Michael Leonard
State of Kentucky - County of Grant

On this 12th day of October 1835 personally appeared in open court before the justices of the County of Grant, now setting Michael Leonard, a resident of Grant County and State of Kentucky, aged about __ 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 7, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officer and served as herein after stated. That he was born sometime in the spring of the year 176_ (time not recollected) in the County of Rowan and what is now the State of North Carolina and there resided until the fall of 1779, that he then removed to what was then the District of Kentucky, now the State of Kentucky, at a place called Ruddle's Station, near the junction of Hinkston and Stoner forming the south fork of Licking River, that some time about the first of June 1780 there was great alarm about the Indians and British, it being reported that a force consisting of British and Indians was expected to appear and attack the Stations, that although this declarant was not then of an age which required of him military entry, he volunteered and was received under the command of Captain Ruddle who commanded at the Station called Ruddle's Station and entered upon the duties of a private soldier and so remained doing the duties of a private soldier under the order of said Capt. Ruddle until after the middle of said month of June 1780, say about the 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, or 24th day of said June, the day not now recollected, when the force before expected, consisting of two or three hundred English and six or seven hundred Indians, under the command of Capt. of Colonel Bird of the British Army made its appearance and we were prepared for resistance, but after the force of the enemy was ascertained and their means of attack, Captain Ruddle surrendered and the enemy entered the Station, plundered and destroyed everything which could not be conveniently removed and sent in charge of a portion of Indians all the persons, both men, women and children to Detroit. The prisoners were divided into parcels of from two or three to about twelve according as they were able to offer resistance and put under charge as many Indians as was thought necessary to secure them. This declarant was divided out with seven others, say two men, two boys, two women and two children, and under the charge of eight Indians, and while on our way to Detroit and somewhere in what is now the State of Ohio, while at breakfast one of the Indians became angry with this declarant and struck him on the top of his head with a tomahawk and came near killing him; he however survived and traveled on until we arrived at an Indian town of the Shawnee's where we were all compelled to run the gauntlet; we then proceeded to Detroit where we were divided out among the citizens to work and was watched so that taking into consideration the amence wilderness to be traversed the Indians and many other dangers we could not leave. Some however was sent to Quebec or some other places. After we had been divided out among the Indians at Ruddle's Station as before said, we then understood that the British and a part of the Indians were to proceed to other Stations in the neighborhood which turned out to be the case, for a short time after the prisoners of Ruddle's Station had been brought into Detroit, the British and Indians that had been left at Ruddle's Station came to Detroit with all the force of Martin's Station. This declarant remained a prisoner of war until the news of peace reached the authorities at Detroit when we all told that we were at liberty to go where we pleased, which happened as this declarant now believes in the latter part of the year in 1783, so that this declarant was in actual service of the United States which in the Station and a prisoner of war from about the beginning of June 1780 until about the fall of 1783, being the time he was liberated so that he has served the United States as a private soldier not less than three years and for such service he claims a pension. He was, not while in the service, with any other troops than those mentioned and therefore saw or knew of any other. This declarant received no discharge and has no documentary testimony of his service and know of no person whose evidence he can now procure who is acquainted with his service except John Zinn and Elizabeth Franks both of Grant County, Ky. There is several others but they live at too great a distance for this declarant to travel and see so as to procure their evidence. This declarant has no record of his age and only states his age from the fact that he was told that he was 14 years old at the taking of Ruddle's Station. This declarant was living in what is now Bourbon County, Ky., when he was called into service and when he returned from his captivity which was in the year 1784.

Elizabeth Franks made this statement on Michael Leonard's above application:
Know all men by these presents that, I, Elizabeth Franks do hereby certify that in the year 1780 the English and Indians took Ruddle's Station and that I was among those that was taken to Detroit and that Michael Leonard was also of the number and that he was attained at Detroit by the enemy from the aforesaid year of 1780, say about the middle of June in said year until the fall of the year 1783 when the news of peace reached the authorities at Detroit and we were all then informed that we could depart at our pleasure, the said Michael Leonard does now and has for some years resided in this (Grant) county. Given under my hand this 29th day of October 1835.  Elizabeth (X) Franks.