Memorial Day: Remembering Family Members Who Gave Their All

As our country remembers those who have founght and died for our freedom, I wanted to share stories of two of my family members who died while in service to our country.

Revolutionary War - Isaac Vincent

In 1772, the Vincent families and others had moved from Essex County, New Jersey, to current day Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. For several years, they lived peacefully near the local Indians. But, trouble started brewing in 1777. By 1779, about 13 families were living in a large, two-story house around which they had built a 12-foot high wall around. It enclosed a half acre and they called it Fort Freeland.

Fort Freeland (from Wikipedia)

Life was fairly normal at the fort. Isaac Vincent's wife gave birth to a son, George, in February of 1779. Two other babies were also born at the fort. The men even planted corn in a field at the back of the fort that spring.

On July 21st, some men were working in the corn field when they were attacked by a party of Indians. Isaac Vincent, only 22 years old, was killed along with two other men. Isaac's 10-year-old brother, Benjamin, was taken captive along with another male. Their brother, Daniel Vincent, about 19-years-old, outran the captors.

About 6 hours after the attack, the captured young Benjamin was shown the scalp of his brother, Isaac, and he knew Isaac had been killed.

Eight days later, the fort was attacked by about 300 Indians and British. With only 21 men left at the fort, they quickly surrendered. Most of the remaining men were taken as prisoners and "marched" to Canada while the women, children, and "old men" were set free and walked eighteen miles to Northumberland.

Nineteen year old Daniel Vincent was my 5th great grandfather. His older brother, Isaac, lost his life at the fort. Daniel was a prisoner in Canada for three years, after which he returned home to his wife. I wrote about his story in "Prisoner of War Love Story."

My 6th great grandparents, Cornelius & Phoebe Vincent, were in their mid-forties and also at the fort. Phoebe and another woman helped to turn their plates and spoons into bullets and, as such, is a DAR eligible ancestor. Cornelius also was a prisoner in Canada for three years. After his return, "he carried ankle and wrist scars from English shackles" the rest of his life.

My 7th great grandparents, John & Elizabeth Vincent, were each about 70 years old when they were attacked at Fort Freeland. As Elizabeth was crippled, John spoke with the British and was given a horse for his wife to ride and he wasn't taken captive with the younger men.

My Vincent family suffered a great deal as they lost their son, Isaac, and the younger men were taken prisoner and not seen for three years.

Sources:

• "Warrior Run - Fort Freeland Heritage Society" webpage http://freelandfarm.org/battle-of-fort-freeland/
• "Access Genealogy: Fort Freeland, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania" webpage http://www.accessgenealogy.com/pennsylvania/fort-freeland-northumberland-county-pennsylvania.htm
• "Rootsweb: III An Account of the First White Settlement on Warrior Run" webpage http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~banister/boyd_vincent/appendix2.htm

War of 1812 - Elkanah Anderson

Elkanah Anderson and his brother-in-law, Thomas B Whitwell, were two of my 5 times great grandfathers. In December 1814, Elkanah and Thomas joined the West Tennessee Milita and were "part of a flotila that went down to New Orleans via the Cumberland, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers." Once there, they fought in the famous Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson. During the bloody, one-sided battle which lasted only about 30 minutes on January 8th, the British suffered 2,000 casualties while the Americans only had about one hundred.

Painting of Battle of New Orleans by Edward Percy Moran (from Wikipedia)

According to the Tennessee Archives site, there weren't any battle casualties in Elkanah's and Thomas' regiement, but there were "many deaths due to sickness" in February and March. Elkanah Anderson died on January 14th, just 6 days after the big battle. Was he one of the first to die of disease? Or did he die of battle wounds? And was he buried in an unmarked grave in New Orleans as family stories tell us?

Thomas returned home to tell his wife that her brother, Elkanah, had died in New Orleans. Elkanah's wife was presumably pregnant with their seventh child at the time of his death. Although I'm not sure exactly how he died, he died defending our young nation.

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Elkanah Anderson: Died at the Battle of New Orleans (#11 of 52 Ancestors)

Elkanah Anderson and his brother-in-law, Thomas B Whitwel, were two of my 5 times great grandfathers. In December 1814, Elkanah and Thomas joined the West Tennessee Milita and were "part of a flotila that went down to New Orleans via the Cumberland, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers." Once there, they fought in the famous Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson. During the bloody, one-sided battle which lasted only about 30 minutes on January 8th, the British suffered 2,000 casualties while the Americans only had about one hundred.

Painting of Battle of New Orleans by Edward Percy Moran (from Wikipedia)

According to the Tennessee Archives site, there weren't any battle casualties in Elkanah's and Thomas' regiement, but there were "many deaths due to sickness" in February and March. Elkanah Anderson died on January 14th, just 6 days after the big battle. Was he one of the first to die of disease? Or did he die of battle wounds? And was he buried in an unmarked grave in New Orleans as family stories tell us?

Thomas returned home to tell his wife that her brother, Elkanah, had died in New Orleans. Elkanah's wife was presumably pregnant with their seventh child at the time of his death. Although I'm not sure exactly how he died, he died defending our young nation.

My Line of Descent

• Elkanah Anderson (1774-1815) m Sarah "Sally" Murray (1777-1845) 
• Margaret Anderson (abt 1801-1877) m Pleasant Whitwell (1803-1875) 
• Martha Ann Whitwell (1830-1904) m Carroll Houston Ward (1826-1863) 
• Reuben Houston Ward (1859-1906) m Sallie Harriet Dickson (1860-1960) 
• Martha Lenora "Nora" Ward (1885-1916) m James Bedford Dickson (1880-1968) 
• Ethel Evelyn Dickson (1915-2004) m Sherman Joseph Kaechle (1907-1987) (my maternal grandparents) 

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please leave a comment or write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net

Thomas Whitwell: A Legal Orphan (#3 of 52 Ancestors)

(Thanks to Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small" for creating "52 Ancestors" where we can share our ancestors stories, one week at a time.)

Thomas B Whitwell, my 5th great grandfather, wasn't even a year old when he was legally declared an orphan. I say "legally" because we are uncertain as to whether his mother was still living or not. But, the law stated that he was an orphan if his father died. So, Thomas and his older brother, Robert, were orphans.

What happened to orphans in the 1770's in Virginia? They'd be legally "bound out" to a master or mistress who were to provide them with "diet, clothes, lodgings and accommodations and teach him to read and write and at the expiration of his apprenticeship to give him the same allowance appointed for servants of indenture." [Quote from What Genealogists Should Know about 18th Century Virginia Law by Mr. John P. Alcock]

Thomas was bound out to a man named William Brumfield and his brother, Robert, was bound out to a William Overton. Some researchers believe William Brumfield was their grandfather, but I'm still looking for evidence.

Fourteen years later, in 1790, Thomas' older brother was discharged from service to his master. This would usually happen at the age of 21, but I believe Thomas was only 18 or 19. On that same day, Thomas was bound to a different man, a Benjamin Morton. A few months later, that order was rescinded and he was bound to Samuel Johnson. And, a few months later, Samuel Johnson died so Thomas was bound to his brother, William Johnson. As a young teen, this must have been a difficult year for Thomas!

John Anderson giving permission for his daughter, Polly Anderson, to marry Thomas Whitwell
Witnesses are Elkanah Anderson, Polly's brother, and Robert Whitwell, Thomas' brother
Image from "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954" on Family Search

I haven't found a record of when Thomas was released from his bond, but by 1796 he had crossed the Cumberland Gap and joined his brother in Mercer County, Kentucky. (What an adventure that must have been!) In 1798, he married Mary "Polly" Anderson and they had their first of eleven children in 1799.

Shortly after the birth of that first son, the young family packed up and moved again, this time to Barren County, Kentucky. Over the next decade, Thomas and Polly had six more children before they moved to Dickson County, Tennessee.

In December 1814, Thomas traveled with his wife's brother, Elkanah Anderson (who is also a 5th great grandfather of mine), to fight the British in New Orleans. He left behind his wife, Polly, with their eight children, including the youngest who was only 15 months old.

Thomas and Elkanah joined the 2nd Regiment of the West Tennessee Militia. Their regiment was "part of a flotilla that went down to New Orleans via the Cumberland, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers." Once there, they fought in the famous Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson. During the bloody, one-sided battle which lasted only about 30 minutes on January 8th, the British suffered over 2,000 casualties while the Americans only had about 100.

The Tennessee Archives site says there weren't any battle casualties in Thomas' and Elkanah's regiment, but there were "many deaths due to sickness" in February and March. Elkanah Anderson, Thomas' brother-in-law, died on January 14th just 6 days after the biggest battle. Was he one of the first to die of disease? Or did he die of a battle injury? And was he buried in New Orleans as family stories tell us?

Thomas returned home and had to break the news to his wife that her brother had died. Elkanah's wife, Sally, also had to be told. I'm not sure how many children Sally and Elkanah had, but their daughter, Margaret, was my 4th great grandmother.

After returning home, Thomas' wife had one more child before they packed up again and moved to Hickman County, Tennessee with extended family members. According to Spence's "History of Hickman County, Tennessee," they settled on Cane Creek "immediately after the withdrawal of the Indians" as early as 1815. Six heads of family are listed, and the Whitwell's and at least two other families are related to me. Another sentence states this was "yet in the Indian country" and I can only imagine the rough existence they had. They had their 11th child, their last, in Hickman County in 1820.

Thomas B Whitwell's headstone in Beech Grove Cemetery, Pleasantville, Hickman County, Tennessee
Headstone erected c 1992 by Mark Hubbs & Harvey Whitwell

Photo by Eunice posted at Find-A-Grave

Thomas' wife, Polly, died in 1838 and he passed away in 1846. Though family story says they were both buried in "box tombs" on land they owned in Hickman County, they now both have markers in Beech Grove Cemetery in Pleasantville, Hickman County. Pleasantville is possibly named after their son, Pleasant, who was my 4th great grandfather.

Do we share common ancestors? I'd love to talk! Please write me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net