SAMUEL SACKETT was born April 05, 1754 in East Greenwich CT., son of Reuben Sackett (1752-1803) and Mercy Finney (1729/30-18805) and died February 13, 1833 in Fayette Co. Pa.. He married (1) SARAH MANNING February 10, 1777 in Sharon CT. at Mr. Mays home., daughter of DAVID MANNING and ANN HAMILTON. He married (2) EVE STANTZ January 10, 1819 in Fayette Co. Pa..
Samuel Sackett was commissioned a Surgeon's Mate in the Revolutionary Militia by Johnathon Trumbull on July 2, 1776. He served in that capacity until he resigned the commission in 1779. His second son was born in CT. on 18 Jan 1780. Later in the year of 1780 he moved to Pennsylvania. In a letter still preserved, dated Shistee Settlement, Youghiogheny County, [PA.] October 27, 1780, he writes to friends in Connecticut: "I do not think I can cross the mountains back home until spring. There are no doctors here between Pittsburg and Wheeling, and all the way is thickly settled. It is a healthy looking country. I do not think I will get much to do until I get acquainted with the people. Tell Jonathan Hamilton I think this is the best place for land jobbing in the thirteen states, and in case of invasion by Indians it is supposed that fifteen hundred men would rid them out." This would indicate that his first place of residence was in what is now Washington County, PA.. He then moved back east a few miles into what is now Fayette County; as stated in the family record, under date of September 15, 1781, he writes: "We set out from New England to come to Redstone township, and arrived at Beesontown, or Uniontown, on October 16, 1781.
He settled in the region known as the "Redstone District", which later became Fayette County. He was commissioned Surgeon in the militia of Westmoreland County, Pa., in 1782 and served in that capacity to the close of the war: [Pension File S4811 Sackett, Samuel (From Carroll M. Lawson)].
Records indicate that two of Samuel's brothers, Aaron and Cyrus, also made the move from Connecticut to Pennsylvania at, or about, the same time. Samuel settled in Fayette County and remained there for the rest of his life. Cyrus moved on to Bourbon County, Kentucky around 1785-1790 and he married Nancy Anne Stapleton there 10 Jan 1792. Then, in 1799 Cyrus moved to Greene County, Ohio where he remained for the rest of his life. Aaron appears to have married Dorcas Clark in Fayette County, Pennsylvania in 1785 and remained there until 1797 when he moved to Butler County, Ohio where he remained for the rest of his life.
The entry for Dr. Samuel Sackett in Weygant's book "Sacketts of America" is rather brief:
"Dr. Sacket began the practice of his profession
as a physician and surgeon
in the Revolutionary Army. In 1781 he was at Uniontown,
Fayette County,
Penn., and seven years later settled permanently
at Morgantown, in same
county. He was a farmer as well as a physician,
and the farm he then lived
on was at a recent date in the possession of one
of his descendants."
This brief entry has been augmented in recent years with information gained from the Pension File of Dr. Samuel Sackett [obtained and transcribed by Carroll M. "Butch" Lawson] and a series of letters written to Dr. Samuel and members of his family, along with copies of two of the letters he wrote. These 19 letters and other documents centering around the family of Dr. Samuel Sackett are in the possession of the Yuma Territorial Prison Museum, Yuma, Arizona. The letters were written between 1785 and 1832 and give us some insight into the life and times of Dr. Samuel and his family. [Sackett Letters with a link to scanned images]
In Dr. Samuel's Family Record is the entry: "The following children were born at Beesontown: Betsey, April 4, 1782; Lucinda, March 5, 1784; Alexander, January 10, 1786; Mary Anna, September 3, 1788. On November 10, 1788 we moved to Georges creek, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where the following children were born: Annie, November 9, 1790; Lydia, November 22, 1792; Samuel, September 21, 1793; Sarah, October 20, 1797, married Dr Louis Marchant, of Huguenot descent." [John W. Jordan; Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County Pennsylvania;Volume II.; Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1912.]
Information from the letters in Yuma, AZ show that in 1792 Dr. Samuel's father, Reuben, wrote a letter from Warren, CT. to him at Georges Creek; which is some 10 miles from "Beasontown" (Uniontown). Then in a letter written to him in 1797, by Aaron, and one written by him in 1799, to Cyrus, show that he was living on Georges Creek on those dates.
From an invoice of:
Crawford & Son;
Forwarding & commission Merchants;
Dealers in
General Merchandise,
Greensboro, IN.; Jly 3, 1889:
Alex Sackett
Sir
I Sold at(scratched out)
we quit renting on the (scratched
out) and I
told them that I would take
the
responsibillity to Drop the
25.
You come over and we will art(?)de
Yours
L. L. Crawford
Written in a different hand writing on the bottom of this is the following:
"Sarah
Sarah was born on friday the
27th day of Oc
tober 1795 at 10 Oclock in morning
on georges creek Springhill
township
fayett County & State of
Pennsylvania
and is our sixth Daughter and
ten
th child
was born in the New hous on
the hill &
not in the old cabin under the
hill near
the creek."
From the 1889 date of the invoice we would conclude that the notation on the bottom of it that this information was probably copied from Dr. Samuel's Family Records (the Alex mentioned was probably the son of Samuel, Jr.). The information concerning the birth of Sarah gives a bit more information about Dr. Samuel's place of residence. He lived on Georges Creek in Springhill Township. In the period of time just before the birth of Sarah, 27 Oct 1795, Dr. Samuel had built a new home up on a hill and moved out of his original home which is called "the old cabin under the hill near the creek".
This all raises a question about Weygant's assertion that Samuel moved from Uniontown "... seven years later (and) settled permanently at Morgantown, in same county." Dr. Samuel did move in 1788, seven years after he had settled in Uniontown. But he moved to Georges Creek. There is presently no town in Fayette County by the name of Morgantown and the nearest town of that name to Uniontown, is Morgantown, WV. Maps of that area show that Georges Creek is located south of Uniontown close to half way between Uniontown, PA and Morgantown, WV. and that it flows westward from there into the Monongahela River near the town of New Geneva which is southwest of Uniontown. The creek forms the north boundry of Springhill Twp which extends southward from Georges Creek to the West Virginia State line. So the records indicate that Dr. Samuel lived on the south side of Georges Creek about half way between the two towns and not in Morgantown, WV. As for the location of Dr. Samuel's place on Georges Creek; John W. Jordan says that Dr. Samuel's farm "...is yet known as the old Sackett homestead on Georges Creek, one mile south of Smithfield."
It appears that the collection of letters in Yuma, AZ are probably a part of Dr. Samuel's own collection. John W. Jordan mentions "In his diary, still preserved...", "In the family record...", and that among the family souvenirs "There are fourteen letters over one hundred years old written him from friends in Connecticut". This indicates that he kept fairly complete records of the family and of his medical practice. Some of the entries in his pension application were exact quotes from his journals: "Feby 10 AD 1777 there I was married to Sarah Manning at Sharon at Mr. Mays by Mr. Smith P.M." And: "10 January 1819 Sunday, This day in the Evening perhaps between 7 & 8 oclock, I Samuel Sackett was married to Eve Stanz by Richard Patton Esquire at her Mothers House". And in the following document filed with the court in Fayette County by Samuel Sackett, Jr. we have certification that the quotes above were from the family record:
"State of Pennsylvania
Fayette County Pa. On this 31st day of March A.D.
1856. Before me a
Justice of the Peace in and for said County personally
appeared Samuel
Sackett and made oath in due form of law that
the above is a true and
Correct Copy of the marriages of his Father Samuel
Sackett as Contained in
the original Family Record. That the following
named Children are the only
Children of said Samuel Sackett now alive viz.
David Sackett, Lucinda Hicks,
Mary Freeman, Ann Sharpless Lydia Clark Samuel
Sackett the deponent and
Sarah Merchand, who are the offspring of said
first marriage and the said
Samuel Sackett had no child or children offspring
of the said second
marriage.- That he had no issue from said second
marriage.
Sworn to and subscribed before s/s Samuel Sackett
on the day and year above written, and I here
certify that
I have no interest in the result of the above
case and am not
concerned in its prosecution
s/s Daniel Smith JP"
The knowledge that such records existed at one time, and may even exist today, only serves to cause one to dream of the wealth of information that would be contained in them !
The first letter of the ones in Yuma, AZ was written by Dr. Samuel's brother Aaron on December 18, 1785 from a location we have not yet identified. It looks like "Skipton" but there is no place in existence in that area today with that name. It has been suggested (by C. M. Lawson) that it might be a matter of him spelling the name the way they pronounced it and that it might be the present day town of Smithton in Westmoreland Co. It could possibly be the same place as "Shistee Settlement, Youghiogheny County". The text of the letter indicates that Samuel had left suddenly, or that he had gone on a visit to another place, and there were some questions about some hides and leather that were missing. However, the letter was written in `1785 and we have no record of Samuel making a move between his arrival at Uniontown in 1781 and his move to Georges Creek in 1788.
We learn from two portions of the 1785 letter is that the brothers devised a code for communicating things they didn't want others to read. In the first coded part of the letter we learn that there was a problem that arose over some leather and hides which were missing and that Samuel appears to have left his house and most everything in it. The officials had attached everything, except for a couple of items that Aaron had hidden from them, and everything was to be auctioned off. And in the uncoded part Aaron was pleading with his brother to come back and settle the debts because the officials were saying that they were going to attach Aaron's property because they believed they could prove that the two were in partnership. He says that he cannot afford to lose anything because he is just starting, which would seem to indicate that he had married not too long before. However, in the second coded portion he says: "go whare you please in safety and fine in aney place"
The next letter written to Samuel was written by his 15 year old sister Violet from Kent (Warren), CT. From her letter we gather that Aaron and Samuel were again living in the same general area.
Kent April 27th 1786
Dear brother and sister it is with
pleasure
that I retire to write you to let you know
that I am in health and my firends
hop
ing these lines will find you in joying
the
same I wish to see you and converse
(words?) with
you but am denied the priviledg. but
I do hope
if fortune will premit you will return ay
agai(n)
I have no knews to write to you. give
my warmest
compliments to your family and to Aron and
an his wife. I will not (so?) continue
lest I should
tire your patiens. So I must conclude
by
subscribin my self
your loving Sister
Violitty Sackett
On 22 June 1786 Dr. Samuel Sackett bought a lot in Union (also known as Beeson town), Fayette Co., PA. The deed shows that Samuel Sackett was a physician and that he bought the land from Henry Beeson, the founder of Uniontown. [Union Town Deed]
"This Indenture made the twenty Second day of June
in the year of our
Lord One thousand Seven hundred and eighty six
Between Henry
Beeson of the Township of Union in the County
of Fayette and State
of Pennsylvania a Yeoman of the one part and Samuel
Sackett of the town
and County afore said Physician of the other part.
..."
The next letter was one from Samuel's father Reuben in Warren, CT. to his son Dr. Samuel "at Georges Creek ten miles from Beason town". This letter contains the following:
"... Warren
September 5 ad 1792
Dear and Loving Samuel..."
"... I would informe you that I reseved your leter
Dated Aug 91 and was glad
to hear of your welfare ..."
"... I would let you no that I reseved a leter
from Cyrus dated Augst
the 6th ad 1791 and was very glad to hear from
him altho he is gon to
the End of the path and my hopes is small
of ever seeing of aney of you
aney more in the land of the living but if we
might be
so hapy as to meat in the first Resurrection what
befals us in
this woild is no grate mater. ..."
"... I saw your father maning
this weak and they are all well, Likewise
that your frends
are all well ..."
"... I should be ? that you would
write Every opertunity and would
informe me partickerly of your afares and of Cyrus
afares
altho I subscribe this to the Dr I send it to
equal to Aaron ..."
"... Lodge this at Capt Bartlets Cincinati Ferry
From Mr. Reuben Sackett Sept 5 1792 from Warren
To Dr Samuel Sackett at Georges Creek ten miles
from Beason town"
The above quotes from the letter from Reuben Sackett of Warren, CT. serve to prove that Dr. Samuel Sackett of Fayette County, PA. was the son of Reuben and the brother of Cyrus and Aaron Sackett. It further shows that the three brothers had left home and gone west. And that some twelve years after Samuel left for western PA., his father had more or less resigned himself to the idea that he would never see his three sons again during his lifetime. It also shows that Dr. Samuel's father-in-law was still in Warren, CT. and was well.
As one reads the letters; one thing that comes through is that Dr. Samuel was not totally satisfied with living in Fayette County, PA. However, he was not dissatisfied enough to move to another part of the country. From some of the letters we would conclude that Samuel had asked those writing the various letters to give him a report concerning the climate, the land, and the need for a Doctor in that area they were in.
Writing in response to a letter from Samuel to him
Aaron sent one from Ohio Dated at Mill Creek, 6
August 1797:
"Dear Brother I received yours of 20 June and
was glad to hear that
you were all well for I had no particular
a Count from you after we left
thair till now. ..."
"...You wrote to me that you was sorrey that I
had was not
more Extensive in my travils last fall that I
did not go to Cumb
erland but I think that I went further nough
for the Carolinans have
filed that part of the Country and in general
are the Out
right ____ ___ ___ that as (?)nd very in hole
?some? in habitants as for the
Elinoys I have a genele Opinion of but I like
this Country So well
it is a chance if I Ever Leave it if I Can get
Porsesions in
it to my mind Land is high it rates from
2 to 12 dolars per Aker
but out therr is good land to be got from 1 3/8
to 3 ?/8 Dolars per aker
as for your busines I am in formed that thirr
is a Large Vakency at
fort Hambleton but thin in habited but setlen
fast and the
Best part of the Country by What I Can larn I
would be very
Glad if you Can Leave home that you would Come
and See the Country
as it is but a Little way home a Gain threw the
Indian Country ..."
From this portion we gather that Aaron had traveled in Ohio during the fall of 1796 scouting out the possibilities of the country and that in Samuel's letter of 20 June 1797 he had expressed disappointment that Aaron had not been more extensive in his exploration. Aaron expresses the desire that Samuel would come check it out for himself. In a letter written two months later Aaron again addresses the matter of the desirability of the country in Ohio and his desire that Samuel would come check it out:
"Miamme 21
October 1797 Dear Brother
... I have ben in Greate hopes that you
would come Down and look of this part of the world
for I think you cant help
liking of it and their is a Greate Vacancy for
a Docter at
hambleton and a Great scope of a cuntrey around
it ..."
It appears that Samuel did not visit Ohio and that Aaron became involved in the everyday tasks and neglected sending a response to letters written to him by Samuel. By 1799 Samuel wrote to his brother Aaron with the complaint that he had written several letters to Aaron and received no reply:
Dear Brother I again set
down to write to you to let
you know that through the goodness of God we are
all well as I
hepe these may find you all I have wrote
repeatedly to you and
have not had a letter from you for a long time
it appears that
you have forgotten us altogether but if you wish
to Cut
of all Corespondence by Letter or any other way
you must signify it by leter
or some other way to me otherwise I Shall
Continue to write as useal which
has been a number of times Since I have heard
from you ..."
Samuel's son Reuben T. Sackett appears to have migrated to Pittsburgh, PA. in 1797 when Aaron sent the letter from Mill Creek and addressed it: "From Aaron Sackett; 6 August 1797; To: Dr Samuel Sackett; On Georges Creek. to the Care of Reubin Sackett; Pitsburg". By 1800 he had moved into Kentucky where he appeared on the tax list for Mason Co. in 1800. The next location for him is when he wrote a letter to his father from Natchez in the Mississippi Territory. In this letter he indicates he had sent a letter to his father from Kentucky before he left there. And he states his intention of going on to New Orleans and from there, back to Uniontown, and home. One portion of the letter gives an indication that he was fulfilling a request from his father for information on other parts of the courntry:
"Natchez
Mississippi Territory May 8th 1801 ..."
"... I shall endea(v)arr to give you an account
of the
Illinois Country by my next letter
A Mr Austin
of that country an intellig(atier?) gentleman
is
to give it me ..."
We have no indication in the existing letters as to whether Reuben T. ever made it back home or not. We know that six years later he was in the Territory of Orleans (Louisiana). He wrote a letter from there in which he is giving his father a report of an excursion exploring the surrounding country and giving a glowing report on the climate, the land, and all the possibilities there:
"Territory of Orleans August 19th 1807
I had the pleasure of receiving a letter from you
not long since;
also one from Alexander, his I have answered and
also wrote one to you
prior to the receipt of your letter, accompanied
Apelousas with a rough
plat of this ca(untry?). I have just returned
from a surveying
excurtion of ten weeks on the River Koleashaes
and its waters and expect
in (? ?) to return there again; I have enjoyed
a good state of health
since my residence in this Cauntry and find by
observation that it is
remarkable healthy in general - we thelast winter
experienced the
most trying and severe cold one ever known in
this Latittude, and
immence quantities of Rain, on the contrary the
present warm season has
been very dry and many suffered (?in?) their crops
in consequence, yet
the country is Clear of sickness. I have already
sufficiently
(?expaliated?) on the beauty, health (?) situation
of this and
Attuckapas country, much might be said, I leave
principally to abler
pens than mine to discuss ..."
Following an extended description of the virtues of the land and the abundance of crops which can be grown and the extended growing season; we have an indication that Samuel had written of what he considered to be disadvantages of living in Louisiana. To this Reuben T. responds:
"You objeect to the country on various points (?)
the climate and
sickly. I answer we have moverate warm weather
8 or 9 months in the
year. in July and August the heat is repelled
by the fine solub(lime?)
Sea (?) breases, wafting over our delightful plains
in (?) countr~es
and climates animals are incident to fevers ign(?)
impurdency are the
mother of those direful mallidies..."
"I without Reserve give it to my opinion this Country
is superior (for?)
(?gro)wing every thing to any other part I have
been in - (an)d as I
have before said should no interruption take place
will increase become
rich and populous ..."
And in the closing portion of the letter he says:
"I think if you would visit the Country, you would
(be?) induced to
remain here. I should be happy to see David &
A(...)
here - they are young might obtain land here,
and settle to (?)
here ..."
The year before the letter above, there was one written by Cyrus in Greene Co., OH. to his brother Samuel:
"27 Jan 1806
Dear Brother I received your leter on the 9th
of November dated on the 29 of August which gave
me great satis faction to hear from you and
your familys health. ..."
"... You wanted that I
should wright to you and let you know how this
cuntry
im proves: Since their has ben a chance
to
git wrights for land this part of this cuntry
has setled as fast as any knew cuntry in my
knowing. the land is cheefly all taken up
bee
low Mad River and agreat deal abuv: their
is cons
idrable taken up that isnot setled: below the
Big
Page 2
Miamme their is vakent land know to enter at 2
dolers pr acre. the land in the settlement
is midling
high from what I can larn tis from 3 to 15 Dolers
pr acre. You wanted that I should
let
you know whather it would answer your trade
hear. I rather supose it would answer very
well
for their is considreble call for a Docter in
this
cuntry: ..."
"... I would bee very glad
if you could come to this cuntry to liv sum wheir
near near it would bee a great satis faction to
me: if you
can't move to this cuntry to liv I would bee glad
if you
could come and see us and take a look of these
parts wonce more ..."
The last statement "... I would bee glad if you could come and see us and take a look of these parts wonce more ..." indicates that Samuel had made a trip to Greene County and visited Cyrus, and probably Aaron in Butler County, some time before 1806. Due to the fact that he never made a move would suggest that he had not found the country enough to his liking to convince him to move.
By 1810 Samuel's son Alex had moved to Rossville, Butler County, OH. and wrote a letter to his father giving an account of the herbs which were available in that part of the country and then gives an account of the availability and pricing of land there:
"March 25,
1810 ..."
"... the price of second handed land is much Depr(essed?)
Land may be had with Considerable improvements
for four dollars per acet I know one Quarter
that hath
at least Sixty acers cleared with a tollerable
house &
Barn and dead fence a number of ?uncut trees?
that ma(y)
be had for five dollars per acer ___________ land
than
Any in Fayett County and it Lays in the Most healthy
of Miammi County ..."
It is interesting to note that he referred to land that was no longer virgin land as "second handed land". This reference could indicate that Samuel was still interested in finding some place other than Fayette County to live and Alex says in the letter that if it were not for family and friends there he would not go back.
From these letters we could conclude that Samuel had a desire to move on from Fayette County, PA. but that his situation was such that the urge to move was not as strong as satisfaction of knowing that he was secure in his situation there. It seems that the longer he remained there, the deeper his roots became and the more reluctant he was to make a move. They also indicate that Samuel was respected and loved by his brothers and those of his family. For each one expressed a desire for him to live near them. An indication of the influence he had in the lives of his children can be found in the fact that three of his sons entered into the practice of medicine; Alex, Samuel, Jr. and David F. And one of his daughters, Sarah, married a doctor; Dr. Louis Merchand.
Although the only one of Samuel's children we are aware of who had left home by 1806 and departed for distant parts was Reuben T., in Louisiana; there is an indication in the letter from Cyrus to Samuel that there might have been others who had left home. It would appear that Samuel had expressed concern that his family was getting spread out throughout the country and Cyrus reminds him that the family of their father had gotten "scatred". Cyrus says:
"... I received your leter on the 9th
of November dated on the 29 of August which gave
me great satis faction to hear from you and
your familys health. altho they seem to
bee
scatred very much alredy tho I must not think
it straing when I consider how we air scatred.
..."
We learn from articles published in the Palladium
Item; Richmond, IN. that David had been in Pittsburg and Philidelphia,
and in 1807 had gotten married and was in Greensburg, PA. In 1808
David moved to Hamilton Co., OH. In March 1810 Alex had gone to Hamilton,
Butler Co., OH. and in a letter written to his father from "Rossville February
th23, 1811"; Alex informs his father that:
"David and the family was well when they
left this place for Whitewater in the Territory
on the
15 __________ out he has got a Son whose name
is Samuel
arising four months old. his Situation is
good is good
foor the practice there are no Dr.s nearer than
this place."
"Neither do I
recollect when David wrote you last but not since
Esq. Griffith left this place I believe"
So, then, by the 23rd of Feb. 1811; David was in Wayne Co., Indiana Territory, Alex was in Rossville, OH. and Reuben T. was in Louisana.
By 1813 Samuel's wife Sarah died and in the following year his son Alex who was in Ohio died. In 1814 Samuel received a letter from his brother Alexander Sackett who was still living in Warren, CT. In the letter Alexander offers his condolences to Samuel for the loss of his wife and son:
"... Warren
Connecticut 11 Aug 1814
Dear Brother I once more take pen in hand
to let you know that
through the goodness of God we are all well at
present as I hope
this may finde you. I received a letter
from you by Doc Droun which
gave me the sad inteligence of the loss of your
Wife and that of
your Son. for which I Console with you
it might be a great breach in
your family especially that of your Wife. ..."
And he indicates that Samuel had complained, or expressed concern, that his family was getting more scattered. Alexander writes: "... You say that your family is much scatred and you have reason to beleave are doing well ..." It would appear that Samuel was having feelings similar to those expressed by his father in his letter to Samuel some 22 years before.
At this time Reuben T. was still in Louisiana and from land records there it appears that David F. had gone to Louisiana and filed claim to an earlier claim for 1000 arpents of land there in 1810. And although the claim appears to have been approved by 1816; David did not remain there, because historical accounts of his life in Wayne Co., IN. show that David moved from Hamilton, Ohio to what is now Wayne Co., IN. in the latter part of 1810 and remaind there until the 1860s. In 1815 David wrote his father from Salisbury, I. T. (Indiana Territory) in what is present day Indiana. In this letter he informed his father that Reuben T. was south of New Orleans serving in the War of 1812.
In 1819 Samuel remarried. This record is found in Samuel's Pension File as a part of the application:
"10 January 1819 Sunday, This day in the Evening
perhaps between 7 & 8 oclock
I Samuel Sackett was married to Eve Stanz by Richard
Patton Esquire at her
Mothers House." "Samuel Sackett"
In December, 1823 Reuben T. was thrown, or fell,
from his horse at night along Red River in Louisana and was found dead:
Alepalousia Wednesday December 31 - 1823
Casualty
On Thursday morning the body of R. T. Sackett,
Esq. was found on the sand
bar a little below the falls of red river. The
deceased was on his return home
the evening before and had probably been thrown
from his hors and so much
injured as not to have been able to call fore
relief or seek it himself
a jury of inquest was impaneled and after examining
the body and such
witnesses as saw the deceased on his return home
and those who found him
dead delivered a verdict of accidental death.
By 26 Sep 1829 Samuel realized that his health was failing and at that time he made his last will and testament:
Will of Dr. Samuel Sackett [From his pension file and Copied by C. M. Lawson 10/01/1998]
In the name of God Amen. I Doctor Samuel Sackett of Fayette
County Pennsylvania, do make constitute and appoint this, my last will
& testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made.
I st Item It is my will and desire that my wife shall
have the whole of my property of every description in trust both real &
personal for & during her natural life or sow long as She remains my
widow my medical Library & medicines excepted.
2nd 1 will and bequeath unto my Son David H Sacket the
two thirds of my Medical Libria with all my Sergical Instruments and one
Hundred dolars out of the proceeds of my Virginia Lands if they should
Ever be obtained by my Executor
3rd The balance of my Medical Libria with all the Medicine
that may be in my Shop at my decease I give unto Doctor Louis Merchand
& one Hundred dollars out of the proceeds of my Mountain land if my
Executor should hold the Same
4th It is my will & desire that one Hundred dolars
out of the proceeds of my estate be equally divided between my five remaining
daughters family, Elizabeth Ball, Lucenda Thomas, Mary Freeman, Ann Sharplees
and Lidia Clark
5th It is not my design to give the airs of my oldest
Son Ruben anything more than I have given their Father in his lifetime.
6th The Balance of my property of every description including
the piece of land on which I now reside Bonds notes Book acompts rights
of credits I give and bequeath the same unto my Son Samuel for his own
proper use & behoof. Lastly it is my will and desire and I do by these
Constitute & appoint my Son Samuel to be my Executor to transact my
afairs when I am done with them
Witness my hand
26th September 1829
s/s Samuel Sackett
James M. Oliphant
Jas Abrahaws
Fayette County S S
Dr. Samuel Sackett died 13 Feb 1833
Fayette County Newspaper Extracts 1805-1854, by Jean Rentmiester
c.g.r.s.
Closson Press on page 5.
"20 February 1833; Died on the evening of Wednesday the
13th inst.,at his
residence in George Township, Dr. Sam'l Sackett, in the
79th year of his age."
The will of Dr. Samuel was filed for probate 5 Mar 1833:
"On the 5th day of March Anno Domeni 1833 Personally appeared
before me the Subscriber Deputy. Register for the probate of wills and
granting letters of administration in and for said County James M Oliphant
the first subscribing witness to the foregoing writing purporting to be
the last will and Testament of Samuel Sackett late of the county of Fayette
deceased and on his solem affirmation did declare that he saw the Testator
Sign the same as and for his last will & testament when of sound mind
that he knew of no undue influence used or later will made by said deceased
to his knowledge or belief. and on the 18th day of the same month personally
appeared James Abrahams the later signing witness and on his solem affirmation
attested in like manner. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set
my hand & seal of the Register office at Union Town the 18th day of
March A D 1833
s/s John Keffer D.R."
In the will Dr. Samuel mentions his "Mountain" property and his "Virginia" property. The map of the southern portion of Fayette county, just to the east of Springhill Twp. shows a small town named Mountain in Georges Twp. (near Ruble Mill and Woodbridgetown). Tax records indicate that "on 31 Dec 1806, he paid back taxes for , 1801, 1802, 1803, 1804, in the amount of one dollar and fourteen cents in Randolph County, on account of redemption of his land". There is no Randolph County in PA. and the nearest one with that name to where Dr. Samuel lived, is in West Virginia south of Morgantown. Another tax record shows that "On April 5th 1808, he paid a one dollar road tax in Wharton Township for 1807". Warton Twp. adjoins Springhill Twp.'s southeast corner.
Dr. Samuel appears to have died without applying for his Revolutionary War pension which was authorized by Congress in 1832. Samuel, Jr. and his siblings applied for the pension money for their father's Revolutionary War service in 1856. The pension request was granted; numbered 33,345 dtd 13 May 1856: "Inscribed on the roll of Pittsburgh at the rate of 120 Dollars 00 cents per annum to commence on 4th day of March 1831 and end February 13th 1833. [Other supporting documents were submitted and appeared to include Samuel Sacketts discharge from the Rev. Army; I wonder if it still is on file at the Archives. - C. M. Lawson]
Children of Samuel Sackett and Sarah Manning are:
i. Reuben T. Sackett, born 16 Jan 1778 in (Probably)
Warren, CT.; died 24 Dec 1823 in Catahoula Parish., LA.. He married
(1) Marie Ann Poiret Bef. 1811 in LA. ?. He married (2) Martha Ann
Nugent 07 Aug 1821 in LA..
ii. David Filer Sackett, M. D., born 18 Jan 1780;
died 1864. He married Martha Milliken 1807.
iii. Elizabeth Sackett, born 04 Apr 1782.
She married Unknown Ball.
iv. Lucinda Sackett, born 05 Mar 1784. She
married (1) Unknown Thomas. She married (2) Unknown Hicks.
v. Alexander Sackett, M. D., born 10 Jan 1786;
died 1814 at Ft. Meigs, OH.
vi. Mary A. Sackett, born 03 Sep 1788. She
married Unknown Freeman.
vii. Anne Sackett, born 09 Nov 1790. She
married George Sharpless 1820.
viii. Lydia Sackett, born 22 Nov 1792. She
married (1) Elisha Dunham 1814. She married (2) Unknown Clark Bef.
26 Sep 1829.
ix. Samuel Sackett, born 20 Sep 1795 in Fayette
Co., PA; died 27 Apr 1860. He married Priscilla Caldwell 1831.
x. Sarah Sackett, born 20 Oct 1795; died 08 Nov
1870. She married Louis Marchand, M. D., 1823 in Fayette Co., PA..
