Kilgore, David Captain (b. 30 JAN 1745, d. 11 JUN 1814)

Note: BIOGRAPHY: In the spring of 1767, after his marriage, he left the farm at Newville, PA, with his horse, jun and dog for western Pennsylvania which was then Shawnee Indian country. He staked out some land, which he cleared and then sowed in grain. The following spring he took his wife and several neighbors back to what is now Mt. Pleasant Township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania where they settled near the Sewickley Creek. David Kilgore and these early settlers has some fierce struggles with the Indians. Homes were burned and some of the poneers lost their lives. David and Sarah survived these attacks. They reared seven sones and two daughters. The names of the children were Daniel, Jesse, John, David, Ezikiel, William, James, Nancy (she married an Edgar). The struggle with the Indians merged into the conflict with England. David Kilgore was one of the signers of the Hannastown Declaration of Independence on May 16,1775. David recruited a company of soldiers for the 8th Pennsylvania Continental Line, which was to serve under General Anthony Wayne and was one of the first lines to march from the western frontier to the scene of action. David was commissioned captain by Congress on September 14, 1776 and later as colonel in the 4th Pennsylvania Battalion. He participated in the battles of Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown, the Virginia Campaighand in the New Jersey Campaign. He was also in the awful suffering at Valley Forge but never lost faith in the cause of liberty. David received a short furlough. He returned home and sold a portion of his farm in order to buy shoes and warm clothing for his men. He never asked for or received money forthis service. Then Colonel David and his fellow soldiers from Westmoreland went home they still faced a period of Indian attacks which were launched by the British against Fort Pitt in 1782. The Indians ranged to the east attacking the settlers in Westmoreland County. There was no militia to halp them, only local rangers. Finally a group of mounted rangers led by Colonel David Kilgore rode against the Indians. After heavy fighting the Indians were driven away. With the war over,Colonel David led a long active life. he owned several large farms in Westmoreland and Indiana Counties Pennsylvania. He was Justice of the Peace for many years. He lived in his two story manor house half way between Pleasant Unity and the Middle Presbyterian Church in Westmoreland County. The original log house had been remodeled and weatherboarded after the war. Colonel David Kilgore died in his home, the Kilgore Manor, June 11th 1814 and is buried in the Middle Presbyterian Cemetery."

Alphabetical List of Officers of the Continental Army K Fifteenth Virginia
page 331 Kilgore, David (Pa). Captain 8th Pennsylvania, 9th August, 1776, to
January, 1777. (Died 11th July, 1814.)

Will: #
His will, executed June 1, 1814, and filed with the register of Wills for the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, at Greensburg:

"In the name of God, Amen: I, David Kilgore, of Mount Pleasant Township, in the County of Westmoreland, and State of Pennsylvania, yormen, being sick and week in body, but of sound mind, memory and uderstanding--Plesed be God for the same; do make and publish this my last Will and Testiment in the manner and form following:

Principally and first of all, I recommend my immortal Spirit in the hand of God who gae it, and my body to the earth to be buried in a decent and Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named; and as to such worldly estate werewith it has pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give and dispose of the same in the following manner, vix.

I will that all my just debts and funeral charges may be paid and adjusted as soon as convenient after my death.

I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Sarah Kilgor, her bed and bedding, and her saddle and bridle and the full free and undisturbed possession, use and benefit of the dwelling house wherein I now live, for and during her natural life, or while she remains my widow.

Captain David Kilgore was one of the early settlers in Mount Pleasant Township,Westmoreland Co.,Pa. He came from Cumberland Co., Pa. During the Revolutionary War he was a captain of th Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment Continental Line. David Kilgore died July 11,1814,and is buried in the Middle Church cemetery near Mount Pleasant.

The Revolutionary David Kilgore served as Captain, 8th PA Reg't.. Because of Indian attacks upon his family back home, (David was at Valley Forge with George Washingtonm letter dated march 1, 1778) David petitioned George Washington to be allowed to resign his commission and to return home to aid in defending the area. Permission was granted and David resigned his commission on 12 March 1778. You can find this on microfilm, National Archives M859, Roll 0046, manuscript 14622.

Did he then enter the PA Militia? State records may help.

This David was the 5th child of James and Elizabeth (JACK) Kilgore. James, with his brothers Charles and Samuel and father John came to PA ca. 1730, Chester Co., PA; later James near proposed site of Carlisle; by 1752 in later Newton Township or Hopewell Territory.

John born ca. 1660, not sure where. He was Presbyterian Elder Donagheady, County Down (Ulster, Ireland, now Northern Ireland). John died 7 March 1731.

Much more for this line in "Clan Kilgore" by John Kilgore Johnston; Tyrone, PA; 1925. A copy supposed to be at DAR Library, Washington, DC.

They left Hannastown and Kittanning on January 6, 1777, and made, all things being considered, one of the most wonderful rnarches known in the military history of America. They crossed the Allegheny mountains, then across Pennsylvania, and across the Delaware into New Jersey. They had no tents, were poorly clothed and poorly subsisted. They camped at night on the snow, building fires to keep themselves from freezing. Many of them died on the way. At Trenton, Colonel Mackay died, and, a few days after, Colonel George Wilson, whose letter is quoted in part above, also died. Both succumbed to the hardships of this long wintry march. Many of the soldiers who survived the march were laid up with a throat disease of a putrid nature. After the deaths of Mackay and Wilson, Daniel Broadhead was made colonel, Richard Butler lieutenant-colonel, and Stephen Bayard major. Butler was shortly afterwards made lieutenant-colonel of Morgan's rifle regiment, and Major James Ross took his place. There were ten companies in the regiment, which numbered 681 soldiers in all, exclusive of the officers. Nearly all of them were enlisted from Westmoreland county, as the limits were then. Captain David Kilgore's company had 58 men;

Captain David Kilgore, of Mt. Pleasant township, died July 11, 1814, at an advanced age. He was an early settler in the county, and had been a captain in the war.

Captain David Kilgore, of Mt. Pleasant township, died July 11, 1814, in the 70th year of his age. His remains were interred in the graveyard at the Middle Church in the township named. He was captain of a company in a regiment enlisted in June, 1776, for the defense of the frontier, and which subsequently became the Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment, Continental Line.

Note on Cumberland County-
His birth technically would have been Lancaster County. Created on January 27, 1750 from part of Lancaster County, and named for Cumberland County in England. Carlisle, the county seat since 1752, was incorporated as a borough on April 13, 1782. It was named for the county town of England's Cumberland County. Shippensburg was the county seat from 1750 to 1752.

Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775-83
about David Kelgore
Name: David Kelgore
Rank - Induction: CAPT
Roll Box: 83
Roll Description: PA
Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775-83
about David Kilgore
Name: David Kilgore
Rank - Induction: CAPTAIN
Roll Box: 84
Roll Description: PA

David Kilgore, son of James Kilgore and Elizabeth Jack was born in Cumberland County PA 2 February 1745. He married Sarah Mickey in Cumberland County PA. Shortly after 1769 they settled on land within Sewickley Manor (Mt.Pleasant Westmoreland County PA). In 1775 David Kilgore signed the Hannastown Resolution, a protest against the British, more than a year before a similar document, the Declaration of Independence, was signed. In August 1776 he recruited a Company of 58 men to serve in the Battalion commanded by Col Aeneas Mackay, raised for the defense of the western frontier. In January 1777 Captain David Kilgore’s Company was attached to the Continental Line and ordered to report for duty in New Jersey. The Company returned to Westmoreland County Sept. 1778. Capt. Kilgore served in the militia thereafter, 1778 to 1792, attaining the rank of Colonel. He and two of his sons, along with several of their Upper Sewickley neighbors, in 1782, pursued the Indians who participated in the burning of Hanna’s Town. Col. David Kilgore died 11 June 1814. Burial Middle Presbyterian Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant. He was survived by his wife and nine children.

James Kilgore, father of David Kilgore, settled in Cumberland County PA in 1734. He is believed to have arrived from Ireland shortly before that time with two of his brothers, Charles and Samuel, in the surge of Scotch-Irish population from Ulster which was then underway. Inasmuch as the the name Kilgore originated in Scotland in very ancient times, we assume ancestors of the brothers had roots in Scotland.

David Kilgore acquired land in what became Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County, some time after the land rush of 1769 when that territory was purchased from the Indians and opened to settlement. He was surprised some time later to find that he had bought part of "Sewickley Manor" a portion of land set aside for the benefit of the Penns from each new purchase from the Indians. Maps of the area show that the surveyors carefully cut out a piece of land for the Penns which took in Sewickley Creek, including the headwaters and all the branches. When they finished, the map of the Manor looked as if it had been cut by kindergarten scissors. It is no mystery then, that there were disputes over which was a tract upon commonwealth territory and which might be the personal property of the Poprietaries. David Kilgore's family, in a history written some time later, lamented the fact that David Kilgore had to pay twice for his land. It is recorded that he rode to Philadelphia with gold to pay off the claims of the Proprietaries. His deed was dated 1773, which included transfers to and quit claims from the Proprietaries. We would like to know when David Kilgore actually settled upon his land in Westmoreland County.

There is another story about David Kilgore and his land. It is said that after the Company of 58 men which he recruited was attached to the Continental Line, during the Revolution, David Kilgore sold a part of his land which contained a mill in order to get money to outfit his suffering men who were wintering at Valley Forge. (There is a possibility he sold the land at some other time for the same purpose.) On the map, there is a tract with a mill that adjoins David's property on the Manor, it is noted as "Trauger's" land. No deed has been found, however, which might support David's story that he sold a piece of land which included a mill. There seems to be no record of how Trauger obtained his mill. We are looking for someone who might have information as what happened back there in Westmoreland County some time between August of 1776 and the winter of 1778 with regard to the mill.

Rita Davis

Census: Date: 1860
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1870
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1860
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1870
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1880
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Occupation: Date: 1880
Place: Works in Iron Mill

Census: Date: 1850
Place: Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1860
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1870
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1880
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1850
Place: Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1860
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1870
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1880
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1850
Place: Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1860
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Note: Will: KILGORE, HUGH. April 23, 1805. G. 114. willbkg.txt
Wills: Index to Will Abstracts, A-Z Surnames: 1750 - 1825: Cumberland Co, PA

Will Book G Page 114 Will of Hugh
KILGORE
Hugh Kilgore of Tyrone Tp Cumb Co Pa Farmer on Apr 5, 1805 wills as
follows:
To my wife Jean, 1/3 of personal Estate 1/3 of the flax 2 cows,
Roan mare, bed Etc
To my daughter Rebecca $1.
To my son David Kilgore $1.
To my daughter Elizabeth Kelly $60.
To my daughter Mary Kilgore $20.
To my daughter Margaret Kilgore 1/3, to my son James 1/3, & to my
daughter Jean Kilgore 1/3 of my Estate after above legacies are
paid. Signed Hugh Kilgore (seal) Witness Edward West, James Wilson
Proven Apr 23, 1805.

Census: Date: 1850
Place: Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1860
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1870
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1860
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Census: Date: 1870
Place: Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts