John Back was born on June 25, 1760 in Culpeper County, Virginia. His parents were immigrants Johann Wilhelm Bach and Mary (Marberry) Bach. He was not a descendant of Harman Back. That incorrect information was included in a genealogy published in 1994 by “The Back-Bach Genealogical Society.” None of their members were genealogists.

The correct parents for John Back have been confirmed by professional researchers and genealogists in addition to census records and tax lists.

When John was around 12 years old, his family moved to Washington County, Virginia, where they settled on the Cinch River. When John was 18 years old (1778), he enlisted in the Virginia State Line Military for 12 months as a private. He served in the regiment commanded by Captain Thomas Quirk, Colonel John Montgomery, and General George Rogers Clark.

His service began with a march lasting 3 months to Long Island of the Holston River (present day Kingston, Tennessee) where they traveled by water down to the French Broad River then on to the Chickimogee towns on the Tennessee River. The soldiers burned the towns and drove the Indians away.

The regiment marched on to the mouth of the Tennessee River, continuing  down the Ohio River to the mouth and up the Mississippi River to Caskaski (Kaskaskia, Illinois), where they remained on garrison duty for some time.

John Back’s regiment marched to the Outpost and remained there for 3  months before returning to Caskaski for 2 months. Leaving Caskaski, they marched upriver to Coho where they remained until the British and Indians attacked. John Back stated in his pension application that “they had considerable skirmishes with them.” After returning to Caskaski, he was discharged in writing with a credit of 15 months having served his enlistment.

He enlisted again as a volunteer private and went with the army 400 miles up the Mississippi River and then 100 miles by land to an Indian town.

The British and Indians fled the area as soon as the army arrived. The soldiers burned the town and destroyed the corn. After destroying the town, the soldiers returned to Caskaski having been gone for 2 months on the expedition. John Back was discharged a second time with a credit of 2 more months of service.

John tells the story of his return home. “I was now very unwell and almost naked. And resolved to come home as soon as I was able, I started down the Mississippi to the mouth of the Ohio, thence to the mouth of the Tennessee, thence to where is now Nashville, thence to the Crab orchard in Kentucky, thence home to my father’s in Washington County, Virginia. Being absent 2 years and 3 months.”

In 1785, he received two land grants in Virginia in an area that became Russell County. He married Sarah (maiden name unknown) the same year. Their first child, daughter Constance Sophia Back, was born in Russell County in 1788, as was the second born, Jacob who was born in 1793. The next year he sold his 140 acre land grant in Virginia and moved his family to Floyd County, Kentucky. It was in Kentucky that the remainder of his children were born: Elizabeth (Betsy), Mary (Polly), Nancy, Sarah, Charles, John, and Patience.

It was written that John was an adventurous soul who partook in the hunting of wild game and the escapades that the frontier offered in Eastern Kentucky. On May 26, 1835, in Wayne County, Kentucky, he applied for a pension based on his service in the army. His application was approved and certificate #29963 was issued June 15, 1835. He received $46 per year beginning March 4, 1831.  By 1820, census records show him in Wayne County, Kentucky. It is believed that sometime between 1820 and 1830 he moved to Monroe County, Indiana. John died on April 15, 1845 and is buried in Old Simpson Chapel Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana.

Sources: Find a Grave bio, see at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46916005/john-back?_gl=1*13s1gw9*_gcl_au*NTYxNDQ3NjE1LjE3NjY4NzczOTM. See also John Back Jr. and His Descendants. Extracted from Ancestry, url https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/206780462/person/202703839109/media/f55b2853-e64d-4514-b65d-1e2dcaef2b5b?galleryindex=3&sort=-created.  Also see pension application S32103 at https://revwarapps.org/

James Blain was a patriot of the American Revolutionary War as proven by his Southern Campaign Pension application. He entered service on March 27, 1776 for one year in the State of Virginia. He served in the Company commanded by Captain Stevenson in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Neville under General Scott’s Brigade on the Virginia Continental Line. He continued his service until he was discharged on February 10, 1777 in the State of New Jersey.

James was born either in 1743 as is stated on his Find a Grave entry or in 1760 based on his self-reported age on his pension application. His parents were not found during a thorough genealogical review. James also never married according to his pension application. 

He was by trade a house carpenter. He did have a parcel of military bounty land in Illinois that was sold to pay taxes. His only other possession of value was his horse worth $15. By 1826 he was living in Indiana when he appeared in court in Owen County to request pension support. He was 66 years old and quite infirm at the time. He stated that he had not previously applied for a pension because he did not want to be a burden to his country. He, however, was at the time unable to continue to work due to rheumatic pain, blindness, and disability. He received a pension payment up until February 11, 1840 according to his will.

He died on June 9, 1841 as reported by Find a Grave and also sourced from the Monroe County History Center Cemetery Book. He was buried in the Walker Cemetery, which is on the farm of Dr. Walker near Stinesville, Monroe County, Indiana.

Source: Southern Campaign Pension S35780; Ancestry hints; Military Burial Index; DAR entry.

(This Mini Portrait is a republication of an article that appeared in the Herald-Times in 2000)

July 17, 2000

Brave sisters helped militia men

Right Next Door: Daughters of the American Revolution

By Jan Ley,
Herald-Times Staff Writer

Sisters Elinor, Agnes and Jennette Brewster, buried in Dunn Cemetery, were verified Patriots of the American Revolution. They were remembered in April with a dedication plaque on their monument. At the ceremony were Polly Tilford, left, Anne Bailey, Kathleen Bauer, Janice Bolinger, Sonna Rayburn, Karen Loy and Dora Brown. Courtesy photo.

The Brewster sisters were just young girls when the colonies entered the American Revolution. Elinor, age 22, Jennette,¹ age 14, and Agnes, only 13 years old, lived with their family in Rockingham County in Virginia when they heard “the shot heard ’round the world.”

Today, the women are buried in tiny Dunn Cemetery, next to Beck Chapel, in the middle of the Indiana University campus. How did these young ladies become verified Patriots of the American Revolution and eventually find themselves in Bloomington?

Daughters of the American Revolution member Dorothy J. Taylor said, “We’ve known about these brave women for some time. But it was important for us to highlight their lives so people know the DAR is more than just women marching and wearing white gloves. These teen-age girls worked very hard.”

As staunch supporters of the cause of freedom, the family devoted much of their time, property and food to the American militia men.

The family owned a large herd of sheep. The girls continued to shear wool throughout the winter. They carded and spun it into yarn, used their looms to weave the wool into cloth and cut and sewed clothing for the soldiers.

When the militia camped on their property, the girls cooked, baked and then carried food to the men.

After the Revolution, the family moved to Kentucky. Agnes married William Alexander,² Jennette wed Samuel Irvin and Elinor married Samuel Dunn.

“It’s been said that Dunn objected to the idea of slavery and moved further north in the territory,” said Taylor. The family settled near Bloomington.

Dunn bought a large farm east of what is now Dunn Street. He perpetuated in his will that a plot of land be used for the burial grounds of the three sisters and their descendants and those they marry.

“There’s been speculation that Agnes and Jennette lost their husbands and then moved here to be near their older sister, Elinor Dunn,” Taylor said.

In 1883, after a fire destroyed much of Indiana University at its former location at what is now Seminary Square, Dunn sold part of his farm to the university trustees, who were searching for a new spot for the university that would allow for growth.

The university did grow, but the deeded land and the cemetery remained, eventually becoming surrounded by the campus.

In April, members of the Bloomington Chapter and state DAR officers met at the sisters’ grave site and placed a memorial plaque on their monument.

There are 48 interments in Dunn Cemetery. Local descendants of the sisters, Charles Barnhill, Herman Young, Marilyn Warden³ and Darlene Easton, were at the dedication ceremony. They may choose to be buried at Dunn Cemetery.

In the 1950s, Dr. Frank O. Beck told Curtis D. Aiken, a past caretaker of the cemetery, that he wished to “build a nondenominational, nonsectarian chapel on campus, but that because of the country’s church-and-state rule, he was forbidden.”

After further study of the cemetery property, it was assessed that there was, in fact, more land available from the cemetery plot with which to build a chapel that would not be on IU’s property.

Beck Chapel was built in 1956 with the intent to complement the cemetery.

“They wanted it to look old-world, like a church and graveyard one would find in Europe,” Taylor said.

Over the years, the church has been the site of thousands of weddings, services and private meditations.

For more information on the Brewster sisters, Dunn Cemetery or the history of Indiana University, call the Monroe County Historical Museum at 332-2517 or the IU Archives at 855-1127.

Copyright © 2000 by the Herald-Times.

¹ Jennette (or Jane or Jannette) Brewster was my g-g-g-g-grandmother. The sisters’ parents were James Brewster and Elloner Williamson.
² Our own family history files listed Agnes’ husband as James Alexander. This apparent discrepancy was cleared up by Stephen R. Hofer who revealed that his name was William James Alexander, Sr. and listed more sources for his information than I care to publish here. Thank you, Steve!
³ Marilyn (Seward) Warden was my mother’s first cousin. She did choose to be buried there!
⁴ Rachel Jannette Seward (1868-?), who was Jannette (Brewster) Irvin’s great-granddaughter, married Rufus Hale East (1867-1921).
⁵ There is no Jasmin, or Jasmine, county or city in Virginia, nor in West Virginia, which was adjacent to the Brewster sisters’ home in Rockingham county. However, there is a Jessamine county in Kentucky, where Janet may have lived at some time during her travels from VA to IN.
⁶ Jane (Irvin) Seward (1800-1865) was Mrs. East’s grandmother.

NOTE: This Mini Portrait is a republication of an article that appeared in the Herald-Times in 2000. Extracted December 6, 2025  http://cwcfamily.org/sisters.htm

William Henry Burch Jr. was born on May 10, 1764 in Haw River, North Carolina. His parents were William Henry Burch Sr. and Mary Ann (Lawrence) Burch. Patriot William Henry Burch Jr. was the oldest child of William Sr. and his wife. 

When a call out was issue for the Militia, William volunteered. He would have been around 16 years of age at the time. In his Southern Campaign pension application (R788), he reported that he first served embedded in the field under Captain Jesse Franklin’s Company of the Cavalry. He stated that Captain Franklin’s Company joined with General Green’s army near Guilford Court House in North Carolina. They subsequently marched from Guilford County to Stokes County. They made frequent excursions throughout the countryside spying on the enemy. After his service in the revolution, he lived in Stokes County, North Carolina.

William first married Mourning Mary Harris in 1783. Together they had 7 sons: Robert (1784-1857), William Harris (1789-1857), Isaac (1790-1857),  John (1793/94-1862), Bezebeel (1795-1860), Jessie (1797-1862), and James Phillip (1799-1862). Mourning Mary died in 1810 at the age of 46 while the family was still living in North Carolina. Little is known about these children except for James Phillip, who joined his father when he moved the family to Monroe County. It is documented that Bezebeel purchased his father’s land in North Carolina. For the remaining sons, there is a paucity of documentation regarding their births, residencies, marriages, children, and deaths.

After Mourning Mary’s death, William married Elizabeth Ritter (born about 1787- died in 1860). William’s second wife was about the age of his oldest son with barely 3 years difference in age. William and Elizabeth also had 7 children. Their 3 daughters were: Mary(1813-1870), who married Winston Riley Snow; Nancy (1817-1894), who married Andrew Christy; and Sally Malinda (1821-1877), who married Henry Campbell.  William and  Elizabeth’s 4 sons were George (1815-1870), who married Eliza Ann Christy (her brother was Andrew Christy); Lazarus (1819-1872), who married Sarah Woody; Levi (1824-1880), who married Eliza Campbell; and Henry (1826-1891), who married Cynthia Brookshear.

All of Elizabeth Ritter Burch’s children came with their father plus his son James Phillip from his first marriage to Monroe County in the fall of 1823. They left North Carolina in the fall and arrived in December only a few days before Christmas. Of her children, Mary Burch Snow and her brother Lazarus are said to have settled in Texas. The rest of the children are buried in Indiana except Sally who is buried in Illinois. Nancy Christy is buried in Owen County. Levi is buried in Monroe County. George and Henry are buried in Greene County. 

William Henry Burch Jr. was a farmer as was his father and his sons as well. He died on September 7, 1848 and is buried in the Burch Cemetery, Kirksville, Monroe County, Indiana.

Sources: Birch, Burch Family History, available on Ancestry. The family Bible, which is also available on Ancestry. Henry’s Southern Campaign pension application R 788. Additional information available from Hints including family documentation on Ancestry. Find a Grave.

Josiah Burton was born around 1750 in Cumberland County, Virginia, to Josiah Burton Sr. and Sarah Howes. His birth has been also reported to have been in England. His parents moved the family from near Philadelphia to Virginia, which was where he, in 1777, entered service in the Revolutionary War. His name is listed in the War Rolls for the Continental Troops at the rank of Private. No pension application was found for him; therefore, little is known of the character of his participation in the war nor the date on which he was discharged. Around 1800 he moved to Kentucky and by 1820 he had moved to Morgan County, Indiana. He remained in Morgan County until his death on November 17, 1839. Josiah is buried in the Liberty Methodist Church Cemetery in Bean Blossom Township, Monroe County, Indiana.

Josiah first married Elizabeth Johnson on February 12, 1778 in Cumberland, Virginia. From this marriage, 9 children were born: Mary (1780-1812), who married Isaac Conyers; William (1781-1829), who married Polly Wade; John (1783-1860), who married Nancy Wishard; Anna (1785-1862), who married John Robertson; Elizabeth (1788-1875), who married Enoch Evans; Martha (1790-1867), who married William Evans; Jesse (1791-1845), who married Mary Sanders Talbott; Josiah (1792-about 1840-45), who remained unmarried; and Thomas (1793-1883), who married Elizabeth Van Scioack. Josiah’s first wife Elizabeth died in 1818. Josiah’s second marriage was to Levicy Patrick Goans on March 5, 1821 in Bath, Virginia. Levicy had 2 children from her previous marriage to James Goans. Josiah and Levicy had one daughter, Sarah “Sallie” (1825-1893), who was married to Lewis Zink. 

Of particular interest was Josiah’s son John. John, with his wife Nancy Wishard, were the first members of Josiah’s family to move to Monroe County in 1817. John Burton laid out Mt. Tabor and for the first 15 years, his log home was the regular preaching place for the settlers of the northwest part of Monroe County. A particular location on his property, named, “Cupid’s Beech,” was a popular spot for marriage ceremonies. Cupid’s Beech was the spot where our patriot, Rev. Josiah Burton, performed many marriages and it was said that not one was ever broken by divorce. 

John gifted the land for the Liberty Methodist Church, which was first built in 1831.  John and Nacy Burton, as well as James Van Buskirk and his wife, Mariah, were charter members of the church. James Van Buskirk was the son of our patriot, Isaac Van Buskirk. The first  person who was buried in the Liberty Church Cemetery was our patriot, Markham Ware. The first church was eventually moved and a new church was erected in 1867. The new church, which still stands today, serves as an example of the simple, one room sanctuary so characteristic in the early days of the settling of Indiana. 

The Burton family has a long and storied legacy in Monroe County and surrounding counties. Today, tucked way in the remote and pastoral area of northern Monroe County, the Liberty Methodist Church and Cemetery remind us of days gone by when pioneers collected in the rural areas of Monroe County where life was hard but patriot families showed the grit to come here and settle.

Sources:

1. Find A Grave
2.  VA Transcript, 6 Nov 1931 #2470; listed in Roster of Rev Anc of Indiana DAR Vol. 1.
3. Burton History from Monroe County History Society, Bloomington Telephone, Saturday, October 8, 1938, by Virginia Barnard, transcription downloaded on 1/9/26 from Ancestry hints. U.S. Family History Books, Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, by Charles Blanchard, online at Ancestry.

John S. Campbell 2^nd  was born in Belfast, Ireland, on March 7, 1756. He arrived in New York City in 1774 when he was just 19 years old as listed on his immigration record. We know from our research on patriot George Hooke, that John spent his years before enlisting in friendship with George, often living in the same home. This friendship would cross paths while they were both serving in the War, as well as later when they both lived in Monroe County. It was John who was a character witness for George during his pension application. 

John Campbell’s pension application was filed in Kentucky on March 27, 1820, and he later transferred his pension to Monroe County, Indiana. He first enlisted as a soldier in the Revolution in the year of 1776 in Augusta County, Virginia. He was in the Company commanded by Captain David Stephenson of the 8^th Virginia Regiment under the command of Colonel Peter Muhlenberg and Lieutenant Colonel Abraham Bowman. He served for 2 years in the Virginia Continental Line. He was at the attack on Charleston made by Sir Peter Parker (Battle of Sullivans Island, June 1776). He continued to serve as a soldier until he was honorably discharged in 1778 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. 

John’s pension application contained additional testimony that listed his possessions in 1820. The list and value is quite interesting considering that John was a farmer. The list’s contents were: one horse ($40), 3 cows ($36), 2 one year old steers ($12), 2 calves (($6), 6 sheep ($6), one wheat fan ($12), one rifle gun ($12), and working tools in all ($40); the total was $164. It’s interesting to ponder a farmer’s life back then when all the farmwork was done by hand and beast as his list reveals.

On November 12, 1789 in Augusta County, Virginia, John married Isabella Blakely.  Isabella was born in 1771 in Maryland and died on March 11, 1828 in Monroe County, Indiana. Isabella predeceased her husband by 10 years. As noted in his pension application, he and Isabella had 9 children: James, Nancy “Elizabeth,” Mary “Ann/Anna,” Rachel, Archibald, Jane, Sarah “Sally,” Cynthia, and Rebecca. All their children were born in Kentucky, which census records confirm. James (1790-1873) married Mary Sophia Frazier and moved to Monroe County, Indiana. Archibald (1798-1866) remained unmarried and also moved to Monroe County. Of John and Isabella’s remaining children, all daughters, two remained unmarried and lived in Monroe County: Rachel (1797-1839) and Cynthia (1809-1842). Cynthia was infirm with palsy her entire life. Rebecca (1810-1893) married Johnson McCollough and they resided in Monroe County. Sarah “Sally” (1806-1871) married John C. Hooke and they resided in Bloomington. John Hooke was the son of patriot George Hooke. Mary “Ann/Anna” (1794-about 1836) married Alexander Blakley and they remained in Kentucky. Nancy “Elizabeth” (1791-1861) married John Umstattd and they moved to Missouri. Jane (1802-after 1880) married James Juvenall and they also moved to Missouri. It was sometime around the 1820 census that John and Isabella moved to Monroe County. He was a farmer and after his death, his son Archibald filed for a land bounty under the terms of his father’s pension in order to provide for his surviving children.

Upon his death on December 18, 1838, John S. Campbell 2^nd  was 82 years 9 months 11 days old.  He is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. We are grateful for his service and his contributions to early life in Monroe County, Indiana.

Sources: Southern Campaign pension application S35824. Ancestry for genealogy and associated records and sources.

David Clements was born in 1756 in Augusta, Georgia, to John Roger Clements and Elizabeth Thompson Clements. He was the third oldest child of 11. Several of his brothers also served in the Revolutionary War. David, as reported in his pension application, never married.

David enlisted for his first term of service on November 5, 1778 in the State of North Carolina. He served in the Company commanded by Captain Mathew Ramsay in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Thaxton of the North Carolina Continental Line. He was in the Battle of Stono near Charlestown. He continued to serve for 9 months and was discharged on August 17, 1779 in South Carolina.  

David’s pension application was filed in Monroe County, Indiana court on May 11, 1821 and he is shown on census rolls as being in Monroe County by 1820. In his application we learned that he was suffered from old age and an long term medical problem with his leg. He attributes his ongoing care to the good will of his neighbors. 

In David’s Will we gain a glimpse into the character of the man. He requested that his body be buried in a plain and decent manner such as becomes an old fashion soldier and Citizen of the days of the American revolution and that my tomb stone be plain and not costly with a short inscription. He bequeathed all his personal property to his friend William Aciel (sp?) and his wife Sarah plus their daughter Elizabeth. He explained that he left his belongings to them because they had cared for him even before he received his pension. David died on July 16, 1840 and is buried in Whitehall Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana. 

Sources: Family Genealogy and Family History records in Ancestry; Indiana, US Wills and Probate, the Will of David Clements; Southern Campaign pension application S35840; Find a Grave.

The Deckard name is well known in Monroe County as one of the founding pioneer families. Roots for the family hail back to Germany and several Deckard men fought in the Revolutionary War. Johannes Jacob Deckard I, our patriot’s father, came to America around 1775-76 along with his three sons arriving in the port of New York. They first settled in Essex County, New Jersey. Called “Papa Decker” by friends and family, he eventually settled in the Southwestern part of the State of Virginia, in what is now Wythe County, which was constituted about 1790. 

Johannes Jacob Deckard II, more commonly known as “Jacob,” arrived in Monroe County around 1830. His father, Johannes Jacob Deckard I also was an American Revolutionary War patriot. Many members of the Deckard family have served in the wars of this nation. The Deckard family was large and included many active members in Monroe County life.

Jacob Deckard II was born on April 19, 1757 in Metz, Lorraine, France, which was formerly Metz, Moselle, Germany. It was in Virginia that Jacob married Mary Elizabeth Vance in about 1780. To this marriage 11 children were born and all were born in Wythe County, Virginia. Michael (1781-1839) married Christinia Hillenberger and was a patriot of the War of 1812. They lived in Smithville, Monroe County. Jacob Deckard (1781-1878) married Sarah “Sallie” Hillenberger, sister of Christinia. The couple resided in Brown County. John Deckard (1793-1869) married Catherine Hillenberger – also a sister of Christinia and Sarah – and they lived in Allen’s Creek, Monroe County. These three brothers married three sisters and all three families remained in the Monroe and Brown County area. Daniel Gene Deckard (1801-1882) first married Catherine Cowden and following her death he married Elizabeth Wampler. This son also resided and died in Monroe County.  It is notable that members of the Deckard family owned considerable land, upwards to 3000 acres, in Monroe and Brown Counties. There also was an area in the county named Deckard Ridge where a Deckard homestead was erected around 1870 and which remains today on Deckard Ridge Road. The Deckard School educated many Deckard children. The school was eventually moved to the Deckard Cemetery. It important to note that there are at least two different Deckard Cemeteries in Monroe County. Many Deckard descendants remain active in Monroe County life today. For example, 8^th generation Trent Deckard has served on the County Council and has otherwise been an active community leader. The Deckard family was  prominent in the 1800s, as well as they remain active today in Monroe County and the surrounding area.

Four other children of patriot Jacob lived in nearby counties. Henry Deckard (1795-1879) married Elizabeth Betsy Etter and this couple lived in Washington, Daviess County, Indiana. Three children resided in Lawrence County: Mary Deckard (1803-1845) married Jacob Wampler Jr.; Sallie Deckard (1807-1851) married John Arney; and Adam Deckard (1808-1881) married Sarah Stewart. 

Finally, three other children moved to Webster County, Missouri: William Deckard Sr. (1799-1890) married Elizabeth Hillenberg; John “Jesse” Deckard (1813-1887) married Sarah Elizabeth Kinser; and Catherine Deckard (1815-1884) married David Findley. 

Patriot Jacob Deckard’s military service was as a soldier in the Virginia Infantry. His name appears on “A list of State Soldiers & Seamen who have received certificates for the balance of their full pay, agreeable to Act of Assembly passed November Session 1781.”  Further, Report No. 8 at Richmond in the Virginia State Library of Revolutionary Soldiers of Virginia shows Jacob Deckard on Active Duty. List of Virginia Revolutionary Soldiers, by H. J. Eckenrode, Archives of VA State.

Jacob Deckard II died on February 24, 1842 in Monroe County, Indiana. He is buried in a tomb in the Deckard Family Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana. This Deckard Cemetery is located in Polk Township on what is now the Ransburg Boy Scout Camp. This camp is on private land and permission must be obtained to visit the cemetery.

Sources:

1.  In addition to sources available on Ancestry and Family Search, the following genealogy was used in researching Jacob Deckard II: Genealogy of the Deckard family, showing also those descended from Decker, Deckert, Decher, Dechert, Decherd, etc. Compiled by Percy Edward Deckard, M.D.  Pittsburgh, PA : Pittsburgh Printing Co., c 1932.
2. Find a Grave bio, Ancestry; also found in Family History for Deckard Family, Ancestry

George Dowell was born in either 1759 or 1760 in Albemarle County, Virginia. Several research notes have been written regarding the unknown parents of George Dowell and the persistent erroneous listing of John Dowell and Ann Franklin as his parents. George, as an orphan, was legally indentured to John and Ann Dowell as an apprentice until age 21 years. John Dowell agreed that he would provide everything necessary for said servant and at the expiration of such time give such freedom dues as by law is customary. It was said that an urban legend regarding his last name and parentage originated when a faulty DAR application was accepted and began the chain of erroneous listing of parentage in genealogy trees. Other information grounded in DNA confirmed relationships suggested that George and his brother John were likely sons of John (or George) Martin who fathered other children with a Cherokee woman.  While parentage for George is largely unknown, it is confirmed that the Dowells were not his parents but it appears that he and his brother John assumed their last name rather than that of their biological father. Thus, the early life of George Dowell was under the care of guardians, John and Ann Dowell, rather than his natural parents.

George enlisted in the Revolutionary War in the Army in 1777 with Captain John Marks in the 14^th Virginia Regiment commanded by Colonel Lewis and General Weeden. He joined the Army at Middlebrook under General Washington and fought in New Jersey at the Battle of Brandywine. He further fought in battles at Chestnut Hill and Germantown. In Germantown, he was a wagon guard. He lodged at Valley Forge for the winter of 1777. During the Campaign of 1778, he fought in the Battle of Monmouth and then wintered with the Army. In 1780, he re-enlisted for 10 months under Captain John Sumter and transferred to Captain William McKenzie. He served this term as a scout. He thought that he was about 17 years old when he first enlisted. His discharged papers were lost in a house fire. He lived in Burks County, North Carolina, after his service in the war and until he moved to Monroe County, Indiana, in 1832. 

George married Jane (unknown maiden name) in about 1784 in North Carolina. Together they had 3 children: the Reverend James Martin Dowell (1784-1868), who married Patsy Coffey; Mary Martha (1788-1867), who married the Reverend Reuben Coffey; and Jane (1795-1885), who married John Moore. All three children moved with George and Jane to Monroe County and are buried here also. George died on October 9, 1845 and Jane Dowell died in September 1842. Both are buried in the Starnes-Dowell-Moore Cemetery that is located west of Ellettsville, Monroe County, Indiana. Their children are also buried in Monroe County.

Sources: Fredericksville Parish Book Vol 2 1741-1767 page 159: Indenture 26 March 1771 between William Sims and James Quarles, Church wardens for Fredericksville Parish and John Dowell of same by order of the Albermarle Court; See also DOWELL BROTHERS George and John by Mary Reed, October 22, 2012, at https://www.genealogy.com/forum/suurnames/topics/dowell/1925; Additional hints about George Dowell’s family background are available on Ancestry; Find a Grave.

NOTE: The following article was published by the DAR and provides a rich description of the importance of Andrew Ferguson’s service. The article was extracted from DAR website: https://honoringourpatriots.dar.org/patriot-profiles/andrew-ferguson/

The contribution of Patriots such as Andrew Ferguson reflected the distinct ways that certain independent Blacks could leave their mark on early American society through dedicated service to country. Private Andrew Ferguson was a free Black man who fought in the Revolutionary War effort against the British.¹ It is believed that Ferguson was born circa 1760 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, though some sources indicate that the year was 1765.² A child of free Black parents³ and drafted into the war on the American side in 1780, he fought in several theatres including the battles of Brandywine, Kings Mountain and Cowpens.⁴ He was severely wounded at the Battle of Guilford Court House; however, he later fought at the Siege of Ninety Six and the Battle of Eutaw Springs.⁵ In total, Andrew’s pension application indicates that he served five years and six months.⁶

In retrospect, Ferguson provides an interesting comparison to other Patriots of Color when considering how he came to join the war. He and his father, Andrew Peeleg Ferguson, were captured (presumably in Virginia) by British forces and, as a consequence, the British attempted to impress them into war service for the king.⁷ This was not unusual, for the British approached those they assumed to be enslaved Blacks for information, or to attempt to recruit them for their side of the conflict with a promise of freedom to the enslaved if they fought for the British.⁸ Such press-ganged Blacks were typically put on work details.⁹ However, Andrew, then 15, and his father refused to help the British, and were beaten as a result.¹⁰ Upon escaping from the British, they met up with and joined the Continental Army troops stationed in Virginia under General Nathanael Greene.¹¹

Of all the battles that Andrew the younger participated in, his role in the Battle of Kings Mountain was especially noteworthy because that conflict is considered a turning point for the Patriots during the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War.¹² It was a battle between Loyalist and Patriot militias and was the first major Patriot victory following the British invasion of Charleston, South Carolina in May 1780. At least one dozen Black soldiers participated in the fighting,¹³ but only five have been identified so far,¹⁴ one of which, of course, was Andrew.

After reenlisting several times as a soldier for other theatres of the war, and after sustaining injuries to both his leg (at the Battle of Camden¹⁵) and head (at the Battle of Guilford Court House ¹⁶), Andrew retired from service and worked in North Carolina, briefly returned to Virginia, and then moved to southern Indiana.¹⁷ He initially settled in Vincennes, but later relocated to Bloomington.¹⁸ In Vincennes Andrew applied for his pension; however, he was denied because he was Black, only later securing the pension in Bloomington in 1838 while continuing to work odd jobs to supplement what his pension provided. He married Jane “Jenny” Murphy in 1844, and eventually learned that he was eligible for a land grant of 160 acres.¹⁹ Unfortunately, the final approval for it came seven months after his death in 1855, and as his wife had also died and they had no heirs, the acres pledged to Ferguson went back to the government.²⁰

What can be said about the life and contributions of Andrew Ferguson? His historic and, in many ways, unprecedented journey as a Black Patriot highlighted the loyalty some free Blacks felt toward America during the war. Perhaps due to his free status, Andrew’s decision to fight for America seemed to suggest that such Blacks saw themselves firmly as Americans and recognized a common, shared enemy in the British. Although the American government would initially withhold what was due to Andrew because of his race, his allegiance to America, his bodily sacrifice, and his commitment to work and service personified the very best of American patriotism.

Sources:

1 “Patriot Wand at Tree,” National Park Service, accessed April 10, 2022, https://www.nps.gov/cowp/planyourvisit/upload/Patriot-Wand-at-Tree.pdf.

2 Ernest Rollins, “Andrew Ferguson: Area’s Only Known Black Revolutionary War Hero,” The Times-Mail (Bedford, IN), March 11, 2018. Ferguson is buried in Bedford, IN. It should be noted that the Sons of the American Revolution chapter of Bedford, IN, which is responsible for locating and marking the Revolutionary War soldiers’ graves in the vicinity, decided upon 1765 as the year of Ferguson’s birth.

3 “Patriot Wand at Tree,” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/cowp/planyourvisit/upload/Patriot-Wand-at-Tree.pdf.

4 “Patriot Wand at Tree,” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/cowp/planyourvisit/upload/Patriot-Wand-at-Tree.pdf.

5 “Patriot Wand at Tree,” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/cowp/planyourvisit/upload/Patriot-Wand-at-Tree.pdf.

6 Ernest Rollins, “Andrew Ferguson: Area’s Only Known Black Revolutionary War Hero,” The Times-Mail.

7 Randell Jones, “The Other Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain,” Gaston Gazette (Gastonia, NC), October 6, 2016.

8 Ernest Rollins, “Andrew Ferguson: Area’s Only Known Black Revolutionary War Hero,” The Times-Mail.

9 Randell Jones, “The Other Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain,” Gaston Gazette.

10 Ernest Rollins, “Andrew Ferguson: Area’s Only Known Black Revolutionary War Hero,” The Times-Mail.

11 Ernest Rollins, “Andrew Ferguson: Area’s Only Known Black Revolutionary War Hero,” The Times-Mail.

12 Ernest Rollins, “Andrew Ferguson: Area’s Only Known Black Revolutionary War Hero,” The Times-Mail.

13 Ernest Rollins, “Andrew Ferguson: Area’s Only Known Black Revolutionary War Hero,” The Times-Mail.

14 See Si Sheppard, Patriot vs Loyalist: American Revolution 1775–83 (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2022), 65.

15 Randell Jones, “The Other Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain,” Gaston Gazette.

16 Randell Jones, “The Other Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain,” Gaston Gazette.

17 Randell Jones, “The Other Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain,” Gaston Gazette.

18 Randell Jones, “The Other Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain,” Gaston Gazette.

19 Randell Jones, “The Other Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain,” Gaston Gazette.

20 Randell Jones, “The Other Ferguson at the Battle of Kings Mountain,” Gaston Gazette.

Thomas Graham was born in 1758 in Rowan County, North Carolina of Irish blood. His birth year was found in DAR and SAR applications, and was not reported in his pension application. Thomas was born to Lieutenant John Armstrong Graham Sr., who also served in the American Revolution, and Margaret Elizabeth Hall Graham. 

Thomas Graham entered the service in 1778 in the State of Virginia. He served as a Private and a Sergeant in Captain Brown’s Company, Colonel Peyton’s Regiment in the Virginia Militia. Thomas was at York serving as a guard for the greater part of his time. He served nearly to the end of the war when he reported that he had become ill. He was placed on the pension rolls in 1832 for two years actual service.

He married Jane “Jenny” Lloyd on September 5, 1791 in Garrard County, Kentucky.  Their firstborn son, Robertson Graham, was born in 1795 in Garrard County and died in 1885 in Monroe County. Robertson, aka Robert, first married Phebe Moberly and upon Phebe’s death, he second married Sabina Horner. Robertson, or Robert, was quite an adventurer and very active in formation of Bloomington. He and other patriot sons platted the town lots and sold some of their personal land toward the settlement and naming of the Bloomington. 

Thomas and Jenny had 6 sons and one daughter. Their daughter was Mary (1804-1890) and she married Joseph Campbell in Monroe County. Their sons, in addition to Robert mentioned above, were: Enoch (1801-1860), who married Anna Wampler; James (1807-1885), who married Mary Polly Wampler (Anna’s sister); John (1808-1845), who married Elizabeth Gray; Thomas (1811-1895), who married Mary Ann Cox; and Samuel (1813-1885), who married Sarah Gray. The Graham family moved to Monroe County as early as 1814. 

Wife Jenny died on October 31, 1837 and is buried in Liberty Methodist Church Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana. Their daughter Mary is also buried in the same cemetery; however, there is no record of Thomas being buried there. Thomas died about 1834 in Monroe County but his burial place is unknown. Their son Robert is buried in Rose Hill. The remaining children are not buried in Monroe County.

Sources: US Family Histories, Ancestry; Ancestry sources and hints; Southern Campaign pension application S31081; DAR and SAR applications; Find a Grave.

Moses Hall was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, on May 29, 1760. His parents were Elizabeth (Rayle) and William Hall, who were immigrants from Scotland. He was living in Rowan County when he enlisted in the North Carolina Militia.

He first enlisted in 1780 serving 9 tours over 18 months, all of which were served in the North Carolina Militia. He served as both a soldier and a teamster primarily under Captain David Caldwell for all his tours. He was often sent for provisions and engaged in skirmishes with the Tories and British. After a particular battle, he spoke of an incident when 6 captive Tories were brutally hewed to pieces with broad Swords. At first I bore the scene without any emotion, but, upon a moments reflection, I felt such horror as I never did before nor have since, and returning to my quarters, and throwing myself upon my blanket I contemplated the cruelties of war….   This event took a considerable toll on his emotional well being. 

In his pension application, he details another particular episode that indelibly changed his thinking about war. He was marching with his troop when he came upon a young boy on the side of the road, perhaps only around 16 years of age. The boy had been run through by a British bayonet and left for dead. As Moses stated, the sight of this unoffending boy butchered rather than be encumbered with the British on their march had the effect of releasing Moses’ conscience of the brutal slaying of the Tories and increased his desire to participate in the destruction of all Tories and British soldiers. He served under Captain David Caldwell in battle at Charlotte. He also served with Colonels William Davidson, Francis Locke, and William Davie.

Moses married Agnes “Nancy” Snoddy in 1788 in Iredell, North Carolina. Together, they had 6 children: 3 boys and 3 girls. Their sons were: William (1793-1819) who married Mary Stewart; Samuel (1796-1885) who married Leanna Bitner; and Moses Jr. (1802-1877) who married Cynthia Ann Patton. Their daughters were: Elizabeth (1798-1863) who married William Nesbit; Nancy (1802-1889) who first married John Couchman and second married Samuel Hardesty; and Malinda (1805-1819) who married Andrew Couchman (John’s brother). Samuel and Moses Jr. remained in Monroe County whereas the other children moved to other states. 

Moses died at 85 years of age on April 10, 1846 in Richland Township, Monroe County, Indiana. His wife, Nancy Agnes Snoddy died at 92 years of age on September 14, 1855 in Bloomington, Indiana. Moses, his wife Nancy, and Moses Jr. are all buried in Richland Cemetery, Monroe County. Samuel is buried in Clear Creek Christian Church Cemetery, Bloomington, Indiana.

Sources: Ancestry genealogy hints for family; Southern Campaign Pension Application W10105

John Hanson was born in 1760 in Greenbrier, Virginia, which was an area that is today West Virginia. His father is noted as immigrant John Hanson Sr. in the family history. There is, however, some uncertainty about his parentage because many genealogies erroneously list his parents as John Hanson who was the first president of the Continental Congress and his wife Mary Jane Contee. 

John served in the American Revolution as a Private in Captain Rowland Madison’s company, 12^th Virginia Regiment, commanded by Col. James Wood. His military records are in the National Archives. His name appears on a company pay roll for the month of June 1777, dated August 5, 1777. His name last appears on a company roll for the month of November 1779, dated at Second River, near Newark, New Jersey, December 1, 1779, with the remark, “Enlisted December 23, 1776 for three years.” Signed H. P. McCann, by Adjt. Commander, dated at Washington, November 1, 1915. 

John married Mary Magdalena Walls on April 10, 1783 in Botetourt County, Virginia. Mary was born on July 1, 1785 in Virginia and died on March 7,1845 in Illinois. Mary is buried at Tower Hill in Shelby County, Illinois. John is buried in Todd Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana.

John and Mary Magdalene lived in Virginia before moving to the northwest corner of North Carolina in an area that eventually became Tennessee. His name appears on tax lists in the late 1700s. He also was noted as helping with the building of the road to the top of Stone Mountain. During the War of 1812, his sons served and he, being too old to serve, helped in other ways. 

Seven children were born to Mary Magdalene and John: three sons and four daughters. Their sons were: Daniel (1785-1836), he married Barbara Brumback; Conrad Hanson (1788-1853), he married Catherine Shultz; and John (1790-1854), he married his cousin Nancy Tuckwiller. Their daughters were: Mary Catherine (1786-1808), she married John May; Elizabeth (1792-1830), she married her sister Mary’s husband John May upon Mary’s death; Sarah Ann (1796-1860), she married William Meadows; and Rebecca (1799-1876), she first married James Sheffield and second married her cousin John Wesley Hanson.

Shortly after the War of 1812 when he was living in the area that became Tennessee, John and his wife moved to Monroe County. After his death in 1818, Mary moved with her daughter to Shelby County, Illinois, where she remained to the end of her life. John is buried in Todd Cemetery, which is on private land and his gravestone no longer can be found.

Sources:

• US Family Histories – The Hanson Family, available on Ancestry.
• Text extracted from SAR application on Ancestry, National number 98579. Also printed in the Hanson Family History book, Ancestry.
• Find a Grave

George Heilman was born on October 10, 1753, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. His parents were Johann Goerg Heilmann I and Anna Margaretha Kern, both of whom were born in Germany and immigrated to the Colonies. George married Maria Christina Bollender in 1778 in Berks County and according to his 5^th great grandchild, the couple had 10 children. Extensive search has not identified all their children. Most of their children were daughters. 

John and Maria’s daughters were Barbara (1772-1850), who remained unmarried; Katherine (1779-1841), who married John Stine Sr.; Mary Magdalena “Mollie” (1781-1841), who married Jacob Stine; Susanna (1878-1870), who married Peter Constable; Anna Maria (1794-1835), who married Jacob Rumple; Caroline (1796-1866), who married George Shook; and Sarah (1797-1860, who married John Winkler. There was 25 years difference in age between the oldest daughter Barbara and the youngest Sarah. All remained in Monroe County with their husbands. Further, Katherine and Molly married the Stine brothers for whom Stinesville is named. One son was found and his name was Henry Heilman (1788-1835) and marriage records for him were not found. John, his wife, and his daughters are all buried in Monroe County and surely there are descendants who could be living here still as the last names are familiar surnames in the community. It is unknown where his son Henry was buried.

John’s served in the American Revolutionary War as one of the thousands of local militiamen from Berks County. These soldiers provided critical support to the Continental Army during the Pennsylvania campaigns of 1777-1778. 

Not much is known about John Heilman and his life. His 5^th great grandchild reported that John and his family including his daughters’ families came to Monroe County in the 1830s and settled in the Ellettsville area. John died in 1834 and his wife died in 1842. Both are buried in the Old Dutch Cemetery, aka the old Lutheran Church Cemetery, near  Ellettsville in unmarked graves.  Several of their daughters are buried in the same cemetery; however, the burial details for the remainder are unknown. 

Sources: PA Archives 3:6:275-322, Berks County Revolutionary War Soldiers, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Battalion 1777 and 1778, contributed by Katharine F. Dix. Ancestry hints and documents.

JOSEPH HENDERSON HONORED AS A REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETERAN

Blog post by Randi Richardson

A number of Revolutionary War veterans are buried in Monroe County including Joseph Henderson and his wife, Elizabeth, who are buried in the White Oak Cemetery.   On May 11, 2019, the Daniel Guthrie SAR Chapter of Bedford and the Bloomington DAR Chapter co-hosted a grave marking and re-dedication ceremony at Henderson’s gravesite.  April Legler, DAR Chapter regent, read a prepared sketch of Henderson compiled by Sheryl Vanderstel as noted below:

In April 1840, [a] Van Buren County, Missouri, farmer, Joseph Henderson,  applied for a Revolutionary War pension.  At that time he stated his age was 79, born and reared in Augusta County, Virginia.  In the fall of 1780, at age 19 he enlisted in a militia company for 1-month service going to Richmond as a guard for the meeting of the Virginia General Assembly.  At the end of his brief enlistment he returned to Augusta County.  A year later, in September 1781, he was drafted for 3-months’ service as part of Major Lockhart’s company.  The company left Augusta County and marched directly to Williamsburg to join General Washington’s army preparing for the Yorktown Campaign. Pvt. Henderson participated in both the siege and final battle of 19 October 1781.  After Cornwallis’s surrender, Henderson was part of the guard that escorted the British prisoners to Frederick, Maryland. [T]here, he finished his 3-months’ service guarding the British and [then] returned to Augusta County.

Joseph married Elizabeth Frazier in 1787. In his pension application he states they moved to Tennessee where he farmed.   Although he does not mention it in the application, at some point in the 1790s he moved to Kentucky where all of his children were born.  He does state that, in 1826 he moved to Illinois and went on to Missouri by 1838.  By this time Joseph was about 67.  He is listed in the 1840 U.S. census in Van Buren County, [Mo.,] as is his son Joseph, Jr.  It was [t]here in April 1840 that Joseph applied for his pension.

Sometime between his pension application and the death of wife, Elizabeth, in November 1841, the couple moved to Monroe County, [Indiana].  Three of their daughters were residing [in Monroe County]: Harriet, wife of Charles Swearingen; Nancy, wife of Davis Meek; and Eliza who was unmarried and helping her sisters with their large families.  After Elizabeth’s death indications are that Eliza moved in with her father to keep house for him.  Joseph Henderson died on the 21^st of March 1849 and was buried next to his wife in the United Presbyterian Cemetery, now known as White Oak.

Henderson’s pension application may be viewed online at Fold3.com, a subscription website.  Among the digital documents in his file is a typed form that briefly outlines Henderson’s four months of service.   Unfortunately for Henderson, however, the act that provided for the pension he desired required six months of service.  By his own admission, Henderson fell short of that goal by two months and, consequently, his application was rejected.  His participation in the war, however short, is not disputed, so he is rightfully honored as a veteran.

This Mini Portrait is a re-publication of a Blog post written by Randi Richardson.

George Hooke was born in 1751 in Guilford County, North Carolina, to James and Betsey Hooke. His father, James Hooke (1726-1783), was a lieutenant in the Virginia Continental Line.  George was reared in Augusta County, Virginia. He enlisted in 1776 to the best if his recollection. His pension application was first filed in Monroe County in 1834 after many years of suffering apoplexy to which he attributed is failing memory. In fact, the testimony of John Campbell, John Umstead/Umstadtt, James Juvenall, and David Rogers were instrumental to the verification of George Hooke’s military record and personal details. 

The extensive pension application of George Hooke provides a rich picture of his character and life course. Our patriot John Campbell was a childhood friend of George Hooke, having lived long time in the same home in Augusta County, Virginia, as he testified in George Hooke’s application. Not only were they childhood friends, but their paths crossed often during their military service, which was instrumental to the verification of Hooke’s application. After the war, the two men lived in the same neighborhood in Virginia. In 1801, when George Hooke moved to Fleming County, Kentucky, his friendship with John Campbell persisted. John Campbell testified in George Hooke’s application that “he was a faithful and highly esteemed soldier.” 

George entered military service in Guilford, North Carolina, while he was visiting away from his home in Augusta County, Virginia. He enlisted as a private soldier in the infantry of the 4^th Regiment of the North Carolina Line. His service included: serving in Charlestown after the Battle of Sullivan’s Island; he marched through Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; he fought in the Battle of Princeton; he re-enlisted to serve out the remainder of the war after he had been erroneously discharged; and he served during winter quarters at Valley Forge. After the war, George Hooke moved his family to Fleming County, Kentucky, where he resided for over 30 years. Sometime around 1830, he moved to Monroe County, where John Campbell also resided. 

George Hooke married Jane “Jenny” Bleakley in 1789 in August County, Virginia. Ten children were born to this marriage: Ann, James, Thomas, Elizabeth “Betsy,” John, Jane (twin), George (twin), Rebecca, John, and William. Of note, son John (1808-1868) married Sarah “Sally” Campbell, daughter of George’s lifelong friend John Campbell and they resided in Monroe County, Indiana. Twins Jane (1800-1884) married John Fyffe and George Jr. (1800-1830) married Sarah Hook; both couples lived out their lives in Monroe County. Rebecca (1806-1875) married Andrew Vannoy and they resided in Monroe County. Ann Hooke (1789-1872) married Gibson Baker and they moved to Woodford County, Illinois. Elizabeth “Betsy’ Hooke (1796-1858) married David Baker and they remained in Fleming County, Kentucky. Son John (1798-unknown death date) married Margaret White and very little is known about this son. William Hooke (1808-1839) married Martha Collier and he remained in Kentucky. Thomas Hooke (1793-1854) married Jane Dye and they removed to Davies County, Indiana. Finally, James Hooke (1790-1813) married Betsey or Betty Patten, and he died in the War of 1812. 

Around 1825, patriot Henry Rogers and his wife moved to Monroe County, just a few years before George Hooke and his wife arrived in the county. They owned a lot and a 160 acre farm. Records show that the Rogers and Hooke farms abutted one another and that a Rogers Cemetery exists at that location. While there is no grave marker for either George Hooke or Henry Rogers, their sons are buried in the cemetery. No other burial place has been located for George Hooke. Back in those early days of settlement, people were often buried on their own land, perhaps with or without markers. It might be reasonably hypothesized that George Hooke is buried in the Rogers Cemetery. At the very least, the Rogers Cemetery provides an appropriate location for both patriots to be remembered and recognized.

Sources:

• See Southern Campaign pension application W10112 found at https://revwarapps.org/
• See US Family History Books – Hook entry, available in Ancestry.
• See “Rogers Cemetery and Revolutionary Soldiers Henry Rogers and George Hooke,” Monroe County Historian, February/March 2017, Vol. 2017 –  Issue 1, pp. 10-11.

Peter Houston was born on December 15, 1765 in Iredell County, North Carolina. His father, Samuel Houston of Scot-Irish descent, had immigrated to America in 1751 to Shenandoah County, Virginia. While in that county, Samuel married Jane Flemming. In 1763, he and his wife moved to Iredell County, North Carolina where their children were born. Peter was the oldest of Samuel and Jane’s 7 children. Both of Peter’s parents served in the American Revolution, his father to the very end of the war. His father died at 99 years of age, a longevity that Peter also enjoyed. It was written in a family history that Peter followed his father into the Revolutionary War while not yet in his teens. He was reported to have provide good service during the last two years of the war. Peter was described as a tall and commanding man with having a liberal education. 

Peter immigrated to Bourbon County, Kentucky with his brother James and Daniel Boone in 1786. He located on Cane Ridge and in 1787 he married Sarah Mary Lucky. He helped to build Fort Houston, which was located half way between Boonesborough and Blue Licks. He tanned buffalo hides and deer hides for bed clothes and wearing apparel. He also participated in “Battle of Blue Licks.”

Peter and Sarah had 6 sons: John (1797-1874), Samuel (1781-1837), Richard (1794-1866), Cary (1792-1858), James Harvey “Harry” (1801-1861), and Alfred (1805-1878). John married Jane “Jenny’ Graham and they lived in Tennessee. Samuel married Morning Adams and they remained in Kentucky. Richard first married Rebecca Smith in 1827 and second married Nancy Tate in 1845, Cary married Jane Campbell in 1825, Harry married Isabell Hamilton in 1834, and Alfred married Mary Jane Smith in 1827. These four sons and their wives moved to and died in Monroe County. 

After Peter moved to Kentucky, he devoted his time to researching and reading. He was especially interested in religion; he was a Presbyterian. It was reported that his memory was so “vast” that he could recite the entire Bible when he was in his 40s. He was zealous about his faith such that when the great revival in Cane Ridge began in 1801, Peter was the first to renounce Presbyterianism and embrace the new doctrine. He was central to the building of the “Old Cane Ridge” meeting-house.

From a political standpoint, he was a Whig. He freed his own slaves and was an “uncompromising emancipationist.” It is told that when Kentucky “declared in favor of a second constitution.” Peter promoted the idea that slavery should be abolished and he, himself, neither accepted inherited slaves and sold all the slaves that he owned.

According to court records, Peter Houston was issued land in Monroe County on August 5, 1837. He also appears in the 1840 and 1850 census tracks for Monroe County. Sarah Lucky Houston died on August 3, 1848, in Monroe County, Indiana at 84 years of age. Peter died on February 28, 1855, also in Monroe County, he was 90 years old. The burial place of both are unknown; however, we wonder if they might be buried in the Stout-Houston Cemetery where at least 3 of their sons are buried.

Sources: History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison, and Nicholas Counties,Kentucky, 1882, edited by William Henry Perrin, Baskin & Co., p 539; Southern Campaign pension application R5268; Old Southern Bible Records available on Ancestry; Ancestry sources and hints.

Patriot Joseph Johnson of Monroe County is frequently confused with another Joseph Johnson due to an error made when his pension papers were filed. There is very little information about the genealogy of Joseph Johnson. What we do know is largely taken from his extensive Southern Campaign pension application.

Joseph Johnson was born on October 20, 1755, in Frederick County, Virginia. During his youth, he lived in Virginia. At age 14, he moved with his father to New River, Virginia and settled a few miles from Englishes Ferry for 6-7 years. At age 18, he moved to Clinch River in Virginia. After the war he lived 4-5 years in Powell’s Valley and then moved to Knox County, Kentucky for 14 years, then on to Hawkins County in Ohio for about 2 years. His next place of residence was in Jackson County, Indiana for about 5-6 years followed by a short time in Owen County. He finally came to Monroe County and filed his pension application in court on April 12, 1833, at the age of 78. He also had a brother David who was a Revolutionary War patriot and who died around 1848 in Washington County, Indiana, after having moved there in 1842 . 

Joseph first enlisted in July 1774 in a Company of foot soldiers under Captain Walter Crockett of the Virginia Militia. He volunteered again in 1775 as an Indian spy while living in Virginia. After he was married, his father-in-law persuaded him to move to New River. While there, he enlisted again under Captain Hugh Crockett (brother of Walter). All in all, he served in 1777-78-79-80-81. Most of this service was for multiple months at a time as an Indian spy. 

Joseph married Diannah Lou Jones in 1776 in Virginia. Three children were found in Ancestry and Family Search: Margaret Hannah, Joseph Johnson Jr., and Elizabeth. The reader should exercise caution as this genealogy is not well supported by records and sources. Joseph died in 1855 in Monroe County; however, is burial location is unknown.

Sources: Southern Campaign pension application S31782; Ancestry sources and member trees; Family Search records.

Francois Isaac Labas was born in Noirville, Orne, France, on February 3, 1754. He enlisted as a private in Captain Saint-Leger’s company of the Soissonnais Regiment for an 8 year term when he was about 25 years old. This regiment was one of the oldest in France having been organized in 1598. In 1791, the regiment lost its name of Soissonnais, and was designated as the 40th Infantry Regiment.  

During the Revolution, King Louis XVI of France sent an expedition to assist the Americans. At the time, Francois LaBas was serving as a foot soldier under Captain Charles Louis Boel de Saint-Leger. The Soissonnais Regiment landed in Newport, Rhode Island in July 1780 where they were deployed in the defense of the Rhode Island forts. Further, the regiment was involved in the operations of Lieutenant General Rochambeau including the siege of Yorktown.

The French army was commanded by Major-General Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette. The Marquis de La Fayette represented the French troops in the Continental Army under General George Washington. During Francois LaBas’ service, he marched from Providence, RI to Yorktown, VA. The troops marched through Philadelphia during which time they delivered honors to the Congress. It was said that during the march through Philly, the soldiers wore “white coats with rose colored facings and their grenadier caps with white and rose colored feathers,” which created a beautiful scene in the city. General Rochambeau and his soldiers stayed the winter of 1781-1782 in Virginia. The French army went back to Boston the following summer to then return to France. Many of the French soldiers decided that it was more desirable to stay in America. Francois Isaac Labas was one of those soldiers and he returned to Virginia. Labas changed his name to the more American sounding name of Leabo upon his decision to stay in America after the war. 

While in Virginia, Francois married Sarah Jennings (1756-1850) in 1784. It was reported that General Lafayette returned to America in 1784  in time to attend the wedding of Francois and Sarah. Family members recount that the General was a groomsman and he gifted a pair of wedding slippers to Sarah. These slippers remain in the possession of family members today. It was also reported that General Washington attended the wedding. 

Francois and Sarah had 10 children, 6 daughters and 4 sons. Their sons were: Noah Leabo (1786-1878), who married Eunice Gillette; Josiah Leabo (1788-1845), who married Sallie Van Buskirk (daughter of patriot Isaac Van Buskirk); Jacob Leabo (1792-1880) married Elizabeth Bailey; and Isaac Zimri Leabo (1800-after 1870), unknown marriage. Their daughters were: Susan (1790-unknown death date), who was unmarried; Rachel (1792-1880) married Israel Clutter; Sarah (1796-1880) married Wesley Arnold; Elizabeth (1796-1829) married George Madison Arnold (brother of Wesley); Catherine (1799-1894) married John Van Buskirk (son of patriot Isaac Van Buskirk); and Lucinda (1802-1859) married Noah Stine. 

Francois Isaac (Labas) Leabo died on May 39, 1853 at his daughter Catherine’s home in Gosport, Indiana. He was buried in the Van Buskirk Cemetery in Bean Blossom Township, Monroe County. His wife Sarah Jennings Leabo died in 1850 and also is buried with him in the Van Buskirk Cemetery.  

Sources:  Primary source for Francois Labas’ military service is Francois Isaac (Leabo) LeBas: French Soldier in the Soissonnais Regiment ,  written by his 5^th great grandson Dr. Oran Roberts and extract from Ancestry. Additional sources available on ancestry. See: The Murray/Smith Genealogy Page, Descendants of Francois Isaac (LeBas) Leabo). Extracted from Ancestry on Oct 31, 2025, https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/206936640/person/362714592439/hints

Charles Massey was born in the State of Virginia on February 28, 1760 as best that he could remember at the time he filed his Revolutionary War pension application. He stated that he had no records of his birth and only knew of the date as was communicated to him by his father. He reported that his father died a year after the capture of Lord Cornwallis in 1781. Charles would have been around 22 years of age at the time of his father’s passing. 

Charles entered the war for his 1^st  tour in late April or early May of 1780 and was in service for 5 months. During this time he was a private in the Virginia militia. After considerable marching and illness, he completed his five month tour and was discharged with the satisfaction of his officers. He returned to Prince Edward County, Virginia, until he was called out as a substitute for his brother Thomas as his presence was required by the family.

He entered his 2^nd  tour in May of 1781. He served 2 months in substitution for his oldest brother, Thomas, in the Company commanded by Captain Ragsdale. This Company marched and joined the main Army under the leadership of French commanders in Culpeper County, Virginia. He reported being in the Brigade commanded by General Nelson, who was elected Governor of Virginia, which subsequently required that the General leave the Army to assume his new appointment.

Charles and his company marched to the head of Pamunkey Creek. He and 100 soldiers, under the command of Captains Anderson and Upshaw with Major Higgins, were left to guard an old Magazine. He maintained this guard duty until the end of his tour.

He again enlisted for a 3^rd tour in 1781 only a few weeks after his discharge. He entered this 3^rd tour under the command of Captain James Allen in the 4^th Regiment. He served for 2 months during this tour. In total, he served the Virginia Militia for at least 9 months.

After the war, he remained living in various counties in Virginia for about 11 years. Charles then moved west to the State of Tennessee, where he resided for about 32 years. His next move was to Lawrence County, Indiana. He applied for a pension in Monroe County on July 12, 1834 claiming that he was nearly totally blind and doing the best to keep his farm.

Charles Massey married Elizabeth Davis on March 5, 1788 in Prince Edward County, Virginia. They had 13 children, 8 sons and 5 daughters. Not much is known about his children. Several lived in the neighboring counties around Monroe County; at least one child lived and died in Monroe County.  Charles died on January 2, 1839 in Monroe County, his burial location is unknown. After receiving a widow’s pension, his wife Elizabeth died on June 21, 1845 in Indiana.

Sources: Southern Campaign pension application W9536; U.S. Family History Books; U.S. Census records; Ancestry records and hints.

If you have lived in Bloomington or Monroe County for any length of time, you likely have heard of the Mathers Museum of World Cultures on the Indiana University Campus. The Mathers Museum has since been merged with the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology to form the new Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, which officially opened in 2024. The original William Hammond Mathers Museum was dedicated in 1983 and named in honor of the son of the museum’s primary donor, Dr Frank C. Mathers, a chemistry professor at IU. Dr. Frank Mathers was the great grandson of Revolutionary War patriot William Mathers. The museum represents just one example of the trail of accomplishments that descendants of William Mathers have produced throughout the history of the county. 

Patriot William Mathers was born on May 25, 1760 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Records such as Find a Grave list his birth date as 1757 in Ireland but other sources state that he was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Based on a bound genealogy of the Descendants of Gavin Mathers (William’s son) compiled by Martha Robinson Fehn (available at the Monroe County History Center), William’s birthday date and location are reported as 1760 in Bucks County, PA. 

William Mathers was raised in Bucks County and lived in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania for about 2 years after the Revolutionary War. He married Esther Thorn in 1795 while living in Cumberland County. Four of their 7 children were born in that county: Gavin, James, Isabella, William, and John.  Around 1789 he came down the Ohio River and after landing in Maysville, Kentucky he moved 30 miles to Nicholas County, Kentucky. The remaining three of his children were born in Kentucky: John, Thomas, and Benjamin. When he was allowed a pension in 1831, he was living in Nicholas County, Kentucky, residing there for about 40 years. 

William’s military engagement was described in a letter from the government and confirmed in the soft bound genealogy, Descendants of Gavin Mathers. Excerpts of the letter follow; the information for the letter was obtained from his pension claim, S30566. He enlisted in 1777 serving 4 months as a private under General Potter, Pennsylvania  militia. He re-enlisted in 1779 for 2 addition months under Captain James Young. He was granted a pension while he was living in Nicholas County, Kentucky. 

Several of William and Esther’s children moved to Monroe County around 1830 and it is likely that William also came with his son John around that time. We know that the Mathers sons came around then because the historical account of the Clear Creek Christian Church shows their names as associated with the early organization of the church in 1838. James Mathers and his wife Susanna Nesbitt Mathers, John Mathers and his wife Jane Nesbitt Mathers (sister of Susanna), Benjamin Franklin Rogers (deacon) and his wife Grace Letton Rogers were all charter members of the church. Benjamin had a farm at the location where the church stands today. He deeded the land that became the home for the church and the cemetery. Our patriot, William Mathers, was first buried in 1844 on Benjamin’s farm and later moved to the Clear Creek Church Cemetery where many Mathers family members are buried.

The Mathers family intermarried with members of familiar family surnames such as 

Dinsmore, Nesbitt, and Letton. As subsequent generations of Mathers remained in Monroe County, it wouldn’t be surprising if we have his descendants living in our community today.

Sources included materials extracted from Ancestry and his bio from Find a Grave. Additional information about the history of the Mathers Museum was found on the Indiana University website. Southern Campaign pension application S30566.

George Parks was born on August 5, 1759 in Amherst County, Virginia, to John Thomas Parks and Mary Sharp Parks. When George was a young boy, his family moved to Rowan County (later Wilkes County), North Carolina on the Yadkin River.  He first enlisted in the revolution in the summer of 1776 when he was likely coming to his 16^th birthday. He re-enlisted in the North Carolina Militia two more times. 

When he entered the military, he was living in North Carolina and initially served 3 months as a substitute for soldier Cornelius Sale. He was appointed as First Sergeant of the Company that was in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Isaacs. He was serving at the time of the erection and defense of Fort Defiance on the Yadkin River. He served out his time defending the Fort. 

In 1776 he re-enlisted for a second tour in the company commanded by Captain Samuel Johnson in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Cleveland. This tour was for 3 months during which he engaged with Cherokee Indians. Also, he was engaged in the building of Fort Carter in what is now Tennessee. At the completion of his second tour, he re-enlisted for a third tour in 1779 for a period of 18 months. He served in the Company of Minute Men who captured a celebrated Tory – Solomon Sparks – by decoying him out of his house, so the story was told. He also fought in the battle of Kings Mountain. His pension application (W27457) provides extensive details his service. 

George first married Millicent Davis/Davison (1743-1793) in January of 1779.  They had 8 children: Elizabeth (1779-1824), who married William Little; James (1781-1883), member of Indiana Militia and member of the Indiana Legislature, who married Nancy Moore; Samuel (1783-1844), who married Sally Kearby; Mary Polly (1786-1878), who married Thomas Davis; Benjamin (1787-1852), who was a clergyman in Monroe County and who married Mary Spurgeon; Pleasant (1789-1862), who was a member of Indiana Legislature and who first married Esther Carlton, second  married Clarinda Hook, and third married Sophronia Crooke; Nancy (1791-1879), who married Josias Baker; and Millicent (1793-1875), who married Rodrick Rawlins. George was second united in marriage to Catherine Reed on July 6, 1796. They had 7 children as follows: Hannah (1797-1838), who married William Pruett; Meredith (1800-1848), who married Melinda Sharp; Alfred (1802-1870), who first married Martha Noel and second married Sarah Starks; Carlton (1807-1846), who married Martha Parks; Curtis (1809-1868), who married Amelia Sharp; Sarah (1812-1896), who married Thomas Sharp; and Rebecca (1816-1900), who married Clement Alexander. 

George remained in North Carolina until after the War of 1812 due to the dangers of traveling through Indian country. Shortly after the War of 1812 ended, when travel became safer, he moved his family from North Carolina to Indiana. There he worked the lands as a farmer and tried to support his very large family. He also brought with him a large group of families, enough to form a colony. They arrived in October 1815 on the banks of the White River in Lawrence County.  They found the land pleasant and began their settlement by building cabins and living peacefully with the Pottawattomie Indians.  The next season when the land came up for sale in Jeffersonville, a dozen or so of the settlers went to the land auction but were sadly disappointed when a man named Bullit outbid them for the land. Consequently, they moved north and settled in Ellettsville in Monroe County. George Parks died on December 7, 1837 in Ellettsville and is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery, Ellettsville, Monroe County, Indiana.

Sources: Pension application (W27457) found at https://revwarapps.org/. See also story by great great granddaughter in Ancestry. Additional sources were used from Ancestry to construct this Mini Portrait.

Thomas Price was born on April 22, 1750 in Frederick County (now Shenandoah County), Virginia, to John Price and Sarah Brown Price. He resided in that county until he enlisted in the Revolutionary War. Thomas enlisted and re-enlisted for a total of 9 months of service.

His first enlistment was in the month of September in 1777. He volunteered in the Virginia Militia in the Company of Infantry commanded by Captain Michael Radar in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Gibson in the Brigade commanded by General Hand. He served for 3 months on this tour. In 1782, his company was called upon to furnish men for the Virginia Militia and he volunteered. During this tour he served in the Company commanded by Captain Seaborn. He marched and served as a guard in charge of prisoners who had been taken by General Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens. He re-enlisted again in 1782 in the Company commanded by Captain Martin Naul. During this term he participated in digging trenches and making breastworks, as well as guarding prisoners.

After the war, Thomas lived in Shenandoah County for 5 years and then moved to Pulaski County, Kentucky, where he lived for 32 years. When he filed his pension claim in 1832, he had been living in Monroe County for 2 years and he reported that he was 82 years old at the time.

Thomas married Sarah Ruth Price in 1782. The couple had 7 children; 4 daughters and 3 sons. Their daughters were: Sarah (1784/5-1874), who married Thomas Stogsdill; Susannah (1785-1862); who married Abraham Hargis; Elizabeth (1786/7-1852); who married Thomas Stephens; and Rachel (1801-1866), who first married John Brinson and after his death, she second married John Derrickson Sr. Their sons were: Shadrach (1782-1862), who married Nancy Jones; Thomas (1790-1835), who married Polly Hansford; and Jeremiah (1796-1850), who married Alsay Chaney. Of these 7 children, Shadrach moved to Illinois, and Sarah as well as Susannah remained in Pulaski County, Kentucky. The remaining children resided in various counties in Indiana other than Monroe County. 

Thomas died in September 1835 in either Shelby County or Monroe County. His wife, Sarah Ruth died in 1830 in Shelby County Two of their daughters were living in Shelby County at the time, Elizabeth and Rachel. It possibly could be that they were living with one of their daughters at the time of his wife’s death. No records of Thomas or his wife’s burial could be found. It is unknown if they were buried in Shelby County or Monroe County.

Sources: Southern Campaign pension application S31917; Ancestry  reports and sources; Find a Grave.

Henry Rogers was born in 1750 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, to David Rogers and Hannah Hockley. His grandfather, Philip Rogers, immigrated to the colonies and settled in Pennsylvania around 1719. The Rogers family were of Welsh and English origins. Henry and his brother Aquilla Wayne moved away from Pennsylvania after the Revolutionary War. Around 1799, Aquilla acquired land in Clark County, Indiana and in1806 he acquired land in Jackson County, Indiana. Between 1823 and 1825, Aquilla and his wife relocated to Monroe County, where they owned a lot and a 35 acre farm in the Clear Creek area. By 1838, he had moved back to Clark County and he is buried in Jackson County.  Henry first moved to Bracken County, Kentucky, at the end of 1790. He and his family lived there until 1799 when he moved across the river to Ohio. From 1806 to 1810 he remained in Ohio until he joined Aquilla in Jackson County in 1813. By 1825, Henry and his wife Sarah had moved to Monroe County where they owned a lot plus a 160 acre farm. The brothers remained close throughout their lives, with at least one daughter of Henry, Rebecca, marrying Aquilla’s son of the same name, Aquilla Wayne Rogers Jr.

Henry married Sarah Margaret Jenkins in 1775 in Chester County, Pennsylvania. They had 10 children, 5 daughters and 5 sons. Their children and their spouses were: David (1780-1856), who married Catherine Williams; Elizabeth (1782-1860), who married Samuel Kinnett; Jonathan (1785-1834), who married Mary ‘Polly” Rand; Phillip (1787-1872), who married Hannah Worrall; Hannah (1776-1856), who married Stephen Seall; Sarah ‘Sallie” (1789-1853), who married Phineas “Finney” Coatney; Anna (1790-1846), who married John Beck; Rebecca (1793-1862), who married her cousin Aquilla Wayne Rogers; Benjamin (1795-1870), who married Elizabeth Arnold; and Aquilla Wayne Rogers (1798-1872), who married Nancy Arnold (Elizabeth’s sister). Henry and Sarah came to Monroe County from Jackson County perhaps as early as 1816 but definitely by 1825 and remained here until their death.  

On July 1^st, 1800, the Indiana Territory was formed. The Indiana Territory consisted of Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, parts of Minnesota, and Michigan. It was a vast territory. As settlers came to the Monroe County area, farms were formed. The Rogers family were among the early settlers and founders of the county. The first entries of land that became Bloomington included lots that David Rogers (son of Henry), as well as Robertson Graham (son of patriot Thomas Graham) settled 1816 and 1817. These sons of patriots built log homes on their lots, which were completed by 1818. At the time, these lots were active farmlands. On April 10, 1818,  the first meeting of the County Commissioners ordered that the land be laid off as the county seat and they named it Bloomington. The county square and surrounding lots were laid out. On June 22 and 23, 1818, the lots were auctioned off. Among the purchasers were David Rogers, Jonathan Rogers, Robertson Graham, and Aquilla Rogers. The land that formed the lots was purchased by the Commissioners from Jonathan and David Rogers ($1200 jointly), and Robertson Graham ($900). The sale of the land netted $14,326.85. Of note, when the lots were laid out, some of the land was filled with crops of wheat and corn, which were allowed to be harvested without disturbance. These sons of patriots Henry Rogers and Thomas Graham were among the men who laid out and settled Bloomington. They were leaders in the early years of the city and the county. 

Henry Rogers served in the Revolutionary War. He was a Ranger on the frontier of Westmoreland County in the Pennsylvania Militia between 1778 and 1783. He served in Captain John Van Meeter’s Company and Captain Philip Rogers Company. At the end of his life, Henry and Sarah had moved in with their daughter Hannah, who had married Stephen Seall. Sarah died in 1831 and Henry died in 1832. One account suggests that they were buried on the Seall’s farm and a different account says that they were buried on the Rogers farm, which is likely where the Rogers Cemetery on Fee Lane is today. This cemetery was placed at the intersection of the Rogers and Hooke farms. Children from patriots Henry Rogers and George Hooke are buried in this family cemetery, so it is plausible that Henry and Sarah are buried there also. Definitive location of their graves has yet to be accomplished.

Sources: Pennsylvania Archives Series 3, Vol 23, pp 282, 285, 314, 317; Series 6, Vol 2, p 349; Series 5, Vol 4, pp 451,754; DAR records; US Family Histories; History of Monroe County, Henry and David Rogers in Monroe County; George Pence and Nellie C. Armstrong, Indiana Historical Collections Vol XIX: Indiana Boundaries (Indianapolis: Wm. B. Burford Printing Co.,1967), 138. Aquilla and Henry Rogers by Margo L. Smith, available at the Monroe County History Center.

Reverend Henry Sanders was born on October 26, 1751 in Perquimans County, North Carolina. He was the second of five children born to Joseph and Mary (Lamb) Sanders. He resided in North Carolina until he was about 20 years of age when he then moved to Fairfield County, South Carolina.

While he was living in South Carolina in 1775 or 1776, to the best of his recollection, Henry enlisted in the Militia.  He served under Captains Lewis, Samuel Boykin, and Thomas Starke, as well as Colonel Taylor. He served about 2 years as a commissary. He participated in several military skirmishes and the Battle of Rocky Mount. In that battle he was captured but then escaped. His service ended at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. 

While he was serving in the military, Henry married Theodocia Dica “Dicy” Blake on October 18, 1779 in Fairfield County, South Carolina. After living in South Carolina for about 10 years, he moved to North Carolina for about 3 years. He then moved on to Tennessee for about 3 years followed by moving to Knox County, Kentucky where he lived for 16 years. After that, he lived in several counties in Indiana, finally moving to Monroe County, Indiana where he lived until his death on February 13, 1834. 

Henry and Dica had 9 children: 5 sons and 4 daughters. His sons were  Joseph (1782-1852), who married Nancy Cox, Henry Sanders Jr.(1790-1852), who married Susannah Inman, John Sanders (1792-1847), who married Nancy Briscoe, Wright Sanders (1795-1838), who married Mary Fritz, and Benjamin Sanders (1802-1868), who married Ann Hollingsworth. Henry and Dica’s daughters were: Thearibe (Fariba,1780-1866), who was unmarried, Mourning (1785-1831), who married Elisha Inman Jr., Priscilla (Prosilah, 1787-1830), who married Thomas Inman (Elisha’s brother), and Theodocia (Dica)(1799-1829), who married William Maxwell.

Henry was raised in a Quaker family until the Revolutionary War. Quakers do not believe in engaging in war. As a consequence, his family became Baptists.  Henry was a Baptist minister for more than 40 years. Henry and Dica are buried in Vernal-Mayfield Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana. Nearly two generations of Henry and Dica’s descendants are buried in this cemetery, along with other church members and their families. Sadly, many gravestones have since deteriorated to the point that they are unreadable. With the passage of time, however, our patriots are not forgotten. During this year of the 250th celebration of our country’s liberation from tyranny, we give thanks to the brave men who fought in the American Revolution. We honor their migration to our county to settle it in its founding years.

Sources: Henry Sanders has a very lengthy pension application (R1978), which can be found at https://revwarapps.org/. Many of the details in this Mini Portrait are from his pension application coupled with material sourced from Ancestry. See also his bio at Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30315856/henry-b.-sanders.  See also his profile at https://www.oocities.org/~rewoodham/sandrevw.html#:~:text=HENRY%20SANDERS%20Sr.&text=26%20Oct.%2C%201751%20in%20Perquimans,Taylor

Patriot John Snow and his family are often confused with the family of Frostin Snow (aka Frost And Snow) and his line. This is the main reason why clarifying the genealogy for John Snow is fraught with challenges. An extensive review in 2006 by Kathryn Snow, a descendant of Frostin Snow, sheds light on this quagmire. 

We know that patriot John Snow, who came to Monroe County, was born in Kent County, Delaware in 1760. We believe that his parents were Isaac Snow and Martha Elizabeth Clift Snow. He states that he moved to Surry County (now Stokes County), North Carolina in 1777. 

John first volunteered his service as a private soldier in the Militia under Captain Samuel Moseby in the Summer of 1779 at Old Richmond. This first engagement expired after 3 months of service. He re-entered service as a private soldier again in August of 1780 under Captain John Morgan and Lieutenant Mark Hardon at Shallow Ford on the Yadkin River. During this term of service, he was engaged in battle with the Tories under the command of Colonel Campbell. He received a discharge from Captain John Morgan in the latter part of November 1780. He entered service again on September 1, 1781 at Old Richmond in Surry County under Captain Edward Lovell where he was engaged in guarding the legislature for about 3 weeks until the legislature dissolved. The remainder of this term was in pursuit of the Tories. He was discharged on November 15, 1781. 

John first filed his pension application (S17690) in 1833 in Surry County, North Carolina and then transferred his pension to Monroe County in 1834. On Oct 10, 1834 in Monroe County, Indiana, he asks for a pension transfer to Monroe County so he could live near his children.

John Snow married Sarah/Jane, whose maiden name, birth date, and place of birth and death are unknown. They had 7 children to the best of our knowledge: Margaret, William, Thomas, John, Winston, Nancy, and Martin. As noted in the extensive research of Kathryn Snow, descendant of Frostin Snow, many of these names were also the names of Frostin Snow’s children and grandchildren. Much more research is needed to clarify John Snow’s children and who they married in order to provide a more valid and complete family portrait. It has been reported that John died on or before May 12, 1839, which was when the administration of his estate took place in Monroe County, Indiana. It is unknown where he is buried.

Sources:  Snows of Monroe Co IN, Surry Co and Stokes Co NC, by Kathryn Snow July 14, 2006, Kathryn is a descendant of Frostin Snow, who lived in Lincoln County, Indiana; Ancestry and Family Search records and sources, Southern Campaign pension application S17690 first filed in North Carolina and transferred to Monroe County, IN, in 1834.

Have you heard about the cemetery in Monroe County that is full of patriots from many of the country’s wars? Well, YES, such a cemetery exists and it holds the remains of two Revolutionary War Patriots:  Isaac Van Buskirk and Francois Isaac Leabo. It is the Van Buskirk Cemetery in the far northwest corner of Monroe County, just southeast of Gosport across the White River. The cemetery is also known as the Able Cemetery, Wampler Cemetery, and Wampler Cemetery #2. The name given to the cemetery depends upon who is being referred to…a Wampler or an Able or a Van Buskirk.

The Van Buskirk Cemetery is on private property set on a hillside nestled between Wampler Road and Sand College Road, overlooking the White River. Due to overgrown trees and heavy undergrowth, the cemetery is not visible from the road and is only accessed via private property with permission. It is, however, a very important cemetery in that it contains many veterans of early US wars beginning with the Revolutionary War and including the War of 1812 and many soldiers from the Civil War. At one time, it held the graves of so many soldiers that it was called “Little Arlington.”  By some estimates there may be upwards of 100 graves including the patriots and their family members.

Revolutionary War patriot Isaac Van Buskirk is buried in the Van Buskirk Cemetery. Isaac was born on October 7, 1760 in Loudoun County, Virginia. He was the son of Michael Thomas Van Buskirk and Maria Van Diventer. Michael was from the third generation of Van Buskirks descending from Laurens Andriessen Van Buskirk (1630-1694) who was head of one of the first Dutch families that came to settle in America. 

Issac resided in Loudoun County until he enlisted in the army in 1778 for one year of service. He re-enlisted in Hampshire County, Virginia and went on to Valley Forge. During the Revolutionary War, he remained in Virginia. After the war, he moved on to Redstone, Pennsylvania and then after 8 years he moved on to Ohio where he lived for 11 years. By 1805 he had moved to Indiana, which is documented in a written affidavit  witnessed and signed by his brother John. It is also reported in his pension application. Issac was one of the very first settlers in Monroe County, Indiana, where he lived until his death.

When Isaac first joined the 7^th Virginia Regiment, 3^rd Brigade, 3^rd Division as a private, he did so as a substitute for his brother John. He served under Capt. Andrew Wallace, with Brigade Commander William Woodford. The company joined the army at Valley Forge in April 1778. From Valley Forge under General Charles Scott, his detachment was sent in advance of the Battle of Monmouth. On June 28^th, he was deployed to the left wing near the artillery. Following the Battle of Monmouth, he accompanied General Washington to Brunswick, New Jersey, marching on to North River where they crossed into New York and then on to White Plains. He was often dispatched on scouting duties at enemy lines. From that point the marched to West Point NY, Newark NJ, and then Bound Brook NJ for winter quarters. Issac was discharged in February 1779 after 12 months of service.

Isaac married Jerusha Little (variously spelled as Littell, Lyttell, and Little) on February 27, 1780 in Loudoun County, Virginia. As he and Jerusha moved from Virginia to Pennsylvania and on to Ohio before moving to Monroe County, their family grew to include 12 children, The couple had 8 sons and 4 daughters. Their 4 daughters were Priscilla (1777-unknown death), little is known about this daughter; Mary Polly (1784-1893), who married Joseph John Johnson; Jerusha (1788-1842), who married Abraham Little; and Sarah “Sallie” (1798-1871), who married Joshua Leabo. Issac and Jerusha’s 8 sons were: William Nimrod (1780-1812), it is unknown if he married; Michael Thomas (1782-1856) married Elizabeth Bilderback; Absolem (1785-1812), it is unknown if he married; Thomas (1785-1838) married Sarah Lower; Abraham (1786-1812), it is  unknown if he married; Isaac (1791-1817), who married Patience Stillwell; John (1792-1846), who married Catherine Leabo; and James Riley (1796-1874), who married Mariah Campbell. Four of their children lived out their lives in Monroe County: Jerusha, Isaac, John, and James. Four other children lived and died in Jackson County, Indiana: William Nimrod, Absolem, Thomas, and Abraham. Mary Polly and her husband Joseph John Johnson lived and died in Putnam County, Indiana. Michael and his wife Elizabeth lived and died in Tippecanoe County. Sallie and husband Joshua Leabo moved to Kansas. As noted above, little is known about daughter Priscilla. 

Jerusha Little Van Buskirk predeceased Issac in February 1827. She is buried with him in the Van Buskirk Cemetery. Issac died on October 27, 1844 having lived a long and fruitful life. Of particular note is the level of civic engagement and military service that ran throughout the Van Buskirk family across the generations. 

Sources:

• For more about this cemetery, see the Cemetery Files at the Genealogy Library at the Monroe County History Center, https://monroehistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/buskirkcemetery.pdf.
• See Laurens Andriessen Van Buskirk Family, researched by Lucretia E Garretson, Librarian and Genealogist, September 19, 1950, pdf available at https://archive.org/details/laurensadriessen00garr.pdf
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
• Description of the Revolutionary War Service of Isaac Van Buskirk SAR P-309290 written by Timothy John Martin (232026) based on a sworn court deposition made October 10, 1832 by Isaac Van Buskirk and supporting witnesses in Monroe County Indiana.

Markham Ware, sometimes spelled Weir, was born on May 1, 1745 in King George County, Virginia, to Jane Markham Ware and Henry Ware. He married Clarissa “Clary” Lindsay in 1774. Clary was born in 1738 to Joshua Lindsay and Mary “Polly” Nichols Lindsay. Clary and Mark were the parents of 5 daughters and 3 sons, all of whom were born in Virginia. Their daughters and their husbands were: Charlotte (1779-1836), who married James Sands; Susannah (1782-1850), who married Charles Gentry; Jane (1782-unknown death date), who was unmarried; Elizabeth (1783-1845), who married Elijah Gentry (brother of Charles); and Sarah (1786-1866), who married James West. Their sons were: Caleb (1775-1846), who married Martha “Polly” Emerson; Lindsey (1778-1863), who married Martha Scott first and Lydia Morgan second; and William Bucky (1795-1862), who married Rebecca Lockett. Susannah and Elizabeth, who married the Gentry brothers, remained in Indiana with Susannah living in Spencer and Elizabeth in Monroe County. The remaining children lived their adult lives in Kentucky and Missouri. Kentucky census and tax rolls show Markham and Clary living in Fayette County, Kentucky, by 1800. Clary died in Madison, Kentucky in 1819 and is buried there.

Markham served in the Revolutionary War for one year in 1781. He was in the North Carolina Continental Line. He fought in the Battle of Guilford Court House under General Greene on March 15, 1781. He also was in the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill near Camden. He was under General Greene’s command when the army passed Rugeley’s Mill. Finally, again under General Greene’s command, he fought in the Battle of Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, on April 25, 1781. Markham filed a pension application (S36691) and received a pension for his service. His final payment was recorded on September 8, 1846.

Markham died in January 1831 at the age of 96. He was the first person to be buried in the Liberty Methodist Church Cemetery, Mount Tabor, Monroe County, Indiana. His daughter Elizabeth and her son James are also buried in this cemetery.

Sources: DAR records; Ancestry reports and sources; Southern Campaign pension application S36691.

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