Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Chapter, NSDAR
America 250! Committee
Our Patriots
The following stories were written by Jean Warfield, Chairman of the America 250! Committee
J. Henry Nagle PA, Sgt.
DAR Patriot of Lois Farrand
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Around 1730 the family of Johann Heinrich Nagle came from Germany to America and settled in Pennsylvania. It was common at that time that those immigrants of German descent were given their second name as their legal name. J. Henry Nagle was born on November 10, 1741 in Baden, Lancaster County, PA. Henry was in his thirties when he served as a Sergeant in the Revolutionary War in the Pennsylvania Line until the 22nd day of September, 1783, having served for 2 years and 6 months. During this period of time, Henry was also a Private in the Legion of the Dragoons, a Militia that organized in the spring of 1777 made up of troops from PA, VA, MD, and NJ. They rode horses and carried heavy weapons which included sabers, pistols and carbines. After the war, Henry was married to Anna Catherine Warner on March 20, 1785 by Rev. M. Garrack in Baltimore, MD. They had one daughter Juliana Nagle who was born September 26, 1788 and married John Hobbs Rogers from Ireland. J. Henry Nagle died in Baltimore, MD on December 26, 1820. On July 7, 1838 Congress passed an Act declaring that the government pay a pension to certain widows. On August 4, 1838 Catherine Nagle, at age 72, applied for Henry's pension, and was granted said payment by Court order, even though Catherine was not married to Henry prior to his leaving the service. A. Catherine (Warner) Nagle was born June 10, 1766 and died March 20, 1843. |
Samuel Preston, N.J. Ens.
DAR Patriot of Gloria Culp
A combination of documentation, family lore and letters passed down through generations paint this interesting story of Revolutionary War Patriot Samuel Preston. He was born in Scotland in 1753 and emigrated to Sussex County New Jersey. He married Mary Pugh who was born in 1748 and was believed to be of Welsh descent. Her family arrived in the New Jersey colony sometime in 1739-1740.
Samuel joined the Morristown, New Jersey Militia in 1775 as an ensign. At that time ensigns were charged with carrying the battle flag. The rank of ensign was later dropped in favor of second lieutenant. Most were fairly tall, thus Samuel was probably a large person. Blessed with very red hair, he attracted the attention of George Washington, who also had red hair and liked to surround himself with other redheads.
Samuel spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge. It was not a notoriously cold and harsh winter, but the 6-month encampment saw poor conditions with sickness, not enough food, and soldiers unprepared by lack of blankets and proper clothing for the bitter cold. Until the log shelters were built, Samuel slept in a tent, and would often awaken with his hair frozen to the ground. He later participated in the Crossing of the Delaware and the surprise attack on the British in New York. Samuel served until about 1780. The Morristown Militia folded into the Continental line.
While he was away, Samuel's wife Mary managed their son James, born in 1775, and the farm and livestock. After his return home, the couple had four more children: Phoebe, Sarah, in 1780, Jane in 1781, and John, in 1785. Their wagon train was the first to travel Braddock's Trail-later called the National Highway. When the bounty lands were approved, the Prestons moved to Franklin, Fayette County, Pennsylvania in 1793. There he paid for 100 acres in Franklin Township, later renamed Dunbar. They established their homestead and Samuel's blacksmith shop. He served as Dunbar Township's constable in 1800, and in 1804 was an overseer of the poor.
Samuel died November 11, 1820-a date that later became Veterans Day. Mary died November 10, 1828. Both are buried in the Laurel Hill Cemetery, adjacent to the Laurel Hill Presbyterian church. John died in 1801 at age 16 and is interred next to his parents. James and his sisters married and pioneered to Mahoning, Ohio.
William Annin, PS
DAR Patriot of Paula Fenstermaker
Annandale, Scotland is nestled in the green valley by the Annan River, which runs into the Solway, Firth. William Annin [sic] was born in Annandale in 1715. Sometime before William was born, his family changed their surmane from Johnstone to Annin. When he was 13 his family came to Somerset County, New Jersey. Also living in Someret County at that time were Joseph and Margaret Ross, both born in 1700, and parents of Sarah Ross born in 1729. On January 25, 1748 she became the wife of William Annin. They had 5 sons and a daughter, Joseph (1750), Samuel (1753), and William (1761) were all Revolutionary Soldiers; Sarah (birth date unknown), followed by John (1764). William's father had received land from William Penn which came to be known as Annin's Corner. In 1776 the land was changed to Liberty Corners when a Liberty Pole, complete with red cap, was erected on the village green.
William Annin, the father, was considered a patriot by way of his Patriotic Service. In 1775 he was elected to the Committee of Safety as part of the Committee of Correspondence. Every colony had such a committee, usually consisting of 9 men who passed around information regarding the Revolutionary War. In a certificate dated August 30, 1781 he was credited with with pasturing 3 cows and 35 oxen for the French. He also sheltered troops on the far.
Sarah Annin had been nursing Lafayette's troops who had small pox when she contracted the disease and died on May 1777. William then married his second wife, Sarah Davison, born in 1751, but they had no children. William died in 1784 and he and his first wife are buried in the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church yard in Somerset, NJ.
In 1783 William had been licensed to keep a tavern. Samuel carried on this business. In his father's will, John was left the 140 acre farm.
Still in existence today is the Annin Flag Company, a US maker of American flags such as the ones placed on President Abraham Lincoln's casket, Iwo Jima and the moon. In 1963 a middle school in Bernardsville, Somerset County, NJ was named the William Annin Middle School. Several artifacts, personal items of the Annin family, are kept in the archives of Rutgers University.
Brewster Higley 111 (also known as Jr.) CT & VT, Sgt., PS
DAR Patriot of Julie Cramer
It is not unusual to find the same name multiple times in one's family tree. In fact, generally it is considered an honor to be named after a family member. So a story can get to be confusing when there are several persons with the same name. This is a story of Patriot Brewster Higley 111 the son of Brewster Higley Jr. and presumably grandson of Brewster Higley, Sr. To add to the mix, Brewster 111's mother, wife, a daughter and his mother-in-law were all named Esther.
Brewster Higley 111 was born on March 14, 1735 in Simsbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA, the first child of Brewster Higley Jr. and Esther Holcombe. On April, 1757, at age 22 he married Esther Owen, daughter of John Owen and Esther Humphreys. The ceremony was performed in Tinmouth, Rutland County, Vermont by John Humphrey, Esq. They had ten (10) children - 3 boys and 7 girls. they were Brewster Higley IV, Lura Anna, Zilpah, Delight, Erastus, Iola, Harley and Zerviah. Most of them married and some went on to other places. It is interesting that half of them lived to be 70 to 89 years of age. while the other half only lived age 31 to 55. Of particular note was Brewster Higley IV, born in 1759, and married the daughter of Joseph Higley. She was possibly his cousin. They moved from Vermont to Rutland, Ohio where he became a Judge of the County Court. Brewster IV died June 20, 1847 at the age of 88.
First serving in the Revolutionary War in September of 1777, Brewster Higley III was commissioned an ensign in the Northern army which defeated the Bergoyne campaign when it surrendered on October 17th at Saratoga, New York. In an attempt by the British to gain military control of the northern colonies, Major General John Bergoyne planned and led the march from Quebec through upper New York State, Vermont, and the Hudson River Valley. Brewster's notebook has been published and the gun he carried is still in the family. Documents show he later served under Capt. Simeon Wright's company as a waggoneer for Daniel Humphrey in Vermont, and as sergeant on the payroll of Col. Warren's militia regiment in Vermont from November 7th to 13th, 1778. He purchased a 320 acre farm in Castleton, rutland County, Vermont in October of 1778, for a sum of L1200 (English currency) and moved the family there in May of 1779. Brewster Higley III died in Castleton on April 11, 1805 at age 70.
Barnabas Evans. RI. Pvt and Musician
DAR Patriot of Karen Burkhart Woodworth, PhD and Maralyn Calderwood Burkhart
Barnabas Evans was born November 26, 1755 in Somers, Hartford County, CT the son of a Welsh shoemaker. In May, 1775 Barnabas was not yet 20 years old when he enlisted first in a Rhode Island regiment where he served as a Private for 7 months under Capt. Archibald Crary. In December 1775 he enlisted at Cambridge, Massachusetts and served 1 year in Capt. Elijah Lewis' Company, Col. Varnum's regiment where he was a Musician. Music with fifes and drums became a way for the soldiers to communicate messages since they had no radios. Sometimes musicians included young men who were too young to fight, but wanted to follow their Patriot fathers. Barnabas' father and two brothers were in the same Regiment. On September 16, 1776 General George Washington sent 150 men toward the south of Manhattan, where the British soldiers were seen heading north. A skirmish broke out and there were many causalities on both sides. Barnbas survived that Battle of Harlem Heights and General Washington had his first battlefield victory in the Revolutionary War. in 1819 Barnabas Evans was allowed his pension while residing in Cooperstown, Otsego County. NY.
On April 13, 1778 or 1780 he married Elizabeth "Betsey" Phillips. Bother were of Woodstock, CT and they were married in Muddy Brook Parrish at Watertown, MA. It has been said that Barnabas must have liked to move around often. They had 6 children: Philana, born in 1779 in Woodstock, CT: Betsey, born 1781 in Ware, MA (who died at 4 years of age in 1785:) John born in 1785 in Bennington, VT; Betsey 2nd, born in 1788, also in Bennington, VT; Lyman, born in 1791 in Salem, NY; and Polly, born in 1794 in Willston, VT. Barnabs Evan died September 12, 1824 at Otsego, NY.
The future of the Barnabaas Evans family is a most interesting story in itself. now a widow, Betsey Evans went to live with her son, Lyman at Fairview, Erie County, PA. In 1811 Lyman Evans had married Hannah Eldred, and in 1820 their son Lyman Eldred Evans was born at Clarence, Erie County, NY. In 1839 Lyman headed west with his family to DeWitt, Clinton County, IA. which is on the eastern edge of Iowa, right on the Mississippi River. The widow Betsey died in 1845, the same year Lyman Eldred married Sarah Walrod in DeWitt. To them was born in 1850 a daughter, Elizabeth "Betsey" Evans. She married Harvey Monroe Chapman in 1870 at Clinton County, IA. In 1881 their daughter Daisy Chapman was born in Blenco, Monona County, IA which is at the western edge of Iowa on the Missouri River. She married William Jasper Templeton in 1902 in Onawa, Monona County, IA. In 1931 Daisy Chapman Templeton, Karen's great-grandmother, joined the DAR Onawa, IA Chapter 3273304. The Templetons had a daughter, Rhea Betty, who married Hugh William Calderwood in 1937 in Onawa, IA and farmed near Tracer, Tama County, IA. Their daughter, Maralyn May Calderwood, Karen's mother and current DAR member, married Clifton Burkhart in 1962, and a daughter, Karen May Burkhart, was born. In 1990 she married Klayton Thomaas Woodworth, and on February 3, 1989 became a member of NSDAR. Eight generations and three DAR members later! Wouldn't Barnabas be proud?
Israel Terrill (Terrell), CT, Lt.
Patriot of Jacklyn Maile Skinner, Elizabeth Skinner Vau and Amy Skinner Kweton
The Patriot featured in this story, Israel Terrill, was the seventh of nine children born to Josiah Terrill and Mary Goodwin Terrill. Israel was born March 20, 1737 at Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut as were his older siblings. He spent his early life in Milford, but the family moved to Waterbury, New Haven County, CT sometime before his two younger sisters were born. In 1758 Israel married Zerviah Beebe in Lyme, New London County, CT, perhaps the place of her family home. In December , 1759 at Waterbury, New Haven County, Ct, their first child was born, a daughter named Annah. In October, 1760 their second daughter Abigail, was born. Sadly, in 1762 two-year old Annah died of unknown causes, but in October of that year their third daughter, Hannah, was born. Three more daughters followed, all born at Waterbury, New Haven County, CT. Rejoice , born September 7, 1764, Mary, born November 6, 1766, and Tirzah, born November 22, 1769.
Israel Terrill was now about 32 years old, with 5 daughters ranging in age from 9 years to an infant, so one might consider this a great risk to engage in military service. While it is not exactly clear when Israel entered the military joining the 10th Company, 1st Regiment Connecticut, records show that on May 1, 1775 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant under General David Wooster which was merged in the Continental Line. Israel took part in the action at Lake George and Lake Champlain in New York State. He was discharged in December 1775.
Following his military service Israel and his wife, Zerviah had two more children-sons Israel Terrill, born May 27, 1776 and Joseph Goodwin Terrill, born January 5, 1778, both born at Waterbury, New Haven County, Ct. From the lineage of Israel Terill and is son Joseph, descendants include three members of the Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Chapter, a Past Regent and her two two daughters. According to the Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage Book more than five others have become NSDAR members as descendants from various children of Israel Terrill.
Zerviah Beebe Terrell, Israel's first wife, died June 15, 1781 at Naugatuck New Haven County, CT. Israel subsequently married Lois Upson on January 15, 1783, who was born in 1748 and died in 1817. Israel Terrill died January 8, 1811 in Waterbury, New Haven County, CT and is buried at Naugatuck, New Haven County, CT
Thomas Copley, CT, Pvt.
Patriot of Elizabeth Santas Kraatz, PhD and her mother, Associate Member Sandra Buman Santas
Shortly after the Christmas of 1743, Thomas Copley was born on December 28th in Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut. He was thought to be the only child of his father, also named Thomas Copley and his mother, Jemima Barker. Fortunately their lone child was a male so he could carry on the already long family line of Thomas Copleys. Unfortunately, at twenty-six years of age, the father Thomas Copley died the year after his son was born. Jemima was now a widow and single mother who never remarried - a rarity in those days.
Thomas Copley, the Patriot, married his first wife, Phenix Lane, and they had three daughters: Mary, born in 1766, Anne born in 1768, and Lucy, who was born and died in 1771. The two girls were seven and five years old when their mother Phenix died in 1773. Thomas and his second wife, Mary Holcomb had nine children. Their first one born in 1775, was a boy, so of course he was named Thomas who died in childhood in 1782. Then came Oliver born in 1776, the same year the father Thomas enlisted in the Connecticut militia. Imagine leaving 2 very young sons and possibly 2 daughters plus his wife behind.
The thirty-two year old Thomas served under Captain Samuel Hays in the Connecticut 18th Regiment Militia. Records show that Thomas was with Captain Hays for one month, arriving at New York August 22, and in the Battle of Kip's Bay, and probably served several different times for a month or two. Kip's Bay is located on Long Island on the banks of the East River in Manhattan across the river from Queens. On the morning of September 15th a fierce battle erupted between the Americans and the British, which resulted in the Americans breaking and running. General George Washington observed this from a hilltop vantage point, then rushed on horseback into the fray in an attempt to reform the Patriot lines. When that failed he became so enraged he swatted at the fleeing soldiers with the flat side of his sword. his aides grabbed the reins of his horse and pulled him from the field to save him from capture. American forces were estimated to be outnumbered about 500 to the British around 4,000. 60 Americans were killed, and more than 300 were captured. Private Thomas Copley survived and was discharged September 25, 1776.
When he returned from New York, Thomas and Mary Copley had seven more children - Bildad (1778,) twins Belinde and Lucinde (1780), another Thomas (1782 - the same year the first born died.) William Bildad (1786), Ebenezer (1787,) and Alexander (1790). William Bildad Copley married Olive Cole and they had ten children-one of them named Thomas. The descendants of William Bildad Copley produced our present day Chapter members who provided this story. The Patriot Thomas Copley died in 1797.
Jonathan Danforth, MA Capt.
Patriot of Norma Clack
Jonathan Danforth was born Ain Billerica, Middlesex County, Massachusetts in 1736-100 years after his great-great grandfather immigrated from Framlingham, Suffolk, England to America. He was the youngest of the twelve children born to Samuel and Dorothy Danforth, and their eighth son. At age 23 he and Lydia reed (born in 1737) were married in Warren, Worcester County, MA. They had five children-two boy, Joshua born in 1759, and Jonathan, Jr. born in 1761, and then three girls, Lydia (born in 1762), Dorothy "Dolly", born in 1765, and Phoebe, born in 1767. The children were ages two to ten when their mother died in 1769.
A year or so later Jonathan and Miriam Cowee (born in 1748) were married in Western (now named Warren), Worchester County, MA. About 1776 Jonathan moved his family to Williamstown, Berkshire County MA. They had six children-two girls and four boys: Hannah, born in 1772, Cowee, born in 1774, who died at age 1, a second boy named, Cowee, born in 1776, Keyes, born in 1778, Clarissa, born in 1783 and William, born in 1787. Hannah died in 1786, so by 1787 Jonathan had nine living children ranging in age from infant to 28.
At age 39 in 1775, Jonathan Danforth entered military service. In the rank of sergeant he served with Captain Reuben Read's Company of Minute men. He fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775 during the siege of Boston with his two sons Joshua (age 16) and Jonathan, Jr. (age 14.) While he was in Boston he was taken sick with small pox. His wife Mirian, rode on horseback with an eleven month old baby in front of her (possibly the first son Cowee) from Western, a distance of nearly on hundred miles, to nurse him through his illness, and then returned home. Jonathan also served in Jonathan Warner's Regiment, as Captain in Colonel David Brewer's Massachusetts Continental Regiment from April to December 1775, and was Captain of the 8th Company under Asa Whitcomb from January to December 1776-having been at Ticonderoga November 27 1776. He commanded a battalion at the Battle of Bennington in Vermont on August 16, 1777 under Colonel Wiggleworth's Regiment of Minute Men.
The Danforth line of ancestors were steeped in civic duty and military patriotism. The Patriot Jonathan's great-great grandfather lived only three years after arriving in Massachusetts in 1635, but documentation and family lore indicates he was involved in the founding of Harvard College in 1636. He was a Deputy and town officer in Newtown, MA. his son, another Captain Jonathan Danforth, was a famous surveyor, and "Father of Billerica" establishing a homestead there. His son, Jonathan's grandfather, earned the rank of Ensign in King Philip's War/1675-76.
After living in Williamstown, MA for 26 years Captain Jonathan Danforth died there on February 8, 1802 at age 63. His second wife Miriam died there in 1820 at age 72.
John Tefft, RI, Pvt.
Sallie Glenn Platt, Paula Thompson Reiley, Linda Thompson Teare, and Jean Glenn Warfield
John Tefft was born February 19, 1758 in Exeter, Kings Co., Rhode Island to Robert and Abigail Tefft. On September 18, 1776 at 18 years of age, he enlisted in Exeter, Rhode Island as a Private in Lt. Stephen Whitman's Company of the Rhode Island regiment, serving 3 months-not uncommon in those days.
John Tefft's descendants have no record of his marriage nor could it be ascertained in the Town Records of Exeter, they having been destroyed by fire in 1870. However, sometime after 1776 he married Anna Vallett, born February 13, 1760, and they had 12 children: Robert (1779), Abigail (1780), Jeremiah (1782), Simon (1784), Mary, called Polly (1786), Anna, also known as Nancy (1790), and Charity (1792), these first 8 all born in Exeter, Washington County, RI.
In 1792 John Tefft visited Rensselaer County, New York where he bought a farm in the town of Nassau and contracted for the building of a barn thereon. In February of 1793 the family, consisting of John, his wife Anna, and the 8 children left for their new home, a distance of 150 miles. The oldest, Robert was 15, and Charity was about 8 months old. They moved northwest, crossing the Connecticut River until they reached Pittsfield near the Massachusetts and New York line. Such a journey met with many hardships-the route much of the way through woods where sometimes marked trees gave the proper direction, and storms and cold tested these brave pioneers.
The father drove a team of horses pulling a large canvas-covered sled carrying his wife and the 5 youngest children. The household goods were packed in a sled drawn by 2 yoke of oxen driven by Robert. The stock of cows, sheep, and swine were driven by the second and third sons, Jeremiah and Simon. While crossing the bank of the Connecticut River, one of the sleds tipped over. The 3 older boys had been entrusted with the secret of the place where the money (silver) was stored in a certain barrel. Anxious for their treasure, they soon made sure of its safety and returned it to its former place. The family safely reached their destination inn twenty-two days.
Note: After removing from RI, the family always spelled their name Tifft.
After settling in Nassau, Rensselaer County, NY, 4 more children were born: John (1795) from who four of our Chapter members are descended, Sprague (1800(, Joseph 1802), and George (1805). The Patriot John died in 1813.
Elias Merckel, NY, Sergeant
Patriot of Brandy Cacciamani
Kingston, Ulster County, New York is located almost straight north of New York City near the junction of the Hudson River and the Delaware river by Rondout Creek. This is where Bernhardt Barent Merckel was born on June 15, 1715. As was very common in the old country, he went by his middle name. By the early 1700s there was a very large Dutch settlement in Kingston. Barent Merckel and Cornelia Van der Mark (born in 1719) became the parents of Benjamin (born in 1739), Elias (born in 1742), and Catharina (born in 1745). Around the time of their daughter's birth, their mother, Cornelia, died.
In March of 1769, Elias Merckel married Elizabeth Hendriksen (born in 1754) and they had four children: Benjamin (born in 1773), Cornelia (born in 1774), Elias (born in 1776), and Johannis (born in (1778).
While not many facts have been recorded abut the dates of his enlistment or the length of his service, Elias, the Patriot, served as a sergeant in the Ulster County New York Militia, Third Regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Hoornbeeck, who received this commission October 15, 1775. Records show that Lt. Col Hoornbeeck served as chairman of the Rochester, New York Committee of Safety and also was the deputy to the First Provincial Congress.
After the Revolutionary Was was over, the Merckel family moved to Rochester, New York, more than 300 miles away. One might wonder if Elias' connection to Lt. col Hoornbeeck had any influence upon this. Rochester, New York, is located in the northwestern area of the state known as the Genessee Valley, not far from Lake Ontario and the Erie Canal.
Elias Merkle (note his spelling) had changed the spelling of his name and died in Rochester in 1810. The spelling would change again to Mericle in later generations.
Joseph Hayes, MD, Pvt
Patriot of Sandra Sue Hays Thielman
Jonathan Hayes of England had a son, Jonathan, born on January 1, 1685, in Liverpool, who became an officer in the British Army stationed at Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania [now Philadelphia.] It was there he met Elizabeth Elliott, born in 1690, whom he wished to marry. Her parents came to the colonies from Nova Scotia. They were Quakers and opposed to war and would not give their consent. After a time Jonathan sold his commission and married Miss Elliott. Their son, Jonathan C. Hayes, was born January 16, 1729, in Delaware, and was married to Mary Henderson, born June 17, 1732. About 1739 Jonathan C. Hayes settled on a 400-acre plantation at Tom’s Creek, Maryland. They had 5 children – Elizabeth, Mary, Jahue (a nickname for Jonathan), John, and Joseph, who is the featured Patriot of this story. When John married and moved to Tennessee, he was said to be the first one to drop the “e” from Hays.
Joseph Hayes was born in 1760 in Frederick, MD. He was recruited April 1, 1777, and served as a Private in Capt. John McGuire’s Company, Col. William Grayson’s Regiment, and Lt. Bell in the Continental Line. On February 7, 1791, in Taneytown, MD, Joseph married Deborah Weimer an only child. There were nine children - Thomas (Tommie), Mary H., Abram, Elizabeth, Amos, Deborah, Joseph Jr., John, and Mary J. Joseph inherited a 300-acre plantation from his father-in-law, Joseph Weimer, which was located in Carroll County, Maryland. After Joseph’s wife Deborah died in 1805, he married Martha Thomas.
Adjoining the Hayes plantation was that of Col. John Ross Key. During the War of 1812, it was in the Company of Col. Ross Key’s regiment, composed of Carroll County men that Joseph Hays and Key’s son, Francis Scott Key, boyhood friends, served side by side as they had also served in the Revolutionary War. During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key penciled the words of our National Anthem on a scrap of paper. When Joseph and three of his wealthy neighbors, all prominent Masonic brothers, lost their land in a betrayal by the army paymaster assigned to settle war claims, Francis Scott Key, now a member of Congress in Washington, used his influence to help his friend Joseph keep the use of the property until his death.
Joseph Hayes hated slavery, but about 1790 he went to Baltimore and bought a 4-year-old slave, Neddie, full name Edward Delaney, and took him home to be a playmate to his oldest son, Tommie. When Joseph died in 1850, the children were without a home. They asked Uncle Ned what he wanted to do, and he said he would “stick with Debbie.” So, Uncle Ned headed west with the children and their families in three wagons with 17 people. Across Ohio through Indiana and Illinois into eastern Iowa, he remained with the family until his death at age 75 in 1861. The Hays lot in Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell, Iowa is the final resting place of Joseph Hayes’ daughter, Deborah Hays, who never married. Nearby under a tree lies Edward Delaney.
Abraham Scott, NY, Sol PS
Patriot of Mary Ellen Scott Agar
The exact year that the Patriot Abraham Scott was born is not clear, but family tradition has it that he was born and baptized about February 25, 1753, in Rhinebeck, Duchess County, New York. His father’s name was also Abraham Scott, and his mother was Marytjen Freer Scott, who later married Casparus Haberly after the death of Abraham (the father). Little information was recorded during his growing-up years, but the Patriot Abraham subsequently signed the Association and gave his military service in the Duchess County Militia 3rd Regiment. In 1785 he married Hannah Derby, who was born in 1765 in Connecticut. Both were members of the Reformed Dutch Church. They had four children: Nabby (1787), Polly (1790), Charles (1792), and Abraham (sometimes spelled Abram) (1794]).
According to an account in the publication 1789 History of Cayuga County New York, ‘Abraham Scott from Vermont came with his family consisting of his wife Hannah and two sons Charles Y and Abram in the spring of 1810 and took up fifty acres. . . about a mile SE of Victory.” The town of Victory was within the Central New York Military Tract which consisted of nearly 2 million acres of bounty set aside to compensate New York’s soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War. Abraham Scott died sometime after 1820 and is buried in Victory Township, Cayuga County, New York.
The Patriot Abraham’s mother, Marytjen Freer, was the oldest of 11 children born to Hugo Freer, who was born around 1695 in New Paltz, Ulster County, NY. His Freer ancestors were members of the Huguenot Society in France who fled from Normandy to the British Isles to avoid the persecution of Protestants by the Roman Catholic Church. The Huguenot Society was first formed in America in 1883 and still exists today. The Huguenot Society’s aim is to form a bond of fellowship among those who respect and admire the Huguenots and perpetuate their memory. Many of Abraham Scott’s decedent’s have joined the Society through the years.
Stephen Cate, NH, PS
Patriot of: Hazel Brophy and Carmen Stears
Stephen Cate was born in 1750 in Stratham, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, and lived in Deerfield, Rockingham Co., NH. On March 30, 1777 he married Anna Griffin in Deerfield. They had seven children: Shadrach (born August 10, 1779), Charles (born January 2, 1781), John (born March 29, 1783), Stephen and Jonathan, twins (born March 3, 1785), Sally (born April 1, 1787), and Meshach (born July 6, 1789).
In 1784 the Cate family moved from Deerfield to Loudon, Merrimack County, NH. An interesting account of this is told in a publication named History of Merrimack and Belkna County, New Hampshire which says, “Stephen Cate settled upon the farm owned by William Cate where he built a log house and family of two children, the eldest two and one half years and the youngest but eighteen months old. He rode from Deerfield, NH on horseback with his wife, each carrying one of the children in their arms, as they rode upon the same horse. The following year Mrs. Cate, whose name was Anna, gave birth to twins Stephen and Jonathan, whose weight at birth was twenty-two pounds, who lived and grew to very large and strong men, looking so nearly alike as hardly to be distinguished from each other. Three of these boys settled in Loudon ,- Shadrach, John and Stephen.”
There were several sets of twins in generations to come. Stephen Cate’s eldest son, Shadrach, and his wife had fraternal twins, Hiram and Hannah. Shadrach led a notable life. He studied medicine and became a skillful practitioner as well as a gentleman of influence and culture in the city of Washington, D.C.
In 1774 the First Continental Congress passed a resolution called the Continental Association, to prompt Americans to declare their loyalties. A description of his Patriotic Service states that Stephen Cate, the Patriot, signed the Association test at Stratham, NH, in 1776. The test simply showed whether or not a citizen agreed to support the American cause.
Stephen Cate died on February 3,1817 in Loudon, Merrimack County, NH.
Heindrch Peter Loop, NY, Ensign
Patriot of: Janet Brooke Fogt
The New York Counties of Duchess, Rensselaer, Albany, Washington, and Warren not only have significance in that nearly all are part of the eastern border of the state, they all lie in the Hudson River valley providing a strategic trade route to Canada, and they also play an important role in the story of Patriot Heindrich Peter Loop, more often called Henry Loop. This area was settled by Dutch immigrants in the early 1600’s until it was owned by the British after the Treaty of Paris in 1753. The names of cities were sometimes changed by the new rulers, such as, New Amsterdam became New York City, Fort Orange became Albany, and Skenesborough became Whitehall.
Henry Loop was born around 1740 in Fishkill, Duchess County, NY. In 1761 he married Nellie Sharp. Both were members of the Dutch Reformed Church. They had twelve children, most of whom were born in Rensselaer, County, NY.
When Henry Loop was nearly forty (40)years old and already had a rather large family he joined the 16th Regiment of the Albany County Militia, and earned the rank of Ensign, serving under Colonels John Blair and Lewis VanWoert. The hamlet of Skenesborough, Washington Co. NY sits at the south end of Lake Champlain and is thought to be the “Birthplace of the U.S.Navy.” After the British won the Battle of Skenesborough, Henry and his unit were taken prisoners and on March 7, 1780, they were sent to Green Bay, Canada near the isthmus east of the Bay of Fundy in northern Quebec. By one report Henry managed a gentleman’s estate at Green Bay and when released his employer gave him six ruffled shirts and a pony to ride home. He was returned from captivity on November 22, 1782.
In 1785 Henry received land in the Jessup Patent as a result of his service. The Jessup brothers Edward and Ebenezer were loyalists and had acquired much of the land in the northwest part of Warren County in the Adirondacks from Sir William Johnson and the Mohawk Indians. Many of Henry Loop’s descendants established roots there, some near Bloody Pond in Queensbury, Warren Co NY, an historic Revolutionary War battle site.
Patriot Henry Loop died sometime after 1820 in New York.
Henry Clung, VA, Pvt.
Patriot of: Nancy Anna Clark Colburn
For a man who lived to 73 years of age, there could be a number of interesting tales to tell. However, little is recorded about the life of Henry Clung [who also went by Klunck,] a Patriot of the Revolutionary War. The several places where his birth, military service, and death took place provide some information.
Henry Clung was born on January 24, 1760, in Lancaster County, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Without verification it would only be speculation as to when, for instance, he married. His military record confirms he had a wife named Elizabeth, born in 1768. Missing from her vital information are her date of death, or her family name. They had a son named Andrew Klunck born in 1789 who was married to Rebecca Saylor.
The military record of Henry Clunk helps fill in a certain period of his life. According to his pension papers he enlisted April 2, 1777, in the 7th Virginia Regiment, commanded by Colonel Daniel Morgan. His military record list Capt. Rice and Col. Wood. He survived fighting in the Battle of Georgetown, in which the American forces under Capt. William Davis were defeated by the British. He also fought in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, which was the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. With the help of the French, this siege resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Americans with the surrender of General George lord Cornwallis and his capture. This was ultimately the beginning of negotiations between Great Britain and the United States for the Treaty of Paris, which was signed in 1783, ending the conflict.
The residence of Henry Clung listed on his military record is Marsh Creek, Virginia. After serving his country while in Virginia, his whereabouts are unknown. He died in Greencastle, Franklin County Pennsylvania on June 28, 1833.
John Morris Staples, MD, Pvt. & Sgt.
Patriot of Alice Jeannette Irwin Gordon
Much of what is known about Patriot John Morris Staples is from his pension application provided by himself and his widow and is now in the National Archives. John was born on May 18, 1757, in Islington, England, a northern borough of London. John left England in April of 1775, just before his 21st birthday, and landed at Annapolis, Maryland in June of that same year.
Hostilities had already erupted in April at Lexington and Concord. Bunker Hill would be next in June. John got caught up in the American Independence movement, and, wasting no time, enlisted as a private in June 1775 in the Maryland Field Artillery State Auxiliary 1st Regiment under Captain William Brown. By the summer of 1776 his regiment had joined the American Continental Army under Colonel Charles Harrison and General George Washington. In August they fought in the Battle of Long Island. He remained with Washington’s army as they retreated across New Jersey to Pennsylvania, and in December made the dangerous crossing of the Delaware River to defeat the Hessians at Trenton. After serving two years, he re-enlisted in June 1777 for three more years. Soon he was engaged in the Battle of Brandywine Creek near Chadds’s Ford, Pennsylvania on September 11th where he was wounded in the thigh. As the British army moved to take Philadelphia, the nation’s capital, the Continental Army was forced to retreat. In December 1777 John re-enlisted again as a “continental” with General George Washington, where he spent the terrible winter at Valley Forge. They left there heading to New York where, on June 28, 1778, they fought the Battle at Monmouth Courthouse - John wrote “it was a very hot day”. From June until October John was stationed at Chester, Orange County, New York, after which he was sent to Ft. Stanwix, Oneida County, NY. In December of 1780 he was discharged in Philadelphia, having reached the rank of Sergeant.
John Staples [the Patriot] was married in New Germatown, Somerset County, NJ, to Margaret Teeple in 1779. They had thirteen children: Rachel, 1779, John, Jr., 180, Mary,1782, Rebecca, 1784, William, 1786, Jacob, 1788, Francis J., 1790, Luke, 1791, Elizabeth, 1794, George (McClellan), 1795, James, 1797, Richard1799, and Horatio, 1801.
After John Staples, Sr. was discharged, he resided as a farmer in Northhampton, Pennsylvania. He died February 2, 1843, in Southfield Township, now part of Stroud’s Township in Monroe County. His wife, Margaret Teeple, who was born July 20, 1760, died on August 17, 1848, and is buried in Stroudsbury Cemetery, Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
George Ilgenfritz, PA, Pvt and PS
Patriot of Ruth Bedrosian Matteson
When George Ilgengritz was born May 25, 1728, in Ansbach, Germany, Protestant missionaries were already engaged in seeking freedom from the Catholics of Bavaria. Unable to uphold their majority they began to emigrate to other places. It is unknown which route George’s family may have taken, or in what year they arrived in York, Pennsylvania. York, located in south-central Pennsylvania, was founded in 1741 and had a large settlement of German and Scotch-Irish inhabitants.
In June of 1748 George, at 20 years of age, married Margaret Mohr. They had nine children, all of whom were born in York County, PA. they were: Maria Catherine, April 14, 1749; John, January 4, 1752; Elizabeth, January 8, 1755; Martin, December 11, 1756; Charlotte, December 13, 1758; Frederick, August 18, 1760; John, January 13, 1764; Juliana, August 7, 1765; and Samuel, April 21, 1767.
At the time of the Revolutionary War, George Ilgenfritz was in his fifties. His military record shows he served as a Private under Captain Simon Koppenhaffer in the York County Militia with no dates given as to when he entered or how long he served. The record also provides the information that George paid the supply tax in 1783. His military record gives his place of residence as Manchester Township, York County, PA. Also, according to this record he had a second wife named Maria Shartel, but no marriage date is known. Dates and places of birth and death for both of his wives are missing.
George Ilgenfritz died on November 11, 1810, in Dover, York County, Pennsylvania.
Brewster Higley Sr., CT, PS
Patriot of Julie Buttery Cramer
The eldest son of Brewster Higley, I, and the grandson of Captain John Higley, Bewster Higley II [also known as Sr.] was born December 12, 1709, in the old homestead at Simsbury, Hartford County, Connecticut. His father had bought for him some land upon which a colonial house was built. On March 13, 1734, when Brewster II was 25, he married Esther Holcomb and took her there to live. This would also be where all their children were born – Brewster III, 1735; Hannah, 1736/37’Joel, 1739; Esther, 1743; Seth, 1746; Huldah, 1749; and Enoch, 1754.
A publication called THE HIGLEYS AND THEIR ANCESTRY provides some notes about Brewster 2nd – his character and events in his life. His grandson wrote that he was “a man of ardent temperament, great industry, and fidelity.” He learned medical and surgical skills from his father and was considered an expert in extracting teeth and setting fractured bones. He was recognized by the best surgeons in Hartford. In 1740 he experienced a religious conversion. A famous preacher and evangelist George Whitfield came to the Hartford area and upon hearing him, Brewster followed him to Boston and other religious gatherings. He became fervent and zealous about his religious faith. From that time, he was active in religious matters, was a deacon in the church and later held other offices of importance. In 1753 a disagreement arose in the church over a hot topic - when and what kind of music would be sung. Brewster took the side which did not prevail, and, while he continued to work for the welfare of the church, he turned to other interests. In what seems in contrast to his involvement in religion, he operated a sawmill and a successful cider-mill and distillery. He was always a prominent citizen of Simsbury, holding elected offices. His military record indicated his Patriotic Service was on the Committee of Inspection in December, 1774. He often expressed regret that he had not received a better education in his youth.
On June 28, 1774, his wife of 40 years, Esther Higley, died at age 58. The following year he married Mindwell Bull of Hartford. On March 24, 1794, at age eighty-four years, three months, and nine days, Brewster Higley 2nd died in Simsbury, Connecticut.
James Ball, MD Sgt
Patriot of Kathleen Fast Noble
Much of the information for the story of James Ball was found in his pension application. He was born in 1751 in Frederick County, Maryland. On August 1, 1776, he volunteered to join the Revolutionary War as a Private in Captain Philip Mowery’s Company in the Regiment of Col. Shyrock. He was in the Battle of Hell’s Gate, a strait in the East River in New York City. His company also fought at the battle at White Plains, New York, under General Washington but at that time James was on the sick list and did not fight. He was discharged on December 25, 1776, James re-enlisted in 1777 for four months and served as a Sergeant in Captain Ralph Hillary’s Company, which was commanded by Lieutenant Elisha Beall in the Maryland Regiment of Colonel Baker Johnson in the Battle of Germantown. In September 1777 there were skirmishes at White Horse Tavern near Philadelphia, but that never became a battle due to rains. The troops he served with marched through parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. According to his testimony he served two months as a Private guarding prisoner at Fredericktown and two months guarding the Magazine in Fredericktown.
James Ball lived in Montgomery County, Maryland in 1778 and on February 20, 1779 he married Rachel Hinton at the Evangelic Lutheran Church in Frederick County, MD. Rachel was born in 1749 to Thomas and Rebecca (Wilson) Hinton in Frederick County. They continued to live in Frederick County and had three sons, Daniel, James Hinton, and Vachel. By 1820 the family is in Harrison County, Ohio near Wheeling, West Virginia. The National Road had been built by the Federal Government from 1811 to 1837, and went through Wheeling and continued through Richmond, Indiana. The James Ball family seemed to follow the National Road. Sons James Hinton Ball and Vachel Ball moved westward with their families and settled for good in Indiana. Daniel Ball stayed in Ohio with his family and worked in farming in Harrison County.
On October 10, 1832, while living in Allen County near his son Vachel, James Ball appeared in the county court to testify for his pension. After his pension was denied, he made a second appearance on November 9, 1833, and once again his pension was denied. On December 30, 1833, his friend, Henry Cooper, wrote a letter pleading his case. In his letter Mr. Cooper wrote that “James had traveled a total of 80 miles to go to this court” as well as saying, “he was destitute.” James signed both his application and subsequent testimony with an “X”. His pension was approved, and on January 15, 1834, he was awarded retroactive pay of $85.05. His annual pension was to be $28.33, but sadly James Ball died May 8, 1834, in Root Township, Adams County, Indiana. He is buried in Reynolds Cemetery.
Edmund Longley, Captain, MA Patriot of Martha Williams King
The Longleys emigrated to America in 1638 where two brothers, Richard and William, laid claim to land near Lynn, Massachusetts located on the Atlantic Ocean. Over the next 100 and more years, through many marriages, births, and location moves, one line ended up in Groton, MA, a settlement since 1630. Edmund Longley was born there on November 11, 1746.
A published record called Longley Ancestors 1563 – 1837 states that “Edmund became a professional soldier.” On April 19, 1775, Edmund joined the Revolution with other Minute Men in Groton, MA, as they assembled at the commons in front of the First Puritan Church. He fought in the battles of Lexington and Concord, and participated in the Siege of Boston and became Captain under George Washington. Edmund’s military record lists his services as follows: 1) Pvt. in Capt. Henry Haskell’s Company, Col. James Prescott’s Regiment, Lexington Alarm, 2) Cpl. in Capt. Robert Longley’s Company, Col. Asa Whitcomb’s Regiment, 3) Capt. in Jonathan Read’s Regiment, Mass Militia 6th Company, Middlesex Co., and 4) Capt. in Capt. Edmund Longley’s Company, Col. Cogswell’s Regiment.
In 1773 Edmund Longley married Alice Lawrence, who was born September 13, 1749. Their eight children were: [Brigadier General] Thomas, born September 4, 1774 in Shirley, Middlesex County, MA; Olive, born October 18, 1776 in Shirley; [Captain] Edmund, Jr., born in 1779 in Shirley; Olive Longley [Wood], born June 28, 1781 in Hawley, Franklin County, MA; Rhoda, born October 20, 1783 in Hawley; Luther, born August 16, 1785 in Shirley; Joshua, born August 28, 1788 in Hawley; and Calvin, born April 5, 1791 in Hawley.
Edmond received a pension for his services during the Revolutionary War, but it is not known what other sources of income he had. He was joined by his brother, Joseph, in Hawley, MA where they likely sold their land in Shirley, MA. In 1772, land sold for a dollar an acre. When Hawley was incorporated in 1792, Edmund became the Town Clerk, and Joseph the Town Treasurer.
Alice Longley died February 21, 1842, and Edmund Longley died November 29, 1842, in Hawley, Massachusetts.
Abraham Swartwout, Jr. NY, Captain
Patriot of Karen Braddy Lambert
The ancestors of Abraham Swartwout emigrated from both Oldenburg Germany and Amsterdam, Noord-Holland to Kingston, Ulster County, New York in the mid-1600’s. Abraham was born February 17, 1743, in Poughkeepsie, Duchess County, New York, He was married to Mary Maria (Polly) North who was born in 1744, also in Poughkeepsie. Their eight children were: Catharina [1767], Elizabeth [1768], John [1770 – 1823], Abraham III [1772 – 1801] Robert, Sr. [1779 – 1848], Henry [1781 – 1809], Samuel [1783 – 1856], and Thomas [1785 – 1802].
Abraham commanded the Duchess County Militia, 3rd RegimentNY line, under Col. James Clinton from October 1775 to December 1777, and the Associated Exempts in 1779. In all, twenty-nine members of the extended Swartwout family served in the Revolutionary War. Of Abraham’s family, several participated in future military encounters. Notably, John became a General, Robert, Sr. a Brigadier General, and Thomas a Seaman. Generations to come have continued to serve their country.
While Abraham, Jr. was in the military, the following interesting tale has been documented. On Jue 14, 1777, [ now Flag Day] the Continental Congress made a resolution that stated, “the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes alternating red and white; that the union be thirteen white stars in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Just two months later, on August 3, 1777, during the Saratoga campaign, about 750 militia under General Gansvoort had made a stand at Fort Stanwix against more than 2,000 loyalists, Canadian, Indians, British and Hessians. Among the fort’s defenders was Captain Abraham Swartwout of Poughkeepsie, NY. The garrison was without a flag when the enemy appeared. The militia quickly prepared one, which they made of available fabrics - army white shirts, red from the petticoat of John Roelof’s wife, and “Dutch blue” from Capt. Swartwout’s cloak [for which he submitted a bill for 8 shillings to replace it.] When the British moved into position around the fort, the first American flag was carried to victory.
Abraham Swartwout, Jr. died in Poughkeepsie, New York January 15, 1799. His wife also died there September 18, 1820.
Andrew Heckman Sr. PA, Private
Patriot of Cathy Leer Hof
The ancestors of Andrew Heckman Sr. came from Hesse, Darmstadt, Germany with the arrival of Andrew’s grandfather Jacob “Hockmann” as it was spelled in Germany, Jacob was born in 1707 and arrived on the ship Britania in the port of Philadelphia September 21, 1731, when he was 24. Andrew Sr., son of Jacob, was born September 27, 1743, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, his first wife was Elizabeth Getz who died about 1795. His second wife was Elizabeth Tyce (Tice) who was born April 8, 1776, also in Pennsylvania. They were married September 29, 1803, in Hagerstown, Maryland and lived in Cumberland County, PA when he was 60 years old. Their children were: Catherine d. in 1866, Polly d. 1870, Peter d. 1871, Henry d.1868, Susan, Andrew Jr. d. 1825 and Elizabeth. Andrew Sr. died when Andrew Jr was just 7 years old and his childhood was a little sterner for it as he was raised by his older brother Henry who made sure he learned a trade, carpentry. Andrew Jr is this Daughters 3 rd great grandfather. Andrew Sr. and his father Jacob (aged 68!) both enlisted in the service in Lancaster County, PA and served under Captain John Gassert in the Lancaster County Militia. Andrew served from 1780 – 1781 in 8th Company, 2nd Battalion, Lancaster Co as a Private. After having been discharged from George Washington’s Army Andrew Sr. and a few of his siblings pressed west joining “the great movement westward” to settle the Pennsylvania frontier. There he bought a 22-acre farm on the south branch of Benscreek, Conemaugh Township, Somerset Co, Pennsylvaniahere he raised the first generation of Heckman’s. He was a tailor and a farmer. Susan, Katie, Polly and Peter all remained unmarried and lived on the family farm. The family still has in their possession a “neatly engraved powder horn upon which is a very neatly engraved shield and an eagle” that Andrew Heckman Sr. had carried with him during his term of service. Andrew Heckman Sr. died in 1825 in Conemaugh Township, Somerset Co, Pennsylvania. His wife also died there, and they are buried on the Heckman Farm in the family cemetery.
Tristram Thomas, SC, Major
Patriot of Rebecca Alice Mandrell Tristram
Thomas was born July 28, 1752 in Talbot County Maryland the tenth child and sixth son born to Stephen Thomas (1705-1774) and Mary Clothier Thomas (1710 – 1767). His family moved from Maryland to North Carolina shortly after his birth. He moved to South Carolina with some of his older brothers in 1769 and settled in the area that became Marlboro County. Tristram Thomas was married twice. First, to Ann Pledger, who died in 1779, daughter of Capt. Philip Pledger, and mother of three children: Robert Turner Thomas (1775-1819) m. Jane House; Susannah Thomas (1777-1841) m. Joseph Thomas, a first cousin; and Philip Thomas (1779-1837) m. Martha Washington Hodge. After the death of his first wife, Gen. Thomas married Mary Hollingsworth, December 27, 1780, daughter of Samuel Hollingsworth and widow of David Harry. She was the mother of five Thomas children: Elizabeth Thomas (1781-1856) who is this members ancestor, m. first to Joseph Burch, Jr., this members ancestor, and second to Archibald "Arch" Caraway; John Thomas, b. 1784; Sarah Thomas, b. 1785, m. Josiah David; Tristram Hollingsworth Thomas, b. 1789 m. Martha Davis; and James Clothier Thomas (1792- 1867) m. Mary L. Davis. Tristram Thomas was commissioned as a Sergent in a company of Rangers on July 1, 1775. He served under Colonel Benton, Captain Hicks and Colonel Hobbs. He served as a Captain from 1780 to 1781. On July 25, 1780, a flotilla of British flatboats escorted by British Regulars under Capt.-Lt. John Nairne and Loyalists under Col. William Henry Mills was heading towards Charlestown on the Pee Dee River. The transport contained sick soldiers that had been stationed at Cheraw. The Patriots learned of this British movement and gathered some troops to make an attack. The Patriot Militia was assigned to Major Tristram Thomas. He picked an ambush site at Marr's Bluff (aka Hunt's Bluff), a bend in the Great Pee Dee River. Not having any cannon, the Patriots made some Quaker cannons, and placed them behind a parapet. When the British approached the "battery," the Patriots rushed out and pretended to load the cannons. Demands were yelled at the flatboats to surrender or be blown apart with the cannons. The Loyalist militia was fooled, and they quickly mutinied. They took over the boats, made the sick soldiers their prisoners, and surrendered to Major Thomas. After the war, he held the rank of brigadier general of the Ninth Brigade (ca. 1794-1804). He was in the 4th General Assembly of the South Carolina Legislature, House of Representatives as a representative for St. David’s Parrish, furnishing supplies during the session that met from January 17th, 1782 to February 16, 1782. His brother, William Thomas, served in the Senate during that time as well. He died at his residence in Marlborough County, SC September 3, 1817. He is buried in Sawmill Baptist Church Cemetery in Bennettsville, Marlboro County, SC.