Van Swearingen

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Husband Van Swearingen ¹

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            AKA: [Unk] Van Swearingen 2
           Born: Abt 1742
     Christened: 
           Died: 2 Dec 1793 - Brooke Co, WV 3
         Buried: 

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         Father: John Swearingen (      -      ) 3
         Mother: 

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       Marriage: 

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Wife

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Children

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1 F Drusilla Swearingen ⁵

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            AKA: [Unk] Van Swearingen 4
           Born: 
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         Spouse: Capt. Samuel Brady (1756-1795) 4 6 7 8
           Marr: 1784 7

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General Notes: Husband - Van Swearingen

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Van Swearingen was probably the most noted captain in the Eighth Pennsylvania. On the 19th of September he and a lieutenant and twenty privates were captured in a sudden dash that scattered Morgan's men. He fell into the hands of the Indians, but was rescued by Gen. Fraser's bat man (one who takes care of his officer's horse); who took him before the general. The latter interrogated him concerning the number of the American army, but got no answer, except that it was commanded by Gens. Gates and Arnold. He then threatened to hang him. "You may, if you please," said Van Swearingen. Fraser then rode off, leaving him in care of Sergt. Dunbar, who consigned him to Lieut. Auburey, who ordered him to be placed among the other prisoners, with directions not to be ill treated; Swearingen, after Burgoyne's army was removed to Virginia, made especial exertions to have Dunbar and Auburey exchanged. Swearingen was the first sheriff of Washington County in 1781; resided in now Fayette County, opposite Greenfield.

He was a justice of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and resided opposite the present Greenfield until Washington County was erected, that is, when at home, as he was a noted frontiersman, known as "Indian Van," and was a captain from Aug. 9, 1776, in Col. Mackay's regiment, the Eighth Pennsylvania line, in the Revolution.

1 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 79, 238.

2 Franklin Ellis, History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 77.

3 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 238.

4 —, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People, Vol. II (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Company, 1917), Pg 125.

5 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 483.

6 George Dallas Albert, History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 118.

7 —, History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania (Newark, OH: J. A. Caldwell, 1880), Pg 472.

8 —, History of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warners, Beers & Co., 1886), Pg 291.