1753 - Recorded with George Washington at Fort Cumberland, Maryland. Fort Cumberland is situated in Allegany County, on the Potomac River. The first settlement of the place was made in 1750. In 1754, Fort Cumberland was erected within what are now the city limits, and in the year following this fort was occupied by General Edward Braddock. In 1750 Virginia planters and English merchants established a trading house and small storehouse on land which is now the heart of Cumberland. The new trading post (later called Fort Cumberland) attracted the French, who moved south and west from their Lake Ontario forts, drove out the English traders and claimed the Ohio River Valley for France. In 1753, with tensions running high between the French and English, the Governor of Virginia sent a small company led by a young Virginian named George Washington to inform the French to leave English territory and return north. The French ignored Washington's warnings, and he returned to Virginia. In the spring of 1754, Colonel Washington returned to Fort Cumberland, this time with more men. Pushing north from Cumberland towards the forks of the Ohio River where Pittsburgh is now located, Washington's force (about 230 men) encountered 600 French and 100 Indians soldiers. An inexperienced 22 year-old, Washington did not withdraw, but instructed his men to build a fort, which he grimly named "Fort Necessity." On July 3, 1754, the French and Indian War officially began when both groups attacked the fort. Washington, completely surrounded and one third of his men killed, surrendered. Washington and his remaining troops were allowed to retreat (without their weapons) and returned to Fort Cumberland. With the loss of the Ohio River Valley, Fort Cumberland became the primary staging and supply point for the British on the colonial frontier.
1754 - Chrisley Hensley (Chris'n Helsley) Private in the VA regiment at Fort Necessity (PA). [1]
July 3, 1754 - Battle of the Meadows, Fort Necessity [PA] Chrisley Hensley (Chris Henly), private in the VA Militia at Fort Necessity (PA). [2]
27. Aug., 7. Sep., 18. Sep., 1758 3 Letters from Capt. Charles Smith to George Washington, Geo. Washington, and Col. Geo. Washington, Fort Laudoun, mentioning Chrsopher Hencely, Christopher Hensley [as well as another Hensley, no first name given] and Christopher Hansley. [3]
FORT LOUDOUN, Aug 27th. 1758.
DR. SIR/ I have inclosed you three Weekly Returns Wherein you will se what strengt I am off, at this time.
there is one Christopher Hencely a Deserter from the First Virga. Regt. I have taken up. he promises for the time to come to be a very Dutifull Soldier but did not Imagin any officer would a meddled with him, as he had been out of the servis so long he Left us with Six more from the Dunkers just before the Scrummage at the Great meadow... [4]
FORT LOUDOUN Sept. 7th 1758
DR SIR/
... you never wrote to me concerning Christopr. Hensley a Deserter from Your Regt. from the great Meadoes the Yr. of 54 he is an Exstronary Good hand for Assisting about the Buildings at this Place as there is, an Absolute Necessity to keep some men Labouring --
am I to make my Pay 'Roles for the Month of Augt. concluding Davis Trottor Allsberg Bolton Hensley who has Recvd. no Subsistence since been here ... [5]
FORT LOUDOUN Sepr. 18 1758
DR. SIR,
... (that Scoundral) Hansley after being pardin'd Deserted Last night as I am in a Hurry, of writeing an answer to the Governour's Letter I hope you will Excuse my not sending you the weekly Returnes, but there is nothing happened Extraordenory Since my Last only Receivd. 4 Deserters, hansley Deserted & one Dead of the old Regt. -- [6] [7]
May 7, 1782 Chrisley Hansley produced sufficient proof that he ought to be paid two shillings for dieting a soldier of Capt. Stephens Company of Militia when on duty two days to the same for himself and horse 7 days at 4/6 per day, carrying provisions for the use of the Militia of the County. [8]
Chrisley Hensley is also recorded as being an Indian Scout for the fontier settlements in the ole Washington Co., VA (which at that time included Russell and Tazewell Counties around the Holstein River area). Many of the spies, in their pension claims or in court records, allude to the terrible hardships they underwent and speak of the terrible cold winter of 1779-1780. James Fraley states that in that year all the leaves were down by August.
In a deposition made by Lawrence Murray, taken 11 October 1816 in Cabell County, Virginia in a lawsuit involving land of Samuel Short, it mentioned that about the year 1779, "Chrisley Hinchley (sic)" was a spye from the Clinch River (area) in Virginia and his "bounds to spy was from the mouth of a creek called Tug, which empties into Dry Branch of the Tug Fork of the Sandy River, about 100 miles above the main forks and across to the head of Big Pigeon Creek, about sixteen miles and across the head of Kittle Creek, now called Gilbert Creek." [9]
This biography is a rough draft. It was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import and needs to be edited.
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