Happy Birthday, America!!

The final draft of the Declaration of Independence was approved 250 years ago today. Happy Birthday, America!  I've listed some of my ancestors who were patriots in the American Revolution. All of my ancestors that I have identified so far who were living during that time were all already living in the colonies by 1776. I have provided a bit more on Wm Harrison as he is my most recently discovered ancestor who took part in the American Revolution. He was at the battles of Germantown and Brandywine which were losses for the patriots. That had to be rough.  Thankful for all of their sacrifices.  

I've linked those ancestors who have a descendant who has joined DAR thru a line of descent from them.[Note:  this is not a complete listing]

Paternal

William Harrison

Above link from DAR 

Transcription Below from Pension File at Fold3 and at National Archives.

West - Tennessee.
William Harrison,
Rutherford Co: W. Tenn
Lieut. in Col. Hogan's reg. N. Carolina line,
15 months.
In the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War
Issued on the Roll of West-Tennessee,
at the rate of 20. Dollars per month, to commence
the 15th of May, 1820.

Certificate of Pension issued the 6. of Oct. 1820
and sent to S. R. Rucker, agt
Murfreesborough, East-Tenn.[should say WEST not East even though Murfreesboro is in present day Middle TN]

Arrears to 4th of Sept. 1820.      $ 73.61
Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4. March 120. 
3 mo. 17/31 1821...                   $ 193.61
& 4/30

{ Revolutionary claim. }
{ Act 18th March, 1818 }
and 1st May
1820...}

• Charles Brandon
• Leroy Upshaw
• John B Manire
• Robert Harris
• William Ogilvie
• John Webb
• Jacob Sutton
• Nathan Frizzell  (I descend from him thru 2 seperate lines.)

Maternal

• Peter Luna/Looney
• William Lewis
• John Hatfield
• Leonard Adcock

Bedford Co. TN: Searching for the Graves of Two Revolutionary Patriots

My fourth great-grandparents are William Harrison (abt.1750–1833) and his wife, Elvira Cooper Harrison. Their son, Edward C. Harrison, married Eliza Jane McClain, drawing a fascinating parallel in our tree. Eliza’s father, George McLain, was also a Revolutionary War soldier. Like William, George served out of North Carolina, though they hailed from different areas and served in separate regiments. Decades after the war, their paths converged closely in Middle Tennessee. The 1830 U.S. Federal Census for Bedford County shows George and William’s households enumerated just a few lines apart, surrounded by a close-knit cluster of other Harrison and McLain families.

From 1830 Bedford Co TN Dist. 9

The timing of their deaths is remarkably close: William died in 1833, and George followed shortly after in 1834. Both men were actively drawing pensions for their service at the time of their deaths. While I have their complete pension files in my possession, the exact resting place for both George and William remains unknown. It is my strong belief that each man was laid to rest in a family cemetery on their respective properties.

Wm. Harrison & widow Elvira Pension

Initially, I missed William's entry in Helen and Timothy Marsh’s Soldiers of the Revolution in Bedford County, Tennessee. When I finally located it, the brief mention offered little beyond data sourced from an old DAR file. Fortunately, his actual pension file contains a wealth of detailed information that I have explored in several previous posts on this blog. Clues regarding the location of his land do exist. I discovered a local land entry referencing where "old man Harrison" (or "old Wm Harrison") lived and died. Because he was the only elder William Harrison residing in that specific area, this undoubtedly points to him. The record also notes his daughter, Elizabeth Cook(my 3rd Great Grandmother), whom the 1830 census confirms was living in the immediate neighborhood. By 1851, Elvira and several of their children had passed away, and other family members migrated out of the region following the Civil War. This rapid displacement of immediate kin is likely why William's grave was never permanently marked and has eluded researchers for generations. If we are ever able to pinpoint his burial site, it is highly probable that Elizabeth and perhaps her husband are resting nearby. 

Uncovering more details on George McLain required sorting through some digital noise. I found a reference from a descendant mentioning a family history book published by his aunt. When I tried to use an AI tool to help me track down the volume, it completely hallucinated the source. Undeterred, I combed through Ancestry tree sources until I found a valid citation that led me straight to the digital copy on FamilySearch.

The McLains, by George! The Family History and Genealogy of George McLain, Revolutionary War Veteran through Two Sons, John Alexander McLain of Bond County, Illinois, Jediah Alexander McLain of Bedford County, Tennessee compiled by Carrie McLain West (1981) 

This history helped clarify why George’s grave was also lost. Following his death, his widow and children migrated northwest to  Bond Co. Illinois. With few family member left in Bedford County to maintain the homestead or care for the site, George's final resting place was left behind to be reclaimed by time. 

The three most likely factors that contributed to these graves becoming lost to living memory:

• The Era of Death: Both soldiers passed away in the early 1830s, a period where early land markers were often ephemeral.
• Gaps in Local Records: While land records for this era exist, the subsequent deed transfers from the 1850s—though partially reconstructed following Bedford County's courthouse losses—are far from all-encompassing.
• Family Migration: Harrison and McLain descendants moved west leaving few local caretakers to preserve the locations. 

To break through this brick wall and locate these homestead plots, it will take  neighborhood reconstruction using platting, watercourses, and adjacent land deeds to piece back together where these two patriots lived out their final days. Thankfully, I can narrow it down to the 9th District of Bedford Co TN.  That is more info than some folks who are researching lost graves have.  For that I am grateful.

Cluster Research in the Revolutionary War Pension Files

I've been digging in the Revolutionary Pension files at Fold3 lately and reading some of the files of the FAN club of my ancestors.  There is much information in those files about when the soldier and his family moved on to other areas.  Kimbrough Ogilvie's(my 4th great granduncle) file contains details of his move from Granville Co NC to Bedford Co TN and then on to Kentucky.

Source: https://www.fold3.com/file/25355335/kimbrough-ogilvie-page-1-revolutionary-war-pensions
Veteran: Ogilvie, Kimbrough  Service: N.C.  Pension Number: S. 14050
Record Group 15: NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files.

Blackwell researchers might be interested in the Revolutionary Pension file of John Blackwell. I'm interested in his file because Blackwells married into the Shem Cook(e) YDNA line and that line is the one our Cooke YDNA most closely matches. According to John Blackwell's statement he was born abt 1755 in Culpepper Co VA.  When he went into service during the Revolutionary War, he was living in Burk Co NC.  He moved from Burk Co NC to Abbeville Co SC in 1784 and from there in 1797 or 1798 to Franklin Co GA.  John's statement which was given in 1836 says that he removed from Franklin Co GA to Hickman Co TN about 18 years ago which would make the move about 1818.

Source:  https://www.fold3.com/image/12026579/john-blackwell-page-1-us-revolutionary-war-pensions-1800-1900

Veteran: Blackwell, John   Service: N.C.  Pension Number: S. 2083

Record Group 15: NARA M804. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files.

Check out the Revolutionary War page of the FamilySearch wiki.  The time period prior to 1850 Census records can be difficult to research but finding where your family was in the early 1800s can help you to locate more records and further your research.  

Revolutionary War Application Info: Nathan Frizel S3380

My 4th Great Grandfather Nathan Frizzell served in the Revolutionary War out of South Carolina.  I descend from him thru two lines-- one thru his daughter, Margaret Elizabeth Frizzell Manley and the other thru his son, James Marion Frizzell.  Below is just a small portion of the information contained in his Revolutionary War Pension application.  In addition to the usual service details it also gives a pretty good detail of the families residences. Some of them ended up in Calloway Co. Kentucky.

From Nathan Frizel's Pension Application No. 3380 Served in South Carolina

14 Aug 1832 Bedford Co TN Court of Pleas and Quarter Session

Appeared before John L Neill, Samuel Phillips, & John S Armstrong

Esquires & Gentleman Justices of the Peace

He entered the Service of United State as a volunteer under Captain William Deason in what is now called Chesterfield District in the state of South Carolina, some time in the month of October 1780 and was attached to a Regiment commanded by Colonel John Marshall of General Sumpter's Brigade. He states they were not marched from that county or district any distance but was engaged in reconnoitering and acted as Rangers and watching the movements of the Tories until the following may when he states Col. Marshall's Regiment was attached to General Green's Army. He states he was marched with General Green's Army from Camden S Carolina to the high hills of Santa by way of a little town called  Statesville from that and to the Eutaw Springs, where he states he was in an engagement against the British who were under the commander of Lord Roddick He states that Col William Washington was taken prisoner at that Engagement by the British, he states that he company he belonged to was permitted to return home after the battle of Eutaw Springs after serving about eight months. he states that the was attached to General Sumpter's Brigade again and continued with him until Cornwallis was taken, he states he was engaged in several small skirmishes with the Tories one at Rugeley's Mill an Granny's Quarter Creek one other at Rocky Mount an Catawba River and one other skirmish at Black Creek with the Tories in Chesterfield district South Carolina. And one small engagement, which should have been mentioned previously in this declaration at the High Hill two miles from Camden about the 1st of May 1781. Making in all a term of service of twelve months or there about. H e further states that he has no documentary evidence whatever and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can precure who can testify as to his service and hereby relinquishes all claims to a pension or annuity whatever except the present, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any Agency in the United States.  

Where and in what year were you born?

I was born in Baltimore County in the state of Maryland agreeable to my father's record therein on the 7th day of August 1759 

I have a record of my age at my dwelling in this county, wrote in my Family Bible

which Record was taken from my Father's Bible

I was a citizen of Chesterfield district in the State of South Carolina when I volunteered under Capt. William Deason and after the Revolutionary War I moved to Anson County in the State of North Carolina from that to Robinson(Robertson) county in the state of Tennessee about 1802 and from that I moved to Rutherford County in the same state and from there I removed to the county of Bedford in same state some time in the year 1808 or 1809 where I have lived ever since and where I now live. 

I was a volunteer during the whole time I served

I do not recollect the names of any regular officer except Col Wm Washington tho I saw Col Lee and Col Washington's troops frequently

I did receive a discharge in writing signed by Col John Marshall but I have lost or mislaid it many years ago & cannot produce it at this time.

(Character references from present neighborhood)
Rev. John Rushing
Capt. John Deason
William Norvell Esq.
John C Caldwell
Charles Taylor Sr.
Nathan Chaffin Esq.

Sworn to in open court the day and year aforesaid
16th August 1832

Links of interest

Revollutionary War Battles & Skirmishes in South Carolina

Rugeley's Mill

Source: 

Deposition of Claimant, 14 August 1832, Nathan Frizzell, invalid's pension application no. 3380 "Revolutionary War Pensions," database with images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/file/21403156/nathan-frizel-revolutionary-war-pensions : accessed 1 October 2023); imaged from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Archives microfilm publication M804, roll 804

Bird's Eye View of Frizzell Families' Locations of Residence

Signature from Sworn Statement

Bounty Land Warrant 507--Wm Harrison

In the pension records for William Harrison's Revolutionary War Service the Bounty Land Warrant is listed as 507.  I searched for a William Harrison with the # 507 at Ancestry in their Bounty Land Warrant database

Below:  Image 618 of 680  

1. When presented at the Treasury 30 July 1817

2. By Whom Presented (Mich'l Nourse)
3. Number (507)
4. Name of Soldier (Wm Harrison)
5. Grade (Lieut)
6. Name of Patentee   Northrop & Shane
7. Acres 200
8. Lot 2--28
9. Section 4--2
10. Twp 10-10
11. Range 7--2
12. 30 July 1817
13. Remarks (Sent Michl Nourse)

Searched the GLO website and found it.  Still trying to figure out what all this info tells me.  Need to learn more about land records so I will be checking out a few webinars in the Legacy FamilyTree Webinar library, doing some reading and further exploring of GLO.

Sources

• "U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900," database with images, Ancestry(https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/26266:1995?tid=77121678 : accessed 12 February 2023), H  > Harris, William - Hawley, James > Harrison, Sarah - Harsin, Garret > image 381-473 of 1112: citing NARA microfilm publication  M804, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
• US, War Bounty Land Warrants, 1789-1858 Revolutionary War > Indexes and Registers To Revolutionary War Military Bounty Land Warrants, 1788-1848 > ALL > Image 618 of 680  https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1165/images/miusa1788_057937-00687
• Original source U.S. Revolutionary War Bounty Land Warrants Used in the U.S. Military District of Ohio and Relating Papers (Acts of 1788, 1803, and 1806), 1788-1806; Microfilm Publication M829; NAID: 635444; Records of the Bureau of Land Management, Record Group 49; National Archives at Washington, D.C.
• US Dept. of Interior,  Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records (https://glorecords.blm.gov/)  Search of William Harrison with Northrop & Shane