Our Revolutionay Soldiers
Upon
the completion of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Samuel Adams,
known as the "Father of the American Revolution" said, "We have this day restored to Sovereign
to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in Heaven and from the rising
to the setting of the sun, let His Kingdom come."
Just before his death, Thomas Jefferson called his friends and
family to his bedside and said: "I have
done for my country and for all mankind all that I could do, and I now resign
my soul without fear to my God, - my daughter to my country."
My
recent research has been not about one progenitor, but about a group of our
progenitors who fought for our nation’s independence. After watching a webnar on how to research
our Revolutionary War ancestors, I started a search that pleasantly surprised
me. Less than 40% of the colonists were Patriots. A little more than 20% were Loyalists. The
rest of the colonists just wanted to be left alone. Patriot support came in
three possible ways—join the Continental Army, join the State Militia, and or
provide non-military support such as political office service, correspondence, food,
uniforms, weapons, horses, etc. for the cause.
My
research utilized service records, pension records, bounty land records,
private relief acts, and Revolutionary War Histories (Individual, Regimental, Battle,
State/Local, Group, and Continental Army). There is much more research that can
be done in our family’s role in the Independence of our Nation.
So
far I have found two third-great-grandfathers, eight fourth-great-grandfathers,
and two fifth- great-grandfathers who fought for the Independence of our
Nation. I thought it fitting to honor them this 2015 Independence Day. As we enjoy our hotdogs and fireworks, let us
remember our forefathers who fought for the freedom of this great nation.
William H Brannon (4th
great grandfather):
Born 1745 VA Died 1802 SC
Continental Troops, Private
Served 496 days as a horseman
under Captain Major Parsons and James Hambleton and Col. Roebuck
Pension record states:
1 September 1775-1778
NC
1st Battalion
Promoted to a Captain
Reuben Payne (4th
great grandfather):
Born 1732 Essex, VA Died 21
January 1821 Wayne, Lincoln, KY
Service 1776-1778
Rank-Captain, County Militia
American Revolutionary War
Indian Wars (1778-1781) Southern
Campaign
Peter McCune (4th
great grand father)
Born Nov 1748 Died 15 January
1832 VA
Virginia Pension Record
Rank-Private, Service 5 April
1779, VA, 13th Regiment, Rank Sergeant
Pension from 3 August 1818 to
1832
Widow’s pension filed by
Christina McCune through 1843
VA #M804 Roll#1675 48 pages
James Stewart (3rd
great grandfather)
Born 1755 York, PA Died 1830
York, PA
US Army Register of Enlistments,
Private, 19th USA, under Captain McGill
Description: 5’ 11”, Grey Eyes, Dark
Hair, Dark Complexion, age 31, Farmer, York, PA
Enlisted Oct by LT. Warner for 5
years
Attached to 14th, LT.
Hackley, Captain William J Adams, Attached to 19th at Green Bay June
30to Aug 21-16, Deserted May 16/16
Solomon Cox (4th great
grandfather)
Born 1730 Delaware Died Ross
County, Ohio 1812
“At the Cox homestead the first
meetings of the Regulators were held.
Solomon’s name appears in the deliberations. (Colonial Records of NC) It
was from this movement that armed resistance was offered the government in the
Battle of Alamance in 1771. The Colonists were defeated by the British and twelve
men were found guilty of treason and six were hung. The British Governor had
been confiscating property of the Colonists and giving it to his British
Cronies. This battle laid the groundwork for our Declaration of Independence.
Also in Battle of Kings Mountain
Uriah Springer (3rd
great grandfather)
Died 21 July 1838, Streator, La
Salle, IL
Captain, Virginia Militia, 1776,
Entered 19 Dec 1776-31 Mar 1783
PA, Captain Infantry, 7 Mar 1792
Received Land Warrant Pension
Ohio 1890
John Stockdell (4th great
grandfather)
Born 1755 Va Died 1840 Monongalia, VA
Continental Army, Enlisted 16
December 1776, three years, Private, VA line
Transferred to Morristown, NJ 1
May 1777 to the Commander-in Chief’s Guard, Commanded by Captain Caleb Gibbs,
in hospital 11 August 1777,at Battle of Monmouth, NJ 28 May 1778, Discharged 16
December 1779 Morristown, NJ
Commander-in-Chief’s Guard
consisted of 180 troops that were with General Washington wherever he went as
his personal guard.
Benjamin Hardin (4th
great grandfather)
Born 1753 Franklin County,
KY Died 25 September 1834 Henry County,
KY
Kentucky Mounted Volunteers, John
Caldwell’s Battalion1794 Corporal, Muster Roll
14 July 1794-26 October 1794, Captain Jeremiah
Briscoe, 111 days, $15/month
Pension filed 4 May 1831, Henry
County, KY
Service Virginia Line, Private
under Captain Steven Ashby, Regiment COL. Neviell, 10 months-pay $40,
Profession Blacksmith, fought in McIntosh’s Campaign, Seige of York Town
SAR #2512 application 29 April
1889 Benejamin Hardin is the brother of
General William Hardin, known as “Indian Bill”.
Both were Revolutionary War soldiers. Ben Hardin’s wife, Sarah Hardin,
is sister of General John Hardin who was killed by Indians in Ohio in 1792. Gen
John Hardin was also a Revolutionary Soldier as was his father Martin Hardin of
VA.
John Routt (5th great grandfather)
Born 17 December 1742, VA Died 22 January 1827, KY
Hall’s Regiment Calvary—a company
of mounted volunteers from KY under command of Captain John Hall, commaned by
Major General Charles Scott.
Enlisted 22 September 1793,
absent from muster at Fort Washington 11 November 1793 by permission of General
Scott. Name appears in column of names
present.
Kentucky Land Grant Book #11, 400
acres, 2 December 1788, County Nelsen, Water Course Peach Fork
George Heathman (5th
great grandfather)
Born 1750, Maryland Died 1821, KY
Maryland Revolutionary War
Records, Militia, Enrolled by Nich Scybert, passed by R. Crabb 5 August 1776,
Fidelity Oath 1778
Magnus McDonald (4th great
grandfather)
Born 1750 Montgomery, VA Died 1810 Wilson, TN
DAR # A131363
Service: VA Ensign, Patriotic
Service, Captain Montgomery, Montgomery Co., Oath of Allegiance 1777, Montgomery
County, VA, Kings Mountain List, Col. William Campbell, Received Land Grant
Thomas “Turner” Lee Wilkerson (4th
great grandfather)
Born 1758 VA Died 19 March 1838 TN
Private $10/month pension, Infantry-Private,
6th Regiment 2years, Col Christian ?, Captain Walkins, Battle of
Little York, several skirmishes, enlisted 1776 Henrico, VA, Virginia Line
The Battle of the Great Bridge,
Battle of York Town
