Revolutionary

My American Revolutionary War Ancestors

I've looked through the DAR site, http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search/?Tab_ID=1&Tab_ID_Sub=1&Action=Search, to see what ancestors, if any, were involved in the American Revolution. I knew of some, but I had no idea how many were connected in some way or another in the efforts of the American Revolution. Total: 27. Some signed an Oath of Fidelity, some furnished supplies. Samuel Bacot was a Prisoner of War, Jonathan Currier and William Jones both died in service. I've divided the list into groupins according to my grandparents' surnames.

 

LEE

 

David “Long” Lee                   A068506

b 1745 and d 11.23.1812, Johnston Co., NC

Militia

 

Bartholomew Gainey              A043108

b 1740 and d ~ 5.4.1820 Sampson Co., NC

Wilmington District

 

David Lee                                A131714

b 1749 and d ~Aug 1833, Johnston Co., NC

Furnished Supplies

 

Jesse Lee                                 A205387

b 3.16.1767 and d 11.6.1831, Johnston Co., NC

Militia, Wilmington District 1783

 

Westbrook Lee                                    A068801

b 12.4.1759 and d 3.4.1840

Served under Capt Francis Hill, Col Rutledge

and Lt Joab Blackmore

 

George Smith                           A105410

b 1730 Hanover Co., d 1799 Duplin Co., NC

1) Signer of Oath of Allegiance

2) Abjuration of Duplin Co.

 

Jean “John” Adams                 A000564

b 1763             France             d 1823 NC

Served under Gen DeLaFayette, Cont Line

 

 

HIGDON

 

John Benjamin Parrott             A088093

b 1730 Bertie, NC, d 1 Mar 1971 Dobbs Co, NC

Militia, Capt Kennedy and Paid for Services Rendered

 

William Tull                             A116880

b 4.12.1756, Dobbs, NC and d before 1.7.1820 Lenoir Co., NC

Served under Capt Jesse Cobb

 

Charles Butler, Sr                     A017592

b 1747 Duplin Co, NC and d 1811 Sampson Co., NC

Served under Capt Inloe, 5^th Regiment

 

Henry Overstreet                     A085088

b ~1735           d before 5.1795, Halifax Co., NC

Served under Capt Wood, and Col deMalmady, Cont. Line

 

Martin DeWitt                          A032456

b 7.9.1765 Culpeper Co., VA and d 3.4.1843 Darlington District SC

Served Cheraws District   surname also listed as Douthitt (!!)

 

Samuel Bacot                          A004456

b 3.3.1745 Charleston, SC and d 1797, Cheraws District, SC

Served under Gen Marion’s Brigade, Militia, 1782

Was a Prisoner

 

Thomas Thornton                    A133515

b 1738 and d before 8.12.1806, Sampson Co., NC

Oath of Allegiance to make Land

2) Entry Duplin Co., 10 Jul 1779

 

 

NEWELL

 

Nicholas French                       A042516

b 11.28.1747, Salisbury, Essex Co., MA and d 1.7.1826, Montville, Hancock Co, ME

Signer of Association Test, Canada 1776

 

Joseph Grow, Jr                                   A048014

b 3.13.1748, Pomfret, Windham Co., CT and d 3.19.1813 Hartland, Windsor Co., VT

Private, under Capt Elias Weld, rose to Corporal

Served under Capt Daniel Spooner, militia, Vermont

 

Joseph Grow, Sr                      A048012

b 10.16.1717 Andover, Essex Co., MA           and d 5.3.1787 Newbury, Orange Co., VT

Signed Oath of Fidelity, Hartland VT 1781

 

Elisha Stowell                          A110966

b 2.9.1740, Pomfret Windham Co., CT and d 2.21.1814, Hartland, Windsor Co., VT

Served under Capt Zebediah Ingalls, 11st Regt and also the Lexington Alarm

 

Jonathan Currier                   A028732

b 11.27.1735, Gloucester, MA and d 3.1778, Valley Forge, PA

Served under Captain Emerson, and Col Cilley

 

 

MORGAN

 

Richard Stith                            A110279

b 12.29.1731 Brunswick Co., VA and d before 7.27.1801 Brunswick Co., VA

Commissioner, 1^st Prov Law and Furnished Supplies

 

Richard Gaines, Sr.                  A043077

b 1726 King William Co., VA and d before 2.1.1802, Charlotte Co., VA

Furnished Supplies

 

Joseph Kellogg                                    A064460

bap 9.21.1746, Hebron CT and d 3.23.1823 Newfield, Tompkins Co., NY

Served under Capt Salmon White and Col Ezra May

Marched to Saratoga, sworn to at Hatfield, engaged Sept 20, 1777 and discharged 14 Oct 1777

 

William R Jones                     A062797

b 1745 VA and d 15 Mar 1781 Guilford Co Court House

Bedford Co Militia, under Col Charles Lynch’s Regt.

 

Johnannes Spanknable                        A107810

b 1747 Germany and d 12 Sep 1827, Palantine Montgomery Co, NY

Served under Col Klock, residence: Dillaborough, Fulton Co., NY

 

Job Judd                                  A068830

b 10.21. 1757, Farmington Hartford Co, CT and d 7.23.1846, Dearborn Co., Ind.

Served under Capt Smith and Major Shipman and 1) City Farmington, CT

 

Phineas Judd                            A063409

b 2.4.1715, Farmington, Hartford Co., CT and d 12.22.1790

Service Mullen CT, Town Meeting Recs Vol 11, pp 258-9

Oath of Fidelity, 1777

 

Daniel Andrews                                   A002593

b 1734 S Glastonbury, Hartford Co., CT and d 12.3.1818

Oath of Fidelity, 1777 and Selectman

                       

           

One hint leads to another

Here's a link that may confirm the Welsh Butler connection we've all been trying to find for the longest time....

http://www.skcensus.com/genealogy/butlerpa/aqwn01.htm

Thank you to a newfound cousin Brett Butler's wife, Pam, for finding this!

A letter from 1898 written by my great great grandfather

Sometimes you just don't know what treasures you'll carry home with you.  When you go genea trekking, you begin to intuitively copy things just hoping something will make sense when you get home.

Last November my sister went with me to Cairo, Georgia on a genea trek. She's not so into genealogy, so this was a great concession on her part! [Thank you, Joanna!]  While I was there, I made copies of some pages in a book I found there, "A Book of Butlers: Jacob Butler (1812-1853)" by Mrs. Ermon (Marilee Gerrell) Butler.

Wow. Oh wow. I found some of my ancestors in there because she had included a related line.

A couple of weeks later, I saw my Aunt Marjorie. Years earlier she had gotten one of the books, and given a copy to her son (my cousin). I still need to go back and make some copies of more of the book (the author has given me permission as long as I give her credit).

Here's where it gets better. [I know, you must've been waiting.]

Last week, I skimmed through the pages I'd copied again. And there it was! A letter FROM my great great grandfather John ROBERT Butler to his brother "Hon. T (Thomas) J Butler" in New Orleans. Written Sep 15, 1898 from Whigham Ga. I don't know if it was transcribed. There's no notation regarding that. It was contributed to the author by Joe W Butler (must be Thomas' descendant). Thank you, Joe, for keeping care of the letter!

The paragraphs are written as though he is basically writing about himself and his family as a historian. Apparently he and his brother had talked about their family history and he had taken on the objective to record the history as best he knew it (the love of genealogy runs in my blood, see!).

Midway down the page, in the second paragraph, he begins talking about himself,

#1 John Robert Butler, the oldest son is still living and in his 74th year. He mentions your John died and left young families. "John was a DR and had a fine practice when he died."

I am amazed at the quality of the wording.

I am amazed that I looked through this book which I copied just some of the pages back in November. I wasn't able, at the time, to copy all the pages, but to think I managed to copy these pages! And that I waited until this month to read through again, and the light finally came on!

At the beginning when he says "Our grandfather Robert Butler was of Welch decent..." I wonder if that was his mother or father's side. I haven't found any Butlers being of Welsh descent, but maybe that is a hint?

Last, toward the end, he says, "After writing what I have I concluded that I did not say enough about our father but he gave me and the rest of you lots of trouble. He was one of the best hearted men I ever (k)new he had his failings like all the rest of us have although a slave owner he was always opposed to the institution."

What trouble? Aging? Was he ornery?!

Thirty years, after the Civil War, acknowledgement of his father having opposed the institution of slavery despite having been a slave owner. Makes one think.

Those North Carolina Counties, how they did change!!

I moved to Tallahassee expecting to discover more about my Higdon-Butler roots. And I have, but along the way, I discovered more of my Lee ancestors than I dreamed possible. One of the best parts about moving to Tally was discovering an 8th cousin, Vicki. Why all of these in the same paragraph? Because the Lees, Higdons, Butlers, AND Parrotts, Underwoods, Moores ALL once hailed from eastern North Carolina. Bertie County and Craven County, that is. Oh, that was in 1740.

And then, by 1746, Johnston County was created. And Duplin County.
Bertie and Craven were reduced.
So, even though my relatives hadn't moved, it seemed as though they did.
And it makes finding the land data and records a little more complicated.

By 1760, Dobbs County had been created (that's why the Parrots were there when originally, there had been paperwork on them in Duplin or Craven County.  Oh, and let's not forget Cumberland County (because one of my Lee ancestors had a stagecoach line through Johnston to Cumberland.

I could go on and on, but let's suffice for now that it helps to look up the county lines of the state your relatives once lived. Because they might have not moved after all, just the lines were redrawn!

Link for these maps (both NC and SC):
http://www.carolana.com/NC

Later this week, I'll add maps of Decatur, Thomas and Grady Counties of southern Georgia. Many of the families from eastern North Carolina moved down this way. They called southern Georgia the "New Carolina Settlement." I'll also add the titles of some very helpful books I've discovered.

Moore on Higdons in Decatur, Georgia

I have created this blog to keep a record my genealogical progress. Genea-Trekking isn't always 'logical' though. It's often full of tangents and unusual discoveries.

Today for instance. I decided to try to figure out more about my grandmother Louise Higdon's ancestor, Martha Ann Moore. She lived in Decatur, Georgia her whole life. She was born in 1831 and died in 1893. She married John Robert Butler on 15 February 1849 (one-hundred sixty-one years ago TODAY!).

I can't get any further back on Martha Ann. I thought maybe searching through Decatur records might reveal some clues. It didn't. BUT, I did find the record of confirmation of my grandmother Louise's original name. She always maintained that she was first named "Johnnie" after a beloved relative/brother of her father?/ uncle who had died from a shooting accident just before she was born. She was the first grandchild born after John Higdon had died. I have searched and searched for a record of this. Found it today. While looking for Martha Ann Moore.

1880 Federal Census Mortality Schedule, Decatur, Georgia.

Higdon, Henry died at 13 years, of pneumonia, 242 Decatur
and
Higdon, John, died at 18 years, in November, "Shot Accidentally"

Maybe, just maybe, this clue on John and Henry will help me find out more about Martha...