrahams, Stephen Mackey, and George Toutman, or a majority of them

tax list has Abraham White, farmer, with 100 acres valued at $350, 2 horses and 2 cows. He has a House as opposed to a cabin valued at $446.

Marriage Bond Pg 2 Abigail White is over 21
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Joseph White is witness
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(14) Marriage Bond Bullitt Co., KY as found in the folder for the application for a pension from serving in the American Revolution

(15) 1808 tax record for Jefferson Co., KY
Leonard White is listed right below Abraham White

(16) Isaac White
In the 1815 tax record for Bullitt County, KY Abraham White has two males over 21 living in his household. The next year's tax list says he has only one male over 21 in the household and Isaac White is listed on the same page. Isaac White married "Peggy" Rollins on 26 Nov 1817 in Bullitt County and in the 1820 census record both he and Abraham White are living in Paris, Bullitt County, K\Y. Isaac is between 26 and 44 and his wife is between 16 and 26. They had a son and 2 daughters under ten. We know Abraham White moved to Vermillion County, IN about 1821 and in 1830 there is an Isaac White living in Vermillion County.