#401 Archibald Allison ( Archibald Allison )

Archibald was born 15 Apr 1761 in Co. Monaghan, Ireland. He died 3 May 1845 in Spring Mills, Centre Co., Pennsylvania. He was buried in private cemetery overlooking his farm.

A nephew of Archibald's, Frederick Essex Allison, writing for the Pennsylvania Ledger in 1917 describes his uncle: "Archibald was six-feet three inches in height, weighing 190 pounds, hardy as an elk, and swift as a reindeer; an expert with the rifle, and a favorite scout of both Washington and Lee. He carried messages over almost impassable terrain that was usually infested with unfriendly Indians. He was stout and heavily built, with a round and ruddy complexion and flaxen hair. In politics, he was a Federalist, and in religion, a Presbyterian."

As can be inferred from the above, Archibald served the American cause during the Revolution as a militiaman and Indian scout. He is listed in the Patriot Index of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution as a Private from Pennsylvania.

Official records are vague but the Pennsylvania Archives certify that, under the Militia Lean of April 1, 1784, a certificate of public debt, Number 12561, in the amount of 0.17.6 was issued in the name of Archibald Allison for a tour of duty in the Northumberland Militia at an unspecified time during the war. Both Archibald and his brother, Matthew, were reimbursed for service in Continental scrip that was never redeemed by the U.S. Government. They probably received land bounties in lieu of redemption as that was customary at the time.

His son, William, told historian John Blair Linn the following tale as it was recounted to him by his father and Captain Van Gundy.

Archibald [age 18] was one of a party of militiamen that had gone to the rescue of the Sample Family...after they got there, they heard the peculiar gobble of wild turkeys, and Van Gundy said he would go out and shoot one. Van Dyke said, "You'll catch turkey if you do go out there." [Surmising the common trick of Indians in imitating turkey calls.] Two soldiers from Potters Fort were enticed that way and one wa killed, the other man was wounded in the thumb and cried and howled so loud that they had to threaten him to keep him quiet. They placed slabs against the door, and carried water up to the loft. After dark, an Indian came around the house, barking like a dog, and rubbing against the door. They paid no attention, but lay down and slept until about 3 a.m., when Van Gundy got up and lighted a fire. The Indians then surrounded the house, and mounting a log on their shoulders, tried to beat in the door. Those inside then fired, wounding two of the Indians whom they saw carried off. An Indian then came up behind the house and set it on fire. Van Gundy [climbed] into the loft and [tore off] some of the roof, and put out the fire. In this encounter, he was struck in the leg by a spent ball which marked him for some time. Another of the party had his side whiskers shot off. When daylight came, they put it to a vote, whether they should remain in the house or try to get off. Two voted to stay and four to go. Van Gundy took the Indian's rifle, Van Dyke his powder horn, Allison took some Indian wampum which was a prized memento in the family for many years.

The Indians came on suddenly, with loud yells, and the men separated. Van Gundy with his two guns took into a ravine, and tried to get the old people to follow him. They refused, and followed the young folks, one of whom was said to be their son. Van Gundy said he heard several shots which killed the old people who were then scalped and left lie.

Archibald hid the wounded soldier under a fallen log, and the Indians passed over it without discovering him. Allison lost his moccasins in the melee, and when he returned to the fort, his feet where bleeding so that he could have been traced by the blood.

Archibald moved to Penns Valley, in what is now Centre County, in 1783 or '84, where he married Eleanor. He secured a large section of land in Potter Township known as the Manor of Succoth. It was part of the original land grant to William Penn. He lived in a large frame house three miles outside Spring Mills. His home is still in use.

He remained in the valley until his death in 1845. His will provided large tracts of lands for various of his descendants.

Archibald married #391 Eleanor McCormick. She is the daughter of George McCormick. She is an ancestor in the McCormick Line.

Marriage notes

They married 7 May 1789 in Spring Mills, Union Co., Pennsylvania.

 

Eleanor was born 26 Mar 1789. She died 27 Jan 1848. She was buried in Allison Cemetery, Spring Mills, Centre Co., Pennsylvania.

Children of this relationship:

#370MiGeorge Allison(18 Aug 1792–28 Sep 1866)
#438MiiWilliam McCormick Allison(4 May 1794–11 Feb 1877)
#440MiiiJames Allison(22 Feb 1796–12 Sep 1863)
#442FivMargaret Allison(26 May 1797–12 Jun 1846)
#444MvDavid Allison(22 May 1799–22 Dec 1877)
#446FviMary Allison(11 May 1801–27 Sep 1856)
#447MviiJohn Allison(22 Nov 1803–23 Jan 1844)
#448FviiiJane Allison(22 Sep 1805–)
#449FixEleanor Allison(8 Feb 1811–10 Apr 1895)

Archibald Allison, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Ancestor #A001947.

Charles A. Fisher, Central Pennsylvania Marriages 1700-1996, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1892).

John Blair Linn, Annals of Buffalo County, Pennsylvania 1755-1855, (Harrisburg: L. S. Hart, 1877). Ref. as [Linn2] p. 173

Verna Allison Pierson & Marlowe G. Smith, The Allisons of Center County, Pennsylvania, History of the Family and Descendants of Archibald Allison and Mary Kennedy of Kirmaiden, Scotland and Monaghan, Ireland, (unpublished). Ref. as [Pierson/Smith]


Line Generation: 2

Relationship: Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather