The following is a document provided by Craig GRAU (152 Calvary Rd, Duluth, MN 55803), in November 2000, I have entered it here as received from Craig.
On this twenty-first day of January 1834 personally appeared before me a Justice of the peace for the County and state aforesaid Isaac Nickell a resident of the said County of Monroe and State of Virginia aged Eighty two on this thirty first day of March last who being first duly sworn according to ___ on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress __ of 1832.
That he enterred the service of the United States this first of September 1777 and was drafted into service under the following named Officiers and service as herein stated. that he was drafted for a three month tour and marched under Ensign James? Estill to Point Pleasant a place situated on the Ohio River at the Mouth of the great Kenawha River that at the time he was drafted he lived on this farm near where he now lives now this County of Monroe then he thinks called Botetourt County that he marched directly to Point Pleasant in company with ten others that were drafted at the same time to go to the Point under the aforesaid Ensign Estill where they joined Captain Arbuckle's Company that was then stationed there that he served there three months at the Point under the aforesaid Captain Arbukle, Lieutenant James Gil,__, Ensign Williams, and his - Ensign Estill with whom he had been drafted and marched into service that he ___ out his full three months time out was discharged by Captain arbukle who gave him a written discharge but he has long since lost it not now reason? being? to have? save? it for fifty years that during _ of service _ not engaged in any Battle or Skirmish there was however two men belonging to Captain Arbuckle Company killed by the Indians __ the name of Moses Tarfim and the name of the other he has forgotten, the manner in which they were killed is in consequences of a report coming into camp Indians __ had been seen skulking in the neighborhood this being a parcel? of Cattle belonging to the Army on the opposite side of the Kenawha River a small party went over the River to bring them in when they were fired upon and the aforesaid two men were killed. That in the better part of the month of April in the year 1778 the settlers in this neighborhood becoming alarmed in consequence of a report that Indians had been seen near John Lewis near where the town of Lewisburg is now situated they all betook themselves to Craig Fort which then stood within about seven miles of where the Town of Union now stands which is the county seat of Monroe County; that on the first day of May in the same? year 1778 he enterred the service as an Indian spy and continued in said service until the first of November following that the nature of the?service? that summer was to leave? Craig's Fort and traverse the county and wilderness down New River to Cooks Fort then to Culbertsons Bottom then as to Williams Lafferty? and plantations and then back to Craigs Fort a distance of about thirty five miles, that he was usually out from three to four days in a week and that his companions in spying was Samuel Glap, Phillip Hammon, John Rayburn again on the first of May 1779 he entered the service as an Indian spy and continued in said service until the first of November following making a tour of six months and again on the 15th day of April 1980 and? continued? he entered the service as an Indian spy and continued in said service until the 10th of November following making a tour of six months and twenty five days during which two summers 1779 and 1780 he performed precisely the same kind of services as those described in the summer of 1778 that Samuel Glap and Philip Hammon left the country soon after the close of the Revolutionary War and he knows not what became of them but supposes that they are dead and that John Rayburn died in this County about eight or nine years ago. That he again entered the service as an Indian spy in the Spring of year 1781 on the last day of April or first day of May and continued in said service until the fifteenth of November following making a tour of six months and a half and again on the 15th day of April 1782 he entered the service as an Indain spy and continued in service until the 15th day of November.following making a tour of seven months out that the nature of his service during each of the summer of 1781 and 1782 was to traverse the country round and about Craigs Fort to watch the gaps and ___ ways on tracis? up and down the Greenbriar River and to guard settlers while planting working and gathering their com. That the whole time of his services as an Indian spy amounts to the term of two years eight months and ten days which added to his services while drafted makes two years eleven months and ten days and that during his whole of services as an Indian spy he was not engaged in any civil pursuit and that he was attached to and mustered during this all time he served as a spy in a company of Militia command by Captain John Van Bibbin, that he now resides in the County of Monroe aforesaid near where he resided at the time he was in the service of his Country that he received no written discharge for any of his services as an Indian spy that he has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person living whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his services aforesaid.
He relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except this present and declarer? that his name is not on the pension Roll of agencyof any State. Sworn to and subsribed before
| __ a Justice of the Peace for this County | Isaac Nickell |
| aforesaid the day and year aforesaid | Robt. Campbell |
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