Revolutionary War

 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 (4^th 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

1^st Battalion

Promoted to a Captain

Reuben Payne (4^th 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 (4^th great grand father)

Born Nov 1748 Died 15 January 1832 VA

Virginia Pension Record

Rank-Private, Service 5 April 1779, VA, 13^th 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 (3^rd great grandfather)

Born 1755 York, PA Died 1830 York, PA

US Army Register of Enlistments, Private, 19^th 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 14^th, LT. Hackley, Captain William J Adams, Attached to 19^th at Green Bay June 30to Aug 21-16, Deserted May 16/16

Solomon Cox (4^th 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 (3^rd 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 (4^th 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 (4^th 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 (5^th 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 (5^th 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 (4^th 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 (4^th great grandfather)

Born 1758 VA  Died 19 March 1838 TN

Private $10/month pension, Infantry-Private, 6^th 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